A microelectronic assembly includes first and second microelectronic elements having confronting surfaces that are spaced apart from one another. Vertically extensive flexible lead elements interconnect electrical connections on the microelectronic elements. Each of the flexible lead elements may include a plurality of curved conductors that are electrically connected and parallel to one another. The lead elements may initially be formed on a lead bearing surface, and have a terminal end for connection to the first microelectronic element, and a tip end for connection to the second microelectronic element. The terminal end is disposed on the lead bearing surface and fixed to it, while the tip end is releasably connected to the lead bearing surface, and spaced apart from the terminal end on an offset axis. Curved leads interconnect the tip end and the terminal end.

Complex microelectronic devices such as modern semiconductor chips require numerous connections to other electronic components. For example, a complex microprocessor chip may require hundreds of connections to external devices.
Semiconductor chips have commonly been connected to electrical traces on mounting substrates using several alternative methods, including wire bonding, tape automated bonding and flip-chip bonding. Each of these techniques presents various problems including difficulty in testing the chip after bonding, long lead lengths, large areas occupied by the chip on the microelectronic assembly, and fatigue of the connections due to changes in the sizes of the chip and the substrate under thermal expansion and contraction.
Structures that have been used to successfully address the foregoing problems are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,148,265; 5,148,266; and 5,455,390. Structures according to certain of the embodiments taught in those patents comprise a flexible, sheet-like element having a plurality of terminals disposed thereon. Flexible leads are used to connect the terminals with contacts on a first microelectronic element such as an integrated circuit. The terminals may then be used to test the microelectronic chip, and may be subsequently bonded to a second microelectronic element. The flexible leads permit thermal expansion of various components without inducing stresses in the connection.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,964 ("the '964 patent"), hereby incorporated in its entirety herein, discloses further improvements in microelectronic connections. In certain embodiments of the '964 patent, a flexible, sheet-like element has a first surface with a plurality of elongated, flexible leads extending from a terminal end attached to the sheet-like element to a tip end offset from the terminal end in a preselected, first horizontal direction parallel to the sheet-like element. The tip ends have bond pads for connection to a microelectronic element. As the term is used herein, "microelectronic element" encompasses circuit boards, integrated circuits, connection components such as polyimide or other dielectric sheets, and other components used in microelectronic circuitry. Each of the plurality of leads is simultaneously formed by moving all of the tip ends of the leads relative to the terminal ends thereof so as to bend the tip ends away from the sheet-like element. This is accomplished by relative movement between the sheet-like element and the microelectronic element.
The tip ends of the leads are initially attached to the sheet-like element. The initial position of the bond pad on the tip ends is thereby fixed with respect to the terminal ends in order to facilitate attachment to the microelectronic element.
Various lead configurations are disclosed in the '964 patent. In one such configuration, the leads comprise straight, elongated bodies of conductive material extending between terminal ends connected to a dielectric sheet-like element and tip ends to be connected to a microelectronic element. The terminal end of the lead is attached through a via in the sheet-like element to another microelectronic element on the other side of the sheet-like element. The attachment of the tip ends of the leads to the sheet-like element is releasable. After bonding the tip ends to the microelectronic element, the leads are formed in their final configuration by moving the sheet-like element and the microelectronic elements relative to each other in two directions: in a vertical direction away from each other, and in a horizontal direction parallel to the sheet-like element. As a result, the tip end of the lead is separated from the sheet-like element and traces an arcuate path relative to the other end of the lead. That movement prevents stretching of the lead during formation and results in an S-shaped configuration of the lead that is advantageous in absorbing further relative movement between the sheet-like element and the microelectronic element due to thermal expansion/contraction during operation of the resulting device.
In another lead configuration taught in the '964 patent, the lead is initially a curved strip disposed on a surface of the sheet-like element. A terminal end of the lead is connected to a terminal through a via in the sheet-like element and a tip end is bonded to a microelectronic element. In forming those leads to a final configuration, the sheet-like element and the microelectronic element are moved away from each other in a vertical direction only. The curve of the lead is partially straightened by the relative movement of the elements. The "slack" created by the initial curve in the lead permits vertical displacement of the microelectronic components without the necessity of providing additional lead length by horizontally displacing the components.
A number of such configurations are disclosed in the '964 patent. An S-shaped lead structure having two small, opposite bends in each lead permits nesting of adjacent leads in configurations requiring a high lead density. A U-shaped lead configuration permits larger relative displacement of the microelectronic components in a vertical direction without a corresponding horizontal displacement. Other such configurations are also disclosed.
Commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/712,855, filed Sep. 12, 1996, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, discloses additional lead configurations. One lead disclosed in that application comprises a body section and two flexible leg sections separated by a single slot. The ends of the leg sections comprise tip and terminal ends. The slot has a cutout at its end to reduce stress concentration.
There is presently a need for a curved lead configuration that performs several important functions. First, the lead should be capable of extending a sufficient vertical distance out of the original plane of the lead in order to allow relative movement of the two microelectronic components. While larger leads inherently extend further than smaller leads, the pitch of the lead array should also be small enough to match the pitch of the contacts of the microelectronic component. It is therefore desirable that the extension as a percent of the pitch of a corresponding grid array be maximized.
In some instances, stress at a given point in the lead may be increased by concentrated torsion or bending forces resulting from the particular lead geometry. The stress undergone by the lead during extension should therefore be minimized by providing rounded corners where possible and by minimizing strain caused by twisting and bending during extension. A large, concentrated stress in the lead during extension could result in failure of the lead in service by exceeding the ultimate tensile strength of the material or by exceeding the fatigue limit.
The lead should also be simple in geometry. While current photolithographic techniques permit relatively high resolution, certain complex shapes at extremely small pitches may be beyond the capability of present manufacturing processes. If possible, a curved lead design should therefore incorporate a minimum of geometric features, and the function of the lead should not rely on fine detail.
The lead may be releasably attached to the lead bearing surface for substantially its entire length, as described in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/547,170 filed Oct. 24, 1995, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. The peel stress undergone by such a lead during separation of the microelectronic elements from the lead-bearing surface should be minimized. As the lead is pulled from the surface, a tensile force is exerted on the portions of the lead already freed from the surface. Peel stress may be excessively high when a portion of a lead having a relatively small cross-section must be subjected to tension sufficient to peel a relatively large area of the lead from the surface.
Finally, any lead configuration has some amount of self-inductance, limiting the speed with which that lead can reliably convey an electrical signal. Certain lead configurations, however, may limit that inherent inductance through geometries that create opposing or canceling magnetic fields, thereby reducing resistance to changes in current flow. For example, it is believed that parallel conductors in close proximity tend to cancel corresponding magnetic fields, thus reducing the self-inductance of the overall lead.
Still further improvements in the above-described lead configurations would be desirable.


A system including an interrupt generation module and a processing detection module. The interrupt generation module is configured to generate an interrupt when a first indicator is set to a first state, where the first indicator transitions to a second state when the interrupt is generated. The processing detection module is configured to detect when the interrupt is sent, set a second indicator to a third state to indicate when the interrupt is sent, and set the second indicator to a fourth state when the interrupt is processed.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent the work is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
In computer systems using a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, a plurality of device controllers may be installed in PCI bus slots to control devices such as disk drives, for example. Each controller may issue an interrupt to a host processor when the controller generates a service request. For example, a controller may issue an interrupt when the controller needs to perform an input/output (I/O) operation, where data needs to be transferred, for example, from a device such as a disk drive to system memory or vice versa.
Typically, the PCI bus uses four interrupts. While each controller can be set to issue a different interrupt, most controllers are typically set to issue the same interrupt. When a controller issues an interrupt, the controller typically pulls a signal on the bus to a predetermined state (e.g., low or high). On receiving the interrupt, a basic input output system (BIOS) of the computer system polls the controllers to determine which controller issued the interrupt. Polling increases overhead of the PCI bus.
PCI Express (PCIe) bus may use Message Signaled Interrupts (MSI's). A controller using MSI's issues an interrupt by writing a system-specified data value to a system-specified memory location in main memory of the computer system. During system initialization (i.e., startup or boot process), the host programs each controller with an address of a memory location in the main memory and the data value to write in the memory location when issuing an interrupt.
For example, the host may populate a data structure in the controller with the addresses of a memory location and a corresponding data value. The address and data value corresponds to an interrupt that can be generated by a portion of hardware in the controller. Additional MSI interrupts can be generated using the address populated in the data structure by incrementing by one the data value programmed in the data structure.
MSIs allow a controller to issue up to 32 interrupts, each interrupt corresponding to a unique value in the lower 5 bits of the data value programmed into the data structure. For example, one interrupt can be generated by a write portion of the controller for writing data to the main memory while another interrupt can be generated by a read portion of the controller for reading data from the main memory.
PCIe bus may also use MSI-X interrupts. A controller using MSI-X issues an interrupt by writing a system-specified data value to a system-specified memory location in main memory of the computer system. During system initialization (i.e., startup or boot process), the host programs each controller with an address of a memory location in the main memory and the data value to write to the memory location when issuing an interrupt.
For example, the host may populate a table in the controller with the addresses of a memory location and a corresponding data value. The address and data value corresponds to an interrupt that can be generated by a portion of hardware in the controller. The host may enable additional MSI-X interrupts by populating address and data values into other entries in the table in the controller.
Each interrupt is assigned a separate address and data value. When a controller issues an interrupt, the host determines which controller issued the interrupt based on the address of the memory location written to and the data value written to the memory location. Extended MSI's (MSI-X) allow a controller to issue a larger number of interrupts (up to 2048).
In controllers using MSI or MSI-X interrupts, after an interrupt for a service request has been sent to the host, another interrupt for the same service request may be sent to the host at any time. In a system that performs one million I/O Operations per Second (IOPs), this can result in an interrupt being sent once every microsecond on average. A controller typically includes a Pending Bit Array (PBA), where a bit is set when an interrupt is scheduled to be sent to an interrupt controller. The bit is reset when the interrupt is sent to the interrupt controller. Multiple bits may be set at the same time when there are multiple interrupts scheduled to be sent to the interrupt controller.

Systems and methods for controlling flow of message signaled interrupts


A system and method for managing access by a user to a reusable resource. An integer pool is provided, along with program and hardware structures for obtaining an integer from the integer pool, for returning an integer to the integer pool. Responsive to the integer pool being empty, the user is waited. The integer pool includes a NEXT control structure from which a next integer is obtained for use and into which an integer is loaded upon being made available for reuse. The integer pool includes, for holding integers received from or to be provided to said NEXT control structure, (a) a LIFO stack or (b) a linked list by proxy. Reusable resources include data buffers, hardware status bits, logical connections and/or data channels.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a resource management system and method. More particularly, it relates to a reusable integer pool for managing access to any reusable resource, including, but not limited to, data channels, data buffers, hardware status bits and logical connections.
2. Background Art
This invention addresses a class of problems that occur in either device driver or application program design. This class of problems can be identified by the following set of characteristics:
1. A limited number of resources of some type are available to the program which cannot be used by more than one user simultaneously. Permission to use such a resource must be obtained before attempting to use it. PA1 2. The permission to use a resource is a "ticket" for a specific resource only (i.e., buffer #1, or program #5, or channel #2, etc.) PA1 3. The maximum number of possible requesters exceeds the maximum available resources (otherwise, permanent assignment of a resource to each requester could be made thereby obviating the entire problem and this solution). PA1 1. Precious buffer space is consumed by the pointer variable 112, 122 that must be allotted in each buffer area. This space exists only to manage the linked list and serves no other useful purpose with respect to the actual use of the buffer. For larger numbers of data buffers, with pointers that might consume 4 bytes each, this can add up. PA1 2. Depending upon the underlying hardware and operating system architecture (e.g., OS/2, Windows NT), these pointers 112, 122 may be what are known as "far" pointers. Far pointers are pointers to memory that lies in another memory segment. Accessing data in a far segment consumes additional CPU cycles since segment registers must be reloaded, and when this is done, a variety of hardware checks are performed "under the covers" to validate the new segment access.
The resource(s) in question can be one of a wide variety of typical system resources. This background will focus on two such areas of application: (1) buffers in main storage on an adapter, and (2) status register bits. Inasmuch as the prior art approaches are different given the specifics of the problem, there is a need in the art to provide a single common approach that is superior to each specific prior art approach.
Application developers often use data buffer areas as sources or targets of operations such as direct memory access (DMA). In many cases, buffers cannot be allocated on-the-fly. This might be for performance reasons, due to limited storage capacity, or because buffers for DMA operations must be in a specific physical address location. In such a case, some number of buffer areas must be prepared for later use. These buffers must then be tracked or managed as they are doled out, used, and then returned by a subprocess to be available for use by another. This management is essential to prevent errors that would occur if more than one thread or process attempted to utilize the same buffer simultaneously.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the prior art approach is to allocate an array of such data buffers and to chain them together in the form of a linked list 108. In this case there are four available buffers 114, 116, 118, 120. Referring to FIG. 1, the variable "free-list" 110 is a pointer to first buffer 114. Each buffer area, in turn, has a pointer 112, 115, 117, 119 to the next available buffer. The final buffer 120 in the chain has a pointer value 122 of 0 indicating the end of list. When a data buffer is requested, free-list pointer 110 is consulted. If it is non-zero, a buffer is available. The pointer to it is "given" to the requesting process (it now has access to that buffer) and the free-list variable is updated to point to the next available buffer.
Referring to FIG. 2, the state of list 108 following this operation is shown. First buffer 114 is in use by a process, and free list pointer 110 now points 113 to next buffer area 116, which is now the first available buffer in list 108. Operation continues with processes requesting buffers (and receiving access to them) so long as there are free buffers. When a process is finished using a buffer, it returns it to the list in an process which is the inverse of that used to obtain a buffer. The "next" pointer 112 in the buffer structure 114 being returned is updated with the current free-list pointer 113, and the free.sub.-- list pointer 110 is updated with the address 111 of the buffer 114 being returned.
There are several drawbacks to this approach, as follows:
Access of data through far pointers is often a simple necessity, but the prior art method which employs a list 108 of far memory structures 114, 116, 118, 120 via a chain of pointers 111, 115, 117, 119 requires the manipulation of far memory pointers simply to manage the list. Consequently, there is a need in the art for a system and method which requires no far memory manipulations until the buffer is actually to be accessed.
A recurring problem in device driver or application software development is the need to manage or otherwise track the use of a limited number of serially re-useable resources. Serially re-useable implies that the resource is not consumed or otherwise destroyed by its use (it is `returned` when its use is finished) and, most significantly, implies that the resource may not be used by more than one user at a time.
A device driver design often encounters this type of problem when controlling an adapter that provides facilities for performing a requested operation and, on completion of the operation, the adapter informs the requester by setting a status bit in a register. Assuming a 32-bit architecture, the adapter may have 32 individual status bits for reporting completion status on up to 32 individual operations at a time. In order to distinguish between an operation completed for one requester versus that performed and completed for another, the device driver must assign a unique completion status bit in a bit-mapped status register for a given requester (and must be looking for the setting of that specific status bit and no other). Finally, when the requested operation is complete, the status bit (likely distinguished by its integer bit number) must be made available for reuse by some other requester as there might be more total requesters than available bits.
Referring to FIG. 3, a 32-bit "status" register is shown. Each bit 134, 136, 138 in bit positions 00-31 in register 130 indicates the completion status of a certain operation. For example, a number of bits 134, 138, etc., are "set", indicating the completion status of processes (or requests) corresponding to status bit positions 132 of 31, 24-26, 13-16, 11, 4-7, and 0-2. Thus, an adapter may be able to handle multiple outstanding requests to perform an operation, and it reports the completion status by setting a bit 134, 138, etc., in status register 130 corresponding to that request.
For multiple requests to be tracked, there must be a mechanism for uniquely assigning bits to requests and reusing the bits when the current request is completed. Referring further to FIG. 3, the common approach to this problem is to keep a shadow copy of status register 130 having bit positions 132, setting a bit 134 in the shadow when that status bit number is passed out to a requesting process, and clearing a bit 136 when the bit is no longer needed. The inefficiency in this approach is that shadow register must be scanned each time another process requests a status bit 134, 136 for use. This scanning is typically performed by shifting the shadow and testing the least significant bit position 00 139 to see if it is zero. If it is, then the number of shifts performed yields the status bit that can be used. In a steady state case, where bits are being "checked out" and returned at random intervals, approximately 16 such shift and test operations will be required, on the average, to find a free, available status bit. In the worst case, 32 shift and test operations will be required to determine that there is no bit available for use. There is, therefore, a need in the art for a system and method for checking out and returning N individual bits without requiring up to N shift and test operations.
Application designs can also encounter this class of problem. Suppose a multi-threaded application program has a limited number of data buffers for use in some type of operation (e.g. for reading data from a disk, or receiving messages from a network). As in the device driver register bits case, there may be more application threads than there are available data buffers. In this case each thread must obtain exclusive, temporary, use of a data buffer and, when finished, free it for use by another thread.
Both the device driver status bit and application data buffer problems are exactly the same: there exists a limited set of N resources which can be described by the set of integers 0 through N-1 (or 1 through N) and there are more than N users of said resource. Prior to using the resource, a unique integer index must be obtained which cannot be used simultaneously by more than one user, and which must be made available for use by others when the current operation is completed.
There are several solutions to this type of problem--these solutions differ according to the exact circumstances of the problem. That is, the `standard` solution to the device driver status bit problem is not the same as the standard solution to the application data buffer problem.
Consequently, there is a need in the art for a system and method that provides a unique, highly efficient alternative that may be applied to any such problem, regardless of specific circumstances, that may be accurately described as requiring a unique selection from the integers 0 through N-1.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,908 by M. Heddes, et al. provides for managing a set of reusable buffers. It uses a linked list-like technique for tracking free buffers and a set of rules for determining whether a request can be filled. Heddes only manages a set of buffers, uses an allocated buffer linked list, and the management entities are implemented as concurrently operating hardware units. There is, consequently, a need in the art for a resource management system and method which deals with any reusable resource, including data channels, data buffers, hardware status bits, logical connections; which does so without the use of linked lists or pointers; and which implements the rules by which a pool of integers is accessed with a small set of state variables and routines not requiring additional special hardware.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved system and method for managing reusable system resources.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved system and method for managing buffers in main storage.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method for managing storage on an adapter.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method for managing status register bits.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved and single common approach for managing diverse system resources, including but not limited to buffers in main storage, storage on adapters, and status register bits.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved system and method for managing buffers in main storage which requires no far memory manipulations until the buffer is actually to be accessed.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method for managing the selection of unique bits from among the integers 0 through N-1 or, alternatively, from among the integers 1 through N.
It is an object of the invention to provide a system and method for checking out and returning N individual bits without requiring up to N shift and test operations.
Finally, it is an object of the invention to provide a resource management system and method which deals with any reusable resource, including data channels, data buffers, hardware status bits, logical connections; which does so without the use of linked lists or pointers; and which implements the rules by which a pool of integers is accessed with a small set of state variables and routines not requiring additional special hardware.

Resource management system using next available integer from an integer pool and returning the integer thereto as the next available integer upon completion of use

International Business Machines Corporation


Disclosed is a flame retardant lighting assembly comprising thermoplastic insulation, plugs and sockets. The thermoplastic resin is for example polypropylene homopolymer and comprises a synergistic combination of an N-alkoxyoxy hindered amine and a conventional organohalogen flame retardant. The addition of low levels of acid scavengers such as hydrotalcites is advantageous.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,950 discloses the co-use of certain NOR (N-alkoxy) hindered amines with a brominated Sb2O3-containing flame retardant in polypropylene.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,812 discloses polyolefin compositions which are made flame retardant by a combination of a halogenated hydrocarbyl phosphate or phosphonate ester flame retardant in combination with a alkoxyamine functional hindered amine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,844,026 discloses polyolefin compositions comprising certain NOR hindered amines and certain conventional flame retardants.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,995 discloses that certain N-alkoxy hindered amines may be used as flame retardants for organic polymers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,271,377 discloses polyolefin compositions that comprise N-hydroxyalkoxy hindered amines and a halogenated flame retardant.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,309,987 and equivalent WO 99/54530 teach polyolefin non-woven flame retardant fabrics that comprise N-alkoxyamines.
A Revolutionary UV Stable Flame Retardant System for Polyolefins—R. Srinivasan, A. Gupta and D. Horsey, Int. Conf. Addit. Polyolefins 1998, 69–83, teaches polyolefins comprising certain NOR hindered amines with halogen and phosphorus containing conventional flame retardants.
Advances in a Revolutionary Flame Retardant System for Polyolefins—R. Srinivasan, B. Rotzinger, Polyolefins 2000, Int. Conf Polyolefins 2000, 571–581, teaches polyolefins comprising certain NOR hindered amines with brominated and phosphorus containing flame retardants.
N. Kaprinidis and R. King, in an abstract posted on the Society of Plastics Engineers website, posted September 2001, discuss the use of NOR hindered amines as flame retardants in polyolefins. The abstract is for a paper submitted to the Polymer Modifiers and Additives Division subsection to be presented at the Polyolefins 2002 conference in Houston, Tex., Feb. 24, 2002. The website is www.PMAD.org.
EP 0792911 A2, discloses polyolefin compositions that comprise alkoxyamine functional hindered amines and tris(trihalogenopentyl)phosphate flame retardants.
WO 99/00450, copending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/502,239, filed Nov. 3, 1999, and Ser. No. 09/714,717, filed Nov. 16, 2000, disclose the use of certain N-alkoxy hindered amines as flame retardants.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,225,387 discloses organohalide flame retardant polymer compositions.
It has been discovered that certain combinations of sterically hindered alkoxyamine stabilizers and organohalogen flame retardants are especially effective towards providing flame retardancy to plastic electrical parts for lighting applications.

Flame retardant polymeric electrical parts


A helmet for protecting the head having a rigid shell that includes a body, made of an expanded polystyrene type of material, for example, molded over an outer skin, the shell further including a rigid arch device, the arch device includes a headband applied to the shell, each of the ends of the headband being equipped with an ear-covering part. The ear-covering parts can include a foam cushion covered by fabric. The arch device can have two wings which cover the ear-covering parts and which extend the headband and which can also be provided with a chin guard joining the two wings together. The arch device can be either glued or releasably attached to the shell.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to helmets for protecting the user's head during sporting activities. In particular, the invention relates to helmets to be used for skiing, snowboarding, biking, skateboarding, roller-skating, kayaking, and other sports.
Such helmets are required in sports such as mountain biking, competitive skiing, speed skating or the so-called "aggressive" roller-skating, for example. In addition, the use of such helmets is also strongly recommended for leisure biking and skiing.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
Various techniques have been used in the past to manufacture helmets of the aforementioned type. A particular one of these techniques is widely used in the manufacture of motorcycle and motorbike helmets and in the manufacture of certain ski helmets. Specifically, a rigid and relatively thin shell or cap is made by injection (PC, ABS) or by any other appropriate means (for example, by layering of various resin-impregnated layers of fabric). The shell is then fitted with comfort and/or shock-absorbing elements having an under cap of an expanded polystyrene (EPS), foams, fabrics. This technique enables helmets to be manufactured with a closely fitting contour.
Typically, such a helmet can cover the user's entire skull and also the ears, even the user's jaw. Through this technique, it is easy to mass produce single-piece shells with a maximal head coverage, at reasonable cost. Indeed, after the injection of the shell, even when the latter has full coverage, the shell remains deformable to enable removal from the mold. The disadvantage of this technique is that helmets made in this manner are rather heavy. Yet the weight of a helmet is a determining factor not only in competition but also in leisure activities where the heavier the user feels the helmet is, the less likely he/she is to wear it.
Another manufacturing technique is called "in-mold". In this technique, most of the helmet is made in the same mold. Once the helmet is removed from the mold, it is equipped with a chin strap, and possibly with a comfort lining and other accessories. In practice, the outer skin of the shell, referred to as a "microshell", is made independently. For example, this skin can be a polycarbonate sheet. This sheet is thermoformed so as to take the final shape of the outer surface of the helmet. This sheet is thin (generally, less than or equal to 1 millimeter). After trimming and cutting, the sheet is positioned in a mold with a polystyrene type material. The heat and the steam introduced in the mold trigger the expansion of the polystyrene until it fills up the volume of the mold and bonds with the polycarbonate sheet. Upon removal from the mold, the helmet is formed as a thick expanded polystyrene shell molded over an outer skin. Such a helmet has no flexibility and, therefore, unless expensive molds are used, this technique is only used to make light-weight helmets, the covering area of which does not include the zone covering the ears. For example, if one were to compare the covering area of a helmet to a sphere, it would be said that this technique prevents having a covering surface that cannot be contained in half a sphere. In practice, this technique is used for summer helmets having a shell that does not include parts for protecting the ears.
Another disadvantage of the so-called "in-mold" technology is that it is not possible to guarantee a precise positioning of the decorations on the helmet. The decoration is laid flat on the sheet that will be thermoformed, then placed in the mold with the polystyrene. During the thermoforming and the expansion phase of the polystyrene, it is very difficult to maintain the decoration lines intact, so that a line intended to be straight is blurred on the final helmet.
One technique used for decorating a helmet is to put a plurality of sheets in the mold, each of a different color. After the molding stage and the expansion of the polystyrene, the helmet has portions of its outer surface in different colors. This decoration technique also has its limits in terms of the quality of the finish because, in view of the imprecise positioning of the sheets in the mold, it is necessary to provide a substantial clearance (several millimeters) between the two sheets. On the finished product, the expanded polystyrene remains visible between the two colored sheets and the border between the two sheets is irregular.


An information storage medium and an apparatus for recording and/or reproducing the information storage medium capable of controlling optimal recording power without an influence of an optimal power control (OPC) area in a layer upon an OPC area in a different layer. The information storage medium includes at least one information storage layer including an optimal power control area for obtaining an optical recording condition. OPC areas in adjacent information storage layers are disposed within different radiuses of the information storage medium. Accordingly, even when the information storage medium is made eccentric or has a manufacturing error, a recording property of the information storage medium is prevented from being degraded due to an influence of an OPC area in an information storage layer upon an OPC area in an adjacent information storage layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to recordable information storage media, and more particularly, to an information storage medium designed to control optimum writing power in optimal power control (OPC) areas even when eccentricity occurs among a plurality of information storage layers and a method and apparatus for recording/reproducing data on/from the information storage media.
2. Description of the Related Art
General information storage media are widely used as information recording media of optical pickup apparatuses for recording/reproducing data in a non-contact way. Optical disks are used as the information storage medium and are classified as compact disks (CDs) or digital versatile disks (DVDs) according to their information storage capacity. Examples of recordable, erasable, and reproducible optical disks are 650 MB CD-R, CD-RW, 4.7 GB DVD+RW, and the like. Furthermore, HD-DVDs having a recording capacity of 25 GB or greater are under development.
As described above, information storage media have been developed to have a greater recording capacity. The recording capacity of an information storage medium can be increased in two representative ways by: 1) reducing the wavelength of a recording beam emitted from a light source; and 2) increasing the numerical aperture of an objective lens. In addition, there is another method of forming a plurality of information storage layers.
FIG. 1 schematically shows a dual-layered information storage medium having first and second information storage layers L0 and L1. The first and second information storage layers L0 and L1 include first and second optimal power control (OPC) areas 10L0 and 10L1, respectively, for obtaining an optimal writing power and first and second defect management area (DMAs) 13L0 and 13L1, respectively. The first and second OPC areas 10L0 and 10L1 are disposed to face each other.
Data is recorded in the first and second OPC areas 10L0 and 10L1 using various levels of writing power to find the optimum writing power. Hence, data may be recorded at a power level higher than the optimum writing power. Table 1 shows variations in the jitter characteristics of each of the first and second information storage layers L0 and L1 when data is recorded in the OPC areas with different levels of writing power.
TABLE 1Writing powerabout 20% higherthan normalNormal writing powerwriting powerL0WritingUnwrittenWritingWrittenWritingWrittenL1UnWrittenWritingWrittenWritingWrittenWritingJitterL05.9%6.0%5.8%5.9% ->6.4%L16.3%6.2%6.3%6.2% ->6.3%WritingL06.46.36.37.56.4PowerL16.06.06.26.07.2
According to Table 1, if data is recorded with normal writing power, the jitter characteristics of the first or second information storage layer L0 or L1 remain constant. On the other hand, if data is recorded with writing power about 20% higher than the normal writing power, the jitter characteristics of the OPC area of a first or second information storage layer L0 or L1 in which data has already been recorded are degraded. If data is recorded on one of the first and second information storage layers L0 and L1 with writing power more than 20% higher than the normal writing power, it can be expected that the jitter characteristics of the other information storage layer may be further degraded.
Hence, if the first and second OPC areas 10L0 and 10L1 of the first and second information storage layers L0 and L1 exist within an equal radius as shown in FIG. 1, one of them may not be usable.
The recording status of one of the first and second OPC areas 10L0 and 10L1 may affect the recording characteristics of the other OPC area. For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, if data has been recorded on a part 10L0_A of the first OPC area 10L0 and no data has been recorded on the residual area 10L0_B thereof, the recording property of a part of the second OPC area 10L1 which corresponds to the occupied part 10L0_A of the first OPC area 10L0 is different from that of a part of the second OPC area 10L1 which corresponds to the unoccupied part 10L0_B of the first OPC area 10L0. In other words, since the transmittance of the laser with respect to the occupied part 10L0_A of the first OPC area 10L0 is different from the transmittance of a laser with respect to the unoccupied part 10L0_B thereof, the recording property of the second OPC area 10L1 may be irregular over the area.
As described above, if the first and second OPC areas are disposed within an equal radius, they may not properly function.
During the manufacture of an information storage medium, eccentricity may occur. For example, an information storage medium having a single information storage layer may have eccentricity of about 70-80 μm(p-p) (where p denotes a peak). To manufacture an information storage medium having first and second information storage layers L0 and L1, the first and second storage layers L0 and L1 are separately manufactured and then attached to each other. When eccentricity occurs during the manufacture of each of the first and second information storage layers L0 and L1, they may be attached to each other such that areas of the first information storage layer L0 are not aligned with those of the second information storage layer L1 as shown in FIG. 2B.
When the first and second OPC areas 10L0 and 10L1 are not in line, overlapped areas generated due to the out-of-line arrangement may affect each other. For example, if data is recorded on the first OPC area OPC_L0 using higher power than the normal writing power, the first OPC area OPC_L0 adversely affects a defect management area (DMA_L1) of the second information storage layer L1 because the DMA_L1 contacts a part C of the first OPC area 10L0. Also, a part D of the second OPC area OPC_L1 may adversely affect a part of the first information storage layer that contacts the part D, and thus the part may not be used.

Method of recording data on information storage medium having multiple storage layers with optimal power control (OPC) areas and buffer areas


A ceiling damper system that comprises a damper housing having an input opening to accept air from a heating, ventilation and air conditioning HVAC system, and an output opening to supply the HVAC air to a room. The system further comprises a damper mechanism to substantially block the flow of air through the damper housing when the temperature around the housing reaches a predetermined level. Two or more cross members are included, each of which is mounted between fixed points in the ceiling in a position to allow the cross members to support and hold the damper housing. The damper housing rests on the cross members and is mounted to the cross members. A method for mounting a ceiling damper that comprises providing a ceiling damper having a damper housing for accepting air from a HVAC system and providing the HVAC system air to a room. It further comprises mounting at least two cross members across fixed points in a room ceiling in a position to support the damper housing. It then comprises arranging the damper housing on the cross members so that the damper rests on the cross members and is affixed to the cross members in a position to provide HVAC air to the room. HVAC system air is then provided to the ceiling damper.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to dampers and more particularly to fire dampers mounted in ceilings.
2. Description of the Related Art
A major consideration in the design of commercial and residential buildings is the spread of fire and smoke in the event that a fire breaks out within the building. The walls and ceilings within the buildings serve as the primary barriers to the spread of fire and are most effective if they have no breaks or openings.
Most buildings have heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that distribute conditioned/heated air throughout the building by air ducts. The ducts carrying either heated or cooled air are directed to various rooms in the building and the air enters the rooms through openings or vents in the ceilings, floors or walls. These openings and vents, however, penetrate the ceiling, floors or walls, providing a hole that reduces the ability to prevent the spread of fire and smoke. To address this problem, dampers are often provided in the ducts or at the openings and vents that allow air to pass when open, but block airflow, flames, and hot gasses when closed. At elevated temperatures (such as in the case of fire) the dampers automatically close, effectively closing the duct and vent holes and restoring the full integrity of the fire and/or smoke barrier.
One type of conventional ceiling damper used in ceilings, can be arranged between components of the ceiling, such as trusses, joists and TJI beams (referred to collectively as "trusses"). The damper is mounted in the ceiling by a hanging arrangement wherein two or more wires, or some other similar hardware, are connected between the top of the damper and a fixed point above the damper. Ceiling material is mounted to the trusses and serves as the ceiling for the room, with the damper mounted between the ceiling and the top of the structure. The output of the damper is disposed in a hole in the ceiling material and the input is coupled to an HVAC system such that air from the HVAC system passes through the damper and into the room when the damper is open.
The damper can be hung in the ceiling using many different methods, with a typical method comprising mounting a horizontal angle or wood support stud between adjacent trusses, near the top of the trusses, with the support stud providing a fixed point for connection. The damper is then hung from the horizontal angle or wood support stud by two or more vertical angles or hanger wires that are connected between the damper and the horizontal support stud.
One disadvantage of hanging a damper in a ceiling is that the ceiling area between the trusses is small. It can be awkward and difficult to install the horizontal angle and wood stud support between the trusses and then hang the damper vertical angles or wires in such a small area. It is also difficult to cut the vertical angles or wires and connect them at the correct length so that the opening of the damper is at the same level as the ceiling material. If the damper is hung at the wrong level, the vertical angles or wire must be adjusted until the hanging height is correct. This can require repeatedly working the small ceiling area between the trusses until the damper is properly installed.

Ceiling radiation damper and mounting method


The invention relates to an oligonucleotide which serves as a nucleic acid probe comprising a loop section with a loop sequence complementary to the target sequence of the nucleic acid molecule; a stem section arranged on both ends of the loop section for hybridizing with each other for closing the oligonucleotides thereby forming a loop, and wherein one of the stem sections is labeled with fluorescent color, such that when the loop section hybridizes with the target sequence of the nucleic acid, the oligonucleotide opens and the distance between the fluorophore and a quencher nuleoside increases which thereby prevents quenching of the fluorescence and the strength of fluorescence when measured indicates the presence of the nucleic acid with the target sequence.

The invention relates to a dye-labeled oligonucleotide for labeling a nucleic acid molecule having a target sequence section, the dye-labeled oligonucleotide having the following components: a loop section which has a loop sequence essentially complementary to said target sequence; a first stem section having at least three nucleosides and arranged at one end of the loop section; a second stem section having at least three nucleosides and arranged at the other end of the loop section, the two stem sections being able to hybridize intramolecularly; and a fluorophore which is bound to a position of the first stem section.
The invention further relates to the use of the dye-labeled oligonucleotide for labeling in a solution a nucleic acid molecule having a target sequence section and for two methods for detecting in a solution a nucleic acid molecule having a target sequence section.
The dye-labeled oligonucleotides mentioned at the outset are frequently called "nucleic acid probes". They play a central part in the rapid and sensitive detection of specific known nucleic acid molecules (DNA or RNA) in biological samples in molecular biology and biotechnology. Specific applications include, inter alia, medical early recognition of a bacterial or viral infection, forensics, use in DNA/RNA amplification by PCR or by other techniques, in the early diagnosis of a genetic defect and in discriminating between similar organisms and alleles.
A variety of methods for detecting nucleic acids and determining the amount of nucleic acids are known. The ubiquitous Southern blotting method is characterized by time-consuming steps and poor sensitivity.
A relatively new elegant method for detecting a specific nucleic acid molecule uses "molecular beacons" (Tyagi et al. 1996, Nature Biotechnology 14, 303–308; Kostrikis et al. 1998, Science 279, 1228–1229). Molecular beacons are dye-labeled oligonucleotides which have the stem-loop structure mentioned at the beginning. A fluorophore is coupled to each of the two free ends of the stem sections (3′ and 5′ ends). One fluorophore serves as fluorescent dye and the other one as quenching dye, which quenches the fluorescence of the fluorescent dye via Foerster energy transfer when in sufficiently close spatial proximity.
The sequences of the stem sections on both ends of the molecular beacons are chosen such that, when the molecular beacon folds, the stem sections hybridize exclusively with one another but not with other sections of the oligonucleotide. In the state of hybridized stem sections, the distance between the fluorescent dye and the quenching dye is sufficiently short so that the fluorescent dye does not fluoresce, even with suitable excitation with light.
The loop section has a sequence, which is complementary to the sequence of the target sequence section. If the molecular beacons and the DNA/RNA molecules having the target sequence are in a solution together, it is possible for the loop sections and the target sequence sections to hybridize. The sequences and lengths of the stem sections and loop sections are chosen such that the molecular beacon unfolds with breaking-up of the hybridization of the two stem sections. Due to said unfolding, the spatial distance between the fluorescent dye and the quenching dye is greatly increased. The fluorescent dye can then be excited to emit fluorescence.
If the fluorescence intensity of the fluorescent dye is observed continuously, an increase can be detected when the molecular beacons detect the target sequence sections of the nucleic acid molecules and hybridize therewith. In this way it is possible to detect the nucleic acid molecules quantitatively.
The disadvantage of this type of molecular beacons is their relatively complicated synthesis, since the oligonucleotide must be labeled specifically with the fluorescent and the quenching dye both on the 5′ and on the 3′ end.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved dye-labeled oligonucleotide to obviate prior art shortcomings and to provide a suitable dye-labeled oligonucleotide for detecting nucleic acids in solution.

Dye-labeled oligonucleotide for labeling a nucleic acid molecule


Methods of treating diabetes in mammals, particularly humans, by blocking or inhibiting VEGF-mediated activity. A preferred inhibitor of VEGF-mediated activity is a VEGF antagonist such as the VEGF fusion protein trap of SEQ ID NO:2 capable of binding and blocking VEGF. The method of the invention may be combined with other therapies, such as with insulin therapy.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is generally related to methods of treating diabetes by administering agents capable of decreasing serum glucose levels. In particular, the field of the invention is methods of treating type I diabetes by administering agents capable of blocking, inhibiting, or ameliorating VEGF-mediated activity.
2. Description of Related Art
Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes is widely accepted as an animal model for human type I diabetes (see, for example, Susztak et al. (2004) Diabetes 53:784-794).
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been recognized as a primary stimulus of angiogenesis in pathological conditions. Approaches to methods of blocking VEGF are described, for example, in PCT WO/0075319 which describes a VEGF-specific fusion protein which binds and inhibits VEGF.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods of treating type I diabetes by blocking VEGF-mediated activity


A subsea intervention system including at least one control station, at least one programmable logic controller system in each control station, at least one supervisory control and data acquisition system, at least one safety system capable of interacting with each control station, wherein the safety system is capable of controlling a process shutdown process, an emergency shutdown process, and an emergency quick-disconnect process. The system may also include subsea distribution units, safety manifold subsea control modules, system hydraulic power units, client hydraulic power units, grease skids, flushing and chemical injection units, or umbilical reelers.

1. Technical Field of Invention
The invention disclosed and taught herein relates generally to a system and method of use of intervention system controls in subsea environments with riser based and riserless systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Intervention systems are used to allow for subsea installation and retrieval and for well intervention operations to be performed. Intervention operations include diagnosis, monitoring, and enhancement of a well's performance. Therefore, a need exists to be able to provide wireline tools to be deployed into the well, to carry out intervention operations in both riserless and riser configurations, and to intervene in those operations.


A rocking chair apparatus includes a round, dish-like base which includes a concave interior surface and a convex exterior surface. A chair retained on the concave interior surface of the base. The chair includes a seat portion supported by a bottom portion of the concave interior surface. The base includes an axis of symmetry, and the axis of symmetry passes through a central portion of the seat portion. A back portion of the chair is formed by a portion of the base. When a person, especially a child, sits on the chair in the base, the person can rock back and forth on the convex exterior surface of the base. Also, the person can cause the rocking chair apparatus to spin or swivel around on the convex exterior surface. A wall extension is connected to the back portion of the base. The chair further includes a seat cushion supported by the seat portion of the base. A back cushion is connected to the seat cushion and supported by the back portion of the base, and a back extension cushion is connected to the back cushion. The back extension cushion is supported by the wall extension. The seat cushion, the back cushion, and the back extension cushion are formed as a unified cushion structure. Handles are connected to the base. The handles are connected to an upper rim of the base. A ballast weight member is supported by the base under the seat portion of the chair.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority based upon my prior copending Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/054,027, filed Jul. 28, 1997.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to chairs, and, more particularly to rocking chairs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rocking chairs having bowl-shaped bases are well known in the art. In this respect, throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to rocking chairs having bowl-shaped bases, and the following U. S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. No. 3,041,070, 4,084,273, and 4,141,588. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 3,041,070 discloses a rocking chair which has a bowl-shaped base. The seat portion is located at the periphery of circumference of the bowl-shaped base. As a result, if only one person is seated on the seat portion in the rocking chair, it would be difficult for the seated person to spin the rocking chair smoothly. To provide for smooth spinning of the rocking chair, it would be desirable if a seat portion were not located at the circumference of the rocking chair.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,273 discloses a rocking chair which has a bowl-shaped base wherein a seat portion is not attached to a special back portion to form a chair having both a seat portion and a back portion. For comfort of the person seated on the seat portion, it would be desirable if a rocking chair having a bowl-shaped base were provided which has a special back portion attached to the seat portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,588 discloses a rocking chair having a bowl-shaped base. An axis of symmetry for the bowl-shaped base passes through an edge portion of the seat. However, to promote a different spinning effect, it would be desirable if a rocking chair having a bowl-shaped base were provided which has an axis of symmetry which passes through both the bowl-shaped base and the seat portion.
As a matter of interest, U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,731 discloses a chair having a seat portion and a back portion; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,960 discloses a rocking chair which does not include a bowl-shaped base.
Still other features would be desirable in a rocking chair apparatus. For example, it would be desirable if a rocking chair having a bowl-shaped base were provided with a cushioned seat portion and a cushioned back portion. Also, to provide added stability, it would be desirable if a rocking chair having a bowl-shaped base were provided which includes ballast weight. In addition, to add to spinning control and to a feeling of security of a person seated in the rocking chair device, it would be desirable if handles were present on the bowl-shaped base.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use rocking chairs which have bowl-shaped bases, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a rocking chair apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) has a seat portion which is not located only at the circumference of the rocking chair; (2) has a special back portion attached to the seat portion; (3) has an axis of symmetry which passes through both the bowl-shaped base and the seat portion; (4) includes a cushioned seat portion and a cushioned back portion; (5) includes ballast weight; and (6) includes handles on the bowl-shaped base. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique rocking chair apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.


Highly-deformable sealing strips integrating with fabric assemblies (principally of airbags) are detailed. The strips reduce gas leakage from occurring. They also function as mechanical reinforcements of the assemblies.

Conventional airbags frequently comprise multiple panels of fabric cut to particular patterns and assembled at their peripheries by seams. Some such fabric panels are uncoated. Others, including versions provided by the assignee of this application, may be coated with highly-impermeable silicone to reduce leakage of inflation gas through the panels. Reducing gas leakage from an airbag greatly enhances its performance, as pressure within the bag from the gas-generation event may be sustained for longer periods.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,356 to Keshavaraj details methods of forming an exemplary inflatable airbag. Panels may be adhered together by welded seams, with the welding purportedly "reducing air or gas permeability." See Keshavaraj, Abstract, 11. 5-6. As described in the Keshavaraj patent, "a single stitched (sewn) seam located adjacent" two welded seams may "provide increased tear strength" for the combined seam structure. See id., col. 6, 11. 8-9 (numeral omitted).
Although utilizing multiple seams for inflatable fabrics may reduce gas permeability of the panels, significant gas leakage may continue to occur. Likewise, although employing multiple seams may provide greater tear strength, as indicated in the Keshavaraj patent, substantial reinforcement of seams may continue to be required. Accordingly, need exists for materials adapted to provide reduced permeability of, and greater strength to, seams of fabric panels.

Sealing and reinforcing strips principally for airbag assembly joints


An aberration correction apparatus includes a first aberration correction element having aberration correction portions, a second aberration correction element which causes the wave front of the transmitted light beam to have a blaze hologram shape, a discriminator which discriminates the aberration of the reflected light beam, a coarse phase adjuster which drives the second aberration correction element on the basis of the magnitude of the aberration of the reflected light beam, and a fine phase adjuster which corrects aberration remained after the aberration correction by the coarse phase adjuster.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spherical aberration correction apparatus for correcting aberration of a light beam.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a data recording medium wherein data recording or data reproduction is performed optically, an optical disc such as CD (Compact Disc) or DVD (Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is known. Various kinds of optical discs have been developed including a read-only optical disc, a write-once optical disc on which data can be recorded additionally, and a rewritable optical disc in which data erasing and rewriting can be performed. Furthermore, a multi-layer optical disclaimed to increase capacity of the optical disc is known, in which recording capacity for one side of the recording disc can be increased by providing multiple recording layers on a same recording side. Such multi-layer optical disc has a structure such that the multiple recording layers are stacked with a comparatively short, predetermined distance between two layers. For example, a recordable multi-layer optical disc using a recording medium such as a phase-change medium has been developed.
According to such improvement of recording density of the optical disc, research and development have been pursued on an optical pickup device and a data recording/reproduction device. Further, research and development have been made on an optical pickup device and a data recording/reproduction device that have compatibility for different types of optical discs.
In such an optical pickup device, a light beam such as laser light is irradiated on the optical disc during the recording or reproduction. It is important to correct or compensate aberration generated by reflection of a light beam reflected from the optical disc. The aberration changes during the recording or reproduction of the optical disc, since thickness of a cover layer of the optical disc generally has an in-plane distribution. In particular, the thickness of the cover layer from a disc surface to the recording layer (and thickness of a spacer layer) varies for each recording layer in the optical disc having the multiple recording layers on a same side of the disc. Therefore, the aberration changes when a reading position or recording position is changed from one recording layer to other recording layer. Further, a distribution of the aberration in a plane perpendicular to a light axis is changed as well as magnitude of the aberration.
As a conventional aberration correction apparatus for correcting such aberration, there is an apparatus using a beam expander which changes a beam diameter of the light beam, for example, an apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Kokai No.H10-106012. The aberration correction apparatus moves the beam expander along the light axis of the light beam, thereby correcting the aberration of the light beam caused by the optical disc. However, the apparatus has drawbacks that the beam expander causes an increased size of an optical system. In addition, a mechanism for driving a lens is necessary, which leads to a complicated structure.
As another method for reducing the effect of the aberration, conventionally, a pickup device having a liquid crystal element for correcting the aberration is proposed. For example, such a devise is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Kokai No.H10-269911. The aberration correction element, having multiple phase adjusting portions formed concentrically, applies a predetermined voltage to each electrode, thereby adjusts an orientation state in the liquid crystal, and thus corrects the aberration generated by reflection of the light beam. However, in the aberration correction element having such configuration, thickness of the liquid crystal must be increased to correct a large aberration such as an aberration exceeding the wavelength of source light. In particular, in a case of use in the multi-layer disc, the thickness of the liquid crystal must be extremely increased, and a large applied voltage is required. Therefore, in addition to difficulty in fabrication, there has been a drawback of an extremely long response time required for a predetermined focal distance after application of voltage. This is because the response time is inversely proportional to the square root of the thickness of the liquid crystal layer. Therefore, there has been a problem that improvement of performance of the aberration correction device such as miniaturization, decrease of thickness, and speeding up is obstructed. Also, there is a problem that the increase of the thickness of the liquid crystal causes lowering of frequency response of the aberration correction device.

Spherical aberration correction apparatus


An optical module, including: a first laser and a first laser chip for driving the first laser; a second laser and a second laser chip for driving the second laser; and a multi-layer circuit board, including a surface layer, a reference layer, and an intermediate layer provided between the surface layer and the reference layer, where a first row of edge connector pins and a second row of edge connector pins are disposed in at least one surface layer; the first row of edge connector pins are disposed to be closer than the second row of edge connector pins to a side edge, of the multi-layer circuit board, that is provided with an edge connector; and a region, of the intermediate layer, that corresponds to a data signal line pin in the second row of edge connector pins is a hollow region.

An optical module may achieve a conversion between an optical signal and an electrical signal, and is of great importance in the field of optical communication.
In the field of high-speed data communications, due to a relatively large communication data volume, a circuit board having a multi-layer PCB (printed circuit board) design is relatively common. At present, a substractive process is usually employed in a manufacturing process of a multi-layer printed circuit board. To be specific, a conductive pattern is formed by removing excess copper clads on a raw copper-clad plate. The substractive process usually uses chemical corrosion. Chemical corrosion is carried out in a indiscriminate fashion, and therefore, the desired conductive pattern needs to be masked/protected. In this case, a layer of etching resists, that is, a circuit diagram protection layer, needs to be coated on the conductive pattern. The unprotected copper clads are then removed by corrosion. At present, a photoresist is usually used as a material for image resolving. The photoresist is a photosensitive material that is sensitive to a light with certain wavelength and undergoes a photochemical reaction with the light to form a polymer. After an image is selectively exposed by using a negative film, an image protection layer is formed by eliminating photoresists that are not polymerized by using a developer (for example, a sodium carbonate solution of 1%).
In addition, during a current process of manufacturing a multi-layer printed circuit board, an inter-layer conduction function is achieved by using a metallized via. Therefore, a punching operation is further required during the manufacturing process of the PCB, and a metallized electroplating operation needs to be performed on the via, thus finally achieving inter-layer conduction.
In a circuit board used by the optical module, a data signal trace between the multi-layer PCB boards sometimes needs to be traced between different layers. An edge connector (a golden finger, which is a finger-shaped conductive contact that is usually made of a conductive material such as gold or copper) in the optical module, serving as an electrical connector of the optical module, is usually provided at a surface layer of the multi-layer PCB board. Tracing between different layers is usually achieved by means of vias and the like. However, a multi-layer circuit board in the prior art has the following problems: if there are a lot of impedance discontinuities, a data signal transmitted in a data signal line will have a relatively worse impedance matching effects, and the like.

HISENSE BROADBAND MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.


A lock device allows for the secure attachment of two objects or a movable object to an immovable object, the device providing an oval base loop having a swivel slide collar on a first end and a fixed lock collar on a second end, the fixed lock collar having a keyed security lock means, and a pivotally attached lock loop having a first end slidably engaging the swivel slide collar and a second end having a tapered terminal tip slidably engaging the fixed lock collar and an inner margin having a plurality of inner spaced indentations which are engaged by the attachment between the keyed security lock means and the second end, the lock having an over-all oval shape when securely closed, the lock device adapted to secure two bicycle tires together, a steering wheel to a brake pedal, a steering wheel to a forward folded seat headrest, or other suitable application.

1. Field of Invention
A lock device allows for the secure attachment of two objects or a movable object to an immovable object, the device providing an oval base loop having a swivel slide collar on a first end and a fixed lock collar on a second end, the fixed lock collar having a keyed security lock means, and a pivotally attached lock loop having a first end slidably engaging the swivel slide collar and a second end having a tapered terminal tip slidably engaging the fixed lock collar and an inner margin having a plurality of inner spaced indentations which are engaged by the attachment between the keyed security lock means and the second end, the lock having an over-all oval shape when securely closed, the lock device adapted to secure two bicycle tires together, a steering wheel to a brake pedal, a steering wheel to a forward folded seat headrest, or other suitable application.
2. Description of Prior Art
The following United States patents were discovered and are disclosed within this application for utility patent. All relate to locks having some oval component or other similar features, although none having the same elements or components as the present secure lock device.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,539 to Lo, a keyed lock device is disclosed having a rotatable keyed lock engaging a cylindrical bar.
An automobile steering wheel lock having another keyed lock mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,041 to Hsu.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,5369,246 to Wilson discloses a lock device having an extendable arm which is slidably engaged with an opening having an internal rachet means and a releasable leg engaging a second opening retaining the releasable leg within the second opening by a turnable combination lock.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D430,787 to Liu shows a bicycle lock having a half oval arm securing to a locking bar.
None of the above disclosed patents, either alone or in combination comprise the essential elements of the present lock device.


A dB-linear voltage-to-current (V/I) converter that is amenable to implementation in CMOS technology. In a representative embodiment, the dB-linear V/I converter has a voltage scaler, a current multiplier, and an exponential current converter serially connected to one another. The voltage scaler supplies an input current to the current multiplier based on an input voltage. The current multiplier multiplies the input current and a current proportional to absolute temperature and supplies the resulting current to the exponential current converter. The exponential current converter has a differential MOSFET pair operating in a sub-threshold mode and generating an output current that is proportional to a temperature-independent, exponential function of the input voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronics and, more specifically, to voltage-to-current (V/I) converters having an exponential transfer function.
2. Description of the Related Art
This section introduces aspects that may help facilitate a better understanding of the invention(s). Accordingly, the statements of this section are to be read in this light and are not to be understood as admissions about what is in the prior art or what is not in the prior art.
An exponential (or dB-linear) voltage-to-current (V/I) converter is a key component for the design of automatic gain-control (AGC) circuits, which are used in a variety of applications, such as wireless communications devices, hearing aids, and disk drives. A representative AGC circuit employs an exponential V/I converter in the feedback loop that controls the gain of a variable-gain amplifier (VGA). The exponential characteristic of the V/I converter enables the AGC circuit to advantageously have a substantially constant settling time for a variety of initial input-signal conditions, which is very desirable for the above-specified applications. Additional details on the use of exponential V/I converters in AGC circuits can be found, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,369,618, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
One problem with exponential V/I converters is that they are not straightforwardly amenable to implementation in CMOS technology. More specifically, unlike bipolar transistors, which have an inherent exponential transfer characteristic, MOSFET transistors have a square-law transfer characteristic in strong inversion. As a result, designing a CMOS V/I converter that exhibits an exponential transfer characteristic and has other desirable properties is relatively difficult.


A turbine blade for a gas turbine engine includes an airfoil that extends in a first radial direction from a platform. A root extends from the platform in a second radial direction and has opposing lateral sides that provide a firtree-shaped contour. The contour includes first, second and third lobes on each of the lateral sides and that tapers relative to the radial direction away from the platform. The first, second and third lobes each provide contact surfaces arranged at about 45° relative to the radial direction. A contact plane on each lateral side at an angle of about 11° relative to the radial direction defining a contact point on each of the contact surfaces. The first, second and third lobes each include first, second and third grooves that are substantially aligned with one another along an offset plane spaced a uniform offset distance from the contact plane.

This disclosure relates to a gas turbine engine, and more particularly to a turbine blade root profile.
Gas turbine engines typically include a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. During operation, air is pressurized in the compressor section and is mixed with fuel and burned in the combustor section to generate hot combustion gases. The hot combustion gases are communicated through the turbine section, which extracts energy from the hot combustion gases to power the compressor section and other gas turbine engine loads.
Both the compressor and turbine sections may include alternating series of rotating blades and stationary vanes that extend into the core flow path of the gas turbine engine. For example, in the turbine section, turbine blades rotate and extract energy from the hot combustion gases that are communicated along the core flow path of the gas turbine engine. The turbine vanes, which generally do not rotate, guide the airflow and prepare it for the next set of blades.
Turbine blade roots must be securely attached to corresponding rotor slots in the spool-mounted rotor. Root profiles must accommodate many factors, such as centrifugal forces, thermal expansion, and bending stresses. Additionally, the curvature of the airfoil subjects the root to rotational forces. The roots can be configured in various ways to address these issues, such as firtree-shaped root geometries.


An interwoven spreading code is formed by a stretched spreading code series at a first frequency and a mirror of the stretched spreading code series at a second frequency. The interwoven spreading code can be used to spread a baseband signal. Data can be recovered through correlation of a received signal with the interwoven spreading code. The spreading code used in forming the interwoven spreading code can be a Barker code.

The present invention relates to interwoven spreading codes such as Barker codes which are used in pulse compression or pulse encoding, such as may be used in direct sequence spread spectrum communications. Although the present invention is discussed primarily in the context of direct sequence spread spectrum signals, the present invention is not to be limited to this specific context as Barker codes and other spreading codes can be used in other contexts, especially in applications relating to high noise low signal environments.
In a spread spectrum system a signal occupies a higher bandwidth than the minimum necessary for transmission of information. The baseband is spread through using a code that is independent of the data to be sent. Direct sequence is one type of technique where the data signal is multiplied by a code signal. The code can be a Barker code. At the receiver, the original data signal is recovered by correlation of the received signal with a synchronized replica of the coding signal used to spread the baseband. Thus Barker codes can be used for spreading.
Barker codes can be defined as a sequence of length N for which the aperiodic autocorrelation function is less than or equal to 1/N away from 0. Barker codes can exist for binary or non-binary codes. Binary Barker codes have been found for lengths of 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, and 13. A Barker code is a series of digits ai=±1 of length N≧2 such that
                        ∑                  i          =          1                          N          -          k                                            a          i                                  a                      i            +            k                                    ≤      1                          for                          all                          1    ≤  k  <  N
Barker codes are used in pulse compression, or pulse coding. Barker codes can be used to compare two signals resulting in a maximum output if the two signals match and either a zero or a constant minimum value in other cases. This comparison process is generally called correlation. One bit of each input line is examined at a time, these bits are multiplied and the individual results are added. Barker codes are not the only type of code that is used for spreading, as other spreading codes are used.
Despite these advantages, problems remain. One of the most significant problems with using Barker codes is the uneven envelope of the pulses when a limited bandwidth is required. This uneven envelope allows less energy per pulse to be transmitted, thus reducing the sensitivity of the receiver.
Therefore, it is a primary object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to improve upon the state of the art.
Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide a code that provides for increased uniformity in amplitude and thus a more even envelope when a limited bandwidth is required.
Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide a code that provides for increased energy per pulse to be generated.
A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide a code that provides substantially the same autocorrelation properties as those associated with a Barker code.
One or more of these and/or other objects, features, or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specification and claims that follow.


Load current of a circuit is determined across a component of the circuit by calibrating the resistance of the component with a reference current having a distinguishable characteristic. For example, a reference current with swept frequency modulation is applied to the component so that the resistance of the component is determined from voltage drop associated with the reference current across the component. The component resistance is applied to a voltage drop associated with the load current to determine the load current. For example, a filter matched to the reference current frequency modulation isolates the reference current voltage drop so that a ratio of the reference current voltage drop and the load current voltage drop provides a ratio of the reference current and load current.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system circuits, and more particularly to a system and method for current measurement.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems perform most processing functions with integrated circuits (ICs), however, a number of other electrical circuits are typically included so that the ICs can communicate with each other and have power. Generally, IC communication and power circuits run through printed circuit boards (PCBs), such as a motherboard and daughter boards. The motherboard typically supports a central processing unit (CPU), chipset and memory, such as RAM, while daughter boards typically interface with the motherboard to support specific functions, like graphics. ICs typically operate with power supplied through power pins at a defined constant voltage. In some instances, the power drawn by an IC varies dramatically during normal operations, such as when a CPU transitions from an idle state having minimal computations to an active state performing complex operations. As the number of transistors on CPUs continues to increase, variations in power demanded by CPUs during normal operating conditions also tends to increase. Precise power management also presents a challenge in other information handling system applications, such as with hot-swap controllers.
Precise power management generally calls for precise current measurement at various locations throughout an information handling system. One common method of current measurement is a Hall sensor that measures the magnetic field around the current conductor. However, Hall sensors are relatively expensive. A less expensive method for current measurement is to flow the current through a precision shunt resistor and measure the voltage drop across the shunt resistor. In order to accurately measure current, the shunt resistor is built to provide a constant resistance across a variety of operating conditions, such as variations in temperature. A difficulty with shunt resistors is that the voltage drop across the shunt resistor wastes power and produces heat as a byproduct of the current measurement. Other less precise resistors are sometimes used to detect overcurrent situations. For example, a MOSFET Rdson detects an overcurrent by assuming a nominal resistance value and measuring the voltage drop across the resistance. Precise current measurements are not attempted since a precise resistance value is not known, however, for determining gross overcurrent conditions, such as might result from a short to ground, the nominal resistance value provides an accurate enough estimation.

System and method for current measurement


The present invention provides a power-driven hedge trimmer with a movable front handle. The power-driven hedge trimmer includes: a power and trimming assembly, a gripping assembly and a control unit. The power and trimming assembly includes a trimming blade and a power source. The trimming blade is connected to the power source so as to be driven to reciprocate. The gripping assembly includes a front gripping portion, a connecting portion and a rear gripping portion. The control unit is disposed on the connecting portion for controlling the power source. The front gripping portion includes a suspended front arm, a front handle and a front stop lock. The front handle is lockable at two locking positions, which are located on two opposite sides of the suspended front arm, with the front stop lock.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power-driven hedge trimmer, more particularly, to a power-driven hedge trimmer with a movable front handle.
2. The Prior Arts
Common hedge trimmers on the market nowadays usually include a power and trimming assembly and a gripping assembly. The power and trimming assembly mainly consists of a motor and a cutting blade. The motor is able to drive the blade to reciprocate in order to achieve hedge trimming with the reciprocating motion of the cutting blade.
Please refer to the hedge trimmer of Taiwan Design Patent No. D112185, which is shown in FIG. 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, in order for a user to steadily hold the hedge trimmer 1a during the operation while the hedge trimmer 1a is vibrating, the gripping assembly usually consists of a front gripping portion 1a and a rear gripping portion 13a, so the user may operate the hedge trimmer 1a with both hands. The front gripping portion 11a in the conventional hedge trimmer 1a is attached to a front end of the rear gripping portion 13a. The front griping portion 11a is vertically aligned with the rear gripping portion 13a; in addition, the front gripping portion 11a and the rear gripping portion 13a are attached to a front side and a rear side of the motor 3a respectively.
Generally speaking, the front gripping portion 11a is disposed on a same axis as the blade to serve as a point of support for the gripping of the machine. In some examples of the conventional hedge trimmer 1a, the rear gripping portion 13a can be adjustable; however, the front gripping portion 11a, the motor 3a and the cutting blade 5a are permanently connected with each other.
FIG. 1 illustrates a front-cutting state of the hedge trimmer 1a. During the front-cutting operation, the rear gripping portion 13a is gripped by the right hand of the operator, and the front gripping portion 11a is gripped by the left hand of the operator (when the operator is right-handed). In addition, in order for the operator to hold the hedge trimmer 1a with a comfortable posture, the left hand of the operator is above the hedge trimmer 1a during the operation. When the hedge trimmer 1a is used for side-cutting, it has to be rotated by 90°. Nevertheless, such rotation is performed by using the wrists of the operator as the pivot points of the rotation, and performing the rotation in such a way may cause the left hand of the operator to deviate from the original position to the right (or left) side of the hedge trimmer 1a. Even though the rear gripping portion 13a may be adjusted before or after the rotation of the hedge trimmer 1a, the left hand of the operator is still turned by 90° in both cases. As a result, both hands of the operator are put in different positions with respect to the original gripping positions after the rotation of the hedge trimmer 1a, thus making the operation of the hedge trimmer 1a rather difficult and awkward.
During the actual operation, the hedge trimmer 1a needs to be rotated to switch between the front-cutting state and the side-cutting state frequently. Since the pivot points of the rotation of the hedge trimmer 1a are the wrists of the operator, the wrists of the operator have to be turned and twisted frequently, and the gripping positions of the left and right hand of the operator are also constantly changing in order for the operator to maintain a most effortless posture for gripping the hedge trimmer 1a.
Notably, when rotating the hedge trimmer 1a, the center of gravity and balance thereof are also constantly changing, and the operator needs to spend extra effort to maintain the center of gravity and the balance of the hedge trimmer 1a. If the operator fails to hold the hedge trimmer 1a properly, not only can the hedge trimmer 1a be damaged from falling and hitting the ground, but also the safety of personnel can be endangered. In addition, since the front gripping portion 11a and the rear gripping portion 13a are connected at two opposite ends of the motor 3a, the operator needs to put in extra force in a horizontal direction to hold the weight of the hedge trimmer 1a and to maintain the center of gravity thereof.
Furthermore, the gripping assembly and the power and trimming assembly of conventional hedge trimmers are connected with each other with only one single rotary shaft. Such structure not only has a low rigidity, but also has a low stability due to the vibration of the motor during the operation of the hedge trimmer.

Power driven hedge trimmer with movable front handle