A method for transmitting data using a convolutional turbo code (CTC) encoder. Specifically, the method comprises: encoding input data bits, which have been input through two input ports of the CTC encoder; interleaving the input data bits using four CTC interleaver parameters P0, P1, P2 and P3 corresponding to sizes of the input data bits; encoding the interleaved data bits; and selectively transmitting the input data bits, the first encoded bits and the second encoded bits, in accordance with a predetermined coding rate. Here, P0 is a relative prime number to N, which is ½ of the size of each of the input data bits, P2 has a value of N−1, and an absolute value of a difference between P1 and P3 is 1.

In a wireless communication system, portions of transmission data may sometimes be lost at once due to fading. If consecutive data bits are lost at once, this error cannot be recovered from even when a very excellent error correction code is used.
In a wireless communication system, a transmitting side transmits encoded transmission data streams after changing the order of the transmission data streams according to a specific pattern using a channel interleaving method rather than transmitting the data streams in an order in which the data streams are input. That is, a burst error that frequently occurs on a radio link may be changed to a random error using channel interleaving.
When error bits are sparsely present among sequences of the encoded transmission data, the error bits may be corrected using an error correction code such as a convolutional code, a turbo code, or a Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) code.
Basically, turbo coding, which is a channel coding technology, is a scheme which connects convolutional codes through parallel concatenation. The Convolutional Turbo Code (CTC) is one of the channel codes used in mobile Internet services.
As is well known, a next-generation mobile communication system requires reliable transmission of multimedia data at a high speed and requires robust channel coding and an efficient modulation scheme in order to increase reliability of high-speed data transmission. Accordingly, options enabling high-speed data transmission have been suggested and introduced in many countries in accordance with specifications of the options. As a result, various coding schemes such as convolutional coding or turbo coding have been suggested. Such channel coding schemes exhibit better performance depending on an interleaver size or a data block size corresponding to the interleaver size. Thus, intensive studies have been carried out on an interleaver that greatly affects turbo code performance.

Device and method for transmitting data using convolutional turbo code (CTC) encoder in mobile communication system


A leakage current analyzing apparatus receives input of data used for analysis and indicating intra/inter-chip variation concerning the gate length of transistors constituting cells in a circuit to be designed, where the inter-chip variation is handled as a discrete probability density distribution R. Using the data input, the leakage current analyzing apparatus obtains a cumulative probability density for a leakage current value (of the circuit) that is equal to or less than each arbitrary leakage current value I1 to IJ. As a result, the leak rate of the circuit to be designed can be correctly obtained without limiting the shape of distribution.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to statistical estimation of leakage current in a semiconductor integrated circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with the higher integration of semiconductor integrated circuits, leakage current therein tends to increase. Leakage current is current that flows in an electronic circuit through a portion that should not have any current flow. Leakage current increases power consumption and the heat generated by the semiconductor integrated circuit, and can cause degraded circuit performance.
Therefore, it is important to correctly estimate leakage current and to take countermeasures when a circuit is designed. Meanwhile, due to reductions in chip dimension, variation of leakage current caused by the reductions has increased. Thus, conventional statistical analysis tends to pessimistically estimate the maximal current leak of a circuit. Therefore, a technique of more accurately estimating current leak is demanded.
Generally, it is known that element variation and wiring variation handled by statistical analysis has an intra-chip variation component that is independent for each element and wiring, and an inter-chip variation component that is correlated among elements/wiring. Conventionally, an approach of statistically estimating leakage current includes a Monte Carlo method of repeating for several tens of thousands of times a deterministic leakage current analysis of several million elements, and an approach of performing the multiple (numerical) integral of several million variables using the probability distribution of each element.
Other approaches include an approach of statistically estimating leakage current taking into account only the intra-chip variation component and an approach of statistically estimating leakage current by fixing a leak distribution function of the inter-chip variation component as a normal function or a logarithmic normal function such as that described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-316849, and by Rajeev Rao, Ashish Srivastava, David Blaauw, Dennis Sylvester in "Statistical Analysis of Subthreshold Leakage Current for VLSI Circuits", IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON VERY LARGE SCALE INTEGRATION (VLSI) SYSTEMS, Vol. 12, No. 2, February 2004, pp. 131-139.
However, although both the Monte Carlo method and the approach of statistically estimating a leakage current by multiple integral using the probability distribution of each element can correctly estimate the leakage current, a problem arises in that the calculations involved for both the Monte Carlo method and the approach, consume an enormous amount of time and the calculation is nearly impossible.
The conventional techniques disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-316849 and by Rajeev Rao, et al. can not accurately handle the inter-chip variation component and therefore, a problem arises in that the accuracy of the leakage current analysis is degraded. More specifically, when the correlation among elements/wiring due to the inter-chip distribution is strong, the shape of the leak distribution is not necessarily that of a normal distribution or a logarithmic normal distribution. Therefore, the error of the maximal leakage current value (for example, about 17%) increases and, as a result, correction of the circuit design after delivery occurs. Therefore, a problem has arisen in that the work load on designers increases and the time period for designing becomes longer.

Leakage current analyzing apparatus, leakage current analyzing method, and computer product


In order to produce an epoxy compound with a less chlorine content at a higher reaction rate and yield, the present invention provides a method for producing an epoxy compound by reacting a compound having a carbon-carbon double bond with hydrogen peroxide in the coexistence of the compound having a carbon-carbon double bond, the hydrogen peroxide solution, a powdered solid catalyst support and a powdered solid catalyst all together, the solid catalyst comprising isopolyacids produced from (a) tungstic acid or a salt thereof and (b) a quaternary ammonium salt compound and/or a pyridinium salt, selected from halogen-free compounds.

Epoxy compounds are reacted with various curing agents and curing catalysts to produce cured products. These epoxy compounds are useful as components of coating agents, adhesives, inks or sealants or intermediates for producing compounds which are useful in the various final applications such as pharmaceutical agents or medical products, and it has thus been desired to develop a method for supplying such epoxy compounds which is efficient and environmentally-friendly as well as industrially valuable.
The main component of an epoxy resin that is industrially applicable is produced through a reaction of polyphenols and epichlorohydrin. Glycidyl compounds generated thereupon contain several thousand ppm of chemically bonded chlorine depending on the processing conditions. Chlorine-free epoxy resins have been desired in viewpoint of for example environmental issues or safety. In use for electronic materials in particular, chlorine has been regarded as problems because it causes corrosion of wiring or deterioration of insulating characteristics, resulting in the materials with less reliability, and therefore also in this regard, the epoxy compounds have been demanded to be decreased in the chlorine content.
As a method for producing an epoxy compound, a method is known, in which olefins are oxidized with peracids such as peracetic acid. However, this method has problems that peracids require careful handling, and epoxides are reacted with carboxylic acids presented in the reaction system thereby producing esters and the like, resulting in a decrease in the selectivity of the epoxides, and also that in production of an alicyclic epoxy compound regarded as having a high reactivity with acids, coexisting organic acids are easily reacted with epoxy groups produced in the presence of water, resulting in a decrease in the selectivity of the epoxides due to the ring-opening of the epoxy groups, and the post-treatments are troublesome. Therefore, a method has been attracting attention, which uses hydrogen peroxide as an oxidation agent, which is easy in handling and turns to water that is harmless after the reaction.
As a method for producing an epoxy compound from olefins using hydrogen peroxide, a method is known in which epoxidation is carried out by reacting olefins and a hydrogen peroxide solution with a halogenated hydrocarbon as a solvent using a catalyst such as polyacids (Patent Literature 1). This method, however, has problems concerning halogen impurities in the products and environmental load due to the use of the halogenated hydrocarbon.
Patent Literature 2 discloses a solid phase reaction system for oxidation comprising a mixture of a powdered solid catalyst support and a powdered solid catalyst for oxidation reaction, an organic compound and a hydrogen peroxide solution.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The efficacy of a plurality of PDT treatments following at least an initial PDT treatment is enhanced by increasing the neutrophil count of the patient substantially above a normal level. The increase in the neutrophil count leads to a more rapid removal of dead abnormal cells and stroma that have been destroyed, thereby enabling light administered in subsequent PDT treatments to more effectively reach and destroy still living abnormal cells on the surface of the tumor. The accelerated removal of dead tumor cells also enables a more accurate assessment of the treatment progress, since the actual tumor size should be more evident in image of the site. By enabling a tumor to be more rapidly destroyed by multiple PDT treatments, the risk of metastatic spread of abnormal cells away from the treatment site is also reduced.

Abnormal cells in the body are known to selectively absorb certain dyes that have been perfused into a treatment site to a much greater extent than absorbed by surrounding tissue. For example, tumors of the pancreas and colon may absorb two to three times the volume of certain dyes, compared to normal cells. Once pre-sensitized by dye tagging in this manner, the cancerous or abnormal cells can be destroyed by irradiation with light of an appropriate wavelength or waveband corresponding to an absorbing wavelength or waveband of the dye, with minimal damage to surrounding normal tissue. The procedure that uses light to destroy undesirable tissue, known by the acronym PDT, has been clinically used to treat metastatic breast cancer, bladder cancer, lung carcinomas, esophageal cancer, basal cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, ocular tumors, head and neck cancers, and other types of malignant tissue growths. Because PDT selectively destroys abnormal cells that have absorbed more of a photoreactive dye than normal cells, it can successfully be used to kill malignant tissue with less effect on surrounding benign tissue than alternative treatment procedures.
In typical applications of PDT, the light used in PDT is administered to an internal treatment site through an optical fiber from an external source such as a laser or is applied to a site exposed during a surgical procedure. However, alternative techniques exist to provide light therapy. For example, several different embodiments of implantable light emitting probes for administering photodynamic therapy (PDT) to an internal site within a patient's body are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,608. Further, a number of embodiments of flexible light emitting probes are disclosed in commonly assigned pending U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 08/613,390, and a continuation-in-part patent application thereof, Ser. No. 08/633,171, both entitled, "Flexible Microcircuits for Internal Light Therapy." The above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,608 teaches that an implantable probe containing a plurality of light sources can be transcutaneously introduced to a desired treatment site through a surgical incision and then left in place for an extended period of time so that the light emitted by light emitting diodes (LEDs) or other types of light sources mounted in the probe can administer PDT to destroy abnormal tissue or other types of pathogenic organisms that have absorbed an appropriate photoreactive agent. Similarly, the flexible microcircuits disclosed in the above-noted pending patent applications are generally intended to be introduced into the body through a natural opening or through a small incision and positioned at the treatment site using conventional endoscopic techniques. The flexibility of these microcircuits facilitates their insertion into the body and disposition at the treatment site.
Several studies have investigated the relationship between the immunological system and PDT in the treatment of cancerous tumors. For example, in an article entitled "Evidence for an Important Role of Neutrophils in the Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy in Vivo," Wil J. A. de Vree et al., Cancer Research, Vol. 56, pp. 2908-2911, Jul. 1, 1996, it is noted that administration of a granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) two days before PDT was started led to a fourfold increase in the number of circulating neutrophils and a retarded tumor growth in rats, compared to those injected with saline solution before receiving the PDT. The article postulates the following explanation for this effect.
" . . . (N)eutrophils might adhere via .beta..sub.2 -integrins to stretches in the vascular wall where endothelium as a result of PDT has contracted, and where the subendothelial matrix is exposed, as reported previously. Neutrophils, most likely attracted by chemotactic factors, could infiltrate the tumor area, releasing proteolytic enzymes that degrade attenuated tumor cells, which otherwise may continue to proliferate."
It is noted in the article that PDT had no effect on tumor growth in the absence of neutrophils--a condition achieved in the research by administering antigranulocyte antiserum.
In another article entitled "Potentiation of Photodynamic Therapy-elicited Antitumor Response by Localized Treatment with Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-stimulating Factor," Gorazd Krosl et al., Cancer Research, Vol. 56, pp. 3281-3286, Jul. 15, 1996, the authors reported on experiments in which granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was administered three times in 48-hour intervals, beginning two days before PDT was administered and noted that the GM-CSF substantially improved the beneficial results of PDT in treating squamous cell carcinoma (SCCVII) cells. It was found that GM-CSF alone failed to provide any obvious benefit in treating a tumor. The research indicates that the GM-CSF treatment "increases the cytotoxic activity of tumor-associated macrophages against (SCCVII) tumor cells" and that "tumor-localized immune stimulation by GM-CSF amplifies a PDT-induced antitumor immune reaction, which has a potentiating effect on tumor control." It was noted that tumors treated with PDT are believed to be eradicated due to a combination of several different effects, including: (1) photooxidative damage to vital cellular structure; (2) inactivation of tumor cells by ischemia secondary to the damage of the tumor vasculature and by integrated tumoricidal activity of nonspecific and specific immune effector cells; and, (3) a host response dominated by a strong tumor-localized acute inflammatory reaction associated with the functional activation of tumor resident and newly arrived leukocytes. It is suggested by the reference that neutrophils, mast cells, monocytes, and macrophages participate in the antitumor activity in an early phase after PDT treatment, and that the release and phagocytosis of tumor cell debris following the destruction of tumor cells creates a condition for the processing and presentation of tumor antigens by macrophages and dendritic cells or other antigen-presenting cells, resulting in development of tumor-specific immunity.
In another article, "Enhanced Macrophage Cytotoxicity against Tumor Cells Treated with Photodynamic Therapy," Photochemistry and Photobiology, Vol. 60, No. 5, pp. 497-502, 1994, Mladen Korbelik and Gorazd Krosl, the authors report that they were led to investigate the cytotoxic activity of macrophages against PDT-treated target tumor cells based on related work performed by other researchers. Specifically, the article refers to earlier research indicating that due to the extensive damage of the membrane structure of tumor cells caused by PDT, affected tumor cells release alkylglycerols, lysophospholipids, and alkyllysophospholipids, which have been identified as potent macrophage stimulating agents. Release of these agents are thus believed to lead to an enhanced macrophagic destruction of tumor cells. The article reported that an enhanced macrophage-mediated killing of tumor cells treated by PDT was observed for two different types of macrophages, including peritoneal macrophages and macrophages differentiated from cells arrested at a promyelocytic stage by a leukemic transformation. However, experiments reported in this article indicate that the presence of PDT-treated tumor cells does not enhance the tumoricidal activity of macrophages directed against cells that are not treated with PDT.
None of the prior art reporting on the relationship of the immunologic system to PDT has explored the relationship between an enhanced neutrophil (white blood cell) count and a repetitive series of PDT treatments. Repetitive PDT treatments are most readily achieved with an implanted probe that can provide light therapy to adjacent abnormal tumor cells over an extended period of time. Even without modifying the body's immunologic response, such extended duration or repetitive PDT protocol has been found to provide substantial benefits relative to the more conventional approach of providing a single PDT treatment. As indicated above, prior research has shown that the efficacy of a single PDT treatment is enhanced by administering GM-CSF or G-CSF to a patient before the PDT treatment is provided. Various reasons have been advanced to explain these results. Although such explanations may prove correct, the prior research discussed above has not considered how administering GM-CSF or G-CSF after an initial PDT treatment might benefit subsequent PDT treatments and has not made any suggestions as to why such an approach might be of benefit.

Enhancement of light activation effect by immune augmentation


A tire comprises a tread portion having a tire equator C and a first tread edge Te1. The tread portion is provided with a first main groove extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction and a first land region. The first main groove is provided on its axially outer groove wall with recessed portions recessed axially outwardly and arranged in the tire circumferential direction. The first land region is provided with first lateral grooves each comprising a first portion connected with the first main groove to form an opening and a second portion having a groove width smaller than the first portion and disposed axially inside thereof. At least a part of the opening of at least one of the first lateral grooves faces one of the recessed portions in the tire axial direction.

Japanese unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-151289 (Patent Literature 1), for example, has proposed a tire having a main groove provided with a plurality of recesses in a groove wall thereof and lateral grooves connected with the main groove in order to improve the on-snow performance.
Unfortunately, the tire disclosed in Patent Literature 1 still has room for further improvement as to the on-snow performance.


An electric braking or clutching device includes a housing; an armature having an axis and disposed at the housing, the armature and the housing defining a radial air gap therebetween; and a coil configured to generate, when energized, a magnetic field at the housing and armature, a flux path of the field extending from the coil into the armature, from the armature into the housing, and from the housing back to the coil, with the direction of the flux path from the armature into the housing being substantially radial in orientation.

Devices used for braking or clutching are common in industry. It is often desirable to selectively control speed or torque of a rotatable component of a device or to selectively engage a rotatable component. Such devices are utilized in industry for many and varied applications including actuators in assembly lines, automated systems, etc.
Currently, braking and clutching duties are handled by devices including magnetorheological fluid based devices and spring-based devices. While commercially available devices generally operate as marketed and are effective for some applications, they are expensive, lack adjustability, or both.
Since greater economy and adjustability are always desirable, improvements are always well received.


Provided herein is a method for refining primary silicon present in a hypereutectic aluminum silicon alloy. The method contemplates the controlled application of pressure to refine the primary silicon during the casting of articles. The application of pressure decreases the primary silicon particle size to improve the machinability and wear resistance of the final cast articles.

Internal combustion engines are increasingly being constructed from aluminum silicon alloys. Much research and development has been focused on the casting of such engine blocks and particularly on the silicon content of the alloys used to form such engine blocks. Lost foam and sand cast hypereutectic aluminum silicon alloy engine blocks are not used to a great extent in the automotive industry because such alloys are difficult to machine due to a presence of large primary silicon particles in the alloy microstructure. This invention describes an unexpected result with the application of pressure during the solidification of lost foam casting that decreases the primary silicon particle size and improves the machinability and wear resistance of such alloys.
In general, as aluminum cools from its liquid state, it reduces in volume. Silicon, however, expands as it cools. The laws of thermodynamics predict how the melting point of a metal changes with the application of pressure. The application of pressure to liquid aluminum, as with most metals, raises the melting point of aluminum. Again, silicon is the opposite, as the application of pressure serves to lower its melting point.
Hypereutectic aluminum silicon alloys (i.e., those alloys having greater than 11.6% silicon by weight) are conventionally used in the casting of engine blocks. Simple thermodynamic calculations indicate that the melting point of a 20% hypereutectic aluminum silicon alloy under 10 atmospheres of pressure will increase less than 1/20th of a degree. Thus, based on thermodynamic calculations, 10 atmospheres of pressure should not have an influence on the undercooling and nucleation of the silicon phase. In fact, no one has ever reported that pressure has an influence on grain size in single phase metals or in hypoeutectic aluminum silicon alloys (i.e., those alloys having less than 11.6% silicon by weight) which contain a large fraction of eutectic silicon.
Both eutectic modification and/or rapid freezing are known to increase the eutectic composition to higher silicon concentrations (e.g., from 12.6% to 15%) while simultaneously decreasing the eutectic temperature. Thus, alloys up to 15% silicon can be hypereutectic under conditions of slow cooling and no modification treatment and hypoeutectic under conditions of fast cooling or if treated with a modifier such as strontium or sodium. None of these changes are expected to be exacerbated with the application of 10 atmospheres of pressure because the melting point of the alloy is only changed by 1/20th of a degree Celsius with the application of 10 atmospheres of pressure.
With hypereutectic aluminum silicon alloys, melting point changes are expected to be even smaller than with aluminum or with silicon or with any of the hypoeutectic aluminum silicon alloys. Mondolfo, in Aluminum Alloys, reports that at 25% silicon, the volume change during a solid to liquid phase change is approximately zero. Also, since hypereutectic aluminum silicon alloys require phosphorus for the refinement of the primary silicon phase, the eutectic silicon phase is never modified and therefore the eutectic silicon phase is always coarse.
Further, each aluminum grain in the hypoeutectic aluminum silicon alloy microstructure is composed of a subset of aluminum dendrites which originate from the same nucleus. The dendrite arm spacing (DAS) is determined by the cooling rate during solidification, with faster cooling resulting in smaller values of DAS. Between the dendrite arms is the eutectic and the eutectic silicon phase is refined, if it is treated with a modifier such as strontium, or is coarse, if not treated with a modifier.
Garat, Guy & Thomas in a 1991 AFS Congress paper entitled "Solidification Under Isostatic Pressure in the Lost Foam Process" reported the DAS for both Aluminum Association Alloy Nos. 356 and 319 with and without the application of 10 atmospheres of pressure. For each group, the authors reported a DAS of 55 microns for a local solidification time of approximately 125 seconds, which would indicate that the application of pressure has no effect on the dendritic arm spacing. The authors further reported a DAS of 23 microns for a permanent mold casting having a local solidification time of 20 seconds and a DAS of 48 microns for a sand casting having a local solidification time of 100 seconds. As with grain size, there is no indication that the eutectic silicon phase or morphology is influenced by the application of pressure.
Further, the primary silicon particle size should exhibit an inverse relationship with the number of silicon nuclei present in the liquid alloy that are active during the solidification process. The time it takes to escalate the isostatic pressure enters into the process of primary silicon nucleation because it is believed that at least some nuclei require a certain time in the liquid phase before pressure assisted "good wetting" can occur and the nuclei can become active.
Thus, it appears that none of the features of hypoeutectic aluminum silicon alloy microstructure, i.e., grain size, aluminum DAS or eutectic silicon morphology, is influenced by the application of pressure either theoretically (i.e., by thermodynamic calculations) or practically (i.e., by test results in the literature).
Surprisingly, it has been recognized that the application of pressure during the solidification of a hypereutectic aluminum silicon alloy casting decreases the primary silicon particle size. Specifically, in hypereutectic aluminum silicon alloys with silicon in the range of 16% to 28% and copper in the range of 0.05% to 4.5%, a smaller primary silicon particle size has been observed when pressure is used, than when pressure is not used. The unexpected decrease in primary silicon particle size improves the machinability and wear resistance of such alloys.
The current invention improves the solidification of a hypereutectic aluminum silicon alloy casting by applying an isostatic pressure to the casting before the solidified fraction of the alloy exceeds 25% by weight. Significantly, the aluminum silicon alloy contains additives of phosphorus in the range of 0.005% to 0.1% by weight. The phosphorus reacts with the liquid aluminum in the alloy to form aluminum phosphide, a heterogeneous nucleate for primary silicon. The application of the isostatic pressure promotes more effective and extensive nucleation of the primary silicon by lowering interfacial energy and creating more favorable nucleation conditions.
With the appropriate isostatic pressure application, the method of the invention achieves a finer primary silicon particle size for hypereutectic aluminum silicon alloy compositions in the silicon range of 16 to 28% and copper in the range of 0.05 to 4.9% with magnesium in the range of 0.3 to 1.3%, and phosphorus in the range of 0.005% to 0.1%. It must be appreciated that as the silicon composition of hypereutectic aluminum silicon alloys increases, the primary silicon particles have a natural tendency to increase in size. Thus, higher amounts of phosphorus are needed and more effective nucleation is required with higher silicon concentrations in the above range. It must also be recognized that a high copper content impacts primary silicon particle size as a high copper concentration creates a larger solidification range, which in turn, creates opportunity for primary silicon floatation resulting in avoidance of nucleation and creation of large silicon structures. Further, the molten alloy may be degassed with nitrogen prior to casting. The degassing with nitrogen provides a low hydrogen content in the melt, but tends to eliminate primary silicon nuclei because all nuclei are floated out of the melt by attachment to the rising nitrogen bubbles,
The application of isostatic pressure is critically important. Higher pressures are more favorable. However, high pressures are also associated with higher manufacturing costs. Ten atmospheres has been found to be the most efficient pressure as isostatic pressures less than 5 atmospheres do not appear to be effective and isostatic pressures of 20 atmospheres appear to yield results similar to those attained with 10 atmospheres.

Aluminum-silicon casting alloy having refined primary silicon due to pressure


A wireless network is provided. The wireless network includes a predetermined wireless router and a plurality of wireless routers. The predetermined wireless router has gateway functionality for accessing an external network. Each wireless router of the wireless routers has a single transceiver, and the wireless routers include at least a wireless router which communicates with other wireless router(s) in the wireless network for forwarding network packets by using a single fixed channel and at least a wireless router which communicates with other wireless router(s) in the wireless network for forwarding network packets by using a plurality of channels.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless communication technology, and more particularly, to a wireless mesh network (WMN) communication technology.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Due to advance of network technique, a variety of wireless networks have been developed to provide better wireless communication quality to end-users. The WMN is one of the emerging next-generation wireless communication technologies, and is capable of offering the required broadband wireless communication environment for areas where wired infrastructure is not available or not worthy to deploy. Moreover, due to WMN's inherent characteristics, such as self-configuring and self-healing capabilities, the WMN can be easily deployed and maintained.
Generally speaking, a WMN consists of a collection of mesh points (i.e., mesh routers), which cooperatively form a multi-hop backbone network. Therefore, the WMN also suffers from some problems, such as throughput, channel switching delay, packet delivery ratio, etc., faced by other multi-hop backbone networks. Therefore, how to effectively solve these problems becomes an important issue to a WMN design.


The sequential access memory array is able to store p words each of n bits. Such p test words each made up of n test bits are written in the memory array, the p test words are extracted sequentially and, for each current word extracted, the n test bits that compose it are compared sequentially with n respective expected data bits before extracting the next test word.

At present, a test circuit integrated into a memory and an associated test algorithm, known to the person skilled in the art as a built-in self-test (BIST) algorithm, write dedicated test words into the memory array on command and then extract them and compare the test bits of the extracted words with the expected binary data bits. This necessitates the use of decoder logic which is connected to the output of the memory array and also receives the expected data, whose overall size increases as the width of the data bus of the memory increases, i.e. as the number of bits of the test words increases.
Also, in addition to this penalizing aspect of the overall surface area, this kind of decoder logic causes substantial problems with the hardware implementation ("routability") of the connections between the components of the decoder logic.

Method of testing a sequential access memory plane and a corresponding sequential access memory semiconductor device


A fluidized-bed reactor is disclosed. The fluidized-bed reactor steadies the gas flow through the fluidized bed chamber of the reactor. The swirl chamber of the reactor consists of a conical housing in which a conical insert is also situated. This creates an annular gap between the housing and the insert, which acts as the swirl chamber and which, according to the geometry of the two components, causes a velocity of the gas flow which remains the same along the height, which increases or which decreases. Such a reactor can also be called a constant annular-gap reactor.

The invention relates to a fluidized-bed or cyclone layer reactor having a swirl or cyclone chamber and a gas inlet and a gas outlet.
If required, the gas inlet and the gas outlet are connected with several connection pipes.
During the operation of such a reactor, a so-called fluidized bed forms in the swirl chamber. This is a gas/solids mixture which is in a turbulent state. Because of the turbulences in the fluidized bed, an optimal mixing takes place between the solids, the gases and the liquids charged into the swirl chamber, whereby an optimal substance transfer or adsorption can be achieved.
For different chemical processes, classical fluidized-bed reactors, circulating fluidized-bed reactors or so-called backflowing circulating fluidized-bed reactors are used. A gas usually flows upward through these reactors and, behind the gas inlet, these reactors have a constriction consisting either of a swirl bottom (perforated bottom), a nozzle bottom, an individual nozzle or a multiple nozzle. In the area of the constriction, the gas velocity should be so high that the solids situated above cannot fall through. Above the constriction, the swirl chamber is situated which has a cylindrical or conical construction or a construction which, in sections, is at first conical and then cylindrical. A gas outlet pipe directed to the side is situated above the swirl chamber usually in the side wall of the reactor. Other embodiments provide an upward-oriented, centrically arranged gas outlet pipe.
The disadvantage of the known fluidized-bed reactor constructions essentially consists of the fact that changing gas quantities, which are caused, for example, by systems connected on the input side, frequently result in changes in the fluidized bed which impairs the efficiency of the method and/or lastingly interferes with the operation of the system, for example, connected on the input side.
As countermeasures, gas recirculations (gas returns) are provided, or additional air is admixed to the gas flow, so that the minimal gas quantity flowing through the reactor usually does not fall below 70%-80% of the full-load quantity. Since, on the part of the connecting systems, frequently fluctuations of the gas quantities from 30% to 100% are conceivable or may be desired, considerable energy and equipment expenditures occur for the stabilization of the processes (raising the gas quantity to 70%-80%).
It is therefore an object of the invention to create a fluidized-bed reactor whose fluidized bed can be operated with almost constant parameters (particularly the gas velocity) and can be optimally adjusted by a corresponding dimensioning of the reactor also in the case of different gas quantities (for example, 30%-70%).
According to the invention, the swirl chamber of the reactor 1 consists of a conical or parabolic housing 3 in which an also conical or parabolic insert 4 is situated. This creates an annular gap 2 between the housing 3 and the insert 4, which gap 2 operates as a swirl chamber and, depending on the geometry of the two components, causes a velocity of the gas flow which remains the same along the height, which increases or which decreases. Such a reactor can therefore also be called a constant annular gap reactor.
By lowering or lifting the insert 4 in the direction of the double arrow 5 in the swirl chamber, the gas velocity can be increased or reduced. When the gas quantity which is fed to the reactor changes, the lowering or lifting of the insert can therefore achieve an approximately constant flow velocity in the annular gap 2.
The annular gap 2 can be implemented such that, viewed in the upward direction, the cross-sections of the swirl chamber are enlarged as well as reduced (see FIGS. 1a and 1b respectively).
As a result of the invention, the previously known high-expenditure countermeasures become superfluous. Furthermore, by means of the invention, stable operating conditions are provided in wide load ranges which normally can be achieved only in the case of constant gas flow rates. The influence on the systems connected on the input and output side by the use of a constant annular gap reactor is minimized.
A fluidized annular-gap reactor is implemented which, as a result of its geometry and inserts according to the invention, permits the optimal development of the operation of swirl bed methods particularly in the case of changeable gas quantities which are guided through the swirl bed reactor, whereby significant negative influences on system parts connected on the input or output side are avoided. In addition, methods are protected which use the constant fluidized-bed reactor according to the invention.
Another problem consists of the fact that, in the case of "backflowing" circulating fluidized beds as well as in the case of fluidized beds which are not operated with a constant gas flow rate, agglomerates form depending on the load range which sink or fall usually along the wall. When the agglomerates arrive in the area of the constriction, they are torn apart by the high gas flow which may result in considerable pressure surges. Particularly in load ranges <70%-80% of the maximal gas quantity, these pressure surges may lead to considerable disturbances of the system operation, whereby a proper operation of the system is prevented.
For solving this problem, the invention provides an agglomerate separator 10 which is constructed as an annular gap opening 11 or by a plurality of offset openings on the circumference of the swirl chamber of a fluidized-bed reactor or as a discharge situated in the center of the reactor.
The openings may be situated in the conical expansion of the swirl chamber, directly at the transition between the conical expansion and the cylindrical part, in the cylindrical part of a conventional fluidized-bed reactor, at an arbitrary point of the nozzle bottom as well as at an arbitrary point of the exterior wall or of the internal cone of an annular gap reactor.
An agglomerate separator is therefore described which optimizes fluidized-bed reactors such that agglomerates can no longer fall to the nozzle bottom inside the swirl chamber but, prior to that, are laterally diverted, for example, into an annular trough, as well as a discharge is described by means of which agglomerates can be withdrawn which many have fallen onto the nozzle bottom. For fluidized bed processes which, in particular, are operated with different loads, the invention leads to more stable operating conditions, and the influence upon the connecting systems is considerably reduced.
It is the function of the agglomerate separator to remove the backflowing agglomerates and conglomerates from the swirl chamber 2. These solids can then be charged into the fluidized bed again by means of regulated or unregulated apportioning devices. FIG. 4 illustrates such an agglomerate separator 10 with an annular gap opening (see ref. no. 11 in FIG. 2). Here, the solids are fed to a floating trough 12 from where they can then be fed again to the fluidized-bed reactor in a regulated manner (control 14), for example, distributed uniformly along the circumference by way of a pipe 13.
By means of the invention, the previously applied expenditures are reduced. Furthermore, by means of the invention, more stable operating conditions are established in wide load ranges which normally can be achieved only in a narrower load range (gas flow rates). The influence upon the systems connected on the input and output side by the use of an agglomerate separator is minimized.
In the case of conventional reactor constructions, the removal of the solids-laden gas takes place centrally upward or laterally in one direction. However, since, as a rule, the gas has a higher core current in this area than at other points in the reactor, so-called roller currents are generated here which lead to a backflow on the wall inside the reactor. In the case of the principle of a centric discharge in the upward direction, this roller flow is uniform. However, a concentration of solids may occur which will then sink along the wall as an agglomerate. In the case of a one-sided lateral discharge, the concentration is partly avoided and the roller formation is also not that pronounced but the gas flow is inhomogeneous and a locally intensified agglomerate formation occurs. The above-mentioned effects are to be avoided by means of the invention. In addition to this invention, the constant annular outlet in connection with a gas guiding cone is protected, which further improves the removal of the gas/solids mixture.
For solving this problem, the invention provides that, by means of outlet openings 30 arranged in a ring-shaped manner (see FIG. 3), which are preferably uniformly distributed on the circumference of the reactor 1, the product-laden gas is discharged in the radial direction and then, as required, in the downward direction. Solids reaching the reactor head in the core current are uniformly (radially) discharged along the shortest path and mainly in all directions. This reduces the formation of agglomerates as well as the size of the forming agglomerates. For fluidized bed processes, which, in particular, are operated with different loads (gas flow rates), the invention results in more stable operating conditions, and the influence upon the connecting systems is considerably reduced.
The constant annular gas outlet may be provided with a gas guiding cone 31 which further improves the removal of the gas/solids mixture.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


The invention discloses an anti-corrosion coating with low through-hole ratio for steel rebars. The composition of coating includes 45-70 weight percent feldspar powder, 15-30 weight percent borax, 10-20 weight percent calcium tetraborate, 5-15 weight percent fluorspar, 4-8 weight percent clay, 1-10 weight percent adhesion agent, and 1-1.5 weight percent thickener. This invention also discloses a coating method using above-mentioned anti-corrosion coating. The method includes seven steps: 1. dry mixing, 2. wet mixing, 3. pretreatment, 4. coating, 5. baking, 6. sintering, 7. cooling down at room temperature. The coating of this invention has outstanding anti-corrosion resistance, extremely high toughness, and good durability.

Entering the 21st century, China has entered the era of rapid economic development in the coastal area. It can be expected that there will be a large number of harbor terminals, cross-sea bridges, tunnels, offshore platforms constructed with reinforced concrete in the future. Rebar corrosion becomes an important factor which influences reinforced concrete durability. As a result, it is an urgent task for engineers in civil engineering to solve the rebar corrosion. Employing new materials and new technologies is a very effective way to solve the problem.
With the progress of rebar corrosion and protection mechanism research in reinforced concrete structures, the coating technology of steel rebars has been developed rapidly. At present, the coating technology can be divided into three types according to different coating materials: 1. metallic materials coated steel rebars: such as stainless steel thermal spray coated steel rebars, galvanized steel rebars, etc. 2. organic materials coated steel rebars: such as epoxy coated steel rebars. 3. inorganic materials coated steel rebars: such as phosphates coated steel rebars, enamels coated steel rebars, etc.
For engineering application, the cost of metallic materials coated steel rebars is 2-5 times higher than uncoated steel rebars. Therefore, metallic materials coated steel rebars cannot be widely used in large coastal engineering projects.
Epoxy coated steel rebars are usually produced by an electrostatic spraying method. The epoxy powder is sprayed on the surface of ribbed steel rebars and round steel rebars to form uniform coatings. As disclosed in "Epoxy coated steel rebars" (Chinese Patent CN201593271), epoxy coated steel rebars can solve the problem of rebar corrosion effectively, and improve the life of the buildings remarkably. Although epoxy coating has a good corrosion resistance, the adhesion force between concrete and epoxy coated steel rebars is significantly reduced, and the epoxy coating when exposed to ambient air, are oxidized easily, which seriously impairs its anti-corrosion capability.
As disclosed in "Double epoxy coated steel rebars and coating method" (Chinese Patent CN103074960), the double epoxy coated steel rebar is comprised of the substrate steel rebar, the inner layer coating, and the outer layer coating. The outer layer coating has a good wear resistance and corrosion resistance, which can meet the needs of construction projects in a harsh environment. But there are still some problems: 1. the adhesion force between the outer epoxy coating and concrete is still very weak. 2. precision equipment is needed to ensure the adhesion between outer and inner coatings. 3. the double layer coating doubles the cost and is uneconomical.
As disclosed in "Phosphate-based anticorrosive coating" (Chinese Patent CN104404502), the anti-corrosion coating can be applied in marine reinforced concrete, has a good adhesion force between coating and steel surface, also has a dense structure and high curing strength. As a matter of fact, these phosphate-based materials are adhesive and can be used for the repair of damaged concrete structures. However, the phosphate-based anticorrosive coating is easy to crack in a tension state.
The organic material coating will age in the sunny coastal environment. The inorganic material coating can overcome the aging problem, but the brittleness of coating increases significantly limiting its application in construction.
To solve the steel rebars corrosion problems in sea or coastal wet environment, there is a patent disclosing low-cost, high corrosion resistance, high toughness, and high durability coatings. However, the above-mentioned coatings show a high through-hole ratio. This invention can effectively decrease the through-hole ratio of the coating through tuning components to get better corrosion resistance.

Anti-corrosion coating with low through-hole ratio for steel rebars and coating method


A device for holding a plurality of associated cables in a defined orientation relative to each other is disclosed. The device includes a support structure that defines a plurality of cable retaining locations each adapted to receive and releasably retain an associated cable. The cable retaining locations are arranged in a pattern that corresponds to a pattern of connectors of an associated interface device to which the cables are adapted to be connected so as to provide a one-to-one correspondence between each cable retaining location and each connector of the associated interface device. The support structure is transparent and/or provides a plurality of open viewing windows. The device can be tethered to the associated interface device or a mounting structure.

The installation and maintenance of industrial automation field devices typically requires multiple cables that are identical or very similar in appearance to be matched and mated with a select connector of an input/output (I/O) module or other device. Cable to connector mis-match can occur and results in one or more undesirable outcomes including failure of the field device (e.g., sensor or actuator) and/or I/O module, erroneous data transfer between the I/O module and field device, perceived failure of the one or more components. These undesirable outcomes and others increase machine down-time, labor costs to isolate and repair errors, parts cost and can contribute to unfavorable perception of the industrial automation system overall.
Known devices and methods for organizing cables and other control lines (e.g., electrical cables, hydraulic hoses, pneumatic hoses, etc.) are sub-optimal for overcoming the above-noted problems. One known approach involves labeling each cable so that it is associated with a particular device connector. This approach is labor-intensive and requires that the technician make the correct cable-to-connector labeling and association. Also, multiple I/O modules are commonly mounted adjacent each other and a technician can easily mate a cable to a connector on the incorrect module.
Another known method involves use of wire loom separation devices. These devices are immovably secured to a support surface and hold the cables or other control lines in a select arrangement relative to each other.
Known wire loom separators have not been widely employed for use in connection with industrial automation field devices and other applications for a variety of reasons. One drawback associated with these devices is that they are immovable and, thus, do not facilitate movement of the cables or other control lines to a position where they will not interfere with the installation/replacement of a device such as an I/O module or other work being performed. Some wire loom separation devices require use of fasteners to secure the cables in position, and this is generally undesirable for a wide variety of reasons including cost of manufacture, labor cost for assembly, lost parts, and the like.
For devices such as industrial automation I/O modules and the like, including multiple rows and columns of connectors, there is no known wire loom separation device that holds the cables or other control lines directly aligned with the respective connectors to which they are intended to be connected, i.e., with the cable-receiving locations of the wire loom separation device arranged and located in a pattern that corresponds directly in terms of location and spacing to the pattern of the connectors to which the cables are intended to be connected. Furthermore, there is no such device defined from a transparent polymeric material that allows for unobstructed viewing of the I/O module or other device (including its indicator lights and other visual output devices) to which the cables or other control lines are connected while still holding the cables or other control lines in the required connector pattern, with each control line aligned with a particular connector along a connection axis of the connector.

Device and method for grouping, organizing and separating multiple cables and other control lines


A swing arm restraint system for an automotive lift includes a movable carriage including a swing arm mounting portion. A first swing arm restraint housing is non-rotatably connected to the swing arm mounting portion, the first swing arm restraint housing including a first internal space. A first swing arm is pivotally connected to the swing arm mounting portion and is rotatable relative to the first swing arm restraint housing. A first restraint device is located in the first internal space and connected to the the swing arm restraint housing. A second restraint device is operably connected to the first swing arm such that the second restraint device rotates with the first swing arm relative to the first swing arm restraint housing. The first and second restraint devices are configured to be selectively arranged in either one of: (i) a locked position where the first and second restraint devices are non-rotatably coupled such that said first swing arm and said second restraint device are non-rotatably coupled to said first swing arm restraint housing; (ii) an unlocked position where the first and second restraint devices are decoupled with respect to each other such that said first swing arm and said second restraint device are rotatable relative to said first swing arm restraint housing.

Automotive lift devices for lifting a truck or automobile are generally well known. One known type includes a pair of fixed vertical posts between which the vehicle is positioned. Each post includes a vertically movable carriage that, itself, includes first and second swing arms that each pivot or swing about a vertical swing axis relative to the carriage and that each extend and retract telescopically along its own longitudinal axis. To lift a vehicle, the vehicle is positioned between the posts and each of the four swing arms is pivoted and extended/retracted telescopically so that a lifting pad or lifting adapter portion at the distal end of the swing arm is positioned beneath the corresponding vehicle lift point designated by the vehicle manufacturer. Once the swing arms are each operatively positioned for lifting the vehicle, the lift is activated so that each carriage moves vertically upward along its respective post to lift and support the vehicle between the posts. The carriages are moved upward and downwardly on their respective posts using suitable drive mechanisms or actuators such as electrically, hydraulically, and/or pneumatically operated cylinders, jack screws, and/or other actuators that can both move and immovably support the vehicle load.
Although these known lifting devices include various restraint means for locking each of the swing arms in place with respect to its respective vertical swing axis once the swing arm is operatively positioned for lifting the vehicle, there have been instances where such known restraint devices have malfunctioned which results in a swing arm being dislodged from its operative lifting positioned beneath the vehicle lift point while the vehicle is elevated which can result in the vehicle falling from the lift. As such, manufacturers of such automotive lift devices have continuously sought to improve such swing arm restraint devices to prevent unintended pivoting of the swing arms relative to the carriage to increase the safety of such lifts.

Automotive lift and swing arm restraint system for automotive lift


A video coding server may code a common video sequence into a plurality of coded data streams, each coded data stream representing the video sequence coded using coding parameters tailored for a respective transmission bit rate. The coding may cause a set of transmission units from among the coded data streams to include coded video data from a common point of the video sequence, and a first coded frame of each transmission unit of the set to be a synchronization frame. A manifest file may be built representing an index of transmission units of the respective coded data streams. The coded data streams and manifest file may be stored by the server for delivery to a client device. During download and decode, the chunks may be decoded efficiently even when switching among streams because the first frame in each chunk is a synchronization frame.

In the scenario of adaptive streaming, a common video sequence often is coded to multiple streams at different bit rates. Each stream is often partitioned to a sequence of transmission units (called "chunks") for delivery. A manifest file often is created that identifies the bit rates available for the video sequence. In a streaming service, for example, video streams and accompanied playlist files are hosted in a server. A player in a client device that gets stream information by accessing the playlist files and switches among different streams according to estimates of available bandwidth. However, current coding systems do not efficiently accommodate switches among different coding streams representing a common video content item.
Chunk partitions typically are set to include a predetermined amount of coded video data. For example, chunks may be defined to include five seconds of coded video data each. When a player switches from a first stream to a second stream, both streams representing a common video content item coded at different coding rates, the player may retrieve chunks of coded video data of the new stream and attempt to decode them. Decoding may not be possible, however, if the coded chunks of the new stream rely on other chunks as prediction references. In this circumstance, a player may have to skip decoding of portions of the new stream that rely on predecessor chunks as prediction references which may interrupt continuity of video playback. Alternatively, the player may have to request and decode the predecessor chunks in order to generate a continuous video sequence for playback. In the latter case, the predecessor chunks of the new stream likely include coded video data that is redundant to some portion of the chunks that were received and decoded from the old steam. In either case, switching among the streams causes performance impairments at the video decoder and player.
Accordingly, the inventors have identified a need in the art for video streaming techniques that provide efficient switching among different coded streams of a common video sequence.


The present invention provides a method for drawing fibers from materials which exhibit low viscosities at the equilibrium melting temperature. Further, the present invention provides novel drawn fibers from materials which were thought to be incompatible with a fiber-drawing process. The present invention also provides a means of minimizing recrystallization of molten materials during fiber drawing. Still further, the present invention provides novel drawn fibers with a greater tensile strength and greater concentrations of additives as compared to prior art fibers. Lastly, the present invention provides a means for producing crystalline fibers with controlled chemical compositions, and fibers with high tensile strengths as compared to prior art fibers of the same composition. The present invention achieves these objectives by heating the desired materials until a liquid melt is formed, undercooling the melt until the proper viscosity is reached, initiating fiber drawing by inserting a xe2x80x9cstingerxe2x80x9d into the molten material, then finally drawing the fibers at the desired speed so that fibers of the desired composition and diameter are formed. If desired, crystalline fibers can be formed by heating the drawn fibers until crystallization occurs. The present invention also provides for drawing fibers from a melt under either containerless conditions or within a container.

The invention pertains to novel methods for drawing fibers from liquid melts, including those composed of materials whose liquid state viscosity at the melting temperature is normally too low to accommodate fiber drawing operations. The invention also pertains to methods of drawing fibers from a melt while preventing recrystallization of the melt. Further, the invention pertains to methods of controlling heat transfer at melt surfaces so that a portion of the melt is undercooled to a temperature below the equilibrium melting temperature, and fibers can be drawn from the undercooled portion of the melt. The invention also relates to the production of novel fibers including but not limited to fibers of glass and crystalline materials, glass fibers formed using the methods of the invention, and fibers of high tensile strength compared to fibers of the same composition which are currently commercially available.
Melt-Drawn Fibers
The drawing of fibers from liquid melts is well known in the art as an inexpensive method of fiber synthesis. This process is possible if the liquid viscosity is (1) sufficiently high so that tensile forces overcome the surface tension forces of the liquid during the fiber drawing process, and (2) sufficiently low so that the tensile forces induce liquid flow into a thin fiber rather than bulk flow of the liquid.
Drawing is widely used to make fibers from materials that form viscous melts, such as but not limited to oxide compositions that contain a high concentration of silicon dioxide and polymeric materials. The silica glass fibers and polymeric fibers have considerable economic utility as, for example, thermal insulation material, components in composite materials, use in textiles, and for many other applications. Fiber-drawing is used to make glass fibers for applications such as, for example, fiber lasers and fiber-based optical devices. These glass fibers typically contain small concentrations of optically-active dopant elements which are added to the host glass, such as neodymium (Nd) in Nd-glass lasers and erbium (Er) in Er-glass lasers. The magnitude and the uniformity of the dopant concentration in the fibers are limited, however, by the solubility and diffusivity of the dopant oxides in a preform of the host glass material during the doping operation that occurs prior to fiber drawing from the preform.
In some cases, mixtures of several pure materials yield melts from which fibers can be drawn. For example, fluoride glass fibers are made by melt drawing from mixtures of several metal fluorides that exhibit a low melting temperature, thereby forming relatively viscous melts. Fluoride glass fibers provide optical transmission outside the bandwidth of silica-based fibers, and are of interest for applications such as fiber-laser and infrared waveguide applications. However, considerable difficulties generally attend the manufacture and use of most fluoride fibers, such as brittleness, moisture sensitivity and toxicity. In addition, many mixtures of fluoride materials or pure liquid fluorides have insufficient equilibrium melting temperature viscosities for fiber drawing operations. Improved alternatives to these prior art fluoride fibers are needed. As used herein, the xe2x80x9cequilibrium melting temperaturexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cor the melting temperaturexe2x80x9d of a melt is the temperature at which at equilibrium, all of the melt components of a system are substantially liquid.
It is the temperature, at the prevailing ambient pressure and for a system whose chemical composition is equal to the chemical composition of the melt of interest, for above which no crystalline phases occur in a system at equilibrium.
Oxide glass fibers are often made from mixtures of silicon dioxide, boron oxide, sodium oxide, and other additives, which mixtures melt at temperatures much lower than the melting temperature of pure silica and result in melts sufficiently viscous for the drawing of fibers.
Fibers known as chalcogenide glass fibers can also be drawn from mixtures of elements such as germanium, arsenic, antimony, selenium, tellurium, and others which form viscous, low melting temperature liquids. Chalcogenide glass fibers have application in the transmission of infrared radiation. However, many chalcogenide materials have equilibrium melting temperature viscosities which are too low to accommodate fiber drawing operations.
Prior art methods also limit the concentrations of additives that may be achieved in glass fibers. For example, optically-active additives for fiber laser and fiber laser amplifier applications are generally introduced into pre-formed host glass fibers by heating the host fiber in the presence of the additive materials, which are generally applied to the outside of the drawn fiber (such as, for instance, by spraying). With this method, the additive concentration in the fiber is limited to the equilibrium solubility of the additive material at the heating temperature. Fibers made by this process, however, suffer from the drawback that the heating temperature, and therefore the additive concentrations, are limited by crystallization of the host fiber.
Drawn or extruded fibers are also used as precursor fibers in chemical or physical processes that change the fiber material into a different chemical form or physical state. For example, sol-gels formed from metal-organic chemicals can be drawn or extruded into fibers of an amorphous material that is subsequently heated to decompose the organic fraction of the fiber and produce polycrystalline oxide fibers. Silicon-containing organic polymer materials can be drawn into fibers and subsequently decomposed to form silicon carbide fibers. Organic polymer fibers made from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) are heated and decomposed at high temperatures to obtain carbon fibers. Pitch compositions obtained from hydrocarbon or coal tars can be drawn into fibers and subsequently decomposed at high temperatures to obtain carbon fibers. Polycrystalline oxide fibers of various materials such as zirconia-silica materials, alumina-boria materials, alumina-silica materials, and yttria-alumina materials have been made from precursor fibers that are formed by drawing or extrusion processes.
Prior art methods of fiber manufacture include drawing fibers from undercooled melts. As used herein, an xe2x80x9cundercooledxe2x80x9d temperature refers to a temperature which is below the melting temperature of the combined melt components. For instance, the melting temperature of aluminum oxide is 2050 degrees C. An undercooled melt of aluminum oxide would be a liquid melt held at a temperature below this. Fibers containing one or more of calcium oxide, aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, magnesium oxide, and/or barium oxide have been drawn by conventional means utilizing partial undercooling by melting the starting materials in a platinum crucible or by melting the end of a rod of the starting material, removing the source of heating allowing the melt to cool, contacting the undercooled surface of the liquid with a glass rod, and manually drawing a fiber from the undercooled surface of the liquid by withdrawing the glass rod and attached fiber. Alternatively, the center section of a rod of the starting material is melted, the heating source is removed, and a fiber is formed when the two ends of the rod are manually drawn apart. Reportedly, fibers could be drawn using these methods from melts that contained a maximum of 46.2% aluminum oxide by weight, which is equivalent to a maximum of 35.3 molar % of aluminum oxide, Al2O3. However, it is reported that melts which contain more than 50% aluminum oxide by weight have much lower viscosities, and fibers of these higher-alumina composition materials could not be drawn from melts using these prior art techniques, even when the drawing portions of the melts were undercooled.
The methods described above are limited in part by the fact that the melt is in contact with a solid rod of the same material or with a platinum container. As the melt cools, crystals propagate from the solid/liquid interface to consume the liquid portion and thus limit the duration of time the melt remains liquid for fiber drawing. A second limitation of using traditional methods is that fibers cannot be drawn from the melt for binary Al2O3xe2x80x94CaO compositions, but only for compositions with at least 3.5% by weight of added silicon oxide or with 17.8 weight % of added barium and magnesium oxides. Finally, fibers cannot be drawn using these methods from melts containing a binary mixture of 50 molar % calcium oxide and 50 molar % aluminum oxide, i.e., the chemical composition CaAl2O4, because the viscosity of such melts is too low to permit the drawing of fibers by the prior art methods described above.
In general, the melts formed at the equilibrium melting temperature for the vast majority of pure materials are of a viscosity that is too low to support fiber drawing operations. The number ofxe2x80x9csuperheatedxe2x80x9d (melt temperature above the equilibrium melting temperature) molten materials having viscosities sufficiently large for fiber drawing is also limited.
In a typical fiber drawing operation, the melt must be of sufficiently high viscosity to enable fibers to be drawn from the melt. In general, the nominal viscosity required for fiber drawing from the liquid is from approximately 1,000 to 1,000,000 poise. Viscosity values for most liquids, however, are much lower than those required for fiber drawing. For example, typical viscosities are 0.01 poise for water, 1-100 poise for molten oxides and slags that do not contain silicon dioxide, 0.01 to 0.1 poise for molten salts, 0.01-1 poise for metals and alloys.
As discussed above, undercooling is one method sometimes used to increase the viscosity of a melt. At least slight undercooling can be achieved in most liquids. However, where a liquid melt is cooled in contact with a solid container, the container may induce the nucleation of solid material from the liquid melt, resulting in the solidification of the entire mass of the melt. In addition, contact with a container can introduce impurities into the melt, as a result of dissolution of the container material into the melt. Such contamination of melts by contact with a container is a problem in, for example, the fabrication of fluoride glass and chalcogenide glass fibers used for transmission of infrared light, in the fabrication of high purity fibers, and in the fabrication of high melting temperature materials intended for service in high temperature structural applications. In addition, contact with a container may also induce crystallization of the melt.
As a result of the low viscosity of many liquids and because crystallization due to contact with containers limits undercooling, there is traditionally a very limited range of materials from which fibers can be made by drawing from a liquid melt placed within a container.
In addition to undercooling, a second method of increasing the viscosity of a melt is by adding viscosity enhancers such as SiO2 to the melt. Some liquids containing silicates have a high viscosity and an ability to be undercooled without recrystallization, i.e., to be cooled below the melting temperature without undergoing spontaneous recrystallization. The ability to undercool such materials facilitates the drawing of fibers, since the viscosity of the liquid melt may be increased by decreasing the temperature of the melt to a value at which the optimum drawing viscosity is obtained.
The utility of silicate fibers is limited, however. For example, the presence of silicon oxide in the silicate fibers leads to increased absorption of infrared radiation relative to fluoride materials, chalcogenide materials and to other oxide materials such as aluminum oxide or yttrium-aluminum oxide, the silicates do not conduct electricity, the silicates limit laser action of laser active dopants, and the silicates may be chemically reactive towards matrix materials in high temperature composite materials. These and other limitations inherent in silicates have led to the development of many alternative fiber forming methods, some of which are described below.
Containerless Systems for Melt-Drawn Fibers
Another means of increasing the range or the purity of materials from which drawn fibers may be produced is to use a containerless system. Containerless systems typically involve the levitation of a liquid drop, or small amounts of solid material, by generating forces on the levitated specimen which compensate for the force of gravity. The forces used to levitate the specimens may be produced by aerodynamic, electromagnetic, acoustic, electrostatic and any other means or combination of means of levitating specimens.
One such containerless system involves separating the liquid from the surface of a container used to shape, position, or mold the liquid. The separation occurs by means of a gaseous film formed by gas permeating through the wall of the container. This method is generally applicable to relatively large masses of liquid. This method has been used to levitate molten mixtures of metal fluorides and to draw fibers from the fluoride melts, whose viscosity is sufficiently high at temperatures above the equilibrium melting temperature to permit the drawing of fluoride fibers. In this way, fluoride fibers of a greater purity are obtained than would be possible if the melts were held in a container, which would dissolve when exposed to the corrosive fluoride liquid and contaminate the melt.
Another containerless system for drawing fibers involves use of a levitation furnace apparatus which levitates a material, heats and melts the material, initiates drawing of the material and results in the drawing of a fiber from the levitated liquid, which is cooled as it is drawn from the levitated liquid.
Yet another system involves an apparatus and method for drawing optical glass fibers from the molten tip of a glass precursor in a self-supported, containerless environment. The method employs melting of the glass precursor rod in a temperature gradient furnace such that a liquid drop forms at the end of the rod and a fiber is drawn from the melt. The process, however, requires a microgravity environment, and is not useful for melts which exhibit low surface tensions.
Containerless conditions may, also be obtained by the use of an aero-acoustic levitator (xe2x80x9cAALxe2x80x9d). An AAL levitates the-liquid drops from which fibers may be drawn by the use of aerodynamic forces from a gas jet, and the levitated sample is stabilized by application of acoustic forces from a three-axis acoustic positioning system. This method is generally used to levitate specimens with diameters in the range of approximately 0.25 cm to approximately 0.35 cm, although larger and smaller specimens may also be levitated by using this method.
Devices used to levitate 0.25 to 0.40 cm diameter specimens include, for example, conical nozzle levitation (xe2x80x9cCNLxe2x80x9d) devices in which a levitation gas flow passes through a plenum chamber, through a nozzle and over the specimen, levitating the specimen. The levitated specimen is then heated and melted with a laser beam.
Other Fiber-Forming Methods
In addition to drawing fibers, several other processes have been developed to form fibers from low viscosity melts. One such process is the xe2x80x9cedge-defined film-fed growth technique,xe2x80x9d in which a single crystal fiber is formed by crystallization of liquid. The diameter of the fiber formed is determined by interfacial forces and by the diameter of a small orifice in the container that supplies the liquid.
Another process is the xe2x80x9cpedestal growth technique.xe2x80x9d In this process, the end of a small rod of starting material is melted by the application of focused laser beam heating, and a smaller diameter single crystal filament is drawn from the melt. Careful control of the linear growth rate of the filament and of the heat transfer conditions at the point of crystallization allows fibers to be formed by crystallization of the melt. An advantage of this process relative to the edge-defined film-fed growth technique is that higher purity materials can be made because no container is required.
The materials to which the edge-defined film-fed growth technique and the pedestal growth technique have been applied include aluminum oxide, yttrium aluminum garnet, ceramic superconductor materials, and others. Single crystal filaments are obtained, with chemical compositions of the fibers equal to the chemical composition that is in equilibrium with the melt. The resulting fibers are typically of 50-100 micrometers (xe2x80x9cxcexcxe2x80x9d) or larger in diameter and the linear growth rates at which the fibers are formed are typically less than 1 cm/second. In contrast, however, non-crystalline fibers drawn from viscous melts can be made with diameters less than 1 micrometer or larger, and the fibers are formed at very high rates of several hundred cm/second.
Yet another process for forming fibers and filaments from melts of low viscosity employs extrusion of the liquid as a free stream into an atmosphere which forms a stabilizing film on the stream, after which solidification occurs within the stabilizing film. For example, low viscosity melts may be extruded into a hydrocarbon atmosphere where a solid carbon film is formed on the liquid stream. However, the fibers formed by this method are contaminated by the carbon sheath, which must be removed in subsequent processes, and may also be contaminated by interaction with the container material.
In addition, the technique of-chemical vapor deposition (xe2x80x9cCVDxe2x80x9d) has been used to form small diameter filaments of one material deposited on a core fiber of another material. Examples of commercially available CVD filaments are boron filaments deposited on thin tungsten substrate fibers and silicon carbide filaments deposited on carbon fiber substrates. These filaments are typically of 100 micrometers in diameter or larger. Laser CVD also can be performed in which fibers are formed at the focus of a laser beam, inside a CVD reactor. Laser CVD has been used to make pure fibers of boron, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, silicon, germanium, and carbon, with diameters of approximately 10 micrometers or larger. However, Laser CVD is a slow process in which the fibers are formed at linear growth rates of 0.1 cm/second or slower.
It thus would be advantageous to have a method for drawing fibers from materials which exhibit insufficient viscosities to permit fiber drawing at their equilibrium melting temperature. It would be additionally advantageous to have drawn fibers from materials which in the prior art are thought to be incompatible with a conventional fiber-drawing process. Additionally, it would be useful to have a means of minimizing recrystallization of molten materials during fiber drawing. Still further, it would also be advantageous to produce novel fibers from melts containing dissolved additives in larger concentrations than previously available in drawn fibers produced by conventional xe2x80x9cdopingxe2x80x9d operations, including fibers with additives whose concentrations exceed the equilibrium concentration of the additives in the fibers at the fiber crystallization temperature. Lastly, it would be advantageous to have a means of producing crystalline fibers with controlled chemical compositions.
The present invention provides a method for drawing fibers from liquids which exhibit insufficient viscosities for fiber drawing at and above the equilibrium melting temperatures. Further, the present invention provides novel draw fibers from materials which were thought to be incompatible with a fiber-drawing process. The present invention also provides a means of minimizing recrystallization of a bulk melt during fiber drawing. Still further, the present invention provides novel drawn fibers with high concentrations of additives as compared to conventionally drawn prior art fibers, including fibers with additives whose concentrations exceed the equilibrium concentration of the additives in the fibers at the fiber crystallization temperature. In addition, the present invention provides fibers of a higher tensile strength than prior art fibers of the same composition. Lastly, the present invention provides a means for producing crystalline fibers with controlled chemical compositions.
The present invention achieves these objectives by heating the desired materials until completely melted thus forming a melt, undercooling the melt until the proper viscosity is reached and maintaining the melt at the undercooled temperature, initiating fiber drawing by inserting a xe2x80x9cstingerxe2x80x9d into the melt and rapidly withdrawing the stinger from the melt, then finally drawing the fibers at the desired speed so that fibers of the desired composition and diameter are formed. If desired, crystalline fibers can be formed by heating the drawn fibers until crystallization occurs. The present invention also provides for drawing fibers from an undercooled melt held under either containerless conditions or within a container. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cundercooled meltxe2x80x9d refers to a melt or a portion of a melt that is held at an undercooled temperature (i.e., at a temperature below the melting temperature) during fiber drawing operations.

Glass fiber having compositions of alumina-lanthana and made from undercooled molten materials


A decomposed H.323 border element is disclosed that is useful for providing an entry point from one or more H.323-based networks into a SIP-based VoIP network. In one embodiment, the signaling element of the BE is separated into a separate functional entity from the media control element to facilitate a single signaling entity controlling multiple media entities. In another embodiment, the security element of the border element is also separated from the media control element so that firewall and network address translation elements may be performed by a separate functional entity. In a further embodiment, the media transcoding element is separated from the media control element. In a final embodiment, the internetworking facility between the SIP and H.323 element is separate from the H.323 gatekeeper elements.

Telecommunication services for voice and multimedia (e.g., audio, video, and data) have traditionally been provided using networking technologies such as public switched telephone networks (PSTN). Typically, in such networks, voice signals are converted to digital form and time division multiplexing (TDM) is used to allocate different conversations to periodic time slots. More recently, other networking technologies have been used to carry voice and multimedia information. Such technologies include internet protocol (IP), a formal set of rules for sending data across the internet; frame relay (FR), a telecommunication service providing variable-sized data packets for cost-efficient data transfer; and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), a high speed networking standard. Such networks provide a single, common and shared infrastructure, thus flexibly enabling a potentially wide variety of new applications and services for customers.
Networks using these technologies employ a variety of call control services using a variety of protocols, for example, integrated services digital network user part (ISUP)-over-TDM, H.323-over-IP and session initiation protocol (SIP)-over-IP. The H.323 standard is a comprehensive and very complex suite of protocols that provide specifications for real-time, interactive videoconferencing, data sharing and audio applications such as IP telephony. Alternatively, the SIP protocol is advantageous as it is a streamlined protocol developed specifically for IP telephony in view of popular web-based services. More efficient than H.323, SIP takes advantage of existing protocols to handle certain parts of the call control process. For example, Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP), or H.248 protocol, is used between the signaling call control entity and the media gateway entity in a master-slave scheme, while SIP works as a peer-to-peer protocol between the signaling entities (e.g., call entity of MGCP or H.248) along with an indication of what media needs to be used by the media entities. Therefore, SIP can take the advantage of the master-slave protocol like MGCP or H.248 that is being used to provide the media control function of the devices satisfying the needs of SIP in order to set up the session. It may be noted that the media devices may be connected to the circuit-switched based networks, like PSTN.
Regardless the standard, as traditional PSTN networks migrate toward other networking technologies and protocols they must interface with networks using differing protocols (e.g., traditional PSTN networks). However, developing a single common cost-efficient architecture for real-time communication services for audio, video, and data that supports multiple existing call control protocols (e.g., PSTN, SIP and H.323) is difficult.
Many telecommunications providers are selecting IP as the access technology for new telecommunications networks that carry voice, data and multimedia information. Such networks are often referred to as Voice over IP (VoIP) networks. Many such providers are using a core network that uses the SIP protocol for signaling and call flow operations. Such SIP-based VoIP networks are advantageous in that they use the same access technology (IP) as many other networks, such as the Internet, which facilitates transmitting information to a wide range of destinations. However, while SIP-based telecommunications networks are advantageous, not all networks and components support SIP. Different call control mechanisms/signaling protocols over the IP networks may use different communication protocols. Therefore, there is a need to permit SIP networks to coexist with more traditional networks, such as circuit-switched networks, and/or IP networks operating with a different protocol.
To address this need, some IP telecommunications networks rely on nodes referred to herein as border elements (BEs) to provide an interface between a a customer's premises into the VoIP network infrastructure. Such BE's are typically used to translate between the protocol of a customer network and the SIP protocol used by the VoIP network as a common call control signaling protocol among different functional entities of the VoIP common infrastructure. These BEs also perform a wide variety of other functions, including signaling, call admission control, media control and security functions.

Decomposed H.323 network border element for use in a voice-over-internet protocol network


A display module includes a panel frame, a display panel, a system frame, and a printed circuit board. The panel frame includes a baseplate having at least one edge, at least one sidewall located on the edge, at least one top wall adjacent to the sidewall, and a support element. An accommodating space is formed by the sidewall and the baseplate. The support element includes a first support portion and a second support portion connected to the first support portion. The support element extends from the edge of the baseplate toward the outside of the accommodating space. The display panel is disposed on the panel frame. The first support portion is disposed on the system frame. The printed circuit board is disposed on the second support portion.

Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a display module.
Description of Related Art
A liquid crystal (LC) display device generally includes an LC panel, a light guide plate, a reflective plate, and a rear bezel. The rear bezel can support the LC panel, the light guide plate, or optical films. The rear bezel needs to have a high strength for supporting these components and thus is often made of metal. The rear bezel usually has at least two ear portions respectively assembled to a printed circuit board and a system rear cover.
In general, the ear portion for engaging with the printed circuit board and the other ear portion for engaging with the system rear cover are formed by punching and bending, and the ear portion for engaging with the printed circuit board and the ear portion for engaging with the system rear cover are connected to the printed circuit board and the system rear cover, respectively. That is, the ear portion for engaging with the printed circuit board is separated from the ear portion for engaging with the system rear cover. However, the assembly of the printed circuit board requires the ear portion for engaging with the printed circuit board, but the assembly of the system rear cover requires the ear portion for engaging with the system rear cover. As such, it is inconvenient for users to assemble the printed circuit board and the system rear cover to the rear bezel. Moreover, since the ear portion for engaging with the printed circuit board is separated from the ear portion for engaging with the system rear cover, the process time of punching and bending the ear portions is increased.
In addition, the rear bezel adjacent to the ear portions normally suffers insufficient strength, such that when the LC panel is assembled to the rear bezel, the ear portions may be subjected to deformation from external forces so as to break the LC panel.


A physical random number generator has a bi-stable latch that operates to generate a random number bit in response to a reception of one or more voltage input signals and a clock signal. A voltage source provides the voltage input signal(s) for provoking the bi-stable latch into a metastable state. A clock provides the clock signal for triggering the bi-stable latch. When triggered, the bi-stable latch latches the random number bit as a function of its metastable state provoked by the voltage input signal(s).

FIG. 1 illustrates one possible way to provoke a metastable state of a bi-stable latch via one or more inputs to the bi-stable latch. When a voltage level of each input of the bi-stable latch equals or exceeds a high logic voltage level VHL, each output of the bi-stable latch can be pre-determined with a high degree of certainty (i.e., a stable state). Similarly, when a voltage level of each input of the bi-stable latch equals or is lower than a low logic voltage level VLL, each output of the bi-stable latch can again be pre-determined with a high degree of certainty. Conversely, when a voltage level of any input of the bi-stable latch is between the high logic voltage level VHL and the low logic voltage level VLL (i.e., an indeterminate range), each output of the bi-stable latch can't be pre-determined with any degree of certainty (i.e., the metastable state).
The present invention provokes a metastable state of a bi-stable latch as a basis of a physical random number generator. Various aspects of the present invention are novel, non-obvious, and provide various advantages. While the actual nature of the present invention covered herein can only be determined with reference to the claims appended hereto, certain features, which are characteristic of the embodiments disclosed herein, are described briefly as follows.
One form of the present invention is a physical random number generator comprising a voltage source, a clock, and a bi-stable latch. The voltage source operates to provide one or more voltage input signals for provoking the bi-stable latch into a metastable state. The clock operates to provide a clock signal for triggering the bi-stable latch. The bi-stable latch operates to latch a random number bit in response to a triggering of the bi-stable latch by the clock signal, the random number bit being a function of a provoking of the bi-stable latch into the metastable state by the voltage input signal(s).
The foregoing form as well as other forms, features and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the present invention rather than limiting, the scope of the present invention being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Latching electronic circuit for random number generation


Data from a string of multiple formation evaluation data sensor are evaluated. Based on the analysis, the logging speed is increased if all the sensors justify it, and is reduced if any of the sensors require a reduced logging speed.

Oil or gas wells are often surveyed to determine one or more geological, petrophysical, geophysical, and well production properties ("parameters of interest") using electronic measuring instruments conveyed into the borehole by an umbilical such as a cable, a wireline, slickline, drill pipe or coiled tubing. Tools adapted to perform such surveys are commonly referred to as formation evaluation tools. These tools use electrical, acoustical, nuclear and/or magnetic energy to stimulate the formations and fluids within the borehole and measure the response of the formations and fluids. The measurements made by downhole instruments are transmitted back to the surface. In many instances, multiple trips or logging runs are needed to collect the necessary data. Additionally, the logging speed is usually a predetermined fixed quantity.
In order to reduce the amount of rig time needed for wireline logging, it is common practice to run multiple sensors in a single run. FOCUS™, from Baker Atlas Incorporated, is such a high-efficiency open hole logging system. All of the downhole instruments have been redesigned, incorporating advanced downhole sensor technology, into shorter, lighter, more reliable logging instruments, capable of providing formation evaluation measurements with the same precision and accuracy as the industry's highest quality sensors, at much higher logging speeds. Logging speeds are up to twice the speed of conventional triple-combo and quad combo logging tool strings. Speeds of up to 3600 ft/hr (1080 m/min) are possible. The logging system may include four standard major open hole measurements (resistivity, density, neutron, acoustic) plus auxiliary services.
The resolution and accuracy of logging measurements is determined by the type of measurement and the type of formation being logged. The measurement may be tailored to the type of formation. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,098 to Coates et al. teaches a method and apparatus in which a variable time-window echo-recording system is used to obtain significant improvements in signal quality and logging speed. An initial test is performed to provide an assessment of the relaxation qualities of the sample. If the test reveals that the sample is a slow-relaxation rock, then the full time is allocated to measuring echoes. However, if the test reveals that the sample is a fast decay rock, then the echo acquisition time window is reduced. This provides increased efficiency since the system is able to maximize the number of measurements made by optimizing the individual sampling intervals to the particular geologic structure being tested.
Generally, prior art methods have conducted logging at a uniform logging speed. A fixed logging speed is used for the entire logging interval. This flies in the face of logic since reservoir intervals form only a small portion of the entire geologic section and it is only in reservoir intervals is it necessary to get precise and accurate measurements with high resolution: in the non-reservoir intervals, high precision and accuracy are not usually necessary.
It would be desirable to have a method and apparatus of logging a borehole in which the inefficiencies of the prior art are overcome. Such an invention should preferably be able to accommodate a variety of logging tools. The present invention satisfies this need.