A method and apparatus for transporting portions of a codestream over a communications mechanism is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises sending a request over a network and receiving tile-parts of a JPEG 2000 compliant codestream from the network as a return type as part of a response to the request.

JPEG2000 was designed to provide access to different regions, resolutions, and levels of quality of an image without decoding the entire JPEG 2000 file. Various progression orders were also defined so that a file transmitted over a slow communication channel would "progress" in a certain way, e.g., from low resolution to high resolution, or from low quality to high quality. Also of interest was the ability to choose portions of the image in an order other than the order the file was stored. In general, someone might interactively select a region and quality of the image for transmission.
J. Li and H.-H. Sun, in "Virtual Media (Vmedia) Access Protocol and its Application in Interactive Image Browsing", Proc. SPIE Conf. on Multimedia Computing and Networking, vol. 4312, pp. 99-110, Jan. 22-23, 2001, San Jose, Calif., proposed a virtual media (Vmedia) access protocol and developed an interactive JPEG 2000 browser with Vmedia. They use code-block access as the basic elements. Their cache implementation has priority bits.
M. Boliek, G. K. Wu and M. J. Gormish, in "JPEG 2000 for Efficient Imaging in Client/Server Environment", Proc. SPIE Conf. on App. of Digital Imaging, vol. 4472, pp. 212-223, Jul. 31-Aug. 3, 2001, San Diego, Calif., define a client/server environment to transport JPEG 2000 images. Their work defines "smart client," "dumb client," "smart server," and "dumb server." They provide examples of JPEG 2000 byte usage in a "pan and zoom" session and describe a protocol based on Internet Imaging Protocol (IIP), Version 1.0.5, 6 October 1997. The protocol described here extends some of the ideas from Boliek, et al., "JPEG 2000 for Efficient Imaging in Client/Server Environment", Proc. SPIE Conf. on App. of Digital Imaging, vol. 4472, pp. 212-223, Jul. 31-Aug. 3, 2001, San Diego, Calif., paper but relies on HTTP as defined in R. Fielding, J. Gettys, J. C. Mogul, H. Frystyk, L. Masinter, P. Leach, T. Berners-Lee (Editors), Hypertext Transfer Protocol—HTTP/1.1, RFC 2616, June 1999 for transport.
Sachin Deshpande and Wenjun Zeng, in "Scalable Streaming of JPEG2000 Images using Hypertext Transfer Protocol", Proc. ACM Conf. on Multimedia, pp. 372-381, Oct. 2-4, 2001, send JPEG 2000 images using HTTP. However, they send a separate index file with header information and then use HTTP byte range requests to get the desired image pieces. Their protocol allows pipelining of requests, but not interruption. It suffers from an extra roundtrip time to get the index file. Their examples are highly inefficient because multiple byte ranges are sent with "Content-Type: multipart/byteranges;" with a boundary value. In one case, there is 70 bytes of overhead for 48 bytes of data.
Wright, R. Clark, G. Colyer, in "An implementation of JPIP based on HTTP", ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 1 N2426, Feb. 14, 2002, Elysium Ltd., UK, describe use of HTTP "Accept-Ranges:" with values such as bytes, jp2-boxes, and j2k-packets. The main disadvantage of their approach is the need to end the initial connection and open a new connection after determining the server supports these additional range types. Their work is not a full definition of a JPEG 2000 interactive protocol.
D. Taubman, in "A Very Simple Proposal for JPIP", ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 1 N2445, Mar. 13, 2002, Univ. of New South Wales, Australia, uses precincts and code-blocks as the basic elements of JPEG 2000 file transfer. He defines a protocol, using binary containers, specifying acknowledgements and session information, and using byte ranges of precincts as the fundamental return type. In contrast, this protocol uses self-labeled tile-parts as the basic elements for communication. This way both the client and the server have copies of valid JPEG 2000 codestreams.
R. Prandolini, S. Houchin, R. Clark, in "Call for JPIP Technology Proposals", ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 1 N2550, Mar. 21, 2002, issued a call for proposals for JPEG 2000 Interactive Protocol (JPIP). Their document describes a sequence of pan and zoom steps someone might use with a browser and ask for measurements of efficiency. No technology is defined in the call for proposals.
Canon, "Proposal for JPIP Tier 2 protocol," 28 Jun. 2002, WG1N2608, was an answer to the call for proposals that defines a full protocol and access to individual codeblocks or larger portions of a JPEG 2000 file. Their proposal also defines an Application Programmers Interface (API) for the protocol.

Transport of reversible and unreversible embedded wavelets


An embolic protection filter having an inverted membrane with improved blood perfusion characteristics is disclosed. An embolic protection filter in accordance with the present invention comprises a filter frame disposable about a guidewire, a support hoop coupled to a plurality of expandable struts, and an inverted membrane for filtering embolic debris. The inverted membrane has a tapered proximal section and an enlarged diameter distal section. Features of the present invention permit the perfusion of blood through the filter irrespective of embolic debris entrained therein.

Intravascular filters such as embolic protection filters are generally placed within a body lumen, such as an artery or vein, downstream of a therapeutic site to filter embolic debris from the blood stream. Examples of therapeutic procedures employing such filters include angioplasty, atherectomy, thrombectomy and stent placement. In a typical procedure, a guidewire is transluminally inserted into the patient and placed across the site of the lesion. An embolic protection filter is then advanced along the guidewire and placed distal the lesion. A therapeutic device such as a dilatation or atherectomy catheter is then advanced along the guidewire and placed proximal the therapeutic site to perform the procedure. The therapeutic device is then engaged, forcing the embolic debris to become dislodged from the walls of the vessel and flow downstream towards the distal vasculature, where it is collected and stored by the filter.
There are numerous types of interventional devices adapted to collect embolic debris released into the blood stream during a therapeutic procedure. Typically, these devices contain a mesh or microporous membrane attached to a support structure having struts, wires, and/or ribs that support the filter within a blood vessel when deployed. Generally, the shape of these filters include a proximal mouth or opening that tapers distally to a closed end portion. Examples of such configurations include baskets, parachutes, or sleeves. In a typical application, embolic debris enters the proximal end of the device, and flows distally where it is stored at the closed end portion of the filter.
Depending on the amount of embolic debris dislodged from the vessel wall, the embolic protection filter may become partially or fully occluded throughout the course of the therapeutic procedure. As a result of the buildup of embolic debris within the filter, the perfusion of blood through the filter diminishes over time.


A stratified-charge internal combustion engine (10) with fuel injection and dual ignition has a fuel injector (60) and two spark plugs (70) and (72) mounted in a cylinder head (16). The cylinder head (16) forms a combustion chamber (44) in conjunction with the cylinder (14) and piston (18). The spark plugs sequentially ignite the fuel plume (64, 66) emitted by the fuel injector simultaneously with the injection of the fuel. The piston (18) has a recess (80) that has its narrow portion in proximity to the injector and spark plug (70) and wider portion aligned under spark plug (72).

Stratified-charge internal combustion engines have been developed and tested for many years. The stratified-charge engine runs lean like a diesel engine at all times with an unthrottled air supply and with the air and fuel being mixed inside the chamber. Like the Otto cycle spark ignition gasoline engine, the stratified-charge engine has its combustion cycle or power stroke initiated by electrical igniters.
Diesel engines with compression-ignition have traditionally used high compression ratios to assure short ignition delays and quick ignition to address the problems of cold starting. The compression ratios have often been 16:1 for open chamber designs and 21:1 for divided chamber designs. The high compression ratios are accompanied with large peak firing pressures within the combustion chamber upon the compression-ignition of the fuel and air mixture. The large peak firing pressures require stouter and heavier engine structure to withstand the high firing pressures. The structural requirements add to the overall weight, bulk and cost of the engine. Furthermore, because of this requirement, gasoline and diesel engines did not have many components that were interchangeable. Neither engine could be economically and feasibly converted to the other type of engine.
A spark-ignition gasoline engine however has octane requirements. Many of the current engines can barely operate at a 10:1 compression ratio on 87 R+M/2 octane fuel. Many of these engines require a knock sensor intended to detect early detonation and automatically retard the spark timing if required.
Direct-injection stratified-charge (DISC) engines have always held out the promise of eliminating the restrictive octane requirements of spark ignition engines while eliminating the disadvantages of high combustion pressures found in diesel engines and providing smooth and quiet combustion by igniting the mixture with a spark and doing so with compression ratios and firing pressures at levels intermediate between those used in compression-ignition and spark-ignition engines. So far, results of practical applications have not been encouraging. Multi-fuel capability, theoretically possible with these concepts, has also been disappointing. A direct-injection stratified-charge engine can be much lighter compared to a diesel engine of similar displacement thereby increasing the effective power output per unit weight of engine.
Many attempts at direct-injection stratified-charge (DISC) engines have been made in the past with little commercial success. The performance results have always been disappointing particularly in the field of emission control. They were hampered, as proven by modern technology, by lack of air capacity due to their two OHV-pushrod designs and their hopelessly inadequate injection and ignition systems.
What is needed is a direct-injected stratified-charge engine that has improved energy and environmental performance under various conditions, achieved by solving the air capacity, injection constraints, ignition drawbacks, and combustion problems which afflicted the conventional engines.

Stratified-charge internal combustion engine with fuel injection and dual ignition


In one embodiment, an apparatus for folding a fitted bedding article includes a folding platform having an arcuate surface configured to receive a corner of the fitted bedding article. The apparatus also includes a holding member configured to releasably hold one or more portions of the fitted bedding article relative to the folding platform when at least one corner of the fitted bedding article is positioned about the arcuate surface. In another form, a method is directed to folding a fitted bedding article. However, other embodiments, forms and applications are also envisioned.

The present application relates to the folding of fitted bedding articles, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to apparatuses and methods for folding fitted bedding articles that employ a folding platform having an arcuate surface.
Fitted bedding articles, such as fitted bed sheets and mattress pads that have an elastic band around all or part of their bottom edge, can be difficult to fold. Indeed, current techniques for folding fitted bedding articles require difficult manipulation of the fitted bedding articles to mate the corners of the fitted bedding article together, followed by additional folding of the fitted bedding article that must be carried out on a large flat surface, such as a bed or counter. Often times, the fitted bedding article requires additional smoothing and flattening to address wrinkles formed during the folding process. In addition, execution of this technique can be inhibited by physical limitations of the person folding the fitted bedding article and/or by the size of the fitted bedding article itself. Thus, there remains a need for further developments in this arena.

Apparatus and method for folding fitted bedding articles


A non-therapeutic method of accumulating a polymeric or high molecular weight molecular product within a bacterial microcompartment in bacterial cytoplasm, which method employs a recombinant bacteria which is transformed to express a microcompartment containing an enzyme capable of converting a low molecular weight substrate into a polymeric or high molecular weight product, the method comprising the steps of: incubating the recombinant bacteria with the low-molecular weight substrate, or a precursor of the low molecular weight substrate which is capable of being metabolized to the substrate within the recombinant bacteria, such that the substrate or precursor is taken up by the bacteria, wherein the substrate enters the microcompartment and the enzyme within the microcompartment converts the substrate to a polymeric or high molecular weight molecular product, and wherein the polymeric or high molecular weight molecular product is accumulated within the microcompartment due to its size.

Bacterial microcompartments (metabolosomes) are closed polyhedral shells 100-150 nm diameter made of thin protein sheets (with pores less than 1 nm in diameter which can be positively or negatively charged), enclosing enzymes and cofactors for carbon fixation (carboxysomes) or various forms of fermentative metabolism. Although bacterial microcompartments were first seen over fifty years ago in photosynthetic cyanobacteria, their presence in the cytoplasm of heterotrophic bacteria was only confirmed in 1998, because they require induction by specific metabolites to form. In fact, twenty percent of bacterial genome sequences contain microcompartment structural genes, in many cases associated with enzymes of unknown function. A high percentage of bacteria therefore make a major investment in retaining and expressing large (20+ gene) operons encoding these structures and associated enzymes. It is believed the structures help bacterial metabolic efficiency by selective limitation of the shell pores on the passage of reactants, by metabolic channeling, or other mechanisms achieving temporary retention of small reaction intermediates within the structure, but these advantages have not been fully quantified.
Native microcompartment operons consist of a combination of genes specifying structural components making up the microcompartment shell, and genes specifying enzymes or cofactors, which are located within the microcompartment, or process products leaving the microcompartment. The diameter of identified pores in microcompartment shells of heterotrophic bacteria is sufficient to admit the typical primary substrates such as 1,2-propanediol, glycerol, or ethanolamine (Table 1). Most molecules consumed or produced by the natural enzyme-catalysed reactions within the microcompartment are less than 100 Daltons. The largest substrate molecules believed to enter and leave native microcompartments (on the basis of the location of the enzyme which utilises them) are cofactors such as Coenzyme A (MW 767.54 Da) which circulate between the microcompartment interior and the cytoplasm. Although they are present in commensal bacteria, expression of different microcompartment operons occurs in enteric pathogens in the intestine and after phagocytosis.
Recombinant microcompartments can be expressed heterologously in E. coli, both with and without the associated interior enzyme (Parsons, J., S. Frank, D. Bhella, M. Liang, M. B. Prentice, D. Mulvihill, and M. J. Warren, Synthesis of Empty Bacterial Microcompartments, Directed Organelle Protein Incorporation, and Evidence of Filament-Associated Organelle Movement. Molecular Cell, 2010. 38: p. 305-315). A clonable localisation signal comprising a short peptide enabling enzyme targeting to the microcompartment interior has been identified. Fusion of a 42 amino acid peptide (Parsons et al. 2010). or an 18 amino acid peptide (Fan, C., S. Cheng, Y. Liu, C. M. Escobar, C. S. Crowley, R. E. Jefferson, T. O. Yeates, and T. A. Bobik, Short N-terminal sequences package proteins into bacterial microcompartments. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2010. 107(16): p. 7509-14) from the N-terminus of PduP enzymes localised green fluorescent protein within microcompartments. Multiple sequence alignment of microcompartment associated enzymes reveals conserved N-terminal extensions of approximately 18 amino acids compared with non-microcompartment associated homologues for diol dehydratase small and medium subunits (PduD,E) ethanolamine ammonia lyase small subunit Eut C, Eut G, and pyruvate formate lyase Pfl2 (Fan et al 2010). General features of these N-terminal extensions, incorporating conserved hydrophobic residues followed by a less conserved linker region have been described (Sutter, M., D. Boehringer, S. Gutmann, S. Gunther, D. Prangishvili, M. J. Loessner, K. O. Stetter, E. Weber-Ban, and N. Ban, Structural basis of enzyme encapsulation into a bacterial nanocompartment. Nat Struct Mol Biol, 2008. 15(9): p. 939-947). Compartmentalisation of the cellular interior is a functionally transforming process which underlies such radical events as the emergence of eukaryotes. Nanotechnological applications of biological compartment systems have included the use of viral capsids for DNA delivery and lumazine synthase enclosure of HIV protease (Worsdorfer, B., K. J. Woycechowsky, and D. Hilvert, Directed evolution of a protein container. Science, 2011. 331(6017): p. 589-92). Bacteria contain certain polymeric compounds often used as energy or nutrient stores, which are subject to dynamic synthesis and breakdown by different enzymes, according to prevailing conditions, usually under global regulatory control. One example is cyanophycin, an amino acid polymer originally detected in cyanobacteria and formed by the action of cyanophycin synthetase CphA, an enzyme which can be produced in recombinant form in E. coli (Aboulmagd, E., F. B. Oppermann-Sanio, and A. Steinbüchel, Molecular characterization of the cyanophycin synthetase from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6308. Archives of Microbiology, 2000. 174(5): p. 297-306.)
Another example, polyphosphate kinase PPK1 (E.C. 126.96.36.199), forms inorganic polyphosphate polymers (metachromatic volutin granules) in bacterial cytoplasm by catalysing the reaction nATP(polyphosphate)n+nADP. This enzyme was the first enzyme (PPK) recognised to catalyse polyphosphate synthesis and is now usually termed PPK1 to differentiate it from another subsequently described group of enzymes (PPK2) which primarily catalyse GTP synthesis but also have limited phosphate polymerising capacity. Generally, any mentions of polyphosphate kinase or PPK without qualification in the literature and herein refer to PPK1. PPK1 is widely distributed in bacteria and some eukaryotes and is characterised by a highly conserved ATP-binding tunnel containing an autophosphorylating histidine residue (Zhu, Y., W. Huang, S. S. Lee, and W. Xu, Crystal structure of a polyphosphate kinase and its implications for polyphosphate synthesis. EMBO Rep, 2005. 6(7): p. 681-7). Dimerization is crucial for the enzymatic activity of PPK1. A PPK1 monomer includes four structural domains, the N-terminal (N) domain, the head (H) domain, and two related C-terminal (C1 and C2) domains. The ATP-binding tunnel is formed by N, C1, and C2 domains, so conserved residues required for ATP-binding are distributed throughout the length of all known PPK1 proteins. Although nATP←(polyphosphate)n+nADP is a reversible reaction, in E. coli this enzyme generally favours synthesis of polyphosphate over breakdown (Vmax ratio of 4.1). However, the balance between net accumulation and breakdown changes dynamically with growth phase, and external stimuli, in part due to the action of other enzymes.
E. coli also contains two exopolyphosphatases which release orthophosphate from the termini of long chain polyphosphate: (polyphosphate)n→(polyphosphate)n-1+Pi. These are PPX (E.C. 188.8.131.52, sometimes called PPX1) and its homologue guanosine pentaphosphate phosphohydrolase (GPPA or PPX2), both described by InterPro Accession IPR003695. GPPA (E.C. 188.8.131.52) also hydrolyses guanosine pentaphosphate (pppGpp) to guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) with phosphate release, and pppGpp is a competitive inhibitor of PPX and the polyphosphate hydrolytic activity of GPPA. Amino acid starvation in E. coli leads to accumulation of large amounts of polyphosphate due to high levels of pppGpp produced in the stringent response inhibiting PPX.
Phosphate pollution in waterways and water treatment plants is a major problem. Removal of phosphate from wastewater is required to treat agricultural phosphate-containing discharges to reduce eutrophication, the algal blooms and "dead zones" in lakes and coastal marine ecosystems. The established biological method to remove inorganic phosphate from wastewater (Enhanced Biological Phosphate Removal, EBPR) relies on empirical selection by cyclical aerobic and anaerobic incubation of a community of uncultivated bacteria capable of temporary polyphosphate storage. There are various disadvantages to the process: the microbiological basis is not understood, it can take months of pumping to become established, and it is thereafter operationally unstable (prone to unexplained failure).
In medicine, oral phosphorus chelation therapy is required in the management of chronic renal failure subjects because of toxicity resulting from accumulation of dietary phosphate in the absence of urinary secretion (hyperphosphatemia). One method that was used for reducing phosphate in such subjects was the use of oral aluminum hydroxide. However, the use of aluminum hydroxide has severe side-effects due to build up of aluminum in the body. Calcium-based salts are an effective replacement for aluminum therapy and are currently the most widely used but there is a concern about their association with hypercalcaemia and vascular calcification. Newer oral phosphate binding medicaments with fewer side effects have recently been introduced in place of aluminum hydroxide and calcium-based salts, namely the anion exchange resin sevelamer hydrochloride, and lanthanum carbonate. However, these are both much more expensive than calcium or aluminium salts and financial considerations may adversely affect their provision for all renal patients requiring phosphate binding therapy.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome some of the above-mentioned problems.

Accumulation of metabolic products in bacterial microcompartments

University College Cork, National University of Ireland


A computer-implemented method to reduce slow or stuck SCSI commands at a SCSI target is disclosed. The method starts with initiating a first request to acquire an exclusive lock for a first service daemon of a SCSI target to shut down a first service, where the SCSI target offers a plurality of services, and where each service corresponds to a service daemon. The first service daemon receives a first rejection of the exclusive lock for the first request as the exclusive lock is currently held by a second service daemon corresponding to a second service. Then the first service daemon initiates a second request to acquire the exclusive lock in an attempt to shut down the first service again after a delay period. In response to a second rejection, execution of SCSI commands associated with the second service currently possessing the exclusive lock is terminated.

Small computer system interface (SCSI) is a set of standards for connecting and transferring data between computing systems including storage systems and peripheral computing devices. The SCSI standard defines command sets for a variety of device types and communications between the varieties of device types. Thus, it hides complexity of computing systems in communication, and makes computing systems independent from each other. In addition, SCSI provides high communication speed between computing systems (for example, ultra-640 offers interface speed at 640 MB/second). Because these features, SCSI has been popular since its inception in 1980s.
SCSI as an interface standard was limited to small computer systems at the beginning. In the early days of SCSI development, SCSI interfaces were limited to point to point system. Also SCSI supports only small number of devices (e.g., up to 8) addressable by logical unit numbers (LUNs), and it supports communication within limited distances (e.g., 25 meters in SCSI or 12 meters in ultra SCSI). Much progress has been made to move pass these limitations. For example, Internet small computer system interface (iSCSI) is an Internet Protocol (IP) based storage networking standard developed for applications such as linking data storage facilities. In an iSCSI-based system, SCSI commands are carried over IP networks, and iSCSI facilitates data transfers over intranets or the Internet and manages storage over long distance. With that, iSCSI can be used to transmit data over local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), storage area networks (SANs), or the Internet. It enables location-independent data storage and retrieval over long distances using existing network infrastructure. Thus iSCSI and other variations of SCSI have gained popularity. For this specification, iSCSI and any SCSI enhancement/variations are considered as a part of the SCSI protocol family, and the methods and apparatus disclosed herein are applicable to the SCSI protocol family.
With SCSI as a protocol family in a variety of operating environments now provides a much broader spectrum of services than originally conceived, enhancing performance of a SCSI system is desirable. Particularly, executing of SCSI commands at a SCSI target involves a variety of operations and these operations can be stuck in processing, which results in degraded performance of the SCSI target. It is desirable to reduce the happening of slow or stuck SCSI commands and also to recover gracefully upon encountering slow or stuck SCSI commands in execution at a SCSI target.

Method and apparatus for reducing slow or stuck SCSI commands in a multi-service environment at a SCSI target


The present invention is a software system that allows users to model an organizational structure in substantially anyway they wish. The system then provides functionality that allows an administrator to associate users and data to the defined organizational structure, in a flexible way. In one embodiment, an organizational tree component allows the user to configure an organizational tree having nodes corresponding to business units. The business unit nodes are illustratively containers of filters which, themselves, contain filter links. The filter links are links to business entities that are associated with the business unit identified by the node on the organizational tree structure.

The present invention relates to software systems for managing businesses. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system that allows a user to model a company structure which includes multiple legal entities, or another structure in any of a wide variety of different ways, and also allows the user to associate users and data to that structure in a flexible way.
Companies currently vary in size from very large and diverse organizations to very small and atomic organizations. However, all are generally hierarchal in nature.
For instance, a larger company may have a head office or headquarters where upper level management or top executives reside.
The company also typically has someone that tracks the flow of money into and out of the company. Depending on company size, this can be a single person or a full department. In addition, some companies track smaller units within the company. Such units may be defined within the company based on function or location, or any other grouping that is logical for the particular company.
Other, smaller companies may be located at just a single geographic location and may have only a small number of employees. Such companies generally have a smaller and less complex organizational structure.
However, regardless of the size of the company, all companies generally have a set of rules that dictate how the company operates. Such companies typically require software applications and software systems to track how well the company is following those rules, and to track a wide variety of other information associated with the company.
In conventional business applications, there are many different ways that the concept of "company" or "enterprise" are implemented. Predominately, in the mid-market, the concept of multiple companies is implemented through a company-to-database ratio of 1:1. This makes it very difficult to perform inter-company transactions. For example, in such an environment, a user that works for multiple different companies must login and logout of different database systems whenever that user wishes to change the company for which she or he is accessing data.
In such systems, two or more companies may desire access to data corresponding to a single business entity or object. For example, a business entity may be setup to represent a given customer, but that same customer may be a customer of both companies, and the companies may, in reality, be two different divisions of the same enterprise. If both of those companies wish to have access to the Customer business entity, this has been handled awkwardly in the past. In one prior system, the customer business entity record must be duplicated and copied into the databases corresponding to both companies. Other software systems allow two or more companies to share a single database. This reduces the requirement for duplicating data, but it has, in the past, required each business entity to be labeled with a company ID that is entitled to access to that business entity. In other words, every record that is shared across different companies must contain identifiers for those companies within the record itself.
These systems have disadvantages in themselves. They either require duplication of data, or they require painstaking manipulation of each business entity to contain company identifiers. However, they present even more disadvantages in today's business environment.
The current business environment is constantly changing. Many businesses must deal with change on a large scale, both internally and externally. Employee turnover, mergers, acquisitions and company reorganizations all require changes to business processes. Very often, the business applications which support those processes must be changed as well.
In prior software systems, changes to the organization structure presented great disadvantages. For instance, if a company is acquired, then data must again be duplicated to accommodate the newly acquired organization. Similarly, in a database system which allows multiple companies to access a single database, the entities corresponding to the newly required company must all be accessed and modified to include the identifier corresponding to the newly acquired organization. It can thus be seen that prior systems require an undesirable amount of labor or data duplication, or both, when there is a change to a corporate organizational structure.


A top piece is adapted to rest along a top surface of a monitor, and two side pieces extend downwardly from opposite ends of the top piece, and are adapted to rest along opposite side surfaces of the monitor. The top piece and the side pieces each include slots disposed longitudinally therein, through which sheets of paper may be inserted. Each of the side pieces has a support arm pivotally attached thereto, which swings outwardly from the side piece to support the sheet of paper. The top piece is telescopingly adjustable, to fit various size monitors. The side pieces each include a threaded extension at one end thereof, for attaching the side piece to the top piece. An internally threaded knob is rotatably mounted at each end of the top piece, and is configured to receive the threaded extension by manually rotating the knob. Each of the side pieces has a first bearing track and a second bearing track which is opposite the first bearing track. The bearing tracks are disposed longitudinally within the side piece. The bearings within the first bearing track are offset in relation to the bearings within the second bearing track, and the bearing tracks arc positioned close enough together so that a sheet of paper placed between the bearing tracks will bend slightly about portions of the bearings. In this manner, the paper is held snugly within the side piece.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to holders, particularly to paper holders which are attachable to other apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
So many people around the world use personal computers, both at home and at the office, that accessories which make using them easier, more convenient, and more productive are in demand. Often, when typing information from a printed page, a person sets the page on the desk next to the keyboard, and turns his or her head to the side at an uncomfortable position to view the paper while typing. If the person is not a proficient typist, he or she must turn his or her head many times from the page to the monitor and keyboard, then back again.
Paper holders have been developed which adhesively attach to a computer monitor screen, to alleviate the above problem. Such paper holders arc also convenient for holding reminder notes and the like. No paper holders have been invented which have the adjustability, ease of use, large paper holding capacity, and firm paper holding capabilities of the present invention.

Paper holder having a secure gripping feature


A fuel cell that includes a cell stack in which a plurality of unit cells are stacked, a case that houses the cell stack, and a pressure plate that is placed in the case at a position between an end of the cell stack in the stacking direction and the case. The case has a first opening through which a pressing member that presses the pressure plate in the stacking direction from outside the case is brought into contact with the pressure plate, and a fixing portion that fixes the pressure plate in place with the cell stack compressed in the stacking direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel cell, and a method for the production of a fuel cell.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, a fuel cell is known in which a cell stack in which a plurality of cells are stacked is housed in a box-shaped case. In many cases, the cell stack is held in compression in the stacking direction in the case. In general, each cell includes a membrane electrode assembly in which a pair of electrodes is located on both sides of an electrolyte, and a pair of separators is located on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly.
As a method for adjusting the compressive load in the stacking direction that is applied to the cell stack that is housed in the case of a fuel cell, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-358985 (JP 2002-358985 A) discloses a method for adjusting the compressive load on the cell stack by rotating screws from outside the case to adjust the axial forces of the screws. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-524214 (JP 2005-524214 A) discloses a method for adjusting the compressive load by interposing shim plates (spacer plates) between the case and the cell stack.
However, in the case of the method for adjusting the compressive load by adjusting the axial forces of screws, the cell stack is compressed by stress from the screws and the stress may not be uniformly applied to the entire surface of the cell stack. In addition, chips may be formed when the screws are screwed in. On the other hand, in the case of the method for adjusting the compressive load by interposing shim plates, the weight of the fuel cell increases by the weight of the shim plates and it is difficult to adjust the compressive load finely by changing the thickness or number of the shim plates. As described above, the methods for adjusting the compressive load on a cell stack that is housed in a case in a fuel cell still have room for improvement.

Fuel cell stack case with pressure plate


A particulate feeding apparatus for applying particulate, such as super-absorbent materials, to a substrate, such as a fibrous web. A feeder tube for the powder and a rotary gate valve, including one or more holes is provided. This structure may then intermittently feed particulate to an eductor or venturi nozzle. The rotary valve provides an intermittent supply of particulate to a relatively low-pressure zone at the nozzle formed by the venturi action of the passing air stream and the particulate may be distributed precisely where desired. A process for delivering powder to a substrate in precise amounts and distribution patterns is also disclosed.

Absorbent articles, such as disposable diapers, incontinence pads and the like, may be formed by air-laying fibrous materials on a foraminous surface and depositing super-absorbent materials in particulate or powder form across or throughout the fibrous web. The super-absorbent materials may be directed to certain specific areas of the web where fluids may be concentrated to improve the efficiency of containing and absorbing such fluids. It may be desirable to closely control the application of the super-absorbent materials to localized areas of the web where they may encounter liquids due to their relatively higher cost.
Diapers and like absorbent pads may be manufactured at very high production rates, for instance, 200 to 2000 units per minute. In addition, specific patterns of desired absorbency may vary in shape and location depending on the size and intended use of the absorbent pad.
It is thus desirable to provide a particulate metering assembly that has the ability to direct particles in a specific pattern to a specific area in an intermittent fashion, and to do so at a relatively rapid pace.
Super-absorbent particles are generally comprising an outer shell and inner core. Performance of said materials can be negatively impacted due to excessive handling if the outer shell is compromised. Therefore, it is advantageous to provide a particulate metering assembly that uses all the material supplied to it and does not rely on recirculating a portion of unused material.

Method and apparatus for applying particulate


A hydrophobic and oleophilic particular vermicular structure of expanded graphite, possessing the property of absorbing in a selective manner only large amounts of petroleum products from a water media is described. This expanded grahite is characterized by three main properties: (a) a specific density in the range of 0.003-0.1 g/ml; (b) a surface area in the range of 50-200 m.sup.2 g/ml; and (c) closed pores in the range of 3% to 20%. The particular structure of the expanded graphite can be used in the form of particulate, pillows, blankets, booms or as a filter medium. Preferred particles sizes of the expanded graphite are in the range of between 0.5 to 3 mm. The oil absorbed onto the expanded grahite can be released by pressure or recovered by solvent extraction.

Graphite is a well-known mineral consisting of the element carbon, crystallizing in the hexagonal system. It is black, opaque and very soft being widely used due to its property of good conductivit of electricity. It has a greasy feel and rubs off on anything it touches, leaving a black mark. As an artificial product, graphite is known as scales in gray pig iron and as graphitic powder formed in iron furnaces. It is also produced on a large scale in electric furnaces. It is widely used in refractory, as a constituent in the lubricants manufacture, foundry, brake linings, facings, packings, pencils, batteries and carbon brushes. Active carbon is well-known for its absorption property of various solvents or as a filter media. However it is unsuitable for absorption of from water, since after absorption it sinks and can not be easily removed. The same problem of sinking exists with magnesium oxide, also known for its absorption property. But, again, due to its sinking it can not be used for absorption of petroleum products on water caused by spillage.
Polyurethane foam in the form of small pieces was suggested in a recent French Pat. No. 2,605,014 to be useful for absorbing oil from water However, the absorption power of urethane is quite low and therefore the ratio of polyurethane to oil is high. Moreover, a significant part of the urethane powder is wasted.
Expanded graphite was disclosed in a number of references possessing improved properties for specific uses. Thus in a review by D.D.L. Chung [Journal of Material Science 22, (1987), p. 4190-8] expanded graphite, obtained by exfoliation, is described by a process in which graphite expands by up to hundreds of times along the "C" axis, resulting in a puffied-up material with a low density and a high temperature resistance. This type of exfoliated graphite is mentioned to be useful for high-temperature gaskets, packings, fire extinguisher agent, thermal insulator, as a conductive resin composite -- in composition with a thermoplastic resin -- and as a chemical reagent. It is also mentioned its use as an adsorbent for gas chromatography and as a substrate for the study of adsorbed films.
In the Japanese Patent Application No. 8869705, Kisch graphite is mixed with natural graphite at 90.degree. C. and treated with sulfuric acid in the presence of an oxidizing agent (such as a peroxide), heated at a temperature above 800.degree. C. and rolled into sheets. It is claimed that the resulted sheets possess high resilience and chemical resistance.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 3,357,929 a vermicular expanded graphite structure is described for absorption of various liquids, such as: water, hydrocarbons, silicones halocarbons, strong acids, strong alkalies and liquid halogens. Nothing is mentioned in this patent on a selective absorption, the data presented therein referring only on the maximum amount of various liquids absorbed by the graphite. As mentioned in Example 1, the graphite absorbs more water than any known sorption agents. As mentioned in Table 1 of this patent, the expanded graphite absorbed 46.7 g of water per gram compared with 29 gram of kerosene per gram of the same expanded graphite.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,988, a packing of expanded graphite is prepared by the embedment of organic synthetic films, glass fibers, synthetic fibers and carbon fibers. The product obtained is mentioned to be useful as a sealing material for fluid media.
According to the U.S. Pat. No. 3,338,815, a particular type of graphite having a surface area of at least 50m.sup.2 /g is mentioned to possess the property of separating longchain normal hydrocarbons having at least ten carbon atoms by a preferential absorption of a particular hydrocarbon present therein. It is further mentioned, that the hydrocarbons may be present in an organic solvent. But nothing is mentioned in this patent on the preferential absorption of the particular type of graphite of a hydrocarbon present in a water media.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a particular structure of expanded graphite possessing a selective high absorption power of petroleum products. It is another object of the present invention to provide a particular structure of expanded graphite, which has the property of absorbing in a selective manner, only petroleum products from a water media without absorbing water. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a particular structure of expanded graphite, which after the selective absorption of petroleum products, is able subsequently to release the absorbed materials by a simple squeezing.

Technion Research and Development Foundation Ltd.


A continuous byte stream encoder/decoder process where a continuous stream of ATM data cells is received with a plurality of words, where each word has a plurality of bits in parallel. The ATM data cell is analyzed and new control words are created to convey information such as Start-of-Cell, parity and synchronization signals for the serializer and deserializer chip set. These control words are combined with the data words of the ATM data cell to form a combined word stream. This word stream having a higher word transfer rate than the original ATM data cell. This combined word stream is fed to a known 8B/10B encoder which further modifies the data for proper transmission over an AC coupled serial path. Data from the 8B/10B decoder is then serialized through known serialization/deserialization chip sets passed over the serial path and then deserialized back into an recombined word stream. This word stream is decoded both with a 8B/10B decoder and with a frequency decreasing decoder to restore the data to its original data cell format.

A concentrator or hub of a computer Local Area Network (LAN) has a plurality of individual cards or modules. The cards or modules in a concentrator can provide connections to individual workstations, connections to other concentrators or hubs, management functions, control functions and power supplies. The modules or cards are connected by a backplane. Data signals and power are conveyed across the backplane, and each of the cards is connectable to the backplane.
Data is usually transferred across the backplane in parallel. There are a plurality of data paths, with at least one data path for each bit in a word. In this way an entire word can be transmitted across the backplane in a single clock cycle. In ATM networks, data is transferred in cells, where each cell has a plurality of words or bytes. Each word or byte contains a plurality of bits, usually 8. These 8 bits are usually transmitted in parallel over the backplane. Sometimes even the bits of two or four words are transmitted in parallel across the backplane in a single clock cycle. Correspondingly, there must be a line for each of the bits transmitted in parallel.
In an ATM cell, the bits of one word are transmitted or stored in parallel to or in the card, the individual words follow in series.
The individual bits of a data word can also be transmitted serially across a serial line. Some serial lines are AC coupled in order to keep opposite ends of the serial line electrically independent. This requires that the data signal alternate frequently between high and low bits, and that the number of high and low bits be maintained substantially equal.
A known method for transmitting data across an AC coupled serial line, involves the known 8B/10B encoding/decoding mapping copyrighted by IBM in 1983. This 8B/10B encoding or mapping actually takes 8 data bits and one control bit, and converts this into a 10 bit output word. The 10 bit output word is chosen to have sufficient variation in high and low bits to properly convey the data across the AC coupling. The control bit is used to indicate to the 8B/10B encoding when the 8 bit word being received is not a data word, but is instead a word indicating a boundary between words or some other control function.
The 8B/10B encoding also keeps track of the number of high and low bits that have been transmitted across the serial path. When the 8B/10B encoding receives a 9 bit word indicating the control word for a boundary or comma between data words, or a data word itself, the 8B/10B encoding can transmit either a first or second version of the corresponding 10 bit control word. One version (positive) has more high bits than low bits, and the other version (negative) has more low bits than high bits. The 8B/10B encoding selectively uses the first and second versions of the control comma word to maintain an even balance of high and low bits transmitted over the serial path.
Serializing and deserializing circuits are known which receive the 10 bit words from the 8B/10B encoder, and convert these 10 bits into a serial data stream. The deserializer circuit receives the serial data stream and converts the serial data stream back into 10 bit parallel words. Such a serializer and deserializer circuitry is available from the manufacturer AMCC, 6195 Lusk Blvd., San Diego, Calif. 92121, as part number S2052. The deserializer circuit or chip recognizes only one version of the control comma word and uses this one version to synchronize the deserialization process to properly combine the received serial bits into the corresponding parallel data word. The one version of the control comma word indicates where in the serial data stream the data word starts. Not only does this chip only recognize the one version of the control comma word, but this chip expects this control comma word to only appear in certain periodic locations. This deserializer chip or circuitry has been specifically designed for an application where the incoming data stream causes sufficient use of the one version of the control comma word so that the deserializer circuit can maintain synchronous operation. The application also is such that the control comma word is only used at the periodic locations.
In ATM networks, information is sent in the form of individual data cells which contain a plurality of data words. When an ATM data cell is received by a card in a hub or concentrator, it can be processed by an Atlanta chip set interface, namely the ABM-to-ASX interface which has its own corresponding ATM interface format. This ATM interface format consists of 8 bits of data, one bit of parity and one bit of Start-of-Cell (SOC) indication. Once started, data will be sent across this interface in 68-byte portions (53 bytes of ATM cell, plus 15 bytes of overhead), without any gaps between the cells as shown in FIG. 1. This interface format is identical to the format of the ABM (Lucent Technologies LUC4AB01) and ASX (Lucent Technologies LUC4AS01).

Continuous byte-stream encoder/decoder using frequency increase and cyclic redundancy check


A peeling tool for peeling a polishing cloth from a turntable includes a cloth pinching member for pinching a polishing cloth, and a cylindrical take-up cylinder having a cloth insertion slit formed in its outer peripheral surface. Cloth pinching portions of the cloth pinching member are protruded as tongues. Tip ends of upper and lower cloth pinching portions are shifted from each other in a protruded direction. The cloth pinching member is provided with a viewing hole through which the polishing cloth can be observed. The cloth pinching member having the pinching portions pinching the polishing cloth is contained within the take-up cylinder, and the polishing cloth is peeled from the turntable by rotating the take-up cylinder by a ratchet.

The present invention relates to a tool for peeling a turntable polishing cloth used to peel a polishing cloth adhered to a turntable of a polishing apparatus.
In the manufacture of semi-conductor wafers, a polishing apparatus has been used for polishing semiconductor wafers so as to enable a surface of a semiconductor wafer to be made flat with a mirror-surface finish.
FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view of the polishing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 8, such a polishing apparatus comprises a turntable 95 and top ring 213 which are rotated respective numbers of rotations, and a surface of a semiconductor wafer 220 held by the top ring 213 is contacted with a surface (polishing surface) of a polishing cloth 80 adhered to the turntable and polished while abrasive liquid from an abrasive liquid supply source.
In more detail, a top ring head 210 is disposed above the turntable 95 and includes the top ring 213 for pressing the semiconductor wafer 220 against the turntable 95 while holding the semiconductor wafer. The turntable 95 is connected to a motor (not shown) to be rotated around an axis 96 in a direction shown by the arrow R. The polishing cloth 80 is adhered to a top surface of the turntable 95.
The top ring 213 is connected to a motor and a lift/lower cylinder (not shown). With this arrangement, the top ring 213 can be lifted and lowered as shown by the arrow S and can be rotated around its axis as shown by the arrow T so that the semiconductor wafer 220 can be pressed against the polishing cloth 80 with any pressure. The semiconductor wafer 220 can be sucked to a lower surface of the top ring 213 by vacuum or the like. A guide ring 216 is attached to a lower peripheral portion of the top ring 213 to prevent disengagement of the semiconductor wafer 220 from the top ring.
An abrasive liquid supplying nozzle 215 is disposed above the turntable 95 so that polishing abrasive liquid can be supplied from the abrasive liquid supplying nozzle 215 to the polishing cloth 80 adhered to the turntable 95.
A dressing head 211 includes a dressing member 218. The dressing member 218 is diametrically opposed to the top ring 213 above the polishing cloth 80 so that dressing of the polishing cloth 80 can be effected. A water supplying nozzle 221 can supply a dressing liquid (for example, water) to the polishing cloth 80 on the turntable 95. The dressing member 218 is connected to a lift/lower cylinder and a rotating motor so that the dressing member can be lifted and lowered as shown by the arrow U and can be rotated around its axis as shown by the arrow V.
The dressing member 218 is constituted by a disc having a diameter substantially same as that of the top ring 213 and is provided at its lower surface with a dressing tool 219. The abrasive liquid supplying nozzle 215 and the water supplying nozzle 221 extend up to the vicinity of a rotational center of the turntable to supply the abrasive liquid and the water to predetermined positions on the polishing cloth 80, respectively.
By pressing the semiconductor wafer 220 held by the top ring 213 against the polishing cloth 80 and by rotating the turntable 95 and the top ring 213, the lower surface (to be polished) of the semiconductor wafer 220 is rubbed against the polishing cloth 80. At the same time, by supplying the abrasive liquid onto the polishing cloth 80 from the abrasive liquid supplying nozzle 215, the polished surface of the semiconductor wafer 220 is polished by the combination of the mechanical polishing action of the abrasive particles in the abrasive liquid and the chemical polishing action of alkali (liquid component) in the abrasive liquid.
When the semiconductor wafer 220 is polished by a predetermined amount, the polishing operation is finished. At this point, since the polishing cloth is worn by the polishing action, thus causing a deterioration in polishing ability, dressing of the polishing cloth is effected.
That is to say, in a condition that the dressing member 218 holding the dressing tool 219 and the turntable 95 are rotated, the dressing tool 219 is pressed against the polishing cloth 80 with predetermined pressure. In this case, the water is supplied onto the polishing cloth 80 from the water supplying nozzle 221. By supplying the water, the waste abrasive liquid remaining on the polishing cloth 80 is washed out, thereby refreshing the polishing cloth.
When the semiconductor wafer is polished by the polishing cloth, since the polishing cloth must not be peeled from the turntable, the polishing cloth is firmly adhered to the turntable. Thus, when the worn polishing cloth is changed to a new polishing cloth, a strong force is required for peeling the worn polishing cloth.
In the conventional technique, in order to peel the polishing cloth, as shown in FIG. 5, the operator enters into the polishing apparatus 100 by the upper half of his body, and, a part of a peripheral edge of the polishing cloth 80 is caused to be slightly peeled from the turntable 95 and the polishing cloth 80 is pulled forwardly (toward the operator) while pinching the peeled part of the polishing cloth by means of pincers or a pliers 110.
However, in this peeling method, not only is a strong force required to peel the polishing cloth, but also, if the pincers or pliers 110 are disengaged from the polishing cloth 80 during the peeling operation, the operator may be injured by being struck against the ceiling or any internal structure of the polishing apparatus 100.
In order to avoid such inconvenience, as shown in FIG. 6, there has been proposed a polishing cloth peeling tool comprising a cloth pinching member 120 for pinching the polishing cloth, a cylindrical cloth take-up cylinder 130 having a cloth insertion slit 131 at its peripheral portion, and a ratchet 140 for rotating the cloth take-up cylinder 130 in one direction.
In use, first of all, a part of a peripheral edge of a circular cloth 150 adhered to a turntable is peeled from the turntable, and then the peeled part of the polishing cloth is pinched between an upper member 121 and a lower member 123 of the cloth pinching member 120 and the members 121, 123 are secured together by screws 125. In this case, since three pins 127 are penetrated into the polishing cloth 150 and are inserted into corresponding pin insertion holes 128, the polishing cloth 150 cannot be disengaged from the cloth pinching member 120.
Then, the cloth pinching member 120 is inserted into the cloth take-up cylinder 130 while inserting the pinched polishing cloth 150 into the cloth insertion slit 131.
Then an engagement portion 141 of the ratchet 140 is engaged by a tool engagement portion 133 of the take-up cylinder 130. In this condition, when the ratchet 140 is rotated, the take-up cylinder 130 is rotated in one direction (shown by the arrow H), with the result that the cloth 150 is wound around the take-up cylinder 130.
In this peeling tool, the polishing cloth 150 can be peeled from the turntable easily and positively with a relatively weak force.
However, this peeling tool has the following disadvantages.
(1) If a length of the cloth pinching member 120 is reduced to make the peeling tool compact, as shown in FIG. 7A, since the polishing cloth 150 abuts against the upper and lower screws 125, the polishing cloth 150 cannot be inserted into the cloth pinching member 120 adequately, with the result that the polishing cloth is not pinched by the cloth pinching member completely. Particularly when the cloth pinching member 120 has the pins 127, the polishing cloth 150 does not reach the pins 127.
To avoid such an inconvenience, as shown in FIG. 7B, a tongue 151 is provided at the periphery of the polishing cloth 150 to be pinched by the cloth pinching member 120. In this case, however, the tongue 151 must be provided at the periphery of the polishing cloth 150, with the result that operability is worsened.
(2) It cannot be judged immediately what amount of the polishing cloth 150 pinched by the cloth pinching member 120 is inserted into the cloth pinching member 120, i.e., whether or not the polishing cloth 150 is pinched by the cloth pinching member 120 sufficiently.
(3) In the case where the diameter of the take-up cylinder 130 is reduced to make the peeling tool compact, when the cloth pinching member 120 pinching the cloth 150 is inserted into the take-up cylinder 130, as shown in FIG. 7C, there is a danger of damaging heads of the securing screws 125 by abutting the heads against the inner surface of the cylinder 130. This is true particularly when the securing screws 125 have heads of higher height such as butterfly screws.

Tool for peeling turntable polishing cloth


The present invention has applications that include detecting color variation in a region, for example, color variations due to temperature changes in an area of ocean water, and, in a more specific application, detecting bioluminescence of certain organisms known to attach themselves to various objects. In one aspect of the invention, an acousto-optic tunable filter hyperspectral imaging system is moved across the region to collect a series of images in which each image represents the intensity of light at a different wavelength. In one embodiment, the acousto-optic tunable filter hyperspectral imaging system includes a motion platform for positioning the acousto-optic tunable filter hyperspectral imaging system over successive Y-coordinates of a region in a direction substantially parallel to a direction of motion of the motion platform. In one such embodiment, the motion platform may be an aircraft or any other platform suitable for moving the acousto-optic tunable filter hyperspectral imaging system over the region.

The present invention relates generally to generating an image of a region from reflected and scattered light at selected wavelengths to enhance the contrast of objects within the region. More specifically, the present invention relates to hyperspectral imaging systems.
The present invention is a technique for creating images at different wavelengths of light and also for detecting variations in the images created. It may be used, for example, to show variations that exist or occur in an image area such as temperature gradients, or to detect changes that occur in an image area such as the entry into, departure from, or presence or absence in the area of an object or matter. The image area may be a region of water, land, space or any region that contains matter or is void.
In a specific application, this invention has applications to detecting bioluminescence of certain organisms known to attach themselves to various objects. In another specific application, fluorescence spectra characteristic of toxic gases and other chemicals may be detected.
In one aspect of the invention, an acousto-optic tunable filter hyperspectral imaging system is moved across a region to collect a rapid series of images of the entire region. Each image represents the intensity of light reflected by matter in the region at a different wavelength. The acousto-optic tunable filter hyperspectral imaging system may include a platform for moving the acousto-optic tunable filter hyperspectral imaging system over successive Y-coordinates of a region in a direction substantially parallel to a direction of motion of the platform. The platform may be an aircraft or any other platform suitable establishing relative motion between the acousto-optic tunable filter hyperspectral imaging system and the region.
In another aspect of the invention, light is received from a region at successive X-coordinates. In this aspect, the acousto-optic tunable filter hyperspectral imaging system may include input optics for receiving light from the region and scanning optics for aiming the input optics at successive X-coordinates of a xe2x80x9cslicexe2x80x9d of the region in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of motion of the motion platform. Light received from the region by the input optics is collimated, and the collimated light is polarized by a linear polarizer. The collimator and the linear polarizer may be any device or combination of devices suitable for collimating and polarizing the light received from the region by the input optics. In one embodiment, the collimated and polarized light is directed to an acousto-optic tunable filter which images a portion of the light received from the region at a plurality of selected wavelengths.
In another aspect of the invention, the passband wavelengths of the acousto-optic tunable filter may be stepped in increments small enough to detect extremely small variations in color. The passband wavelengths of the acousto-optic tunable filter may then be stepped in small increments, e.g. on the order of five nanometers.
In a further aspect of the invention, the intensity of the light received from the region at a specific wavelength in a selected series of stepped wavelengths is recorded for image processing. An image recorder may be used to record the intensity of the light received from the acousto-optic tunable filter for each of the plurality of selected wavelengths.
In another aspect of the invention, the acousto-optic tunable filter hyperspectral imaging system may further include an illumination source for illuminating the region. The illumination source may be any device suitable for illuminating the entire region or a portion of the region that includes an area from which light is being received by the input optics. In one such embodiment, the illumination source may be a laser or an ultra-violet lamp.

Acousto-optic tunable filter hyperspectral imaging system

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


The embodiments herein relate to a method in a network node (110) for handling TCP traffic in a packet switched network (100). The network node (110) receives TCP traffic from a mobile node (101). The TCP traffic comprises an original window size. The network node (110) replaces the original window size with an optimized window size when the network node (110) comprises information about dropped TCP traffic and when the original window size is larger than the optimized window size. The network node (110) sends the TCP traffic comprising the optimized window size to a correspondent node (105) in the packet switched network (100) indicating an amount of TCP traffic receivable by the mobile node (101).

A typical communications system comprises nodes, such as for example a Mobile Node (MN) corresponding via a network node to a Correspondent Node (CN). The network node may be located in a Radio Access Network (RAN) or a Core Network (CN). The communications system may be a wireline or wireless system.
The mobile node may be referred to as a user equipment and is a mobile node by which a subscriber may access services offered by an operator's core network and services outside operator's network to which the operator's RAN and core network provide access. The mobile node may be for example a communication device such as mobile telephone, cellular telephone, smart phone, tablet computer or laptop with wireless capability. The mobile node may be portable, pocket-storable, hand-held, computer-comprised, or vehicle-mounted mobile device, enabled to communicate voice and/or data, via the RAN, with another entity, such as another mobile node or a server.
The communications system may be a cellular network covering a geographical area which is divided into cell areas. Each cell area is served by a base station, e.g. a Radio Base Station (RBS), which sometimes may be referred to as e.g. evolved Node B (eNB), eNodeB, NodeB, B node, or Base Transceiver Station (BTS), depending on the technology and terminology used. The base station(s) communicate over the air interface operating on radio frequencies with the mobile node(s) within range of the base station.
In some versions of the radio access network, several base stations are typically connected, e.g. by landlines or microwave, to a Radio Network Controller (RNC), as in the third Generation (3G) of a mobile communication system, i.e. Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA). The radio network controller supervises and coordinates various activities of the plural base stations connected thereto. In the second Generation (2G) of a mobile communication system, i.e. Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), the base stations are connected to a Base Station Controller (BSC). The network controllers are typically connected to one or more core networks.
The network node may be for example the eNB. The correspondent node may be any node in the communication system capable of communicating with the mobile node over a TCP/Internet Protocol (IP) network. The correspondent node may be fixed or mobile. It may be a mail server, an instant massager server, a social network website, a game server, an IMS node in an IMS network etc.
The TCP and the IP are protocols of the Internet Protocol Suite (IPS). The Internet Protocol Suite is therefore also referred to as TCP/IP. The IP protocol deals with packets and the TCP is a protocol which is widely used to provide high reliable communication between hosts in an IP network. Protocols such as the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Network File System (NFS), Telnet and Secure Shell (SSH) etc. are all based on the TCP transport protocol to communicate in both a wireline network and a wireless network.
In addition to good reliability, the TCP also has a good congestion control mechanism via a window mechanism. In a connection between a client and a server, the client tells the server the amount of data it is willing to receive at one time from the server. This amount of data may be referred to as window size. Likewise, the server tells the client the amount of data it is willing to take from the client at one time. This amount of data may also be referred to as window size. A TCP receiver governs the amount of data sent by a TCP sender. The receiver returns a window update to the sender with every ACKnowledgement (ACK) indicating an allowed number of octets that the sender may transmit before receiving further permission. The ACK is a flag used in the TCP to acknowledge receipt of a packet.
In a mobile network, a mobile node usually uses TCP to surf internet, e.g. HTTP, read emails, e.g. SMTP, access social networks such as twitter, facebook etc., and online chatting, e.g. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) or other application protocols, MSN, Skype etc. Off course, User Datagram Protocol (UDP) applications are increasing year after year with the booming of video and voice based applications. However, TCP is still the transport protocol used by the majority in the Packet Core Network (PCN) by the mobile node. It occupies nearly more than 80% of the traffic.
The third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a standard for mobile communication and may also be referred to as fourth Generation (4G). LTE comprises the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN). The EPC comprises several entities, elements, nodes or gateways, such as a Mobility Management Entity (MME), a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), a Serving Gateway (SGW), a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) and a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) Server.
The MME is responsible for of all control plane functions related to subscriber and session management. The network comprises three parts, also referred to as planes. The control plane carries control information in the network. The control plane carries control information, also referred to as signaling. The user plane carries the network's users traffic. The management plane carries the operations and administration traffic required for network management.
The HSS is a central repository of all subscriber-specific authorizations and service profiles and preferences for an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network.
The SGW is a termination point of a packet data interface towards E-UTRAN. When mobile nodes move across the eNodeB in E-UTRAN, the SGW serves as a local mobility anchor. In other words, data packets are routed through the SGW for intra E-UTRAN mobility and mobility with other 3GPP technologies, such as 2G/GSM and 3G/UMTS.
The PGW is a termination point of the packet data interface towards the PDN.
The PCRF manages the service policy and sends Quality of Service (QoS) information for each mobile node session and accounting rule information.
The General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) is a group of communications protocols used to carry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Packet_Radio_Service GPRS within for example GSM, UMTS and LTE networks. The GTP may be classified into separate sub protocols, GTP-Control (GTP-C), GTP-User plane (GTP-U) and GTP' according to their usage. The GTP-C is the control section of the GTP, and is used for signaling messages between a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) and the MME, between the SGSN and the SGW, between the SGW and the PGW, and between MMEs. GTP-C comprises a GTP-C header.
A GTP-U tunnel is used to carry transport packet data units (T-PDU) and signaling messages between GTP-U Tunnel Endpoints. GTP-U comprises a GTP-U header and GTP-U payload. TCP traffic is comprised in a T-PDU of the GTP-U payload. The PDU represents a unit of data specified in the protocol of a given layer in the OSI model, which comprises protocol control information and user data. The T-PDU is the IP data transferred between the mobile node and the correspondent node. The T-PDU goes through the packet switched network via the GTP-U tunnel, which is also over an IP/UDP network.
In a LTE 4G network, the eNodeB, the MME, the PGW and the PCRF negotiate bearer QoS with control plane signaling, such as GTP-C and Diameter. Diameter is an authentication, authorization and accounting protocol. Diameter is an alternative to a Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS) protocol.
Data transmitted on IP networks is divided into smaller units called "packets". A packet is the smallest unit of data that is transmitted and routed in an IP network, and the technology that inspects those packets on a deeper level is called Deep Packet Inspection (DPI). DPI is a network technology which inspects the content portion of traffic flowing through the network in reartime. DPI performs packet filtering by examining the data part, and possibly also the header, of the packet as it passes an inspection point, searching for protocol non-compliance, viruses, spam, intrusions or a predefined criteria to decide if the packet may pass the inspection point or if it needs to be routed to a different destination, or for the purpose of collecting statistical information. DPI may be implemented in an existing node in the network, such the GGSN or the PGW, or in a dedicated DPI node.
Quality of service (QoS) is associated with a node's ability to provide different priority to different applications, users, or data flows, or to guarantee a certain level of performance to a data flow. For example, a required bit rate, delay, jitter, packet dropping probability and/or bit error rate may be guaranteed. QoS offers a traffic regulation function referred to as policing. When a policing function identifies traffic violations it typically drops traffic. Traffic drop may also be referred to as traffic loss, packet loss or packet drop, and comprises loss of one or more data packets and occurs when the one or more packets travelling across the network fail to reach their destination. The term traffic drop will be used in the following.
QoS parameters are downloaded from the MME to the SGW to do policing on a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) bearer level. QoS parameters are the parameters that control the priority, reliability, speed and amount of traffic sending over the network. Typical QoS parameters may be throughput, bandwidth, transit delay, jitter, loss ratio, and error rate. The PGW and the eNodeB also perform policing based on a negotiated QoS. The objective of policing is to control the conformance of PDP bearer flows to their negotiated Maximum Bit Rate (MBR) QoS parameters. Policing only monitors the sending rate of all DownLink (DL) user plane traffic. UpLink (UL) traffic is not subject to policing. DL is traffic from the correspondent node to the mobile node, and UL is traffic from the mobile node to the correspondent node.
PDP is a network protocol used by packet switched networks to communicate with GPRS networks. A PDP context is the packet data connection or link between the mobile node and the correspondent node, i.e. a Public Data Network (PDN), that allows them to communicate with each other, e.g. exchange IP packets. A PDP context lasts only for the duration of a specific connection, i.e. a data session. The mobile node may have more than one PDP context activated at a time. The PDP context defines aspects such as routing, QoS, security, billing etc.
In UMTS 3G networks, the RNC, the SGSN, Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) and PCRF negotiate PDP QoS with control plane signaling, such as GTP-C and Diameter, to get the MBR QoS parameters per PDP. It is not only the SGSN which performs policing functionality on the downlink user plane traffic, but also the GGSN and the RNC perform a policing functionality. The GGSN provides the user plane, forwards and routes packets. It is a gateway to external packet networks such as Internet, IMS, internal IP domain etc. A Gi interface is an IP based interface between the GGSN and the PDN either directly to the Internet or through a WAP gateway.
Policing algorithms may be implemented on a token bucket. It is a simple but efficient algorithm to perform policing. A token bucket is used to manage a device that regulates the data in a flow by checking that data transmissions conform to defined limits on bandwidth and variations in the traffic flow. When a data packet is to be checked for conformance to the defined limits, the bucket is inspected to see if it comprises sufficient tokens at that time. If so, the appropriate number of tokens, e.g. equivalent to the length of the packet in bytes, is removed from the bucket, and the data packet is passed. If there are insufficient tokens in the bucket the data packet does not conform to the defined limits, and the contents of the bucket are not changed. Non-conformant packets may be dropped.
TCP is the major traffic type in the PCN, and therefore is policing mainly performed on this type of traffic.
Considering a mobile node in a PCN network which is communicating with a correspondent node in the Internet via the TCP protocol, such as reading emails. If the subscriber traffic flows exceed an agreed service threshold, e.g. MBR, then a node in the PCN will drop packets using the policing functionality. The maximum bit rate describes the agreed upper sending rate for a PDP context, and is a value in the negotiated set of QoS parameters. Due to that the packets are dropped, more and more TCP packets are to be retransmitted over the network, which may cause network congestion, especially in the busy hours/days. Also, due to that an ACK with a window size update is sent from receiver, i.e. the mobile node, to the sender correspondent node, is slow; more packets may be dropped in the downlink traffic.
Excessive traffic over the PDP may be mostly caused by a too large window size in the ACK sent from a receiver, e.g. mobile node, to the sender, e.g. the correspondent node, in a short period of time. The consequences are that the sender aggressively sends excessive data to the receiver immediately until the receiver notifies the sender with another window size ACK.
A wireless communications network has a narrower bandwidth compared to Wireline Internet and a PCN network. The mobile node is not aware of the unmatched network speed. When the mobile node acts as a TCP receiver, it may advertise a larger window size to the sender, which may cause e.g. GPRS Supporting (GSN) nodes to do policing on this TCP traffic. This may cause network congestion, traffic drop, retransmission and packet delay problems.
Policing traffic drop will cause TCP segment re-transmission over the network from the correspondent node to the mobile node. This will cause additional packet core network overhead.

Method and network node for handling TCP traffic


A line launcher (110) capable of firing a projectile (117) and an attached line (125) up to about 70 meters. It has a barrel (113) large enough for a resilient projectile attached to a line. It has a pre-charge chamber capable of storing a pressurized gas from a pressurized gas cartridge. A trigger mechanism vents the gases in this pre-charge chamber into the barrel to expel the projectile and line. Gas from the pressurized gas cartridge (e.g. a CO2 bulb) is released slowly enough to pressurize the pre-charge chamber but without the cartridge freezing as might occur if the gas was discharged directly from the cartridge into the barrel to directly propel the projectile.

During rescue operations, particularly at sea, it is often useful to throw a line to a person to assist in rescuing the person. While it is possible to simply throw a line to someone who is close, it can be a problem to throw a line to someone who is more than about 15 meters away. In sea rescue situations it is common to not be able to get any closer than about 20 to 40 meters to a person in difficulty.
For this reason a number of line launchers have been produced. These are devices that have been designed to launch a projectile which will drag out a line behind it. Some devices use self propelled projectiles.
However the presently available line launchers are often quite complex and/or expensive to use. Some use pyrotechnic devices and can require special licensing to own and use. The initial cost, the complexity, the specialised training requirements, the specialised storage requirements, the maintenance requirements, and/or the cost of use, has meant that these devices are often not carried on rescue vehicles.


An electrical module assembly configured for latching engagement with a receptacle assembly adapted for mounting to a printed circuit board includes a release mechanism having at least one actuator arm adapted to extend longitudinally along a respective one of opposite side walls of the receptacle assembly, and the actuator arm includes an ejector tab extending longitudinally therewith. A pivotally mounted bail is selectively positonable between a latched position and an unlatched position, and the bail engages the actuator arm and longitudinally pulls the actuator arm to release the ejector tab from the receptacle assembly.

The invention relates generally to an electronic transceiver assembly, and more particularly, to a receptacle which is mounted on a circuit board and a transceiver module pluggable into the receptacle.
Various types of fiber optic and copper based transceivers that permit communication between electronic host equipment and external devices are known. These transceivers may be incorporated into modules that can be pluggably connected to the host equipment to provide flexibility in system configuration. The modules are constructed according to various standards for size and compatibility, one standard being the Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) module standard.
The SFP module is plugged into a receptacle that is mounted on a circuit board within the host equipment. The receptacle includes an elongated guide frame, or cage, having a front that is open to an interior space, and an electrical connector disposed at a rear of the cage within the interior space. Both the connector and the guide frame are electrically and mechanically connected to the circuit board, and when an SFP module is plugged into a receptacle it is electrically and mechanically connected to the circuit board as well. Conventional SFP modules and receptacles perform satisfactorily carrying data signals at rates up to 2.5 gigabits per second (Gbps).
A standard currently in development for a next generation of SFP modules, presently being called the XFP standard, calls for the transceiver modules to carry data signals at rates up to 10 Gbps. Transmission of date signals at such a high rate raises problems not experienced previously in SFP modules. For, example, the XFP transceiver modules and the surrounding circuitry generate significantly greater quantities of heat to be removed in order for the electronic components to survive long term. Another problem is that the transceiver modules generate increased quantities of electro-magnetic (EM) energy at very short wavelengths. As the EM energy at the short wavelengths increases, the potential exists for more EM energy to pass through gaps in the shielding of the receptacle or guide frame. As more EM energy is accepted through the receptacle, the data signals conveyed by adjacent transceiver modules experience more EM interference (EMI). To overcome these problems, XFP transceiver modules are designed and constructed differently from conventional SFP transceiver modules in a number of aspects.
Conventional latch mechanisms are inadequate for use with the newly designed XFP modules, and a new latch mechanism was needed to secure the transceiver module in the receptacle and guide frame and to eject the transceiver module from the receptacle and guide frame. One known latch mechanism for the XFP modules includes a spring loaded ejector mechanism including actuator arms extending longitudinally along the opposite side walls of the receptacle. Bias springs extend longitudinally with and in contact with each of said actuator arms, and the actuator arms include a foot portion extending substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of each arm. A pivotally mounted bail is mounted to the module in contact with the foot portion of the actuator arms. Rotation of the bail compresses the bias springs and releases the arms so that the bias elements eject the module from the receptacle.
It has been found, however, that the internal bias springs of the ejector mechanism can be difficult to use. Further, the internal springs tend to complicate the design of the module and increase manufacturing and assembly costs. Also, the bias springs may wear out after repeated use and fail to properly eject the module from the receptacle. It would be desirable to provide a simpler latch and release mechanism that is reliable, secure and robust for XFP modules.

Release mechanism for transceiver module assembly


An exercise and rehabilitation chair and method includes pivotal front support legs, rigid rear legs, a seat assembly having a seat bottom and seat back and upper and lower arms, each upper and lower arm being pivotally coupled at a rearward end to a pivotal support arm rigid with a seat back and at a forward end to an upper end of a pivotal front leg. Bearing structures pivotally connect corresponding support arms and rear legs and establish a fulcrum about which the seat assembly may rotate. The bearing structures are simultaneously adjustable longitudinally along the pivotal support arms and rigid rear legs with displacement of the fulcrum relative to a user's hips regulating the resistance of chair operation. A foot assembly is pivotally coupled to the front legs and the forward ends of the upper and lower arms. All pivotal connections correspond anatomically to a user's joints for low joint stress and low-resistance exercise.

This invention relates generally to exercise and rehabilitation equipment and, more particularly, to a chair having multiple pivot points corresponding generally to a person's joints for low-resistance, high-repetition exercise and rehabilitation and the methods of chair operation and rehabilitation exercise.
Elderly and disabled persons, persons confined to a small apartment or room, and persons recovering from injury, illness, or surgery frequently experience increased weakness and lack of steadiness and mobility. Lack of activity due to arthritis pains, senile dementia, and the like may also result in decreased strength end endurance. This weakening process may become a permanent physical limitation, result in falls, or require medical intervention, prolonged physical therapy, or living assistance.
Various exercise devices are known in the art for increasing muscle strength and aerobic endurance. Although assumably effective for their intended purposes, the existing devices may result in muscle soreness and joint pain as well as being difficult for the elderly or disabled to operate.
Therefore, it is desirable to have an exercise and rehabilitation chair having multiple pivot points that operate a user's joints using low-resistance and high repetition movements, without the user's body weight being applied to the joints, as is obvious by the user's sitting position. Further, it is desirable to have an exercise and rehabilitation chair in which resistance may be regulated by adjusting the vertical position of the fulcrum about which the seat assembly pivots. It is also desirable to have an exercise and rehabilitation chair in which the fulcrum may alternatively be adjusted using electrically actuated gear assemblies.

Low-resistance exercise and rehabilitation chair


A metal organic chemical vapor deposition apparatus comprising a source ampule, a liquid micro-pump, a vaporizer equipped with a solvent supply means, and a reactor. A reactant dissolved in a solvent in the source ampule is transferred to the vaporizer by the liquid micro-pump. A sufficient amount of the solvent is additionally fed to the vaporizer by the solvent supply means, concurrently with the transfer, and vaporized along with the reactants. After being vaporized in the vaporizer, the reactant is injected to the reactor by carrier gas and deposited on a semiconductor substrate to form a high dielectric thin film. By virtue of the additional supplied solvent, the recondensation of the reactant in the vaporizer, which is attributed to the separation of the solvent from the reactant, can be prevented in the vaporizer and in the transfer line between the vaporizer and the reactor. In addition, the residues of the reactant, which may result from the separation, can be washed off by providing the solvent through the supply means to the vaporizer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (hereinafter referred to as "MOCVD") apparatus and to a deposition method. More particularly, the present invention relates to an MOCVD apparatus useful to deposit high dielectric thin film on a semiconductor substrate and to a deposition method using the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For the next generation DRAMs which are at least 1 Giga in memory size, conventional thin films not supply enough capacitance. As semiconductor devices scale down, three-dimensional capacitor structures, such as fin and cylinder type structures, are more difficult to construct because the scaling-down is accomplished at the sacrifice of cell area reduction.
In addition, reduction in the thickness of the thin film gives rise to an increase in leakage current at a source/drain region, an impurity region of a semiconductor device, and causes a soft error, a phenomenon wherein the information stored in a capacitor is changed or lost by .alpha.-particles. So, a reliable capacitor is difficult to obtain. Further, if a capacitor is formed into a complex three-dimensional structure, subsequent processes are hard to perform.
Recently, active research has been directed to a high dielectric thin film deposition apparatus in order to apply high dielectric materials, such as BST (BaSrTiO.sub.3) and SrTiO.sub.3, for the thin film of a capacitor.
To construct high dielectric thin films, many methods are used, including a sputtering method, a sol-gel method, a laser ablation method, an MOCVD method, etc. Of them the MOCVD method guarantees a uniform thin film as well as allows the composition of the thin film to be easily controlled. Accordingly, the high dielectric thin film deposition apparatuses which utilize the MOCVD method are now being actively researched.
In order to better understand the background of the invention, a description will be given of a conventional MOCVD apparatus and its operation procedure, in conjugation with FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, a typical MOCVD apparatus comprises a reactant source ampule 10, a liquid micro pump 20 for delivering the reactants, a vaporizer 30, a reactor 70, a trap 60 and a vacuum pump. The reactants contained in the source ampule 10 are dissolved in a solvent. The liquid micro-pump 20 is used to transfer the resulting liquid to the vaporizer 30 in which the liquid is heated or vaporized with the aid of another energy source. Using a carrier gas, such as argon or nitrogen, the vapor is transferred the reactor 70 and the vapor is deposited on a semiconductor substrate loaded in the reactor 70, to form a thin film. Here, pressure rising gas which is needed for the transfer of the reactants, is also argon or nitrogen.
During the transfer of the reactants dissolved in the solvent to the reactor, however, since the vaporization temperature of the solvent is much lower than that of the reactants, the solvent, although no heat is applied to the vaporizer, is separated faster than the reactants, recondensing the reactants. Accordingly, the recondensed reactants block the thin film transfer line between the vaporizer and the reactor and thus, are not constantly fed to the reactor. As a consequence, a deposited thin film is formed poor in properties.
Even when heat is applied to the vaporizer in order to constantly maintain the vapor pressure of the reactants necessary for the thin film deposition, the solvent is faster vaporized than the reactants, resulting in the decomposition of the reactants. Likely, the reactants cannot be constantly fed to the reactor since the decomposed reactants block the thin film transfer line between the vaporizer and the reactor. So, it is difficult to form a thin film reliable and excellent in electrical properties.

Metal organic chemical vapor deposition apparatus and deposition method

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.


A structurally independent load bearing support system for use in a cargo vehicle and supporting one or more levels of accessories to provide one or more additional levels of load bearing surfaces in addition to the floor of the cargo vehicle. The structurally independent load bearing support system comprises at least two side frames comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced vertical members and at least one transverse member connecting the two side frames.

The present invention relates generally to a support system, more particularly, to a structurally independent load bearing support system for use in vehicles and supporting various assortments of accessories.
Although a large variety of box truck designs exist, they all include the common features of large interior space defined by the sidewalls, front and back walls, a roof, and a floor. The steel truck mainframe supports the flooring, which can include a wooden or metal platform secured to the main frame. The floor is normally bowed from front to rear in order to compensate for and provide some flexibility for heavy loads carried within the cargo area. The sidewalls and roof usually comprise material with little load bearing capability, such as fiberglass, plywood, thin sheet metal, fiberglass reinforced plywood, etc. The primary cargo load bearing structure for trucks of this type include the flooring and main frame. Typically, metal steel or aluminum bars mount at the box corners and along the edges of the box for the purpose of transferring carrying forces outward and downward to the main frame. Also, the sidewalls have been corrugated with vertically extending channels, or a portion of the sidewall may be fitted with a series of longitudinally spaced vertically extending channel members riveted to the inside or outside of the side walls, in an attempt to strengthen the sidewalls. However, these measures are generally ineffective in strengthening the sidewalls for carrying loads.
The box trucks have great utility, particularly for delivery companies that pickup, haul, and deliver a number and variety of packages of varying sizes, shapes, and weight. Currently, the shelving system is individually built and customized for a particular box truck. There is currently no standardized shelving system that can be easily and quickly assembled to fit these box trucks wherein various features and dimensions of the cargo area is non-uniform, e.g., due to bowed floors, wheeled wells, windows, doors, refrigeration units, fuel port covers, and other barriers etc. Additionally, the present shelving system is bolted or riveted to sidewalls of the box trucks which are designed to carry minimal load. This has an added disadvantage of potentially leaving unsightly rivets and/or damaging the outer surface of the sidewalls, including any logo thereon. Typically, an elongated piano hinge assembly having one stationary horizontal bar part is bolted or riveted to the inside surface of the sidewalls. Metal shelving connects to the other, or rotating part, of the hinge assembly. The shelving rotates between a storage position and an utility position. However, such a shelving system requires sidewalls, which are designed to carry a minimal load, to support the weight of the shelving system and the packages thereon. It is only a matter of time before the sidewalls of the box truck are damaged from static and dynamic loads of the shelving system as well as the vibrations imparted to the connection points where the hinge assembly is bolted or riveted to the sidewalls or their reinforcements. Additionally, the permanent fixture of the piano hinge assembly to the sidewalls of the box truck prevents any adjustments to the shelves after installation.
Accordingly, the present invention proceeds upon the desirability of providing a structurally independent load bearing support system for use in the box trucks and other cargo vehicles which does not transfer the weight of the support system and the cargo to the sidewalls of the box truck. The structurally independent load bearing support system of the present invention provides one or more levels of accessories, such as shelves, hooks, racks, platforms, bins, drawers, cots, hangars, benches and the like within and/or outside the cargo area of the vehicle. Preferably, accessories can be easily and reliably rotated to their stored and utility positions. Also, the accessories are removably attachable so that they can be easily and efficiently reconfigured to meet a particular cargo or storage need. For example, one or more shelves can be moved up or down to accommodate varying sized packages.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Structurally independent load bearing support system