A method and apparatus for handling in-band signaling messages in radio access networks is provided. The method and apparatus may setup a logical channel, where the logical channel provides packet data control protocol in-band signaling for radio bearers, provide a unique logical channel identifier for the logical channel, receive a packet with a logical channel identifier tag and identify a packet data unit of the packet as a signaling packet data unit.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to communication networks. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for handling in-band signaling messages in radio access networks.
Description of the Related Art
In radio access networks such as evolved universal terrestrial radio access networks (E-UTRAN), datagrams such as packets or PDU's are often transmitted between network devices using various types of compression technology. Compressing aspects of the datagram such as headers and payload can improve overall system performance. In some configurations, various protocols can be used to compress and decompress aspects of the datagram. One such protocol is known as Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP). Certain standards and proposed standards (for example, IETF RFC3095) require various protocols and various functionalities in order to properly operate among various devices. One such protocol is a robust header compression protocol, which is sometimes referred to as the ROHC protocol. This protocol supports a number of operation modes, including a uni-directional mode (U-mode), Bi-directional optimistic mode (O-mode), and Bi-directional reliable mode (R-mode).
In many communication protocols, various feedback systems have been implemented in order to ensure appropriate communication. For example, in ROHC, an ACK signaling acknowledges successful decompression of a packet on the decompression side of the communication. Successful decompression is defined as the context of the packet being up-to-date with a high probability. A NACK signal indicates that the dynamic context of the decompressor is out of synchronization. A NACK signal is generated when several successive packets have failed to be decompressed properly. A Static-NACK signal indicates that the static context of the decompression is not valid, or has not been established. Other in-band control signaling can also be used in the context of a packet data convergence protocol.

Message transfer for in-band signaling messages in radio access networks


This application discloses phosphoramidate and phosphonoamidate prodrugs of alcohol-based therapeutic agents, such as nucleosides, nucleotides, acyclonucleosides, C-nucleosides, and C-nucleotides, and use of these prodrugs for treatment of diseases or disorders, including infectious diseases and cancers. This application also discloses a general method for enhancing bioavailability and/or liver-targeting property of alcohol drugs through converting the alcohol drugs to phosphoramidate or phosphonoamidate prodrugs, and methods of preparation of these prodrugs.

Nucleoside analogues have been developed as antiviral and anticancer agents. Nucleotide kinases phosphorylate nucleosides to their corresponding 5′-monophosphates which are further converted into their di- and tri-phosphates by cellular nucleotide kinases.
Some nucleosides are weakly active because they cannot be efficiently phosphorylated by kinases or are not substrates of kinases at all, as evidenced by the observation that some inactive nucleosides, when converted chemically to triphosphates, become potently active against certain viruses in vitro. Nucleoside phosphates (nucleotides) per se cannot be used as drugs often because they are de-phosphorylated by membrane nucleotides and/or other hydrolases before entering the cells or are too polar to enter the cells. To improve biological activity of nucleosides, their phosphate prodrugs have been intensively studied because they can potentially bypass the rate-limiting first step of phosphorylation. Recently, phosphoramidate prodrug approach has been reported to be an effective method to convert biologically inactive nucleosides to their active nucleoside monophosphates bypassing the rate-limiting first step of phosphorylation (see, e.g., J. Med. Chem. 2007, 50, 5463; WO 2008/121634; WO 2008/082601; and WO 2008/082602). In recent years, there are a number of patent applications reporting utilization of the phosphoramidates as prodrugs to deliver nucleoside monophosphates to tissues, such as liver (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,455,513; WO 2009/052050; WO 2008/121634; WO 2008/0833101; WO 2008/062206; WO 2007/002931; WO 2008/085508; WO 2007/095269; WO 2006/012078; and WO 2006/100439). The nucleoside monophosphates can be further phosphorylated to diphosphates and then the corresponding biologically active triphosphates.
However, the above-mentioned phosphoramidate approaches based on McGuigan's technology (U.S. Pat. No. 6,455,513) have various limitations due to potential neurotoxicity and liver and kidney damages caused by phenol released from prodrugs (Carcinogenesis 1993, 14, 2477; Mutat. Res. 1991, 249, 201).
McGuigan's phosphoramidate of nucleoside usually can demonstrate maximum biological activity in cell line assays because it can release nucleoside or nucleotide quickly in the cells. It was reported that phosphoramidate prodrug of d4T could not be detected in plasma after oral administration immediately (Drug Metab. Dispos. 2001, 29, 1035). Phosphoramidate is stable in gastric fluid and may be absorbed in the stomach. On the other hand, phosphoramidate may decompose readily in intestinal fluid to ala-d4T-MP which may not be absorbed efficiently in intestine due to its polar nature. Therefore, bioavailability of this type of phosphoramidate prodrugs usually is low, probably due to its hydrolysis catalyzed by esterase followed by releasing phenol. For example, the bioavailability of GS-7340, an isopropylalanyl monoamidate phenyl monoester of tenofovir, was only 17% in male beagle dogs (Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 2005, 49, 1898). Phosphoramidate prodrug of 2′-C-methylguanosine only delivered about 10%-20% of active triphosphate delivered into the liver from free nucleoside (J. Med. Chem. 2010, 53, 4949).
Efforts to search for phosphate prodrugs that would be cleaved by an esterase independent mechanism have led to the discovery of HepDirect prodrugs (J. Med. Chem. 1994, 37, 498; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 5154; J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 2005, 312, 554). Erion et al. disclosed that cyclic phosphate or phosphonate prodrugs which are stable in the presence of esterase can enhance liver specific drug delivery (Erion, M., et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,739 and reference thereof). Erion's prodrugs are activated by P450 enriched in the liver. However, clinical application of this approach may be limited by potentially adverse side effects caused by α,β-unsaturated ketone metabolites from prodrugs.
In the McGuigan's prodrugs, as shown in the general phosphoramidate structure of formula F1, Ra is aminoacid ester residue while Rb is an aryl group including phenyl or nathphyl. Rb would be simultaneously released after ester of aminoacid residue was hydrolyzed by esterase. Sofia (U.S. Pat. No. 7,964,580) reported only one phosphoramidate with Ra as L-alanyl isopropyl ester and Rb as phenyl group. Although Rb was defined as an alkyl group, such as Me, Et, iPr, and t-Bu, there is no phosphoramidate prodrug with Rb as alkyl group that has actually been prepared. WO 2012/142075 also reported phosphoramidates with Rb as benzyl groups with no substitution on phenyl group. However, no biological activity for any of such compounds was reported. Therefore, phosphoramidates with Rb as alkyl or benzyl group without substitution on phenyl ring have never demonstrated biological usefulness, probably because these groups (alkyl or benzyl group) in phosphoramidate prodrugs of nucleoside are too stable to be cleaved efficiently to produce active nucleoside phosphate.

Therefore, new prodrug forms of nucleoside or nucleotide compound are still being actively pursued.

Double-liver-targeting phosphoramidate and phosphonoamidate prodrugs


An integrated wind turbine. Each turbine blade has a flexible skin. Openings in the leading edge lead to one or more inflation chambers for ram air inflation during operation. A pivotal connection with the support post allows the plurality of turbine blades to yaw such that the rotor plane remains substantially perpendicular to the wind direction. The wind turbine may also include self-deploying drag vanes that extend away from the flexible skin when the wind speed is greater than the speed of the airfoil.

Currently, the integration of wind turbines into urban and suburban environments (non-traditional placement near or on buildings) is hindered by noise, structural vibrations, installation costs, low-quality (weak and variable) winds, safety, and low performance.
Most modern wind turbines seek an increased power production by means of larger rotor sizes. This resulted in the need for dedicated wind farms for large wind turbines. Hence, the current approach to increasing power production by making larger rotors does not satisfy the needs of building-integrated wind turbines. The weight of the blades directly affects the inertia of the rotor and the loads at the shaft. Therefore, most of the challenges faced by building-integrated wind turbines are due to the turbine weight and size.
Another challenge in current wind turbine design is the "starting" problem. Large turbines require energy expenditure to begin rotating in light and moderate winds, as well as yaw control in the case of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs). Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) can make use of winds from all directions and are structurally less demanding than HAWTs. But VAWTs that are lift-driven are not self-starting even in strong winds, and must first be sped up to a certain angular velocity before the aerodynamic forces can drive the shaft's rotation. Drag-driven VAWTs are self-starting, but their efficiency is inferior to the lift-driven turbines.
In addition, the elevated costs of currently available micro-wind turbines and their installation outweigh the benefits until the investment is amortized years later.
Accordingly, making use of wind in areas not specifically dedicated to wind energy and empowering lift-driven devices to self-start will benefit wind turbine performance by targeting key aspects that determine their efficiency.

The Regents of the University of California


An electronic component includes an electronic element that includes a lead portion, a sealing body that seals the electronic element in a state where an end portion of the lead portion is exposed, a first current collector that is formed on the sealing body and is connected to the end portion, and a first terminal that includes a first portion which is sealed in the sealing body and is connected to the first current collector.

In recent years, there has been a demand for reduction in size of an electronic component and improvement of mounting efficiency on a printed circuit board and the like, and a chip formation of the electronic component is being developed. For example, an electrolytic capacitor, which is one of chip components, is required to be reduced in size and height.
FIG. 5A is a perspective view showing a related-art laminated solid electrolytic capacitor described in Patent Document 1, and FIG. 5B is a cross section view viewing from the arrow direction of cross section I-I in FIG. 5A. The electrolytic capacitor is generally manufactured as follows.
First, a dielectric layer 2 which is an anodized film of a valve metal, a solid electrolyte layer 3, and a cathode layer 4, are sequentially formed on a prescribed surface of an anode body 1 formed of the valve metal to produce a capacitor unit.
Subsequently, a plurality of capacitor units are laminated via conductive adhesives 5 to produce a unit laminated body.
Next, anode lead portions 1a which are not covered with the solid electrolyte layer 3 and the like of the anode body 1 of all the capacitor units configuring the unit laminated body are bundled and are connected to a first terminal 13, that is, an anode lead terminal by welding. Further, a second terminal 9, that is, a cathode lead terminal is connected to the cathode layer 4 of the capacitor unit configuring a lowermost layer of the unit laminated body via a conductive adhesive 7.
Finally, a sealing body 8 is formed in a state where the first terminal 13 and the second terminal 9 are exposed to an outside.
However, a space used for bundling the anode lead portion 1a of the anode body 1 and welding the anode lead portion 1a to the first terminal 13 is necessary in the electrolytic capacitor, and the electrolytic capacitor cannot meet the demand for reduction in size and large capacitance.
Therefore, a structure of an electrolytic capacitor corresponding to the reduction in size and the large capacitance has been proposed (see Patent Document 1, for example). FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing a related-art laminated solid electrolytic capacitor, and FIG. 6B is a cross sectional view viewing from the arrow direction of cross section I-I in FIG. 6A.
A plurality of anode bodies 1, which are formed of a valve metal, on which a dielectric layer 2, a solid electrolyte layer 3, and a cathode layer 4 are formed are laminated inside a sealing body 8 in the electrolytic capacitor. A part of the anode body 1 is exposed to an outside of the sealing body 8, and the exposed part is connected to an external electrode 6. With such a structure, a space used for electrically connecting the anode body 1 to the external electrode 6 is reduced to realize reduction in size and large capacitance.
[Patent Document 1] JP-A-2002-319522

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


A steering apparatus is capable of configuring an electrically operated tilt mechanism, which is interchangeable with a manually operated tilt mechanism, and which is small in size and easily mounted on a vehicle. A tilt bracket holding a steering column and supported on the fixing bracket to be relatively movable thereto, and a tilt shaft extending in a lateral direction of the vehicle body and supported on the fixing bracket to be relatively movable thereto in an axial direction of the steering column are provided. By way of a driving unit, the tilt bracket is rotated about the tilt shaft axis to adjust a relative position of the tilt shaft to the fixing bracket. Furthermore, a tilt slider is disposed between an elongated hole on the fixing bracket and the tilt shaft, and a biasing member biasing the tilt slider in the axial direction of the tilt shaft.

As a mechanism for adjusting an operative position of a steering wheel to be placed at a desired tilt position, an electrically operated tilt mechanism is known. For example, in the following Patent document 1, it is aimed "to provide a steering apparatus to be capable of suppressing backlash in a vertical direction without affecting a tilting operation" (described in Paragraph [0004] of the Patent document 1), and "in a steering apparatus comprising a steering shaft connected to a steering wheel, a steering column having a cylindrical column housing receiving and supporting the steering shaft rotatably, and fixed to a vehicle body by a fixing bracket, and a tilt mechanism adjusting tilted amount of the steering column relative to the fixing bracket based on operation of a tilt motor, the tilt mechanism comprises a shaft rotated by the tilt motor, a slide member sliding on the shaft based on rotation of the shaft, and a link mechanism connecting the column housing to the slide member and the fixing bracket, and tilting the steering column relative to the fixing bracket based on sliding of the slide member, wherein the link mechanism is placed on both of left and right sides of the column housing at the outer side in the radial direction of the column housing" is proposed (described in Paragraph [0005] of the same).
Also, in the following Patent document 2, it is aimed "to provide a steering apparatus to be capable of commonly providing a steering column regardless of a driving system of a tilt-telescopic mechanism" (described in Paragraph [0005] of Patent document 2), and "in a steering apparatus comprising a steering shaft installed with a steering wheel, a steering column receiving and supporting the steering shaft rotatably, and a bracket for installing a steering position adjusting mechanism on the steering column, the steering column is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the steering column" is proposed (described in Paragraph [0006] of the same). Furthermore, "the bracket is a support bracket for installing a manually operated tilt-telescopic mechanism or a base bracket for installing an electrically operated tilt-telescopic mechanism" is described (in Paragraph
of the same), and "installing portions of the support bracket and the installing portion of the base bracket are to be commonly provided" is described (in Paragraph [0009] of the same).
Furthermore, as a technology for preventing a backrush between a screw shaft and a nut member of an electrically operated tilt mechanism to ensure a smooth slidability, in the following Patent document 3, for example, "a slider mechanism characterized in comprising a shaft having a male screw portion rotating with an output shaft of a driving source, an approximately cylindrical female screw member disposed around the male screw portion with its rotation being limited to a rotating direction of the shaft, and meshed with the male screw portion and moved with an object to be driven, a biasing member biasing the female screw member in a radial direction, and a pressing member having an abutting portion abutting on the male screw portion, applied with a reaction force of the biasing force of the biasing member, the reaction force acting as an abutting force between the male screw portion and the abutting portion" is proposed (in Paragraph [0011] of Patent document 3). And, "the approximately cylindrical female screw member is biased by the biasing force of the biasing member in the radial direction to surely abut on the male portion of the shaft, and the reaction force of its biasing force is surely received by the pressing member, with the abutting portion being surely abutted on the male screw portion of the shaft, the backrush of the meshed potion of the screws being forced to be eliminated" is described (in Paragraph [0012] of the same).


A closing apparatus for a convertible roof of a convertible vehicle comprises two locking organs (9, 10), which in the closing position of the folding roof (1) each engage an anchoring bracket (11, 12) at the windshield frame (3) and by means of at least one operating handle (15) lock in the closing position and disengage from the anchoring brackets (11, 12) when opening. For this purpose, the locking organs (9, 10) are connected over a connecting element (14), which imparts a synchronous swivelling motion and to which an operating handle (15), which is constructed as a one-hand swivelling handle, is centrally assigned.

The invention relates to a closing apparatus for a folding roof of a convertible.
Such closing apparatuses for a folding roof of convertibles have locking mechanisms in such a form that, in each case, at the front region of the folding roof, plug-in and locking elements, which can be connected with the vehicle body, particularly an upper cross-beam of the windshield frame, are formed, which position the closed folding roof in its closed position at the upper edge of the windshield frame an then fix it in its installed position by means of two manually operated locking hooks. Aside from this solution, which is complicated to handle, locking elements are known, with which the folding roof can be brought by means of two bolt locks over a turn and tilt latching device moving their closing elements with a single-hand manipulation into the closed position or can be unlocked from this closed position in the reverse sequence. The locking mechanism, which goes along with this, is associated with a design configuration, which is expensive structurally, in order to make an easy operation possible.

Closing apparatus for a folding roof of convertibles


A method to determine a font attribute includes: determining a first number and a second number; receiving input resulting from repositioning of a thumb of a slider to a position; and determining a value for the font attribute from the position relative to the first and second numbers. A font attribute is one of: a) font size; b) boldness; c) italic angle; d) baseline offset; e) line spacing; and f) character spacing. In one example, when the thumb is pushed against one end of the slider, at least one of the first number or the second number is adjusted. Another example shows at least one of the first number or the second number is updated when an input such as selecting a value from a list or typing in a value or pushing a thumb against one end of a slider is received.

Many software applications (e.g., a word processor, a drawing application, or others) can be used to manipulate text information. Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) help users to select various parameters in formatting text. Typically, a font panel or a text format tool bar is provided by a software application so that a user can interactively select or specify font attributes (e.g., font size, line spacing) in formatting text.
FIGS. 2–3 show a prior art method to adjust font attributes. In FIG. 2, font panel 200 is a movable window with title bar 201 and main panel 203. The main panel contains a number of standard GUI components, such as pop-up menu 205, combination box 209, option list 211 with checkboxes 221–223, and push buttons 231–233. Pop-up menu 205, when activated (e.g., by selecting with cursor, pointing the cursor at the menu and pressing a button such as a mouse's button, or by using a shortcut key, or by other means), shows a list of available fonts in a pop-up window, from which a user can select one by a conventional point and click method. Combination box (or combo box) 209 allows a user to type in a value to specify the size for the selected font, or activating a pop-up menu to select one value from a list of predetermined options. Checkboxes 221–223 are provide for the user to select a font style (e.g., bold, italic, underline, or combinations of bold, italic and underline). Once the user is satisfied with the selection, push button 231 can be pressed to apply the new values to the corresponding font attributes; or push button 232 can be pressed to apply the new values and dismiss the font panel; or push button 233 can be pressed to discard the selection and dismiss the font panel.
Once arrow 207 of combo box 209 is pressed by cursor 301 (e.g., clicking a button of a mouse while the cursor is on the arrow), pop-up window 303 appears, as shown in FIG. 3. A user can then point the cursor to a desired font size on the list and click on it to select the size. The predetermined list in pop-up window 303 provides a limited choice. When a desired font size is not available from the list, a user must type in the size in combo box 209.
While these methods provide convenient interfaces for selecting parameters to format text, more user friendly and effective methods are desirable, since formatting text is a frequently performed task for many, many users.

Method and apparatus for determining font attributes


Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for a microinstruction pointer stack in a processor. A method executed in a processor includes executing microcode (μcode) addressed by pointers stored in an out-of-order microinstruction pointer (μIP) stack, and manipulating the μIP stack with a set of microinstructions.

A microprocessor is a computer processor on a microchip. The microprocessor is typically designed to perform arithmetic and logic operations that make use of small number-holding areas called registers. Typical microprocessor operations include adding, subtracting, comparing, and fetching operands from memory or registers. These operations result from execution a set of instructions that comprise a program. The set of instructions are part of the microprocessor design.

Microinstruction pointer stack including speculative pointers for out-of-order execution


An on-line and/or batch process to obtain a liquid mixture consisting of coal/asphaltenes-fuel oil/heavy crude oil-surfactant-water, through dispersion of a coal-water mixture, using a mechanical element defined as a static mixer or a tank with shaking.

The obtention of a liquid mixture comprising coal/asphaltenes-fuel oil/heavy crude oil-surfactant-water, is attained through an on-line and/or batch process aided by a static mixer or a tank with shaking devices. This liquid mixture is prepared from an emulsion of fuel oil/water or heavy crude oil/water type O/W, using an anionic surfactant and a polymeric stabilizer. Furthermore, a coal/water mixture is prepared by using the same anionic surfactant. Both fluids are mixed either by adding the coal/water mixture through a progressive-cavities pump or a centrifugal pump provided with open impeller, either to the emulsion, in a tank system with shaking devices or into a pipeline within a continuous system provided with static mixers.
The coal/asphaltenes-fuel oil/heavy crude oil-surfactant-water mixture obtained by both processes has a pseudoplastic rheological behaviour for coal concentrations from 5% to 35%, its viscosity is lower than that of the samples used for its preparation, is stable for several weeks, has a calorific power from 11000 to 13000 BTU/lb, being higher than that of the coal/water mixtures and is suitable for pipeline transportation. The rheological behaviour of these liquid mixtures is originated in the bi-modal character of the particle-size distribution of their components. The finest particles, in this case emulsionated fuel oil particles, perform the lubrication function, being placed within the interstitial spaces between the particles with bigger diameters, that is, the coal particles.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,552, 1976 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,855, 1982, to Eric C. Cotell, and others, concern to combustion, profitability and stability, the formation of a triple mixture with coal-fuel oil-water with additives of certain composition (50%-40%-10%) obtained through high-energy ultrasonic shaking, 38-54 watts/cm.sup.2 and 15000 to 20000 Hz, which, in the shaking moment, fractionates the coal particles up to gel-sizes; these small sizes and use of too heavy fuel oils, grant the triple mixture an excellent stability but admitting a high viscosity
In this case, the coal particles attain formation of two types of bonds or links: coal to coal bonds through water bridges and coal to coal bonds through fuel oil and additives links, giving as overall result a net structure, very stable but simultaneously too viscous, as clearly exposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,403,997, 1983, and 4,401,437, 1983, to Leonard E. Poetshke, where coal concentration is increased up to 70% and proportions of fuel oil and water are reduced to 10% and 20%, respectively, using the same ultrasound technique used for preparing the mixture.
In UK Patent No. 2 165 858 to Gererd Antonini, 1986, released or exhausting water, present in the triple mixture as emulsionated particles within a continuous phase of fuel oil (direct emulsion) is used to facilitate its transportation. When this direct emulsion is treated by cutting forces, water is released and migrates and stays in the mixture-pipe interface and generates a lubricating film between those two elements; this film means a lower energy requirement for transportation, as if the mixture had a lower viscosity.
The Antonini's mixture is composed by 15% water, 40% fuel oil and 45% coal, with a particle size allowing 80% passing through a 200 mesh (74 microns); however, the mixture exhibits high viscosity and causes certain troubles when passing through burners.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,616, 1989, to Marcel Verhille, describes use of inverse emulsions, with low viscosity mixtures, because of their high water proportion, among 45% to 50%, showing these mixtures a non-defined particulate system for disperse phases as base for viscosity and stability, as offered by the new technology. On the other hand, a mixture with 50% water, does not have a high calorific power, as shown by triple mixtures as described in the herein shown technology, which makes them suitable to be used as fuels exhibiting excellent characteristics.
For gaining stability, the prior art employs three different additives: a polymeric emulsifier based on polyoxyethylene HLB 17, very expensive, besides a colloid, xanthate gums and an electrolyte, all under vigorous shaking. On the contrary, the technolgy described in the present patent application, only uses low-cost additives, locally manufactured with ECOPETROL-ICP technology, with no gums nor electrolites, and does not require an extreme shaking rate, usually the range from 100 to 300 rpm being enough. For the new technology, the particle size, for both the coal and the emulsion reaches great importance.

On-line and/or batch process for production of fuel mixtures consisting of coal/asphaltenes, fuel oil/heavy crude oil, surfactant and water (CCTA), and the obtained products

Empresa Colombiana de Petroleos--Ecopetrol


A cattle leg latch that is mounted to a cattle restraining chute and that allows the cattle's leg to be safely secured to allow for inspection and hoof trimming. The leg latch consists of a based plate mounted to the bottom edge of the chute, with a handle pivotably mounted on the base plate and a latch hook pivotably mounted on the base plate, with the handle attached to the latch hook by means of a linkage that allows the latch hook to be moved when the handle is moved, and allows the latch hook to be closed around the animal's leg to secure the animal's legs while the animal is restrained in the chute.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a leg restraint for immobilizing the legs of a cow or other animal for the process of trimming the animals hooves or for inspecting the hooves and legs for medical reasons. The leg restraint is used in conjunction with a cattle immobilizing chute which immobilizes the cattle's body, while the leg latch immobilizes the legs and hooves.
2. Description of the Related Art
The hooves of ungulated animals grow continually. In some situations the animal walks enough so that the hooves are naturally worn down. But domesticated livestock typically do not walk or roam sufficiently, and in many cases their hooves need to be trimmed on occasion for the health and well being of the animal. The hooves of cattle are typically trimmed while the animal is immobilizing in a chute. In some cases the chute is raised and the hooves are trimmed when hanging below the animal. In other cases the animal is placed in a "layover" chute that flips the animal onto it side, with the hooves extending from the chute. It is often easiest to trim the hooves when the legs are restrained or stabilized. Hoof trimming chutes are well known. Some examples can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,766 to Wedman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,332 to Riley, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,561,576 to Pingsterhaus. All three disclose variations of a chute for holding and immobilizing a cattle and laying over the cattle on to its side in order trim the hooves.
When the animal is in the layover chute the legs are extended outward and at about waist height, which makes them easy to access for medical inspection or hoof trimming. The legs need to restrained in order to hold the hooves still for trimming. Many hoof trimmers use a rope or chain to tie the hooves down. This can be a somewhat time consuming operation and often requires two hands to secure a rope or chain around the animal and then secure the rope or chain to a part of the chute. The rope or chain is also directly on the animal's leg, which can rub or bind the flesh and injure the animal. And once the hooves have been trimmed the rope or chain must be untied, which is both time consuming and can also potentially injure the animal. There is a need, therefore, for a device for quickly and easily securing an animals leg while the animal is in a chute, and that does not rub or scrape the animal's leg.


A redox flow battery includes a cathode, an anode, a charge-carrying electrolyte, and an (a) oxidized and a (b) reduced form of an active material. The active material has the following formula: (D)-(L)-(A)-[(L)-(A)]V-DZ(F1) or (D)-(L)-(A)-(L-D)X (F2). In these formulae, each D is covalently bonded to an L, each L is covalently bonded to an A, x is a number from 0 to 5, v is a number from 0 to 5 and z is 0 or 1. D is an electron donor compound, L is a linker, and A is an electron acceptor compound. Each of D, L, and A has a particular structure.

A redox flow battery is an energy storage device designed to store electrical energy produced from oxidized and reduced chemical species. Redox flow batteries typically have an electrochemical cell containing at least two electrodes and at least two electroactive materials. Each of the electroactive materials is typically in the form of an electrolyte solution or slurry, including an electroactive material, a suitable solvent, and optionally an electrolyte salt for improved ionic conductivity. The electrolyte solutions may be moved from respective storage receptacles through the electrochemical cell using a pump, gravity, pressure, or other suitable means.
Electrochemical cells are typically divided into an anode and a cathode chamber by an ion exchange or microporous membrane that serves to minimize mixing of the different electroactive materials. Mixing of the electroactive materials is often referred to as "crossover" or "cross-contamination". During use, the electrolyte salt anion and/or cation are transported across the membrane, which facilitates an electrochemical reaction between the electroactive materials to produce energy.
The material(s) for the ion exchange or microporous membrane is/are often expensive, and the membrane typically requires regular maintenance or replacement. In addition, membranes are typically somewhat inefficient, which can lead to mixing of the different electroactive materials. For at least these reasons, replacement of the electroactive materials may be required over time.
Currently, there are certain redox flow battery designs that do not utilize an ion exchange or microporous membrane. Such designs, however, rely on laminar flow techniques, which are often inefficient and impractical for real world applications. Such designs also employ overly expensive materials, materials that are difficult to control, and materials that are sensitive to environmental changes, which further complicates the widespread deployment of such redox flow battery designs. Accordingly, there remains an opportunity for improvement.

Board of Trustees of Michigan State University


A ratchet mechanism contains a chamber defined by at least one gear surface, a rotating member positioned at least partially within the chamber, a gear member positioned at least partially within the chamber, and a stop member engaging the rotating member, such that the rotating member and the stop member rotate in unison. A movable pin engages and rotatably connects the rotating member and the gear member, and the pin is movable to disengage the pin from the rotating member and permit the rotating member to be shifted between different drive configurations. The gear member has a plurality of gear teeth around its outer periphery. At least a portion of the gear teeth engage the gear surface. The gear member can rotate freely in one rotational direction, and the stop member abuts the gear member to prevent rotation of the gear member in an opposed rotational direction.

A variety of rotational hand tools exist on the market, including ratchets, which are configured to permit free rotation in one direction and to be fixed against rotation in the opposite direction, in order to tighten rotational fasteners, such as screws, bolts, and nuts. However, prior ratchets have certain disadvantages and limitations. For example, the locking mechanisms of prior ratchets do not lock immediately when torque is applied in the locking direction, allowing a certain amount of "play" in the ratchet. When such prior ratchets are used in tight spaces, the confined area may not permit sufficient movement to create locked rotation, preventing the tool from transferring torque to the fastener. Additionally, existing ratchets tend to slip at high levels of torque, and can undergo gradual slippage over time. Further, existing rotational hand tools may have mechanisms that are complicated to shift from one drive configuration to another.
The present assembly is provided to solve the problems discussed above and other problems, and to provide advantages and aspects not provided by prior hand tools and ratchet mechanisms of this type. For example, the present assembly provides a ratchet that locks immediately upon rotation in the locked direction, creating enhanced operability, particularly in tight spaces, and can be quickly and easily shifted from one drive configuration to another. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hand tool with stepless locking mechanism


Provided is a haptic feedback button, which includes: a substrate; a lower electrode provided on an upper portion of the substrate, and formed by patterning a ground electrode and a touch sensing electrode; an upper electrode, provided above the lower electrode with an interval from the lower electrode, to which a driving voltage is applied; and a cover provided on an upper portion of the upper electrode, wherein a piezoelectric polymer is provided on an upper portion of the lower electrode or a lower portion of the upper electrode so that fretting vibration may be generated when the piezoelectric polymer is in close contact with the lower electrode or the upper electrode that are disposed to face each other.

In consideration of general stimulus recognition of a human, when two or more senses, such as a visual sense, an auditory sense, and a tactile sense, are provided in a composite form, users can interact more naturally with electronic devices. Recently, portable electronic devices, industrial devices, medical devices, automobiles, game consoles, virtual realities, and the like provide a sense of touch as well as visual and audio recognition to users, thereby greatly contributing to providing realistic user experiences (UXs).
Feedback to visual and auditory senses is relatively easy to implement, but feedback to a tactile sense is not easy to implement. Currently, in portable electronic devices such as smart phones, gross vibration methods employing eccentric motors, linear resonance actuators, and piezoelectric ceramic actuators are mainly used. However, in the case of a portable electronic device with a touch screen having a large size such as a smart pad, the gross vibration method is very inefficient such as to gradually become difficult to use.
Further, in order to safely perform various convenient operations, future intelligent vehicles need to secure stable user interface (UI) technology which is capable of providing visual and auditory information as well as tactile information.

CHUNGANG UNIVERSITY INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION


A snap fit electrical contact includes at least one arm bearing an electrical contact and a planar metallic base extending from one end of the arm. The planar metallic base includes a pair of deflectable snap tabs outwardly extending from a middle portion of the base, forming an acute angle with the base, and provided on opposite sides of the middle portion of the base; a pair of resilient first datum orientation tabs outwardly extending from a top portion of the base in the same direction as the pair of snap tabs, and provided on opposite sides of the top portion of the base; and a resilient second datum orientation tab outwardly extending from a middle section of the top portion of the base in the same direction as the pair of snap tabs, and forming another acute angle in the same direction as the pair of snap tabs.

The present invention relates to a snap fit contact assembly for use in electronic applications.
Currently, there are a variety of kinds of electric contacts that are attached to plastic bases using methods such as heat-stake joining, insert molding, and mechanical methods such as snap fitting.
These electric contacts are often used in applications where the contacts are exposed to high vibration environments, such as in automotive throttle positioning sensors.
A problem with present electrical contacts is the difficulty of accurately locating the electrical contact with respect to the plastic base.
Another problem with present electrical contacts is the difficulty of securing the contact to the plastic base in order to reduce the electrical noise induced by the environmental vibration.


The invention relates to an apparatus for the guiding of workkpieces (2) which has at least one curved guideway (11, 12) and which renders automatic emptying simple. This is achieved according to the invention by a guide device (16, 17) which can be adjusted in the guide path provided by the curved guideway (11, 12) and which in the state adjusted into the guide path transfers the workpieces (2) in a straight line from the inlet (50) of the curved guideway (11, 12) to its outlet (51).

The invention relates to a device for the guiding of workpieces which has at least one curved guideway. Apparatuses of the kind specified are used, for example, in installations in which forgings are heated and graphitised. In such installations the curved guideway is guided through a graphitising basin, so that the workpieces pass on their conveying path through the graphitising basin and are wetted with graphitising agent. Then they are guided through the adjoining rectilinear guideway in a rectilinear conveying movement through the heating devices following the graphitising basin.
In installations of the aforementioned kind the workpieces are as a rule driven by roller drives which are disposed in the inlet zone of the apparatus and seize the workpieces laterally. Each workpiece freshly supplied to the guideway is advanced by the roller drives and pushes forward the preceding workpieces disposed in the guideway. Alternatively, installations are known in which a number of drives is provided which are disposed at predetermined intervals laterally of the guideway, so that over their conveying path the workpieces receive a driving thrust several times.
A basic problem of using apparatuses of the kind specified equipped with curved guides in installations which convey the workpieces continuously is that it is difficult to empty the guideways automatically. They must be so emptied, for example, if the processing of a particular charge of workpieces has been completed or if malfunctions occur in the installation equipped with the guide apparatus. With curved guidways it is impossible to use ejectors such as are used on purely linear guideways for the ejection of workpieces still situated in the guide path. For this reason, with the apparatuses known in practice the curved guideway must be emptied manually, with consequent loss of time.


A pneumatic valve includes a housing having an inlet port and a delivery port and an exhaust port. A valve element is movable in the housing to control air flow between the inlet port and the delivery port and the exhaust port. The valve includes a rolling element actuator for converting a rotary actuation force to linear movement of the valve element.

Many heavy vehicles, such as tractor-trailer combinations, use air braking systems. Air under pressure is selectively directed to the vehicle brakes, including the trailer brakes, to slow and stop the vehicle. The air pressure is provided by a compressor and one or more reservoirs on the tractor. Supply air and service air (control pressure air) are directed over two lines from the tractor to the trailer. The control pressure air controls operation of the service relay valve on the trailer, which in turn directs supply air to the trailer brakes as needed.
The service control pressure for the trailer brakes is normally set by the vehicle brake pedal, which also simultaneously controls the tractor brakes. In addition, many vehicles have a manually operated trailer control brake valve, also known as a trailer control valve, that is operable to selectively apply the brakes of only the trailer. The trailer control valve may be a hand operated push-type valve, or may be a hand operated valve responsive to rotary force, for example, turning a handle. This latter type of valve is exemplified by the TC-7™ trailer control brake valve of Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC. This particular valve has a ramped cam and cam follower that engage each other to translate rotary motion of the handle into linear motion of a valve element, thereby to control, in a graduated manner, service control pressure to the trailer brakes.


A method for detecting an unsaturated compound, the method comprising monitoring change in electrical properties of a substance that reacts or interacts with unsaturated compounds.

In many situations there is a need to detect the presence of small unsaturated molecules such as those including alkenylic or alkynylic unsaturation. As those skilled in the art appreciate, these small molecules are often gases at standard conditions, which are the conditions under which detection is often needed. While elaborate systems for detecting these compounds exist, there is often a need to detect these molecules in situations or environments where known systems are too cumbersome, too expensive, and/or simply inoperable.
There is, therefore, a need for new techniques and/or devices to detect small unsaturated molecules.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods and devices for detecting unsaturated compounds


In a competitive athletic event the disclosed signaling system provides for visually signaling of participants, for example, a lane specific visible indication to begin a race. A sequence of light colors is used to signal the start of a race, and is believed advantageous over an audible start signal, particularly for athletes who are hearing impaired.

The disclosed embodiments relate to a signaling device and system for an athletic competition and, more particularly, to an electronic starting device that includes signaling devices with lights to permit accurate starting and timing of races and other competitive events and games that include hearing impaired athletes. Traditionally a centralized combination sound and light system is used to initiate the start of a race, wherein a sound is produced either from a starting whistle, pistol or through an electronic loud-speaker in the proximity to the start line. A flash of light often accompanies the sound so the contestants, as well as the officials, are made fully aware of the signal to begin the competition. The equivalent in outdoor track and field competition is a starter's pistol that emits both a sound and a puff of smoke in response to the starter pulling the trigger of the pistol. Although sound generating devices for starting races have long been used, recently they have met objections in that proper placement of the sound source to permit equitable reception of audible signals by all contestants has been difficult to obtain. Furthermore, while hearing impaired athletes and competitors may be disadvantaged by their inability to easily perceive sound, the disclosed embodiments provide a visual cue and an equitable starting method for all athletes. And, the use of a signaling system employing lights may improve the responsiveness and accuracy for hand-timed events as well.
Often races are decided by milliseconds; therefore, the seemingly minimal delay between the start and the times the various athletes receive the audible start signal has become increasingly important in sporting events. Therefore, a visual starting cue, in the proximity of the competitor, has become preferable. Additionally, hearing impaired athletes are becoming more involved in competitive sports, most notably in swimming events. Lacking an individual visual cue the hearing impaired swimmer must either use peripheral vision to react to a flash of light near the starter, or in the alternative look up and observe the starter's hand signals, either of which potentially compromises the hearing impaired swimmer's body position at the start. Consequently, in the interest of equality, it is imperative that an electronic starting system include at least a visual cue for the participants.
In the Swimmers Official's Guidelines Manual (July 2012), hereby incorporated by reference, on page 26 under Modifications for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, the guide states "Deaf and hard of hearing swimmers require a visual starting signal, i.e., a strobe light and/or starter's arm signals. The modification may include the referee reassigning lanes within the swimmer's heat, i.e., exchanging one lane for another, so that the strobe light or starter's arm signal can more clearly be seen by the deaf or hard-of-hearing swimmer." Given the prerequisite that accommodations for special needs should be as transparent as possible, the interchanging of lanes, visual hand signals and providing a strobe light has been acknowledged as exceedingly intrusive in a hybrid event, and in some cases ineffective. For instance, the preparatory start protocol for any individual competition advises the athlete to first approach the blocks, take their mark and then go, as stated in the Swimmers Official's' Guidelines Manual (p. 8). Furthermore a central strobe light is not necessarily applicable to the referee's announcements of the event as stated in the SOGM on page 9;                "Suggested protocol for forward start whistle preparatory commands when there is only one official (referee/starter):                    to bring the swimmers to the starting area, the referee/starter blows a short series of whistles (no fewer than 4) followed by the announcer or referee/starter announcing the event/distance/heat, e.g., "This is the 200-yard freestyle, heat 2,"            when all swimmers have approached the blocks, the referee/starter blows a long whistle for the swimmers to step onto the blocks and take their positions,            when swimmers are settled into position, give the command, "Take your mark,"            when swimmers are stationary, activate the starting signal.                        Note: If a swimmer(s) has not responded to the whistle indicating they should step up or step in, the referee/starter should give the verbal commands."
It is further noted, in particular, that in conventional swimming events a visual queue must be able to be seen from either a standing position (e.g., on the starting platform), or from an alternate position (e.g., in the water during backstroke events). For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,193,167 discloses a single start light integrated within a complete starting platform for the purpose of visually alerting an athlete to the start of a race, similar to the aforementioned strobe light as discussed above. The limitation of a solitary start light is that a competitive athlete traditionally relies on a starting sequence including a "step-up" and a "take your mark" indication to psychologically and physiologically prepare for the start of a race.
In accordance with a feature of the disclosed embodiment, providing a sequence of visual indicators at the start of a competitive race significantly "levels the playing field" so that each athlete has an equal reaction opportunity, regardless of any hearing deficiency. Practically speaking, however, given that existing competitive swimming pools already include a starting platform for each lane, it would be cost prohibitive to replace the existing platforms with new platforms.
Therefore it is desirable to provide a signaling system that is modularized and/or self-supporting such that it can be used with various styles of starting platforms or in different athletic event venues (e.g., swimming pools, indoor and outdoor tracks, volleyball and basketball courts, soccer fields, etc.). Moreover, the disclosed embodiments provide a plurality of signaling colors in order to improve the capability for the system to indicate different starting commands. For example, providing at least three signaling elements (e.g., flashing red for ready, solid blue for take your mark, solid green for go) to produce a visual output viewable from a plurality of positions about the start platform.
As further disclosed in alternative embodiments, the signaling system is suitable for use in various configurations, permitting an adaptable configuration that can be used with different starting platforms as well as different venues. For example, each and every starting platform could include a detachable base and illuminating elements electrically connected to a common controller.
Additionally, it is contemplated that a single controller would independently energize the signaling elements in a defined sequence, where a controller (wired or wireless) selectively operates at least one of the signaling elements simultaneously.
Furthermore, each one of the three or more light emitting components could include a unique color, or for color blind athletes a flashing pattern or other nomenclature indicative of the light's significance.
Disclosed in embodiments herein is an athletic competition (e.g., swimming) signaling apparatus, comprising: a translucent housing, said housing including an attachment component coupling the housing to a structure, and at least three independent signaling elements operatively associated with said housing; wherein a first of the at least three signaling elements produces a visual output viewable from a plurality of positions including both a starting position and a staging position, and where the remaining two of the at least three signaling elements are viewable from primarily from the starting position.
Also disclosed herein is an athletic competition signaling apparatus, comprising: a base resting on a surface adjacent the starting position of an athletic competition, said base including a battery compartment therein for holding a battery, and an attachment component extending from said base; a rod, adjustably attached to said attachment component; a translucent light housing, said light housing including a linear tape with a plurality of light emitting diodes of at least two different and individually activated colors sequentially spaced along the linear tape, said linear tape wrapped about a core and inserted within a translucent hollow tube, said tube also including at least one end cap for receiving the core with wrapped tape therein, and a second attachment component coupling the housing to a support structure such as the rod; and control circuitry, operatively connected to said battery and the signaling elements, said circuitry controlling, in response to a plurality of external signals, the on/off state for the signaling elements; wherein a first of the at least three signaling elements produces a visual output viewable from a plurality of positions including both a starting position and a staging position, and where the remaining two of the at least three signaling elements are viewable from primarily from the starting position.
The various embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the disclosure to those embodiments described. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the various embodiments and equivalents set forth. For a general understanding, reference is made to the drawings. In the drawings, like references have been used throughout to designate identical or similar elements. It is also noted that the drawings may not have been drawn to scale and that certain regions may have been purposely drawn disproportionately so that the features and aspects could be properly depicted.

System and method for athletic competition signaling


The present invention provides an abrasive cleaning article, a method of making an abrasive cleaning article, and a method of cleaning a surface with an abrasive cleaning article. In one aspect, the abrasive cleaning articles comprises a substrate, a water-soluble binder having a weight average molecular weight less than 200,000, and a plurality of abrasive particles releasably secured to the substrate by the water-soluble binder. The abrasive particles release from the substrate upon contact with a solvent.

The present invention relates to a cleaning article, a method of making a cleaning article, and a method of using a cleaning article. Particularly, the present invention relates to a cleaning article with abrasive particles releasably secured to the cleaning article by a water-soluble binder, a method of making a cleaning article, and a method of cleaning a surface with a cleaning article.
During cleaning, the surface may include built-up dirt, debris, or mineral deposits, which require more than a detergent for removal. Therefore, it may be necessary to use a cleaning article that has scouring capabilities. The scouring capabilities may come from the substrate itself that is being used as the cleaning article, or the souring capabilities may come from abrasive materials added to the substrate. Providing a cleaning article, which itself has scouring capabilities, with an abrasive material enhances the scouring effect of the cleaning article.
A cleaning article may be provided with abrasive particles by pouring an abrasive solution, such as Soft Scrub® available from The Dial Corporation of Scottsdale, Ariz., onto a substrate. However, this requires both a substrate and a separate scouring solution, which can be inconvenient and messy. Further, the scouring solution is often chemically harsh, and therefore may not be as safe for the user to handle and store. Also, this approach typically does not involve disposable substrates, and so the substrate must be handled and cleaned following use. Reuse of the substrate may be undesirable in heavily soiled or contaminated cleaning areas.
Another way of providing abrasive particles to the cleaning article is to mechanically adhere the particles to a substrate through use of a separate adhesive or binder layer. There are disadvantages of both soft and hard binders. If the binder layer is too soft, then it is difficult to get enough fracture to expose the abrasive particles. Then, the scouring ability of the abrasive particle is not fully utilized. If the binder layer is too hard, then the substrate is more rigid and stiff for the user to handle. A hard binder is more brittle and therefore allows for fracture to expose the abrasive particles. However, the particles are so rigidly attached that scratching is more likely to occur.
Binders typically do not allow for the release of the abrasive particles. Mechanically adhered particles are more likely to cause scratching on a surface. The particles are rigidly attached to the substrate and when the substrate is slid across the surface, the particle drags along the surface as well. If the particle is not released and allowed to tumble, scratching is likely to occur and will effect the texture of the surface being cleaned.
The additional binder layer adds additional costs in making the substrate because additional materials and processing steps are necessary. These additional costs results in the cleaning article product costing more, and therefore not intended for single use.
Repeatably using a cleaning product may be undesirable for certain cleaning situations. Some cleaning environments, such as toilets, showers, and sinks may have a high concentration of dirt, debris, stains, or germs. In such cleaning environments it is desirable to use an abrasive cleaning article because of mineral deposits and stains. However, in order to reuse the cleaning article in such environments, the cleaning article itself must be sanitized. The additional step of sanitizing the cleaning article adds additional time and cost to the cleaning process. Therefore, in some situations, it is desirable that the abrasive cleaning article is disposable.

Abrasive cleaning article and method of making


The present disclosure relates to compositions comprising phospho-lipids, lipid vesicles, and/or liposomes, and methods of use thereof. In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to methods and compositions for delivery of, biologically active lipids to reduce microvascular dysfunction and infarct size during revascularization of the blocked artery in a mammalian subject.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD), the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, affects 17,600,000 Americans. According to the CDC, 611,105 Americans died of heart disease in 2013, with approximately 450,000 attributed to IHD. Globally, the World Health Organization reports that IHD causes 7.2 million deaths each year. Myocardial infarction causes the greatest mortality and morbidity in cardiac patients with IHD.
Several mechanical-pharmacological methods to reduce infarct size following ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have been developed.1 Of these, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 120 minutes of first medical contact is the recommended reperfusion therapy for STEMI. Two factors support the PCI approach: (1) prognosis following PCI has consistently been shown to be superior to fibrinolysis in patients with STEMI, due to a reduction in infarct size,1 and (2) delaying reperfusion results in a larger infarct size.2 Unfortunately, depending on the severity of ischemia, infarct expansion occurs up to 48 h following revascularization, and this occurrence has been attributed to the "no-reflow" phenomenon.3-6
Currently, no proven therapies to treat coronary microvascular no-reflow are supported by large randomized clinical trials. The most difficult obstacle to such treatments is the delivery of therapeutic concentrations of agents to the sites of microvascular dysfunction. Large clinical trials evaluated the effect of IV adenosine and other agents with no success.7-8


A golf cart mounted equipment and accessories holder and method of installation to a golf cart which is non-destructively mounted permanently or semi-permanently to a cart, resides at least partially in the golf cart bag well between the rear wheel wells of the cart, and provides a bag retention strap extending into sections of the bag well not otherwise occupied by the equipment and accessories holder. The equipment and accessories holder possesses at least one elongate pocket and compartments adapted to retain and store balls and accessories.

Personal golf carts come in various configurations, but generally possess a recess, sometimes termed a "bag well," between rear wheel fender wells that provides a platform for the transport of golf bags and other items. In a two seat cart, the recess is unobstructed. Bag racks or bag holders made to secure transported golf bags are often attached to such carts by bolting the rack frame to the seat support frame. In a cart with rear facing seats, jump seats are typically mounted just above the recess, and capacity of the recess is restricted accordingly. While there are a variety of manufacturers of golf carts including E-Z-GO, Club Car, and Yamaha, golf cart seating and bag rack construction is relatively uniform and shares substantial features in common. The floor of the recess typically includes a raised transverse ridge that divides the recess into two sections in order to keep golf bags from sliding against one another.
So called "cart bags" are golf bags designed to be reversibly secured to a golf cart bag rack; typically by cinchable straps that form a loop placed over and around the top end of the golf bag. Smaller golf bags such as "carry bags," can also be secured to the bag rack. While bag racks work well for their intended use; i.e., to secure golf bags for transport, in cases of golfers who live adjacent courses, and who drive a personal cart from their home to the course, mounting and removal of the golf bag to and from the cart is a time consuming and cumbersome process. Another problem facing golfers using bag racks, is potential theft of the golf bag and contents which may be quickly removed from the bag well by loosening the bag retention straps.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,364 to Theckston discloses a golf club holder and dispenser as a permanent fixture requiring extensive modification of a golf cart that mounts to the rear of the golf cart body. U.S. Pat. No. 7,481,311 to Old discloses a golf bag similar to a staff-type golf bag that is attached to the golf cart. Although the foregoing references are suitable for their intended use, problems persist. It would be desirable to provide a non-destructive semi-permanent installation for a golf equipment and accessories holder adapted to conform closely to the recess between the rear wheel wells common to most golf carts, and, wherein the equipment and accessories holder is universally attachable to most makes and models of two seat golf carts.
It would be further desirable if such an equipment and accessories holder were weather proof and provided weather protection for its contents.


Internet Domain Name Fraud Risk Assessment using a system of data element collection and computation. Data elements associated with the Internet Domain Name are acquired from internal and external data sources, captured, evaluated, and then assigned a value. Data acquisition may include use of domain information, databases, corporate and social media services, and search engine services. Using the assigned values, an Internet Domain Name category type and a Fraud Risk Score are computed and then displayed to a user along with additional information, explanations and recommendations.

The present invention relates to a system and method for assessing the fraud risk of associated with a domain name.
Fraud is a deception deliberately practiced in order to secure unfair or unlawful gain (adjectival form fraudulent; to defraud is the verb). Fraud activity can happen in various forms, like the use of Internet services or software with Internet access to defraud victims or to otherwise take advantage of them, for example by stealing personal information, which can even lead to identity theft. Internet services can be used to present fraudulent solicitations to prospective victims, to conduct fraudulent transactions, or to transmit the proceeds of fraud to financial institutions or to others connected with the scheme. Domain names can be created and used with fraudulent purposes, as a criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.
The present invention seeks to determine the fraud risk of an Internet Domain Name by delivering critical information about the Internet domain name to help individuals and businesses minimize the risk of fraudulent domain names. The validation of an Internet domain name data is an important component when assessing the fraud risk associated with an Internet domain name, and data normalization. The solution is found in the present invention, which comprises a system and methodology for Internet domain name fraud risk assessment utilizing machine learning algorithms. The system and methodology involves the collection of data elements associated with an Internet domain name from numerous sources, categorizes the domain name, verifies the domain name's current and historical status, and verifies the existence of the Internet domain name, The system and methodology calculates and describes the fraud risk indicators for the Internet domain name.

System and method for internet domain name fraud risk assessment


A data carrier system includes: a first memory, which is a ferroelectric memory; a second memory; a polarization canceling circuit for canceling polarization of the first memory in accordance with an instruction given thereto; and a control circuit for making data access to the first and second memories and controlling operation of the polarization canceling circuit. Upon receipt of a first instruction, the control circuit saves data stored in the first memory to the second memory and then gives an instruction for canceling polarization to the polarization canceling circuit, while upon receipt of a second instruction, the control circuit writes the data saved to the second memory back into the first memory.

The present invention relates to a data carrier system including a ferroelectric memory.
A ferroelectric memory is an excellent non-volatile memory, operating at high speed, consuming little electricity, and having a long repeatability life, and is thus regarded as having great potential in the multimedia society. In recent years, multimedia products with built-in ferroelectric memories have been flooding the market, and the number of such products is increasing every year. Data carriers are one of those products.
However, when currently available ferroelectric memories are left to stand in high temperature environments, the data retention characteristics thereof deteriorate, which may results in data loss. The data retention characteristics of a ferroelectric memory might therefore deteriorate in a high temperature treatment process, such as a process for forming an IC, a process for mounting onto a semiconductor chip, and a reflow process.
Conventionally, in order to restore the degraded data retention characteristics, a reader/writer reads data from the ferroelectric memory properly and writes the data back into the ferroelectric memory, thereby refreshing the ferroelectric memory (see, for example, FIGS. 2 and 4 in page 5 in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-76953).
Nevertheless, the refresh operation according to the above-described conventional technique cannot be practically performed in high temperature environments in which the temperature is as high as the Curie temperature, because data to be refreshed has already been lost from the ferroelectric memory in such high temperature environments. Therefore, the operating temperature condition for the conventional data carrier system is limited to below the temperature at which the polarization can maintained enough to be refreshed.
Furthermore, when a ferroelectric memory is left to stand in high temperature environments, imprint degradation, which makes rewriting of data difficult, occurs to cause decrease in the reliability. With the conventional technique described above, the problem of imprint degradation cannot be addressed sufficiently.

Data carrier system and data saving/restoring method thereof

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Described is a user-controlled, variable-delay interconnect structure for a programmable logic device (PLD), and a method for using this structure. In accordance with the invention, the signal propagation delays for selected signal paths can be precisely adjusted either while the PLD is being programmed or while the PLD is operating as a logic device. The delays are adjusted by selectively connecting otherwise unused interconnect lines to the signal path to increase the capacitive load on the interconnect lines that define the signal path. The ability to control the load on selected signal paths advantageously enables a user to precisely match the signal propagation delays of two or more signal paths. In one embodiment, the loads of selected signal paths can be modified while the FPGA is operational.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and in particular to a structure and method for dynamically adjusting the delay on an FPGA interconnect line.
2. Description of the Background Art
Programmable logic devices (PLDs) are a well known type of digital integrated circuit (IC) that may be programmed by a user (e.g., a circuit designer) to perform specified logic functions. PLDs are becoming ever more popular, largely because they are less expensive and require less time to implement than semi-custom and custom integrated circuits.
One type of PLD, the field programmable gate array (FPGA), typically includes a matrix of configurable logic blocks (CLBs) embedded in a configurable interconnect structure. This collection of configurable logic may be customized by loading configuration data into internal configuration memory cells that define the logic functions of the individual CLBs and the signal paths through the interconnect structure. The configuration data may be read from memory (e.g., an external PROM) or written into the FPGA from an external device. The collective states of the individual memory cells then determine the logic function of the FPGA. For a detailed description of one type of FPGA interconnect structure, see Kerry M. Pierce, et al., "Interconnect Architecture For a Field Programmable Gate Array Using Variable Length Conductors," U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,199, issued Dec. 3, 1996, which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIG. 1A is a simplified schematic diagram of a portion of a typical interconnect structure 100. An input terminal 105, typically from a CLB, connects to a horizontal interconnect line 110 via a buffer 120. Horizontal interconnect line 110 is broken into segments 110A-110C via a pair of programmable pass transistors 115A and 115B. A number of identical programmable buffers 125A-125H electrically isolate horizontal interconnect line 110 from vertical interconnect lines 130A-130H. (The terms "horizontal" and "vertical" are used herein for ease of illustration, and do not necessarily describe the precise physical layout of interconnect structure 100.)
A set of memory cells 140A-140C controls the states of the corresponding transistors 135A-135C. Vertical interconnect line 130A can be selectively connected to one or more destination lines 132A-132C by programming the corresponding one of memory cells 140A-140C to turn on respective transistors 135A-135C. Vertical interconnect lines 130B-130H typically include similar transistors; however, those transistors are not shown in FIG. 1A, for ease of illustration.
A specific FPGA interconnect configuration is implemented by defining selected paths through the interconnect structure (e.g., by programming selected ones of programmable pass transistors 115A and 115B, programmable buffers 125A-125H, and memory cells 140A-140C). For example, if a specified logic configuration requires that input terminal 105 be connected to destination line 132A, memory cell 140A is programmed to store a logic one, thereby turning on transistor 135A.
Interconnect line 110 is shown as including two pass transistors 115A and 115B; however, an FPGA interconnect line may include a great many more than two pass transistors. The collective resistances of these series-connected pass transistors can introduce a significant cumulative resistance. Additionally, each interconnect line, buffer, and pass transistor introduces a parasitic capacitance that combines with the inherent resistances of interconnect structure 100 to produce signal propagation delays.
FIG. 1B is an expanded view of the contents of block 145 of FIG. 1A. The parasitic capacitances of various capacitive elements are illustrated using dashed lines to distinguish them from discrete components. Block 145 is shown rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise with respect to FIG. 1A, for ease of illustration.
Buffer 125A is shown as a conventional CMOS buffer in FIG. 1B, although it may be programmable. Buffer 125A isolates interconnect line segment 110A from the load associated with interconnect line 130A. However, this isolation is not perfect, as a parasitic capacitance 150 capacitively couples the input and output terminals of buffer 125A. Other important parasitic capacitances include capacitors to ground, such as a capacitance 155 associated with interconnect line 130A and capacitances 160A-160C associated with respective destination lines 132A-132C.
When all of transistors 135A-135C are off, capacitances 160A-160C are effectively electrically isolated from interconnect line 110A. The capacitive load on interconnect line 110A is therefore proportional to the series capacitance of capacitances 150 and 155, the value of which is somewhat less than the value of the smaller of capacitances 150 and 155. The combined loading of capacitances 150 and 155 increases the signal propagation delay of interconnect line 110 by some small amount, perhaps on the order of picoseconds.
Turning on transistor 135A connects capacitance 160A in parallel with capacitance 155. Parallel capacitances are additive, so turning on transistor 135A increases the capacitive load on interconnect line 130A to a value proportional to the sum of capacitances 155 and 160A. Thus, with transistor 135A turned on, the capacitive load on interconnect line 110A becomes proportional to the series capacitance of capacitance 150 and the combined capacitances 155 and 160A. This increased capacitive loading imposes a longer delay in interconnect line 110A than would be evident were transistor 135A turned off. Similarly, turning on additional transistors (e.g., 135B and 135C) further increases the capacitive load, and therefore the delay, of interconnect line 110.
The signal paths chosen through interconnect structure 100 are conventionally governed by algorithms implemented in software routines. An FPGA user may exercise some control over the signal paths chosen by the software, but it is not practical for the user to control a significant number of signal paths in a given circuit design. Therefore, the software is left to choose among a large number of different interconnect line and destination line combinations to realize a particular signal path. Unfortunately, this diversity of interconnection combinations means that the delay between two nodes on an FPGA may vary significantly, depending upon the routing choices made by the software. Thus, the myriad possible paths that advantageously make interconnect structure 100 flexible can disadvantageously lead to unpredictable signal propagation delays. There is therefore a need for an interconnect structure in which signal propagation delays can be adjusted for optimum performance.
FPGA performance might also be improved for handling serial data communications. Various modulation schemes have been devised to encode data into a serial format, allowing that data to be conveyed over a single electrical or optical conductor. Such schemes are conventionally self-clocking, which is to say that the clock used to interpret the input signal is derived from the input signal itself. Unfortunately, many random and systematic perturbations typically corrupt the signal. These perturbations can cause the timing relationship between the derived clock and the data signal to vary, causing noise conditions commonly referred to as "drift" and "jitter." These conditions differ in that drift occurs over a time period that is long relative to the period of the derived clock, whereas jitter occurs over a time period that is short relative to the period of the derived clock. Hamre provides a more detailed discussion of jitter, including conventional methods for measuring jitter, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,563, which is incorporated herein by reference.
FPGAs can be particularly sensitive to jitter and drift due to the potential for unpredictable delay periods associated with the interconnect structure. There is therefore a need for a mechanism for testing an FPGA for jitter and/or drift sensitivity, and for adjusting signal propagation delays where necessary to eliminate such sensitivity.

Variable-delay interconnect structure for a programmable logic device


A user equipment (UE) can include processing circuitry configured to, during a physical random access channel (PRACH) procedure, select a first synchronization signal (SS) block from a plurality of SS blocks within a received SS burst set, the SS block selected based on signal quality measurements of the plurality of SS blocks. A PRACH preamble is encoded for transmission to a base station using a PRACH resource subset corresponding to the selected SS block, the transmission using a UE transmit (Tx) beam of a plurality of available Tx beams and transmit power indicated by a power ramping counter. Upon failing to detect a random access response (RAR) from the base station, a second SS block is selected, the power ramping counter is reset, and the PRACH preamble is encoded for re-transmission using a second PRACH resource subset and transmit power indicated by the reset power ramping counter.

Mobile communications have evolved significantly from early voice systems to today's highly sophisticated integrated communication platform. With the increase in different types of devices communicating with various network devices, usage of 3GPP LTE systems has increased. The penetration of mobile devices (user equipment or UEs) in modern society has continued to drive demand for a wide variety of networked devices in a number of disparate environments.
The use of networked UEs using 3GPP LTE systems has increased in areas of home and work life. Fifth generation (5G) wireless systems are forthcoming, and are expected to enable even greater speed, connectivity, and usability. Next generation 5G networks are expected to increase throughput, coverage, and robustness and reduce latency and operational and capital expenditures. As current cellular network frequency is saturated, higher frequencies, such as millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency, can be beneficial due to their high bandwidth.
Further enhanced operation of LTE systems in the licensed as well as unlicensed spectrum is expected in future releases and 5G systems. Such enhanced operations can include techniques to address increasing power management efficiency for uplink retransmissions of the PRACH preamble, as well as controlling transmission power when transmitting up link control information on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

Power ramping and control in new radio (NR) devices


A method for generating/updating a database of current-voltage characteristic curves is disclosed. This method includes simulating for at least one combination of a topology of a photovoltaic cell group, an internal cell temperature(s) and a cell irradiation(s), a model of the photovoltaic cell group to provide a representative current-voltage characteristic curve, and clustering the current-voltage characteristic curves to identify at least one plurality of similar current-voltage characteristic curves. The method also includes generating a many-to-one mapping in the database to map query requests corresponding to each of the at least one plurality of similar current-voltage characteristic curves onto a single representative current-voltage characteristic curve for that plurality, each query request identifying a topology of a photovoltaic cell group, at least one internal temperature for the photovoltaic cells in the photovoltaic cell group and at least one cell irradiation for the photovoltaic cells in the photovoltaic cell group.

Solar energy may be a source of clean energy production on-site. For example, photovoltaic installations may provide energy in urban areas, where the operating conditions of the photovoltaic arrays are not always optimal. Under partial shading conditions, which can occur frequently in rooftop installations, building integrated photovoltaics and solar-powered vehicles, the conventional design of a photovoltaic module or system may not reach the demand for an increased energy yield. Dynamic configurations may have an improved performance under non-uniform dynamic conditions, but may be difficult to optimize, in design and control, for the specific on-site conditions. For example, multiple options may exist for the design of a reconfigurable module, which can lead to a large number of potential topologies.
The integration of photovoltaic energy sources, e.g. in a distributed photovoltaic (or a hybrid photovoltaic) plant or system, in a configuration and/or at a location characterized by non-ideal irradiation circumstances implies various complications. It may be particularly difficult to predict the net energy production, since this may strongly depend on local circumstances and weather conditions, e.g. such as temperature, clouding and wind conditions.
For example, static objects in the vicinity, e.g. trees, may cast shadows on the photovoltaic elements that typically move slowly and smoothly. Other changes over a relatively large time scale may occur, such as a slow accumulation of soiling. Furthermore, passing objects may cast shadows that move over the elements at various speeds, e.g. medium-speed objects such as birds, large insects and leaves and fast objects such as clouds. Therefore, a detailed simulation and modelling of a plant may be used explore different configurations of the plant before it goes into production. For example, such configurations may take many controllable parameters and variations into account, such as configurations of bypasses, switches and DC-DC converters at different granularity levels, e.g. at the module, string and plant level.
A need exists in the art for modeling and simulation approaches that can accurately take dynamic effects, such as described hereinabove, into account and also allow an exploration of a vast space of controllable parameters and variations in configuration of the plant for different shading scenarios, which can be executed in a computationally efficient manner. Furthermore, a modeling and simulation approach should allow for a flexible configuration of the simulated module such that not only conventional modules with static series-connected cell strings can be simulated, but also, for example, reconfigurable modules.
Black-box models are known in the art for simulating photovoltaic systems. While such models may be computationally efficient, these may have a less than desirable accuracy, particularly in modeling non-ideal circumstances. For example, simplified engineering models for photovoltaic arrays and systems are known in the art. However, determining the module parameters may require, in such approaches, module-specific flash tests for different temperatures and irradiance levels and/or field measurements. Such models may have a limited inaccuracy when applied to a measured hourly irradiance value. At the photovoltaic system level, such models may allow the modelling of the inverter efficiency as a function of DC power and voltage. However, alternative models art may be difficult to extend or extrapolate to distributed topologies, such as module-integrated DC-DC converters with a central DC-AC conversion step or topologies with configurable switches.
On the other hand, detailed white-box models are known in the art, which may have adequate accuracy, but may be too slow to use in practice, particularly for evaluating a large configuration space under different shading and environmental scenarios. For example, state-of-the-art photovoltaic cell, module and array modelling may be based on the conventional equivalent circuit models. Parameters for such models may be determined from data sheets for standard test conditions, and specific deviations from the standard test conditions, such as the solar spectrum, reflection losses or the temperature distribution over the module may be typically neglected. These white-box models as known in the art may also lack the flexibility to extend for configurable hardware components like local DC-DC convertors and switches.
The performance of photovoltaic modules in the field may be significantly affected by the ambient conditions they are subjected to during operational life. This applies in absolute terms, but variations thereof, such as year-by-year, daily, hourly and even in the second range, may have a non-negligible impact. The ambient conditions that may be considered as important in this respect are moisture, temperature and insolation. In terms of temperature, which is also significantly dependent on insolation levels, the impact can be manifold. Thermal cycling may mechanically stress the module and may cause cracking and delamination of the different layers in the module over time. The overall module temperature may directly impact the module performance, since increased temperatures at the cell level may negatively impact the overall performance. Local variations in illumination and/or temperature, over time as well as spatially, may cause mismatch between the cells connected in series. Therefore, the operational temperature may have a strong impact on the potential energy yield of such modules, either through a reduction of the operational lifetime, e.g. reliability issues related to thermal cycling, or through suboptimal performance of the different cells in the module.
Module temperature may be determined by environmental factors. Its influence on the energy yield may depend on the solar cell technology. Thermo-electric and multi-dimensional simulation models for photovoltaic devices are known in the art. For example, a thermal model of a photovoltaic module may be used to predict the performance and efficiency of the cell. However, some assumptions, such as uniform temperature of each layer with negligible thermal capacitance and similar simplifications, may typically be used for transient simulations using such models. In addition, wind and air flow effects, in general, may be incorporated in the model to obtain sufficiently accurate thermal modeling of realistic non-uniform conditions.
In conclusion, a need exists in the art for a combined validated model that accounts for the fine-grain spatial and temporal optical, thermal and electrical phenomena on the photovoltaic module level. For yield calculations, DC/DC converters and inverters may be modelled by their efficiency as a function of DC power and voltage. For configurable modules, switches maybe incorporated. The interaction with the PV array may be described by the maximum power point tracking efficiency, e.g. assessed in accordance with EN 5053031.
Uncertainty information for the modelling chain from irradiance data to power may be particularly important for photovoltaic project budgeting. The standard deviation of photovoltaic yield calculations can be estimated to be around 4.5% with estimated standard deviations between 0.5% and 3% in the different modelling steps.
EP 2 998 756 discloses an example bottom-up photovoltaic energy yield model. Particularly, a method for calculating a performance of a photovoltaic module comprising at least two photovoltaic cells is disclosed. A heat flow between the photovoltaic cells is calculated using thermal equivalent circuits of the respective photovoltaic cells, interconnected by a thermal coupling resistance. This approach enables the evaluation of an influence of spatial and temporal variations in the operation conditions on the performance, such as the energy yield, of the module or a larger photovoltaic system. For example, technical data of a photovoltaic module and information on weather conditions, e.g. locally gathered or inferred from weather models, may be taken into account.
FIG. 1 illustrates such a prior-art integrated bottom-up energy yield prediction and evaluation model, which can be evaluated based on physical properties and outdoor measurements, e.g. historical data, or predicted data relating to the weather, e.g. irradiance, ambient temperature, equivalent-uniform global wind speed and wind direction. Furthermore, solar spectral information and sky temperature may also be used for higher accuracy. Such an optical-electrical-thermal model can, for example, be used to evaluate energy yield of novel module concepts.
For example, a layer-by-layer optical absorption model may be used to calculate the generated heat and potential electrical energy in each layer of the photovoltaic module. Such models may also efficiently combine angular and spectral information of the incident irradiation.
The temperature of each solar cell within a module may be calculated by a thermal circuit. This thermal circuit contains all the physical properties, e.g. dimensions and quantities such as thermal capacity and resistance of the materials used, of the photovoltaic module. The values of the circuit can be taken from either purely physical values or can be extracted from measurements. Such circuit model may take conduction, convection and radiation of heat into account. Each thermal circuit may be coupled to the thermal circuit of its neighboring solar cells, e.g. to allow conduction of heat in lateral and longitudinal directions. The circuit model may use the generated heat in each layer, calculated by the optical absorption model, as input. Wind tunnel tests and finite element modeling simulations may be used to gain insight into the relation between the global uniform wind speed and the spatially resolved heat transfer coefficient at the surface of the module. Thus, in such approach, the temperature of each solar cell within the module may be modelled accurately during highly varying, non-uniform conditions and this with high spatial (e.g. per cell) and temporal (e.g. up to 1 sec) resolution.
The electrical characteristics of each solar cell may be modelled by the 1- or 2-diode models known in the art. The parameters of such models may be extracted from flash or steady-state current and voltage measurements, or from device simulations. The thermal circuit, as described above, may be used to calculate the temperature of each solar cell in a photovoltaic module, and this temperature may be used as input parameter of the electrical circuit. A full electrical-thermal model of a photovoltaic module is formed by coupling the individual electrical circuits.
However, in order to take different shading conditions into account, a high computational burden could be implied. For example, the number of possible shading patterns for a module, e.g. comprising 60 cells, can be high. Even, if for a given irradiation level, shading of a single cell is considered as a binary attribute, 260 possible shading patterns could arise. If unrealistic or irrelevant shading patterns are excluded, thousands or even millions of separate simulation runs could be required to cover all possible operating conditions.
Furthermore, if parameters and design choices of a reconfigurable module are to be taken into account, e.g. the size and shape of cell strings, the number of local converters, the number of configurable series and parallel connections supported by switches, the connection configuration of the local converters and the connection configuration to the module converter, in which, in simulation, each of these may need to be iterated over different run-time configurations of the reconfigurable module (e.g. active current paths) and over the different operating conditions to be taken into account, the number of required simulations would therefore rapidly exceed a computationally feasible number of evaluations of the model.

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, KU Leuven R&D


In one aspect a bra is provided, and includes a pair of cups that are self-supporting, a strap connected to each cup, a bridge connecting the inboard ends of each cup, and a band extending from the outboard end of each cup and configured to extend around the back of a wearer of the bra. Each cup is foldable along a fold line between an unfolded position wherein the cup covers a nipple of the wearer and a folded position wherein the cup exposes the nipple of the wearer, wherein, when the bra is worn by the wearer, each cup is stable in both the unfolded position and the folded position. In another embodiment a bra is provided with cups that are stable in both the folded and unfolded positions wherein the cups are not self supporting.

A nursing bra can greatly facilitate the nursing of an infant while providing support for the mother's breasts when not nursing the infant. However, some nursing bras suffer from several problems. One problem is that some nursing bras cover a large portion of the chest and neck area of the wearer. This can greatly reduce the options available for the wearer in terms of blouses or the like that can be worn without having part of the bra exposed. Another problem is that some such bras traditionally have cups that hinge open and closed and that clip to the straps to hold the cups in the 'closed' position. Such bras can have relatively wide shoulder straps, and can also have an upperbust panel that extends between the shoulder strap and the bridge and passes over the top of the breast of the wearer. These upperbust panels can be uncomfortable for the wearer however, and can increase the profile of the bra thereby making it more difficult to wear blouses that are lower-cut without exposing the bra. Yet another problem with such bras is that the clips can in some instances be difficult to operate with a single hand. Furthermore the presence of the clip can detract from the appearance of the bra. In addition to these aforementioned problems, the cups of such bras typically expose the entire breast of the wearer when not clipped in the closed position. Thus, the wearer may wind up exposing more of their breast then they would otherwise desire, while nursing their infant.
It would be advantageous to provide a bra that partially mitigates one or more of the above-noted problems, and other problems.