Adapter fittings formed with an opening therethrough are inserted into a sewer manhole with the outlet opening facing an obstruction, or build-up along the sewer walls. A forwardly thrusting nozzle adapted to spray jets of high-pressure, high-temperature water or steam is connected to a hose. Alternately, a nozzle adapted to spray jets of high-pressure, high-temperature water of steam forwardly therefrom is connected to a hose and a stiffened push wand. The nozzle and hose and/or push wand are then inserted through the adapter fittings to exit from the outlet opening into the leg of the sewer with the build-up or obstruction. A hot water/steam supply connected to the upstream end of the hose provides a supply of steam or hot, pressurized water to the nozzle. The nozzle is advanced through the sewer line to remove the build-up from the sewer walls with the aid of the hot, pressurized jets of water, and/or to an obstruction whereupon the obstruction is cleared with one of several alternate methods utilizing the hot, pressurized water or steam.

The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for removing obstructions from sewers, and more specifically, to apparatus and methods for the removal of obstructions without the need for chemicals or cutters.
Prior methods for removing build-up or obstructions from sewer pipes and drain lines include the use of chemicals, mechanical cutters, and so-called "jetter" nozzles.
A jetter nozzle is connected to a hose and a cold water supply, and advances forwardly in a sewer line by spraying jets of water rearwardly and radially outwardly at an angle from horizontal. A jetter nozzle typically provides for a single forwardly directed stream of cold water, however, the bulk of the cleaning action is limited to along the walls of the sewer line rearwardly of the nozzle, such cleaning resulting from the rearwardly directed streams of water impinging the sewer wall. Although the forwardly directed stream is capable of eroding a hole through certain materials, such nozzles have difficulty advancing through a substantially or completely blocked sewer line since the cleaning action occurs behind the nozzle. Thus, jetter nozzles are typically limited to removing build-up that is relatively soft such as grease or organic waste, and have difficulty advancing through a blocked or substantially obstructed sewer line.
Mechanical cutters are capable of opening large or relative solid obstructions in sewer lines, however, such cutter arrangements tend to be relatively expensive, and to avoid damage to the walls of sewer pipe, mechanical cutters are typically used to open a blockage, not to completely clear the obstruction from the sewer line. Using mechanical cutters to opening a sewer line also tends to be a relatively slow operation.
The use of chemicals is typically limited to those instances where the sewer line is completely blocked since the chemicals will simply flow past the obstruction when an opening is created. It is possible to block a sewer line downstream of an obstruction with, for example, an inflatable plug commonly known as a cherne plug, thus preventing the loss of the chemicals when an opening is created through the obstruction. However, and particularly when dealing with relatively large diameter sewer lines, and considering the distance often encountered between the location of an upstream and a downstream manhole, the volume of chemicals needed to "fill" the closed portion of the line make such a solution relatively expensive and generally impractical. Moreover, it will typically be difficult to determine the time required for the chemicals to sufficiently dissolve the obstruction so as to eliminate the concern that the resulting waste will not become lodged downstream.
Thus, it is desirable to provide for new and improved apparatus and methods for cleaning build-up from sewer lines, for opening blocked sewer lines without the need to use chemicals or mechanical cutters, and for completely clearing the lines of both hard and soft matter such as grease, tree root structure, soap, and organic waste.

Method and apparatus to remove obstructions from sewers without cutters or chemicals


The invention relates to a device for changing the cloth of a paper machine, particularly a tissue machine, for example a TAD (through-air drying) machine, with a number of deflection rolls (3), (4), (5), (6) and at least one cleaning device (27), (28), (29) for the machine cloth. Levers (9), (20) are provided on either side of the machine cloth (7), where these levers hold at least one deflection roll (3), (4) and can be pivoted from an operating position to a machine cloth changing position. Thus, the time and the number of personnel required to change the machine cloth are reduced substantially.

The invention relates to a device for changing the cloth of a paper machine, particularly a tissue machine, for example a TAD (through-air drying) machine, with a number of deflection rolls and at least one cleaning device for the machine cloth.
The equipment currently used has the disadvantage that changing of the machine cloth takes a long time, is labor-intensive, and requires additional resources, e.g., machine room cranes, which thus are not available for other maintenance work, such as roll changing, routine headbox maintenance, etc., during changing of the machine cloth. The machine cloth of concern here relates to wires, felts, or similar cloth elements.

Device for changing the cloth of a paper machine


A braking device for an electric motor includes two brake pads, which are connected to brake disks, which cooperate with a brake rail. The two brake pads are rigidly connected by a connecting element, which is able to experience a certain deflection under the influence of a piezoelectric element, which is used to distance the two brake pads from each other. An assembly, which includes the two brake pads and their connecting element, is fastened on a support by a fastening device, which is elastically deformable along the direction at right angles with respect to the brake rail and to the two brake pads. The elastically deformable fastening device is formed of plates, which are connected on one end to the assembly and on the other end to the support.

Certain braking devices having two brake pads, which cooperate with a brake rail or in a similar manner with a brake plate or brake disk, are conventional. For numerous applications, it is necessary to maintain a precise position of the movable part of an electric motor when stopping; that is, not only in the longitudinal direction of the brake rail, but also in the lateral directions, i.e., along the three main axes.
Most conventional braking devices of the type having brake pads have a main problem of changing the position of the movable part when operating the braking device. The device for distancing the two brake pads may produce deformations, in particular on the material that connects these two brake pads, these deformations consequently acting on the support of the assembly, which is formed by the two brake pads and the distancing device, on which support this assembly is rigidly fastened. Consequently, the change of the mechanical stresses in the braking device in its operation has the result of allowing the movable part of the motor, which is rigidly connected to the support, to move, in particular when activating the brake, in order to keep the movable part in a given position. In the case in which the two brake pads are rigidly connected by a connecting element that may experience a certain deflection, but which has the required stiffness when a braking force is exerted against the lateral walls of the brake rail, the change of the clearance of the two brake pads produces a deformation of this connecting element along the Z-axis (located in the center plane with respect to the two brake pads and perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal direction of the brake rail). This deformation of the connecting element produces a change of position along the Z-axis of the support on which the connecting element is generally rigidly fastened.
Another problem encountered in braking devices of this kind results from the fact that the brake rail or the guide system of the movable part (which may be formed by the brake rail) is not always entirely straight. In such a case, it is possible that the brake disks, which are mounted on the brake pads, cause friction on the rail. The rigid construction of the conventional braking devices produces a significant braking effect at such frictions, which is unfavorable for the dynamic behavior of the electric motor.


A method, system and program for transforming one or more icons in an object-oriented, graphical environment. The icon transformations entail the changing of an icon from one state to another using drag and drop techniques. The user drops an input object icon onto the transformer object icon. The transformer object removes the input object from the graphical environment, changes its contents and/or attributes, and places the new output icon on the desktop. Icon transformers convert objects in a one-to-one, many-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many fashion.

Using icons to organize a display and giving a user the appearance of an electronic desktop first appeared at Xerox Parc in the late 70's. Early attempts to commercialize a desktop motif were unsuccessful. However, an implementation is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,135, "Apparatus for Manipulating Documents in a Data Processing System Utilizing Reduced Images of Sheets of Information Which Are Movable." More recently, the IBM OS/2 Workplace Shell desktop motif provides icon manipulation. For example, users can drag a document icon, representing a letter, and drop it on the shredder icon to delete the document.
Other examples of icon manipulation include, U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,976 entitled, "Method and System for Generating Dynamic Interactive Visual Representations of Information Structures Within a Computer," which discloses a knowledge based system that links various mathematical relationships with icons on a graphical display. Visual features of the display assume various conditions (change of color/size) in accordance with the mathematical relationships.
However, none of the prior art techniques provide a method for easily and flexibly manipulating the information in an icon from one form to another in accordance with the subject invention.

International Business Machines Corporation


A liquid ejection head body includes a substrate and a channel forming member arranged on the substrate. The channel forming member has a liquid ejection port for ejecting liquid and a liquid channel communicating with the liquid ejection port, while the substrate has an ejection energy generating element for generating energy for ejecting liquid at a first surface side and a liquid supply port for supplying liquid to the liquid channel in the inside. A conductive layer for electrically connecting the first surface side and a second surface side disposed opposite to the first surface side is arranged along the lateral surface of the liquid supply port.

Three-dimensional packaging technologies have been proposed in recent years in order to meet the demand for downsized electronic devices and devices having a raised mounting density. With the proposed three-dimensional packaging technologies, an electrode is formed so as to run through a substrate on which a semiconductor device is formed (i.e. a so-called through-electrode). With such technologies, the mounting density of devices is raised to downsize the final product not by arranging a plurality of semiconductor devices on a planar mounting surface but by vertically laying devices one on the other by way of a through-electrode.
In the case of forming an inkjet head body, on the other hand, as a result of formation of a through-electrode, an ink ejecting element of the head can be electrically connected thereto from the rear surface side of a substrate that is the side opposite to the direction of ink ejection. This technique provides advantages including an advantage of providing a capability of manufacturing a long recording head where a plurality of recording substrates are arranged side by side.
Known patent literature that proposes three-dimensional packaging technologies for inkjet head body includes PTL 1 listed below.

Liquid ejection head body and method of manufacturing the same


Implementations generally relate to capturing photos without a camera. In some implementations, a method includes determining a gaze of a user using a device that is operable to track the gaze. The method also includes receiving an indication from the user that the user desires a photo corresponding to the gaze. The method also includes providing the photo to the user based on the indication.

Digital cameras have made taking photos easy and convenient, and various applications have made sharing photos easy and convenient. For example, some applications enable a person to instantly upload photos to a social network system as photos are captured. The social network system may then enable people to share photos with each other.


A film forming system comprises a chamber, a stage, a holder, a cathode magnet, a shield, a first moving mechanism, and a second moving mechanism. The chamber provides a processing space. The stage is provided in the processing space and configured to support a substrate. The holder is configured to hold a target that is provided in the processing space. The cathode magnet is provided outside the chamber with respect to the target. The shield has a slit and is configured to block particles released from the target around the slit. The first moving mechanism is configured to move the shield between the stage and the target along a scanning direction substantially parallel to a surface of the substrate mounted on the stage. The second moving mechanism is configured to move the cathode magnet along the scanning direction.

In manufacturing electric/electronic devices, a film forming process is performed to form a film on a substrate. As for a film forming system used for the film forming process, there are known film forming systems disclosed in PCT Publication No. WO2013/179544, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-56975, and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-67856.
Each of the film forming systems described in PCT Publication No. WO2013/179544, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-56975, and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-67856 includes a vacuum chamber, a stage, and a target. The stage is provided in the vacuum chamber. A substrate is mounted on the stage. The target is provided obliquely above the stage. In the film forming system described in PCT Publication No. WO2013/179544, particles from the target are deposited on the substrate in a state where the substrate is rotated about the center thereof by the stage. A film is formed by the particles deposited on the substrate.
In each of the film forming systems disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008-56975 and 2015-67856, a shield providing an opening is provided between the stage and the target. Particles from the target pass through the opening of the shield to be deposited on the substrate. A film is formed by the particles deposited on the substrate. During the release of particles from the target, the stage is moved to scan the substrate. In each of the film forming systems disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-56975 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-67856, an incident angle of the particles with respect to the substrate is determined by the relative positional relation between the target and the opening of the shield. As a result, it is possible to selectively form a film at a desired location on the substrate.
In the film forming systems disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008-56975 and 2015-67856, it is not possible to change the incident angle of particles from the target with respect to the substrate. Therefore, it is required to set the incident angle of particles from the target with respect to the substrate to a desired angle.

Film forming system and method for forming film on substrate


A method of treating a formation includes, setting a treating plug within a structure, withdrawing a mandrel from the treating plug after having set the treating plug, maintaining the setting of the treating plug within the structure without a member extending longitudinally through the treating plug, pumping fluid against a plug seated at the treating plug, treating a formation upstream of the treating plug, and disintegrating at least a portion of the treating plug.

So-called "plug and perf" operations are well known in the downhole drilling and completions industry. Generally in this type of operation, a first zone toward a downhole end of a borehole is perforated, fractured, and then isolated from the adjacent up-hole zone with a plug assembly, e.g., a composite bridge plug or the like. In turn, each zone located sequentially in the up-hole direction is perforated, fractured, and then isolated with a plug assembly. Before production begins, the plug assemblies must be removed. This is achieved by either milling out or retrieving the plug assemblies, both of which operations, while suitable for their intended purposes, require potentially time consuming and costly operations. In view hereof, the industry well receives advances and alternatives in plugging technology, particularly to technologies that reduce the need for additional well operations.

Method of treating a formation and method of temporarily isolating a first section of a wellbore from a second section of the wellbore


Various systems and method are disclosed for disseminating security server contact information in a network. For example, one method (e.g., performed by a security server) involves determining that a network device is a secure network device, in response to participating in a security exchange with the network device; and then sending a server list to the network device. The server list includes the network address of at least one security server. Another method (e.g., performed by a network device) involves initiating an authentication exchange; receiving a server list, which includes the network address of a security server, as part of the authentication exchange; and communicating with the security server by sending a packet to the network address included in the server list.

Authentication and authorization protocols are used to secure networks. Authentication protocols are used to provide network devices with authenticated access to a network. In particular, authentication protocols are used to authenticate each port coupled to a particular link. If an authentication protocol exchange fails, a port connected to the link that was being authenticated by the exchange can be disabled from communicating via the link.
IEEE 802.1X defines a protocol for authenticating an Ethernet link. In the IEEE 802.1X model, two network devices communicate via the link being authenticated. When the link is brought up, one of the two network devices acts as an authenticator device while the other one of the two network devices acts as a supplicant device. The behavior of the authenticator device and the supplicant device is defined by IEEE 802.1X. In particular, the authenticator device communicates with an authentication server in order to authenticate the link to supplicant device. In situations in which the authenticator device and the authentication server are not co-located, the authenticator device needs to have layer 3 connectivity with the authentication server in order to be able to complete the IEEE 802.1X protocol exchange.
Authorization protocols such as RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial In User Service) provide security policy to network devices in order to inform those network devices of the traffic that neighboring network devices are authorized to send on the network. A network device can obtain policy for each port from the authorization server. Based on the security policy provided by the authorization server, a network device can filter traffic sent by a neighboring network device in order to ensure that only authorized traffic is sent via the network.
A network can be designed to enforce authenticated and authorized access pervasively, for all network devices on all links. Ideally, when such a network is brought up, successful authentication (and as a result, connectivity with an authentication and authorization server) will start from the devices closest (i.e., separated by the fewest number of links) to an authentication and authorization server and propagate outwards. Links to supplicant devices closest to the authentication and authorization server will be authenticated, allowing the supplicant devices to subsequently act as authenticator devices. The new authenticator devices are then able to authenticate other devices that are further (in links) from the authentication and authorization server. After being authenticated, each network device uses the authorization protocol to obtain policy information from the authentication and authorization server.
During the process of securing the network, each network device has to be authenticated and authorized by contacting an authentication and authorization server whenever that network device tries to bring up a link with a neighboring network device. Accordingly, in order to be able to contact the authentication and authorization server, each network device needs to have information detailing how to contact the server. That information can include the location (e.g., Internet Protocol (IP) address and Layer 4 (L4 port)) of the server. In order to provide high availability and scalability, more than one server may be deployed in the network. As a result, each network device may need to have contact information for more than one of the authentication and authorization servers.
Currently, a network administrator needs to manually configure the authentication and authorization servers' contact information on each network device within the network. This technique is clearly time consuming and error prone, especially as networks increase in size.
Allowing network devices to dynamically discover authentication and authorization server contact information eliminates the need for manual configuration. Dynamic Name Service (DNS) SRV Record, as described in Request For Comments (RFC) 2782, is an existing mechanism that allows network devices to request server contact information by contacting a DNS server. However, this mechanism requires that the network device that is requesting the server contact information have IP connectivity with the DNS server.
In some networks, having IP connectivity on a link depends on a network device successfully completing authentication and authorization of a peer on the other side of the link. In order to authenticate and authorize the peer, the network device needs to be able to contact the security server. In certain situations, the network device will be unable to contact a DNS server until the authentication and authorization of the peer has completed. For example, the DNS server may not yet be inside the secured fabric (and thus the DNS server will not be reachable via IP) when the network device tries to locate the authentication and authorization server in order to be able to authenticate and authorize the peer.
Accordingly, the network device cannot use the dynamic discovery mechanism to obtain the server contact information. This dependency renders the dynamic discovery solution ineffective in certain environments. Even worse, if the DNS SRV Record mechanism is the only mechanism by which the network device can obtain server contact information for the authentication and authorization server, deadlock situations can occur if the particular link being authenticated is the only path towards the DNS server for the network device. As this example shows, improved techniques for configuring each network device with server contact information are desirable.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments of the invention are provided as examples in the drawings and detailed description. It should be understood that the drawings and detailed description are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed. Instead, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Method and apparatus for securely disseminating security server contact information in a network


A fiber cleaning machine has a horizontal roller (1) fitted with beater rods (4, 5). Bar grates (4, 5) are arranged under the lower side of the roller. Over the upper side of the roller (1), an inlet (9) opens out at one end of the roller (1), and an outlet (10) opens out at the other end for a current of delivery air for transporting the fibers in flock form. Between the inlet (9) and the outlet (10), sheet metal deflectors (11) are arranged obliquely over the upper side the roller (1) to provide transfer chambers which move the current of delivery air in the direction of the axis of the roller (1). Cooperating with the transfer chambers is a partition (30) which is permeable to air and dust and which is a wall of a low-pressure chamber (20). Not only can coarser impurities be separated through the bar grates (4, 5), but also finely divided impurities may pass through the permeable partition (30) into the low-pressure chamber (20) where they are sucked into a suction pipe (15).

The invention relates to a type of textile fiber cleaning machine in which fibers are transported in a current of delivery air adjacent the periphery of a horizontal roller fitted with beater elements. Grate bars are arranged beneath the roller. An inlet for the current of delivery air is provided above and near one end of the roller periphery and the stream goes spirally around the roller to an outlet at the other end.
Such cleaning machines serve the purpose of opening the fiber flocks which are delivered in the current of delivery air to remove the impurities therefrom. The fiber material is pulled over the bar grate and is also beaten, to a degree, through the impact with partitions in the vicinity of the roller so that impurities are released from the material. Larger impurities (fragments of seed husks, for example) penetrate through the bar grate and are then sucked away. Finer, finely divided impurities, however, remain at least partly in the current of delivery air in the known machines and leave such machines together with the fiber material discharged in the current of delivery air.


A folding frame apparatus is provided that contains a removable and pivoting rod clamp employed to hold a ice fishing jig rod in the desired position, and is designed in a manner that it can be used with almost all of the ice fishing jig rods on the market today. The frame of the present invention is constructed in a manner that all joints are pivotal by the use of a wing nut assembly, which allows the frame to be opened or closed as desired by the user. The present invention is also equipped with a signal flag assembly which, when a fish takes the bait, causes the flag to move to an upright position and alerts the fisherman to the presence of a fish.

The present invention relates to an improvement in an ice fishing tip-up. More specifically, a device for holding a commonly used ice fishing jigging rod in a collapsible bracket designed in a tip-up arrangement.
Jigging rods are commonly used in ice fishing when a sportsman fishes directly over an ice fishing hole, holding a rod while jigging a lure up and down through the hole in order to attract fish. An ice fisherman may have several jigging rods with him on a fishing trip supplied with varying line sizes, lures and rod and reel strengths. These rods may be used to varying degrees, depending on the type of fish being caught or desired.
Commonly, when ice fishing, an ice fisherman will fish out of a house or sheltered structure using a jigging rod in order to catch fish. Fisherman will also, at the same time, place holes drilled in the ice some distance away from the house, and supply these holes with what is known as tip-ups or unattended ice fishing devices. These devices will have some type of indicator that will signal the ice fisherman in the house when there has been a bite on that line. The reason for drilling holes far away from the house is so that an ice fisherman may fish for larger game fish away from the house, while jigging for smaller game fish within the house. This will result in larger game fish being away from the house, preventing them from scaring smaller game fish away. It may also be done to simply cover more area.
One of the problems with commonly used tip-up rods is that the device can be rather cumbersome or large, and not easily carried around by ice fisherman who like to remain rather mobile while fishing. A further problem with tip-up type rods is that they can be rather expensive and thus, it is not convenient to have a tip-up rod that utilizes varying degrees of line strength or setups.
From this, it follows that it would be desirable to supply tip-up apparatuses that can be used with common jigging rods and further hold a jigging rod in a tip-up fashion and thus, unattended with some sort of signaling device. This type of device could take advantage of fisherman's existing jigging rods.
Prior art fishing rigs of this type have existed for some time. U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,333 issued to Debreczeni discloses a fishing rig which uses a jigging type rod attached to a knock down base. The problem with this design is that the base and jigging rod must be designed to match, thus the base cannot be used with any commonly available jigging type rod as a special mounting system must be utilized.
Another such assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,965 issued to True. This patent also utilizes a tip-up base for holding a jigging type rod, however the jig rod must be supplied with the proper attachment points to match the base. Thus, this system cannot be used with any commonly available jigging type rod.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,824,730 issued to Johnson discloses a base section having a rotatable bar through the middle made to match with a jigging rod. Although this patent somewhat solves the problem of connecting to commonly available jigging rods, the apparatus or connection point to the jigging rod limits its use with all jigging rods. Further, the base is not very portable as it is a one piece base which is designed in a non-foldable or non-collapsible structure.
From this discussion, it can be seen that it would be desirable to provide a collapsible tip-up frame that can be used with most commonly available ice fishing jig rods, and further to have the tip-up base supplied with some type of signaling means in order to allow a fisherman to determine when a bite has occurred on a given line.


A hop count between a management device and a management target device is calculated, and a notification destination range of an unspecified notification pertaining to a power supply mode is obtained from the management target device. On the basis of the obtained results, it is determined whether or not an unspecified notification pertaining to the power supply mode can be received from the management target device. Furthermore, on the basis of the result of the determination, the management device requests the management target device to register the management device as an individual notification destination.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for managing devices having multiple power supply modes.
Description of the Related Art
Some management devices that manage management target devices, such as a printer and a computer, periodically request information, such as status information, from the management target devices. In order to respond to such requests from the management devices, the management target devices need to be supplied with a certain amount of power, and it is difficult to keep the management target devices in a low power consumption mode.
Meanwhile, a technique is being considered in which a management target device notifies a management device of its power supply mode when the management target device enters a low power consumption mode and when the management target device returns from the low power consumption mode, and the management device, upon receiving the notification, refrains from requesting information from the management target device while the management target device is in the low power consumption mode so as to allow the management target device to stay in the low power consumption mode (e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-215686).
However, even if the management target device is to notify the management device of the power supply mode, if the notification of the power supply mode is transmitted to unspecified destinations through multicasting, an appropriate TTL value needs to be set relative to a hop count. If the TTL value is not set appropriately, the notification does not reach the management device, and the management target device needs to return from the low power consumption mode. Alternatively, there is a technique in which a management target device responds to a periodic request for information from a management device while the management target device remains in a low power consumption mode, and the management target device can respond only to predefined inquiries while the management target device is in the low power consumption mode.


In a PID control system, a proportionality coefficient multiplication unit multiplies a valve opening degree command value by a proportionality coefficient. A first angle deviation computation unit computes a deviation between an output value from a proportionality coefficient multiplication unit and a detected rotation angle of a valve driving motor. A differential coefficient multiplication unit multiplies the valve opening degree command value by a differential coefficient. A third angle deviation computation unit computes a deviation between an output value from the differential coefficient multiplication unit and the detected rotation angle of the valve driving motor.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control system.
2. Description of Related Art
There has been known a hydraulic power steering system in which hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic pump is supplied through a hydraulic control valve to a power cylinder connected to a steering mechanism of a vehicle, whereby steering is assisted. In a commonly-used hydraulic power steering system, a hydraulic control valve is mechanically connected to a steering member, such as a steering wheel, via a steering shaft, and an opening degree of the hydraulic control valve is adjusted in response to an operation of the steering member. Refer to, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-325313 (JP 2006-325313 A), Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-130899 (JP 2004-130899 A), Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-138905 (JP 6-138905 A), and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-506587 (JP 2008-506587 A).
There has been developed a hydraulic power steering system in which a hydraulic control valve is not mechanically connected to a steering member, and an opening degree of the hydraulic control valve is controlled by an electric motor (valve driving motor). The inventors et al. have conducted research on a system that controls a valve driving motor through PID control, and finally made the invention.


Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a roaming network access method and apparatus, where the method includes: obtaining a mobile country code MCC of a roaming area; obtaining a preferential roaming list, where the preferential roaming list is used to indicate information about at least one network that a user preferentially attempts to register with when the user is roaming; selecting a network that matches the MCC from the preferential roaming list and searching for the selected network; and each time a network is found by the searching, attempting to register with the found network. By means of the roaming network access method and apparatus provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, duration of network searching performed by user equipment is shortened, time spent by the user equipment on initial network access in the roaming area is reduced.

After user equipment (UE) is powered on or when it is roaming, the primary task is to select a public land mobile network (PLMN) and successfully register with the PLMN, and the UE can obtain normal communications services such as a voice service and a data service only in this way.
In the prior art, after UE is powered on, it first attempts to register with a public land mobile network that the UE successfully registered with (Registered PLMN, RPLMN for short) last time. If the registration fails, the UE performs full-band network searching. The UE searches for all networks according to frequency bands and radio access technologies (RAT) that are supported by the UE, and generates a list of available networks, where each element in the list includes a PLMN and a RAT of an available network. To facilitate faster registration of the UE with an available network, the UE needs to select a PLMN from the foregoing list of the found available networks according to a particular rule. For example, it is stipulated in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specifications that UE selects a PLMN according to the following sequence: RPLMN→home public land mobile network (Home PLMN, HPLMN for short)→user controlled public land mobile network (User PLMN, UPLMN for short)→operator controlled public land mobile network (Operator PLMN, OPLMN for short)→other available PLMNs (OTHER Available PLMN).
Duration of network searching performed by the UE mainly depends on factors such as a frequency band and a RAT that are supported by the UE, a quantity of coverage cells in an area in which the UE is located, and software and hardware restrictions of the UE. With commercialization of the Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, the UE can support more RATs. When the UE is roaming, the UE needs to look over all standards and frequency bands that are supported by the UE and generate a list of available networks before selecting a PLMN and attempting to register with the selected PLMN, which results in an excessively long time of network searching.
Duration of PLMN selection performed by the UE mainly depends on an order of the foregoing found available networks in the list. In a scenario in which the UE is roaming, if there is a large quantity of operators in a roaming area of the UE, the list of the found available networks is long, for example, there are many small operators in Hong Kong, America, and some European countries, and the number of elements in the list of available networks may reach dozens. In addition, a PLMN selection process is a trial-and-error process; for each selected PLMN and RAT, a registration attempt process of the UE involves multiple rounds of network-wide signaling message interaction; in addition, when one registration attempt fails, the UE needs to continue to attempt to register with the same PLMN and RAT until a preset stop condition is satisfied, for example, a quantity of failed attempts reaches a preset quantity-of-failed-attempts threshold, leading to an excessively long time of PLMN selection.
In the prior art, when UE initially accesses a network in a roaming area, it takes a relatively long time for the UE to successfully register with a network in the roaming area, and user experience is affected due to an excessively long waiting time.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Roaming network access method and apparatus


A flash preventing substrate and a method for fabricating the same are proposed. A core defined with a plurality of substrate units is prepared. A circuit patterning process is performed to form circuit structures on the core corresponding to the substrate units, plating buses between the adjacent substrate units and electrically connected to the circuit structures, and a molding ring surrounding all the substrate units. The molding ring is located at a position predetermined for contacting the substrate with a mold. A solder mask layer covers the circuit structures, the plating buses and the molding ring, and is formed with a plurality of openings therein, such that predetermined portions of the circuit structures are exposed via the openings and serve as electrical input/output connections. During a molding process, the mold can tightly abut against the solder mask layer covering the molding ring to prevent outward flashes of an encapsulating material.

In light of significant development of various portable products in communication, network and computer fields, ball grid array (BGA) packages with high densities and multiple contacts have become mainstream products in the semiconductor packaging field. The BGA package usually cooperates with a highly effective chip such as a microprocessor, chip set and graphic chip to achieve high speed operations. An advanced semiconductor packaging technology is employed to fabricate the BGA package, which is characterized by mounting a semiconductor chip on a front side of a substrate and implanting a grid array of solder balls on a back side of the substrate. This allows more input/output (I/O) connections to be accommodated on the same unit area of a chip carrier (e.g. the substrate) to satisfy the requirement for a highly integrated semiconductor chip, such that the entire package unit can be bonded and electrically connected to an external device by the solder balls.
In order to improve the production yield and reduce the fabrication cost for a semiconductor device, current micro semiconductor packages are mostly fabricated by a batch method as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,281,047, 6,319,750 and 6,479,894, etc. The batch fabrication method is implemented by firstly defining a plurality of array-arranged package units on a surface of a chip carrier via a plurality of grid-shaped boundary lines formed on the chip carrier. Then, die-bonding, wire-bonding and encapsulation processes are performed. Subsequently, a singulation process is carried out to remove a connected portion between any two adjacent package units, such that a plurality of independent semiconductor packages are fabricated. For example, a thin and fine pitch ball grid array (TFBGA) package has been proposed and is sized even smaller to satisfy the light-weight and low-profile requirements of electronic products. The TFBGA packages are fabricated on the same substrate in a batch manner. The substrate is in advance defined with a plurality of package sites thereon where a plurality of TFBGA package units are to be formed. Then, the die-bonding, wire-bonding and encapsulation processes are performed. Finally, the singulation process is carried out to separate the package sites and semiconductor chips mounted thereon from each other to form individual TFBGA package units.
Generally, for establishing electrical connection between a semiconductor package unit and an external electronic device via solder balls, or for effectively electrically connecting a semiconductor chip to a substrate in the package unit, a plurality of conductive circuits made of e.g. a copper material are formed on a surface of the substrate. A metallic layer such as a nickel/gold (Ni/Au) layer can be disposed on an exposed surface of a conductive pad extended from each of the conductive circuits. This allows other conductive elements such as gold wires, bumps or solder balls to be effectively electrically connected to the chip or substrate, and also prevents oxidation of the conductive pads due to an external environmental effect. In particular, for fabricating the highly conductive Ni/Au metallic layer, all circuit elements (e.g. the conductive pads) to be subsequently formed with the Ni/Au metallic layer thereon are connected to a plating bus during a circuit fabrication process of the substrate, such that an electroplating current can reach all the circuit elements via the plating bus to deposit the Ni/Au metallic layer on each of the circuit elements. When the packaging processes are complete, the plating bus becomes useless and should be removed.
FIG. 1 shows a semiconductor package substrate for use in batch fabrication of package units. The substrate 100 comprises a plurality of substrate units 10 that are defined and bordered by a plurality of transverse cutting lines SLx and a plurality of longitudinal cutting lines SLy formed on the substrate 100, wherein the substrate units 10 represent package sites to be subjected to subsequent packaging processes. During a final singulation process, the package sites can be separated by cutting along the cutting lines SLx and Sly to form individual package units. Each of the substrate units 10 comprises a plurality of bond pads 11, a plurality of conductive vias 12, and a plurality of conductive circuits 13 for electrically connecting the bond pads 11 to the conductive vias 12, wherein the conductive vias 12 are used to electrically connect the conductive circuits 13 on a front side of the substrate unit 10 to ball pads (not shown) on a back side of the substrate unit 10. In order to deposit a Ni/Au metallic layer on each of the bond pads 11 and ball pads on the front and back sides of the substrate unit 10 respectively by an electroplating process, the bond pads 11 and the ball pads are connected to a plating bus 14 formed around each of the package sites, such that an electroplating current can reach all the bond pads 11 and ball pads on the front and back sides of the substrate unit 10 respectively via the plating bus 14 so as to form the electroplated Ni/Au metallic layer on each of the bond pads 11 and ball pads. The plating buses 14 on the substrate 100 are grid-shaped and directly superimposed on the transverse and longitudinal cutting lines SLx and SLy, such that the plating buses 14 can be simultaneously removed by the final singulation process.
However, the above arrangement of the substrate is inherent with significant drawbacks. FIGS. 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views showing the substrate in FIG. 1 during a molding process respectively taken along lines 2A—2A and 2B—2B. After a chip 210 is mounted on and electrically connected to each of the substrate units 10, the molding process is performed using a mold 250 having an upper mold cavity 251, wherein a clamping area 252 of the mold 250 is positioned in correspondence with a predetermined mold clamp line (MCL) on the substrate 100, such that an encapsulating material 253 can be injected into the upper mold cavity 251 from a gate (not shown) so as to completely fill the upper mold cavity 251 with the encapsulating material 253. As a result, an encapsulant for encapsulating the chips 210 is formed on the substrate 100.
Generally, a solder mask layer 101 is applied on a surface of the substrate 100 and becomes contracted after being heated and cured, wherein more contraction of the solder mask layer 101 occurs at an area with no circuit being provided thereunder. Thereby, at an interface between the substrate 100 and the mold 250, a portion of the solder mask layer 101 covering circuits (i.e. the plating buses 14) becomes higher than another portion of the solder mask layer 101 not covering circuits. This results in collapse or sinking of the solder mask layer 101 between the adjacent plating buses 14. As a result, during the molding process, a gap 220 is formed between the mold 250 and the solder mask layer 101 at a position where the solder mask layer 101 collapses, and the encapsulating material 253 injected into the upper mold cavity 251 would leak through the gap 220 and cause flashes 230 (as shown in FIG. 2C). The flashes 230 not only impair the package appearance, but may further flow to another surface of the substrate 100 along positioning holes, slots or edges of the substrate 100, thereby contaminating the ball pads to be mounted with solder balls on the substrate 100 and adversely affecting the reliability of subsequent fabrication processes.
Referring to FIG. 3, in light of the above drawbacks, U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,988 has disclosed a method of forming at least one dummy trace 313 between two adjacent circuits 310 to avoid an oversized pitch between the adjacent circuits 310. For example, there are two dummy traces 313 formed within a pitch D1 between two adjacent circuits 310, such that the circuits 310 and the dummy traces 313 are evenly distributed, making a solder mask layer applied thereon substantially flat and have an equal height. Therefore, the effect of preventing flashes can be achieved.
However, the above arrangement when being applied to e.g. a TFBGA structure is not effective to completely solve the problem of flashes. This is because no matter where the dummy trace is located, a certain pitch always exists between adjacent circuits (the dummy trace and a plating bus). When the solder mask layer is applied on the plating bus and the dummy trace, there are still a plurality of collapsed portions formed therebetween, which accordingly cause a plurality of smaller gaps between the mold and the solder mask layer during the molding process. Thus, the encapsulating material having good fluidity would leak through the gaps and result in flashes. Moreover, the provision of dummy traces also leads to other drawbacks due to too many dummy traces being in advance formed on a peripheral area of the substrate for the purpose of preventing flashes. In such case, during a singulation process to simultaneously cut the dummy traces and the plating buses, excess burrs are produced and easily cause short-circuiting between adjacent circuits, thereby seriously affecting the electrical quality of a fabricated product.
Referring to FIG. 4, U.S. Pat. No. 5,744,084 has disclosed a method of forming a dam structure 420 on a surface of a substrate 408, wherein the dam structure 420 is used to accommodate a clamping area of an upper mold 402, so as to prevent the foregoing flashes. However, the dam structure 420 must be additionally fabricated after completing the circuitry of the substrate 408, and the fabrication processes of the dam structure 420 are complicated. It is therefore not cost-effective to fabricate the dam structure 420 in practice. Moreover, as various marks may usually be printed on a peripheral area of the substrate by e.g. a substrate manufacturer, the dam structure 420 that is also located on the peripheral area of the substrate would influence the performance of the mark-printing process on the substrate.
Therefore, the problem to be solved here is to provide a flash preventing substrate and a method for fabricating the same, which can eliminate short-circuiting that is possibly induced by a singulation process for a packaged structure, so as to achieve better cost effectiveness.

Flash preventing substrate and method for fabricating the same

Siliconware Precision Industries Co., Ltd


The present invention relates to a prism sheet having a side which is perpendicular to the normal of a light guiding plate. The prism sheet includes a prism sheet base film and a plurality of linearly aligned prisms. The prisms are formed on one side of the prism sheet base film. Here, one side of each prism is perpendicular to the prism sheet base film. The prism sheet condenses a light outputted from a light guiding plate using its internal total reflection, and so the efficiency of the light is enhanced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a prism sheet and a backlight unit including the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a prism sheet having a side which is perpendicular to the normal of a light guiding plate and a backlight unit including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A backlight unit provides a light to a liquid crystal display (hereinafter, referred to as "LCD").
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a usual liquid crystal device.
In FIG. 1, the LCD includes a LCD panel 100 and a backlight unit 102.
The LCD panel 100 displays a certain image using a light provided from the backlight unit 102.
FIG. 2A is a sectional view illustrating a backlight unit. FIG. 2B is a sectional view illustrating an optical film of FIG. 2A.
In FIG. 2A, the backlight unit 102 includes a light source unit 200, a light guiding plate 206, a reflection sheet 208 and an optical film 210.
The light source unit 200 includes at least one cold cathode fluorescent lamp (hereinafter, referred to as "CCFL") 202 and a reflection plate 204.
The CCFL 202 emits a light having a certain wavelength. Here, the light is generally a white light.
The reflection plate 204 seals the CCFL 202, and reflects the light emitted from the CCFL 202.
The light guiding plate 206 controls reflection condition of its upper side and lower side to diffuse uniformly the light emitted from the light source unit 200 through the whole light guiding plate 206. In addition, the light guiding plate 206 outputs the diffused light in the direction of the LCD panel 100.
The reflection sheet 208 reflects a light leaked from the light guiding plate 206 in the direction of the light guiding plate 206.
In FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the optical film 210 includes a diffusion sheet 220, a prism sheet 222 and a protection sheet 224.
The diffusion sheet 220 is located over the light guiding plate 206, and includes a lower diffusion sheet 230, a diffusion sheet base film 232 and an upper diffusion sheet 234. In addition, the diffusion sheet 220 includes beads 248, and condenses or diffuses the light outputted from the light guiding plate 206 using the beads 248.
The prism sheet 222 is located over the diffusion sheet 220, and includes a prism sheet base film 236 and prisms 238. Additionally, the prism sheet 222 condenses a light condensed or diffused by the diffusion sheet 220.
The protection sheet 224 is located over the prism sheet 222, and includes a lower protection sheet 240 includes beads 250, a protection sheet base film 242 and an upper protection sheet 246 includes beads 250. Further, the protection sheet 224 diffuses a light condensed by the prism sheet 222, and provides the diffused light to the LCD panel 100.
FIG. 2C is a sectional view illustrating the prism.
In FIG. 2C, the light outputted from the light guiding plate 206 is condensed by the prism 238. Then, the condensed light is transmitted in the direction of the LCD panel 100. However, a part (L4) of the light outputted from the light guiding plate 206 is not condensed in the direction of the LCD panel 100 as shown in FIG. 2C. In other words, the part of the light outputted from the light guiding plate 206 is not incident to the LCD panel 100, and so the efficiency of the light provided to the LCD panel 100 from the backlight unit 102 is reduced.

Prism sheet and backlight unit including the same


A method of determining endothelial dependent vasoactivity of a subject, the method is effected by recording pressure-related signals of a plurality of locations adjacent to at least one blood vessel; extracting at least one parameter from the pressure-related signals; and using the at least one parameter to determine a change of at least one characteristic of the at least one blood vessel, the change being representative of endothelial functioning; thereby determining the endothelial dependent vasoactivity of the subject.

The present invention relates to measuring endothelial dependent vasoactivity and, more particularly, to a non-invasive method and system for determining endothelial dependent vasoactivity.
Hemodynamics is a subchapter of cardiovascular physiology, which deals with the forces the heart has to develop in order to circulate blood throughout the cardiovascular system. To a physician, these forces are manifested as blood pressure and blood flow paired values measured simultaneously at different points of the cardiovascular system.
The flow of blood through the vasculature has a pulsatile nature. When the heart contracts, part of the blood contained within the left ventricle is squeezed into the aorta from which the blood flows into the entire cardiovascular system. Since blood is an incompressible fluid, when it is squeezed into the vasculature, which exhibits a resistance to blood flow, blood pressure is generated. During ventricular contraction the arterial blood pressure increases to its highest, the systolic level. When the left ventricle is refilled with oxygenated blood from the lungs during the relaxation phase of the cardiac cycle (the diastole), and the ventricle is disconnected from the vasculature by the aortic valve, the pressure in the vasculature decreases to its lowest level.
The amount of blood which is pumped with each heartbeat, also known as the stroke volume, normalized by body surface area is known as the Stroke Index (SI). The mean value of blood pressure is called the Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP). The values of SI and MAP are a result of modulation by several hemodynamic modulators: (i) intravascular volume, (ii) inotropy, (iii) Starling effect and (iv) vasoactivity.
Intravascular volume is the amount of fluid circulating in the vasculature. This modulator can be affected, for example, by dehydration, diuresis, venoconstriction of the spleen, volume overload due to heart or kidney failure and the like.
Inotropy is the ability of the cardiac muscle to contract. Myocytes are the only muscle cells which are able to vary the strength of contraction. Inotropy can be affected by exercise, stress and pharmaceutical agents, which increase the strength of myocardial contractions, or by cardiac diseases such as heart failure, which is expressed by decrease of the strength of contractions. The myocardial contractility is controlled by positive and negative inotropes which instantaneously affect the level of inotropic state. Changes in inotropy alter the rate of force and pressure development by the ventricle.
The heart has the intrinsic capability of increasing its force of contraction when preload is increased. The preload is related to the sarcomere length via the well known Starling law.
Vasoactivity referrers to the ability of blood vessels to expand and contract. Through vasoactivity the body controls the flow of blood through individual organs, accommodate the variation in blood flow and regulate arterial pressure.
The endothelium-dependent relaxation of blood vessels is due to the release of potent non-proslanoid vasodilator substances by the endothelium (the inner most cellular layer of the blood vessel) surrounding the blood vessel. The endothelium-derived relaxing factor is believed to be nitric oxide (NO), which is released by different stimuli substances produced during platelet aggregation. The endothelial action of thrombin and platelet products is crucial for the protective role played by the normal endothelium against unwanted coagulation. Therefore, local platelet aggregation, with the associated release of serotonin and ADP, together with the production of thrombin, leads to a major local release of NO. The NO diffuses towards the underlying vascular smooth muscle, induces its relaxation and thus contributes to the dilatation of the artery. The release of NO to the blood vessel also inhibits platelet adhesion at the endothelium blood interface, exerts a major feedback on platelet aggregation, thereby eliminates the imminent danger of vascular occlusion. In addition, the endothelial barrier prevents the platelet derived vasoconstrictor substances from reaching the smooth muscle. NO can also be released by other stimuli like flow mediated vasoactivity and increased sympathetic activity (alpha receptor stimulation).
It is recognized that dysfunction of endothelial dependent vasoactivity, also known as endothelial dysfunction, is an early event in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Endothelial dysfunction and coronary artery disease are also linked to over-weight, obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking and homocysteine. In addition, the vascular endothelium plays a fundamental role in several processes related to thrombosis. Impaired endothelium function may also promote the development of atherosclerosis through its effects on vaso-regulation, platelet and monocyte adhesion.
Several studies have demonstrated that elevated concentration of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol are associated with impaired endothelial function, independent of the presence of coronary heart disease [Robert A. Vogel, "Coronary risk factors, Endothelial function, and atherosclerosis: A review," Clin. Cardiol 1997, 20:426-432; Robert A. Vogel et al., "Changes in flow-mediated brachial artery vasoactivity with lowering of desirable cholesterol levels in healthy middle aged men," The American journal of cardiology 1996, 77; Kensuke Egashira et al., "Reduction in serum cholesterol with pravastatin improves endothelium dependent coronary vasomotion in patients with hypercholesterolemia," Circulation 1994, 89 No 6]. In addition, decreased concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and an elevated ratio of total to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol have also been associated with endothelial dysfunction.
Cigarette smoking profoundly impairs endothelial function [Robert W. stadler et al., "Measurment of the time course of peripheral vasoactivity: results in cigarette smokers," Atherosclerosis 1998 138:197-205; David S. Celermajer et al., "Cigarette smoking is associated with dose-related and potentially reversible impairment of endothelium-dependent dilation in healthy young adults," Circulation 1993, 88, No 5 part 1]. Endothelial function is reduced in both active and passive smokers in a dose dependent manner. Smoking cessation is associated with improvement in endothelial function.
Endothelial dysfunction increases in men over the age of about 40 and in women after the age of about 55, whether or not other coronary risk factors are present. The specific cause of the decrease in endothelial function with age is yet unknown. Estrogen appears to be a major factor associated with gender differences in age-related endothelial function.
Other factors which affect endothelial function include hypertension [Perticone F, et al., "Prognostic significance of endothelial dysfunction in hypertensive patients," Circulation 2001, 104:191-196], diabetes [Cosentino F et al., "Endothelial dysfunction in diabetes mellitus," J Cardiovasc Pharmacol, 1998, 32:54-61; Cosentino F et al., "High glucose causes upregulation of Cyclooxygenase-2 and alters prostanoid profile in human endothelial cells. Role of protein kinase C and reactive oxygen species," Circulation 2003, 107:1017-1023], diet and physical exercise [Brendle D et al., "Effects of exercise rehabilitation on endothelial reactivity in older patients with peripheral arterial disease," Am J Cardiol 2001, 87:324-329].
The full range of different diseases associated with endothelial dysfunction, the nature of endothelial abnormalities and the effects of potential treatments on vasoactivity are yet to be determined. Nevertheless, the measurement of arterial endothelium function is of utmost importance for the purpose of diagnosing endothelial dysfunction related diseases at early stage, for example for diagnostic assessment of atherosclerothic disease in the pre-stenotic stages [Vanhoutte. P. M., "Endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis," Eur Heart J, 1997:18 (sup E) E19-E29; Robert A. Vogel, 1997 ibid; Mary C. Corretti et al., "Guidelines for the ultrasound assessment of endothelial-dependent flow-mediated vasodilatation of the brachial Artery," JACC 2002, 39:257-65; Widlansky M E, Gokee N, Keaney J F Jr, Vita J A, J, "The clinical implications of endothelial dysfunction," J Am Coll Cardiol 2003, 42:1149-60].
Normal release of NO prevents and/or attenuates arteriosclerosis as well as other major factors such as thrombosis [Robinson Joannides et al., "Nitric oxide is responsible for flow-dependent dilatation of human peripheral conduit arteries in vivo," Circ. 1995, 91:1311-12; Ian B. Wilkson et al., "Nitric oxide regulates local arterial distensibility in-vivo," Circ. 2002, 105:213-217].
Many studies have demonstrated that endothelial dysfunction in coronary arteries is concomitant with impaired endothelial brachial, radial and the carotid dysfunction [Corretti et al., 2002 ibid; Tod J. Anderson et al., "Close relation of endothelial function in the human coronary and peripheral circulations," JACC 1995, 26:1235-41; David S. Celermajer et al., "Endothelium-dependent dilation in the systemic arteries of asymptomatic subjects relates to coronary risk factors and their interaction," JACC 1994, 24:1468-74; Sorensen K E et al., "Atherosclerosis in the human brachial artery," JACC 1997, 29:318-22]. In addition, it was found that coronary artery disease is related to atherosclerothic disease in the aorta and the carotid artery [Khoury Z et al., "Relation of coronary artery disease to atherosclerothic disease in the aorta, carotid, and femoral arteries evaluated by ultrasound," Am J Cardiol 1997, 80:1429-1433].
Assessment of endothelium dependent vasoreactivity (EDV) in coronary arteries may be performed by measurements of changes in peripheral arterial diameter due to pharmacological or mechanical stimuli.
One method for measuring the inner diameter of a blood vessel is by an intravascular ultrasound device having an intravascular catheter and an ultrasound transducer array mounted thereon. The intravascular catheter is inserted directly into the artery of interest to thereby determine its inner diameter.
Such a device is highly invasive, expensive and requires costly additional technical expertise to operate.
Another known device for measuring the intravascular diameter of a blood vessel has an elongated flexible sheath and a catheter which is longer than the sheath. The sheath has an outer diameter which is less than the intravascular diameter. The catheter proximal end extends outwardly from the proximal end of the sheath and includes a measuring scale directly proportional to a position of a sensor extending from the catheter. When the sheath is inserted into the blood vessel and the catheter is moved inwardly relative to the sheath, the intravascular diameter can be read directly from the measuring scale.
This device, however, although simple and not expensive, is still highly invasive and lacks the necessary accuracy for the purpose of determining vasoactivity.
Also known in the art are non-invasive methods for the measurement of arterial diameter by high resolution non-invasive ultra-sound systems. In one such method the physician operates an ultrasound transducer to obtain appropriate ultrasound images of the brachial artery for measuring artery diameter thereof. This method, however, is time consuming, and requires a highly trained physician or technician to hold the transducer stably during the measurement.
In another such method, an automatic measurement system having a robot arm manipulating ultrasound imaging probe is used. The system automatically navigates the ultrasound imaging probe to an appropriate position and measure changes in diameter of brachial artery with improved reproducibility compared with manual measurement.
This procedure, however, is very costly, requiring highly practiced personnel and equipment, and thereby lacks the ability to become a standard clinical procedure in the assessment of endothelial dysfunction in large high-risk populations.
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a cardinal role in the control of cardiovascular function. Heart rate, heart excitability and contractility are under the constant influence of the parasympathetic-sympathetic balance. Parasympathetic nerves and sympathetic fibers innervate the sino-atrial node; the parasympathetic influence is inhibitory while the sympathetic influence is excitatory. The parasympathetic fibers to the SA node are driven by inhibitory and excitatory inputs from peripheral receptors (baroreceptors, chemoreceptors, cardiac, pulmonary and airway receptors). Behavioral adaptive influence of the heart rate at the sinus node is mediated by supramedullary inputs to the cardiovagal neurons. The origin of the sympathetic innervation of the heart is located at the T2-T5 segment of the spinal cord and the preganglionic fibers synapse in the cervical ganglia.
Normal cardiac function is regulated by the complex balance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic outflows to the heart. This balance is also responsible for the susceptibility to arrhythmias: while vagal activity has a protective role, sympathetic activity lowers the threshold to ventricular fibrillation. Normal heart function, heart rate included, is modulated by the fluctuations in the sympathetic and parasympathetic flow to the heart. These fluctuations induce beat-to-beat variability in heart rate and arterial pressure. Hence, the analysis of the instantaneous fluctuations in cardiovascular variables supplies valuable information on the autonomic control in an intact organism.
Over the past two decades, analysis of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals in general and Heart-Rate-Variability (HRV) in particular, have been used to quantify the behavior of the ANS [Malik et al., "Guidelines. Heart rate Variability," Eur Heart J 1996, 17:354-381]. It was found that about 5 minutes recording of HRV are sufficient for detecting possible existence of coronary artery disease [Parati et al., "Spectral analysis of blood pressure and heart rate variability in evaluating cardiovascular regulation. A critical appraisal," Hypertension 1995, 25(6): 1276-86; Hayano J et al., "Decreased magnitude of heart rate spectral components in coronary artery disease and its relation to angiographic severity," Circulation 1990, 81(4):1217-24].
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a simple, cost effective, non-invasive method and system for determining endothelial abnormal function.

System for determining endothelial dependent vasoactivity


A chain lock for locking the wheel of a motorcycle or bicycle and a series of travelling certificates is provided. The chain lock includes a locking body having a combination locking device and a novel locking mechanism disposed therein, a chain or a flexible wire having at a first end an obturator embedded into the locking body and controlling the activity of the locking mechanism in cooperation with the combination locking device and a plug at a second end of the chain which is lockable by a latch and ejectable from the locking body by an ejector when the plug is unlockable. The obturator is operated as a hiding key for enhancing the anti-burglar effect of the chain lock.

Typical chain locks include generally a locking body and a chain or flexible wire which has one end connected with one side of the locking body and the other end has a plug lockable into a recessed latch in the other side of the body. The locking body may be an ordinary keyed lock, a safety lock or a combination lock. No matter whatever they are, they have the sane unlocking manner. When the lock is turned into an opening position, the plug of the chain will be ejected out of the locking body and therefore unlocked. This manner is well known and are not very burglarproof. However, the chain lock is useful nowadays. It not only locks a wheel of a motorcycle or a bicycle, a number of keys, but also a series of travelling certificates such as a passport, an air ticket, a boarding pass etc., so that an exquisite, reliable and portable chain lock is required.


A thin window that stands off atmospheric pressure is fabricated using photolithographic and wet chemical etching techniques and comprises at least two layers: an etch stop layer and a protective barrier layer. The window structure also comprises a series of support ribs running the width of the window. The windows are typically made of boron-doped silicon and silicon nitride and are useful in instruments such as electron beam guns and x-ray detectors. In an electron beam gun, the window does not impede the electrons and has demonstrated outstanding gun performance and survivability during the gun tube manufacturing process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the fabrication of rigid thin windows for vacuum applications, such as electron guns or x-ray detectors. In particular, the windows are made using photolithographic and wet chemical etching techniques.
2. Description of Related Art Thin film windows are used in applications where it is necessary to separate a vacuum environment from another environment, such as ambient atmosphere, a gaseous environment, or a liquid. These vacuum applications include electron and ion guns, x-ray tubes, x-ray detectors, and chambers transmitting other electromagnetic radiation or charged or neutral particles. The window must be able to withstand the pressure difference and possibly a high temperature environment, while not significantly impeding the beam of particles or radiation passing through the window.
An important application of thin film windows is in electron beams, which are used in industry for rapid curing of inks and paint, surface treatment of paper products, and destruction of organic waste solvents. The electron beam tubes typically used in these applications have electron windows made of 15 micron thick titanium foil. The electron window must be thin enough to allow electrons to pass through, be gas impermeable, and have sufficient strength to stand off an atmosphere of pressure drop. These guns typically operate in the 150 to 175 kilovolt range.
Recent advances in electron gun design allow for the operation of electron guns at much lower voltages. These improved electron guns do not require pumping and are designed to efficiently produce an electron beam in air with voltages below 100 kilovolts and as low as 25 kilovolts. An integral part of this electron gun is the thin, several micron thick window that stands off atmospheric pressure (1 atm) and permits electrons generated by the electron source to pass from the evacuated side to the outside. The window must be capable of transmitting electron current densities of several milliamperes per square centimeter into air with 90% efficiencies at 50 kilovolts for thousands of hours of operation. In addition, the window must also survive a high temperature bonding operation for attachment to the electron tube.
A method of making an electron beam window is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,468,282 issued Aug. 28, 1984 to Neukermans. The electron permeable windows are fabricated by depositing a single layer of an inert, high strength, low atomic number material onto a substrate. The window pattern is photolithographically defined and the substrate is etched to leave the window structure. Neukermans produces a simple single layer window that is susceptible to breakage throughout the manufacturing and bonding process.
An improved window structure and composition has been developed which significantly increases window durability and allows the use of the windows in a wide variety of environments, including very corrosive ones. The present invention produces a micromachined bi-material window with a rigid support frame structure, which has demonstrated impressive electron gun performance and improved window survivability during window bonding operations.

Rigid thin windows for vacuum applications

The Regents of the University of California


A pressure detector for detecting a high side pressure from a high pressure side impulse line and a low side pressure from a low pressure side impulse line includes a high side pressure variance calculating section for calculating a high side pressure variance from a high side pressure fluctuation calculated from a high side pressure signal, a low side pressure variance calculating section for calculating a low side pressure variance from a low side pressure fluctuation calculated from a low side pressure signal, a rate calculating section for calculating a variable according to a ratio of the high side pressure variance to the low side pressure variance, and a determining section for determining blockage of the high pressure side impulse line or blockage of the low pressure side impulse line based on a value of the variable.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a differential pressure transmitter (pressure detector) and a method of diagnosing blockage of impulse lines which are connected with a high pressure side and a low pressure side by using a differential pressure signal and a static pressure signal. Particularly, the present invention relates to a differential pressure transmitter (pressure detector) and a method of diagnosing blockage of impulse lines of a high pressure side and a low pressure side respectively.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a related differential pressure transmitter (pressure transmitter) for generating and transmitting a differential pressure signal and a static pressure signal from a high side pressure and a low side pressure, and detecting a blockage state of one or both of impulse lines from a correlation between a fluctuation of the differential pressure signal and a fluctuation of the static pressure signal (refer to, for example, JP-A-2004-132817). Further, a result of diagnosing the blockage is transmitted by a predetermined method.
However, the related differential pressure transmitter has a problem that blockage of only a high pressure side impulse line and blockage of only a low pressure side impulse line cannot be diagnosed.
With regard to such a problem, according to JP-A-2005-274501, blockage of a high pressure side impulse line and blockage of a low pressure side impulse line can simply and accurately be diagnosed.
Further, the fluctuation of pressure is influenced by a flow rate of a process, and therefore, a problem arises that it is difficult to diagnose blockage of the impulse lines.
In details, when the flow rate of the process is small, a value of an fluctuation of a pressure tends to be small. Therefore, it is difficult to determine whether the value of the fluctuation of the pressure is small since the impulse line is blocked, or the value of the fluctuation of the pressure is small since the flow rate of process is small.
Therefore, according to the related differential pressure transmitter, a reference value for diagnosing blockage is switched at each time of setting the flow rate of the process. Therefore, according to the related differential pressure transmitter, it is necessary to change the reference of diagnosing blockage in accordance with a value of the flow rate of the process, and thus a problem arises that maintenance cost is required.

Pressure detector and method of diagnosing blockage of impulse lines


A position detecting apparatus capable of detecting position pointing devices of any combination simultaneously out of plural position pointing devices, thereby providing a user a friendly apparatus. A frequency of a resonance circuit provided inside a position pointing device is set by a command signal transmitted from a tablet, causing plural position pointing devices placed on the tablet to have a different frequencies, thereby suppressing electromagnetic interference among position pointing devices on the tablet, so that a simultaneous detection becomes available.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a position detecting apparatus and a position detecting device thereof, said position detecting apparatus having the capability of detecting more than one position pointing devices simultaneously.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,553 discloses a position detecting apparatus with a cordless position pointing device wherein a resonance circuit is installed in the position pointing device enabling cordless communication between a tablet and the position pointing device. An apparatus that operates easily is thus provided. U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,896, an improvement on said U.S. patent, further discloses a position detecting apparatus wherein plural position pointing devices are detected on the same tablet simultaneously by providing a distinct resonance frequency to each position pointing device. The disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,878,553 and 5,466,896 are hereby incorporated by reference.
A conventional position detecting apparatus disclosed in the prior art, however, could detect plural position pointing devices on the same tablet only if different frequencies are assigned to resonance circuits in advance in order to avoid electromagnetic interference.
In general, a user does not have a conscious awareness of which position pointing device has a particular frequency. A user therefore often makes the mistake of picking up two position pointing devices which have the same frequency and tries to use them simultaneously.

Position detecting apparatus and method for detecting position pointing device


A method and system for operating a transmission that includes two power take off devices is described. In one example, an internal combustion engine and/or an electric machine may supply power to accessory devices via first and second power take off devices. Alternatively, power may be delivered to the transmission via one or both of the first and second power take off devices.

A vehicle may include a transmission that includes a power take off. The power take off may transfer torque from an engine to a device that is coupled to a transmission. U.S. Patent Publication Number 2021/0339625 shows one example of a transmission power take off that may deliver power to a load other than vehicle wheels. In this particular example, the power take off output shaft may rotate at a fixed multiple of a rotational rate of an input shaft of the power take off. The input shaft of the power take off may be coupled to an output shaft of a transmission. The power take off may deliver engine torque solely to vehicle wheels, solely to an accessory device (e.g., a pump) that does not provide propulsive effort to the vehicle wheels, or to vehicle wheels and the accessory device. However, all accessories that are coupled to the power take off rotate at a same speed, which may lower efficiency of some accessories. Alternatively, external gearing/pulleys may be needed to operate different accessories at different speeds. Consequently, packaging of system components and system complexity may be increased.
The inventors herein have recognized the above-mentioned issues and have developed a transmission, comprising: a first power take off port including a shaft that rotates at a multiple of a rotational rate of a transmission input shaft; an output shaft configured to deliver power to vehicle wheels, the output shaft directly coupled to carrier of a first planetary gear set; and a second power take off port, the second power take off port directly coupled to a sun gear of the first planetary gear set.
By directly coupling an output shaft of a transmission to a carrier of the first planetary gear and coupling a second power take off port directly to a sun gear of the first planetary gear set, it may be possible to provide the technical result of rotating accessories that are coupled to the second power take off at different speeds than the output shaft of the transmission. Consequently, it may be possible for the accessories to operate with greater efficiency. In addition, accessories that are driven via the second power take off port may be designed to operate as speeds that may be different from speeds of accessories that are driven via a first power take off port. The first power take off port may rotate at a multiple of a rate that an input shaft of the transmission rotates. Further, gearing of power take off outputs is within the transmission so system complexity may be reduced and system packaging may be more compact.
The present description may provide several advantages. In particular, the approach herein includes a transmission with two power take offs that may rotate at different speeds to drive different types of loads. In addition, the approach allows a first power take off to be driven in all modes while the second power take off may be driven in select modes so that the system has greater flexibility. Further, the first and second power take offs may be driven independently or together via one or more electric machines to further increase system flexibility.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.


A method of quantization matrix compression in a video encoder is provided that includes preprocessing a quantization matrix by performing at least one selected from down-sampling the quantization matrix and imposing 135 degree symmetry on the quantization matrix, performing zigzag scanning on the pre-processed quantization matrix to generate a one dimensional (1D) sequence, predicting the 1D sequence to generate a residual 1D sequence, and coding the residual 1D sequence using kth order exp-Golomb coding to generate a compressed quantization matrix, wherein k≧0.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to compression of quantization matrices in video coding.
2. Description of the Related Art
Video compression, i.e., video coding, is an essential enabler for digital video products as it enables the storage and transmission of digital video. In general, video compression techniques apply prediction, transformation, quantization, and entropy coding to sequential blocks of pixels in a video sequence to compress, i.e., encode, the video sequence. Video decompression techniques generally perform the inverse of these operations in reverse order to decompress, i.e., decode, a compressed video sequence.
In general, current video encoders break a picture into discrete blocks (e.g., 4×4 or 8×8) that are transformed into blocks of coefficients. Each block is then quantized by multiplying by a quantization scale and dividing element-wise by a quantization matrix. The video coding standard supported by a video encoder defines default quantization matrices for the supported transform block sizes and may also allow custom matrices to be used. If custom matrices are used, the matrices are compressed and transmitted in the coded bit stream for use in decoding.
Future video encoding standards such as the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard currently under development by a Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding (JCT-VC) established by the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) may support larger transform sizes (e.g., 16×16 and 32×32) in addition to the smaller transform sizes of the current standards in order to improve coding efficiency. Thus, quantization matrices of the same sizes will also be needed. If quantization matrices vary from picture to picture, significant overhead to transmit the quantization matrices will be incurred if current compression techniques are used.

Quantization matrix compression in video coding


A non-volatile memory module for use in a computer system is disclosed. The non-volatile memory module is capable of storing information indefinitely and can be inserted and removed from the computer system during operation. The non-volatile memory can serve as the main memory within the computer system to hold the operating system and any other programs that are accessed by the computer system during operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer systems with memory and, more particularly, the present invention relates to a computer system having insertable non-volatile memory modules.
2. Related Art
Computer systems always include at least one memory store. A typical computer system includes a main memory store and at least one type of non-volatile memory. The main memory store typically uses fast, volatile memory to store an operating system and programs that run while the computer is operating. The volatile memory typically comprises random access memory (RAM) and is considered the main memory for the computer system. The non-volatile memory is used to store data and programs without fear of loss upon power down, power interruptions, or computer malfunction. The non-volatile memory typically comprises a hard disk drive, floppy drive, or CD drive. The non-volatile memory is typically considered the secondary memory for the system.
The main memory, or RAM, is typically smaller in size, faster in speed, and more expensive in cost, than the secondary memory storage. Practically all current non-volatile memory storage technologies, such as magnetic hard drives, magnetic tape or floppy drives, optical media, magneto-optic, phase-change, polymer, plastic, FLASH, as well as other media, are slower by at least one order of magnitude than the RAM technologies currently available and are often several orders of magnitude slower. RAM technologies include static RAM (SRAM) and dynamic RAM (DRAM), both of which have their advantages and disadvantages and are used extensively in today's computer systems.
Computer systems have advanced to the stage where certain peripheral devices can be "hotplugged" directly into the computer system while it is operating. The computer system will recognize the peripheral device and accept it as if it had always existed from the time of bootup or powerup for the computer system. "Hotplugging" is defined as the ability to insert or remove a peripheral device within the computer system while it is running.
Volatile memory requires that it be powered constantly in order for the contents of the memory to be preserved. Thus, a volatile memory cannot utilize the hotplugging capability provided in today's computer systems without a loss of data either prior to insertion or after loss of power while inserted in the system. Furthermore, an abrupt power surge or drop can be catastrophic to such memory and is to be avoided. Otherwise, the memory will be destroyed or at least damaged to some extent.
Recent advances in memory technology have included the development of magnetic RAM (MRAM). MRAM stores information magnetically, so it does not require a constant power supply, as does current RAM technology. This quality is known as non-volatility. MRAM can offer all the advantages in speed and size that volatile memory offers and brings the added advantage of being non-volatile and, in some architectural configurations, cheaper to manufacture. MRAM can operate at speeds similar to either SRAM or DRAM, thus allowing it to be utilized within main memory.
It is desirable to provide a memory module system that can be inserted within a computer system during operation in such a way as to avoid losing the module's prior memory state and to avoid catastrophic failure of either the module or the computer system that would otherwise result in prior art memory systems.

Non-volatile memory module for use in a computer system

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.