The present invention is directed to a telephony system that includes a first network and a second network. The system includes a first network call control system configured to provide intelligent network control services to the first network. The first network call control system is also configured to store intelligent network control data corresponding to the intelligent network control services. A second network call control system is configured to provide control services to the second network. A secure channel couples the first network call control system to the second network call control system. The secure channel is configured to securely transmit intelligent network control data from the first network call control system to the second network call control system. As a result, the second network call control system provides the intelligent network control services to the second network.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of voice over packet (VoP) telephony, and more particularly to providing intelligent network control services in IP telephony.
2. Technical Background
For most of the past century or so, most telephony services have been provided by circuit switched networks. Packet switched telephony is a relatively recent development. For example, Internet telephony began in the mid 1990s with the introduction of Internet phone software. Internet telephony is the real-time delivery of voice, and other multimedia data, between two or more parties across a network using Internet protocols (IP). Internet phone software is designed to run on a personal computer equipped with a sound card, speakers, microphone, and modem or directly coupled to the internet via a LAN. Software compresses the voice signal and translates it into packets for transmission over the Internet. This basic PC-to-PC Internet telephony works, however, only if both parties are using Internet phone software.
Internet telephony, or voice over an IP network (VoIP), offers the opportunity to design a global multimedia communications system that may eventually replace the existing circuit switched telephony infrastructure. In a relatively short period of time, Internet telephony has made significant advances. Many software developers now offer PC telephony software. Internet telephony involves establishing a communications session between two logical addresses in the network. Generally, a first Internet protocol, such as H.323 or Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is used to establish the session and negotiate the capabilities for the session, and a second Internet protocol, such Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP), is used to transport the actual media across the IP network.
While packet switched telephony offers benefits to both users and carriers in terms of cost and variety of media types, there is a substantial installed base of traditional telephones served by the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Moreover, in addition to its widespread nature, the PSTN offers a rich set of intelligent network services such as "800" number services, Virtual Private Network (VNET) services, call forwarding, and the like. IP telephony and the PSTN will co-exist for a period of time. Thus, there is a desire to integrate the PSTN with IP networks, including the Internet and private intranets.
The evolution of the integration of the PSTN and packet-switched telephony can be seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 1 shows two separate self-contained networks, PSTN 100 and packet-switched network 1. Each includes separate call control resources, and each includes separate transport facilities. In the example depicted in FIG. 1, PSTN 100 provides virtual private network (VNET) services for a customer having two sites. A circuit is established between PBX 14 and PBX 14′ by way of switches 102. Dial plan information, number translations, and all of the other call control data required to maintain the VNET is provided by legacy service control entity 40. Packet-switched network 1 allows packet-switched telephony sessions to be established between IP telephones 18 and IP telephones 18′. IP telephones 18 are coupled to router 8, whereas IP telephones 18′ are coupled to router 8′. Call control is provided by call control proxy server 20. Location manager 30 stores dial plan information, user profiles, and other data required by control entity 20 to establish and maintain packet switched telephony sessions. While call control server 20 and location manager 30 may be implemented as shown, e.g., as two separate systems running on two or more hardware components, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that call control server 20 and location manager 30 may be combined into one logical and/or physical system. A SIP server is the generic term used for a server having the combined functionality of call control server 20 and the location manager 30.
FIG. 2 shows the first stage in forming an integrated network 10. Enterprise gateways 16 are introduced to couple PBXs 14 with router 8. Gateways 16 allow cross-over calls among telephones 12 coupled to PBX 14 and IP telephones 18. Both signaling and media translations are handled by gateways 16. Thus, calls originating at PSTN-based telephone 12, can be partially transported by IP network 1 for eventual delivery to a second phone, either IP telephone 18, or PBX telephone 12′, coupled to PBX 14′. Unfortunately, there are limitations to the integrated system depicted in FIG. 2. While the integrated network depicted in FIG. 2 permits calls to cross-over between networks, call control data is segregated and not shared by the individual networks.
One problem associated with the integrated system depicted in FIG. 2 relates to the difficulties associated with supporting a VNET (or other legacy system services) when the customer has facilities spanning both PSTN 100 and the IP network 1. One approach that has been considered is to maintain two intelligent network systems; one for each network. However, the use of duplicate intelligent network systems is problematic. Legacy call control entity 40 and location manager 30 must be synchronized at all times. Ensuring that both systems have identical sets of data is logistically very challenging. If one system diverges from the other system even momentarily, calls may be mis-routed, perhaps even being directed from one VNET to an entirely different VNET. Thus, it is desirable to support a given customer from a single body of call control data. Because the legacy call control system is well established, what is needed is a way of importing legacy based call control data into the IP network. However, there is a drawback associated with this approach.
In the PSTN, signaling information and message payloads (e.g., voice) are carried by different systems. One drawback to providing PSTN-based intelligent network services to IP telephony calls is related to the fact that both signaling information and message payloads are delivered by the same vehicle, e.g., a packet. As a result, IP telephony has several types of security issues that are not present in the PSTN. One type of security attack is commonly referred to as IP spoofing. IP spoofing is an attempt to gain access to the network, and network services, by changing a packet's IP address to make it appear that the packet came from a legitimate network address. Another security issue involves co-opting a session by manipulating a packet's header or IP data payload. What is needed is a secure method and system for providing all of the PSTN-based intelligent network services to IP telephony calls.

Method and system for providing intelligent network control services in IP telephony


A method and apparatus for musical rhythmic composition. The method includes receiving a selection of a rhythmic template out of a plurality of available rhythmic templates, each of the plurality of rhythmic templates corresponding to a musical genre, and generating an irregular grid corresponding to the selected rhythmic template, the irregular grid including a plurality of blocks arranged side by side, at least one block of the plurality of blocks being irregularly spaced with respect to other blocks, each of the plurality of blocks representing a particular position at which a musical note is insertable to be in-rhythm with the corresponding musical genre of the selected rhythmic template.

1. Field
Embodiments described herein relate to composing a melody or song.
2. Background
When composing a song, it is challenging to determine where to add notes and where to leave empty space between notes. This process is simplified by applying a rhythm to the melody. Rhythm is defined as "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements."
Playing notes on a piano, guitar, keyboard, or the like usually requires the musician to adhere to a specific rhythm, such as playing a note on every beat, playing a note on every other beat, etc. Adherence to the rhythm is important because playing a note at the wrong time will violate the rhythm of the song and will result in an unpleasant sound (the song will sound incorrect/off-beat, like the musician made a mistake), while playing on the rhythm would typically result in "expected" and pleasant timing (the song will sound correct/on-beat).
Typically, Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) (such as, Ableton® Live, Apple® Logic, GarageBand®, FruityLoops, Pro Tools®, and the like) create uniform grids by dividing a measure into beats and beats into smaller sections, and display these grids to help guide a user as to where in the grid to insert a note "correctly" in relation to the beat. When preforming the aforementioned division, these DAWs assume that a given melody or song is regular (i.e., has a regular beat or rhythm throughout). As a result, in those DAWs, the distance between blocks is always uniform.
However, the majority of today's popular music does not follow a uniform rhythm. Even songs that have a regular repetitive pattern (for example, a Pop, Electro/Dance, or Hip-Hop song) may have instruments that play irregular rhythms, such as a bass guitar. Furthermore, there are certain musical genres that contain more irregular rhythms than other genres (for example, Reggae, Jazz, Funk, etc.). For example, a modern 2014 hit song called "Rude" by the band called "Magic!" follows a similar rhythm to any traditional Reggae track, and thus can be identified as a Reggae song simply by listening to its rhythm.
When composing such music, a musician who follows the uniform grid division provided by these DAWs, may incorrectly insert notes in parts of the song that violate the rhythm. This results in a composition that is out of rhythm and hence does not sound pleasant.

Apparatus, method, and computer-readable storage medium for rhythmic composition of melody


A carriage moves back and forth under a vehicle and three cameras or laser fixed along one axis pivot in a common plane, utilizing two cameras at time to locate a target fixed to a reference point on the undercarriage of the vehicle. Triangulation calculations, combined with the location of the cameras provide the location of the reference point in space in a three-dimensional coordinate system and compare that location with a stored designed location of the reference point prior to the crash, allowing the vehicle structure to be returned to its designed shape by other equipment.

The present invention is related to an apparatus and process for determining the location of a point in space and measuring the deviation of that location from a desired position. More particularly, the preferred embodiment of the present invention is directed to measuring the deviation of certain points on a damaged motor vehicle from their proper location to facilitate the repair of the vehicle.

System for measuring points on a vehicle during damage repair


A small-sized laminated inductor made via a simple firing process includes insulating magnetic sheets made of high permeability materials in which first coil conductors are provided on the surfaces thereof, insulating magnetic sheets made of low permeability materials in which second coil conductors are provided on the surfaces thereof, and other suitable materials. The first and second coil conductors are electrically connected in series through via holes provided in the magnetic sheets to define a spiral coil. In the spiral coil, the first coil conductors are wound in the counter-clockwise direction, while the second coil conductors are wound in the clockwise direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laminated type inductor, more particularly, to a laminated type inductor used as a noise filter, and other suitable devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, when a laminated type inductor is used as a noise filter for a high-frequency signal line, low permeability material is used for a magnetic-substance layer. However, the laminated type inductor made of low permeability material has a problem in that it is easy to generate a link in the waveform of the high-frequency signal.
As a countermeasure, a conventional laminated type inductor 1 is shown in FIG. 5. The laminated type inductor 1 is constructed such that a high permeability coil section 2 including magnetic-substance layers made of high permeability materials, and a low permeability coil section 3 including magnetic-substance layers made of low permeability materials are laminated and integrally fired. Coil conductors 4-6 in the high permeability coil section 2 and coil conductors 7-9 in the low permeability coil section 3 are electrically connected in series through via holes (not illustrated) to define a spiral coil L. One end (coil conductor 9) of the spiral coil L is connected to an external electrode 11. The other end (coil conductor 4) thereof is connected to an external electrode 12.
Moreover, a laminated type inductor 21 is also shown in FIG. 6. A laminated type inductor 21 is constructed such that a high permeability coil section 22 including magnetic-substance layers made of high permeability materials, a low permeability coil section 23 including magnetic-substance layers made of low permeability materials, and an intermediate section 24 made of a non-magnetic material which is disposed between the coil sections 23 and 24 are laminated and integrally fired. Coil conductors 25-28 arranged in the high permeability coil section 22 and coil conductors 29-32 arranged in the low permeability coil section 23 are electrically connected in series through via holes (not illustrated) to define a spiral coil L.
In the conventional laminated type inductors 1 and 21, when the magnetic field H1 generated in the high permeability coil sections 2 and 22 and the magnetic field H2 generated in the low permeability coil sections 3 and 23 cause mutual interference, the noise suppressing effect is insufficient. To prevent the mutual interference of the magnetic fields H1 and H2, the laminated type inductor 1 shown in FIG. 5 has a large distance D between the coil conductors 4-6 of the high permeability coil section 2, and the coil conductors 7-9 of the low permeability coil section 3. However, as the distance D increases, the size of the laminated type inductor 1 also increases.
On the other hand, in the laminated type inductor 21 shown in FIG. 6 the intermediate section 24 is located between the high permeability coil section 22 and the low permeability coil section 233gv to prevent the mutual interference of magnetic fields H1 and H2. However, it is technically difficult to accomplish integrally baking both the magnetic material for the coil sections 22 and 23, and the dielectric material for the intermediate section 24, because the physical structure and the rate of heat-shrinking of both are substantially different. Thus, controlling the manufacturing processes is complicated.
To overcome the above-described problems, preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a small-sized laminated inductor with a substantially simplified baking process.
According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, a laminated type inductor including a low permeability coil section in which magnetic layers made of a relatively low permeability material and coil conductors are laminated, and a high permeability coil section in which magnetic layers made of a relatively high permeability material and coil conductors are laminated, the low permeability coil section and the high permeability coil section are laminated such that the coil conductors of the low permeability coil section and the coil conductors of the high permeability coil section are electrically connected in series to define a spiral coil, and the winding direction of the coil conductors in the low permeability coil section and the winding direction of the coil conductors in the high permeability coil section are opposite to each other.
When the low permeability coil section and the high permeability coil section are bonded together, since both of them are made of magnetic materials without using a different material, bonding reliability is substantially improved.
Moreover, since the winding direction of the coil conductors in the low permeability coil section and the winding direction of the coil conductors in the high permeability coil section are arranged in the opposite direction, mutual interference of the magnetic field produced in the low permeability coil section and the magnetic field produced in the high permeability coil section is prevented.
Other features, elements, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings.


One aspect of the invention provides a method for generating a path. The method includes: storing, in a storing unit, at least one path for each arbitrarily set section; setting, in a path setting unit, a main path from an origination to a destination input from a user and then displaying the main path through a display unit; searching, in a path generating unit, for at least one recommended path for one or more sections corresponding to a theme selected from the user and then displaying a searched recommended path through the display unit; receiving, in an input unit, a selection of one or more recommended paths; and generating, in the path generating unit, a final path based on the selection of one or more recommended paths for the one or more sections.

In general, when a path generating system receives an origination and a destination from a user, it searches for path data stored in a database to extract path data from the origination to the destination. In this case, the path generating system extracts path data according to the shortest path or the shortest time.

Apparatus and method for generating a path


A convertible boat top which is mounted on a bass or flats type boat and can be selectively deployed in an extended, functional position to cover occupants of the boat and a stowed, storage position on the side of the boat to prevent interference of the boat top with occupants engaged in fishing or other boating activities. The convertible boat top includes a pair of support stanchions for engaging the boat and a pair of attachment stanchions for engaging the boat in spaced-apart relationship to the support stanchions. A retractable boat top is selectively extendable from the support stanchions and removably engages the attachment stanchions to cover and shield occupants in the boat from adverse weather conditions.

In recent years, boating has become an increasingly popular activity. Some of the most common types of boats include so-called flats boats, which are characterized by a generally flat bottom and upward-standing sides. Multiple seats are typically provided in the boat for seating a driver and one or multiple passengers.
The upward-standing sides of a flats boat define an open top. This provides sufficient access to the boat occupants for the casting of fishing rods, for example, as well as movement in the boat and between the boat and the water when swimming is desired. The open top of the flats boat provides sufficient space for movement of the boat occupants during boating activities, however, it exposes the occupants to incessant heat from the sun in hot, sunny weather, as well as to rain during rainy weather.
Various boat covers are known in the art for covering or shading the cockpit of a boat. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,600 discloses an extendable and retractable cover for the cockpit of a small boat. The cover incorporates a cover sheet, which is rolled onto a roller disposed across and carried by the transom of the boat. The cover sheet follows fore and aft guides provided along the edges of the sides of the cockpit. A latch and handle mechanism are provided to latch the cover sheet to the windshield. A motor and corresponding circuitry is provided for actuating rolling and unrolling of the cover sheet. The cover is designed particularly to protect the cockpit of the boat when the boat is not in use. Consequently, the cover is not raised during deployment to a height sufficient to cover boat occupants; instead functioning to shield the interior of the boat from the environment when the boat is not occupied or in use. Additionally, the cover is not portable and requires substantial modification to the boat on which it is mounted.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,439,150 B1 discloses a shade cover assembly, which is particularly adapted to be carried on a tower above the cockpit area of a pleasure boat. The cover is extendable and retractable through a slotted elongated cover fixture carried by a tower, transversely to the hull, above the cockpit area of the boat. The cover fixture is carried laterally by side frame members and is adapted to be fastened or tensioned, such as by hooks, to the front frame member. The shade assembly can be extended into a functional configuration or stowed to a non-functional configuration. However, the cover is incapable of being stowed to one side of the boat to permit free movement of occupants in the boat when not in use.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,303,667 and 5,904,114 disclose boat covers that include a folding support frame assembly spanned by a flexible cover or canopy. The support frame assembly is relatively complex and has multiple parts.
Additional boat covers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,698,409; 5,092,262; 5,983,824; 6,223,680; 6,357,379. Each of the boat covers is relatively bulky, complex and/or is incapable of being efficiently selectively deployed in a functional position to cover occupants of a boat or stowed to one side of the boat when not in use. Moreover, none of the patents discloses a portable covering which is particularly adapted for use with bass or flats types of boats. Furthermore, none of the patents discloses a flexible covering that is maintained in a spring-loaded, rolled configuration supported by a pair of stanchions along one side of a vessel in a stowed position and extendible across the width of the vessel for attachment to a corresponding pair of stanchions along an opposite side of the vessel.


Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a method and apparatus for recognizing voice. A specific implementation of the method comprises: receiving voice information sent by a user through a terminal, and acquiring simultaneously a user identifier of the user; recognizing the voice information to obtain a first recognized text; determining a word information set stored in association with the user identifier of the user based on the user identifier of the user; and processing the first recognized text based on word information in the determined word information set to obtain a second recognized text, and sending the second recognized text to the terminal. The implementation improves the accuracy of voice recognition and meets a personalized need of a user.

In a current voice recognition process, after a user sends voice information to a server through a terminal, the server performs voice recognition on the voice information to obtain the text information corresponding to the voice information. The server sends the text information to the terminal for the terminal to display. At the present, the server generally uses an identical means to process voice information inputted by different users. Therefore, when different users send identical voice information, the text information recognized by the server is identical.

Method and apparatus for recognizing voice

Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.


A lottery card holder and marking guide comprising a rectangular opaque base sheet and a transparent outer sheet aligned therewith, and joined with the base sheet along at least one edge thereof, the transparent outer sheet and base sheet being configured to hold a lottery card therebetween; the lottery card having imprinted thereon a multiplicity of wager sections, each wager section having imprinted therein a multiplicity of boxes arranged in rows and columns; the transparent outer sheet having a multiplicity of open slots arranged in rows and columns configured in the same pattern as the multiplicity of boxes in the wager sections so that when the lottery card is positioned in the holder and marking guide, each of said slots will be aligned with a corresponding box on the lottery card.

The present invention relates to a lottery ticket holder and marking guide configured to protectively hold and accurately select particular numbers on any lottery card.
Numerous states in the United States operate lotteries as a way of raising money. Many of these lotteries use a card printed with groups of numbers, each group constituting a separate game of chance. A person may purchase any or all of the games on a card. A person plays the games by marking or blackening the numbers on the card. A computer then reads the card and returns it to the player. Typically game players have favorite numbers and the cards are used over and over. One problem encountered in the use of the lottery game cards is that the cards are difficult preserve between uses because the cards are characteristically made of a paper product that can easily be wrinkled or folded. When a card is wrinkled or folded it is rendered unreadable and a new card has to be filled out. Filling out a new card can be difficult and time consuming for anyone, especially for people with poor eyesight.
A problem that often occurs when a person is filling out a lottery card is that the card is inaccurately completed when a person blackens the wrong number because of poor memory or poor eyesight. Lottery cards have many small numbers that are difficult to see. It is also necessary to remember multiple numbers to play a typical lottery game. The present invention provides a lotto player a convenient protective holder and guide for marking a lottery card and eliminates the nuisance of having to remember what numbers to play.
Various types of lottery card holders have been invented to help a person preserve their lottery card. Some of these devices require ungainly attachments and clips. Others are suitable for reading the cards of only one type of game, or the cards from only one state, and cannot be used for cards of other states or other types of games. Many prior attempts have been made to alleviate the problems associated with lottery card holders.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,509 (Dull) discloses a lottery play slip and lottery card jacket for protectively holding one or a plurality of play slips or lottery tickets. This invention is comprised of a transparent panel that protectively encloses and holds lottery tickets. This invention does not overcome the problem of being able to accurately fill in the spaces of the card while it is enclosed in the ticket jacket. There is no suggestion to teach a ticket or card holder with a cover having slots that lineup with the numbers of a lottery card used as a guide to fill out the lottery card.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,379 (Parks) teaches the use of a single fold wallet for storing lottery tickets, and for readily identifying winning numbers on each ticket, having flat sides provided with transparent faced pockets, a swingable flat member having a rectangular transparent window for overlying lotto tickets, and a marking pen carried in a loop of flexible material at the fold line of the wallet and formed for marking rings on the transparent window to indicate the location of winning numbers in each of the numbered unit areas of lotto tickets. However this patent also suffers in that it does not act as guide for marking a lottery card. It is limited in use to merely holding lottery cards.
Another lottery card holding instrument is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,223 (Mitsuyama). This patent relates to a card case, made of two rectangular sheets of plastic or leather, produced by fusing or seaming three edges thereof together and leaving one edge thereof unfused. One or both of the rectangular sheets are provided with an elongated opening the width of which is at least sufficient to receive a fingertip so as to allow a card to be pushed through the open side. The Mitsuyama patent does teach a slip jacket or container for protectively holding cards and allowing cards to be easily dispensed; however this patent fails to allow for accurately filling in the spaces corresponding to the number markings with a pen or pencil on a Lotto card. In addition its three sided connection is ungainly and in practice doesn't work. The cards can not be easily inserted or removed.
Thus it is readily apparent that there is a longfelt need for a convenient holder and guide for marking a lottery card which acts as a marking guide for filling out a lottery card and eliminates the nuisance of remembering numbers and provides a convenient protective holder that stores and preserves the lottery card between uses.


Benzotriazole UV absorbers which are substituted at the 5-position of the benzo ring by an electron withdrawing group exhibit enhanced durability and very low loss rates when incorporated into automotive coatings.

The benzotriazoles have long been an important class of UV absorbers and have gained wide commercial importance and acceptance for many industrial applications. The prior art is replete with references to their manufacture and utility. However, as requirements become ever more stringent and demanding, the search for still more stable and durable benzotriazoles continues. The gradual phase out of HAPS solvents, such as xylene, because of environmental concerns and their replacement with non-HAPS solvents, such as esters, ethers or ketones, and increased durability requirements for automotive coatings make this search more urgent. Indeed, the automotive industry is most concerned about UVA losses from automotive paints and coatings as seen in the publication by J. L. Gerlock et al., Proc. 36th Annual Tech. Sym. (Cleveland Coating Society), May 18, 1993.
Vysokomol Soedin, Ser. A, 18(3), 553 (1976) describes the linear dependence of hydrogen bond strength and photostability in benzotriazoles.
J. E. Pickett et al., Angew. Makromol. Chem. 232, 229 (1995) describe the photodegradation of benzotriazole UV absorbers in poly(methyl methacrylate) films. Structural variation generally caused only small differences in the rates of degradation unless the substitution disrupted the intramolecular hydrogen bonds which are critical for stability. Pickett et al. did not test any benzotriazoles containing both electron withdrawing and electron donating groups as in the instant invention.
The prior art leads one to the conclusion that strengthening the hydrogen bond leads to a more stable benzotriazole, but does not teach how this can be accomplished. The instant invention discloses benzotriazoles which exhibit enhanced durability, but surprisingly this enhanced durability is not always related to greater hydrogen bond strength. Indeed, compounds with enhanced durability often have weaker, not stronger hydrogen bonds
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,226,763; 4,278,589; 4,315,848; 4,275,004; 4,347,180; 5,554,760; 5,563,242; 5,574,166 and 5,607,987 describe selected benzotriazoles, substituted in the 3-position of the hydroxyphenyl ring by an .alpha.-cumyl group, which show very. good durability in automotive coatings. These benzotriazoles represent the present state of the art. The instant invention is directed at preparing benzotriazoles which exhibit still better durability and low loss rates from the prior art benzotriazoles.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,278,314; 5,280,124; 5,436,349 and 5,516,914 describe red-shifted benzotriazoles. These benzotriazoles are substituted in the 5-position of the benzo ring by thio ethers, alkylsulfonyl or phenylsulfonyl moieties. Red-shifting the benzotriazoles is desirable for spectral reasons. A group at the 5-position which is also electron withdrawing provides additional benefits in low loss rates and durability as found in the instant invention.

Benzotriazole UV absorbers having enhanced durability


An improved heat engine employing a dual-component working fluid and configured to generate internal heat from one component of the working fluid that heats the other component through the physical contact between them such that together with the addition of external heat, the engine advantageously yields enhanced work extraction efficiency through separate, parallel expansion of each of the working fluids.

The world of engines encountered a problem with the development of the internal combustion engine. The mindset in the art was that introduction of the combustion into the engine will improve engine function by maximizing the temperature difference between the heat source and the heat sink; and indeed, this was the case when compared with the old steam engines employing external combustion. however, this gain in efficiency was offset by the inefficient practice of heat discharge either generated from compression or released after expansion.
There are systems developed to increase utilization of the discarded heat. However, these systems many times are implemented as cogeneration units utilizing discarded residual heat from expansion and not pre-expansion compression heat. Certain large compression systems employ compression heat for heating, while compressed air energy storage systems use the compression heat as a form of energy storage. Neither use pre-expansion compression heat or intermediate temperature condensation heat to increase work output of a heat engine.
In view of the fact that the discharged pre-expansion compression heat or intermediate condensation heat contributes to engine inefficiency, there is a need to utilize this internally generated heat to increase engine efficiency in the production of work.

Exploiting condensation heat in heat engines


According to one embodiment, a reading apparatus includes a shielding body, an antenna, and a reader and writer. The shielding body is formed in a box shape with an upper opening, to place an accommodating body and to shield radio waves. The antenna is provided in the shielding body to receive information from an RFID tag attached to a product that is passing through the opening. The reader and writer is connected to the antenna to read information of the product from the information received by the antenna.

In the related art, a reading apparatus is known that reads product information from an RFID tag attached to a product and performs sales registration and checkout processing based on the product information. For example, an apparatus is proposed that collectively reads product information by placing products or a shopping basket that holds products on an upper surface of a checkout counter in which a planar antenna is embedded.
Recently, a shop is also known that employs a sales form in which a reading apparatus called a self-checkout apparatus, a self-checkout point-of-sales (POS) apparatus, or a self-registration apparatus is provided fora customer himself or herself to perform sales registration and checkout processing of products to be purchased. Therefore, when a customer himself or herself performs sales registration and checkout processing, the use of a reading apparatus that reads a plurality of RFID tags attached to products using an RFID reader and writer through an antenna can also be considered.
However, in this reading apparatus, after the completion of checkout processing, operations of taking out the shopping basket from the apparatus, taking out the products from the shopping basket, and then repacking the products with an accommodating body such as a carrier bag or a basket are necessary.


Asynchronous conveyor networks serving as inter-process transport mechanisms eliminate transport capacity constraints of vehicle-based systems in integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing environments. Demand variability may be buffered without the use of off-line-storage such as stockers. The variability in wait times for transport service is also eliminated. Overall factory cycle times are thus reduced while manufacturing capacity is simultaneously increased. An autonomous conveyor network automated materials handling system combines clean frictionless conveyor principles with a unique network layout to fulfill the logistics requirements of IC manufacturing environments. Mechanical conveyor-to-tool interfaces, also referred to as equipment delivery interfaces (EDi's), bridge the conveyor network to individual tools. An operating software module integrates the functionality of the conveyor network and EDi's. The result is a full capability factory logistics system.

Contemporary integrated circuit (IC) factories are built with material handling systems designed to automate inter-process substrate movement. These current material handling systems mimic the previously prevalent inter-process manual transporting and handling of substrate carriers. Such systems are based on discrete methods of moving lots, one by one, from tool to tool via automated, discrete robot vehicles called Over Head Transports (OHTs), named for the individual robot vehicles that run on overhead rails carrying the single lots from process tool to process tool. The disadvantage of such discrete transport systems is in their limited capacity as vehicles saturate the shared rail systems. In addition, such systems are also disadvantaged by their inability to sufficiently respond to manufacturing process variabilities, such as a sudden increase in the demand to move work in process (WIP) carriers, and therefore require the use of stopover stockers for overflow. But most importantly, they introduce wait times for work in process to be moved by a robot vehicle, before the transport service is provided to the next process. This wait time is variable, as in a taxi system with limited number of vehicles. These variances introduce uncertainty into manufacturing by themselves, and by multiplying other process variabilities. These variabilities impede factory capacity and increase cycle time.

High volume autonomous material handling system to improve IC factory throughput and cycle time


A center valve for a master cylinder includes a valve body and a valve seat fitted in a valve casing. The valve seat has an elastic tube fitted on a core member. The elastic tube has a front end portion adapted to be pressed against the rear end face of the valve body, and a rear cylindrical portion. A gap is provided behind the cylindrical portion of the elastic tube. When the front end of the elastic tube is deformed, the cylindrical portion of the tube is also deformed in such a way as to fill or protrude into the gap. Because the rear cylindrical portion is also deformed, the degree of deformation of the front end is suppressed. This prevents the front end of the tube from getting trapped between the valve body and the core member of the valve seat and thus getting torn.

This invention relates to a center valve for a master cylinder used as a hydraulic pressure source for a vehicle hydraulic brake system or a hydraulic clutch.
FIG. 1 shows a master cylinder embodying the present invention. It includes a cylinder body 2 having a closed end. A piston 3 is inserted in the cylinder body 2 so as to be movable in the axial direction of the cylinder body 2. The cylinder body 2 has a port 4 through which the interior of the cylinder body 2 communicates with hydraulic units such as hydraulic pressure control modules. The cylinder body 2 carries a reservoir tank 5. The piston 3 carries a center valve 20 at the front (inner) end thereof. When a brake pedal, which is not shown and connected to the piston 3 through a pushrod 6, is depressed and released, the piston 3 moves forward (leftwardly in the figure) and backward. When the piston 3 moves leftwardly in the figure, the center valve 20 closes, thereby producing hydraulic pressure in the master cylinder pressure chamber. The hydraulic pressure produced in the master cylinder pressure chamber is supplied to wheel cylinders or hydraulic units. When the piston 3 moves rightwardly in the figure, the center valve 20 opens, allowing hydraulic fluid in the master cylinder pressure chamber to return to the reservoir tank 5.
FIGS. 9 and 10 show a conventional center valve 120 which corresponds to the valve 20 according to this invention. The valve 120 includes a valve casing 121 provided at the front end of the piston 3 and formed with a passage 122 for hydraulic fluid that extends in the axial direction of the cylinder body 2. A valve seat 130 and a valve body member 140 are mounted in the passage 122. The valve seat 130 is fitted in the passage 122 in abutment with its end wall, and comprises a core 132 and an elastic tube 131 fitted around the core 132. The tube 131 comprises a front end 131a adapted to be pressed against the rear end face 141a of a substantially truncated conical valve body 141 of the valve body member 140, and the remaining cylindrical body 131b. The valve body member 140 includes a shaft 142 extending through the core 132 of the valve seat 130 so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the cylinder body 2 relative to the core 132, and carrying the valve body 141 at its front end.
When the valve body 141 is pressed against the front end 131a of the elastic tube 131, the front end 131a tends to be pushed radially inwardly while being sandwiched between the front end of the core 132, which is made of a metal, and the rear end 141a of the valve body 141 as shown in FIG. 10. When the valve body 141 separates from the tube 131, the tube 131 elastically returns to the original position shown in FIG. 9. When this is repeated, the radially inner portion 131c of the front end 131a of the tube 131 tends to get torn or otherwise damaged. This of course greatly impairs sealability of the valve 120.
Even while the brake pedal is not being depressed and the piston 3 is in the initial position (position of FIG. 1), hydraulic pressure may be supplied into the pressure chamber from hydraulic units for e.g. vehicle stability control (VSC). This creates a pressure difference between the pressure chamber and the chamber communicating with the reservoir 5 through the port 5a. Due to this pressure difference, the front end 131a of the elastic tube 131 is pulled radially inwardly and pressed hard against the valve body 141. Thus, in this situation, too, the radially inner end 131c of the front end 131a of the elastic tube 131 tends to get torn by being repeatedly trapped between the front end face of the core 132 and the rear end face of the valve body 141.
To prevent the elastic tube 131 from getting torn, unexamined Japanese patent publication 2002-302029 proposes to form an annular groove 151 in the front surface of the radially inner portion of the front end of the tube 131 as shown in FIG. 11. When this portion of the tube 131 is pressed against the valve body 141, the groove 151 absorbs elastic deformation of the tube 131 as shown in FIG. 12, thereby preventing the tube from getting torn.
But if FIG. 12 is compared with FIG. 10, it will be apparent that the annular groove 151 scarcely serves to reduce the amount of the radially inwardly stretched portion of the tube when the valve body is pressed against the valve seat or due to a pressure difference between the pressure chamber and the chamber communicating with the reservoir. Thus, the groove 151 cannot effectively prevent the radially inner portion of the front end of the elastic tube from getting torn. By increasing the size of the groove 151, it will be possible to lower the possibility of tearing of the elastic tube to some extent. But with increase in the size of the groove 151, the volume of the front end of the elastic tube will correspondingly decrease. This deteriorates sealability and durability. Thus, the size of the annular groove 151 is limited.
An object of the present invention is to provide a center valve of the abovementioned type which can effectively prevent the elastic tube from getting torn.


A power supply apparatus has a battery apparatus that is composed of a battery, a temperature sensor that is thermally coupled to the battery and whose electrical resistance changes with the temperature of the battery to which it is thermally coupled, a temperature detection circuit that detects the temperature of the battery by detecting the electrical resistance of the temperature sensor, and a power supply circuit that feeds electrical power to the temperature detection circuit. The temperature sensor is connected via an overcurrent protection circuit to the power supply circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power supply apparatus such as one designed for use in a vehicle to make it run. More particularly, the present invention relates to a power supply apparatus that uses a battery as an electric power source for driving a load and that incorporates a temperature detection circuit for detecting the temperature of the battery.
2. Description of Related Art
Power supply apparatuses that yield a high output voltage thanks to a plurality of batteries connected in series are used as power supply apparatuses for use in vehicles such as hybrid cars. This type of power supply apparatus incorporates a circuit for detecting the temperature of batteries. When batteries are charged or discharged at abnormally high temperatures, their performance deteriorates significantly. Thus, a power supply apparatus that is so built as to alleviate the deterioration of batteries due to high temperature detects the temperature of the batteries so that, when the temperature becomes higher than a set temperature, the charging or discharging current is limited or even cut altogether to protect the batteries.
There have already been developed power supply apparatuses designed for use in vehicles and incorporating a temperature detection circuit for detecting the temperature of batteries, an example being the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-234801 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Publication 1). The power supply apparatus disclosed in Patent Publication 1 includes a plurality of temperature sensors that are thermally coupled to battery cells. These temperature sensors change their electrical resistances with temperature. Moreover, these temperature sensors are connected in series with one another, and thus, when the temperature of any of the battery cells rises, the serial resistance of the serially connected temperature sensors increases. Hence, by detecting the electrical resistance of the circuit composed of the serially connected temperature sensors, it is possible to detect the battery temperature.
Moreover, when the power supply apparatus disclosed in Patent Publication 1 detects a fault such as short-circuiting of a temperature sensor, it operates a ventilation fan to expel the gas generated by the battery.
In this type of power supply apparatus, if a temperature sensor touches the surface of a battery and short-circuits to it, the temperature sensor is exposed to a high voltage, and is likely to cause failure of the circuit for detecting the electrical resistance of the temperature sensor. This fault can be prevented by isolating the circuit for detecting the electrical resistance of the temperature sensor from the battery. Even with this circuit design, however, if a plurality of temperature sensors short-circuit to the surface of the battery, an overcurrent flows through the circuit including the temperature sensors, causing failure of the circuit including those serially connected temperature sensors.
In a power supply apparatus mounted on a vehicle, it is desirable that, even if one temperature sensor short-circuits to a battery and makes the detection of the battery temperature partially impossible, other temperature sensors, i.e., those which are not short-circuited to the battery, be able to continue detecting the battery temperature. That is, what is important here is that the vehicle can keep running.


A slide mechanism includes a main plate, a slide plate and a driving device, the slide plate slidably engages with the main plate, the driving device for driving the slide plate slide relative to the main plate includes a driving mechanism and a control module electronically connecting the driving mechanism, the driving mechanism is positioned between the main plate and the slide plate, the slide plate slide relative to the main plate by the driving mechanism, which is controlled by the control module. The invention also discloses a portable electronic device applying the slide mechanism.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to slide mechanisms and, particularly, a sliding mechanism used in portable electronic devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Slide-type portable electronic devices have been increasingly popular among portable electronic devices. The slide-type portable electronic device generally includes two housings and a slide mechanism connected to the two housings. The slide mechanism can drive one of the housings to slide over the other to open/close the portable electronic device.
However, such slide mechanism is typically comprised of elastic components, housings can only slide to open/close positions, and cannot be secured at any intermediate positions during sliding.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

Slide mechanism for slide-type portable electronic device

Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Co., Ltd.


A molded article, particularly for optical use, formed of a thermoplastic saturated norbornene-based polymer composition including a thermoplastic saturated norbornene-based polymer excellent in heat resistance, etc., and a filler, the composition being capable of preventing cracks even when an insertion part having a linear expansion coefficient greatly different from that of the polymer is present and a thermal change occurs. The filler is selected from a fibrous filler and a combination of a fibrous filler with a powdery filler.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a molded article having excellent crack resistance, more specifically to a molded article having excellent crack resistance which is integrally formed by molding a thermoplastic saturated norbornene-based polymer over an insertion part having a linear expansion coefficient of not more than 2.5.times.10.sup.-5 /.degree.C.
2. Related Art
It is known that a thermoplastic saturated norbornene-based polymer is widely usable due to its excellent transparency, heat resistance, humidity resistance, chemical resistance, etc., and also useful particularly as an optical plastic molding material for an optical disk substrate, etc., due to smallness of its birefringence.
However, a problem is that a molded article integrally formed by molding a thermoplastic saturated norbornene-based polymer over an insertion part having a smaller linear expansion coefficient is liable to crack due to thermal changes, etc., since the linear expansion coefficient of the polymer and that of the insertion part are different to a large extent.
In an optical magnetic disk, it is general practice, in order to fix said disk to a drive apparatus with a magnet, to employ a method in which a hub integrally formed by molding a resin with a metal plate insert is bonded to an optical disk substrate. As a method for bonding a hub to an optical disk substrate, there are known an ultrasonic bonding method and a method using an ultraviolet-curable adhesive, a thermosetting adhesive, a hot-melt adhesive, or the like. Of these methods, an ultrasonic bonding method is generally used since the bonding time is short and its workability is excellent. In the case of an ultrasonic bonding, however, it is difficult to bond polymers which greatly differ in chemical composition. Therefore, a hub formed of the same polymer as that of an optical disk substrate is used. For example, a combination of a substrate formed of polycarbonate with a hub formed of polycarbonate or a combination of an optical disk substrate formed of a thermoplastic saturated norbornene-based polymer with a hub formed of a thermoplastic saturated norbornene-based polymer is suitable for ultrasonic bonding. However, a hub integrally formed by molding a thermoplastic saturated norbornene-based polymer with a preferred metal such as stainless steel, etc., insert has problems in that it is liable to crack as described above and is unreliable when used under an environment having a high temperature and a high humidity. For this reason, there is employed a method in which a hub formed of polycarbonate or poly-4-methyl-1-pentene is bonded to an optical disk substrate formed of a thermoplastic saturated norbornene-based polymer with an adhesive. However, bonding workability is not necessarily good, nor is durability of the bonding strength sufficient.

Molded article of norbornene-based polymer


A method for fabricating a diode, for example, for use in a Schottky clamped transistor, which as a process step disposes a layer of oxide between the substrate and the overlying layer of polysilicon which must ultimately be etched away. The oxide layer permits use of an end point dry etch process which in turn allows greater miniaturization of the circuit over wet etch processes. Use of the end point process made feasible by the oxide layer also prevents overetch of the silicon material. As a result, a more ideal metal silicide anode-to-substrate Schottky barrier is formed with corresponding improvements in the diode ideality factor. In addition the oxide layer eliminates Schottky mask alignment problems and further improves diode performance characteristics by elimination of parasitic diodes. The process can be implemented with minimal deviation from other core processes used to fabricate similar circuits.

Transistor saturation occurs when excessive currents are applied to the bases of bipolar transistors, driving the collector-base diode into forward bias and thus injecting minority carrier into the base of the transistor. Removal of this charge from the base results in slow turnoff characteristics of the transistor. Saturation can thus degrade the performance of high-speed switching circuits.
In semiconductor circuits, the use of Schottky barrier diodes is a popular means of preventing transistor saturation. The Schottky barrier diode maintains a low voltage across the base-collector diode thus preventing this junction from becoming forward biased and saturating the transistor. The resulting semiconductor transistor circuit is known as a Schottky clamped transistor.
The effectiveness of the Schottky clamp is limited by the ideality factor of the barrier diode. The typical Schottky diode is formed by depositing a metal layer on a lightly doped N-type silicon material. Irregularities in the surface of the N-type material cause imperfections in the metal to N-type silicon contact. These imperfections in the metal to N-type silicon contact contribute to nonideality.
In typical fabrication processes, a polysilicon layer which has been deposited over the surface of the semiconductor is etched away at the desired location to expose the N-type single crystal material. Due to the ever decreasing size of semiconductor circuits, the area of the barrier diode and thus the area to be etched away continues to decrease in size. The limited area to be etched in present day circuits precludes the use of a wet etch process and a dry etch process must be used.
Both the polysilicon to be etched away and the underlying doped silicon material have the same chemical composition. Thus, there is no way in the typical etching process to determine by end point detection where the polysilicon material ends and the underlying single crystal N-type material begins. Therefore, a timed etch process is used whereby the etch proceeds for the period required to etch away the polysilicon material as calculated from the thickness of that material.
This timed etching process contributes to irregularities in the surface of the N-type silicon region in two respects. First, the timed etch process is somewhat imprecise and the etching process occasionally extends past surface of the single crystal N- material. Second, the dry etch process is associated with some mechanical sputtering due to bombardment by gas molecules and this action can cause damage to the N-type single crystal silicon structure when this area is exposed to the gas. The resulting surface irregularities negatively impact the ideality of the barrier diode.
A further complication resulting from the typical fabrication process negatively impacts semiconductor performance. Due to misalignment of Schottky contact mask the typical fabrication process can leave an amount of intrinsic polysilicon material (normally etched away) adjacent the diode. See FIG 17. A parasitic Schottky diode develops where metal comes into contact with intrinsic polysilicon material which could be a source of leakage current.

Fabrication process for Schottky barrier diodes on a single poly bipolar process


A sealed electrical connector assembly is provided for mounting between a pair of printed circuit boards. The assembly includes a first electrical connector having a dielectric housing mounting a plurality of conductive terminals which have tail portions connected to appropriate circuit traces on a first printed circuit board. A second electrical connector is mateable with the first connector and has a dielectric housing mounting a plurality of conductive terminals which have tail portions connected to appropriate circuit traces on a second printed circuit board which is spaced from and generally parallel to the first printed circuit board when the connectors are mated. An open-ended, generally hollow shroud is provided independent of and surrounding the mated connectors between the parallel printed circuit boards. The peripheral edges of the open ends of the shroud are resilient and are in engagement with opposing surfaces of the parallel printed circuit boards to seal the mating connectors disposed within the shroud from the outside environment.

Generally, an electrical connector includes some form of dielectric or insulative housing which mounts one or more conductive terminals. The housing is configured for mating with a complementary mating connector or other connecting device which, itself, has one or more conductive terminals. A connector assembly typically includes a pair of mating connectors, such as plug and receptacle connectors sometimes called male and female connectors.
Various types of electrical connectors are designed for mounting on a printed circuit board. The connectors have terminals which include contact portions for engaging the terminals of a complementary mating connector. The terminals of a board-mounted connector having terminating ends for connection to appropriate circuit traces on the circuit board, such as solder tails for solder connection to the circuit traces on a top surface of the circuit board and/or in holes in the board.
Still further, some electrical connector assemblies or mating connectors must be sealed from contaminants in the environment. One prior sealing method has been to employ a gasket between a pair of abutting edges of the two mating connectors. Another method has been to construct the mating connectors with mating edges that slide over each other forming overlapping walls. A further method has been to provide a flexible boot surrounding each connector, with the mating edges of the boots engaging each other in compression. While all of these prior methods work well for their intended purposes, each method requires major modifications to the connectors and, therefore, add considerable costs in manufacturing the connectors. The sealing problems are further magnified in applications where a pair of electrical connectors are mounted between a pair of generally parallel printed circuit boards. The present invention is directed to solving these problems by providing an extremely simple but very effective system for sealing two mating connectors disposed between two printed circuit boards.


A clip includes a casing consisted of a face panel and a back panel joined at one end, and a clamping spring plate fastened to the face panel, wherein the face panel has an inside track and an outside track on two opposite sides thereof and a stub rod raised from the outside track; the clamping spring plate has one end formed into a chuck chucked on the inside and outside tracks and an arched free end stopped against the back panel inside the casing, the chuck-like fixed end of the clamping spring plate having a pin hole, which receives the stub rod on the outside track.

The present invention relates to clips used for holding things together or for holding key chains.
Various clips have been disclosed for fastening to the belt to hold a key ring, and have appeared on the market. FIG. 1 shows a conventional clip for this purpose. As illustrated, the clip comprises a casing consisted of a back panel 10 and a face panel 11 joined at one end, and a clamping spring plate 12 fastened to the casing on the inside. The clamping spring plate 12 has a bottom end 15 fastened to the face panel 11 by a rivet 16, and a top end 13 curved downwards and stopped against the inside wall 14 of the back panel 10. This structure of clip is not satisfactory in use. When the clip is fastened to the belt, the sharp edge of the curved top end of the clip may damage the clothes. Another drawback of this structure of clip is its complicated assembly process. Because the clamping spring plate is fastened to the casing by a rivet, a special processing process is needed.

No. 7, Alley 2, Lane 85, Min Tsu Rd., Lu Chou Hsiang


An ultrasonic flow rate measuring device for measuring the flow rate through a line through which a medium flows has at least one ultrasonic transducer that has a piezo element and a connecting element designed for attaching the ultrasonic transducer to the line with the piezo element attached to the connecting element. An intermediate layer including a plate is disposed between the piezo element and the connecting element that is electrically conductive and attachable to an electromagnetic shield. Thus, an ultrasonic flow rate measuring device that delivers a greater signal-to-noise ratio is achieved.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an ultrasonic flow rate measuring device, especially a clamp-on ultrasonic flow rate measuring device, for measuring the flow rate through a line through which a medium flows. In particular, the invention relates to an ultrasonic transducer having a piezo element and a connecting element acting as a wave guide or ultrasonic propagating element designed for attaching the ultrasonic transducer to the line with the piezo element attached to the connecting element.
2. Description of Related Art
Clamp-on ultrasonic flow rate measuring devices are characterized in that they can be used especially easily. In contrast to other ultrasonic flow rate measuring devices that must be permanently integrated into the existing pipeline system by replacing a piece of the pipeline, clamp-on flow rate measuring devices can simply be placed from the outside on a suitable line section of the piping system. The line section to which the clamp-on ultrasonic flow rate measuring device is attached thus essentially becomes a measuring line without the need for its own separate measuring line that would have to be inserted into the piping system with great effort. This makes the use of clamp-on ultrasonic flow rate measuring devices simple and economical.
However, the problem with clamp-on ultrasonic flow rate measuring devices, as with other ultrasonic flow rate measuring devices, is often that the attainable signals are only very small. This can be attributed, for example, to low operating voltages due to the circuits that are inherently designed to be safe. Moreover, the signal-to-noise ratio is also degraded by unmatched acoustic transitions between different materials. Finally, on the signal path, signal losses due to attenuation effects occur in the respective medium. This is often associated with a very small measurement signal output by the receiving ultrasonic transducer. Such a small measurement signal is especially susceptible to electromagnetic noise.
Thus, there is a need for an ultrasonic flow rate measuring device that is easy to use yet delivers a strong signal.


An aluminum ingot casting machine comprising a source of molten metal, a rotatable annular ring, carrying ingot casting moulds and a drive means for indexing the moulds. The machine includes a vacuum demoulder having a vacuum seal arrangement comprising a sealing element having a flexible core which can deform to form a vacuum seal against an ingot and a flexible abrasion resistant outer layer on said core, and retaining elements located on a lower face of the vacuum lifting head for releasably retaining the sealing element onto the lifting head. The vacuum seal comprises a flexible ring shaped body, being rounded in cross section, having a fiber cord core and an abrasion resistant flexible sheathing surrounding the core.

Metal is processed in a number of ways. For some metals the preferred form of production is in the form of ingots, which are then transported to metal working shops, for example rolling mills, for further processing and fabrication. Aluminum is one type of metal which is typically cast into ingots. Ingots may be made in various sizes, depending upon the size of the smelter and other factors. One common size for ingots is a large size which is commonly referred to as "sow".
Casting aluminum ingots has certain requirements. For example, it is preferred if the casting can continue without stopping. This avoids having molten metal solidify where it is not desired, such as in a furnace or in a delivery launder or the like. However, continuous production requires continuous removal of molten metal, which in turn requires continuous casting. Continuous casting machines typically take the form of a circle, to permit continuous filling, removal and refilling of ingot forming moulds. In one common type of casting machine, a plurality of moulds are supporting in a casting ring, which in turn is supported from a central axle having radial arms supporting the casting ring.
As the ring indexes forward the moulds are poured to form ingots and then the ingots are slowly cooled. After cooling, the ingots are removed from the moulds and then the moulds are presented for refilling. Commonly, the carousel ring is driven from its center axle.
More recently, the ingots have been removed from the moulds by means of a vacuum system or apparatus. The apparatus typically includes a vacuum source, and an overhead vertically translatable vacuum head having a vacuum seal for engaging the ingots. To remove the ingots from the moulds, the vacuum seal is placed on the ingot, and the vacuum is initiated. The vacuum causes the vacuum seal to compress against the surface of the ingot. The ingot is then lifted out of the mould by the vertically translatable vacuum head.
There are a number of problems with the prior art systems as described above. First, the use of a central axle with arms supporting the ring requires very strong arms to support the cantilevered load of filled moulds. This requires a significant amount of structural support, which also adds to the overall weight of the carousel. The heavier the carousel is, the harder it is to make it rotate smoothly and the more powerful a drive is required. Stopping and starting the ring as each mould is indexed to the next station becomes more difficult the larger the ring is.
Further, having ring supporting arms that extend like spokes through and rotate through the inside of the ring renders the space inside the ring largely unusable. This in turn has a number of drawbacks. For example, the ring cannot be placed in a location where building columns would be positioned inside the ring, because such columns would interfere with the rotation of the arms. Also, the components of the ring are not accessible from inside the ring for maintenance and operational purposes, which reduces the flexibility of the machine. Furthermore, it is often useful to be able to position some system components, such as water piping for the ingot cooling means, inside the ring. However, the positioning of components inside the ring is made awkward and impractical by reason of the movement of the arms.
As well, even a very carefully moulded ingot has small sharp surface features which are an inevitable part of the moulding process. When the vacuum seal contacts the surface of the ingot, and the vacuum is engaged, the seal is sucked inward slightly, thus rubbing against the ingot surface, including the sharp surface features. To form the seal requires a flexible, rubber-like material. Even the best materials tend to get softer at higher temperatures, such as those associated with the recently poured ingots. It has been found that this combination of heat and abrasion quickly causes a loss of integrity of the seal leading to a failure of the lifting system. The system further requires a shutdown to permit the seal to be unfastened and replaced. This is typically made difficult, because in an effort to reduce wear on the seal, the seal is held in place by multiple fasteners which are difficult to remove, thus increasing down time and costs.
Therefore, what is desired is a metal ingot casting machine which overcomes the foregoing disadvantages. More specifically, it is highly desirable to be able to position the casting ring at any convenient location, without requiring the fully clear circular footprint of the prior art machines. As well, it would be preferred if the casting system could be provided with a ring which was lightweight and thus easy to motivate even when filled with metal ingots.


A method of forming an electrically conductive polymer comprises providing a reaction mixture in carbon dioxide, the reaction mixture comprising at least one monomer and a charge transfer agent. The monomer is then polymerized in the carbon dioxide to form a polymer, and the polymer is doped with the charge transfer agent so that the polymer is an electrically conductive polymer.

The recent development and production of conductive polymers has become significant due to the increased number of applications which incorporate the polymers. Such applications are related to, for example, electrochemical devices, chemical and optical sensors, and light emitting devices. Such polymers are important since they potentially display high room temperature conductivity, and can also exhibit superconductivity at reduced temperatures.
A number of monomers are used to form conductive polymers including, for example, sulfurnitride, acetylene and related derivatives, phenylene and related derivatives, and heterocycles such as pyrrole. Several processes are currently employed for synthesizing conductive polymers. One process typically involves providing one or more monomers in an organic solvent, along with a charge transfer or oxidizing agent and a dopant. The monomer is oxidized which forms a polymer in the solvent medium. In one of the conventional processes in conductive polymer synthesis, the oxidant is reactive in both the oxidation polymerization and a doping reaction. The oxidative agent essentially converts an insulating organic polymer to a conducting polymer with near metallic conductivity.
The use of organic solvents, however, is becoming disadvantageous. Specifically, these solvents are potentially environmentally hazardous. Additionally, other problems exist with respect to dispersion of dopant in the polymeric material. Moreover certain conductive polymers, e.g., polypyrrole and polyaniline, tend to be largely insoluble in organic solvents, thus restricting their application in traditional processing operations.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of forming electrically conductive polymers which employs a reaction medium capable of addressing the above difficulties.

Synthesis of conductive polymers in liquid and supercritical CO.sub.2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill


A semiconductor laser device includes a semiconductor laser element, a base material supporting the semiconductor laser element, and a wiring portion formed on the base material and constituting a conduction path to the semiconductor laser element. The base material includes a mounting face oriented to one side in a thickness direction of the base material and having the semiconductor laser element mounted thereon, while also including an emission part located on one side with respect to the semiconductor laser element in a first direction perpendicular to the thickness direction. Light from the semiconductor laser element is emitted through the emission part to the outside.

Semiconductor laser devices are widely utilized as a light source device for various types of electronic devices. For example, JP-A-2017-147301 discloses an example of existing semiconductor laser device. The semiconductor laser device disclosed in this document includes a disk-shaped base portion, and a heatsink portion provided on the upper face of the base portion. A semiconductor laser element is mounted on the heatsink portion. Two leads are sticking out from the lower face of the base portion. This semiconductor laser device is mounted on a circuit board, with each of the leads passed through a hole formed in the circuit board.


The invention provides a method of characterizing a target that binds to a ligand. The method comprises providing ligands, optionally attached to a support, and contacting the ligands with targets to allow at least one target to bind to at least one ligand. The method further comprises immobilizing the resulting complexes in a first matrix, such that each complex has a different position within the first matrix, and transferring the target of the complex to a second matrix. The position of the target within the second matrix corresponds to the position of the ligand-support complex within the first matrix. The target on the second matrix is then detected.

Affinity chromatography is a common method for concentrating and separating target molecules from a sample, and is based on specific, three-dimensional interactions between target molecules and entities to which they bind (i.e., ligands). Ligands can be isolated or generated for binding to practically any target molecule. Potential ligands include biological molecules such as proteins, antibodies, peptides, and the like. Libraries of millions of potential ligands are generated using combinatorial synthesis techniques, many of which are well known in the art (see, for example, Lam et al., Nature, 354, 82–84 (1991) and International Patent Application WO 92/00091). To aid in separation of target molecules from a sample, ligands can be affixed to a solid support matrix, such as individual particles (e.g., chromatography resin beads) or contiguous supports (e.g., arrays). Ligands immobilized on a solid support matrix can then be employed to purify targets from complex solutions (Baumbach and Hammond, BioPharm May, 24–31 (1992)).
Aside from mere separation of target molecules from a sample, affinity chromatography provides a means of examining binding interactions between potential ligands and target molecules. Detecting target-ligand binding can be challenging. Techniques for detecting ligand-target complexes have been developed, e.g. radiolabelling and immunological methods (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,834,318, International Patent Application WO 01/40265, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/453,115). However, currently available detection techniques have potential drawbacks, namely modification of the target through radiolabel attachment, interference from ligand-target-detection system interactions, and the ability to detect only a limited number of targets for which detection systems already exist.
In view of the above, there remains a need in the art for a method of detecting target-ligand binding that avoids modification of the target for detection, enables detection of a target separated from a ligand and identification of the ligand, and allows detection of the target via its biological, biochemical or chemical activity. The invention provides such a method. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.

Method for detecting ligands and targets in a mixture


Polymer articles are rendered antimicrobial by a process that includes contacting a chitosan solution with a polymer surface that inherently contains amino-reactive functional groups as polymerized. The process requires no pretreatment with agents such as oxidizing agents or plasma to generate the necessary functional groups at the polymer surface.

This invention relates to a process for rendering a polymer article antimicrobial, comprising contacting a chitosan solution with the surface of a polymer that contains amino-reactive functional groups as polymerized.
As evidenced by the presence in the market of numerous materials for eliminating or minimizing human contact with bacteria, there is clearly a demand for materials and/or processes that either minimize or kill bacteria encountered in the environment. Such materials are useful in areas of food preparation or handling and in areas of personal hygiene, such as bathrooms. Similarly, there is a use for such antibacterial materials in hospitals and nursing homes where people with lowered resistance are especially vulnerable to bacteria.
Chitosan is the commonly used name for poly-[1-4]-β-D-glucosamine. Chitosan is chemically derived from chitin, which is a poly-[1-4]-β-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, which, in turn, is derived from the cell walls of fungi, the shells of insects and, especially, crustaceans. Thus, it is inexpensively derived from widely available materials. It is available as an article of commerce from, for example, Biopolymer Engineering, Inc. (St. Paul, Minn.); Biopolymer Technologies, Inc. (Westborough, Mass.); and CarboMer, Inc. (Westborough, Mass.).
Chitosan can be treated with metal salt solutions so that the metal ion forms a complex with the chitosan. Chitosan and chitosan-metal compounds are known to provide antimicrobial activity as bacteriocides and fungicides (see, e.g., T. L. Vigo, "Antimicrobial Polymers and Fibers: Retrospective and Prospective," in Bioactive Fibers and Polymers, J. V. Edwards and T. L. Vigo, eds., ACS Symposium Series 792, pp. 175-200, American Chemical Society, 2001). Chitosan is also known to impart antiviral activity, though the mechanism is not yet well understood (see, e.g., Chirkov, S. N., Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology (Translation of Prikladnaya Biokhimiya i Mikrobiologiya) (2002), 38(1), 1-8). Additionally, chitosan is known to impart antiodor properties; see, for example, WO 1999061079(A1).
Japanese Kokai 05269181 discloses the preparation of antimicrobial polymers for contact lenses and containers for contact lenses. The reference discusses chitosan being reacted with the surface of an optically clear contact lens material. Exemplified are methacrylate/carbonate copolymers with hydroxyl functionality. In one example, chitosan is attached to the surface by graft polymerization in carbodiimide aqueous solution onto an acrylic acid layer that has been first grafted onto the contact lens. In another example, a solution of chitosan in N-methyl-pyrrolidone contacts the contact lens, and the chitosan is crosslinked.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,622 discloses a surface-modified fibrous filtration medium which includes hydrocarbon polymer fibers having cationic or anionic functional groups on the surfaces thereof, coated with a polyelectrolyte of opposite charge, such as chitosan. There is no mention of antimicrobial properties.
Japanese patent application JP01-0342435 discloses an antimicrobial coating agent that includes both chitosan and an emulsion or aqueous dispersion of a synthetic resin selected from among copolymers which include unsaturated carboxylic acids as monomer components and ionomers obtained by partially or totally neutralizing said copolymers with metal ions. The chitosan is mixed at a ratio of about 15 to 70 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the aforementioned synthetic resin. The surface is thus a mixture of the chitosan and the synthetic polymer. The degree of deacetylation of the chitosan is 40-55%. Its solubility in water implies that its molecular weight is low, perhaps under 10,000. This reference also teaches away from coating an acidified solution of chitosan onto a film or sheet surface.
In co-pending U.S. patent application No. 2003/0091612, polyolefin articles are treated with an aqueous mixture of chromic acid and sulfuric acid, washed with deionized water, soaked in concentrated nitric acid, and again washed with deionized water before treatment with chitosan solution. While effective antimicrobial articles are made by this method, a simpler, more economical process is desirable.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an antimicrobial polymeric material and a process for producing same, said process comprising contacting a chitosan solution with a polymer surface that contains amino-reactive functional groups. Also provided are articles comprising such material.

Process for making antimicrobial articles by reacting chitosan with amino-reactive polymer surfaces


An apparatus for generating thrust for air transport includes a main thrust device, and an auxiliary thrust device configured to generate auxiliary thrust so as to enable an aircraft to vertically take off and land. The apparatus further includes: wings fixed to left and right sides of a fuselage of the aircraft, rotors installed on the wings and configured to generate thrust. In particular, the main thrust device provides driving force to the rotors using motors and an engine, and the auxiliary thrust device is installed in the fuselage and has a center of gravity configured to coincide with a center of gravity of the aircraft.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Before the advent of electric propulsion-type vertical take-off and landing aircraft, tilting fan-type jet engines and engine-based vertical take-off and landing aircraft were mainly used.
The vertical take-off and landing aircrafts utilize at least four ducted fan type engines in consideration of stability in the roll-directional posture thereof and engine failure.
Such vertical take-off and landing aircraft have a complicated configuration because four or more engine systems are mounted therein, and experience problems, such as degradation of the performance and the flying stability thereof, caused by flow separation when maneuvering forwards due to the characteristics of the fans.
Particularly, since such a vertical take-off and landing aircraft can take off and land vertically, it does not require a separate runway, and thus enables service to be provided without high-priced aviation infrastructure. However, we have found that it has a high accident rate during maneuvering the aircraft.
The above information disclosed in the Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the present disclosure and should not be interpreted as conventional technology that is already known to those skilled in the art.

Apparatus for generating thrust for air transport


It is usual in high-voltage integrated circuits to provide one or several breakdown-voltage-raising rings at the edge of a high-voltage island in the form of surface zones of the conductivity type opposite to that of the island. According to the invention, the function of these rings is locally taken over by one or several zones forming part of a circuit element and also provided with a breakdown-voltage-raising edge. Since the breakdown-voltage-raising zones are locally omitted alongside the island insulation, a major space saving can be achieved.

The invention relates to a semiconductor device with a semiconductor body comprising an island-shaped first region of a first conductivity type adjoining a surface and adjoining thereto and also adjoining the surface a second region of the second conductivity type which, seen at the surface, surrounds the first region along its entire circumference and forms a pn junction therewith and which is provided with a breakdown voltage raising edge in the form of a first surface zone of the second conductivity type which is provided in the first region and which is situated at such a small distance from the second region that, given a sufficiently high voltage in the reverse-bias direction across the pn junction, the surface zone is entirely situated within the depletion region of the blocked pn junction. The semiconductor body may be of a usual construction with a silicon substrate of the second conductivity type and an epitaxial layer of the first conductivity type provided thereon. Usually, the substrate is of the p type and the epitaxial layer, or epi layer for short, of the n type. Obviously, however, the conductivity types may be interchanged. An island-shaped first region is defined in the epi layer by means of a p-type island insulation zone surrounding the island and forming the said second region of the second conductivity type. In alternative embodiments, the first region is formed, for example, by an n-type implanted zone (well or pocket) provided in a p-type substrate, the second region of the second conductivity type being formed by non-redoped adjoining portions of the substrate. The background of the invention and the invention itself will be described hereinafter in particular with reference to the first embodiment indicated here, but it will be obvious that the invention is not to be limited to embodiments comprising an epi layer.
During operation the pn junction between the island and the insulation zone is reverse-biased for obtaining a good island insulation. The voltage across the junction must be lower than the breakdown voltage of the pn junction. It is known that the breakdown voltage of planar pn junctions is often considerably lower than might be expected on the ground of the doping concentrations. This is due inter alia to local increases in the field strength caused by inter alia surface effects and in particular by the edge curvature of the pn junction.
A semiconductor device of the kind described in the opening paragraph is known from inter alia U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,028. This describes a device in which a number of comparatively weakly doped p-type surface zones are provided along the edge of the island for reducing the field strength where the pn junction intersects the surface between the island and the insulation zone. Although a single ring situated within the depletion region of the pn junction already leads to a considerable improvement of the breakdown voltage, several rings next to one another are preferably used, as also shown in the said U.S. Patent, the outermost ring directly adjoining the insulation zone while the remaining rings are situated at a distance from one another. In particular when several breakdown-voltage-raising rings are used, this configuration requires comparatively much space in the semiconductor body which cannot usually be effectively used for providing circuit elements.

Semiconductor device having an improved breakdown voltage-raising structure


The present invention is directed to methods for producing and selecting novel mutant strains of B. fragilis that constitutively express a particular capsular polysaccharide or only selected capsular polysaccharides; compositions directed to the novel mutant strains of B. fragilis that constitutively express a particular capsular polysaccharide or only selected capsular polysaccharides; improved methods for purification of individual capsular polysaccharides; and compositions directed to novel res02 and inv19 genes and their gene products. Significantly, the present invention provides methods and compositions for overexpressing and purifying immunomodulatory capsular polysaccharide A (PSA) in high yield.

Capsular polysaccharide A (PSA) of Bacteroides fragilis NCTC9343 has been reported to be an immunomodulator with therapeutic and preventative applications. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,679,654 and 5,700,787; Tzianabos A O et al. (2000) J Biol Chem 275:6733-40. It was recently reported that in addition to PSA, B. fragilis NCTC9343 synthesizes at least seven other capsular polysaccharide (PSB-PSH). Krinos C M et al. (2001) Nature 414:555-558. It has also recently been reported that expression of seven of these eight capsular polysaccharides of B. fragilis are variable due to phase variation dictated by inversion of DNA segments containing the promoters of each of the polysaccharide biosynthesis loci. Krinos C M et al., supra. The fact that this strain synthesizes so many polysaccharides makes purification of PSA from this strain very laborious. This, coupled with the variable expression of PSA due to its phase variation, often results in a very low yield of PSA following extensive procedures for its purification. Scaled-up purification of PSA for preventative or therapeutic applications thus presents technical obstacles.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for overexpression of zwitterionic polysaccharides


Provided are a wafer level chip scale package of an image sensor and a manufacturing method thereof. The wafer level chip scale package includes: a wafer including an image sensor and a pad on the top surface thereof and inclined surfaces on both ends thereof; expansion pads formed on the inclined surfaces of the wafer, including the pad, such that the expansion pads are electrically connected to the pad, a bottom surface of the expansion pads being on a straight line with respect to that of the wafer; a support formed on the expansion pads to support both bottom surfaces of a glass, the support having a height to provide a space where an air cavity is formed; and a glass disposed on the support to provide the air cavity over the wafer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wafer level chip scale package of an image sensor and a manufacturing method thereof. In the wafer level chip scale package of the image sensor, since expansion pads are provided instead of solder balls, a complicated process of forming solder balls can be omitted, thereby improving production capability. Since a glass is attached in a wafer level, defects caused by foreign particles can be minimized. Furthermore, miniaturization and slimness of the package can be realized.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of main trends in today's semiconductor industries is to miniaturize semiconductor devices as much as possible. The miniaturization is absolutely required in semiconductor chip package industries. Packaging is a technology that mounts an integrated circuit (IC) chip, where microcircuits are designed, onto an electronic device and seals it using a plastic resin or ceramic.
A typical package has a size much greater than an IC chip embedded therein. Therefore, package technicians have been interested in reducing the package size to a chip size level.
One of recently developed packages is a chip scale package (also called a chip size package). In particular, compared with a typical package method of assembling packages based on an individual chip, a wafer level chip scale package has features in that packages are assembled and manufactured in a wafer level.
The advance of semiconductor IC chips leads to the advance of package technologies, realizing high density, high speed, miniaturization, and thinning. More specifically, package devices are changing from a "pin insert type" or "through hole mount type" to a "surface mount type" in a structural aspect. In this way, a packaging density with respect to a circuit board is increased. Recently, studies have been actively conducted on chip size packages (CSPs) that can reduce the package size to a chip level while maintaining a characteristic of a bare chip at a package state.
In the case of a wafer level chip scale package (WLCSP) among chip size packages, chip pads are rerouted or redistributed on a chip surface, and solder balls are then formed. In the wafer level chip scale package, chips or dies are directly mounted onto a circuit board in a so-called flip chip scheme, and solder balls formed on the circuit where chips are rerouted are attached to conductive pads of the circuit board. Since solder balls are also formed on the conductive pads, they are attached to the solder balls of the package.
Recently, a variety of CSP technologies have been introduced which can make the chip size so small that there is almost no difference between the sizes of the semiconductor chip and the package. With the trends of miniaturization, high speed, and high integration, these technologies have spread faster than expected.
A wafer level package technology is considered as a next generation CSP technology. In the wafer level package technology, all assembling processes are finished in a wafer level where chips are not cut out. While a typical assembling process is performed after cutting the wafer into individual chips, the wafer level package technology is to perform a series of processes, e.g., a die bonding, a wire bonding, a molding, etc. in a wafer level where chips are attached to one another and then make final products by cutting the wafer into individual chips.
This technology can further reduce a total package cost than any other CSP technology.
In such a wafer level chip scale package, solder balls are formed on an active surface of a semiconductor chip. Due to this structure, there is a great structural difficulty in stacking the wafer level chip scale package or applying it to manufacture a sensor package such as a charge coupled device (CCD).
Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-74158 discloses a packaged IC device in which a package of an image sensor is manufactured using the wafer level chip scale package technology. The structure of the packaged IC device is illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an IC device having a microlens array 100 formed on a crystalline substrate.
Referring to FIG. 1, a packaging layer 106 is formed of glass under a crystalline substrate 102 where a microlens array 100 is formed on its surface. The packaging layer 106 is sealed by an epoxy 104. Electrical contacts 108 are formed along edges of the packaging layer 106. The electrical contacts 108 are connected to bumps 110, which are formed on the bottom surface of the packaging layer 106. In addition, the electrical contacts 108 are connected to conductive pads 112, which are formed on the top surface of the substrate 102.
A packaging layer 114, typically formed of glass, and associated spacer elements 116 are sealed over the substrate 102 by an adhesive such as an epoxy 118, thereby defining a cavity 120 between the microlens array 100 and the packaging layer 114.
The electrical contacts 108 are formed on inclined surfaces of the epoxy 104 and the packaging layer 106 by a plating process or the like.
In the conventional IC device, the electrical contacts 108 are formed so as to electrically connect the conductive pads 112 and the bumps 110. However, the reliability of connection is low because the conductive pads 112 and the electrical contacts 108 are connected in a face-to-face manner, and the structure and process become complicated because the IC device is manufactured by a stacking process.
International Patent Publication No. WO 99/040624 and Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2000-2962 and 2002-49940 disclose semiconductor devices having high-reliability ball grid array (BGA) using the wafer level chip scale package technology. In these semiconductor devices, solder bumps with solder balls mounted thereon are formed in order for electrical connection to pad electrodes. The formation of the solder balls requires a lot of forming processes and is complicated. Hence, the productivity of the semiconductor devices is low because of the increase in the number of the forming processes.
Furthermore, in the conventional chip scale package with the solder balls mounted thereon, a plurality of solder balls protrude downwardly. Therefore, the side or bottom surface of the package cannot be directly connected to a separate printed circuit board (PCB) or ceramic substrate during a hot bar process performed in manufacturing a socket type camera module. Consequently, separate contacts must be further provided for electrical connection of the package.

Wafer level chip scale package of image sensor and manufacturing method thereof