An interleaving method (1) and a frequency interleaver (EF) of data symbols. The data symbols are for allocation to carriers of a set of NFFT carriers of a module for multiplexing and modulation by orthogonal functions in a multicarrier transmitter device (EM). The method includes selecting in time-varying manner from the set of carriers, carriers that are dedicated to transmitting data symbols and in dynamically interleaving a block of carriers constituted by the selected carriers and by null carriers.

The present invention relates to the field of telecommunications. Within this field, the invention relates more particularly to so-called digital communications. Digital communications include in particular wireless communications; however they also include communications by wire. The communications transmission medium is commonly referred to as a transmission or propagation channel, originally with reference to a radio channel, and by extension with reference to any channel.
The invention relates to interleaving techniques combined with a method of selecting functions from a plurality of functions used for transmitting the useful information in a transmission system where the useful information is projected on the basis of so-called orthogonal functions. Selecting one or more functions on the basis of an external criterion can be considered as an extension to a technique of obtaining diversity by selection. The diversity techniques that are usually implemented proceed from duplicating the information that is to be transmitted, followed by selecting one of the signals on reception depending on an external criterion that leads to an improvement in performance. The present method does not duplicate the information for transmission but makes a prior selection of the functions appropriate for conveying the data when the signal is decomposed on the basis of orthogonal functions of dimension greater than the dimension of the signal to be transmitted. The signal is made up of components that carry information and of components that do not carry information. In a system that is subject to a frequency selective transmission channel, selection consists in not using functions that are very noisy for conveying data. The method leads to a reduction in noise or to the elimination of an interfering signal that affects one of the functions on reception.
The invention applies in particular to any type of transmission system having multiple orthogonal carriers, for which information that has been put into the form of data symbols (cells that have been quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM), quadrature phase shift keyed (QPSK), . . . ) is multiplexed on Npm orthogonal subcarriers from amongst NFFT subcarriers corresponding to a frequency subdivision of the instantaneous bandwidth of the transmission system of dimension NFFT. The module performing data symbol multiplexing on the various subcarriers is referred to as an OFDM multiplex (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing module). It distributes data symbols and pilot symbols within the passband of the system. The pilot symbols have values that are known to the receiver and that are used for estimating the transmission medium or for obtaining synchronization in the frequency domain. Null guard carriers are optionally located at the edges of the spectrum and also on the central carrier. The output from the OFDM multiplex that results from summing the NFFT subcarriers that modulate the symbols constitutes the time-varying OFDM signal without a guard interval. It is obtained by applying an indirect Fourier transform (IFT) of size NFFT to the OFDM multiplex. The OFDM modulator comprises the OFDM multiplex, the operation of summing the NFFT modulated symbols, and inserting the guard interval corresponding to copying the end of the output from the OFDM multiplex. By analogy, a module for multiplexing and modulating transmitted symbols by orthogonal functions is also referred to below in the present document by the term "orthogonal multiplex".
The transmitted information is generally subjected to a time- and frequency-selective frequency disturbance representing the effect of a transmission channel having a transfer function H(f,t) that is highly colored because of the multi-path effect of the propagation channel, and also the effect of strong Doppler dispersion resulting from variations over time in the environment or resulting from an interfering signal that affects some of the subcarriers of the transmission system. This disturbance is represented by a frequency-selective filter that is variable over time and that filters the output from the OFDM modulator.
On reception, after eliminating the guard interval Tcp, projecting the OFDM signal onto the Fourier components associated with the k subcarriers, and integrating over all of the samples of the OFDM signal (output from the OFDM multiplex) provides an estimate Yn,k of the symbol C′n,k allocated to the carrier k of the OFDM multiplex that is weighted by the kth component (Hn,k) of the channel transfer function projected onto the base vectors of the OFDM multiplex and associated with a white noise component:Yn,k=Hn,k·C′n,k+Bn,k  (1)
Multicarrier equalization of the "zero-forcing" type consists in dividing the frequency-received signal Yn,k by an estimated complex gain Hn,k to extract the value of the data symbols C′n,k associated with a noise component colored by H−1n,k. A decision circuit then makes a decision to estimate which symbol has been transmitted among the M possible values that belong to an alphabet associated with the modulation being used (M-PSK, M-QAM, etc. . . . ).
The performance of the circuit for deciding on which symbols have been transmitted in baseband depends on the value of the transfer function for the transmission medium associated with the carrier k that modulates the symbol C′n,k under consideration.
In addition, on reception, the transmission medium generates correlation between the subcarriers in the frequency and time domains. The frequency correlation affects the subcarriers, and the time correlation induces subcarriers of almost constant amplitude over an observation window having a duration of the order of the coherence time of the channel. Coherence time corresponds to the mean value of the time difference necessary for ensuring decorrelation between the signal representative of the transmission medium and a time-shifted version thereof.
These two correlations limit the performance of decision-taking circuits on reception.
The time correlation induces bursts of errors after transmitted data symbol decision-taking and after decoding the estimated transmitted bits.
Frequency correlation is the result simultaneously of the multi-path effect that introduces a filtering effect, of the Doppler effect, and of phase noise in the radio frequency (RF) stages that give rise to a loss of orthogonality between the subcarriers of an orthogonal multiplex.
A method of remedying these two correlations consists in performing interleaving on transmission on the binary data or on the data symbols.
The invention relates more particularly to so-called "frequency" interleaving, i.e. interleaving that is performed in the frequency domain on the data symbols allocated to the carriers of an orthogonal multiplex. This type of interleaving occurs at the input to an orthogonal multiplex. In equivalent manner, it is common practice to speak of interleaving carriers or subcarriers.
Existing multicarrier systems that include interleaving the subcarriers of an orthogonal multiplex make use of a static law I(k) for k varying over the range 0 to Npm−1, where Npm designates the number of data symbols per OFDM multiplex, for a specific transmission mode (encoding, modulation, size of Fourier transform). The document ETSI 300 401 "Radio broadcasting systems; digital audio broadcasting (DAB) to mobile, portable and fixed receivers", May 1997, p. 182 gives a description of a static frequency interleaving algorithm for the DAB multicarrier system. The interleaving law I(k) applied to the data symbols indexed from k=0 to Npm−1 is such that the branch k′ of the multiplex conveying the symbol Xn,k′ resulting from an interleaving operation is associated with the symbol C′n,k before interleaving by the relationship:Xn,k′=C′n,I(k)′,I(k)ε{0, . . . , Npm−1}where I(k) describes the read order in the input sequence of the position indices of the carriers after interleaving.
By writing k′ for the position index of the symbol Xn,k′ on the OFDM multiplex after the data subcarriers of the multiplex have been interleaved, and writing C′n,k for the data symbol associated with carrier k before interleaving, the corresponding received symbol, after OFDM demodulation, and associated with the carrier k′ has the form:Yn,k′=Xn,k′·Ĥn,k′+Bn,k′ with k′={0, . . . Npm−1}  (2)
The operation of deinterleaving subcarriers designated by the function I−1(k) generates a signal such that:Yn,k=C′n,k·Hn,I−1(k)+Bn,I−1(k), k={0, . . . , Npm−1}  (3)
The deinterleaving operation as performed on the complex gains Hn,k′ of the channel transfer function serves to reduce the instantaneous frequency correlation of the transmission medium, but does not reduce the time correlation that limits the performance of binary interleaving situated upstream from the method.
The static character of the interleaving limits the decorrelation properties of an interleaving method since it does not modify the time-selectivity properties of the transmission medium.
French patent application FR 05 53763 filed on Dec. 7, 2005 and entitled "Dynamic interleaving method and device" proposes improving static interleaving algorithms. Its content is hereby incorporated by reference. It proposes a time-varying block interleaving law of size K that is applied to the carriers of an OFDM multiplex. An implementation of the method with a particular OFDM system is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1. The system SY comprises a transmitter device EM and a receiver device RE. The transmitter device includes channel encoding CC, binary interleaving EB, symbol binary encoding CBS, an interleaver ES, a framer MT, and an OFDM modulator MX. The transmitted signal Sn(t) is conveyed by the transmission channel CN. White noise B is added to the signal in transmission. The receiver RE comprises an OFDM demodulator DMX, a de-framer DMT (inverse of the framer MT), a deinterleaver DES, a symbol binary decoder DCBS, a binary deinterleaver DEB, and a decoder DCC. In one of the configurations implemented, the block for interleaving of size K, where K is a multiple of Npm, is constituted by the set of data symbols associated with one or more OFDM symbols and it varies once every N OFDM symbols. NN interleaving laws are defined as a function of the block size K, where K is a multiple of the number of data symbols Npm per OFDM multiplex, and as a function of optimum parameters for the interleaving algorithm that specify the interleaving laws and the interleaving spreading between interleaved data items.
The interleaving that is preferably selected is iterative interleaving with a turbo structure that is determined by three integer parameters K, p, and q, and also by the iteration j of the algorithm. Such turbo structure interleaving constitutes the subject matter of the French patent application published on Jul. 7, 2006 under the No. 2880483. That turbo structure interleaving is such that a modification to the parameters or the iteration of the algorithm serves to modify the interleaving pattern and also the interleaving spreading which is defined as follows:Δe ffIp,q(j)(s)
Interleaving spreading is defined as being the smallest distance after interleaving between two input data position indices that are separated at the output from the interleaving module by s−1 data items. Interleaving spreading is given by the relationship:ΔIeff(s)=Mink,kεS|I(k+s)−I(k)|The function |X| provides the absolute value of X. The interleaving laws are selected as a function of an imposed minimum value for the interleaving spreading; a selected interleaving law makes it possible to obtain interleaving spreading that is greater than said minimum.
For a particular configuration illustrated in FIG. 2, the interleaving method is performed at the scale of an OFDM symbol and incorporates a portion of the guard carriers of the OFDM multiplex in the interleaving process. The size of the interleaving block is then a size N′pm where N′pm lies in the range Npm to NFFT. Npm corresponds to a number of data carriers per OFDM multiplex. The value of N′pm is the sum of the Npm data carriers plus n0 guard carriers. Typically, n0 can vary over the range zero and a number nmax corresponding to about 10% of the number Npm of data symbols, or typically corresponding to (NFFT−Npm−Npilot)/2 where Npilot corresponds to the number of pilot symbols per OFDM multiplex dedicated to channel estimation, and to a synchronization or signaling device. This limit nmax is set empirically.
The method serves to whiten the frequency disturbance introduced by the transmission medium via the dynamic property of the interleaving applied to the data symbols prior to multiplexing the symbols on the OFDM multiplex. Taking account of the n0 null carriers in the dynamic interleaving process serves to improve the overall performance of the transmission system since it introduces increased frequency selectivity to the transmission medium in combination with a higher rate of variation by modifying the interleaving law In(k) every N OFDM symbols. This notional additional rate of variation does not give rise to any additional Doppler dispersion. Furthermore, it reduces the loss of orthogonality between subcarriers by inserting a null carrier between two data carriers, thereby increasing the intercarrier spacing between two adjacent data carriers without reducing the overall spectrum efficiency of the system.
Nevertheless, the position diversity of the carriers introduced by this dynamic interleaving with insertion of null carriers, does not suffice to eliminate carriers that are very noisy or that are affected by an interfering signal in transmission. The null carriers are multiplexed in the multiplex via the permutation law and not via an estimate of the noise on each subcarrier of the multiplex.

Method and a device for dynamically selecting orthogonal functions of an orthogonal transmission system


An electric lamp assembly includes an electrodeless lamp having an electrodeless lamp envelope enclosing a fill material for supporting a low pressure discharge, a driving inductor including a magnetic core disposed in proximity to the lamp envelope and an input winding disposed on the magnetic core, a compensation loop disposed in proximity to the lamp envelope, a radio frequency power source and a compensation loop network. The compensation loop network has an input coupled to the radio frequency power source and outputs coupled to the input winding and to the compensation loop. The radio frequency power source and the compensation loop network supply radio frequency energy to the electrodeless lamp to produce a discharge in the lamp envelope and supply radio frequency energy to the compensation loop to generate a magnetic field that substantially counteracts a magnetic field produced by the discharge. In one embodiment, the lamp envelope is a closed-loop, tubular lamp envelope, and the magnetic core is disposed around the lamp envelope. In another embodiment, the lamp envelope includes a reentrant cavity, and the magnetic core is disposed in the reentrant cavity.

Electrodeless fluorescent lamps are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,500,118 issued Mar. 10, 1970 to Anderson; U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,334 issued Oct. 19, 1976 to Anderson; and Anderson, Illuminating Engineering, April 1969, pages 236-244. An electrodeless, inductively-coupled lamp, as disclosed in these references, includes a low pressure mercury/buffer gas discharge in a discharge tube which forms a continuous, closed electrical path. The path of the discharge tube goes through the center of one or more toroidal ferrite cores such that the discharge tube becomes the secondary of a transformer. Power is coupled to the discharge by applying a sinusoidal voltage to a few turns of wire wound around the toroidal core that encircles the discharge tube. A current through the primary winding creates a time-varying magnetic flux which induces along the discharge tube a voltage that maintains the discharge. The inner surface of the discharge tube is coated with a phosphor which emits visible light when irradiated by photons emitted by the excited mercury atoms. The lamp parameters described by Anderson produce a lamp which has a high core loss and is therefore extremely inefficient. In addition, the Anderson lamp is impractically heavy because of the ferrite material used in the transformer core.
An electrodeless lamp assembly having high efficiency is disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/624,043, filed Mar. 27, 1996 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,834,905. The disclosed lamp assembly comprises an electrodeless lamp including a closed-loop, tubular lamp envelope enclosing mercury vapor and a buffer gas at a pressure less than about 0.5 torr, a transformer core disposed around the lamp envelope, an input winding disposed on the transformer core and a radio frequency power source coupled to the input winding. The radio frequency power source typically has a frequency in a range of about 100 kHz to about 400 kHz. The radio frequency source supplies sufficient radio frequency energy to the mercury vapor and the buffer gas to produce in the lamp envelope a discharge having a discharge current equal to or greater than about 2 amperes. The disclosed lamp assembly achieves relatively high lumen output, high efficacy and high axial lumen density simultaneously, thus making it an attractive alternative to conventional VHO fluorescent lamps and high intensity, high pressure discharge lamps.
When a discharge is sustained by high frequency alternating current, magnetic interference can be a serious problem. The problem increases in severity as the magnitude of the current and the dimensions of the discharge increase. In the case of an inductively coupled electrodeless light source, this is a practical problem that must be addressed to satisfy electromagnetic interference (EMI) regulations.
The source of near field magnetic interference in an electrodeless light source is the magnetic field created by the high frequency discharge current. Prior art methods of magnetic field suppression are based on placing a closed conductive ring or loop next to the discharge, such that the discharge current induces a counter current in the loop. In principle, the counter current creates a magnetic field of proper magnitude and phase to counteract the magnetic field of the discharge. This arrangement of a counter current loop positioned near a discharge current loop generally results in loose coupling. However, loose coupling cannot provide good balance between the discharge current and the loop current. Thus, these prior art techniques result in rather limited magnetic field suppression.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,521 issued Oct. 11, 1983 to Roberts discloses a circular electroded fluorescent lamp having a cancellation loop external to the lamp envelope, which produces a magnetic field generally in opposition to the magnetic field generated by the current in the arc discharge.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,283 issued Jul. 23, 1996 to Piejak et al discloses a discharge light source having reduced magnetic interference. A conductive loop surrounding a driving inductor is terminated in a capacitor to lower the impedance of the compensation circuit, so that the compensation current is increased.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,568,859; 4,645,967; 4,704,562; 4,727,294; 4,920,297 and 4,940,923 disclose a set of conductive short circuited rings that surround a lamp envelope. When a discharge is inductively excited, the rings create a current which induces a magnetic flux, in a direction opposite to the primary flux, that neutralizes some of the magnetic flux of the primary induction coil. This technique is not very effective and is found to reduce the magnetic flux emitted from the discharge by only about 2.0 dB per ring.
Additional techniques for suppressing electromagnetic interference in electrodeless discharge lamps are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,179 issued Jan. 13, 1981 to Buhrer; U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,363 issued Mar. 3, 1981 to Walsh; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,238 issued Aug. 24, 1993 to Bergervoet et al. The disclosed techniques are understood to lack effectiveness and practicality.
Accordingly, improved techniques for reducing electromagnetic interference generated by electrodeless discharge lamps are required.

Electrodeless lamp having compensation loop for suppression of magnetic interference


A storage system and method for command execution ordering by security key are provided. In one example, the storage system has a non-volatile memory, a volatile memory storing a plurality of keys, and a controller with a cache storing a subset of the plurality of keys. The storage system gives priority to a command whose key is stored in the cache in the controller over commands whose keys are stored only in the volatile memory. This avoids transferring a key from the volatile memory to the cache in the controller, thereby improving efficiency of the storage system.

A storage system can be used to securely store data provided by a host. Different standards govern the encryption/decryption process used for secure storage of data. One such standard allows the host to select the encryption/decryption key for every input-output (I/O) command to the storage system. Under this standard, the storage system receives and stores a key from the host, and the host selects a key for each I/O command.

Storage system and method for command execution ordering by security key


A system for providing an actuated-wall visual effect in an amusement park environment, the system comprising a panel mounting frame and a panel coupled to the panel mounting frame via a damper. The system also comprises a transducer mounting frame and a transducer configured to convert an audio signal into mechanical energy. The transducer comprises a first portion coupled to the transducer frame and a second portion coupled to the panel such that the transducer is configured to oscillate the panel relative to the transducer mounting frame in response to receiving the audio signal.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to help provide the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it is understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Various amusement rides and other attractions have been created to provide passengers with unique motion and visual experiences. For example, amusement ride passengers may experience a plurality of effects during an amusement ride. In addition to excitement induced by a speed or acceleration of an amusement ride occupied by passengers, the passengers may be presented with various special effects (e.g., graphic and/or sound effects). Likewise, other attractions can include visual effects that enhance an experience or provide further immersion in a themed environment, for example. Such effects may in part be brought about by using specialized and costly mechanical equipment, as well as complex control systems. However, it is now recognized that these complex systems and costly equipment often lead to budgetary constraints. Thus, there is a need to provide visual effects that limit expenses.

Systems and methods for producing visual effects via transducer-actuated show action equipment


A method and a device for the filtering of alerts originating from a collision detection system of an aircraft makes it possible, by proposing a novel condition for alert disabling, to avoid an abnormal drop of an aircraft in the case of a CFIT (controlled flight into terrain) by authorizing the output of the alert when this novel condition is not complied with. This novel condition relies on a method for thresholding the angle of approach of the aircraft (FPA for flight path angle) as a function of the altitude of the aircraft with respect to the runway and of the angle of approach specified for each runway and which is recovered via the terrain database.

Low-speed flight phases are dangerous for aircraft, in particular during landing phases where the margin for manoeuvre in relation to the terrain is all the more critical the lower the visibility and the altitude. To prevent abnormal changes of altitude and of attitude of the aeroplane, detection systems with terrain databases exist. But coupled with a disabling system and in the environs of an airport, they turn out to be inoperative. They then no longer offer the pilot the possibility of rescuing the aeroplane early enough before a collision with the ground in the case of an abnormal drop.
According to the known prior art, onboard terrain monitoring systems are based on simulated probers projected in front of the aircraft and derived from the speed of the aircraft with respect to the ground and the reaction time of the pilot. Whatever the altitude of the aircraft, a computer continuously verifies the rate of penetration of this prober with a terrain database, itself onboard. As soon as a nonzero penetration rate is detected and confirmed, the computer dispatches an alert to the pilot warning him of the proximity of the terrain.
A problem arises with such terrain detection systems at the moment of the approach of an airport where the aircraft is projected to land. Indeed, the altitude decreasing, the simulated probers intercept the terrain in the environs of the runway. It therefore becomes necessary to disable these alerts so as not to disturb the pilots in the course of this critical phase.
Recourse is then had to three complementary disabling methods:
The first method relies on the definition of a spatial envelope which extends in the three dimensions. This envelope is related to the runway threshold, to the precision of navigation of the aircraft, and to the geometric characteristics of the runway considered. As long as the aircraft is situated outside this envelope, the computer is authorized to output all the specified terrain alerts. The alerts are disabled when the aircraft is situated in the envelope.
The second method is related to the consistency of heading between the aircraft and the runway considered. One then speaks of convergence towards the runway in the horizontal plane. If the heading of the aeroplane does not converge quickly enough towards the axis of the runway, the computer remains potentially alerting.
Finally, the third method is based on the consistency of the vertical speed of the aircraft with respect to its altitude (with respect to the low limit of the spatial envelope). One then speaks of convergence of the vertical speed of the aircraft with respect to the ideal vertical speed at a given altitude (with respect to the low limit of the spatial envelope). At a given altitude, an aircraft whose vertical speed was outside of the theoretical envelope would see the terrain alerts appear in the case of collision of the probers with the terrain cells of the database. In this third method, disabling is authorized for downward vertical speeds even on the low limit of the spatial envelope.
Because of the uncertainties of positioning of the aircraft and runway thresholds, current onboard terrain detection systems do not make it possible to warn the pilot of the imminence of an impact as soon as the aircraft is situated in the environs of an airport or of a runway covered by this alerts disabling system.
Indeed, the vertical part of a landing runway spatial disabling envelope covers a ground area which amply exceeds that of the runway. FIG. 1 represents a landing runway 201 and a spatial disabling envelope projected onto the ground. The runway comprises a runway threshold G. The disabling zone projected onto the ground is defined on the basis:                of a first point S, situated at a distance Δ from the runway threshold G and placed so that the segment GS is situated in the longitudinal axis of the runway,        of a second point O and of a third point E, which are situated at a distance Δ from the runway threshold G and placed on a straight line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the runway,        of a fourth point N placed so that the segment GN follows the longitudinal axis of the runway.
The parameter Δ is related to the precision of navigation of the aircraft. The risk of CFIT is therefore all the larger the more significant the parameter Δ (low precision).
In practice, an aircraft may find itself in an abnormal drop situation even though it satisfies all the conditions (horizontal and vertical) of convergence and therefore of disabling of the terrain proximity alerting system. Therefore in this case the aircraft is at risk of hitting the ground before the runway threshold.

Method and device for the filtering of alerts originating from a collision detection system of an aircraft


The minimum spacing between wires disposed on a printed circuit board of a printed circuit board ball grid array package is reduced. Wiring layers are narrower than in the prior art because they are not plated and because only one metal layer is plated on the wiring layers. The narrower wiring layers can be formed easily with small spaces between wires.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a printed circuit board ball grid array (BGA) and a package for the semiconductor device and, more particularly, to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a printed circuit board BGA package in which a plurality of printed wiring boards are laminated, and a package for the semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 57 is a sectional view showing the structure of a semiconductor device according to the prior art. In FIG. 57, reference numeral 1 designates a semiconductor device comprising a printed circuit board BGA package, reference numeral 2 designates a chip in the semiconductor device 1, reference numeral 3 designates a slug on which the chip 2 is placed, reference numeral 4 designates a die bonding resin bonding the chip 2 to the slug 3, reference numeral 5 designates a frame around the chip 2 and having a first main surface to which the slug 3 is bonded, reference numeral 6 designates an adhesive bonding the frame 5 to the slug 3, reference numeral 7 designates a solder ball on a second main surface of the frame 5, reference numeral 8 designates a wire electrically connecting the chip 2 to the frame 5, reference numeral 9 designates a cavity in the central portion of the frame 5 housing the chip 2, reference numeral 10 designates a sealing resin filling the cavity 9 and sealing the chip 2, and reference numeral 11 designates a dam on the second main surface of the frame 5, closing an opening and preventing the sealing resin 10 from flowing out.
The frame 5 comprises two laminated double-sided printed circuit boards 15 and 16 and a prepreg 17 bonding them. The double-sided printed circuit board 15 has wiring layers 19 and 20 on both sides of an insulating substrate 18. The double-sided printed circuit board 16 has wiring layers 22 and 23 on both sides of an insulating substrate 21.
The wiring layers 19 and 20 and the wiring layers 22 and 23 on both sides of the double-sided printed circuit boards 15 and 16 are connected by interstitial via holes. The double-sided printed circuit boards 15 and 16 are connected by a through hole 24. The signals and power are exchanged between the chip 2 and a board on which the semiconductor device 1 is placed through the wire 8, the wiring layers 19, 20, 22, and 23, the through hole 24, the interstitial via hole 25, the solder ball 7, and the like.
A method for manufacturing the printed circuit board BGA package shown in FIG. 57 is described with reference to FIGS. 43 to 57.
First, a double-sided printed circuit board 15 having copper foils 30 and 31 laminated on both sides is prepared (see FIG. 43).
Then a hole 32 for an interstitial via hole, penetrating the double-sided printed circuit board 15, is formed (see FIG. 44). The double-sided printed circuit board 15 is plated with a copper plated layer 33. Thus, an interstitial via hole 25 is formed (see FIG. 45). As shown in FIG. 46, the interstitial via hole 25 is filled with a resin 34. Consequently, no gap which penetrates the double-sided printed circuit board 15 is present. A wiring layer 20 of the double-sided printed circuit board 15 is then patterned (see FIG. 47).
After performing the same steps as shown in FIGS. 43 to 47, a double-sided printed circuit board 16 is prepared. The circuit board 15 includes the interstitial via hole 25 filled with the resin 34 and a patterned wiring layer 22 (see FIG. 48). The double-sided printed circuit board 16 comprises copper foils 35 and 36 and a copper plated layer 37 thereon.
The double-sided printed circuit board 15 shown in FIG. 47 and the double-sided printed circuit board 16 shown in FIG. 48 are bonded together by a prepreg 17. Consequently, the laminated printed circuit board 38 is an aggregate of the double-sided printed circuit boards 15 and 16 (see FIG. 49). A chamber 39 for forming a cavity 9 shown in FIG. 57 is located between the double-sided printed circuit boards 15 and 16 in the central portion of the laminated printed circuit board 38. A hole 40 penetrating the laminated printed circuit board 38 is located in a region 41 of the laminated printed circuit board 38 where the prepreg 17 is inserted (see FIG. 50). The laminated printed circuit board 38 is plated with a copper plated layer 42. Thus, a through hole 24 is formed (see FIG. 51). The laminated printed circuit board 38 is immersed in a plating solution to be plated with copper. However, the interstitial via hole 25 has been filled with a resin so that the chamber 39 has been sealed so the plating solution does not invade the chamber 39.
Subsequently, the through hole 24 is filled with a resin 43 as shown in FIG. 52. Then a wiring layer 19 is patterned (see FIG. 53). At the same time, the copper foil 30 and the copper plated layers 33 and 42 of the wiring layer 19, located in an upper region 44 of the chamber 39, are removed. An insulating substrate 18 in the upper region 44 is machined with a router to form an opening 45. After that, a nickel-gold layer 46 is plated on the copper plated layers 37 and 42 (see FIG. 54).
As shown in FIG. 55, a wiring layer 23 is patterned. At the same time, the copper foil 35 and the copper plated layers 37 and 42 in a lower region 47 of the chamber 39 are removed. As shown in FIG. 56, an opening 48 is formed in the lower region 47 so that a frame 5 is completed. A slug 3 is bonded to the frame 5 with an adhesive 6.
The chip 2 is bonded to the slug 3 with a die bonding resin 4 and the chip 2 is connected to the nickel-gold plated layer 46 by a wire 8. After a dam 11 is put in place, the cavity 9 is filled with a sealing resin 10. Then, a solder ball 7 is formed on the nickel-gold plated layer 46 of the wiring layer 19. The printed circuit board BGA package is thus completed (see FIG. 57).
In the semiconductor device and the method for manufacturing the semiconductor device according to the prior art, the copper plated layers 33 and 37 are formed on the copper foils 31 and 36 of the wiring layers 20 and 22, and the copper plated layer 33 or 37 and the copper plated layer 42 are formed doubly on the copper foils 30 and 37 of the wiring layers 19 and 23. Consequently, the thicknesses of the wiring layers 19, 20, 22, and 23 are increased. For this reason, it is hard to reduce the pitches of patterns on the wiring layers 19, 20, 22, and 23.
This problem will be described with reference to FIGS. 58 and 59. FIG. 58 is a sectional view showing a wiring layer 50A including a copper foil 52 and a copper plated layer 51 with a pattern having a minimum pitch. The formed pattern has a predetermined inclination 53 which depends on the conditions of patterning. In FIG. 58, reference numeral 55 designates a minimum required space between patterns, and reference numeral 54 designates pattern pitch. FIG. 59 is a sectional view showing a wiring layer 50B including only the copper foil 52 and a pattern at the minimum pitch. Similar to the section of the pattern shown in FIG. 58, the pattern shown in FIG. 59 has a predetermined inclination 53 which depends on the conditions of patterning. In FIG. 59, reference numeral 55 designates a minimum required space between patterns, and reference numeral 56 designates pattern pitch. As seen from a comparison of FIGS. 58 and 59, the pitch 54 is greater than the pitch 56. When the thickness of the wiring layer increases, it becomes harder to reduce the pitch of the wiring pattern.
Furthermore, the through hole 24 and the interstitial via hole 25 should be plated in separate plating steps. Consequently, the number of manufacturing steps is increased. In addition, it is necessary to immerse the laminated printed circuit board 38 in a plating solution when forming the through hole 24. For this reason, filling the interstitial via hole 25 with the resin cannot be omitted.

Package for semiconductor device laminated printed circuit boards

Ryoden Semiconductor System Engineering Corporation


A threaded connection with improved fatigue-life useful for connecting adjacent sections of a pipe string subject to bending, tensile, and compressive stresses such as a drill collar string is disclosed. The connection comprises a pin member which is threadedly engageable with a corresponding box member. In the preferred embodiment, the inventive connection is designed to have bending strength ratio ("BSR") of about 3.20 or greater, and more preferably, in a range between about 3.20 and about 4.00. The preferred thread form of the connection is a V-type thread form having two flank angles of 30 degrees and a 0.038 inch root radius. Other design features may be used in combination with the threaded connection to further improve the connection's fatigue-life. Such design features include a tapered pin bore, an increased root radius for selected box threads, an internal box stress relief groove, a box bore stress relief groove, an extended pin relief groove, and modification of the API boreback box design to provide an increased number of threads having full threaded engagement.

Threaded connections for use in connecting adjacent sections of a pipe string are well known. In the oil and gas industry, threaded connections have long been used in a wide variety of applications, such as connecting adjacent sections of a well Casing, a drill string, or a pipeline.
As seen in FIG. 1, the drill string used for drilling into underground oil and gas reservoirs includes at least a drillpipe string 10, a drill collar string 12, and a drill bit 14. The drill collar string 12 comprises the major part of the bottom-hole assembly ("BHA") which is the lower section of the drill string between the drillpipe string 10 and the drill bit 14. Additional components of the BHA (not shown) may include other equipment such as measurement-while-drilling ("MWD") tools, the bit sub, drill-stem subs, crossover subs, shock subs, jars, stabilizers, reamers, fishing tools, and nonmagnetic collars. Drilling fluid is pumped down through the bore of the drillpipe string 10 and drill collar string 12 and through nozzles (not shown) located on the drill bit 14. The drilling fluid then becomes mixed with the rock dislodged by the drill bit 14 and returns to the surface through the annulus 15 between the borehole wall and drill string.
The drill collar string 12 is composed primarily of a series of heavy-walled pipes called drill collars and is used primarily to provide enough weight for producing the desired compressive load at the drill bit 14. Also, the drill collar string 12 may provide some additional weight to ensure that the drillpipe string 10 remains in tension. As a result of this weight, the lower portion of the drill collar string 12 experiences significant compressive stresses, while the upper portion of the drill collar string 12 experiences tensile stresses. Furthermore, when the drill collar string 12 rotates bending occurs at the drill collar joints or connections 18 (see FIG. 1A) which are the weakest points along the drill collar string 12. Consequently, fatigue failure resulting from this combination of compressive, tensile, and bending stresses typically occurs at the drill collar connections 18.
Drill collars 16 are normally manufactured in an average length of about 30 feet. Owing to the large wall thickness of the pipe, drill collars 16 are not provided with tool joints, which for drill pipe are typically stiffer and stronger than the pipe body itself, for connecting the drill collars 16. Instead, as seen in FIG. 1A, they are connected using a threaded connection 18 which comprises pin member 20 and box member 22, each of which is integrally machined from the pipe. The drill collar connection 18 is "made-up" by rotating the pin member 20 into the box member 22 up to the desired torque to form a metal-to-metal seal between adjacent drill collars at the shoulder 24 located at the base of the pin member 20 and the face end 28 of the corresponding box member 22. This make-up torque should be sufficient to prevent the seal from opening up under the bending loads produced as the drill string rotates.
Drill collar connections 18 are subjected to torsional stresses arising when the connection is made-up as well as compressive and bending stresses while drilling, discussed above. Consequently, in order to reduce premature fatigue failure, the drill collar connections 18 must be manufactured to withstand these various stresses while maintaining a fluid-tight seal under considerable internal pressure. The American Petroleum Institute ("API") provides connection specifications for assorted drill collar sizes based on the desired drill collar outside diameter ("OD"), inside diameter ("ID"), and bending strength ratio ("BSR"). API drill collar guidelines, for example, are identified in Recommended Practice for Drill Stem Design and Operating Limits ("RRP7G"), 14th Edition, Aug. 1, 1990, Section 3, while manufacturing specifications are provided in Specification for Rotary Drilling Equipment ("SPEC 7"), 37th Edition, Aug. 1, 1990, Sections 6 and 9 and Appendix I. API specifications are generally adhered to throughout the oil and gas drilling industry worldwide. However, a departure from these specifications is permissible where a significant improvement in drilling equipment performance can be realized using different specifications. Th design specifications of the inventive connections represent such a departure.
There is a natural variation between the strengths of the pin member 20 and box member 22 which occurs as their relative sizes vary along the axis of the connection. The pin member 20 may be so large that the portion of the box member 22 near the pin shoulder 24 would be so thin that it could not support the pin member 20 in bending. Farther from the shoulder 24, however, the tapered box wall thickens to a point where it can support the pin member 20 in bending. This point is usually in the region of the pin nose 23 (see FIG. 1A). It is generally believed by those skilled in the art that this region provides a likely site for fatigue failure with continual flexing of the drill collar connection 18, resulting in the box member 22 eventually failing in that region. Accordingly, to avert the early onset of such fatigue failure in the connection 18, the drilling industry has identified a generally preferred balance between box and pin strength to yield a "balanced connection". Using conventional drill collar design principles, the API specifications discussed above can assist a person skilled in the art in designing such a "balanced connection".
Bending strength ratio is a number typically used by those skilled in the art to quantify the balance between box and pin strength. BSR is the ratio of the box member modulus (Z.sub.B) to the pin member modulus (Z.sub.P). Since the member modulus (Z) is the measure of the member's capacity to resist any bending moment to which it may be subjected, the BSR is a number descriptive of the relative capacity of the box member 22 versus the pin member 20 to resist bending fatigue failures. Therefore, a higher BSR leads to a stronger box member and a correspondingly weaker pin member.
API recommended practice RP7G suggests that a connection having a BSR of 2.50 is generally accepted as an average balanced connection under average drilling conditions. However, RP7G further suggests that the acceptable BSR range may vary from 1.90 to 3.20 depending upon the drilling conditions. Nonetheless, certain published guidelines routinely used throughout the oil and gas drilling industry, such as the Drilco Drilling Assembly Handbook, generally recommend drill collar connections having a BSR in the range of 2.50 to 2.75 for obtaining well-balanced connections with optimum fatigue-life.
BSR is calculated in accordance with API RP7G (Appendix A.10) using the following relations. EQU BSR=(D.sup.4 -b.sup.4)R/[D(R.sup.4 -d.sup.4)] (1)
where "D" is the drill collar's OD, "d" is the drill collar's ID, "b" is the thread root diameter of the box threads at the end of the pin (when connection is fully assembled), and "R" is the thread root diameter of pin threads 3/4 inch from shoulder of pin.
In equation (1), "b" and "R" may be calculated from the following equations: ##EQU1## wherein: H=Thread height not truncated
f.sub.rn =Root truncation (inches) PA1 C=pitch diameter (inches), measured at 0.625 inches from shoulder of pin PA1 L.sub.pc -0.625=length from pitch diameter point to end of pin (inches) PA1 tpr=taper, inches per foot on diameter
As shown by the above relationships, BSR depends on a number of variables including the drill collar's OD and ID, the pitch diameter and taper of the pin member 20 and box member 22, as well as pin length of certain thread dimensions. Normally the drill collar OD and ID are selected based on various operational considerations. Also, the thread dimensions are typically dictated by standard thread forms, such as the API V-0.038R, V-0.040, or V-0.050, preferred in the industry. Consequently, the desired BSR for the selected drill collar OD/ID and thread form could be obtained by machining the pin member 20 and box member 22 to yield the appropriate pitch diameter, taper, and pin length.
Currently, the drilling industry prefers connection designs using the boreback box design originally disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,745,685 issued May 15, 1956 to Moore. This box design is preferred as a result of the relative ease in machining the box member. Also, the drilling industry has typically preferred those connection designs which favor preserving the pin member 20 relative to the box member 22. This preference for greater pin member strength relative to the box member 22 may have arisen because a crack before parting in the box member is more easily detected at the surface by a drop in mud pressure than is a comparable crack in the pin member. There is substantial incentive to detecting cracks before they propagate and cause separation because a downhole failure can be very difficult and costly to retrieve. However, using modern inspection practices, the likelihood of detecting pin member fatigue cracks has been significantly improved. Consequently, in the opinion of the inventors, it is presently possible to achieve a more cost-effective drill collar connection, in terms of both failure frequency and correction costs, by using connection designs which provide BSR values with improved box member strength at the expense of some pin member strength, even though such BSR values are contrary to the accepted practice of the API and others skilled in the art.
As mentioned previously, the oil and gas drilling industry has typically designed or selected drill collar connections having BSRs between about 2.25 and about 2.75 to avert early fatigue failures induced by bending stresses. Nevertheless, bending stresses are believed by the inventors to be the leading contributor to fatigue failures in drill collars and other BHA components which continue to plague the drilling industry. In the inventors' opinion, the overwhelming majority of these failures occur in the BHA connections as fatigue cracks, with a predominance of those failures occurring in the box member. Such failures can result in the loss of expensive tools located in the drill collars, lost rig time, and increased drilling costs arising from additional drill string trips.
Accordingly, there is a need for a threaded connection having improved fatigue-life for use in a drill collar string which is subject to bending stresses in combination with tensile and compressive stresses.


Systems and methods to provide for social media monitoring and employee social media monitoring are described herein. In one example, a method includes a determining a score associated with a likelihood that a post on a social media network is associated with a trigger event. The post is transmitted to a computing device, based at least on the score. A response to the post is received from the computing device. An indication that the response is approved is received. The response is posted to the social media network, based at least on the indication that the response is approved.

Customers demand more from the products and services than ever before. They insist that the companies they deal with on a regular basis provide them greater and greater levels of information and access. As the pace of society quickens, customers' expectations for instant interactions with companies require more robust tools for customer service.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems and methods for monitored social media participation

United Services Automobile Association (USAA)


Methods and systems are provided for detecting arrhythmias in cardiac activity is provided. The method and systems are under control of one or more processors configured with specific executable instructions. The method and systems obtain a far field cardiac activity (CA) signal that includes a series of beats, the CA signal including paced events. The method and systems identify the paced events in the CA signals. The method and systems determine a score based on an amount of paced events and adjust at least one parameter of an atrial fibrillation (AF) detection process based on the score.

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and is strongly associated with stroke risk and a variety of cardiovascular conditions. Early AF detection is important, but can be challenging due to the often silent and intermittent nature of the rhythm disturbance.
A single-chamber implantable medical device (IMD) only detects suspected AF if the ventricular response exceeds the programmed ventricular arrhythmia detection rate, and the VTNF discrimination criteria indicate that the ventricular rate is irregular. Some patients with IMDs may exhibit an elevated risk of stroke. Accordingly, opportunity remains to reduce or avoid under-detection of AF, particularly when ventricular rates fall below a ventricular arrhythmia detection cutoff rate. Integrating floating atrial electrodes into a ventricular lead may overcome this limitation, but at the expense of added lead complexity and uncertain atrial sensing. A single chamber IMD may detect AF without an atrial lead based on the characteristics of R-R interval variability.
In addition, implantable cardiac monitors (ICMs) are provided that utilize alternative AF detection algorithms. The AF detection algorithms of at least some conventional ICMs are based on the detection of R waves and R-R interval variability. However, AF detection algorithms that are utilized in ICMs cannot readily be utilized in a single chamber IMD that delivers pacing therapy. Single-chamber IMDs deliver ventricular pacing pulses that interfere with the intrinsic atrioventricular conduction of the heart and reduce the degree of R-R interval variability, which may lead to under-detection of AF by conventional AF detection algorithms used in ICMs.

Method and device for detecting atrial fibrillation in the presence of ventricular pacing


Apparatus for use in receiving input signals through order wires; at least one of the input signals is a specific signal including an input control signal indicative of supply of the specific signal to either a telephone set (6) or a facsimile set (15). A processing circuit processes (2) the input signals into an input single signal; an input detecting circuit (3) detects the input control signal in the input single signal; a judging circuit (14) judges whether the input control signal indicates supply of the input single signal to the telephone set, or to the facsimile set and produces an input connection signal; and a connection unit (20) connects the processing circuit to the telephone set and to the facsimile set when the input connection signal indicates the telephone set and the facsimile set, respectively. It is also possible to use the apparatus to transmit output signals produced by the telephone set and the facsimile set through the order wires.

This invention relates to apparatus using order wires for communication between a local station and a counterpart station by a telephone set and a facsimile set. In other words, order wires are used in this invention rather than public wires.
In general, order wires are of a four-wire type. The apparatus of the type described in this application is used for receiving and transmitting through the order wires four-line input signals and four-line output signals, respectively. At least one of the input signals is a specific signal including a called number signal indicative of supply of the specific signal to the local station. Similarly, at least one of the output signals is a specific signal including a calling number signal indicative of transmission of the specific signal to the counterpart station.
In the prior art, such apparatus comprises a processing circuit connected to the order wires for processing the input signals into an input single signal including the called number signal, and for processing an output single signal into the output signals including the calling number signal. The output single signal is produced by a telephone set in the local station.
An input detecting circuit is connected to the processing circuit and detects the input control signal in the input single signal as a detected signal.
An input judging circuit is connected to the input detecting circuit and judges whether the detected signal indicates supply of the input single signal to the local station or not. The input judging circuit produces an input connection signal indicative of the local station after having judged that the detected signal indicates supply of the input single signal to the local station.
An output producing circuit produces an indicating signal indicative of production of the output single signal by the local station.
An output judging circuit is connected to the output producing circuit and produces an output connection signal indicative of the counterpart station.
A supplying circuit is connected to the output judging circuit and supplies the output single signal with the calling number signal indicative of supply of the output single signal to the counterpart station in response to the output connection signal.
A connecting unit is connected to the input judging circuit and connects the processing circuit to the telephone set in the local station when the input connection signal indicates the local station. The connecting unit is connected to the output judging circuit and connects the processing circuit to the telephone set in the local station in response to the output connection signal.
It has now been found by the present inventor that the aforementioned apparatus of the prior art enables communication between stations by a telephone set through the order wires even if there are no public wires between the stations.
However, when the apparatus is used for communicating between the local and the counterpart stations by a facsimile set, it is necessary to use the public wires. As a result, the apparatus cannot communicate between stations by the facsimile set without the public wires.

Apparatus for communication by telephone set and facsimile set through order wires


One or more heat-conducting devices are located coincident with a bobbin that is used to form the coils of the transformer. The coil wire is subsequently wrapped around the bobbin and adjacent heat-conducting device assembly, using conventional coil winding techniques. The heat-conducting device is preferably configured to extend beyond the transformer so as to contact a heat-conducting surface, such as a ballast enclosure, when the transformer is appropriately mounted. Because the heat-conducting device is located adjacent the inner windings of the coil, which is typically the locale of the highest temperature build-up in a transformer, a highly efficient heat-transfer is achieved. Preferably, the heat-conducting device comprises one or more copper conductors, with a thin layer of insulating tape separating the copper conductors from the coil windings.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of electric transformers, and in particular to transformers that are used in ballast circuits of lamp assemblies.
2. Description of Related Art
Ballasts are commonly used in lamp assemblies to provide a preferred, or optimal, current and voltage to the lamp device. Most lamp ballasts employ a transformer to effect the required transformation of supply voltage to this preferred voltage. The reliability, or expected time-to-failure, of a transformer is inversely proportional to its operating temperature. Electric current flowing through the coils of the transformer generates heat, and this heat causes an increase in the operating temperature of the transformer, thereby reducing its reliability. The amount of heat generated can be reduced by using larger sized wires in each coil, but would result in a larger sized and more costly transformer. Alternatively, the operating temperature can be reduced by efficiently removing the generated heat from the transformer. A variety of techniques are currently available for increasing the efficiency of heat transfer from the coils of a transformer. Thermally conductive potting compounds have been used to conduct the heat from the transformer coils to an enclosure containing the transformer. These semi-fluid compounds, however, are somewhat difficult to handle, compared to solid devices and components, and often introduce reliability problems to other devices, for example, by flowing into the moving parts of switches, relays, connectors, and the like.
European Patent Application EP 0 254 132, filed Jul. 8, 1987, discloses fastening a metal shell about a transformer, wherein the shell preferably contacts the exterior layer of the coil windings, via a thin insulating layer. This shell is preferably connected to the ballast enclosure, to transfer the heat generated by the coils to the enclosure, both the shell and the enclosure being made of heat-conductive material. This exterior shell must be configured to allow air to circulate within the enclosure, else the thermal efficiency gained by providing the shell will be reduced by the reduction in radiant heat dissipation. Also, the wires that are connected to the coils must be routed through openings in the shell. To assure an efficient thermal contact between the shell and the coil, both the coil dimensions and the shell dimensions must be controlled. A loose fitting shell will be thermally inefficient, and a tight fitting shell may be difficult to fit onto the transformer.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method of manufacturing a transformer that provides for efficient heat-transfer from the coils of the transformer. It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of manufacturing a transformer that provides an efficient heat transfer without introducing additional manufacturing constraints. It is a further object of this invention to provide a transformer that includes an efficient heat transfer arrangement.
These objects and others are achieved by providing one or more heat-conducting devices coincident with the plastic bobbin that is typically used to form the coils of the transformer. The coil wire is subsequently wrapped around the bobbin and adjacent heat-conducting device assembly, using conventional coil winding techniques. The heat-conducting device is preferably configured to extend beyond the transformer so as to contact a heat-conducting surface, such as a ballast enclosure, when the transformer is appropriately mounted. Because the heat-conducting device is located adjacent the inner windings of the coil, which is typically the locale of the highest temperature build-up in a transformer, a highly efficient heat-transfer is achieved. Preferably, the heat-conducting device is a thick copper conductor having a thin layer of insulating tape separating it from the coil windings.

Method and apparatus for cooling transformer coils


According to the invention, a scaled articulation device is mounted on at least one of the branches of a hot-air circulation circuit in the form of a bracket so as to provide a bracket with capabilities of deforming about the articulation device.

It is known that, if required (to prevent ice from forming or to eliminate ice which has already formed), the leading edge of the air inlet cowl of such turbine engines is deiced by heating using pressurized hot air bled from said turbine engine and supplied to said leading edge by a hot-air circulation circuit. Such a hot-air circulation circuit comprises, in a known manner, two branches forming a right-angled structure, namely a transverse branch connected to said turbine engine and a longitudinal branch arranged laterally with respect to said turbine engine and connected to an injector in contact with said leading edge.
However, the hot air bled from the turbine engine is at a high temperature, for example around 500° C., and at a high pressure too, for example around 10 to 20 bar. As a result, the right-angled branches of said hot-air circulation circuit, which are embodied as steel tubes, are subjected to considerable variations in length through the temperature effect, and possibly pressure effect, of said hot air. Consequently, the rigid right-angled structure formed by said transverse and longitudinal branches tends to deform, and the means for fastening said hot-air circulation circuit to said air inlet cowl and the means for bleeding pressurized hot air from the turbine engine experience considerable stresses, possibly damaging them or destroying them.

System for deicing an air inlet cowl for a turbine engine


Super hard composite material for tools, comprising a substrate of CBN sintered body containing more than 20% by volume of cubic boron nitride (CBN), improved in strength of base material, wear-resistance, hardness at high temperatures and acid-resistance usable in cutting work of steels which are difficult to be machined. The substrate (2) has a laminated film (1) consisting of super thin films (a) and (b) each deposited alternatively on the substrate (2), the super thin film (a) being made of nitride and/or carbide of at least one element selected from a group comprising IVa group elements, Va group elements, VIa group elements, Al and B and possessing a crystal structure of cubic system and metallic bond property, the super thin film (b) being made of at least one compound possessing a crystal structure other than cubic system and covalent bond property under equilibrium condition at ambient temperature and pressure, each unit layer of the super thin films (a) and (b) having a thickness of 0.2 nm to 20 nm, and the laminated film (1) on the whole possessing a crystal structure of cubic system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvement in material for tools, made of sintered body (CBN sintered body, hereinafter) consisting mainly of cubic boron nitride (CBN), and in particular to a super hard composite material improved in wear-resistance.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Cubic boron nitride (CBN) is the hardest material next to diamond and is used in cutting tools. CBN sintered body is produced by sintering crystalline particles of CBN with binder (sintering aid). The CBN sintered bodies can be classified mainly into following three types:
(1) CBN sintered body containing 20 to 70% by volume of CBN crystalline particles, binder being carbide, nitride or carbonitride of Ti (i. e. Japanese patent publication-A-53-77811). PA1 (2) CBN sintered body containing more than 80% by volume of CBN crystalline particles, binder being Al and Co metals (i. e. Japanese patent publication-B-52-43846). PA1 (3) CBN sintered body containing more than 95% by volume of CBN crystalline particles, binder being M.sub.3 B.sub.2 N.sub.4 in which M is alkali earth metal (i. e Japanese patent publication-A-59-57967). PA1 (a) nitride or carbonitride of at least one element selected from a group comprising IVb group elements, Vb group elements, IVb group elements, Al and B and possessing a crystal structure of cubic system and metallic bond property (metallic compound, hereinafter), and PA1 (b) at least one compound possessing a crystal structure other than cubic system and covalent bond property (covalent compound, hereinafter), under equilibrium condition at ambient temperature and pressure.
CBN sintered body possesses very high hardness and thermal conductivity (or improved strength at high temperatures) and is used in cutting tools for a variety of steels. For example, the type (1) of CBN sintered body possesses Vickers hardness of 2,800 to 3,700 and shows improved wear-resistance and hence is used in cutting of hardened steels. CBN sintered body of the type (2) possesses Vickers hardness of 3,500 to 4,300 and shows improved resistances to wear and chipping and hence is used in cutting of high-hard cast iron or the like. CBN sintered body of the type (3) possesses Vickers hardness of 4,000 to 4,800 and high thermal conductivity and hence is used in bonding tools or the like.
These CBN sintered bodies, however, have demerits of cleavage and low resistance to acids, so that wear is inevitable in tools made of CBN sintered body alone due to insufficient resistance to wear when cutting work is effected on such materials that are difficult to be cut such as steel for transmission.
It is proposed to coating a surface of the CBN sintered body with a variety of wear-resisting layers so as to improve the resistance to wear of CBN (i. e. Japanese patent publication-A-59-134603, A-61-183187, A-1-96083, and A-1-96084). However, the hardness of known wear-resisting layers are lower than that of CBN sintered body and hence wear is investable.
It is also proposed to coating a surface of cemented carbide tool with TiN, (TiAl)N, TiCN, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 or the like. In this tool, however, the base of cemented carbide deforms plastically at high cutting temperature, resulting in that the wear-resisting layer peels off or destroyed.
An object of the present invention is to provide a super hard composite material for tools, improved in strength of base material and in wear-resistance and possessing improved hardness and resistance to oxidation at high temperatures, which can be used in cutting work of hardened steels, high-grade high-hard cast iron or the like.


A media decoding method based on cloud computing and decoder thereof are provided by embodiments of the present invention, which are easy to use and applicable to a media of any form, and its requirement for computer resource is low. The method includes: extracting representing features from a media code stream to be decoded; searching in the cloud for a media object which has similar representing features with the media code stream to be decoded by using a feature matching method and the representing features extracted; filling, replacing and improving parts or segments of the media code stream to be decoded with whole or parts of the media object.

In the prior art, lossy compression is usually applied to a coding process, and within the same compressing standard, the bigger the compression ratio is, the larger the loss is. Thus decoding quality which is finally presented in a code stream compressed totally depends on compression methods and parameters used in the coding process.
In order to improve decoding quality of images or videos, mathematical algorithms are used to compensate lost pixels in lossy compression in the prior art. However, if an excellent decoding effect is desired, those mathematical algorithms are usually very complicated, and the computing requirement of the decoding side is very high, so that it is not practically applied. Moreover, since the essence of this method is estimating loss by using limited information of original images or videos, in this situation, the decoding effect will not be very good for those images or videos with poor quality.
Therefore, a new decoding method and decoder with lower computing complexity is required to improve decoding quality of various images or videos.

Media decoding method based on cloud computing and decoder thereof


A method performed at a base station and a corresponding method performed at a station receiving a transmission from the base station. The methods relate to signaling the station as to a number of PDCCH information that is included in the transmission so the station may terminate a search when the station has identified the PDCCHs in the transmission. The method performed by the station includes receiving the transmission that includes at least one PDCCH information, each PDCCH information having a respective mapped downlink control information (DCI). The method further includes detecting one of the PDCCH information in the transmission and determining lengths of information bits of the DCI and the PDCCH information. The method also includes terminating a search for a further one of the PDCCH information when a first type of padding is used for the mapping of the DCI over the PDCCH information based on the lengths.

In conventional wireless communication systems, a network may maintain connections with multiple stations and serve them by scheduling/sending control or data packets in each subframe. A subframe is the basic time unit for the network to schedule data packets to one or more stations. When a data packet is scheduled to a station, the station may receive one or more control channels that include scheduling information. An exemplary control channel is a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) that includes PDCCH information, each PDCCH information relating to a respective carrier. Accordingly, each of the PDCCH information contains the control information about the corresponding physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), e.g., Resource Block (RB) allocation, Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS), HARQ ID, Transport Block Size (TBS), etc.

System and method for searching for a control channel


A tire service hammer includes a handle portion and a head portion having a sledge portion, a wedge portion, and a body portion connecting the sledge portion and the wedge portion, wherein the wedge portion includes a bead breaking wedge and a hook extension. A method of manufacturing a tire service hammer includes providing a handle portion and providing a head portion that includes a sledge portion, a wedge portion, and a body portion connecting the sledge portion and the wedge portion, wherein the wedge portion includes a bead breaking wedge and a hook extension. A tire servicing system for repositioning a wheel having a tire mounted on a rim includes a first grasping portion for securing a portion of the rim while repositioning the wheel, and a breaking portion for breaking a tire bead formed between the tire and the rim.

A tire bead is an important structural component of many tires. The tire bead is typically the inner most edge of the inner and outer sidewalls of a tire. When the tire is mounted on a wheel (or rim), these portions of the tire are in direct contact with the wheel (or rim). Particularly in tubeless tires, for example, the tire bead couples with the wheel structure to form an air-tight seal so that an interior pressure chamber may be maintained between the tire and the wheel. The tire may thus be inflated with air, nitrogen, or any other suitable gas, typically via a conventional valve stem. The interior pressure chamber is maintained at a desired pressure, which, in turn, exerts an outwardly directed force against the tire bead to assist in maintaining the air-tight seal.
Due to the strength and rigidity imparted to the sidewalls of many of today's tires, particularly larger automobile and/or truck tires, for example, it is often difficult to break the seal formed between the tire bead and the rim of the wheel in order to unseat the tire from the rim. Accordingly, changing a tire often involves the use of specialized tools to assist in breaking the tire bead. Tools such as hydraulic bead breakers use pressurized air targeted to the area between the tire and the rim to separate the tire from the rim. These tools can be expensive and they depend on a supply of pressurized air to function properly, which can be a problem if trying to change a tire in the field, for example, away from a service shop. Manual bead breakers, such as impact bead breakers and bead breaking hammers are more commonly used to break the bead for changing a tire. Conventional tire service hammers are designed to strike tires to remove them from a vehicle and then break the tire bead seal once removed. However, conventional tire service hammers are not designed to assist in the manipulation of a tire into a desirable position while also providing the capability to easily and effectively break the tire bead on that same tire.
It is disclosed herein to provide a tire service hammer that may be used in a variety of ways to manipulate the position of a wheel (i.e., a tire and rim) while also providing a unique configuration for efficiently and effectively breaking the bead of a tire.


An interventional catheter for treating an artery includes an elongated body sized and shaped to be transcervically introduced into a common carotid artery at an access location in the neck. The elongated body has an overall length such that the distal most section can be positioned in an intracranial artery and at least a portion of the proximal most section is positioned in the common carotid artery during use.

Intravascular catheters are used to access target vascular regions from remote vascular access sites to perform a procedure. The design, materials, and construction of particular catheters are primarily directed to allow the catheter to reach the target vascular anatomy while not causing vessel trauma, as well as to perform the catheter's intended function upon the catheter reaching the target anatomy. The catheter often has multiple requirements that may conflict with one another. Consequently, a strong design optimally balances the goals of these requirements.
Many catheters are single lumen catheters wherein the lumen acts as a channel for the delivery of radiopaque or therapeutic agents or for other interventional devices into the blood vessel, and/or for aspiration of blood, thrombus, or other occlusive material out of the blood vessel. Such catheters have physical properties that allow them to be advanced through a vessel access site from a proximal end into vascular anatomy which is often very curved, delicate, tortuous, and remote from the blood vessel access site. These catheters are also designed to be used with adjunctive devices such as guide wires and sometimes smaller catheters positioned in the inner lumen, and to be directed to the target anatomy through vascular access sheaths, guide catheters and sometimes sub-selective guide catheters (i.e. catheters that are specifically designed to go to more distal locations than typical guide catheters). In other words, it is often not a single catheter but a system of catheters, guide wires, guide catheters, and sheaths that allows the user to adequately perform an intended procedure.
Interventions in the cerebral vasculature often have special access challenges. Most neurointerventional procedures use a transfemoral access to the carotid or vertebral artery and thence to the target cerebral artery. However, this access route is often tortuous and may contain stenosic plaque material in the aortic arch and carotid and brachiocephalic vessel origins, presenting a risk of embolic complications during the access portion of the procedure. In addition, the cerebral vessels are usually more delicate and prone to perforation than coronary or other peripheral vasculature. In recent years, interventional devices such as wires, guide catheters, stents and balloon catheters, have all been scaled down and been made more flexible to better perform in the neurovascular anatomy. However, many neurointerventional procedures remain either more difficult or impossible because of device access challenges. In some instances, a desired access site is the carotid artery. Procedures in the intracranial and cerebral arteries are much closer to this access site than a femoral artery access site. Importantly, the risk of embolic complications while navigating the aortic arch and proximal carotid and brachiocephalic arteries are avoided. However, because most catheters used in interventional procedures are designed for a femoral access site, current devices are not ideal for the alternate carotid access sites, both in length and mechanical properties. This makes the procedure more cumbersome and in some cases more risky if using devices designed for femoral access in a carotid access procedure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,294 (the '294 patent) describes a single lumen, three-layer catheter design, including (1) an inner Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) liner to provide a low-friction inner surface; (2) a reinforcement layer formed of a metal coil wire or coil ribbon; and (3) an outer jacket layer. Typically, the three layers are laminated together using heat and external pressure such as with heat shrink tubing. The catheter has multiple sections of varying stiffness such that flexibility increases moving towards the distal end of the catheter. This variation in flexibility may be accomplished by varying the durometer of the outer jacket layer along the length of the catheter. Another method to vary flexibility is by varying the reinforcement structure and/or material along the length of the catheter.
One limitation in the '294 patent and in other existing neurovascular catheter technology is that the devices are designed for a femoral access approach to the cerebral arteries. The pathway from the femoral artery to the common carotid artery and thence to the internal carotid artery is both long and comprises several back and forth bends. The dimensions provided in the '294 patent are consistent with this design goal. However, catheters designed to navigate this route have lengths and flexibility transitions that would not be appropriate for a transcarotid access, and would in fact detract from performance of a transcarotid catheter. For example the flexible sections must be at least 40 cm of gradually increasing stiffness from the distal end to a proximal-most stiff section, to be able to navigate both the internal carotid artery curvature and the bends required to go from the aortic arch into the common and then the internal carotid artery.
Another disadvantage to the catheter construction described in the '294 patent is the catheter's limited ability to have continuous, smooth transitions in flexibility moving along its length. There are discreet differences in flexibility on a catheter where one jacket material abuts another, or when one reinforcement structures abuts another reinforcement structure. In addition, the tri-layer catheter construction of the '294 patent has limitations on the wall-thickness due to the need to be able to handle and assemble the three layers of the catheter during manufacture. In addition, the catheter construction makes it difficult to have a relatively large inner lumen diameter while maintaining properties of flexibility and/or kink resistance to very sharp bends in the blood vessel. As a general rule, the larger diameter catheters also tend to be stiffer in order to remain kink resistant.


A disposable undergarment such as a disposable diaper includes a front waist region, a rear waist region and a crotch region extending therebetween, the undergarment has afterward bonded edges extending along a longitudinal center line of the rear waist region and a concavity depressed toward a surface destined to be remote from the wearer""s skin, the rear waist region is divided into a first rear waist region and a second rear waist region along a longitudinal center line extending in the longitudinal direction to bisect a transverse dimension of the undergarment, and the concavity is formed by drawing the first rear waist region and the second waist region toward each other and bonding the afterward bonded edges to each other on the longitudinal center line.

This invention relates to disposable undergarments such as diaper covers, disposable diapers or the like.
Japanese Utility Model Application Gazette No. 1995-7620 discloses a disposable diaper comprising a liquid pervious topsheet, a liquid-impervious backsheet and a liquid-absorbent core disposed between these two sheets. The topsheet is provided in the middle zone of the crotch region with a liquid-absorbent annular member which is, in turn, covered with a liquid-pervious cover sheet so that the annular member cooperates with a section of the topsheet encircled by the annular member to form an excrement receiving concavity.
Japanese Utility Model Application Disclosure No. 1994-21624 discloses a disposable diaper comprising a liquid pervious topsheet, a liquid-impervious backsheet and an absorbent core disposed between these two sheets. The absorbent core is provided in its hip region with a concavity serving to receive excrement disposed onto the diaper.
Both of the proposals intend to form the absorbent core with a concavity serving to receive solid excretion such as faeces therein with or without a annular protuberance encircling it.
However, various problems may be encountered by such known diapers depending on situations. Assume that the excrement receiving concavity formed in the crotch region or the excrement receiving concavity formed in the hip region misses the proper position to receive the excrement. In this case, the solid excretion can not be received by the concavities.
With the diaper described in Japanese Utility Model Application Disclosure No. 1995-7620, the annular member overlies the absorbent core and increases a thickness of the diaper. The increased thickness of the diaper creates an uncomfortable feeling for the wearer.
In the case of the diaper described in Japanese Utility Model Application Disclosure No. 1994-21624, if the liquid-permeability of the topsheet defining the upper surface of the diaper is not sufficient, the fluid excretion such as loose passage due to diarrhea once having been received by the concavity may flow back again up to the surface of the topsheet and spread sideways.
If the absorbent core is relatively thin as achieved by recent technical progress, it will be difficult to form the concavity adapted to receive a desired amount of excrement.
The above and other objects of the present invention are achieved by a disposable undergarment having along a longitudinal direction thereof a front waist region, a rear waist region and a crotch region therebetween. The undergarment comprises a concavity depressed toward a surface destined to be remote from a wearer""s skin as the undergarment is put on the wearer""s body. The undergarment is made from a panel, which has, in the rear waist region, an afterward bonded edge extending transverse to the longitudinal direction along an end of the panel and being divided by a longitudinal center line of the undergarment into first and second bonded edges. The undergarment is made by bonding the first and second bonded edges of the panel to each other along the longitudinal center line, thereby forming the concavity.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the panel, in the rear waist region, comprises a central portion having the longitudinal center line and first and second wings extending transversely outwardly from opposite sides of the central portion so that the first and second bonded edges of the panel extend continuously from the longitudinal center line into the first and second wings, respectively. Portions of the first and second bonded edges in the first and second wings, respectively, are bonded to each other along the longitudinal center line so as to form the concavity of the undergarment.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the panel is a laminate panel comprising a liquid-pervious topsheet and a liquid-impervious backsheet both extending over the front and rear waist regions as well as the crotch region and the first and second wings, and a liquid-absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, the laminate panel further comprises a pair of barrier cuffs extending between transversely opposite side edges of the crotch region and from the front waist region to the rear waist region in the longitudinal direction. The barrier cuffs are biased to rise on an upper surface of the topsheet. Each of the barrier cuffs has a free distal edge being biased away from the upper surface of the topsheet, a proximal edge being bonded to the upper surface of the topsheet, and longitudinally opposite ends respectively lying in the front and rear waist regions. The longitudinally opposite ends of the barrier cuffs which lie in the rear waist region are bonded together along the afterward bonded edge so that the barrier cuffs come in contact with each other in the rear waist region.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, the longitudinally opposite ends of the barrier cuffs are bonded to the upper surface of the topsheet so that the longitudinally opposite ends are maintained collapsed towards the longitudinal center line of the undergarment.


A method and a circuit for self-calibration and testing QPSK transmitter/receiver IC's is provided. The method and circuit enable variable error parameters such as gain mismatch, offset voltages, and phase errors inherent in the circuit and signals to be measured and taken into account by the digital signal processors for minimum bit error rates during cellular communications.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the calibration of transmitter/receivers. More particularly, it relates to QPSK transmitter/receiver IC's and a method and apparatus for the self-calibration and testing thereof.
When communicating with cellular phones, both sides of the communication are transmitting and receiving signals. Upon transmission, the voice signal is modulated and transmitted. The receiver receives the signal and demodulates it to reproduce the transmitted signal. Ideally, the resulting demodulated signal should be identical to the transmitted signal. However, variable parameters such as gain mismatch, offset voltages and phase errors inherent in the signal and circuit cause the demodulated signal to vary from the transmitted signal.
Generally with GSM cellular phones, a Quadrature Phase Shifted Keying (QPSK) modulation scheme is used. QPSK has four vector components for the signals, each of which are 90.degree. apart. This differs from a PSK modulation scheme where there are two vector components 180.degree. apart (e.g., one at 0.degree. and the other at 180.degree.). With QPSK, we have vector components at 45.degree. with a coordinate (1,1); 135.degree. with a coordinate (-1,1); 225.degree. with a coordinate (-1,-1); and, 315.degree. with a coordinate at (1,-1) where the X-axis is the Q channel (quadrature phase) and the Y-axis is the I channel (in phase). For purposes of calculation of the variable parameters, the Q channel can be designated Cosine, and the I channel can be designated Sine.
The amplitude of the four vector components for QPSK, under ideal conditions, would be .sqroot.2. However, since the circuits do not operate ideally, when one modulates a signal and sends it, the demodulated signal on the receiver end does not have the same vector coordinates and amplitude as the originally transmitted signal. Thus, the received signal does not contain the same data.
These inaccuracies are caused by errors in both the transmit and receive channels and mixers. Gain mismatch and offset voltages in both the transmit and receive mixers, in addition to phase errors inherent in both channels result in vector positions that are different than those transmitted.
It would therefore be desirable to have a circuit that enables the performance of a self-calibration technique for determining these error components and which subsequently adds them back to the system in order to numerically correct the demodulated output of the receiver mixer.

Method and apparatus for self-calibration and testing of ZPSK transmitter/receiver IC's

Philips Electronics North America Corporation


An active vibration insulator includes an electromagnetic actuator, a control-signals generating device, a driver, a calculator, and a judging device. The electromagnetic actuator generates vibrating forces depending on electric-current supplies. The control-signals generating device generates cyclic control signals based on cyclic pulsating signals output from a vibration generating source of a vehicle. The cyclic control signals actively inhibit vibrations generated by the vibration generating source from transmitting to a specific part of the vehicle. The driver drives the electromagnetic actuator by making the electric-current supplies variable based on the cyclic control signals. The calculator calculates an estimated transfer function composed of estimated values of a transfer function for a transfer system including the electromagnetic actuator and the driver. The judging device judges an inoperative malfunction of the electromagnetic actuator based the estimated transfer function.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an active vibration insulator, especially, an active vibration insulator for actively inhibiting the vibrations of vibration generating sources, such as vehicle engines, from transmitting.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an active vibration insulator has been equipped with an electromagnetic actuator for generating active vibrating forces, such as solenoid, for example. When the electromagnetic actuator is under an inoperative malfunction because of plunger lock or broken wire, for instance, there arises a problem, such as the flow of over current in the electromagnetic actuator.
Hence, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 8-270,723, for example, discloses to detect the malfunction of the electromagnetic actuator. According to the patent publication, the electromagnetic actuator is judged to be under a malfunction when the maximum value of residual vibrations, which are detected by an acceleration sensor, exceeds a threshold value, and when the intervals of the maximum-value generation show the same cyclicity as those of the vibrating signals of an engine.
However, in the malfunction judgement set forth in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 8-270,723, it is extremely difficult to determine the threshold value, which are compared with the maximum value of residual vibrations. This results from the fact that the residual vibrations, which are detected by an acceleration sensor, include various vibration components other than the vibration components resulting from an engine. That is, when the threshold value is low, no malfunction judgment can be made because the maximum value, which does not show the same cyclicity as those of the vibration signals of an engine, has been detected. On the contrary, when the threshold value is high, no reliable malfunction judgment can be made because the maximum value, which shows the same cyclicity as those of the vibration signals of an engine, might not be extracted. On the other hand, it is possible to extract specific-range frequency components from the residual vibrations by a band-pass filter, for instance, in order to carry out the malfunction judgement based on the extracted signal components. However, using a band-pass filter has resulted in highly increasing the manufacturing cost.


A system includes a plurality of queues configured to hold tasks and state information associated with such tasks. The system further includes a plurality of listeners configured to query one of the plurality of queues for a task, receive, in response to querying one of the plurality of queues for a task, a task together with state information associated with the task, effect processing of the received task, and communicate a result of the received task to another queue of the plurality of queues, the another queue of the plurality of queues being selected based on the processing of the received task.

The present invention generally relates to task processing.
Traditionally, single-threaded systems are limited by how fast each item can be processed. Further, in processing workflows, with some systems, an error later in the workflow can leave the system in an inconsistent state, or can cause loss of data.
Additionally, scaling traditional systems can be difficult. Physical servers must be shut down to add resources. Virtual machines can scale up (add resources), but traditional systems wouldn't allow scaling out (adding nodes).
A need exists for improvement in task processing. This need, as well as other needs, is addressed by one or more aspects of the present invention.


A cable guide assembly is used in a winch device having a rotatable cable shaft and a cable wound on the cable shaft. The cable guide assembly includes a support unit, a holding unit, and a coupling unit. The support unit includes a support member formed with a cable hole for extension of the cable therethrough, and two roller rods disposed rotatably within the support member and disposed at opposite sides of the cable. Each roller rod has a portion exposed from the cable hole of the support member. The holding unit is disposed at a side of the support unit opposite to the cable shaft and is used for stretching taut a portion of the cable between the cable shaft and the holding unit. The coupling unit interconnects the holding unit and the support member.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cable guide assembly, more particularly to a cable guide assembly adapted for use in a winch.
2. Description of the Related Art
A winch is a device that has a cable and that is used for pulling or lifting objects.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional winch device 1 includes a power unit 11 and a roller unit 12 spaced apart from the power unit 11. The power unit 11 includes a motor 111 and a shaft 112 driven rotatably by the motor 111. A steel cable 13 is at least partly wound on the shaft 112. The roller unit 12 includes a main body 121, and two roller rods 122 that are spaced apart from each other and that are disposed rotatably within the main body 121. The main body 121 and the roller rods 122 cooperatively define a cable hole 123 allowing a portion of the steel cable 13 which is not wound on the shaft 112 to pass therethrough.
By controlling forward or reverse rotation of the motor 111, the steel cable 13 can be wound on or released from the shaft 112. While the motor 111 is in forward rotation, the steel cable 13 needs to be manually held by a user and controlled in order to be evenly wound on the shaft 112. Since the steel cable 13 includes steel wires (not shown) twisted together, constant abrasion may break parts of the steel wires after long-term use of the steel cable 13. The untangled steel wires may injure the user's hands even when the user wears safety gloves.