Metal ions are added to a circuit (20, 30) for the reactor water or feed water of a nuclear plant. This is accomplished by dissolving a soluble metal compound the counter-ion of which is possible to decompose to gaseous products and water in water in a reaction vessel (41) in an equipment arrangement (40). The solution is subsequently conducted to a series of vessels (42) for the decomposition of the counter-ion. The solution is then possibly transformed to a mixture or a slurry which is conducted to a vessel (43) for degassing the gaseous products before the addition to the circuit (20, 30) for the reactor water or feed water.

It is most desirable to decrease the radiation doses to which the personnel at nuclear plants is subjected. A major part of these radiation doses is absorbed during the execution of overhaul, service and reparation operations when the nuclear plant is shut off, the personnel among other things being subjected to radiation doses while working with pumps, conduits and the like of a reactor water circuit outside the reactor core. The reason for this is that radioactive corrosion products are deposited on surfaces of system parts outside the very core. Co-60 stands for an absolutely major part of the radioactive radiation from these corrosion products. Furthermore, it has a half-life of 5.3 years, which means that it is not practically possible to decrease the level of the radioactive radiation by letting the personnel execute the work after the reactor has been shut off for a certain period.
In the reactor water circuit and a feed water circuit water causes precipitation of small amounts of material from the different components with which it comes into contact. A major part of these components are made of stainless steel from which iron, nickel and small amounts of cobalt are precipitated as ions and particles. In older nuclear plants certain components in the reactor and feed water circuits, such as valves, contain cobalt, which increases the amount of precipitated cobalt. The metals precipitated in the reactor water and the feed water are deposited in the shape of oxides, such as so called "crud", onto surfaces in the circuit. The crud-surfacing exists as different types of metal oxides, and these, as they for instance are located on cladding tubes for nuclear fuel, are subjected to a strong neutron radiation. Thereby, the metal atoms in the crud surfacing are transformed into isotopes, a part of these being radioactive. Particles fall off and ions are precipitated from the radioactive crud-surfacing and are in that way transferred to the water. Thereby, the particles and the ions are transported together with the reactor water to parts located outside the core and thereby spread radioactive material to those parts. The radioactive particles and the ions are then deposited as a secondary deposited crud-surfacing onto surfaces outside the core. Accordingly, a radioactive crud-surfacing is also produced outside the core, and it is this crud-surfacing that results in the personnel being subjected to radiation doses during service and reparation operations.
In order to restrain the formation of radioactive corrosion products on surfaces of system parts outside the core several, amongst other the following, approaches have been used. According to one approach the crud-surfacing on the fuel is affected such that it is transformed to oxide structures with low solubility, for example a spinel structure. Thereby, the reaction (I) may for instance be used EQU (Ni,Co)O+Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 .fwdarw.(Ni,Co)Fe.sub.2 O.sub.4 (I)
where (Ni,Co)O indicates nickel oxide contaminated with cobalt, Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 indicates hematite, and (Ni,Co)Fe.sub.2 O.sub.4 indicates structures of a spinel type, the two first mentioned having a higher solubility in water than the last one during operation conditions. To bring the reaction generally totally to the right, an excess of iron is secured by means of different methods. Thereby, substantially all cobalt ions will make part of the spinel structures, and thereby they will have a relatively low solubility in water, something that substantially decreases the spreading of radioactive corrosion products to system parts located outside the core. According to another approach, the cobalt ions and the cobalt atoms in the oxide surfacing are subjected to competition through an addition of zinc ions to the reactor water. The zinc and cobalt ions are then competing for the same seats in the oxide structures. Thereby, the zinc ions push the cobalt ions aside, and, therefore, Co60 is not absorbed so rapidly on the surfaces of the system parts. The cobalt ions in the water may then be removed during the usual continuous reactor water purification.
The reason for the possible shortage of iron (III) oxide in the reactor water during the reaction (I) is that the continuous condensate purification sometimes is too effective as to purification of iron. The striving for purifying the water as much as possible results in too large amounts of iron being removed, which results in an iron deficit in the reactor water. Therefore, according to Japanese prior art a part of the condensate is conducted past the purification plant in order to, in that way, decrease the amount of iron (III) oxide removed during purification. This method has the important disadvantage of also resulting in an increased amount of cobolt ions in the reactor water.
Another Japanese method according to prior art adds iron (III) oxide to the reactor water through anodic dissolution of iron.
Another method according to prior art adds iron (III) ions in the shape of iron (III) oxalate. The oxalate ion is thereby decomposed in the reactor. The method has the advantage that iron (III) oxalate is soluble in water while a decomposition of the oxalate ion only results in carbon dioxide and water, the carbon dioxide leaving the water in the shape of gas together with steam. A disadvantage is that, during the decomposition of the oxalate ion, carbonic acid is formed, which lowers the pH-value and thereby may result in attacks onto the construction material and the crud-surfacing. Furthermore, the oxalate ion is not decomposed momentarily, but remains a short time in the reactor water, and it is possible that, during this time, it may create problems concerning spreading of radioactivity and corrosion.
Prior art concerning addition of zinc ions to the reactor water or feed water in a nuclear plant provides a method where the zinc ions are added in the shape of organic salts and where the organic counter-ion is decomposed to gaseous products and water in the reactor. Just like the addition of iron in the shape of iron (III) oxalate, this method has the disadvantage of the counter-ion existing in the cooling water during a time period before it is decomposed, and organic acids and finally carbonic acid being formed during the decomposition.
Accordingly, prior art does not provide any accessible method that is substantially free from secondary effects and effective in preventing the deposition of radioactive corrosion products onto surfaces of system parts located outside the core.

Method of preventing the deposition of radioactive corrosion products in nuclear plants


A method for responding in an augmented reality (AR) application of a mobile device to an external sound is disclosed. The mobile device detects a target. A virtual object is initiated in the AR application. Further, the external sound is received, by at least one sound sensor of the mobile device, from a sound source. Geometric information between the sound source and the target is determined, and at least one response for the virtual object to perform in the AR application is generated based on the geometric information.

Recently, the use of mobile devices has increased widely due to their convenience in portability and functionality. At the same time, consumers' demand for entertainment and reality applications has increased with the widespread use of the mobile devices. In order to provide entertainment and reality applications, some mobile devices provide augmented reality technology.
Augmented reality ("AR") is a type of virtual reality that aims to merge real-world environment with digital information. Unlike a typical virtual reality which provides a virtual object in a virtual space, an augmented reality system generates a composite view that combines a real-world image viewed by the user and a computer-generated image to augment the real-world image with additional information.
In addition to providing a visual augmented reality, some AR environments have provided a capability to recognize an external sound of the mobile device. However, such AR environments typically have not adequately reflected the external sound environment. Accordingly, these AR environments may not provide sufficient level of reality for the users. For example, in a conventional AR environment, an AR object may only react as though all external sounds originate from the mobile device. Therefore, such AR applications have not provided satisfactory augmented reality experience for users.

Augmented reality with sound and geometric analysis


An image forming apparatus comprising first and second image bearing members, an intermediate transfer belt, a secondary transfer unit, a belt contacting and separating unit, a supporting member, and a separating unit, wherein, when the toner images are primarily transferred from the first and second image bearing members onto the intermediate transfer belt in a state where the intermediate transfer belt is in contact with the first and second image bearing members, the separating unit separates the supporting member from the intermediate transfer belt, and when the toner image is primarily transferred from the second image bearing member onto the intermediate transfer belt in a state where the intermediate transfer belt is away from the first image bearing member, the supporting member supports an inner surface of the intermediate transfer belt between the first and second image bearing members.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for transferring a toner image onto a recording material by using a belt member for directly or indirectly conveying the toner image. More particularly, the invention relates to such a technique that a disturbance of a toner image which is conveyed is prevented by controlling a supporting member for supporting a belt member.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus in which toner images of separating colors formed on photosensitive drums are overlaid and transferred onto an intermediate transfer belt and a full-color image is formed has been put into practical use. An image forming apparatus in which toner images of different separating colors are overlaid and transferred onto a recording material which has been adsorbed onto a recording material conveying belt and conveyed thereby and a full-color image is formed has also been put into practical use. A full-color image forming apparatus in which a photosensitive drum to form a toner image of black is arranged on the most downstream side, and in the case of forming a monochrome image, only the photosensitive drum to form the black toner image is used has also been put into practical use.
Image forming apparatuses in each of which a belt member is separated from image bearing members for forming toner images of separating colors other than black and a monochrome image is formed by a photosensitive drum on the most downstream side have been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2001-249519, 2004-117426, and 2005-62642. The belt member is separated and the photosensitive drums and a charging apparatus which are not concerned with the image forming are stopped, thereby preventing an unnecessary mechanical abrasion and saving electric power consumption.
A supporting roller for supporting an inside surface of the belt member and keeping a contacting position of the belt member on the photosensitive drum on the most downstream side constant is arranged between the two photosensitive drums located on the most downstream side. When the monochrome image is formed, the belt member is bent and supported by the supporting roller on the downstream side separated from a plurality of photosensitive drums.
In the image forming apparatuses disclosed in the above-identified patent documents, it has been found that when the color image is formed by circulating the intermediate transfer belt, a disturbance occurs in the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt. As will be described hereinafter, it has been confirmed that in the case of circulating the intermediate transfer belt, when the belt passes through the supporting roller, an uneven charge occurs in the intermediate transfer belt and the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt is scattered. Specifically, a toner scattering phenomenon of a thin line image or a lateral striped flutter in a halftone image occurs.

Image forming apparatus with multiple image forming modes


Methods and systems are provided for vehicles having a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS). A first sensor is configured to measure an ambient temperature for the vehicle. A second sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the RESS. The processor is coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor, and is configured to at least facilitate taking an action based on an expected degradation of the RESS after vehicle key-off based at least in part on the ambient temperature and the RESS temperature.

Many vehicles today, including battery electric vehicles, include rechargeable energy storage systems (RESS) (for example, high voltage vehicle batteries) that provide energy for propulsion of the vehicle. However, an RESS can be affected by environmental temperatures after vehicle key-off. For example, the RESS may experience degradation after prolonged exposure to extreme cold temperatures.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide improved methods and systems for managing RESS for vehicles, for example with respect to possible degradation from environmental temperatures. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will be apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Rechargeable energy storage system management for vehicles


Embodiments of the present invention provide methods for depositing a nitrogen-containing material on large-sized substrates disposed in a processing chamber. In one embodiment, a method includes processing a batch of substrates within a processing chamber to deposit a nitrogen-containing material on a substrate from the batch of substrates, and performing a seasoning process at predetermined intervals during processing the batch of substrates to deposit a conductive seasoning layer over a surface of a chamber component disposed in the processing chamber. The chamber component may include a gas distribution plate fabricated from a bare aluminum without anodizing. In one example, the conductive seasoning layer may include amorphous silicon, doped amorphous silicon, doped silicon, doped polysilicon, doped silicon carbide, or the like.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an amorphous silicon (a-Si) seasoning process for silicon nitride film deposited on large-sized substrates in a batch process using a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the primary steps in the fabrication of modern semiconductor devices is the formation of a thin film on a semiconductor substrate by chemical reaction of gases. Such a deposition process is referred to as chemical vapor deposition or CVD. Conventional thermal CVD processes supply reactive gases to the substrate surface where heat-induced chemical reactions take place to produce a desired film.
An alternative method of depositing layers over a substrate includes plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD) techniques. Plasma enhanced CVD techniques promote excitation and/or dissociation of the reactant gases by the application of radio frequency (RF) energy to a reaction zone near the substrate surface, thereby creating a plasma. The high reactivity of the species in the plasma reduces the energy required for a chemical reaction to take place, and thus lowers the temperature required for such CVD processes as compared to conventional thermal CVD processes. The relatively low temperature of some PECVD processes helps semiconductor manufacturers lower the overall thermal budget in the fabrication of some integrated circuits.
One type of material that semiconductor manufacturers commonly deposit using PECVD techniques is silicon nitride. Silicon nitride films are used for a variety of different purposes in integrated circuits. For example, a silicon nitride film may be used as an insulating layer around transistor gates or a barrier layer between a premetal dielectric layer and the semiconductor substrate.
With the rapid growth in the large area panels, the ever-increasing substrate sizes create significant manufacturing challenges relative to reliable wafer-to-wafer repeatability and uniformity of deposited material layers. For example, in the conventional batch process for PECVD-deposited SiN films, differences in the rate of dissociation of precursor gases, fluctuations in the chamber pressure (which may occur when reactant species are introduced into the chamber), and/or increased chamber temperature may result in deposition rate variation and thus poor film thickness uniformity after the initial substrate is processed. As can be seen in FIG. 3, which illustrates a graph showing the film deposition rate (in Å/min) and film uniformity rate (in %) for a PECVD-deposited SiN film vary inconsistently as a function of the number of the substrates being processed. The thickness and the electrical properties of the film can vary across the diameter of each substrate and can also vary from substrate to substrate. It has been reported that this non-uniformity is even more severe for larger substrates of size measuring approximately about 3 meter by 3 meter in scale. Non-uniformity of the deposited layers limits yield and productivity of the deposition process, as well as overall performance of the integrated circuits.
While a frequent chamber cleaning (e.g., every 1-2 substrates) may be performed to stabilize the chamber conditions and thus improve the film thickness uniformity, the frequent chamber cleaning would reduce the overall throughput of the production line. Therefore, there is a need for depositing a silicon nitride material on large-sized substrates with better film uniformity and reliable repeatability while maintaining the substrate throughput.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

A-Si seasoning effect to improve SiN run-to-run uniformity


A hydraulic system for a marine vessel incorporates a single hydraulic pump that can be driven by either first or second motive devices, such as an internal combustion engine or an electric motor. Depending on the circumstances, the pressure required by the hydraulic system is provided by the pump when it is driven by either the first or second motive devices. As a result, only two motive devices can provide the necessary driving capacity for the hydraulic pump under all operating circumstances, including those when the engine is not running.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to a hydraulic system for a marine vessel and, more particularly, to a hydraulic system that uses two alternative motive devices to drive a hydraulic pump which maintains a preselected pressure in a hydraulic system to which a plurality of hydraulic components are connected.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many different types of hydraulic systems are known to those skilled in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,192, which issued to Dunn on May 5, 1981, describes an auxiliary hydraulic maneuvering system for small boats. A hydraulic pump driven by any suitable power source, such as by an electric motor energized from a storage battery, supplies water under hydraulic pressure by way of a control valve unit to a plurality of pairs of downwardly and outwardly-inclined nozzles disposed at various locations around the boat's hull above the water line thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,662, which issued to Hedlund et al. on Apr. 29, 2003, describes a hydraulic system in a boat hull, preferably a boat hull having an outboard drive. An hydraulic installation in a boat hull is described for swinging a propeller rig pivotably suspended in a shell on a boat transom using a piston-cylinder device arranged in a hydraulic control circuit. A control valve included in the hydraulic circuit for controlling the flow to and from the hydraulic cylinder is sealingly mounted in a through-opening in the shell, so that one side of the valve faces outwardly towards the propeller rig in order to be subjected to water spray during driving and serve as an oil cooler.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,400, which issued to Theophanides on Dec. 19, 1995, describes a hydraulic power system for a boat. The system comprises a marine thruster assembly. A structure is for mounting the marine thruster assembly to an external surface of a transom on the boat. A first hydraulic operative facility is for propelling the marine thruster assembly, so that the boat can travel in a body of water. A second hydraulic operative facility is for steering the marine thruster assembly, so that the boat can be directed on a course in the body of water. A third hydraulic operative facility is for lifting the marine thruster assembly out of the body of water for inspection and repair when needed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,035, which issued to Ferguson on Oct. 6, 1987, describes a marine propulsion device hydraulic system. The device comprises a propulsion unit adapted to be pivotally mounted on the transom of a boat for pivotal movement relative to the transom about a steering axis, the propulsion unit including a rotatably mounted propeller, an engine including a throttle lever, and a shiftable transmission drivingly connecting the engine to the propeller and including a shift lever, a hydraulic shift assist system connected to the shift lever for actuation thereof, a hydraulic throttle assist system connected to the throttle lever for actuation thereof, a hydraulic fluid reservoir, a pump communicating with the reservoir, a supply conduit communicating between the pump and the shift assist system, a supply conduit communicating between the shift assist system and the throttle assist system, and a return conduit communicating between the throttle assist system and the reservoir.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,610, which issued to Kim on Apr. 15, 2003, describes a parallel-operated hydraulic motor type stern propulsion apparatus for boats and hydraulic system for controlling the same. The parallel-operated motor type stern propulsion apparatus for boats and hydraulic system is described. The stern propulsion apparatus includes a transom box disposed at the stern of a boat. A propulsion body situated in the transom body to be lifted and steered is described in combination with the propulsion body which includes an upper body supported by a lifting shaft transversly fitted into the transom box, a yoke connected to the lower body, and two lower bodies each attached to each of the lower ends of the yoke.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,771, which issued to Buckley et al. on Aug. 14, 2001, discloses a control system for a marine vessel. The control system incorporates a marine propulsion system that can be attached to a marine vessel and connected in signal communication with a serial communication bus and a controller. A plurality of input devices and output devices are also connected in signal communication with the communication bus and a bus access manager, such as a CAN Kingdom network, is connected in signal communication with the controller to regulate the incorporation of additional devices to the plurality of devices in signal communication with the bus whereby the controller is connected in signal communication with each of the plurality of devices on the communication bus. The input and output devices can each transmit messages to the serial communication bus for receipt by other devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,914,939, which issued to Purdy on Oct. 28, 1975, describes a pressure compensated pump. A control circuit for regulating the output of a variable displacement pump in response to the total demand called for by a plurality of manually operable fluid motor control valves is described. Each motor control valve has an associated flow control valve connected in series with it. The flow control valves are connected in series with each other, each dividing the flow which it receives between its associated motor control valve and the next downstream flow control valve.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,623, which issued to Channing on Jan. 29, 2002, describes a variable orifice, pressure compensated automated fuel jet pump. The pump is provided with a first chamber having a rear end sealed from a front body by a pressure communicative boundary. The first chamber front end has an inlet fluidly connected with a source of pressurized fluid. The first chamber front end also has a nozzle outlet. A second chamber is provided having a first inlet fluidly connected with the first chamber outlet. The second chamber has a second inlet fluidly connected with a sump. The second chamber has a delivery outlet. A valve member is operatively associated with the first chamber boundary for controlling a flow from the first chamber inlet through the first chamber outlet. A position of the valve member with respect to the first chamber outlet is responsive to a pressure differential between the first chamber front end and the rear end.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,326, which issued to Lagana et al. on Jan. 8, 1974, describes a pressure compensated pump. A constant pressure fluid source is provided by operating a balanced variable displacement vane pump as a pressure compensated device. The pressure differential across the pump is sensed and employed to hydraulically and automatically control pump displacement by adjusting the position of the movable seal blocks with respect to the rotor to thereby regulate flow in the interest of maintaining the desired output pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,452, which issued to Kubilos on Sep. 15, 1981, describes a pressure compensated pump. The pump has a pressure compensator valve connected to a stroking piston. When the discharge pressure exceeds a set maximum, the compensator valve connects pressure fluid to the stroking piston to reduce the displacement of the pump. The flow of pressure fluid to the stroking piston is accompanied by a concurrent flow of fluid to case.
The patents described above are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in the description of the present invention.
In a marine vessel hydraulic system, those skilled in the art are familiar with many devices that are operated through the use of hydraulic pressure. However, marine vessel hydraulic systems typically utilize numerous hydraulic pumps which are each designated to operate one hydraulic device. As an example, a hydraulic pump can be driven by a belt system connected in torque transmitting relation with the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine. Alternatively, some hydraulic devices are provided with an individual hydraulic pump driven by a dedicated electric motor. In a typical arrangement, a hydraulic pump used for a hydraulic steering system is driven by belts connected to the internal combustion engine. The power trim system of the marine propulsion unit is typically driven by a hydraulic pump that is operated by a dedicated electric motor connected to a battery. When the internal combustion engine is not operating, stand alone hydraulic pumps are driven by stand alone electric motors to provide hydraulic pressure to operate various systems, such as the power trim system which is needed to raise the marine propulsion device upwardly relative to the transom of the boat.
It would be beneficial to the hydraulic system of a marine vessel if a single hydraulic system could be provided with a single pressure compensated pump that can supply hydraulic pressure to numerous hydraulic devices on the marine vessel. This would provide savings and avoid the redundant provision of numerous hydraulic pumps which are each dedicated to their own motive device.

Marine propulsion system with pressure compensated hydraulic supply capability


There is provided a spherical mechanism robot assembly for accessing a confined space in a vehicle, to perform confined space operation(s) in the vehicle. The assembly includes a base structure configured for attachment to the vehicle. The assembly includes a spherical mechanism structure having a first end attached to the base structure, and having a second end. The spherical mechanism structure includes a plurality of mechanical links, joints coupling the plurality of mechanical links together, and a plurality of actuators having one or more actuators coupled at each joint of the plurality of joints. The assembly includes an end effector attached to the second end of the spherical mechanism structure. The assembly is configured such that a majority portion remains outside of the confined space, while a remaining portion of the assembly accesses and occupies the confined space in the vehicle, to perform the confined space operation(s) in the vehicle.

In the manufacture and assembly of vehicles, such as aircraft, various operations including fastening operations, drilling operations, sealing operations, inspecting operations, and other types of operations, are typically performed. Such operations may require accessing confined spaces, for example, inside an aircraft wing, inside a horizontal stabilizer, inside a vertical stabilizer, or inside another aircraft structure.
A known method for performing such confined space operations in a vehicle, such as an aircraft, includes a human operator accessing the aircraft structure through an access port formed in the aircraft structure, the human operator crawling into an interior of a confined space in the aircraft structure, and the human operator manually performing the confined space operations. However, such known method may be time consuming and may affect build rates. Moreover, such known method may have ergonomic challenges. In addition, for aircraft with small wings, such known method may not allow the human operator to access the interior of the confined space due to space and size constraints within the confined space.
Other known systems and methods for performing such confined space operations in vehicles, such as aircraft, include the use of large robot assemblies to access the interior of a confined space in the aircraft structure through the access port, and to automatically or robotically perform the confined space operations. However, such known large robot assemblies may be bulky and may require large systems to be positioned on the mechanical links, hinged joints, and actuators inside the confined space in the aircraft structure. With a considerable amount of equipment of the robot assembly required to be inside the confined space, it may be difficult to navigate past support structures, such as stringers, to perform operations inside the confined space, and it may be difficult positioning the robot assembly within the confined space. Moreover, such known large robot assemblies may be very heavy (i.e., greater than 50-100 pounds), and may be difficult to manually lift, or may require additional lift equipment to move the robot assemblies to the aircraft structure.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an assembly, system, and method for robotically and automatically accessing a confined space in a vehicle, to perform one or more confined space operations in a vehicle, such as an aircraft, that avoid the need for human operators to crawl into a confined space and perform the confined space operations, that are lightweight, that have a majority portion of the assembly outside of the confined space, and that provide advantages over known assemblies, systems, and methods.

Spherical mechanism robot assembly, system, and method for accessing a confined space in a vehicle to perform confined space operations


A process for cooking a food product in a treatment chamber is shown, wherein the treatment chamber having two opposite walls each forming an electrode. The process comprises the steps of: (a) placing the food product, optionally in a surrounding liquid, in direct contact with the electrodes; and (b) applying electric pulses generated by a pulsed electric field generator to the electrodes such that the food product is subjected to a pulsed electric field having a field strength of 10-180 V/cm. The total cooking time is 0.5-1000 seconds. Preferably, the number of pulses n is 1-2000000 and the pulses each have a duration τi of 1-20000 μseconds. The food product and, if present, the surrounding liquid, has an electric conductivity of 0.01-10 S/m. Also provided is a cooking system suitable for cooking a food product according to the process.

The use of pulsed electric fields (PEF) for the treatment of food products is known. It is in particularly known to destroy micro-organisms with high voltage bipolar pulses. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,041 for example is disclosed a method for inactivating microorganisms in solid and semi-solid food products by treating the food products with high voltage electric pulses of 20-100 kV/cm. In the process of U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,041, the food product is placed in a treatment chamber with horizontal electrodes and the pulses have a very high frequency, i.e. a short pause time between two pulses, and are preferably changing polarity. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,978 is disclosed a process wherein a continuous flow of liquid food product is subjected to a high voltage electric field treatment in order to inactivate vegetative and bacterial spore microorganisms.
It is further known to use PEF as a non-thermal treatment for altering the texture of food products. In WO 2006/121397 a process for the treatment of potatoes and other root vegetables with electric pulses is disclosed, wherein the strength of the electric field applied is such that pores are created in the membranes of the plant cellular material (electroporation). Thus, the mechanical stress during a subsequent cutting or slicing step is reduced. The process of WO 2006/121397 is a continuous process using a relatively low electric field strengths of 0.2-10 kV/cm, low number of pulses of 1-500, and relatively low temperatures. Under these process conditions, starch does not yet gelatinise, such that no cooking is accomplished. WO 2011/139144 describes PEF cooking using field strengths of 0.2-20 kV/cm and up to 10000 pulses.
Using PEF to cause electroporation of cell membranes of potatoes is also known from Lebkova et al. (J. Food Eng 2005, 69, 177-184). PEF is performed in the absence of ohmic heating, and no cooking to obtain a ready-to-eat food product is accomplished.

Low field strength PEF cooking process and system


A sense amplifier driver activates a plurality of sense amplifiers coupled to respective digit lines in each of a plurality of memory-cell arrays. The sense amplifiers each have first and second activation nodes. The sense amplifier driver includes a plurality of drive circuits each coupled to the first and second activation nodes of the sense amplifiers in at least one of the memory-cell arrays. The first activation nodes of the sense amplifiers in at least one of the memory-cell arrays are coupled to a plurality of drive circuits so that the plurality of drive circuits drive the first activation nodes of the sense amplifiers in at least one of the memory-cell arrays in parallel.

In modern semiconductor memories, the desire to lower power consumption has resulted in a decrease in the magnitude of a supply voltage V.sub.CC which provides power to the memories. All electronic systems typically benefit from lower power consumption, particularly portable systems which are battery powered. When the supply voltage V.sub.CC decreases, reference voltage circuitry in the memory that develops reference voltages having a values which are a function of the supply voltage accordingly develop reference voltages having different values. For example, in many semiconductor memories digit lines are biased and equilibrated to a voltage equal to the supply voltage V.sub.CC divided by two. In this situation, a change in the supply voltage from 5 volts to 3.3 volts results in the bias voltage changing from 2.5 volts to 1.65 volts. Such a decrease in the bias voltage may affect the operation of circuitry in the memory that utilizes the bias voltage during operation.
One type of circuit that may be affected by a decrease in the bias voltage is a sense amplifier circuit. In a typical dynamic random access memory ("DRAM"), a sense amplifier circuit senses data stored in a memory cell by sensing a voltage differential between a pair of complementary digit lines associated with the memory cell as known in the art. The sense amplifier circuit senses the voltage differential and drives the digit line at the higher voltage to approximately the supply voltage V.sub.CC and the digit line at the lower voltage to approximately zero volts. Typically, the sense amplifier circuit includes NMOS and PMOS transistors coupled between the digit lines. When the supply voltage V.sub.CC decreases, the threshold voltages V.sub.T of these transistors may prevent the sense amplifier circuit from driving the digit lines to the desired voltages as will be explained in more detail below.
FIG. 1 is a schematic of a conventional sense amplifier 10 which senses the data stored in a memory cell 12 coupled to one of a pair of complementary digit lines DL and DL. A sense amplifier drive circuit 14 activates the sense amplifier 10 in response to a pair of activation signals NLAT and PSENSE, and a bias and equilibration circuit 16 biases and equilibrates the voltages on the digit lines DL and DL to a bias voltage V.sub.CC /2 in response to an equilibration signal EQ. The memory cell 12 is a conventional DRAM memory cell including an access transistor 18 receiving a word line signal WL and operable, when activated, to couple one plate of a storage capacitor 20 to the digit line DL. Data is stored in the memory cell 12 in the form of a charge on the storage capacitor 120, which receives a cell plate voltage V.sub.CC /2 on its other plate. Typically, the memory cell 12 stores a binary 1 as a charge on the storage capacitor 20 causing the voltage on the plate coupled to the access transistor 18 to equal V.sub.CC, and a binary 0 as a charge causing the same voltage to equal zero volts.
The sense amplifier 10 is a conventional sense amplifier including a pair of NMOS transistors 22 and 24 and a pair of PMOS transistors 26 and 28 coupled between a pair of data terminals 27 and 29. A pair of isolation transistors 31 and 33 couple the data terminals 27 and 29 to the complementary digit lines DL and DL, respectively, in response to an isolation signal ISO. The interconnected sources of the transistors 22 and 24 form an activation node 30, and the interconnected sources of the transistors 26 and 28 form an activation node 32. An NMOS drive transistor 34 in the drive circuit 14 couples the activation node 30 to ground in response to the signal NLAT received on it gate, and a PMOS drive transistor 36 couples the activation node 32 to the supply voltage V.sub.CC in response to the signal PSENSE received on its gate. The bias and equilibration circuit 16 includes an NMOS equilibration transistor 38 that equalizes the voltages on the digit lines DL and DL and two NMOS bias transistors 40 and 42 that drive the voltages on the digit lines DL and DL, respectively, to the bias voltage V.sub.CC /2, all of these transistors being activated by the equilibration signal EQ received on their gates.
In operation, before data is read from the memory cell 12, a control circuit (not shown in FIG. 1) drives the signal EQ active, and drives the signals WL, ISO, NLAT, and PSENSE inactive. In the following description, the signal ISO remains inactive so the digit lines DL, DL remain coupled to the data terminals 27, 29, but one skilled in the art will realize the signal ISO may be used to selectively activate the transistors 31, 33 to enable sharing of the sense amplifier 10 by digit lines in adjacent memory-cell arrays (not shown in FIG. 1). In response to the active signal EQ, the bias and equilibration circuit 16 biases the voltages on the digit lines DL and DL to the bias voltage V.sub.CC /2. For the purposes of the following description, assume the memory cell 12 stores a binary 1 so the voltage on the plate of the storage capacitor 20 coupled to the access transistor 18 is at approximately V.sub.CC. After the voltages on the digit lines DL and DL have been biased at V.sub.CC /2, the control circuit deactivates the equilibration signal EQ. The control circuit thereafter activates the word line signal WL and charge flows from the storage capacitor 20 through the activated access transistor 18 and onto the digit line DL. In response to the charge transferred from the storage capacitor 20 to the digit line DL, the voltage on the digit line DL increases slightly above the bias voltage V.sub.CC /2. At this point, a voltage differential exists between the digit lines DL and DL since the voltage on the digit line DL is slightly greater than the bias voltage V.sub.CC /2 present on the digit line DL.
After the voltage differential has developed on the digit lines DL and DL, the control circuit activates the signal NLAT turning ON the drive transistor 34 and thereby coupling the activation node 30 to ground. When the drive transistor 34 couples the voltage on the activation node 30 to approximately ground, the transistors 22 and 24 turn ON. The transistor 24 turns ON harder than the transistor 22 due to the higher voltage on the digit line DL applied to its gate. As the transistor 24 turns ON, the voltage on the digit line DL goes to ground as charge flows from the digit line DL through the transistor 24 and through the drive transistor 34 to ground. The transistor 22 turns OFF as the voltage on the digit line DL applied to its gate goes to ground. In this way, the NMOS transistors 22 and 24 turn OFF and ON, respectively, driving the voltage on the digit line DL to ground. The NMOS transistors 22 and 24 are typically activated before the PMOS transistors 26 and 28 because they have lower threshold voltages V.sub.T as will be discussed in more detail below.
The control circuit thereafter activates the signal PSENSE turning ON the drive transistor 36 and thereby coupling the activation node 32 to the supply voltage V.sub.CC. When the drive transistor 36 couples the voltage on the activation node 32 to approximately V.sub.CC, the transistors 26 and 28 turn ON. The transistor 26 turns ON much harder than the transistor 28 due to the voltage of approximately zero volts on the digit line DL applied to its gate. As the transistor 26 turns ON, the voltage on the digit line DL goes to the supply voltage V.sub.CC as charge flows from the supply voltage V.sub.CC through the drive transistor 36 and through the transistor 26 to the digit line DL. In this way, the transistors 26 and 28 turn ON and OFF, respectively, driving the voltage on the digit line DL to the supply voltage V.sub.CC. The sense amplifier 10 has at this point driven the voltages on the digit lines DL and DL high and low, respectively, corresponding to the binary 1 stored in the memory cell 12.
The schematic of FIG. 1 illustrates the single sense amplifier 10 coupled to the drive circuit 14. In a typical DRAM, however, the drive circuit 14 may be coupled to the nodes 30 and 32 of hundreds or even thousands of sense amplifiers 10 depending on the number of columns of memory cells in a memory-cell array. When thousands of activation nodes 30 are coupled to the single drive transistor 34, current flows from thousands of digit lines DL through the associated transistors 24 and then through the drive transistor 34. The activated drive transistor 34 presents a source-to-drain resistance which, although relatively small, may result in significant voltage drop across the transistor 34 due to the current from the thousands of digit lines DL. The voltage drop across the drive transistor 34 corresponds to the voltage on node 30 and may not exceed a maximum allowable voltage, as will be explained in more detail below.
In the sense amplifier 10, the difference between the voltage on the digit line DL applied to the gate of the transistor 24 and the voltage on the node 30 corresponds to the gate-to-source voltage of the transistor 24. The gate-to-source voltage of the transistor 24 must be greater than the threshold voltage V.sub.T to turn ON the transistor, as known for MOS transistors. As previously explained, when thousands of transistors 24 are activated, the voltage drop on node 30 may rise above ground due to the source-to-drain resistance of the drive transistor 34. If the voltage on the node 30 becomes greater than the voltage on the digit line DL minus the threshold voltage V.sub.T, the transistor 24 turns OFF because its gate-to-source voltage is less than the threshold voltage V.sub.T. For proper operation of the sense amplifier 10, the transistor 24 must remain active to drive the voltage on the digit line DL to ground. The same potential problem exists for the transistor 22, but typically not for the transistors 26 and 28 since the activated one of these transistors has approximately zero volts applied to its gate as a result of one of the transistors 22 and 24 being activated first. The zero volts on the gate of the activated one of the transistors 26 and 28 typically ensures a gate-to-source voltage greater than V.sub.T even for relatively large voltage drops across the drive transistor 36.
The maximum voltage that can develop on the node 30 without turning OFF the transistor 24 is a function of the magnitude of the bias voltage V.sub.CC /2, which, in turn, is a function of the magnitude of the supply voltage V.sub.CC. For example, if the supply voltage V.sub.CC equals 5 volts and the threshold voltage V.sub.T equals 0.7 volts, the maximum voltage allowable on the node 30 equals 2.5 volts minus 0.7 volts or 1.8 volts. When the supply voltage V.sub.CC is 3.3 volts, the maximum voltage allowable on the node 30 equals 1.65 volts minus 0.7 volts or 0.95 volts. Thus, as the supply voltage V.sub.CC decreases the maximum voltage allowable on the node 30 decreases accordingly.
The source-to-drain resistance and resulting voltage drop across the drive transistor 34 becomes more critical at low supply voltages V.sub.CC because the maximum voltage allowable on the node 30 decreases as the supply voltage V.sub.CC decreases. One way to reduce the voltage drop across the drive transistor 34 is to increase the physical dimensions of the drive transistor and thereby reduce its resistance. This approach is limited, however, by physical space constraints on the semiconductor substrate in which the DRAM is formed. The drive transistors 34 and 36 are typically formed in gap-cell regions on the semiconductor substrate defined between adjacent banks of sense amplifiers at the corners of memory-cell arrays as understood by one skilled in the art. The size of the gap-cell regions limits the maximum physical dimensions of the drive transistors. Moreover, in modern DRAMs the size of the gap-cell regions is decreasing in response to corresponding decreases in the size of other circuitry on the DRAM resulting, in part, from advances in semiconductor process technology.
There is a need for a sense amplifier drive circuit that enables sense amplifier circuits to quickly and reliably sense data stored in addressed memory cells in a semiconductor memory having a reduced supply voltage.

Method and circuit for sharing sense amplifier drivers


Methods and associated apparatus for semi-continuous casting of hollow ingots are described. In one embodiment a method for the semi-continuous casting of a metallic hollow ingot is provided. The method includes providing a mold that includes a mold center having an inner pipe and an outer pipe arranged to form an annular space for a cooling media and an outer mold, circulating a cooling media in the annular space, feeding a source material to the mold, heating the source material to produce a molten material, moving the mold center progressively downward relative to the outer mold, and solidifying the molten material to form a hollow ingot. Embodiments relating to an apparatus for semi-continuous casting of hollow ingots, and products resulting from the semi-continuous casting of hollow ingots are also described.

I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the casting of hollow ingots such as for use in the production of large diameter casings or pipes. More particularly, the disclosed invention relates to a method and apparatus for the semi-continuous casting of metallic hollow ingots and products resulting therefrom.
II. Background of the Related Art
Conventionally, the production of large diameter casings or pipes or rolled rings typically required the initial manufacture of a large diameter ingot followed by forging to produce a smaller diameter billet. The billet is then pierced to create a tubular preform and the tubular perform is then extruded to form the casing or pipe or rolled to form a ring. However, if it were possible to directly cast the tubular preform, significant downstream processing time and expense could be avoided.
Several attempts have been made to cast high-quality, large diameter hollow ingots. One approach involves inserting a water-cooled stationary mandrel into a molten pool. Once a sufficient amount of molten metal solidified onto the surface of the mandrel, the mandrel was withdrawn from the pool. After the solidified ingot was removed from the mandrel, the mandrel itself could be reintroduced into the molten pool and the process repeated.
Another attempt involves casting molten metal into a mold comprising a stationary core encapsulated by a crucible to form an annular space into which molten metal may be poured and allowed to solidify as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,124 to Aso et al. (hereinafter "Aso"). In some embodiments, the interior of the core in Aso is cooled by forced induction, thereby providing control over the cooling rate at the interior wall of the cast hollow ingot.
Still another attempt involves adding a fixed amount of molten metal to a casting vessel. The vessel is then rotated and centrifugal forces drive the metal to the outer walls of the vessel. As the metal solidifies, a layer of the desired metal forms on the walls of the vessel, thereby producing a hollow ingot.
In yet another attempt, molten metal was introduced into an annular space formed by a stationary outer mold and stationary mandrel to facilitate continuous casting in a horizontal manner, as described in more detail is U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,054 to Henders.
However, all of the aforementioned attempts suffer from a number of problems including, but not limited to: the production of out-of-center internal holes, frequent breakouts at the inner mold surface, inconsistent dimensions, long cooling times, and slow casting rates.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a more cost-effective technique for producing hollow ingots which is both sufficiently controllable and repeatable to be utilized as a commercial manufacturing process.

Method and apparatus for semi-continuous casting of hollow ingots and products resulting therefrom


According to an embodiment, a data management device includes a receiver; a first calculator; a second calculator; and a transmitter. The receiver is configured to receive at least one piece of encrypted data obtained by encrypting a piece of data and at least one message authentication code for the piece of encrypted data. The first calculator is configured to aggregate pieces of encrypted data received to calculate aggregated encrypted data corresponding to a sum of the pieces of data encrypted. The second calculator is configured to sum up message authentication codes received to calculate a total value of the message authentication codes for the aggregated encrypted data. The transmitter is configured to transmit the aggregated encrypted data and the total value of the message authentication codes.

A power usage calculation system measures a power usage per unit time and calculates a total amount of the power usage by aggregating the measured data. A third party or the like can thus refer to the measured power usage and guess the power usage of an individual or a group (a measurement destination), thereby possibly leading to the invasion of privacy. It is therefore required for the power usage calculation system to protect the privacy of the measurement destination with regards to the power usage being aggregated. Concerning such requirement, there has been proposed a method in the related art where the measured power usage is encrypted so that information on the power usage is processed while concealed.
However, the method in the related art cannot detect falsification of data.

Data management device, power usage calculation system, data management method, and computer program product


An improved substrate for growing mono-layers of adherent-type cells and methods of growing tissue structures, ex vivo. The improved substrate, which comprises a silicon substrate coated with a photo cleavable polymer, releases adherent cells non-enzymatically. Also disclosed are methods for assembling complex layers of cells of various types.

In biology, a culture is the growing of cells or tissues outside of, and separate from, an organism. Most commonly, and herein, cell and tissue culture refer to the culturing of animal cells, as well as human cultures and cultures from plants, in vitro. Cell or tissue culturing is carried out under precisely controlled conditions, and generally requires the use of a growth medium comprising a specific serum.
Various methods of isolating cells for ex vivo culture are known. These include: purifying white blood cells from blood; breaking down extracellular matrix with enzymes (mononuclear cells); and explant culture, in which pieces of tissue are placed in a growth medium, to grow out cells that are harvested for culture. Cells that are cultured directly from a subject are known as primary cells.
Cells are cultured in an incubator where temperature, humidity, CO2 content, growth medium and light exposure are carefully controlled. These parameters and their optimal values will vary, for various cell types. Some specific parameters that define a growth medium include: glucose concentration, growth factors and other nutrients, pH of the medium. One common growth medium that is suitable for human and mammalian cell types is Dulbecco's Modification of Eagles Medium (a.k.a. Dulbecco/Vogt modified Eagle's minimal essential medium, DMEM). Growth factors derived from blood may be used to supplement the growth medium.
Some cells live without attaching to a surface, and may be cultured in suspension. Cells of the bloodstream are one example. Generally, cells derived from solid tissue must be cultured on a solid substrate to which the cells adhere. Adherent culture cells may be grown on a plastic substrate. The plastic substrate may have a coating that comprises components of the extracellular matrix. Such components increase the adhesion of cells to the substrate and provide other bio-signals needed for growth. Once a viable culture is established, the culture may be further grown and prepared for re-transplantation, experimentation, transfection and transduction, or other purpose.
In a successful cell culture, cells proliferate by division, eventually filling up the available space. Cells in culture may be manipulated to various ends, by various methods. At some point, some cells may be removed from the culture. The particular manipulation depends on whether the culture is in suspension or adherent. For example, suspended cells may be separated from the liquid substrate by centrifuge. In contrast, adherent cells require the breaking of bonds between the cells and proteins that anchor the cells to a solid substrate. Enzymes may be used for this purpose, for example a solution of trypsin-EDTA is commonly used to effect dissociation of anchorage dependent cells from a culture surface.
One challenge faced in tissue engineering research is the ability to stack mono-layers of adherent cells, and maintain the viability of the stack as it grows into a more complex tissue.
Another important challenge faced in tissue engineering research is the ability to produce tissue constructs composed of different types of cells, wherein the constructs are similar to those that assemble naturally in the organism. To achieve this, mono-layers of different cell types would have to be harvested and assembled in a manner that approximates natural tissue growth. It would be convenient to grow mono-layers of various adherent cell types, harvest the layers individually, and then stack the layers one on top of the other, in a well defined manner. Here again, maintaining the viability of the stack of adherent cells until the layered structure can grow into a mature multi-cellular tissue, is a challenge. Thus, new substrate materials and/or a new technique for raising thin layers of adherent cells off of a substrate, are needed.
Taking it a step further, one goal is to regenerate tissues within the patient by delivering prepared cells to a specific site of damage, and then triggering controlled cell growth and differentiation. Achieving this goal will require control over the self-organization of cultured cells into specific arrangements. The implanted cells that proliferate at the site of damage must grow and align themselves precisely, in order to collectively become a functioning tissue. Without meticulous organization, the disoriented cells may interfere with the development of each monolayer of cells and prevent the growth of a comprehensive tissue or organ. Material science has developed biological constructs or scaffolds, that direct and maintain the structure of a tissue. Often, these scaffolds are created with materials that are easier to control than natural biological materials. Nevertheless, there remains a need for improved methods of growing specific arrangements of multi-cell-type tissues, into specific shapes and structures.


A smoke detector for an aspirating smoke detection system includes a housing that defines a detection chamber, wherein the housing includes a metallic layer optically exposed to the detection chamber; a laser arranged to direct a beam of light through the detection chamber; a photodiode arranged to detect light scattered from the beam of light; and a heater positioned proximate the metallic layer and outside of the detection chamber, wherein the metallic layer is configured to conduct heat from the heater.

The present invention relates to reducing the formation of condensation within a detector unit of an aspirating smoke detection system.
An aspirating smoke detection system is a system used in active fire protection, comprising a central detector unit which draws air from a room which is being monitored through a network of pipes. Aspirating smoke detection systems can detect smoke long before it is visible to the naked eye, and thus such systems are often referred to as high sensitivity smoke detectors (HSSDs).
In most cases the aspirating smoke detection system comprises a fan unit or blower that is used to draw in air from the monitored area through the network of pipes. A portion of this air (typically around 10%) is then passed into a sampling chamber of the central detector unit where it is used to determine whether or not smoke is present. The sampling chamber is typically part of a nephelometer that detects the presence of smoke particles suspended in air by detecting the light scattered by the smoke particles in the chamber.
A nephelometer measures suspended particulates by directing a light beam (e.g. using a laser) through the sample chamber to a light absorbing receiver positioned opposite in the chamber, which absorbs any light incident upon it. A light detector (e.g. a photodiode) is also positioned in the sampling chamber, typically set to one side of the light beam. The light detector detects light scattered from the light beam by smoke particles present in the air of the sampling chamber. The sampling chamber often has a mirrored interior surface that is arranged to reflect scattered light to the light detector. Particle density can be calculated as a function of the light reflected into the detector from the particles.
During normal operation of an aspirating smoke detection system, the temperature of the detector unit usually remains similar to that of the sample air (i.e. the temperature of the air drawn into the system from a room to be monitored). However, aspirating smoke detection systems often have to deal with a wide range of sample air temperatures, as the temperature of the sample air is directly dependent on the temperature of the room being monitored. When the sample air temperature increases abruptly inside the detector unit, water condenses along the air flow path on the colder components of the system. This becomes problematic in the detector unit and in particular it is problematic inside of the sampling chamber because the transmittal and reflection of light from the light beam is modified (due to the presence of a layer of water and different Fresnel coefficients). This can reduce the accuracy of the reading from the detector unit.
Previously this problem has been overcome by incorporating a heater in the aspirating smoke detection system near the inlet to the central detector unit where air from the monitored area is drawn into the system. Such a heater is often coupled to the fan unit or blower mentioned above to heat the air as it is taken into the unit. As such, the heater heats all of the air taken into the system in order to maintain a substantially constant air temperature (higher than the ambient temperature of the monitored area) and thus avoid or reduce an abrupt change in temperature inside of the detector unit and the resultant formation of condensation. Such a heater typically reduces the flow rate of air through the detection system in order for the air to be heated for a sufficient amount of time.
A need exists for an improved technique to reduce condensation in the central detector unit of an aspirating smoke detection system.

Condensation prevention in an aspirating smoke detection system


A hatch securing mechanisms has a base attached to a hatchway and a hasp ached to a hatch lid. The base has an apertured retainer and a pinway element, the hasp being held between the retainer and pinway element during closure of the lid. A latch pin translatable in the pinway element has an angled tip which slides against a bevelled surface of the hasp to force the hasp into tighter, locked engagement with the base. The latch pin has a helical groove segment about the pin's axis, and a stud fixed to the pinway element engages the groove segment. The interaction of the stud and groove segment effects translation of the latch pin when the pin is manually rotated. The action of the latch pin also compresses an elastically deformable seal between the door and door frame so that the seal is increasingly effective against explosive blast pressures. The invention includes a lock mechanism for keeping the latch pin in a hasp retaining position unless the pin is manually moved.

The invention relates to latch mechanisms on vehicles such as tanks and armored personnel carriers, but the invention has other applications as well.
Combat vehicles need to protect their crews from nuclear, biological and chemical agents extant in modern warfare. These vehicles also perform the more traditional function of protecting occupants from explosions and enemy fire. Hatches and doors on combat vehicles accordingly must withstand the impacts of explosions and projectiles while maintaining a seal against the aforementioned agents. Latches for doors and hatches must maintain positive closure thereof despite the explosive impacts and despite shocks to the vehicle resulting from rapid travel over rough terrain.
I address the above needs via a hatch securing mechanism whose base attaches to a door frame or hatchway and whose hasp attaches to a door or hatch lid. The base defines a retainer and a pinway element between which the hasp stays during closure of the door or lid. A latch pin translatable in the pinway element has a tip slidable against a bevelled surface of the hasp. The tip's sliding motion forces the hasp into tighter, locked engagement with the base. A groove segment on the latch pin spirals about the pin's axis, and a stud in the pinway element tracks the groove segment such that rotating the pin effects its translation. The action of the latch pin also compresses an elastically deformable seal between the door and door frame so that the seal is increasedly effective against explosive blast pressures. Lock means are provided for keeping the latch pin in a hasp retaining position unless the pin is manually moved.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


The present invention discloses a method for implementing multicast in RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol) ring network. In the method, the port mode of a program is configured to a fixed port mode, a root port binding mode or an upper layer querier port following mode; a multicast module on access equipment traverses a program table on receiving a root port switching message, updates the corresponding port of each program whose mode is configured to the root port binding mode as the changed root port; or on receiving an IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) QUERY packet from a port which is different from a recorded global querier port, the multicast module updates the global querier port as the port receiving the IGMP QUERY packet, traverses the program table, and updates the corresponding port of each program whose mode is configured to the upper layer querier port following mode as the port receiving the IGMP QUERY packet.

The link redundancy method used in the RSTP ring improves the reliability and robustness of a network. The RSTP ring is a networking mode commonly used in Layer 2 aggregation layer in a metropolitan area network. With the increasing requirements of reliability for an access network, this networking mode is becoming the tendency for networking of access network.
As shown in FIG. 1, a link ring is formed by access layer equipments and aggregation layer equipments. It can be ensured that the communication link between each access equipment and aggregation equipment will not be interrupted even when a fault occurs at any point in the ring, thus significantly improving the capability of the access network in defending a single point fault.
The RSTP protocol is used as a topological control protocol in the RSTP ring. However, the application of the RSTP ring hampers the development of broadband video services based on the multicast technology, because the IGMP(Internet Group Management Protocol) is generally used as a control protocol of multicast video service between an access equipment and an aggregation equipment. In this case, in order to maintain the group membership of a program, it is necessary for the access equipment to transmit an IGMP REPORT packet to the aggregation equipment. There are at least two links in the RSTP ring between the access equipment and the aggregation equipment, and only one of the two links is available. As a result, the availability identification of the links becomes the first issue to be dealt with by the access equipment. If the IGMP REPORT packet is transmitted on the wrong link, the upper layer aggregation equipment will not receive the IGMP REPORT packet in a long period, and will consider that the access equipment no longer needs the program, so it will not transmit the multicast packets of the program to the access equipment.
Secondly, in order to prevent an unauthenticated multicast packet from being forwarded via the multicast table, it is necessary for the access equipment to check the source port and source IP address of an incoming multicast packet, to ensure that only the multicast packet transmitted from specific ports and specific video servers can be forwarded to the user port, and prevent an illegal multicast packet from disturbing the normal receiving and viewing of a user. While in the case of an RSTP ring, the port at which a server provides a specific program will vary dynamically, and if the port which is used by the access equipment to check the source port of a multicast program does not vary correspondingly, a normal video packet will not pass the checking and will be discarded.
For example, in the schematic networking diagram as shown in FIG. 2, an RSTP ring is constituted by one aggregation equipment (hereinafter referred to as AG) and two pieces of access equipment (e.g. access equipment A and access equipment B, hereinafter referred to as AXA and AXB, respectively). After the RSTP protocol is enabled, a port "AXB.0/5" with lower priority on the access equipment B (AXB) is blocked depending on the calculation of the spanning-tree. At this time, the aggregation equipment (i.e. AG) is a root bridge, the access equipment A (i.e. AXA) communicates with the aggregation equipment (AG) via a port AXA.0/7 which is the root port (the port for communicating with the root bridge) of the access equipment A (AXA). An IGMP REPORT packet will be transmitted out via the port AXA.0/7 which is also the ingress port of all the video programs. The access equipment B (i.e. AXB) communicates indirectly with the aggregation equipment (AG) via port AXB.0/1(through the access equipment A), its root port is port AXB.0/1. An IGMP REPORT packet will be transmitted out via the port AXB.0/1 which is also the ingress port of all the video programs. When the direct link AG.0/1-AXA.0/7 between the aggregation equipment and the access equipment A is interrupted for some reason, the RSTP protocol will re-converge and re-enable the port AXB.0/5 on access equipment B. At this time, the access equipment A communicates with the aggregation equipment via a port AXA.0/4 which becomes the root port of the access equipment A. If the access equipment A still transmits an IGMP REPORT packet via the port AXA.0/7, the video stream sent from the aggregation equipment will not be received. If the port AXA.0/7 is still considered as the ingress port of a program when checking the source port (actually, the video program stream is transmitted from the port AXA.0/4), the normal video stream can not pass the checking. Similarly, the same problem may also occur on the access equipment B.
At present, in order to solve the above problem, an IGMP REPORT packet is transmitted to all the uplink ports when the IGMP REPORT packet is transmitted upwards, so as to avoid the availability identification of the uplink links. In addition, the source port will not be checked for a video packet. However, it can be seen from this method that,
1. the uplink port of an access equipment may also connect with other network equipments besides one aggregation equipment, and there may be a number of multicast groups on these equipments (generally, a number of content providers may provide video services, among which the same multicast address may be used). If an IGMP REPORT packet is transmitted to all the uplink ports without distinguishing the ports, other equipments will receive the IGMP REPORT packet and then transmit other programs to the access equipment (it shall be noted that these programs are different from the program requested by the access equipment, but they have the same multicast address), so the access equipment will receive unexpected multicast packets.
2. If an IGMP REPORT packet is transmitted to all the uplink ports without distinguishing the ports, it is necessary for the CPUs to process the IGMP REPORT packet, thereby increasing the burden of other uplink equipments.
3. If the source port of a program is not checked, unexpected multicast packets will be transmitted to the user, so the user is unable to watch the program normally.

Method for implementing multicast in rapid spanning tree protocol ring network


Use as an anti-cancer agent of a mutant herpes simplex virus wherein the mutant virus comprises a modification in the γ34.5 gene in the long repeat region (RL) such that the γ34.5 gene is a non-functional, manufacture of medicaments and methods of testing cancer in mammals employing HSV mutant.

The DNA sequence of herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) is known (references 13,25) and is linear with a length of about 152k residues. It consists of two covalently linked segments, designated long (L) and short (S). Each segment contains a unique sequence flanked by a pair of inverted terminal repeat sequences. The long repeat (RL) and short repeat (RS) are distinct. The unique long (UL) region includes genes UL1 to UL56, and the Us region includes genes US1 to US12.
A relatively large number of patients with advanced cancers will develop metastatic lesions in the brain and spinal cord. This frequently results in severe and debilitating neurological complications including headache, paralysis, seizures, and impaired cognition. It has been estimated that 70,000 cancer deaths occur each year in the United States with metastatic lesions to the central nervous system (CNS). Radiation and steroids are presently the principle therapies used, however, they are only palliative, and frequently cause significant neuropsychological and endocrinological morbidity. Surgery is generally reserved for removal of solitary metastases, and is often not curative (1).
Viral therapy for the destruction of tumors is not a new concept. Effects in various experimental tumor systems have been demonstrated using parvovirus H-1, Newcastle disease virus, retroviral vectors containing drug susceptibility genes, and Herpes Simplex Type I virus (HSV-1) (2-7). The mechanisms by which viruses improve the outcome in experimental tumor systems are complex and poorly understood. Brain tumors represent a dividing cell population occurring within an essentially non-dividing cell population of support cells, and terminally differentiated neurons. Thus, in the context of brain tumor therapy, one rationale is to select a virus that replicates exclusively or preferentially in dividing cells. Such a virus may be capable of establishing a lytic infection exclusively in tumor cells within the CNS, ultimately destroying the tumors without infecting surrounding brain, and without deleterious effects to the host.
Pioneering experiments with HSV showed a dose dependent improvement in survival of nude mice bearing intracranial human gliomas following intratumoral therapy with mutant HSV-1 dlspTK (3). This virus has a deletion in the viral thymidine kinase (TK) gene, (8) and exhibits a relatively neuro-attenuated phenotype in mice (9). However, dlspTK infection of tumor bearing animals causes histologically evident encephalitis (3). The use of TK' mutantsof HSV-1 for viral therapy also has an inherent major disadvantage in that these viruses are resistant to the clinically effective anti-viral agents acyclovir and ganciclovir (10).
The terminal 1 kb of the long repeat region (RL) of the HSV-1 and HSV-2 genomes contain a gene (11-13), that confers neurovirulence. Deletion or mutation of this gene (γ34.5), results in variants that grow as well as wild type virus on dividing cells of many established cell lines, but show impaired replication on non-dividing cells (12-14). In mice, γ34.5 null mutants are incapable of replicating in the central nervous system, and do not cause encephalitis (12,15-16).
A mutant HSV-1 called R3616, containing a 1000 base pair (bp) deletion in γ34.5, with an LD50 (minimum dose of virus that kills 50% of infected animals) that is at least 3×103 fold greater than wild type F strain virus from which it was derived (12), has been shown to improve the outcome of nude mice bearing intracranial human gliomas (17). In the work presented here, we have utilized an HSV-1 strain 17 mutant virus called 1716, that has a 759 by deletion in γ34.5 (16).
The construction of mutant virus 1716 is described in published patent application WO92/13943 (PCT/GB92/00179) the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. However, this patent publication is solely concerned with the use of mutant 1716 as a vaccine, either in itself or as a vector vaccine which includes a heterologous gene coding for an antigen.
Melanoma is a prevalent malignancy. Cerebral metastases occur in up to 75% of patients with metastatic disease, and are among the most common causes of death (18-22). Presently, the life span of patients with CNS melanoma is short, ranging from 2 to 7 months (23).
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved HSV-based viral therapy of cancer tumors.


An apparatus is disclosed for a multiband antenna (102) in a communication device (100). An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present invention may include, for example, an antenna having a finite ground surface (201, 401), and an elongated conductor (206, 406) that is characterized by a length and is spaced from the finite ground surface. The elongated conductor has a first slot (208, 408) extending through a substantial portion of the length of the elongated conductor, and a second slot (210, 410) having a shorter length than the first slot. The antenna further has a grounding conductor (216, 416) coupling the finite ground surface to the elongated conductor, and a signal feed conductor (214, 414) coupling to the elongated conductor.

With the ubiquity of wireless communications comes a greater demand for communication devices having a number of resonance bands when roaming between carrier networks worldwide. Communication devices capable of supporting intercontinental roaming can require up to four bands to operate among a number of networks. The more bands required the more complex the antenna designs for mobile devices.

Multiband antenna in a communication device


Improvement in a combination valve including check valve and pressure relief valve portions for regulating fluid flow pressure and direction in a hydraulic circuit, wherein a valve seat includes, in addition to a central aperture, a plurality of peripherally-spaced axial cross-port orifice holes, of same or differing diameter and a plurality of intersecting, circumferentially-spaced, radial, semicircular holes; a spring cap including four adjoining axial portions of differing outer diameters, with a first portion being a protrusion that locates an end of a relief valve compression spring, a second portion having flat outer tool locating surfaces used for rotating the spring cap for axial adjustment relative to a valve stem, a third portion having a reduced radial wall thickness for easy crimping thereof relative to a valve stem, and a fourth portion having a coaxial recess for centering and physically retaining one end portion of a check valve compression spring.

Hydrostatic transmissions have many and varied uses, including the propelling of vehicles, such as mowing machines, and offer stepless control of such a machine's speed. A typical hydrostatic transmission system includes a variable displacement main pump connected, in a closed hydraulic circuit, with a fixed displacement hydraulic motor. In order to avoid possible cavitation or excessive pressure of the closed loop, a pair of auxiliary valves is required, with each such valve consisting of a check valve and a pressure relief valve. Thus, this auxiliary or combination valve acts as a combined pressure relief and anti-cavitation valve and is sometimes also referred to as a port relief valve. Typically, such a valve is manufactured from high strength steel and basically consists of a valve seat, a valve stem, a relief valve spring, a spring cap a check valve spring and, upon installation, of an optional valve plug. The combination valve can utilize different relief pressure settings, depending upon the size of the relief valve opening and the preload of the relief valve spring. Adjustment of the working height of the relief valve spring will change the pressure setting during the initial valve assembly. Thus, after the pressure setting has been accomplished, the spring cap is locked, such as via crimping or welding, onto the valve stem so as to bias the intermediate relief valve compression spring against the valve seat.
Some prior art designs that utilize crimping to lock the spring cap to the valve stem do not utilize a positive engagement mechanism between the spring cap and the valve stem prior to the noted crimping process. As a result, the spring cap can axially move, thus making the fine adjustment of the relief valve pressure setting difficult to achieve. The crimping process of the valve cap to the valve stem has to be carried out prior to the testing of the valve and if the valve, after test, does not meet the expected pressure setting, it is discarded, resulting in unnecessary cost and waste.
The patent literature, which encompasses a large number of the previously described types of auxiliary or combination valve structures, includes, among others: U.S. Pat. No. 3,112,763 to Tennis, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,170 to Sutton; U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,591 to Sutton; U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,047 to Reinicke; U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,263 to Stier; U.S. Pat. No. 6,691,512 B1 to Kopel et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,719,005 B1 to Trimble et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,182 B1 to Trimble et al; and UK Patent Application GB 2 064 069 A to Kotter et al. However, none of these prior art structures pertain to the use of a spring cap that utilizes four successively adjoining axial portions, each of which has a particular specific function, in combination with an axially, centrally apertured, valve seat that also utilizes a first plurality of axial cross-port orifice holes, all having substantially the same diameter, and a second plurality of circumferentially-spaced, radial, semicircular holes emanating from the valve seat central aperture, wherein the first and second pluralities of holes are perpendicular to and intersect each other.


A dual fuel system includes liquid and gaseous fuel supplies and a fuel injector in fluid communication therewith. A gaseous fuel check in the fuel injector forms a leak path with a fuel injector body between gaseous and liquid fuel passages, and a leakage limiting seal is positioned about the gaseous fuel check and deformable into sealing contact with the gaseous fuel check responsive to an increase in a pressure drop from the liquid fuel passage to the gaseous fuel passage in the fuel injector.

Gaseous fuel engines are known for their ability to burn clean relative to liquid fuel compression ignition engine counterparts. Gaseous fuels, however, are also well known for difficulty in attaining successful ignition. Some gaseous fuel engines utilize a spark plug, whereas other gaseous fuel engines utilize a small amount of a pilot fuel such as distillate diesel fuel, compression ignited to initiate combustion of a larger main charge of gaseous fuel such as natural gas. In these latter engines, the gaseous fuel may be supplied to the engine intake manifold, or metered directly into individual cylinders, where is it mixed with air prior to being ignited responsive to the pilot diesel injection.
In many dual fuel engine systems, injection of the liquid fuel and gaseous fuel is controlled by two separate needle checks within a fuel injector connected to both gaseous fuel and liquid fuel common rails. Designs are known where concentric needle checks are used, with one of an inner check and an outer check used to open and close a gaseous fuel outlet, and the other of the inner and outer check used to open and close a liquid fuel outlet. In other systems, adjacent rather than coaxial needle checks are used. One known adjacent needle check design employs hydraulic control pressure from a liquid fuel common rail applied to a top end of each of the needle checks opposite the working tip which controls opening and closing of the corresponding nozzle outlet. Liquid rail pressure is also applied to an opening hydraulic surface of the check controlling liquid fuel injection. In the case of the check controlling gaseous fuel injection, a pressure of the gaseous fuel common rail is applied to a primary opening hydraulic surface of the check. In still another known system, U.S. Pat. No. 7,627,416 appears to teach a dual fuel common rail design in which liquid diesel fuel and natural gas fuel are both injected from a single fuel injector associated with each engine cylinder. This reference recognizes there may be instances in which the engine will need to operate solely on liquid diesel fuel due to exhaustion of the natural gas fuel supply or possibly some fault in the natural gas portion of the system. Certain problems and challenges associated with liquid fuel only operation are neither recognized nor addressed, however.

Dual fuel system for internal combustion engine and leakage limiting seal strategy for same


An intake manifold includes a passage wall portion having a first member passage wall portion provided at a first member, a second member passage wall portion provided at a second member, and an inner joint portion including a division point at which an inner joint portion is divided from an outer peripheral joint portion, the inner joint portion at which the first member passage wall portion and the second member passage wall portion are joined with each other. At least a part of the inner joint portion except for the division point is arranged at a height position closer to a middle part of a gas passage than the division point in a first direction in which the first member and the second member are opposed with each other.

A known intake manifold introducing external gas is disclosed in JP2011-220299A (hereinafter referred to as Patent reference 1). The intake manifold disclosed in Patent reference 1 includes a surge tank and plural intake pipes and enhances the distributivity of external gas (Exhaust Gas Recirculation gas or EGR gas, or blow-by gas) to the plural intake pipes by the introduction of the external gas to a center part of the surge tank. The intake manifold includes a gas passage for introducing the external gas to the center part of the surge tank. The gas passage is formed by a passage wall portion extending along an inner surface of the surface tank. Here, the surge tank and the gas passage are formed by two members that are joined with each other by vibration welding. Welded parts of the surge tank and the gas passage are disposed at the same height in a direction in which the surge tank and the gas passage (referred to as a first member and a second member, respectively) are opposed to each other. The welded parts of the surge tank and the gas passage are disposed at positions (positions close to a base part of the passage wall portion) close to a bottom surface of the gas passage of the first member in the direction in which the surge tank and the gas passage are opposed to each other.
However, according to the intake manifold disclosed in Patent reference 1, in a case where the pressure level within the surge tank increases by backfire from an engine (a combustion of an air-fuel mixture outside a combustion chamber), stress is concentrated at the positions close to the base part of the passage wall portion, and large stress is applied to the welded parts of the passage wall portion arranged at the positions close to the base part of the passage wall portion. That is, according to the intake manifold disclosed in Patent reference 1, compressive strength of the passage wall portion for introducing the external gas to the surge tank is low.
A need thus exists for an intake manifold which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.


The present invention is a secure Web platform (SWP) implementing a mandatory access control policy to enable a plurality of remote users operating Web browsers Internet access to CGI applications in response to HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests. The SWP employs a computer having a compartmentalized process and file structure separated in accordance with a mandatory access control policy into an outside compartment comprising a Web server having a root directory chrooted to a directory tree containing only the minimal set of files required to interface the SWP with the Internet, and an inside compartment comprising a plurality of CGI applications having root directories chrooted to a directory separate from the Web server such that the Web server cannot communicate directly with the CGI applications, and a trusted gateway agent for communicating between the Web server and the CGI applications.

The Web may be thought of as a global village where computers (hosts) are the buildings, and the world-wide computer network known as the Internet forms the streets. The computers have addresses (IP Addresses)consisting of four numbers separated by periods. Many hosts also have nicknames known as domain names. A Web site typically consists of a UNIX or Microsoft Windows based Web server that "serves" software or content to other computers at the Web site for temporary use. A Web site is not a single application, but a system that provides access to applications and data on the server itself, as well as inside an organization. A user utilizes a Web "browser" to access a Web server to access anything that the organization wants to make available, from general information, to transactions, to access to a customer database.
FIG. 1 illustrates a computer 100 executing a Web browser program 105 that is employed by a user to communicate over the Internet 110, in a special language called Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) 115, with another computer 120 executing a Web server program 125 to obtain data. The most basic Web transaction involves the transmission of Webpages, written in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) from the Web server 125 to the Web browser 105. Upon request by the user at the Web browser 105, the Web server 125 translates the HTML-based Webpage into HTTP and sends it over the Internet 110 for display as a Webpage at the requesting browser 105. While Web Server 125 may contain encryption features such as Netscape's Secure Sockets Layer or S-HTTP, and a filtering router 130 may be employed between the Web browser 105 and Web server 125 for filtering out any messages that aren't HTTP Web traffic bound for the SWP, only HTTP 115 communications between Web server 125 and the Web browser 105 are protected.
HTML allows any word(s) on any Webpage to refer ("link") to any other Webpage. While Webpages do a very good job of displaying information in the form of text or images, they do not handle decisions, for example, confirming a correct password and providing for user access or provide more sophisticated functions such as placing an order for goods or services. Thus, a special programming interface known as Common Gateway Interface (CGI) 130 is employed to extend the capabilities of the Web server beyond Webpages alone, allowing a level of interaction that HTML alone cannot provide. A typical organization employs a combination of CGI applications and HTML to provide a desired service or product.
As an example, the banking industry may employ the Internet for on-line banking transactions at a virtual bank. In particular, customers at Web sites on the Internet communicate with a Web server situated outside of the virtual bank which then invokes a plurality of bank related CGI applications within the virtual bank to process requests related to data stored within a database within the virtual bank. For example, one CGI application may be employed for obtaining a balance from a checking account, transferring money from one account to another, or triggering an electronic bill payment. Often the CGI application is a simple front-end to a more sophisticated database server connected to a network internal to the organization (defined as an Intranet).
Netscape's Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol, and/or EIT's Secure HTTP(S-HTTP) may be employed to provide security for HTTP communications between a Web browser and a Web server. SSL and S-HTTP provide encryption, authentication, integrity, and confidentiality of traffic between a client and a server.
Additional Internet security may be obtained through the use of a secure operating system. In particular, HP-UX 10.09.01 Compartmented Mode Workstation (CMW) sold by Hewlett-Packard Company provides an operating system that operates in accordance with a Mandatory Access Control (MAC) policy that governs the way data may be accessed on a trusted system. The MAC policy is a computerized version of the Department of Defense's long-standing multilevel security policy for handling classified information with labels that reflect sensitivity, to maintain those labels or files and processes in the system, and to prevent users not cleared for certain levels of classified information from accessing it. Under MAC, all information on the system is classified to reflect its sensitivity, all users are assigned clearances, and every application runs at a specific sensitivity level. Using the MAC policy, the operating system controls access based on the relative sensitivity of the applications running and the files they access.
Sensitivity labels are associated with every process (an active CGI application manifests itself as a process) and filesystem object, and are used as the primary basis for all MAC policy decisions. A sensitivity label represents the sensitivity of a process or a filesystem object and the data each contains. If an application and the file it attempts to access have compatible sensitivity labels, it can read, write, or possible execute the file. Each new process typically inherits the sensitivity label of its parent. For example, if a program is executed within a shell (for example, sh(1), csh(1), or ksh(1), the new process automatically inherits the sensitivity label of the shell process. New files always inherit the sensitivity label of the process that creates them. Once created, the system provides a special trusted program (the File Manager) that may be employed for changing the sensitivity label of a file. Most users are allowed to upgrade files (to change their sensitivity labels upward, so the new sensitivity label dominates the previous one), but are not allowed to downgrade files (to reduce their sensitivity label so the new label is dominated by the previous label), or to cross grade them (so that the new label is incomparable to the previous one).
The effect of the MAC policy is to rigidly control information flow in the system, from process to file to process, to prevent accidental or intentional mislabeling of sensitive information. To do that, the system compares sensitivity labels to determine if a process can access an object. Any time a process tries to read, write, or execute a file, the system examines the process and object sensitivity labels and consults its MAC rules. For each operation a process requests, the system determines if the process has mandatory read or mandatory write access to the object. Most restrictions that the MAC policy enforces can be summarized by the two following rules:
(1) mandatory read access: A process can read or execute a file, search a directory, or (subject to other privilege requirements) read the contents of other objects if the process's sensitivity label dominates the object's. All of these operations involve transferring data from the object to the process, so having such access is referred to as "mandatory read" access. PA1 (2) mandatory write access: A process can write to a file, remove or create an entry in a directory, or change any object's security attributes (including its sensitivity label), if the process's sensitivity label is the same as the object's. All of these actions involve transferring data from the process to the object, so having such access is called "mandatory write" access. The first rule prevents a user who is not cleared for classified information from seeing it. Rule two prevents a user with a high clearance from revealing information to other users with lower clearances.
There exists a need for a trusted operating system that sets up access controls that grant, person by person, authorization to perform different tasks, from viewing files to making changes in them to changing a computer network's configuration.
It would be desirable and of considerable advantage to provide a mandatory access control policy to segregate the Web server from the CGI application that differs from traditional methods employing a Web server and a firewall.
A bridge between the Web server and the set of CGI applications could be advantageous when implemented by use of a trusted gateway agent to take information from a Web browser's HTTP request to the Web server and make that information available to the appropriate CGI application specified in the HTTP request, especially if the trusted gateway agent works in conjunction with a mandatory access control policy to isolate the Web server and the CGI applications to limit the ability of the Web server to invoke the CGI applications directly.
It will be apparent from the foregoing that there is still a need for a trusted gateway agent that passes arguments or input data to the CGI application and returns data from the CGI application to the Web server.

Trusted gateway agent for web server programs