A method for producing high purity terephthalic acid wherein a slurry having an acetic acid solvent and, dispersed therein, crude terephthalic acid crystals which has been prepared by subjecting a p-alkyl benzene to a liquid phase oxidation in a solvent of acetic acid is continuously converted to a water slurry by the mother liquid exchange, and then the resultant water slurry is subjected to a hydrogenation treatment, which comprises introducing the above acetic acid slurry to a tower having a center axis having a plurality of agitating blades at the top thereof, to form a region having a high concentration of terephthalic acid crystals in the tower through the sedimentation of the terephthalic acid crystals, supplying the water for substitution to the bottom of the tower in such a manner to form an upward water flow while generating a revolving flow of the high concentration region by the rotation of the agitation blade, to thereby subject said terephthalic acid crystals and said upward water flow to a counter-flow contact, and taking out the acetic acid from a portion being upper than the supply port for the acetic acid slurry while withdrawing the terephthalic acid crystals having contacted with the upward water flow together with the water for substitution from the tower bottom. The above method allows the substitution of the acetic acid solvent of the acetic acid slurry with water, with a high substitution percentage.

Terephthalic acid is produced by subjecting p-phenylene compounds such as p-alkylbenzenes, typically p-xylene, to a liquid-phase oxidation reaction in an acetic acid solvent in the presence of a catalyst such as cobalt and manganese or in the presence of such a catalyst and an accelerator such as a bromine compound and acetaldehyde. However, the reaction product contains various impurities, such as 4-carboxybenzaldehyde (4CBA) and p-toluic acid, which may cause discoloration. Therefore, higher purification techniques are required to obtain a high-purity terephthalic acid.
There are known various methods for purifying the crude terephthalic acid produced by the liquid-phase oxidation reaction, for example, a method in which the crude terephthalic acid is dissolved in an aqueous solvent at high temperatures and high pressures and the resultant solution is subjected to a catalytic hydrogenation treatment, an oxidation treatment or a recrystallization treatment, and a method in which a slurry of terephthalic acid crystals partially dissolved therein is subjected to a high-temperature immersion treatment. In particular, a method of subjecting a solution of crude terephthalic acid in water to catalytic hydrogenation in the presence of a group VIII noble metal catalyst of the periodic table at high temperatures and high pressures has been utilized for the past several tens years as a large-scale industrial process for the production of high-purity terephthalic acid.
A major problem of the catalytic hydrogenation process is that a large number of steps are required. That is, the catalytic hydrogenation process requires, as the main steps except for complicated and troublesome steps for recovery of catalyst and solvent, a series of equipments including a single- or more-stage oxidation reactor, several sequential crystallizers for rough purification, a separator for rough purification, a dryer for rough purification, a re-dissolution vessel, a catalytic hydrogenation reactor, several sequential crystallizers for fine purification, a separator for fine purification, and a dryer for fine purification.
The major factor to increase the number of steps is the use of acetic acid as the reaction solvent for the production of the crude terephthalic acid by oxidation and the use of water as the solvent for the purification by catalytic hydrogenation. To displace the mother liquor from acetic acid to water, the crude terephthalic acid produced by the oxidation must be once completely separated from the acetic acid solvent, and then dissolved again in water. If the separation of the crude terephthalic acid from acetic acid is incomplete and the crude terephthalic acid with acetic acid attached thereto is fed to the catalytic hydrogenation process, the acetic acid is mixed with water solvent for the catalytic hydrogenation and discharged out of the production system because acetic acid hardly undergoes chemical change during the catalytic hydrogenation. This means a loss of valuable acetic acid, and the discharged acetic acid must be made harmless against the environment, resulting in a large economical loss.
To eliminate the economical loss, it is required to substantially completely prevent the attached acetic acid from accompanying the crude terephthalic acid being fed into the catalytic hydrogenation process. Therefore, in the conventional industrial facilities, a combination of a separator for rough purification and a dryer for rough purification has been employed to separate the mother liquor from the crystal-containing slurry from the oxidation step. A solid bowl-type centrifugal separator or a rotary vacuum filter has been most generally used to separate the mother liquor from a crystal-containing slurry. Both the separators are widely used also in the separation of the mother liquor from the slurry containing the crude terephthalic acid crystals.
In the separation using the solid bowl-type centrifugal separator, an acetic acid slurry is introduced into a basket rotating at a high speed to centrifugally separate the crystals and the mother liquor. The mother liquor is overflowed from a weir provided on the basket, whereas the precipitated crystals are continuously scraped out by a screw. However, this method involves drawbacks of requiring complicated repair and maintenance because of its structural limitations inherent to the centrifugal separator that needs high-speed rotation. In addition, since the crude terephthalic acid crystals are separated in the form of a wet cake containing the mother liquor, an additional drying step must be provided downstream the centrifugal separation step to separate the acetic acid attached to the crude terephthalic acid crystals.
In the separation using the rotary vacuum filter, the crude terephthalic acid crystals placed on the bottom of a housing are sucked onto a cylindrical filter by evacuating the inside of the filter and move upward with the rotation of the filter. Generally, after passing through a washing zone where a rinsing liquid is sprayed over the crude terephthalic acid crystals retained on the filter by suction, the terephthalic acid crystals are separated from the filter as a filter cake. In this method, although the repair and maintenance are relatively easy because a high-speed rotation is not required, it is difficult to completely remove the mother liquor attached to the crude terephthalic acid crystals. Therefore, like the separation using the centrifugal separator, this method also needs a downstream drying step.
To solve the above problems, there have been proposed methods capable of more efficiently removing the mother liquor from the crystals, for example, a method using a separator equipped with a movable filter band (for example, JP 5-65246 A) and a method using a pressure-type rotary filtration separator (for example, JP 6-502653 A). In these methods, since the separated crystals are washed with water to displace the attached mother liquor (acetic acid) by water, a dryer is not required. Although a dryer is not required, these methods require separators of more complicated structure, this making these methods not so advantageous for simplifying the process.
To simplify the process more, it is preferred to separate the crystals from the acetic acid solvent at a temperature close to the oxidation temperature (usually 150 to 230° C.) and feed a slurry of the separated crystals in water into the catalytic hydrogenation step (usually conducted at 250 to 300° C.). This method makes the sequential crystallizer for rough purification in addition to the dryer unnecessary and saves the energy required for cooling and re-heating the crystals and liquids. In addition, since the crystals and the mother liquor are separated at a high temperature, the amount of impurities that precipitate in the crystals from the mother liquor is reduced to increase the quality of the crude terephthalic acid crystals. This leads to another advantage of easy purification.
As a method applicable to such a process, there has been proposed a method in which a crude terephthalic acid is recrystallized from water and the resultant slurry is fed into an upper portion of a vertical column at a high temperature (165° C. or higher), thereby allowing the terephthalic acid crystals to sediment by gravity against a slow upward flow of a high-temperature water to wash away the attached mother liquor (for example, JP 33-5410 B). In this method, the separation of mother liquor is conducted at a high temperature (under pressure) after the terephthalic acid crystals are recrystallized from water. However, this method is basically a mother liquor displacement method for displacing the mother liquor of the terephthalic acid slurry by a fresh solvent.
This mother liquor displacement method is advantageous in that no special powers are required because the crystals are allowed to sediment by gravity, and is attractive because of the simple structure of the apparatus to be used. However, the method is disadvantageous in that the degree of the mother liquor separated from the crystals (hereinafter referred to as "degree of mother liquor displacement") is low, and that experimental results are hardly scaled-up into the practical production. By increasing the speed of upward flow of the high-temperature water, the degree of mother liquor displacement can be increased. However, this requires a large amount of water. In addition, the sedimentation speed of the crystals is decreased by the increase of the speed of upward flow to allow a large amount of small-size crystals to escape from the top of vertical column.
To remove the above drawbacks, there has been proposed a mother liquor displacement method using a vertical column that is horizontally divided by a plurality of partitions with a number of holes to combine a gravitational sedimentation process of the terephthalic acid crystals and a particle transportation process (for example, JP 57-53431 A). The partitions are used to increase the degree of mother liquor displacement by preventing the channeling or back-mixing of the fluid within the apparatus. However, in the mother liquor displacement utilizing the gravitational sedimentation of slurry, the partitions cause the deposition of crystals thereon and clogging and bulking at openings to require much labor for stable operation of the apparatus.
In addition, there has been proposed a displacement column that is horizontally divided by a number of plates. The terephthalic acid crystals are scraped and allowed to fall down through small holes by a scraper blade that are rotated on the plates at a relatively slow speed (for example, JP 1-160942 A). In the working example for displacing the acetic acid solvent for crude terephthalic acid crystals by water using the proposed displacement column, a high degree of mother liquor displacement is achieved, i.e., 99.9% or more of the acetic acid solvent is displaced by water. However, in the apparatus having the fixed plates and the scraper blades rotated at a slow speed (assumed from the examples as about 0.01 m/s by a peripheral speed of the tip end of the blade), the crystals attach to the plates and scraper blades and grow thereon to make the reliability in a long-term operation poor.

Method for producing high purity terephthalic acid


A microwave splitter/combiner has a flat housing comprising similar top and bottom horizontal circular cover plates joined at their peripheries by an annular flange of short vertical length. The top plate and flange mount on their respective outsides a primary signal transfer coaxial connector and a plurality of secondary signal transfer connectors of which the latter are spaced around the flange. A plurality of first coaxial line sections inside the housing lie in a common horizontal plane and are all coupled to the primary connector and each coupled to a respective one of such secondary connectors, the housing being suitably apertured to permit such couplings. A plurality of second coaxial line sections inside the housing are respectively coupled to such first sections and are all coupled to each other in such fashion as to suppress the appearance at the secondary connectors of extraneous signals. Such second sections are L-shaped and lie in respective planes departing from the horizontal by at most a small acute angle.

Assume that the assemblage described above is a combiner having six input ports receiving corresponding signals which are transferred from such ports to the common port to provide therefrom an output combining such originally separate signals. In the case of, say, the signal which is received by the #1 input port and conducted in a path #1 from such port towards the output port, a fraction of that signal will, on its reaching the end of the #1 path, be diverted through the output port to become a desired component of the composite output signal. Since, however, at such end of that #1 path, the other five input ports are electrically coupled in parallel with the output port, other fractions of the #1 signal will, unless something is done, reach such other input ports to there be manifested as extraneous signals. The presence of such extraneous signals at such ports is undesirable because they may flow reversely through such ports, and because of other detrimental electrical effects likely to be produced.
It has been proposed in an article "A New N-Way Power Divider/Combiner Suitable for High Power Applications" authored by Ulrich H. Gysel and published in the MIT Symposium Digest, 1975, pages 116-118 that such problem may be overcome as follows. As disclosed in that article, a microwave circuit (which will be assumed to be a combiner circuit) comprises circuit boards and, also, transmission lines which are all in the form of striplines printed on such boards except that one of such lines is a coaxial line. In such circuit, a primary port is connected by a coaxial line Z.sub.1 to a junction to which are also connected a plurality of striplines Z.sub.2 connected at their ends away from such junction to corresponding secondary ports. The lines Z.sub.2 provide principal paths for transfer of microwave signals between the secondary ports and the mentioned junction.
In order for a signal received at any one secondary port to reach through principal paths any other secondary port as an extraneous signal, that signal must travel through two principal paths a distance between those two ports which is a half wavelength of the microwave signal at the midfrequency of the combiner. The results is that such extraneous signal undergoes approximately a 180.degree. phase shift in the course of such travel.
To reduce the presence of the extraneous signals at the secondary ports, these ports are respectively connected to a plurality of supplemental signal transfer paths each consisting of a stripline Z.sub.3 and a stripline Z.sub.4 in series, and all connected to a common floating point at their ends away from the secondary ports. Each of such supplemental paths has a length of one half wavelength. Because of the existence of these supplemental paths, the signal received at any one secondary port can reach any other secondary port as an extraneous signal not only through two principal paths as described above but also through two supplemental paths. However, the fraction of that signal which travels through the two supplemental paths to the destination port undergoes in the course of such travel a phase shaft of 360.degree. so as to be exactly out of phase with the fraction of extraneous signal reaching that port through the two principal paths. Hence, if the extraneous signal fractions reaching that destination port through, respectively, the two principal paths and the two supplemental paths are of about the same amplitude (as can be realized), these two signal fractions will almost wholly cancel each other out so as to reduce to low level the resultant extraneous signal at that port.
The circuit disclosed by the Gysel article has, however, the disadvantages that, because of the several odd impedance transmission lines required, stripline or microstrip construction is indicated. However, for high power combining of larger numbers of signals with minimum loss, stripline does not work well, and the circuit is undesirably limited as to the microwave power it can handle as a result of the lower power carrying capacity of the striplines.
One or more of the disadvantages just mentioned of the Geysel circuit are overcome according to the invention which is disclosed and claimed in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,809 for "Signal Isolating Microwave Splitters/Combiners" issued Jun. 29, 1993 and assigned to the assignee hereof. The exemplary embodiment of the invention disclosed in that earlier filed application is a microwave assemblage of a configuration enabling it to incorporate therein a number of secondary ports which can vary in number to six or to even more than six, that particular embodiment having six of such ports. Often, however, when only two, three or four of such ports are required, the spatial features of that assemblage which are used in it to accommodate a larger number of secondary ports are not needed, and the presence of those features in the configuration causes it to occupy space which might well be put to better purposes. Moreover, such assemblage is of costly construction because its structure incorporates a large number of expensive junction boxes.

Compact signal isolating microwave splitters/combiners


The apparatus comprises a motor (16) which is mounted on a float and in which the motor drives an impeller device (20) which extends below the liquid surface (11), with the motor (16) being mounted in a chamber (12) which is fully sealed from the liquid and which serves as a float (10). The apparatus may be fitted with a supply conduit (30) in order to bring gas, such as air, from above the liquid surface to the vicinity of the impeller device (20). The apparatus may be used for the treatment, mixing and/or aeration of liquids such as for example waste water.

The invention relates to an apparatus for treating liquids and more specifically for mixing and/or aerating liquids, such as for example waste water.
Apparatuses of this type mainly comprise a power source such as a motor--which is mounted on a float and in which the power source drives an impeller device--such as a screw-shaped body--which is located at least partly beneath the surface of the liquid.
Floating mixers or aerators are generally known for treating waste water. Apparatuses of this kind are described in Belgian patents BE 884.216 and BE 893.687 in the Applicant's name.
One embodiment in which a single apparatus can be used as aerator and as mixer is described in Belgian patent 1.002.575. Mixing or aeration is carried out with this apparatus depending on the direction of rotation of the motor and thus of the screw. Thus, with one direction of rotation, the screw is made to axially pump the water upwards from below, after which the water is dispersed over the water surface at great speed. If the direction of rotation of the motor is reversed, the effect is obtained that the screw radially draws in the water from near the surface of the water and then pushes it axially downwards. In order to change over from aeration mode to mixing mode, the float is fitted with means for adjusting the immersion level of the apparatus.
During use of such apparatuses in liquids and also in contaminated water, it has been found that foam formation may take place at the surface of the liquid. This foam formation may lead to the motor or power source becoming defective if the foam builds up around it.


A kettle comprising a base and a frame pivotally mounted relative to the base. The frame includes first electrical contacts connectable to a power source and a vessel is receivable in and removable from the frame. The vessel includes an internal element in connection with second electrical contacts and an opening from which liquid can be poured. When the vessel is received in the frame the first electrical contacts make connection with the second electrical contacts such that power is supplied to the internal element to heat water within the vessel. Pivoting of the vessel and frame relative to the base allows pouring of liquid, from the opening.

(1) Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a kettle for heating liquid, and more particularly to a kettle containing a heating element pivotally mounted in a base which can be pivoted to allow pouring of the liquid the kettle contains.
(2) Description of Related Art
Kettles generally have a handle on the side or on the top used to hold the kettle for pouring water. Grasping such a handle can be difficult tor some people, such as those suffering arthritis in the hand and finger joints. This can make the process of holding and pouring a kettle full of hot water a difficult task.
Thus a continuing need exists for a kettle having an improved design aimed at making the process of pouring water from the kettle and filling the kettle easier.


An optical modulator is disclosed. The modulator is based upon an ARROW waveguide, consisting of a substrate, a lower cladding, an interference layer, and a core layer. An electronic element is formed in the structure to control the free-carrier concentration in the interference layer. The light is coupled by grating into the interference layer, where the free-carrier concentration is controlled by the element, which in turn controls the modulation of the light in the interference layer before it is coupled back to the core layer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to optical modulators and switches, more particularly to integrated optic waveguide modulators and switches.
2. Background of the Invention
Anti-resonant Reflecting Optical Waveguides (ARROW) have several advantages over other types of waveguides. They can be formed upon silicon, using relatively thin layers compared to other waveguides, for easier compatibility with other electronic integrated circuits. At the same time, they can have a large mode for coupling to optical fibers. Additionally, they are relatively easy to manufacture, as they require no exotic materials.
These waveguides typically consist of a layer of silicon oxide built upon a silicon substrate. An interference layer of silicon is then placed upon the first layer of silicon oxide, followed by another layer of silicon oxide. All of these materials can be deposited with relative ease. The silicon layer sandwiched between the two silicon oxide layers functions as a passive interference cladding layer. The thickness of the interference layer is not critical.
Vertical coupling has been achieved in such layered structures made of semiconductor materials by the use of periodic gratings in the materials that make up the structure. This technique can be used to couple light between the top core layer and the interference layer.
Active optical modulators are normally difficult to produce in or on silicon. Silicon exhibits no linear electro-optic effect, although changes in absorption or refractive index may be induced by modulating the density of free carriers. All-silicon waveguides tend to have a high propagation loss due to these same free-carrier effects and are difficult to fabricate to have a high modulation efficiency, because of poor modal overlap. All-dielectric waveguides can have low loss, but are typically passive and not useful for modulation. Using an ARROW structure in conjunction with vertical coupling will make it possible to combine the low-loss propagation of dielectric waveguides with the capability of modulating or switching light using free-carrier effects.

Vertically-coupled arrow modulators or switches on silicon


A rubber access mat includes a rubber slab having opposed side edges defining a width and opposed end edges defining a length. A rigidifying grid of reinforcing wire is embedded within the rubber slab. The grid consists of a plurality of parallel spaced wires extending between the opposed side edges for most of the width of the rubber slab and a plurality of parallel spaced wires extending between the opposed end edges for most of the length of the rubber slab. The reinforcing wire is not less than number ten gauge wire.

Most access mats currently in use are made from wood. Recycled tires provide an abundant source of inexpensive material for making access mats. Unfortunately, access mats made from rubber currently have limited utility. They can be used to protect a paved highway, when heavy equipment must be moved across the highway. However, they can not provide the underlying support that wood or other more rigid materials provide.


Provided are inorganic fibers which can exhibit high biosolubility and have excellent heat resistance as the constituting material for a filter material, a sealing material or the like, while exerting minimized effects on the human body or the living environment even when the fibers have an average diameter of 1 μm or less. Inorganic fibers including 35 mass% to 88 mass% of Al2O3, 3 mass% to 45 mass% of CaO and 5 mass% to 40 mass% of SiO2, wherein the total content of Al2O3, CaO and SiO2 is 98 mass% or more of the entire fibers.

Inorganic fibers are composed mainly of fibers comprising an inorganic compound. They are expected to be used as a constituting material for a heat insulating material, a refractory material, or the like. In particular, inorganic fibers having an average fiber diameter of 1 μm or less are expected to be used as a filter material or a sealing material.
As for inorganic fibers having a small fiber diameter, asbestos have conventionally be known. Since asbestos have a small fiber diameter and have a high chemical resistance to body fluids, it reaches the inside of the lung by breathing, and adversely affects the cells in the alveolus for a long period of time, thereby affecting the human body. Further, as for inorganic fibers other than asbestos, in the case of inorganic fibers composed mainly of SiO2, which have excellent heat resistance, it is known that SiO2 is crystallized at high temperatures to generate crystobalite, and the crystobalite reaches the inside of the lung, thereby adversely affecting the human body.
Under such circumstances, as inorganic fibers having low chemical resistance to body fluids, inorganic fibers comprising 65 to 99 wt % of Al2O3 and 1 to 35 wt % of SiO2 are proposed. These inorganic fibers are obtained by drawing a spinning solution formed of a solution comprising aluminum oxychloride, colloidal silica and a thickening agent from a plurality of spinning holes to obtain a fiber precursor, and the fiber precursor is then subjected to quick heating and quick quenching (see Patent Document 1 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,979,494)).


Various techniques for testing multicore processors in an integrated circuit. Each core includes a plurality of registers configured to form at least two scan chains. In one embodiment, a verification unit located in the integrated circuit is electrically coupled to outputs of the scan chains. The verification unit is configured to determine the validity of the outputs of the scan chains and to indicate a malfunction of the integrated circuit if the outputs are determined not to be valid.

The present invention relates generally to microelectronic hardware product testing. More specifically, the present invention relates to techniques for testing multi-core integrated circuits.
Modern microprocessor systems derive significant performance enhancements from the implementation of multiple, identical cores on a single integrated circuit (IC). Designing such multi-core integrated circuits generally begins with the design of a single core. Then, several identical, or nearly identical, replications of the core may be fabricated on a single die. For example, a multi-core processor chip may contain a core that is replicated multiple times, wherein each replicated core serves as a single processor. Additional circuitry may be added to the multi-core IC to couple the replicated cores together. Resources shared by the replicated cores may also be included in the IC. Such resources may include memory accessible to all cores and/or a controller configured to coordinate operations among the replicated cores. It is noted that a multi-core integrated circuit, as the term is used herein, includes any IC having a circuit design repeated at least twice.
Multi-core design offers numerous advantages compared to other techniques known in the art for improving the performance of ICs. Generally, when circuits are repeated several times using multi-core principles, performance is increased. Specifically, multi-core ICs may exploit CMOS device scaling to increase device density per unit of area. The resulting parallel operation of an increased number of CMOS devices advantageously increases performance. Furthermore, chip shrink factor and clock frequency limitations are becoming increasingly important considerations in IC design. Multi-core design practices are an effective response to these considerations. Other benefits offered by multi-core design include lower design cost and improved power consumption.
Historically, the most common strategy for improving the performance of a microprocessor has been to increase its clock speed. Most microprocessors include an internal clock that pulses at a well-defined frequency. The frequency is generally expressed in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). For example, a microprocessor with a clock speed of 1 GHz pulses 1,000,000,000 (109) times per second. The clock pulses may drive the operation of the microprocessor and may synchronize the various units of logic within the microprocessor with each other. A primitive operation performed by a microprocessor generally requires a specific number of clock cycles to be completed. Thus, the number of operations that can be performed per second increases in direct proportion to the increase in the clock speed.
Unfortunately, in the present state of the art, there are diminishing returns to increasing the frequency of the internal clock. Inherent physical limitations may interfere with increasing the micro-architectural frequency. An example of an inherent physical limitation is non-scaling, or even reverse scaling, of wire delay. In some cases, overcoming such limitations may be possible but may involve significant costs, such as research and development expenses and more expensive materials. In other cases, the limitations may be theoretical constraints that are impossible to overcome within the context of integrated circuit design paradigms known in the art. Therefore, including multiple cores within the same microprocessor may improve performance more effectively and/or at a lower cost per microprocessor than increasing clock speed.
Additionally, using multiple cores may result in lower design costs than would be required by other methods of improving performance. As more transistors are utilized in an integrated circuit, more time is generally required for circuit design, resulting in increased development cost. Multi-core design helps address such costs. In a multi-core design approach, a single core is typically designed and then replicated on a die. Because the core thus designed has fewer transistors than the entire integrated circuit, design costs may be reduced. While there are design costs associated with ensuring correct interaction of the replicated cores, the net design cost is still generally reduced through the application of multi-core design practices.
Moreover, multi-core designs may allow chip manufacturers to fabricate products with improved power consumption characteristics. Performance derived from parallel execution is generally more power efficient than performance derived from increased clock frequency. Thus, multiplying the number of cores in an IC by a given factor may provide similar performance but less power consumption compared to multiplying the clock frequency of the IC by the same factor. Decreasing power consumption is beneficial because in many environments, the cost of the power required to operate a system represents a significant proportion of the system's total operating cost. Furthermore, many systems operate in environments offering a limited power supply. For example, portable computers typically include a battery to allow operation when no electrical outlet is available. If the battery is out of power and no electrical outlets are available, the computer must cease operation.
Whether or not an integrated circuit has multiple cores, an integrated circuit design generally must be tested to ensure computer simulations of circuit designs function as expected in the real world. Thus, during the design of the integrated circuit, testing is performed to ensure that the integrated circuit works as anticipated. Later, once the design has been finalized and the integrated circuit is manufactured, each die produced must generally be tested to ensure that it operates correctly. IC testing is necessary during the manufacturing process because IC fabrication is a complex and precise process susceptible to minute contaminates and variations that can cause the integrated circuit not to function properly.
Testing, during both design and production, may include functional testing. In functional testing, input values are provided to the integrated circuit. The IC then performs one or more operations using the input values. The results are then analyzed to ensure their validity.
Functional testing of integrated circuits may be facilitated by design techniques known in the art as Design For Test (DFT), also known as Design For Testability. DFT techniques may include adding circuitry to an integrated circuit, wherein the primary purpose of the circuitry is to facilitate testing of the IC. DFT techniques often facilitate reading and writing the internal state of the IC more directly than is possible during normal operation. It is noted that such circuitry generally has no harmful effects during functional operation. The circuitry can thus be incorporated into the IC even though an end user will never use its capabilities.
One DFT technique known in the art is scan design. In scan design, a circuit under test (CUT) is initialized with test patterns using inputs on the IC housing the CUT. The CUT then performs one or more operations using the loaded test patterns. These operations are known in the art as "capture cycle(s)". The contents of each register in the CUT resulting from these operations may be observed directly via outputs on the IC. If there is some divergence between the output and an expected result, a problem in the CUT likely exists. If the output matches the expected result, there is more confidence that the CUT is functioning properly.
In scan design, one or more scan chains are used to input test patterns and to output the results of the capture cycles. A scan chain connects registers within the CUT into one long shift register. Registers within the CUT may include flip-flops, latches and any other technological device capable of storing data. A shift register can be conceptualized as a bucket brigade where at each pulse of a clock, every bucket (test pattern datum) in the bucket brigade is shifted one increment in the same direction. Thus, when a special test signal called "scan enable" is activated, test patterns may be shifted into the registers. Upon each pulse of a clock, a new datum is shifted from an input pin into the first register in the scan chain, and each datum already in the scan chain is shifted forward to the next register. It is noted that the clock driving the scan chain need not be the same as the functional clock used during normal operation of the IC. In fact, the scan chain clock may pulse at a lower frequency than the general IC clock due to considerations such as power dissipation and the quality of the wiring used to assemble the scan chains.
Once all data are loaded into the scan chain, scan enable mode may be deactivated, causing the CUT to resume normal operation. Thus, functional clock signals may be pulsed one or more times to cause the CUT to perform one or more operations. To view the results of these operations (the capture cycles), scan enable mode may be reactivated. Then, upon each pulse of a clock, the last datum in the scan chain is shifted to an output pin, and every other datum shifts forward to the next register. This allows the contents of each shift register to be viewed directly and compared to an expected result.
Scan testing of complex integrated circuits is expensive due to the number of scan steps that must be performed to test an increasing number of registers. When using scan design methods, one clock cycle is required for each register in a scan chain. For example, if a scan chain includes 100,000 latches, then 100,000 clock cycles are required to pass test data onto the scan chain. For reasons previously noted, the clock cycles used by the scan chains may be significantly longer than the functional clock cycles, further increasing the time required. It directly follows that the amount of time required to test an IC is proportional to the number of registers to be tested. This is important because the cost of testing an IC is proportional to the amount of time required for testing. Systems known in the art for testing ICs typically have a high cost; the cost can be divided by the system's anticipated lifespan to determine an estimated cost per unit of time. Additional costs of testing, such as power consumption, may also be approximately proportional to the amount of time required.
It follows that the cost to test multi-core integrated circuits using scan design methods is proportional to the number of replications of the core within the IC. For example, an IC with four instances of a core may cost approximately four times as much to test as an IC with only one instance of the same core. Clearly, this increased cost is disadvantageous. It may become even more disadvantageous in the future, as present trends are for ICs to include an increasing number of replications of a core.
Techniques known in the art for avoiding such increased costs in testing multi-core integrated circuits have significant drawbacks. One such technique is to utilize multiple, shorter scan chains in lieu of one, longer scan chain. A scan chain with 100,000 latches, for example, can be divided into 100 scan chains containing 1,000 latches each. In particular, a separate scan chain may be assembled for each core. The chief advantage of this approach is reducing the time required to perform a scan test by shifting in multiple values at the same time. As a result, the time required for testing is divided by a factor approximately equal to the number of scan chains (assuming the scan chains are of equal length.)
Unfortunately, this approach has several disadvantages. First, the number of scan chains supported by systems for testing is often limited. Increasing the number of supported scan chains increases testing system cost. Second, the number of pins required for input and output is proportional to the number of scan chains. Adding pins to an IC clearly increases manufacturing costs. Even if the increased costs are acceptable, the number of pins available on high capacity ICs is subject to physical and electrical limitations. As a result, this approach can be unfeasible as a long-term solution, since the number of available pins is growing less rapidly than the number of cores.
It is noted that while techniques exist in the art to multiplex input and output pins of a scan chain onto a single pin (which may also be used for other purposes), such techniques are of limited utility in avoiding the IO pin bottleneck. This is due to the inherent limitation that at a specific moment in time, a pin may only be providing data to a single scan chain. For example, an IC with 30 pins cannot simultaneously provide inputs to 32 scan chains, even if the input for each scan chain is multiplexed over pins used during functional operation for another purpose. Furthermore, increased integration reduces the number of design signal pins that can be easily shared for routing scan test data. This is often due to the adoption of new signaling mechanisms, such as differential signaling, which interfere with the sharing of pins between design, functional and test structures.
Another apparent workaround would be to increase the speed at which data may be entered into the scan chains. However, input speeds are limited by power dissipation considerations. Additionally, it may be cost-ineffective to utilize internal wiring of a sufficient quality to allow for rapid data transfer when that wiring will generally never be used again once the IC has been tested. Thus, it may be infeasible to increase the data rate for the scan chains.
Another workaround involves compressing the input data used to initialize the scan chains. One compression technique is to store the test pattern to be scanned into the registers on the IC. This approach is disadvantageous because it clearly increases manufacturing costs. Another compression technique involves compressing the data loaded into the scan chains and expanding it within the IC. This approach is limited in effectiveness because the proportion by which data may be compressed is subject to theoretical limits.
Those skilled in the art may wonder why Array Built-In Self Test (ABIST) cannot be used to test multi-core integrated circuits. ABIST is specialized for testing replicated arrays of circuits used for storage. It is generally unsuitable for testing logic such as that incorporated into microprocessors and other integrated circuits.
In summary, multi-core design of integrated circuits is highly advantageous, but its advantages can be counteracted by limitations in testing methods known in the art.

Scan testing in single-chip multicore systems

International Business Machines Corporation


A new method and system for bar code data interchange includes a bar code scanner, such as a high scan rate LED scanner, and reads bar coded information from a video display. This bar coded information is scanned from the video display into a host device. The bar coded information may be sent to a user in a variety of ways, including over the Internet, any intranet, or any type of telephony network. The bar coded information may be viewed by the user on the video display as part of an e-mail message, as displayed on a web-page, or as displayed on television programming. The scanned bar coded information is decoded and may then be used. A first software program may have been used to create the bar coded information, and a second and distinct software application may be used with the now decoded bar coded information.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to bar code technology, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for capturing bar code information from a variety of video displays as well as other media, and using this bar code information in a variety of applications.
2. Problems in the Art
The use of bar code technology has proliferated as a means for efficient data collection. Generally, bar code technology allows for numbers, characters, or other symbols to be coded into a series of one-dimensional (1D) or two-dimensional (2D) spaced bars, as those terms are commonly known in the art. These bars are currently printed on the surface of particular objects. A good description of various bar code symbologies can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,059 to Ackley, herein incorporated by reference. Currently a bar code scanner is used to capture the pattern on the object, associated software decodes the bar code pattern, and the information from the decoded bar code pattern may be used as data and acted upon accordingly. One current method of reading bar codes is given in U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,252 to Maltsev, and is herein incorporated by reference.
However, there are currently no known easy means for capturing bar code patterns from a wide variety of video displays. Current methods for capturing bar code data from a composite video signal requires specialized and sophisticated camera and computer equipment. The use of such specialized and sophisticated camera and computer equipment is both cumbersome and expensive. It is therefore desirable to provide a means for capturing bar code patterns from a wide variety of video displays which is easy to use and relatively inexpensive.
Current bar code scanners have been incorporated into a wide variety of devices. Bar code scanners can now be found incorporated into other devices, such as a computer mouse or a personal digital assistant. However, none of these current devices are capable of reading bar codes from a video display. It is therefore desirable to provide a variety of devices with a bar code scanner capable of reading bar codes from a video display.
Currently, there are several problems associated with reading and decoding video displayed bar codes. First, a video displayed bar code to the human eye appears to be static. In reality, the video displayed bar code is flickering on and off many times per second. Second, a typical bar code reader has a low scan rate of 30 to 100 scans per second, which is not synchronized with the flickering video displayed bar code. Third, each type of video display has its own flicker, or refresh rate. Computer cathode ray tubes (CRT) commonly refresh from 72 Hz to 85 Hz. Computer liquid crystal displays (LCD) commonly refresh at 60 Hz. Around the world there are different standards for television CRTs which commonly refresh at 50 Hz to 60 Hz. It would be expensive to create a device to synchronize the flicker, or refresh, rates of multiple types of video displays with the scan rates of bar code readers.
Most current bar code scanners simply do not scan fast enough to ensure that a pixilated bar code image can be captured from a wide variety of video displays currently in use. It is therefore desirable to have a bar code scanner which is capable of capturing a pixilated bar code image from a wide variety of video displays.
The limiting nature of current bar code scanners also makes it difficult to interchange data across different computer operating systems and/or computer software applications. Currently, sophisticated computer software such as IBM DBT, Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, or other programs, commonly referred to as middleware, are required in computer to computer data interchange applications. This middleware is expensive and requires a trained computer programmer to establish and maintain the data transfer links. Furthermore, middleware is not flexible. As business trading partners and suppliers change, and/or the format of data storage is modified in a host computer, the service of a trained computer programmer are required to maintain the data interchange capabilities. It is therefore desirable to minimize the amount of middleware software required.
Bar codes are currently one type of middleware. Current technology allows off screen media or printed bar codes to be used as "switches" to launch Internet web pages, complete complex machinery initialization and setup, dial a telephone number, etc. As the world moves toward a paperless society, it is desirable to provide a method for reading bar code switches which may be viewed on a video display.
There is therefore an unfilled need for a method and apparatus which solves these and other problems. This invention has as its primary objective fulfillment of this need.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for bar code data interchange


A light emitting diode (LED) backlight driving circuit includes a power assembly, a control assembly, and at least two LED lamps. The control assembly generates a power control signal according to a working state of the LED lamp, and the power assembly outputs a power corresponding to an on-LED lamp according to the power control signal.

A typical method for driving a backlight of a display screen not only includes turning on a light emitting diode (LED) lamp but also includes other ways, such as local dimming, three-dimensional (3D) scanning, and the like. A microcontroller (MCU) is usually arranged in the display screen to process data. However, the MCU only drives the LED lamp and makes a plurality of LED lamps simultaneously turn on/off and control a power chip to work according to a constant frequency. Thus, an output power of a direct current (DC)-DC voltage converter is not in relation with multi-channels dimming frequency, and the power chip is not affected in real time. In low brightness conditions, the power chip works in the constant frequency, a power loss of the backlight driving circuit is same as a power loss in high brightness conditions.

LED backlight driving circuit and method for driving the LED backlight driving circuit


A brassiere for supporting the breasts of a wearer and for receiving and supporting a funnel for expressing breast milk, comprising a pair of cups, at least one of which includes a first portion and a second portion having at least one elastic band. The first and second portion, and of the cup are expandable to allow a funnel to be selectively inserted between said first portion and said second portion, and under said first portion, and under said second portion, so as to contact said breast for expressing milk.

The present invention relates to an improved brassiere for supporting the breasts of the wearer and for receiving and supporting a funnel for expressing breast milk that may be stored for later consumption by an infant.
At one time, the majority of mothers nourished their new-born infants by breast-feeding, but over the years, the trend changed to feeding infants with formula. Today, medical doctors recognize that infant formula is not sophisticated enough to supplant the benefits of breast milk, in part because the content of breast milk changes based on the infant's nutritional needs. For this reason, increasing numbers of women are once again breast feeding their children.
A woman who is nursing an infant typically will express breast milk to store for times when she is unable or unavailable to breast feed her infants. A woman expresses her milk by using an electric or manual pumping device in conjunction with a funnel, which the woman holds tightly against her nipple to create suction and to direct the flow of milk into a storage container. Often because of the length of time required to express milk, when using a pump, a woman will express both breasts simultaneously. To express both breasts, the woman must hold a funnel with each hand against her breasts, leaving her sitting in an awkward position, unable to enjoy other activities. The prior art does not solve this problem.
In the past, brassieres for breast feeding typically were made so as to allow a nursing infant access to the woman's breast. A typical example of this type of brassiere is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,501,860, which shows a brassiere with cups that allow an infant access to the woman's breasts by means of a flap that may be folded back. The infant gains access when the wearer folds back the cup flap thereby revealing an orifice formed by multiple pieces of material and reinforced by stitching.
A similar construction is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,925,816, which reveals a brassiere constructed with a flap that may be folded down from its normal position to give an infant access to the wearer's breast. The brassiere supports the breast when the flap is folded down by three portions of connected material. Once again, the material of the cup, which remains when the flap is folded down, is reinforced by stitching. This prior-art brassiere also allows a woman to insert a pad into the inside of the cup to absorb bodily excretions.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,440,466 discloses a similar brassiere with the ability to receive an absorbing pad that may also be used to enhance a woman's appearance. The cup is formed of three panels, a top and bottom panel and a reinforcing panel. The pad is attached to the reinforcing panel, which holds the pad in its proper position.
While prior-art brassieres allow an infant access to a woman's breast, they are not constructed to receive and support a funnel that can be attached to a breast pump to allow a woman to express breast milk. For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a brassiere designed to allow fast, easy, and secure attachment of a funnel attached to a pump for expressing milk.


A developing device includes first and second stirring/transporting members, a developer feeding member, and a developer container that accommodates those components. The first and second stirring/transporting members stir and transport developer. The developer feeding member feeds developer to the first stirring/transporting member. In the developer container, a feeding port through which developer is fed from the developer feeding member to the first stirring/transporting member is formed. The developer feeding member includes a rotary shaft, a first transport blade which stirs and transports developer, a blocking portion which protrudes substantially perpendicularly to the rotary shaft and blocks the developer transported by the first transport blade in a first direction, and a paddle which feeds the developer from a developer supply passage to a first transport chamber.

The present disclosure relates to a developing device and to an image forming apparatus incorporating the developing device. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a developing device including first and second stirring/transporting members which stir and transport developer inside a developer container and a developer feeding member which feeds the developer to the first stirring/transporting member, and to an image forming apparatus incorporating such a developing device.
In an image forming apparatus, an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier which comprises a photosensitive member or the like is made visible by being developed into a toner image by a developing device. The developing device stores developer containing toner inside a developer container, and is provided with a developer roller, which feeds the developer to the image carrier, and a stirring/transporting member, which transports, while stirring, the developer inside the developer container to feed it to the developer roller.
In the developing device, toner is consumed through developing operation. For compensatory supply of consumed toner, a conventionally proposed developing device is provided with, in a developer container, a developer feeding member for feeding developer to a stirring/transporting member.
Such a developing device includes, for example, first and second stirring/transporting members which stir and transport developer, a developer feeding member which feeds the developer to the first stirring/transporting member, and a developer container that accommodates the first and second stirring/transporting members and the developer feeding member. In the developer container, a feeding port through which developer is fed from the developer feeding member to the first stirring/transporting member is formed. As the developer feeding member rotates, through the feeding port, the developer is fed from the developer feeding member to the first stirring/transporting member.

Developing device including a developer feeding member having a rotary shaft, a first transport blade for stirring and transporting developer, a blocking portion for blocking the developer, a paddle extending parallel to the rotary shaft, and a second transport blade for transporting the developer in the opposite direction to the first transport blade, and image forming apparatus therewith


A method and system for improving a hyper-video navigational process is provided. The method includes automatically tracking user exploration paths of users within a hyper video space comprising a video stream. Hotspot video frames are extracted from the hyper video space. Conversations associated with the user interactions are linked with spatial temporal regions of the hotspot video frames. Common attributes of the user exploration paths are associated with common aspects of the conversations and specified user view personas of the video stream are detected. Visual trajectory paths are extracted and a particular user persona is assigned to the hyper video space. In response, the hyper video space is automatically navigated.

Accurately tracking video files typically includes an inaccurate process with little flexibility. Modifying and navigating video space may include a complicated process that may be time consuming and require a large amount of resources. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to overcome at least some of the deficiencies and limitations described herein above.


An imaging lens assembly includes first, second, third and fourth optical lens elements that are arranged sequentially from an object side to an image side along an optical axis. The first optical lens element and at least one of the second, third and fourth optical lens elements have positive refractive powers near the optical axis. At least one of object-side and image-side surfaces of at least one of the second to fourth optical lens elements is aspheric. The imaging lens assembly satisfies the following optical conditions: 0.7≦|f/f1|≦1.0, and HFOV≧35 deg, in which, f and f1 represent focal lengths of the imaging lens assembly and the first optical lens element, respectively, and HFOV stands for half field-of-view of the imaging lens assembly.

An imaging lens set is generally adopted in a mobile phone, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer or an imaging lens assembly. With the rapid development of technology, these electronic devices are designed to be increasingly thinner. Therefore, the imaging lens set for these electronic devices should be made correspondingly smaller as well. Moreover, the imaging lens set should be developed more wide-angle in order to further improve the imaging quality thereof, such as a resolution of 1920*1080 full HD (High Definition).
A conventional imaging lens assembly including four lenses does not satisfy the thin and wide-angle requirements.

Ability Opto-Electronics Technology Co., LTD.


A bit holder for a rotary tool is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the bit holder comprises a drive shaft with an elongated bit channel configured to receive a tool bit for the rotary tool. A cavity is provided in a peripheral wall of the drive shaft. The cavity extends in a radial direction from the bit channel to an outer portion of the drive shaft. A moveable lock member is positioned in the cavity of the drive shaft. A collet is positioned in the bit channel apart from the cavity. The collet includes a collapsible end portion configured to clamp down on the tool bit. A collet nut rotatably engages the drive shaft and is moveable between a release position and a lock position. In the lock position the collet nut clamps the collapsible end portion of the collet while also forcing the lock member into the bit cavity.

Rotary tools are widely used to perform various tasks. Rotary tools include those tools with a rotary output shaft where a tool bit is secured to the output shaft. A chuck, collet or other means is provided on the end of the output shaft is typically used to secure the tool bit to the rotary tool. Depending on the tool bit used, different functions may be performed with the rotary tool, such as drilling, cutting, carving, sanding, polishing and many other applications. Examples of rotary tools include drills and spiral saws.
Users of rotary tools often wish to quickly change from one bit to another in order to perform different functions or make use of bits of different sizes. When changing a bit in a rotary tool, the new bit needs to be secured to the output shaft in both an axial direction, and a circumferential direction and also needs to be centered in the bit holder. Securing the bit to the output shaft in the axial direction prevents the bit from being pulled out of the tool during operation. Securing the bit to the output shaft in the circumferential direction prevents the bit from slipping and insures that rotary power/torque from the output shaft is properly transmitted to the bit. Centering the bit in the bit holder provides for a balanced tool that will properly perform the desired operation.
Some prior art rotary tools require an additional tool, such as a wrench, to properly secure the tool bit to the output shaft. However, a user wishing to quickly change from one bit to another may find the requirement of an additional tool bothersome. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a bit holder for a rotary tool that does not require the use of an additional tool to secure the bit to the output shaft of the rotary tool. Furthermore, it would be desirable for such a toolless bit holder to effectively secure the bit to the output shaft of the rotary tool in the axial and circumferential directions while also centering the bit in the bit holder.
It would be desirable to provide a toolless bit holder that provides one or more of the above-mentioned or other advantageous features as may be apparent to those reviewing this disclosure. However, the teachings disclosed herein extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the above-mentioned advantages.


A vehicle navigation system having a database configured to store map data. The database includes links corresponding to road segments and attributes associated with the links. The map data includes at least some links associated with a curvature attribute. A mean absolute curvature ( κ) is stored for the curvature attribute for corresponding links. The mean absolute curvature ( κ) may be determined from a normalized sum or integral of absolute curvature values along the road segment corresponding to the link. The system includes a processing unit configured to estimate an energy consumption of the vehicle for a link using the curvature attribute retrieved from the database for the link.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vehicle navigation system, and more particularly to systems having a database that stores map data and methods for estimating energy consumption of a vehicle for a link of a route.
2. Related Art
Navigation systems are used in vehicles to calculate a route from a present vehicle position to a predetermined destination using map data. Navigation systems typically calculate the fastest or the shortest route to the destination using corresponding cost factors associated with the links of the route. With the costs of energy (such as fuel, gas or electricity) continuing to rise, it is desirable to reach the destination by a route that minimizes the energy consumption.
The determination of an energy efficient route may involve the use of static parameters, such as parameters associated with a speed category or a road size, and dynamic parameters, such as the driving behaviour of the driver of the vehicle. The static and dynamic parameters may be used to indicate characteristics of a link corresponding to a road segment. Although the use of these parameters may provide a good approximation of the energy consumption for a given route, it would be desirable to further improve the accuracy with which energy consumption is estimated.
Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) may also be used to provide assistance to the driver of the vehicle. ADAS systems acquire information about the current driving situation or the vehicle's surroundings using sensors. The information is evaluated in order to control various systems or components of the vehicle (such as for example the electronic stability program, or ESP, and the anti-lock brake system, or ABS) or to provide feedback to the driver. Modern assistance systems may combine the use of information retrieved from sensors with static parameters obtained from a database of a navigation system. Such static parameters are generally stored in an ADAS attribute layer of the navigation database. This layer generally corresponds to the lowest map data layer (layer 13), which includes the data generally associated with the shape points of links provided at the lowest layer. In order to retrieve this data, additional access to the ADAS layer is required, resulting in slow access times. The data is associated with shape points and used for a higher level route determination, which uses higher layer links. The use of the ADAS layer data for navigation purposes is thus generally difficult and costly in terms of computing time and computing power. Accordingly, the use of the ADAS layer data for route determination in a navigation system is at least associated with a number of drawbacks.
Accordingly, there is a need for improvements in the determination of an energy efficient route.


An apparatus for a portable planer 12 having rails 14 with means for mounting to a single use stand 16, 18. The planer 12 has a pair of rails 14 with bolts 48 depending from the base thereof having threads with nuts 50 positioned on the distal ends whereby a stand 16, 18 having been constructed on site and leveled regardless of ground slope has means for receiving the threaded bolts 48 whereupon fasteners may be placed on the rail post distal ends whereby the rails form an integral part of the single use stand. The motorized planer 12 is mounted to a carriage 40 having wheels 42 for mounting on the rails 14 whereby the planer can be selectively moved from one rail end to the other. Positioned between the single use rail mounts are supports 26 for placing the work piece thereon for processing with the planer having means for receiving various blades 56, 58 and means for varying 62, 64 the height of the blade relative to the work piece.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to planers and, more specifically, to a portable planer having rails with means for mounting to a single use stand. The planer has a pair of rails with posts depending from the base having threads positioned on the distal ends whereby a stand having been constructed on site and leveled regardless of ground slope has means for receiving the threaded posts whereupon fasteners may be placed on the rail post distal ends thereby the rails form an integral part of said single use stand. The motorized planer is mounted to a carriage having wheels for mounting on said rails whereby the planer can be selectively moved from one rail end to the other. Positioned between the single use rail mounts are supports for placing the work piece for processing with the planer having means for receiving various blades and means for varying the height of the blade relative to the work piece.
The device is designed to manufacture several wood products to include; three sided or "D" shaped logs used in the construction of log buildings, for planing timbers for use in construction of timber frame buildings, for shaping or profiling natural logs for construction of natural log buildings or to custom make to size (height and width) timbers or logs for general construction use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other planer devices designed for shaping a work piece. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 1,583,879 issued to Hallock on May 11, 1926.
Another patent was issued to Bassett on Feb. 3, 1976 as U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,777. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,284 was issued to Taylor on May 5, 1981 and still yet another was issued on Apr. 28, 1987 to Elsey as U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,454.
Another patent was issued to Schuler on Apr. 4, 1989 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,693. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,351 was issued to Hurdle, Jr. on Apr. 13, 1993. Another was issued to Cannaday on Mar. 14, 1995 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,938 and still yet another was issued on Jun. 27, 2000 to Greenland as U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,041.
Another patent was issued to Olson on Aug. 22, 2000 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,477. Yet another German Patent No. DE4212460 was issued to Buck et al on Oct. 21, 1993. Another was issued to Lavis on May 2, 1984 as U.K. Patent No. GB2128546.
A planer having a table, means forming an inclined surface upon the under side of said table, a slidable wedge engaging said inclined surface, means for sliding said wedge to raise and lower said table, an auxiliary table detachably secured to said table, means forming inclined surfaces upon the under side of said auxiliary table, means engaging said inclined surface and supporting said auxiliary table, and means for actuating said means so as to raise and lower said auxiliary table.
A portable cutting device is provided which comprises a table having first and second frame sections maintained in parallel spaced apart relationship by a plurality of attaching members extending between said first frame section and said second frame section, each of said first and said second frame sections having a longitudinally extending assembly mounted along an upper edge thereof, said longitudinal assemblies having a plurality of spaced apart transverse assemblies mounted thereon and extending substantially perpendicularly therebetween; guide means having a length sufficient to traverse a diagonal of said table and having sufficient rigidity to resist bending under stress and cutting means coacting with said guide to permit said cutting means to transverse a substantial portion of the length of said guide.
A workbench comprises a rigid frame support having telescoped legs to provide adjustable working height and supporting a flat topped work surface. The frame has two widely spaced apart parallel guide rods extending from one side of the work surface, the guide rods having slideable thereon a clamping member to clamp a tool against the adjacent side of the work surface.
A portable bandsaw mill, readily made sufficiently light in weight to be carried by two people, having a saw unit supported on rollers, so that the saw unit can be readily guided and the cut controlled and adjusted manually. A ground-supported support frame or unit provides guide tracks spaced apart on opposite sides of a log or other work piece, on which the saw unit can be rollingly advanced. The ends of the guide tracks are supported in end frames by structure enabling the levels of the guide tracks to be conveniently adjusted for successively lower passes of the saw unit through the log. Guide beam ends are capable of independent adjustment to accommodate differences in level between the four corners of the support unit. A manually advanced rolling saw head of the saw unit includes two bandsaw pulleys, each having a bandsaw blade entrained thereon, one being an idler pulley and the other a drive pulley. The drive pulley, rotatably driven, can be powered by a hydraulic motor, with the actual pressure fluid source separate from the mill. The motor can be readily separable from the saw unit for use in powering other apparatus. The mill can be readily employed for rip sawing logs into boards at any convenient location for example the felling site.
An extension table for a machine tool of the type that includes a machine table that defines a reference plane includes a rigid, straight beam having a lower surface. A ledge is mounted to the lower surface of an outer portion of the beam to extend outwardly from at least one side of the beam, and this ledge defines a continuous upper surface which is substantially coplanar with the lower surface of the beam. The inner portion of the beam is mounted on the machine table with the beam positioned above the machine table such that the outer portion of the beam is cantilevered from the machine table with the lower surface of the beam substantially coplanar with the machine table. The outer portion of the beam is then supported against deflection by a support leg. The beam is sufficiently rigid to ensure that the upper surface of the ledge is substantially coplanar with the machine table. In certain applications the beam is preferably divided into two or more separate beam sections which are held together releasably by coupling elements. A center of one of the beam sections may be affixed to a conventional guide fence of the machine tool to move the extension table laterally across the machine table with the guide fence.
An edger for use with a conventional sawmill, including upper and lower chippers or cutters for forming the upper and lower edges of a board to be removed from a log, mechanical or optical sizers for automatically determining the location of the upper and lower edges of the board, and a control mechanism, responsive to the sizers, for positioning the cutters. The cutters have horizontal or vertical motors with associated blades, and the motors are mounted on carriages which ride up and down on a mast, positioned by a hydraulic cylinder. Mechanical sizing wheels are mounted on separate carriages, and the wheels are urged to contact the log's surface to determine extreme points of narrowness thereof. The extreme motion points of the sizing wheels are recorded by frictionally secured pistons which are sensed by metallic sensors which are input to the control mechanism. An electric eye causes the sizing wheels to move toward and away from the log. During each forward pass of the log toward the saw, the cutters cut the top and bottom edges off the board that the saw will remove from the log, while the sizers profile the log or locate the minimum width points to be used during the succeeding pass of the log to position the cutters. The single channel or double "H-beam" mast has machined sidewalls to which flanges are attached upon which the carriages slide vertically. Linear slide bearings can also attach the carriages to the mast.
Apparatus and method for, in one continuous operation, receiving a slab sawn from a log, sensing the thickness of the slab and setting the apparatus to plane its upper and lower surfaces to produce a desired thickness slab which then is sawn into boards of desired width. The apparatus includes upper and lower planer heads, the upper of which is mounted on adjustable setworks for raising and lowering. At the infeed end of the apparatus a sensor determines the thickness of an entering slab and through control mechanism adjusts the space between the planer heads to plane the slab to a desired common board thickness which is the maximum available from the slab size. A bank of smooth cutting saws downstream from the planer heads saws the slab into smooth-sided boards.
A saw with a compact frame that permits the cutting of large workpieces and that can be repeatedly operated repeatedly without requiring manual activation of an on/off switch. A special pivoting support arm pivots outwardly away from a motor assembly to allow the cutting of large workpieces while allowing the size of the saw to remain relatively compact and portable. An automatic power switch mechanism also is provided to automatically turn on the saw motor upon the placement of a work piece adjacent to the saw blade. The saw table can be slid beyond the frame for the cutting of large workpieces.
A portable sawmill is described that preferably includes a frame-mounted, elongate tub for surrounding a log, the frame mounting adjacent the base of the tub a lateral chain conveyor for rolling the log or advancing it laterally on a frame-mounted lift mechanism for elevating the log as it is ripped by an overhead set of circular saws. The circular saws are double-carriage mounted, with the carriages being a fixed elevation on the frame and with the main and secondary carriages being reciprocally positionable, respectively, along the length and width of the tub above the log. The circular saws preferably include one vertical-swath blade and two vertically separately elevation-adjustable horizontal-swath blades. To one side of the tub, and along the substantial length of the frame, are a plurality of retractable support arms mounted on the frame at a height approximately equal to the elevation of the lateral conveyor at the highest elevation of the lift mechanism. Logs may be lifted as they are processed, and cants produced by such processing may be lifted and moved laterally onto the support arms for further milling. The support arms are automatically retracted from a maximum inward extent to an incrementally, successively retracted position synchronously with lateral movement of the secondary carriage, at the beginning of each of successive passes of the main carriage, to prevent interference between the saw blades and the inward termini of the retractable arms. Structure for spindle-aligning logs, rotating partly squared logs and handling cants while finish milling lumber is described.
The invention discloses a guide rail for hand operated circular saw having a raise rib along which base plate of saw can slide and side clamps to fit over edge of timber. The guide rail is laid on the timber to be cut and its side clamp is pressed against the edge of the timber. The clamp is bolted to the rail by means of a bolt whose head is captive in the hollow underside of the raised rib. The circular saw is mounted on a base plate which has a groove in its underside to fit over the rib and enable the saw to slide and cut along a scribed line parallel to the rib. The end of the clamp acts as a gauge for the rail and sets it along the scribed line.
A power tool mounting assembly which comprises a semi-circular base plate which has a radial arm pivotally connected adjacent the straight edge to the underside of the plate. The arm has a yoke member slidably mounted thereon. A power tool support arm is slidably supported in a crosshead which is pivotally supported in the yoke. The support arm can comprise two parallel, spaced limbs connected to transverse members with one limb being supported in the cross-head. Alternatively, the support arm can comprise a channel member with two parallel, spaced carriage housings fixed thereto for movably supporting the carriage housing on rails fixed to the cross-head. A power tool is detachably supported by the support arm which extends across the base plate above the radial arm. The support arm and power tool can be counter balanced by weights or springs.
While these work stands may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.


Example implementations relate to method and system for securing a workload from a security vulnerability based on management of critical patches for the workload. The method includes obtaining information of existing patches for each of a plurality of infrastructure resources that are required to execute the workload, where the infrastructure resources are segregated as multiple layers. The method further includes determining dependency of the infrastructure resources across the multiple layers and identifying the security vulnerability related to the infrastructure resources. The method further includes evaluating perceived criticalities of first and second new patches for the security vulnerability based a workload weightage, a resource age of the infrastructure resources, and an actual criticality of the first and second new patches. Further, the method includes installing the first new patch followed by the second new patch on the infrastructure resources based on the perceived criticalities, in an order of the determined dependency.

Cloud computing service is an on-demand delivery of computing infrastructure resources for executing workloads of customers. The computing infrastructure resources may include servers, power supply and management devices, local disks, enclosures, storage systems, storage area networks (SANs), networks, networking interconnects, network fabric, storage fabric, and the like. In today's digital transformation world, customers may deploy their workload in a hybrid cloud (private or public cloud) based on business requirements. However, there may be security vulnerabilities in the infrastructure resources identified for executing the customer's workload. Therefore, ensuring security of such infrastructure resources is a challenge in the hybrid cloud environment.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers may designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements. An index number "N" appended to some of the reference numerals may be understood to merely denote plurality and may not necessarily represent the same quantity for each reference numeral having such an index number "N". Additionally, use herein of a reference numeral without an index number, where such reference numeral is referred to elsewhere with an index number, may be a general reference to the corresponding plural elements, collectively or individually. In another example, an index number of "I," "M," etc. can be used in place of index number N.
The figures are not necessarily to scale, and the size of some parts may be exaggerated to more clearly illustrate the example shown. Moreover, the drawings provide examples and/or implementations consistent with the description; however, the description is not limited to the examples and/or implementations provided in the drawings.

Workload aware security patch management

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP


According to an embodiment, a data embedding apparatus includes a data acquisition unit and an object generation unit. The data acquisition unit acquires first data formed from a first bit string to be embedded in a first object including a first line segment or a first curve. The object generation unit generates a second object, which includes a deformed line segment or a deformed curve having a displacement corresponding to the first bit string with respect to the first line segment or the first curve and in which the first data is embedded, by deforming at least one of the first line segment and the first curve of the first object based on the first bit string.

Conventionally, barcode printing technologies and barcode decoding technologies are widely used. According to the barcode printing technologies, a barcode is printed on a printing medium such as paper. According to the barcode decoding technologies, a printed barcode is read by an image capturing device such as a scanner or a camera, and the read barcode is decoded.
Various kinds of data embedding technologies are also widely used. These data embedding technologies include technologies of embedding data having the form of a two-dimensional barcode in an object such as an image or a printed product.
The data embedding technologies also include digital watermark technologies of embedding data difficult to visually recognize in the object. Many of the digital watermark technologies use a method of superimposing a dot pattern on the object.
The data embedding technologies also include technologies of encoding data by the arrangement of graphic patterns formed from uneven line segments. These encoding technologies use a method of superimposing the arrangement of the graphic patterns on the object.
A barcode or two-dimensional barcode printed on a printing medium is noticeable. For this reason, the barcode or two-dimensional barcode may spoil the appearance of the printed product.
A digital watermark embedded in an object, for example, a printed product as a dot pattern may also spoil the appearance of the printed product due to the following reason. To extract the dot pattern (that is, digital watermark) from the printed product, the printed product is captured by a camera in general. If defocusing or camera shake occurs at the time of capturing, the image may degrade, and the dot pattern may disappear from the image. To prevent this, the dot pattern needs to be printed so large and clear as not to disappear from the image. For this reason, the digital watermark that should be difficult to visually recognize becomes noticeable, and the confidentiality and appearance may be spoiled. This also applies to a printed product on which the arrangement of graphic patterns is superimposed. The reason is as follows. To extract the arrangement of graphic patterns from the printed product on which the arrangement of graphic patterns are superimposed, each graphic pattern needs to be printed so large and clear as not to disappear in the process of printing and capturing.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for embedding data in an object and an apparatus and method for extracting embedded data, which can implement data embedding that attains an excellent confidentiality without spoiling the appearance.

Apparatus and method for embedding data in object and apparatus and method for extracting embedded data


A hydraulic actuator for a hydraulic servomotor 4 is disclosed. The hydraulic servomotor 4 has a first chamber 5 and a second chamber 6 associated therewith. The hydraulic actuator is connected to a fluid source 2 and a fluid drain 3, and it comprises a valve assembly arranged between the fluid source 2 and the fluid drain 3 to control fluid pressures in the chambers 5, 6. At least one auxiliary valve 11 is fluidly connected between the valve assembly and the fluid drain 3, said auxiliary valve(s) 11 being of a kind which is normally closed in a de-energized state. In the case of a power cut off the auxiliary valve(s) 11 will close, thereby preventing fluid flow from the valve assembly towards the fluid drain 3. This causes a servomotor piston member 12 to be hydraulically locked in its instantaneous position, thereby locking the hydraulic servomotor 4. The valve assembly may be designed without taking the locking function into consideration.

Some prior art hydraulic actuators, such as the actuators disclosed in WO 96/07029 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,892 provide safety measures in the case of electrical power cut off or actuator failure. In the actuators disclosed in WO 96/07029 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,892 this is obtained by causing a sliding member to move to a neutral position in the case of power cut off or actuator failure. In the actuator disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,892 this is obtained by positioning the sliding member in the diagonal of a bridge circuit. Two valves which are normally closed in a de-energized state are fluidly connected between a pump and two pressure chambers of the sliding member, and two valves which are normally open in a de-energized state are fluidly connected between the pressure chambers and a tank. Furthermore, two biasing springs are arranged in the sliding member, biasing the sliding member towards the neutral position. Thus, in the case of an electrical power cut off the two valves arranged on the pump side are closed and the two valves on the tank side are opened. In the absence of fluid pressure from the pump, due to the closed valves on the pump side, the biasing springs will push the sliding member towards the neutral position, and fluid is allowed to flow between the tank and the pressure chambers, due to the open valves on the tank side. Accordingly, the sliding member is moved into the neutral position.
In the actuator disclosed in WO 96/07029 a sliding member is also positioned in the diagonal of a bridge circuit. However, in this case all four valves are of the normally open type. Thus, in the case of a power cut off, all four valves are opened. Thereby there is a permanent flow of fluid from the pressure source (pump) to the pressure sink (tank). Since this flow of fluid is distributed uniformly over the two branches of the bridge circuit, the pressure on each side of the sliding member is the same. Thereby the sliding member will be moved to a neutral position.
However, in some hydraulic position motors, such as those incorporated in hydro-mechanical transmissions (HMT's) on all terrain vehicles or work utility vehicles, there is a need for locking a hydraulic servomotor in its instantaneous position, if a failure is detected or loss of power happens. For example, the driver must, for safety reasons, not be exerted to potential hazardous accelerations, and the gearing ratio of the HMT must therefore be maintained in the case of a power loss or actuator failure. With regard to the hydraulic servomotor, this means that it should be locked in its instantaneous position. In such applications it is therefore not necessarily appropriate that the hydraulic servomotor must move to a neutral position as described in WO 96/07029 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,892.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,187 discloses a servosystem having solenoid activated on-off valves governing the amount of fluid in two variable volume chambers of a double acting piston-cylinder unit. The servosystem may comprise a valve arrangement in which a check valve and a restriction are arranged between a pump and the first variable volume chamber, another check valve and a restriction are arranged between the pump and the second variable volume chamber, a solenoid valve which is normally closed in a de-energized state is arranged between the first variable volume chamber and a fluid drain, and another solenoid valve which is normally closed in a de-energized state is arranged between the second variable volume chamber and the fluid drain. The check valves are positioned in such a manner that a flow of fluid is allowed in a direction from the pump towards the fluid chambers. In the case of a power cut off the two valves arranged between the variable volume chambers and the fluid drain will be closed, and thereby fluid flow out of the variable volume chambers is prevented. As a consequence, the piston is not able to move in the cylinder, and the servosystem is therefore locked in its instantaneous position. However, in the servosystem of U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,187 the locking feature is only obtained if the valves arranged between the variable volume chambers and the fluid drain are both of the kind which is normally closed in a de-energized state. This limits the possibilities of designing the bridge circuit while taking other factors into consideration, and it may thereby not be possible to design the bridge circuit in a manner which optimizes the performance of the servosystem during normal operation.

Hydraulic actuator having an auxiliary valve


A pulse format for a laser system is disclosed for maximizing the energy delivered to a target immersed in an absorbing liquid. A first pulse is generated having an energy sufficient to initiate the formation of a vapor bubble in the liquid medium adjacent the end of the delivery device. A second, high energy pulse is generated after the vapor bubble initiated by the first pulse has expanded an amount sufficient to displace the liquid between the delivery device and the target. In this manner, the second pulse is delivered directly to the target and little energy is lost to the liquid medium.

Within the last decade, there have been significant advances made in the application of lasers in medicine. A variety of different types of lasers are now being used in a variety of different procedures.
One such laser system is marketed by the assignee herein under the trademark Versapulse. This system includes a laser having a gain medium formed from Holmium:YAG which generates an output wavelength of 2.1 microns. The output of the laser is delivered to the treatment site via an optical fiber. The laser system has been found to be extremely useful in a variety of orthopedic applications such a knee surgery.
In many of these orthopedic applications, the tissue to be treated is immersed in a liquid medium such as saline which primarily consists of water. The 2.1 micron wavelength output of the Ho:YAG laser is highly absorbed in water. Thus, it would be expected that a large portion of the energy emitted from the fiber would be absorbed in the liquid medium before reaching the target tissue. In fact, only a portion of the laser light is absorbed in the liquid medium due to a phenomenon referred to as the "Moses effect."
One of the earliest reports of the Moses effect in association with Ho:YAG lasers appeared in an article by van Leeuwen, et. al., in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, ("Non-contact Tissue Ablation by holmium:YSGG Laser Pulses in Blood," Vol. 11, 1991). In this article, it was reported that when the laser energy is absorbed in the liquid medium, a vapor bubble is created which expands outwardly towards the target tissue. Once the bubble reaches the target, the laser beam can pass through the vapor to the target with very little attenuation since the density of the water molecules in the steam is many orders of magnitude less than in the liquid state.
In this initial report, it was noted that the bubble formed on time scale on the order of 100 to 200 microseconds and lasted for a few hundred microseconds more before collapsing. These time frames are on the order of the pulse widths used with the solid state holmium laser. Thus, it was initially assumed that a large portion of the pulse was necessary to form the bubble and to maintain its existence before collapsing.
In a recent presentation, the same researchers reported that the formation of the vapor bubble was not dependent upon the generation of a standard, high energy, holmium laser pulse. In contrast, the researchers found that the vapor bubble can be initiated with a very small amount of laser energy. In addition, the speed at which the bubble forms is relatively independent of the duration or excess energy in the pulse. (See, "Bubble Formation During Pulsed Laser Ablation: Mechanism and Implications", SPIE Conference on Biomedical Optics, Los Angeles, van Leeuwen et. al., Jan. 18, 1993, as yet unpublished in written form)
Based on these measurements, the researchers concluded that the vapor bubble can be formed without having to vaporize all of the liquid medium in the region in front of the delivery end of the fiber. Under normal circumstances, in order to vaporize water, its temperature must first be raised from ambient temperature to the boiling point (ie. 100 degrees centigrade). Once the temperature of the water has been raised to the boiling point, the liquid can then be converted to a gas by supplying sufficient additional energy to overcome the latent heat of vaporization. This additional energy is about an order of magnitude greater than the energy necessary to raise the temperature of the water from body temperature to the boiling point.
The amount of energy be necessary to vaporize the water at the end of the fiber to create a vapor bubble is based on the specific heat of the water and the volume of the water in front of the fiber which is absorbing the light. The volume of water is defined by the cross-sectional area of the delivery end of the fiber multiplied by the absorption length of the laser wavelength in the water.
Based on their most recently recorded measurements, the prior researchers have concluded that the vapor bubble is created at an energy level significantly below that which would be needed to overcome the latent heat of vaporization for the volume of water which absorbs the laser light. Rather, it appears the energy required to form the vapor bubble roughly corresponds to the energy required to raise the temperature of the heated volume to the boiling point, which, as noted above, is an order of magnitude less than required to vaporize the volume.
It is believed by the applicant herein that the energy of the laser pulse functions to vaporize only a tiny fraction of the volume of liquid which is absorbing the laser radiation while the remainder of the volume is heated only to the boiling point. Once the tiny volume of fluid near the delivery end of the fiber has been vaporized, the bubble will begin to form and expand at a rate which is substantially independent of the duration and energy in the pulse.

Laser pulse format for penetrating an absorbing fluid