A V-quad engine has two juxtaposed V-twin cylinder banks connected to a common crankshaft and fuel and ignition systems that cause the front cylinders in the two banks to fire simultaneously and the rear cylinders in the two banks to fire simultaneously. Conventional V-twin components are used for many components of the V-quad engine. Master-slave rocker shaft assemblies are provided with angularly adjustable links to drive the left bank rocker shafts in unison with the right bank rocker shafts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related generally to internal combustion engines, and, more specifically, to a V-type, internal, combustion engine in which at least two V-type cylinder banks, each of which comprises two co-planar, V-oriented cylinders containing pistons, all of which are connected to a common crankshaft on a common, eccentric crank axis and are synchronized in such a manner that at least one of the cylinders in each of the V-type cylinder banks fires simultaneously with at least one of the cylinders in another of the V-type cylinder banks.
2. State of the Prior Art
V-twin engines are generally two-cylinder, V-type engines in which the longitudinal axes of the two cylinders form a V in a plane that is perpendicular to the crankshaft, exemplified by the engines shown in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,111,242, 5,615,642, and 5,950,579, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. V-twin engines are commonly used to power motorcycles. In fact, such V-twin engines, which have been manufactured for many years by Harley-Davidson Motor Co., of Milwaukee, Wis., and by other engine manufacturers, have become so popular with motorcycle enthusiasts, that the V-twin shape and even the distinctive exhaust sound and rhythm of such engines, are widely regarded as highly desirable features. At the same time, it is also popular among a subset of motorcycle enthusiasts to modify or customize motorcycles, especially motorcycles manufactured by Harley-Davidson Motor Co.—-often called "Harley-type" motorcycles—to create or obtain more distinctive appearances or features than the conventional factory-produced motorcycles, while still maintaining some degree of identity or commonality with the conventional factory produced motorcycles, such as the appearance and sound of the original V-twin engine, especially the "Harley V-Twin" (trademark) engine.
An adjunct to such motorcycle customizing activities often includes modifying the V-twin engines or building or acquiring customized substitutes, usually with the goal of making them more powerful than the original factory production V-twin engines while maintaining as much as possible the appearance, sound, and rhythm characteristics of the original Harley V-Twin engines. In fact, such endeavors have spawned and encouraged the growth of secondary industries that not only design and make customized Harley-type motorcycles, but also myriad components, including modified or customized V-twin engines, for such custom motorcycle enthusiasts. However, to obtain a significant increase in power over production V-twin engines, while still maintaining substantially the same appearance and sound and that can be mounted without substantial modifications to Harley-type motorcycle frames, transmissions, and the like, has required essentially custom designing and manufacturing entire engines, which can be too time-consuming and too expensive to do on a custom basis. Therefore, there is a need and desire for a less expensive and less time-consuming way to make a large-displacement, more powerful custom motorcycle engine that has a similar appearance and substantially the same sound and rhythm as a classic V-twin engine, especially such as those manufactured by Harley-Davidson Motor Co., and that can be mounted in a Harley-type motorcycle without extensive modifications to the frame, transmission, or other components.

V-quad engine and method of constructing same


A stack type semiconductor package includes a lower semiconductor package including a lower package substrate and at least one lower semiconductor chip disposed on the lower package substrate; an upper semiconductor package including an upper package substrate larger than the lower package substrate and at least one upper semiconductor chip disposed on the upper package substrate; an inter-package connector connecting an upper surface of the lower package substrate to a lower surface of the upper package substrate; and a filler filling in between the lower package substrate and the upper package substrate while substantially surrounding the inter-package connector.

Embodiments relate to a stack type semiconductor package, and a semiconductor module, an electronic circuit board, and an electronic system each including the stack type semiconductor package.
Stack type semiconductor packages have been suggested to improve the degree of integration of a semiconductor device and provide a miniaturization of an electronic circuit system. However, such stack type semiconductor packages may warp, twist, or otherwise distort during subsequent processing of the packages.


A method and apparatus for automatically updating software components in one or more agents (end systems) in a network. An ASU server generates a multicast request to agents within its network domain, identifying the newest, available versions of software components that may be installed on the agents. Agents compare installed versions with the newest versions and respond to the server request by indicating components that need to be updated. Components include network and non-network software as well as operating system (OS) software. The ASU server then transmits the requested components to the requesting agents in a self extracting compressed file. The file is installed and the components updated without rebooting system software.

This invention relates to transmission of information between multiple digital devices on a network. More particularly, this invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically updating and distributing executable files and components via a network in a distributed fashion.
Related technology is discussed in co-assigned co-pending U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 08/506,533, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASYNCHRONOUS PPP AND SYNCHRONOUS PPP CONVERSION, filed Jul. 25, 1995; 08/502,835 entitled VIRTUAL NETWORKING ARCHITECTURE filed Jul. 14, 1995, and 08/542,157, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSPARENT INTERMEDIATE SYSTEM BASED FILTERING ON A LAN OF MULTICAST PACKETS, filed Oct. 12, 1995 and incorporated herein by reference to the extent necessary to understand the invention.
Networking Devices Standards
This specification presumes some familiarity with the general concepts, protocols, and devices currently used in LAN networking applications and in WAN internetworking applications. These standards are publicly available and discussed in more detail in the above referenced and other co-assigned patent applications.
This specification also presumes some familiarity with the specific network and operating system components discussed briefly in the following paragraphs, such as the simple network management protocol (SNMP) for management of LAN and WAN networks, and the RMON MIBs defined for remote network monitoring and management.
General Network Topology
FIG. 1 illustrates a local area network (LAN) 40 of a type that might be used today in a moderate sized enterprise as an example of a network in which the present invention may be deployed. LANs are arrangements of various hardware and software elements that operate together to allow a number of digital devices to exchange data within the LAN and also may include internet connections to external wide area networks (WANs) such as WANs 42 and 44. Typical modern LANs such as 40 are comprised of one to many LAN intermediate systems such as 60-63 that are responsible for data transmission throughout the LAN and a number of end systems (ESs) such as ESs 50a-d, 51a-c, and 52a-g, that represent the end user equipment. The ESs may be familiar end-user data processing equipment such as personal computers, workstations, and printers and additionally may be digital devices such as digital telephones or real-time video displays. Different types of ESs can operate together on the same LAN. In one type of LAN, LAN intermediate systems 60-63 are referred to as bridges or switches or hubs and WAN ISs 64 and 66 are referred to as routers, however many different LAN configurations are possible, and the invention is not limited in application to the network shown in FIG. 1.
Packets
In a LAN such as 40, data is generally transmitted between ESs as independent packets, with each packet containing a header having at least a destination address specifying an ultimate destination and generally also having a source address and other transmission information such as transmission priority. Packets are generally formatted according to a particular protocol and contain a protocol identifier of that protocol. Packets may be encased in other packets. FIG. 2 illustrates a packet 200. Packet 200 is essentially an Ethernet packet, having an Ethernet header 202 and a 48-bit Ethernet address (such as 00:85:8C:13:AA) 204, and an Ethernet trailer 230. Within the Ethernet packet 200 is contained, or encapsulated, an ASU protocol packet, represented by ASU header 212, containing a 32 bit ASU address 214 (such as 220.127.116.11). Packet 200 contains a data payload 218 which holds the data the user is interested in receiving or holds a control message used for configuring the network.
Layers
Modern communication standards, such as the TCP/IP Suite and the IEEE 802 standards, organize the tasks necessary for data communication into layers. At different layers, data is viewed and organized differently, different protocols are followed, different packets are defined and different physical devices and software modules handle the data traffic. FIG. 3 illustrates one example of a layered network standard having a number of layers, which we will refer to herein as: the Physical Layer, the Data Link Layer, the Routing Layer, the Transport Layer, the Session Layer, the Presentation Layer and the Application Layer. These layers correspond roughly to the layers as defined within the TCP/IP Suite. (The 802 standard and other standards have different organizational structures for the layers.)
Generally, when an ES is communicating over a network using a layered protocol, a different software module may be running on the ES at each of the different layers in order to handle network functions at that layer. Examples of software modules existing within an ES at different layers are shown in FIG. 3.
Drivers and Adapters
Each of the ISs and ESs in FIG. 1 includes one or more adapters and a set of drivers. An adaptor generally includes circuitry and connectors for communication over a segment and translates data from the digital form used by the computer circuitry in the IS or ES into a form that may be transmitted over the segment, which may be electrical signals, optical signals, radio waves, etc. A driver is a set of instructions resident on a device that allows the device to accomplish various tasks as defined by different network protocols. Drivers are generally software programs stored on the ISs or ESs in a manner that allows the drivers to be modified without modifying the IS or ES hardware.
NIC Driver
The lowest layer adaptor software operating in one type of network ES is generally referred to as a NIC (Network Interface Card) driver. A NIC driver is layer 2 software designed to be tightly coupled to and integrated with the adaptor hardware at the adaptor interface (layer 1) and is also designed to provide a standardized interface between layer 2 and 3. Ideally, NIC drivers are small and are designed so that even in an ES with a large amount of installed network software, new adaptor hardware can be substituted with a new NIC driver, and all other ES software can continue to access the network without modification.
NIC drivers communicate through one of several available NIC driver interfaces to higher layer network protocols. Examples of NIC driver interface specifications are NDIS (Network Driver Interface Specification developed by Microsoft and 3Com) and ODI (Open Data-Link Interface developed by Apple Computer and Novell).
Generally, when an ES is booting up and begins building its stack of network protocol software, the NIC driver loads first and tends to be more robust than other network software modules because of its limited functions and because it is tightly designed to work with a particular hardware adaptor.
Management and Monitoring of Individual ESs in a Network Environment
A network such as that shown in FIG. 1 is generally managed and monitored within an enterprise by a central Information Services department (ISD), which is responsible for handling all the interconnections and devices shown. The same ISD is generally responsible for managing the applications and system components on each of the individual ESs in the network.
Many prior art systems have been proposed to allow an IS staff person to manage and monitor network infrastructure remotely over a network. Such systems include Intel's LAN-desk, IBM's NetView, HP's OpenView, Norton Administrator, McAfee's ZAC or Novell's Network Management System (NMS). However, these systems generally rely on a full network protocol stack to be correctly running effectively on the remote ES in order to accomplish any remote file management operations. Often, however, ES system trouble or software updates results in one or more network protocol functions becoming non-operational. Under most prior art remote management systems, if any part of the remote ES network protocol stack is not working, the IS manager cannot access an ES through the network and must physically travel to the remote location to fix or diagnose the problem. Also, ISD management becomes extremely expensive in terms of ISD's keeping track of numerous different software modules on sometimes thousands of systems and of installing new versions or minor fixes of software on each system. It has therefore long been a desire of ISD managers and the owners of large numbers of ESs connected on a network to be able to automatically update software components over the network. Such updating ideally would be capable of updating both application software components, system software components, and even network components while the network is running. Such a system should also be able to automatically track version numbers of software in ESs and determine when update components must be downloaded.
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
A common protocol used for managing network infrastructure over the network is the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). SNMP is a layer 7 network and system management protocol that handles network and system management functions and can be implemented as a driver (or SNMP agent) interfacing through UDP or some other layer 4 protocol. Prior art SNMP installations largely were not placed in ESs because SNMP did not handle ES management or monitoring functions and because SNMP agents are processor and memory intensive.
SNMP is designed to provide a simple but powerful cross platform protocol for communicating complex data structures important to network infrastructure management. However, its power and platform-independent design makes it computationally intensive to implement, and for that reason it has limited applications in end system management or monitoring. It is primarily used in network infrastructure management, such as management of network routers and bridges.
SNMP is designed to support the exchange of Management Information Base (MIB) objects through use of two simple verbs, get and set. MIB objects can be control structures, such as a retry counter in an adaptor. Get can get the current value of the MIB and set can change it. While the SNMP protocol is simple, the MIB definitions can be difficult to implement because MIB ids use complex data structures which create cross-platform complexities. SNMP has to translate these complex MIB definitions into ASN.1 which is a cross-platform language.
Even if installed in an ES, an SNMP agent cannot be used to manage or diagnose an ES or update system components where the UDP protocol stack is not working properly, which will often be the case when the network connection is failing. When working, SNMP provides a protocol interface for higher layer prior art management applications.
SNMP is described in detail in a number of standard reference works. The wide adoption of SNMP throughout the networking industry has made compatibility with SNMP an important aspect of new management and monitoring tools.
Prior Art Update Systems
Prior art systems such as Intel's LAN-desk, and others, allow for the installation and updating of applications remotely. However, those systems are limited to updating application level software components. Also, these systems are limited to using network and higher layer protocols, such as IP and IPX, that can be rendered unusable by seemingly innocuous configuration problems and which therefore become unreachable, remotely. Additionally, the higher layer protocols result in a burdensome use of the network as they generate more control packets relative to the number of packets carrying data than do lower level protocols such as layer 2 protocols. This prevents servers from living in resource limited devices, such as switches, for example. Further, the higher level protocols require a larger application running on an end system (ES), which requires greater system resources.
Prior art systems, such as Intel's LAN-desk, use a "push" technology for updating that forces updating at the end system, and which requires large database management resources to keep track of update statistics such as which end-station received which update, and which end-station still needs to be updated with which components, for example.
Login scripts are used in many prior art systems. Login scripts are executed each time a user logs into the network at an end-system (ES), for example. Login scripts can execute programs at the server, such as programs that inventory component versions running at the ES and that update the ES by "pushing" down components where needed. However, systems using login scripts lack the ability to dynamically update components that are actually running at the ES.
What is needed in the art is a system for automatically installing and updating system level software components (OS), in addition to applications and agent software components, using an improved data link control protocol that requires fewer network resources than conventional protocols and which is less burdensome on network traffic. Also needed in the art is the ability to "pull" components down from a server (i.e., to update software remotely and automatically without requiring that agents automatically receive and load the newest versions of all software now available, but with the ability to support "push" technology if necessary).
For purposes of clarity, the present discussion refers to network devices and concepts in terms of specific examples. However, the method and apparatus of the present invention may operate with a wide variety of types of network devices including networks dramatically different from the specific examples illustrated in FIG. 1 and described below. It is therefore not intended that the invention be limited except as done so in the attached claims.

Method and apparatus for automatically updating software components on end systems over a network


Methods and systems for performing electronic commerce using mutating identifiers. One method can include encrypting buyer transaction data with a first mutating identifier, transmitting the buyer transaction data to an authenticator device, decrypting the buyer transaction data, generating a payment request, encrypting the payment request with a third mutating identifier, and transmitting the payment request to a payment authenticator device.

Embodiments of the invention relate to the distribution of content (such as text, audio, video, multi-media materials, and the like). More particularly, the invention relates to the distribution of such content in a manner that ensures that the copyrights and other similar legal rights of the content owner are respected.
More and more content is being delivered in digital form, and more and more digital content is being delivered over private and public networks, such as Intranets, the Internet, cable TV networks, and the like. For consumers of such content, digital versions (as opposed to analog, paper copy, and other forms) provide various advantages such as enhanced fidelity, improved and greater playback options, interactivity, and others. Online or network delivery generally offers greater convenience and timeliness. Online delivery is also cheaper than other delivery methods, and this benefits content publishers.
Most current and potential digitally distributed content is, like most books, distributed in a manner such that the publisher or owner generally gives or sells the content to a consumer, but continues to restrict rights to use the content even after the content is under the sole physical control of the consumer. For instance, a content owner typically retains copyright to the content so that the consumer cannot legally reproduce or publish the content without permission. Digital content, as opposed to older forms of media, allows a content owner to adjust pricing according to whether the consumer is allowed to make a persistent copy, or is just allowed to view the content as it is delivered.
Despite the worthwhile attributes of digital and network distribution, content owners are still generally reluctant to distribute content, particularly high-value content, via networks because unauthorized duplication, piracy, and distribution of digital content (e.g., as was done by users of Napster) is very easy. Unlike analog recorders, photocopiers, and other older devices, current technology permits unlimited, pristine copies of digital content to be made. And, in most instances, copies of the digital content can be made very quickly or nearly instantaneously. Furthermore, even current protective measures such as public key encryption and the content scrambling system ("CSS"), which is used for digital versatile discs, have been defeated.
Furthermore, once a key is gained or discovered, either legally or illegally, that unlocks the encrypted content, that piece of content is forever compromised. This free access to the content allows the possessor of the key to make and distribute endless copies of the decrypted content. In the event that a key is used to circulate illegal copies of a content item, it is generally impractical to track the illegally distributed content back to the individual who initially owned the key.
In addition to distributing content, the availability and popularity of the networked systems, such as the Internet, has changed the landscape of commerce. Electronic commerce ("e-commerce") has grown into a large and important part of business. Providing electronic commerce capabilities has become a necessity for businesses to compete nation-wide and worldwide.
In addition to providing electronic commerce capabilities, businesses are also encouraged to provide secure electronic commerce capabilities. Most buyers will not provide billing or confidential information to complete an electronic commerce transaction unless they are promised that their data will be kept secure. Many current electronic commerce transaction protocols use a variation of a public key exchange protocol. The protocol establishes a secure connection between the buyer and the seller. Once a secure connection is established, the confidential information (e.g., a credit card number, account number, and the like) is communicated from the buyer to the seller. The seller then uses the information to obtain payment from a company (e.g., a credit card company or financial institution).
However, in the above protocol, once the credit card or confidential information is provided to the seller, the seller has the information indefinitely. There have been instances where the security of that information has been compromised. Such security compromises pose several problems, including consumer wariness of electronic transactions.

Secure electronic commerce using mutating identifiers


A compressor includes a drive shaft rotatably supported by a housing, a swash plate supported on the drive shaft, a plurality of cylinder bores defined in the housing, a plurality of pistons positioned in associated cylinder bores and a clutch. The clutch engaged and disengaged by a solenoid. A dynamic damper is positioned on the rear side of the drive shaft. The dynamic damper includes an elastic portion made of rubber and a mass portion made of metal. In another embodiment, the mass portion of the dynamic damper has a plurality of radially extending projections. In a further embodiment, the dynamic damper has a ring shape and is fixed to the armature of the clutch.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to compressors employed in vehicle air conditioners, and more particularly, to compressors that produce little vibration and operate quietly.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 15 shows a typical compressor 200 employed in a vehicle air conditioner. The compressor 200 is a swash plate type and is connected to an engine E by an electromagnetic clutch 210 attached to the front side of the compressor 200.
The compressor 200 includes a housing 201. A crank chamber 202 is defined in the housing 201. A drive shaft 203 is rotatably supported in the housing 201. A swash plate 204 is fixed to the drive shaft 203 and rotates integrally with the shaft 203. A plurality of cylinder bores 206 extend parallel to and about the drive shaft 203 in a cylinder block 205, which constitutes part of the housing 201. A piston 207 is located in each cylinder bore 206. The pistons 207 are connected to the swash plate 204. Valve plates 208 are provided on the front and rear ends of the cylinder block 205. A compression chamber 209 is defined in each cylinder bore 206 between an end of each piston 207 and one of the valve plates 208.
Rotation of the swash plate 204 is converted to linear reciprocation of each piston 207. This compresses refrigerant gas in each compression chamber 209.
The clutch 210 is connected to the front end of the compressor 200 with a bearing 216 in between. The clutch 210 includes an inner hub 214 secured to the front end of the drive shaft 203, an armature 213 secured to the inner hub 214, a pulley 212 and a solenoid 215 for attracting the armature 213 toward the pulley 212. The clutch 210 selectively connects and disconnects the compressor 200 with the engine E in accordance with the cooling load of an external refrigerant circuit (not shown). Exciting the solenoid 215 allows the armature 213 to be coupled to the pulley 212. This transmits the driving force of the engine E to the drive shaft 203 by way of the belt 211, the pulley 212, the armature 213 and the inner hub 214.
The compression stroke of each piston 107 produces a compression reactive force. The compression reactive force is transmitted to the drive shaft 203 through the swash plate 204 and creates torsion between the shaft 203 and the inner hub 214. This creates torsional vibration in the drive shaft 203. The torsional vibration represents torque fluctuation of the shaft 203 and fluctuation of rotational speed (rotational speed fluctuation) of the pulley 212. The torsional vibration also produces resonance in other auxiliary devices that are connected to the compressor 200 by the belt 211. This increases noise in the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
When the compressor reaches certain speeds, torsional vibration of the shaft 203 abruptly increases the torque of the drive shaft 203. The sudden increase in the torque causes the pulley 212 to slip on the armature 213. This suddenly disconnects the transmission of force from the engine E to the shaft 203. The contacting force between the armature 213 and the pulley 212 therefore needs to be great enough to prevent the slipping. This requires that the size of the solenoid 215 be enlarged.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 55-20908 describes an electromagnetic clutch that solves the above problems. As shown in FIG. 14, an electromagnetic clutch 220 includes a pulley 225, a solenoid (not shown), an armature 221, a damper 222, a connecting plate 223, a cover 224 secured to a drive shaft 229 and a plurality of springs 228. The armature 221 is secured to the connecting plate 223 with the damper 222 located in between. Exciting the solenoid couples the pulley 225 to the armature 221. The cover 224 is secured to an end of the drive shaft 229. The cover 224 and the connecting plate 223 contact and are urged toward each other by the force of the springs 228. The shape of the cover 224 and the plate 223 allows relative rotation to a certain extent. The relative rotation is converted to reciprocating motion of the connecting plate 223. The reciprocation of the plate 223 is then absorbed by the damper 222. When the armature 221 is coupled to the pulley 225, the force of the engine E is transmitted to the drive shaft 229 through the parts 225, 221, 222, 223 and 224. When an abrupt torsional vibration is generated on the drive shaft 229, the cover 224 and the connecting plate 223 rotate with respect to each other, thereby reciprocating the connecting plate 223. The reciprocation of the connecting plate 223 is absorbed by the damper 222. In this manner the torsional vibration is dampened by the damper 222.
The mechanism for reducing torsional vibration is provided in the path of the torque transmission from the pulley 225 to the drive shaft 229. This arrangement complicates the shape of the connecting plate 223 and the cover 224. Further, the springs 228 must be provided for coupling the plate 223 to the cover 224. The structure of the clutch 220 therefore complicates the manufacture of each part and increases the number of parts.

Vibration torsion system damper for a shaft of a compressor

Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho


A CMC article and process for producing the article to have a layer on its surface that protects a reinforcement material within the article from damage. The method entails providing a body containing a ceramic reinforcement material in a matrix material that contains a precursor of a ceramic matrix material. A fraction of the reinforcement material is present and possibly exposed at a surface of the body. The body surface is then provided with a surface layer formed of a slurry containing a particulate material but lacking the reinforcement material of the body. The body and surface layer are heated to form the article by converting the precursor within the body to form the ceramic matrix material in which the reinforcement material is contained, and by converting the surface layer to form the protective layer that covers any fraction of the reinforcement material exposed at the body surface.

The present invention generally relates to ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials and articles produced therefrom. More particularly, this invention is directed to method of forming a CMC article with a protective outer barrier layer that prevents damage to near-surface reinforcement material within the article.
CMC materials generally comprise a ceramic fiber reinforcement material embedded in a ceramic matrix material. The reinforcement material serves as the load-bearing constituent of the CMC in the event of a matrix crack, while the ceramic matrix protects the reinforcement material, maintains the orientation of its fibers, and serves to dissipate loads to the reinforcement material. Of particular interest to high-temperature applications are silicon-based composites, such as silicon carbide (SiC) as the matrix and/or reinforcement material. SiC fibers have been used as a reinforcement material for a variety of ceramic matrix materials, including SiC, TiC, Si3N4, and Al2O3. Continuous fiber reinforced ceramic composite (CFCC) materials are a type of CMC that offers light weight, high strength, and high stiffness for a variety of high temperature load-bearing applications. A CFCC material is generally characterized by continuous fibers (filaments) that may be arranged to form a unidirectional array of fibers, or bundled in tows that are arranged to form a unidirectional array of tows, or bundled in tows that are woven to form a two-dimensional fabric or woven or braided to form a three-dimensional fabric. For three-dimensional fabrics, sets of unidirectional tows may, for example, be interwoven transverse to each other. The individual tows may be coated with a release agent, such as boron nitride (BN) or carbon, forming a weak interface coating that allows for limited and controlled slip between the tows and the ceramic matrix material. As cracks develop in the CMC, one or more fibers bridging the crack act to redistribute the load to adjacent fibers and regions of the matrix material, thus inhibiting or at least slowing further propagation of the crack.
One technique for fabricating CMC's involves multiple layers of "prepreg," often in the form of a tape-like structure, comprising the reinforcement material of the desired CMC impregnated with a precursor of the CMC matrix material. The prepreg must undergo processing (including firing) to convert the precursor to the desired ceramic. Prepregs for CFCC materials frequently comprise a two-dimensional fiber array comprising a single layer of unidirectionally-aligned tows impregnated with a matrix precursor to create a generally two-dimensional laminate. Multiple plies of the resulting prepregs are stacked and debulked to form a laminate preform, a process referred to as "lay-up." The prepregs are typically arranged so that tows of the prepreg layers are oriented transverse (e.g., perpendicular) to each other, providing greater strength in the laminar plane of the preform (corresponding to the principal (load-bearing) directions of the final CMC component).
Following lay-up, the laminate preform will typically undergo debulking and curing while subjected to applied pressure and an elevated temperature, such as in an autoclave. In the case of melt-infiltrated (MI) CMC articles, the debulked and cured preform undergoes additional processing. First the preform is heated in vacuum or in an inert atmosphere in order to decompose the organic binders, at least one of which pyrolyzes during this heat treatment to form a carbon char, and produces a porous preform for melt infiltration. Further heating, either as part of the same heat cycle as the binder burn-out step or in an independent subsequent heating step, the preform is melt infiltrated, such as with molten silicon supplied externally. The molten silicon infiltrates into the porosity, reacts with the carbon constituent of the matrix to form silicon carbide, and fills the porosity to yield the desired CMC component.
Examples of SiC/Si—SiC (fiber/matrix) CFCC materials and processes are disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,015,540, 5,330,854, 5,336,350, 5,628,938, 6,024,898, 6,258,737, 6,403,158, and 6,503,441, and commonly-assigned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0067316. An example of a CFCC material is depicted in FIG. 1, which represents a surface region of a CFCC component 10 as comprising multiple laminae 12, each derived from an individual prepreg that comprised unidirectionally-aligned tows 14 impregnated with a ceramic matrix precursor. As a result, each lamina 12 contains unidirectionally-aligned fibers 15 encased in a ceramic matrix 16 formed by conversion of the ceramic matrix precursor during firing and melt infiltration.
In order to maximize the mechanical properties of CMC's, particularly the prepreg MI-type of CMC, it is important to have the reinforcement material well dispersed within the composite matrix. As evident from FIG. 1, such a dispersion inherently places a fraction of the reinforcement material near the surface of the composite where it is susceptible to damage due to handling, machining, surface preparation for subsequent processing steps such as deposition of an environmental barrier coating (EBC), or oxidation attack at high temperature. A cross-section of a prepreg MI-type CMC containing dispersed reinforcement fibers is shown in FIG. 3. A significant number of reinforcement fibers can be seen relatively close to the surface (within about 0.005 inch (about 125 mm), and therefore susceptible to damage.
In view of the above, it would be beneficial to protect near-surface reinforcement materials in CMC's. However, doing so must not compromise the mechanical, thermal, or structural properties of the composite, and must be chemically and thermally (identical thermal expansion) compatible with the bulk of the CMC material.

Process of producing a ceramic matrix composite article and article formed thereby


A method for fabricating large die package structures is provided wherein at least portions of the leadtips of at least a plurality of leadfingers of a leadframe are electrically insulated. A die is positioned on the electrically insulated leadtips. The die is electrically connected to at least a plurality of the leadfingers.

An ongoing goal in the electronics industry is to continue reducing the size of electronic devices, such as camcorders and cellular telephones, while increasing performance and speed. To accomplish this, increased miniaturization of integrated circuit ("IC") packages for these devices is becoming increasingly essential. Personal data devices, notebook computers, portable music players, and digital cameras are but a few of the consumer products that require and benefit from this ongoing miniaturization of sophisticated electronics.
IC packages for complex electronic systems typically have a large number of interconnected IC chips, or dies. The IC dies are usually made from a semiconductor material such as silicon (Si) or gallium arsenide (GaAs). During manufacture, the several semiconductor devices on the IC dies are formed on the dies in various layers using photolithographic techniques. After manufacture, the IC dies are typically incorporated into packages that are then mounted on printed circuit boards.
IC die packages typically have numerous external pins, pads, or solder bumps that are mechanically attached, such as by soldering, to conductor patterns on the printed circuit boards. Typically, the packages in which these IC dies are mounted include a substrate or other die-mounting device. One example of such a substrate is a leadframe. High-performance leadframes typically include multi-layer structures having power, ground, and signal layers.
Leadframes also typically include an area on which an IC die is mounted and in which a number of power, ground, and/or signal leads is attached to the IC die. In particular, the power, ground, and/or signal leads of the leadframe are connected electrically to power, ground, and/or signal sites or pads on the IC die.
IC dies may be attached to the leadframe using adhesive or any other appropriate techniques for attaching such dies to a leadframe. Techniques commonly known to those skilled in the art for attaching such dies to a leadframe, for example, include soldering.
Once the IC dies are attached mechanically and electrically to the leadframe, the leadframe may be enclosed or encapsulated in a protective enclosure. Such enclosures may include encapsulation in a mold compound, such as plastic or epoxy, or in a multi-part housing made of plastic, ceramic, or metal. The enclosure may protect the leadframe and the attached die from physical, electrical, moisture, and/or chemical damage.
The leadframe and attached IC dies may then be mounted, for example, on a circuit board or circuit card along with other leadframes or devices. The circuit board or circuit card may then be incorporated into a wide variety of devices, such as computers, cellular telephones, automobiles, appliances, and so forth.
Typical known leadframes include a semiconductor die mounting structure, such as a die attach or mounting paddle. As technologies have improved and IC dies have become ever smaller, the leadframes for the chips, and the packages into which they are incorporated, have likewise become smaller and smaller. Modern semiconductor packaging is thus oriented toward small and thin semiconductor devices having high numbers of input and output pins.
Significantly, however, many of the older IC die designs and configurations are still popular and in use. Such IC dies continue to be manufactured, of course, in the larger configurations that were standard at the times of their designs. The packages in which such "mature" dies were originally incorporated can therefore be of substantial size by today's standards.
It would be beneficial to be able to use such mature IC dies in smaller contemporary package configurations, such as quad flat no lead ("QFN") packages. Such smaller, contemporary packages, however, usually have correspondingly smaller internal leadframes that cannot properly accommodate larger, older, mature IC dies. Instead, it has been necessary to use older, larger leadframes in older, larger packages. This causes size, design, and cost penalties that can lead to additional customization costs because modern smaller dimensions and interconnect configurations cannot be used.
Thus, a need still remains for efficient, economical, and effective solutions to enable older-style; larger-footprint IC dies to be incorporated efficiently and effectively into the smaller and more compact packages that are in use today. In view of the ever-increasing need to save costs and improve efficiencies, it is more and more critical that answers be found to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.

Large die package structures and fabrication method therefor


A method of manufacturing a mask for a team game is comprised of: heating an aluminum alloy mixed with copper and molybdenum at a temperature between 410xc2x0 C. to 430xc2x0 C. for three hours; cooling the alloy at a rate of about 30xc2x0 C. per hour; cutting the alloy into straight or curved bars; heating the bars at a temperature between 450xc2x0 C. to 550xc2x0 C. for one and one half hours; quenching the bars in water after seven seconds have passed; heating the bars at a temperature between 100xc2x0 C. to 150xc2x0 C. for 18 hours; cooling in air; forming an unfinished mask by resistance brazing; and treating the unfinished mask to produce the finished mask by anodizing.

The present invention relates to masks and more particularly for an improved method of manufacturing masks for team games such as baseball.
A conventional process of manufacturing a mask for team games such as baseball is comprised of: cutting the material, (e.g., steel), into a plurality of straight or curved bars of predetermined length; welding the bars to form a wire screen (i.e., unfinished mask); plunging the unfinished mask into a plastic powder for coating; and curing the unfinished mask to produce a finished mask with a layer of plastic coated thereon.
But this is unsatisfactory for the purpose for which the mask is concerned for the following reasons: The weight of a mask manufactured as described above is relatively heavy due to the steel material. A player wearing such a heavy mask may feel uncomfortable. Moreover, the mask tends to rust. The welding step is time consuming. Furthermore, the quality is unsatisfactory: both surface strength and shock absorbability of the mask are low because no special processing on the material is done.
Thus, it is desirable to provide an improved method of manufacturing a mask for team games in order to overcome the above drawbacks.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a mask for team games comprised of the following steps: heating an aluminum alloy mixed with copper and molybdenum at a temperature of about 410xc2x0 C. to about 430xc2x0 C. for three hours; cooling the alloy at a rate of about 30xc2x0 C. per hour. The alloy is then cut into a plurality of straight or curved bars of predetermined length.
The mask then produced by a 2 step treatment. T4 treatment: Heating the bars at a temperature between 450xc2x0 C. to 550xc2x0 C. for about one and one half hours; quenching the bars in water at 30xc2x0 C. after seven seconds have passed.
T6 treatment: Heating the bars at a temperature between 100xc2x0 C. to 150xc2x0 C. for 18 hours; cooling in air; forming an unfinished mask by resistance brazing; and treating the unfinished mask to produce the finished mask by anodized or plastic powder coating.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.

Method of manufacturing a mask for team games


A system and method for automatic addressing of distributions. The system receives distributions, such as phone calls, phone messages, E-mail messages, soft facsimiles, print jobs, and pages, historically maintains a set of information, such as addressing information associated with senders of the distributions. The set of address information includes the sender's name, E-mail address, phone number, fax number, pager number, LAN address, or the like. The system permits the recipient of an inbound distribution to automatically address an outbound distribution to a previous sender of the inbound distribution by invocation of hot keys, or by use of a query manager. The system also permits the recipient to paste information about the sender directly into arbitrary applications on his computer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to computerized telecommunications, and more particularly, to automated addressing of distributions, such as E-mail messages, phone calls, paging, faxing, printing, letter writing, or the like.
2. Related Art
Many E-mail systems provide convenient methods for addressing mail to users of the E-mail system. For example, several commercially available software products include a personal and/or enterprise address book for convenient searching of mail addresses (an enterprise being a business, group of businesses, or simply a collection of people). Further provided is convenient placement of the mail addresses in the E-mail address field with a simple point and click of the mouse. Many E-mail systems also provide methods for automatic addressing according to addresses on a previously distributed E-mail item. The system will automatically set recipient addresses in response to particular user actions such as forwarding, resending or answering a E-mail distribution. Automatic addressing is very useful.
A person often uses an E-mail system to send mail to people on matters associated with phone calls, voice mail, fax (facsimile) jobs, print jobs, or being paged. There is no method for automatically completing recipient address information according to previous distributions that may be related to a subsequently distributed E-mail item. For example, consider a person who is traveling, is paged, and responds to the page to discover an emergency business situation. Upon handling the emergency situation, the person wants to send an E-mail item to the person whom initiated the page in order to summarize the situation.
It is desirable to have a method that allows the person to send E-mail that automatically sets the recipient address field according to the person who last paged. Thus, a method is needed for automatic completion of E-mail recipient address information when an E-mail item is related to previous distributions.

Method and system for automatic distribution addressing


A new dishwashing aid for providing a person a more comfortable and easier way of washing dishes. The inventive device includes a chest plate dimensioned for covering a chest of a user. The chest plate is supported on a counter area of a sink. A hip plate is provided that is dimensioned for covering a pelvic region of the user. The hip plate is adjustably coupled with respect to the chest plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cleaning shields and more particularly pertains to a new dishwashing aid for providing a person a more comfortable and easier way of washing dishes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of cleaning shields is known in the prior art. More specifically, cleaning shields heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art cleaning shields include U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,537 to Underwood; U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,257 to Hardin; U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,262 to Peters; U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,103 to Kliebert; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 266,052 to Moser; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,097 to Mellian.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new dishwashing aid. The inventive device includes a chest plate dimensioned for covering a chest of a user. The chest plate is supported on a counter area of a sink. A hip plate is provided that is dimensioned for covering a pelvic region of the user. The hip plate is adjustably coupled with respect to the chest plate.
In these respects, the dishwashing aid according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing a person a more comfortable and easier way of washing dishes.


A telescopic rail device is provided that includes a first rail, a second rail, and an adapter. The first rail is mobile relative to the second rail, and the first or second rail is detachably connected to the adapter. The adapter is in a stable position relative to the first or second rail that the adapter is detachably connected to.

The invention relates to a telescopic rail device having at least one first rail which is mobile relative to a second rail of the telescopic rail device. Furthermore, the invention relates to a muffle for a domestic appliance for preparing food with a telescopic rail device of this type.
Telescopic rail devices in the case of domestic appliances for preparing food, such as for instance ovens or steam cookers, are known. A grill pan, a baking tray or a grating can be positioned on these telescopic rail devices for instance and slid into or pulled out of the cooking compartment. Furthermore, ovens are also known in which an oven carriage is provided which can be slid in and out in the horizontal direction using a telescopic rail device and the door integrated in the oven carriage is arranged so as to close the cooking compartment.
On account of the difference between domestic appliances, a plurality of different telescopic rail devices is known. These often have to be adjusted structurally to the specific conditions at their place of installation. A plurality of different telescopic rail devices is therefore present. This requires significant construction effort and the provision of several different telescopic rail devices is also very cost-intensive.

Telescopic rail device and muffle comprising said telescopic rail device


A method of directly measuring a trench depth without damages to a wafer is provided. First, the focus of a lens (LZ) of a microscope is adjusted so that a tip (TP) of a projection (PP) of a negative replica (NR) is plainly visible through the microscope, and a vertical position (A) of a stage (ST) at that time is identified. Next, with the lens (LZ) held at the same position, the stage (ST) is gradually moved toward the lens (LZ) and is stopped moving at a position where a surface (SF) of a base (BP) of the negative replica (NR) is plainly visible through the microscope. A vertical position (B) of the stage (ST) at that time is identified. Then, a difference between the vertical position (B) and the vertical position (A) is obtained to determine a distance (MD) moved, i.e., the height of the projection (PP). Since standard particles (SP) are diffused in the negative replica (NR) to make the negative replica (NR) opaque, it is easy to judge whether the tip (TP) of the projection (PP) or the surface (SF) of the base (BP) is at a focus position. This allows the obtainment of the correct distance (MD).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of measuring the depth of a trench for use in forming a trench capacitor and an isolating insulation film in a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Background Art
In state-of-the-art semiconductor devices, a trench for use in forming an isolating insulation film, for example, has the following dimensions: a width of about 0.35 xcexcm and a depth of about 3.5 xcexcm. Thus, the aspect ratio of the depth to the width is about 10.
If a laser microscope using laser in an ultraviolet range is used for the trench having such a high aspect ratio, it is impossible to measure the depth of the trench since light reflected from the bottom of the trench is not detected.
The use of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) allows a user to three-dimensionally observe the trench. However, the SEM is not capable of directly measuring the dimensions, and it is hence required to employ an inaccurate technique of photographing a sample inclined at a predetermined angle, obtaining a measurement of the depth of the trench in the photograph, and correcting the measurement depending on the angle of inclination to calculate an actual trench depth.
Of course, cutting the sample at a trench portion and observing the cross-section of the trench portion through the SEM attain the measurement of the trench depth relatively accurately. This method, however, is impractical since the sample or wafer becomes unusable.
In view of the foregoing, there has typically been adopted a technique of forming test trenches to be monitored in other than a portion of the wafer wherein a semiconductor device is to be formed, e.g. in an end edge portion of the wafer, and measuring the depth of the test trenches with a configuration measuring apparatus of a probe contact type.
The test trenches formed in this technique are of several types with different widths, among which a maximum width is about 100 xcexcm because of the size of the probe for contact with the trenches. This technique comprises measuring the depth of the trenches having the respective widths by the use of the configuration measuring apparatus, obtaining a relationship between the trench widths and trench depths, and determining the depth of a trench having a width of 0.35 xcexcm by extrapolation.
As mentioned above, the background art methods indirectly measure the trench depth and are not capable of obtaining the accurate trench depth. For example, if there is a problem in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device and a desired trench is not formed, the background art methods cause the manufacturing process to proceed without correction, to manufacture a large number of finally defective products, resulting in the decrease in product yield.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of directly measuring a trench depth without damages to a wafer.
According to the present invention, a method of measuring the depth of a trench formed in a main surface of a semiconductor substrate includes the following steps (a) to (d).
The step (a) mixes standard particles into a solution of cellulose acetate in acetone to prepare a molding solution, the standard particles having a uniform diameter less than the width of the trench. The step (b) drops the molding solution onto the semiconductor substrate formed with the trench, and dries the molding solution into a solid state to form a negative replica having a projection corresponding in shape to the trench and a base corresponding to the main surface of the semiconductor substrate. The step (c) peels the negative replica off the semiconductor substrate. The step (d) measures the height of the projection of the negative replica by using a vertical difference obtained by changing a relative distance between a lens of a microscope and the negative replica with respect to a focus position of the microscope.
In the method according to the present invention, the standard particles are mixed in the negative replica having the projection corresponding in shape to the trench, to make the negative replica opaque. It is, hence, easy to determine where the focus position of the microscope is. It is accordingly easy to measure the height of the projection of the negative replica by using the vertical difference with respect to the focus position of the microscope. Therefore, this method can obtain the correct depth of the trench.
Preferably, in the method, the step (d) includes the step of placing the negative replica with the projection facing toward the lens on a stage movable in small steps in a vertical direction toward the lens of the microscope, and obtaining a vertical difference between a vertical position of the stage when a tip of the projection is at the focus position and a vertical position of the stage when a surface of the base is at the focus position to determine the height of the projection.
In the method according to the present invention, the vertical difference between the vertical position of the stage when the tip of the projection is at the focus position and the vertical position of the stage when the surface of the base is at the focus position is obtained as the height of the projection. This provides a practical method of measuring the trench depth.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Method of measuring trench depth of semiconductor device


A method of using a public communications network, such as the Internet, to manage returns of items purchased by a consumer from a remote direct merchandiser. The customer is permitted to return an item to a local returns site or by having a local shipper pick up the item. Either of these local entities is in communications with a returns manager, who provides return information, credits the consumer's account, and handles subsequent disposition of the item.

The growing popularity of electronic commerce over the Internet is a modern phenomena. Retail e-commerce is far more convenient than bricks and mortar shopping, but one of its drawbacks is that the customer lacks the ability to inspect the goods. Inherent in Internet purchases may be an increased likelihood of customer returns.
For returns not purchased in an e-commerce environment, a consumer can visit a brick and mortar retail store, which accepts product returns at the retail location. Typically, the store will operate a sales counter or customer service counter specifically for returns. Consumers could expect to immediately receive cash or a credit on the return.
In the conventional returns scenario, the retailer of a returned good will assess the condition of the returned item. Returned goods in new condition can be put back on the shelf for re-sale. Returned goods that were defective or otherwise inappropriate for resale can be collected and stored until enough goods accumulated to justify bulk shipment to some sort of disposition center. At the disposition center, the condition of returned goods are again evaluated and goods were routed to an appropriate destination, such as an outlet store, manufacturer, or land-fill.
This conventional method of handling returns goods is not necessarily the most satisfactory for Internet purchases. In the absence of local brick and mortar retail locations, the goods must be shipped from the consumer back to the internet retailer's location. From there, the costly process of shipping and handling of returned goods back through the retail channel continues.
Returns to catalog retailers have the same complications as returns of Internet purchases. Despite these inefficiencies, internet and catalog retailers (collectively known as direct marketers) are still using conventional product returns methods.

Local returns of remotely purchased merchandise with return code validation


A calendar including a first disk and a second disk. The second disk is connected to and rotatable concentrically relative to the first disk. The first disk includes a window and indicia adjacent to the window representing the various days of the week. The first disk further includes indicia indicating various months of the year and lead lines which function as pointers. Thus, the user may select, by using the pointers, a desired year from a table or a list of a plurality of years appearing on the second disk. This configuration allows the user to easily select a predetermined year by means of a pointer. The second disk further includes a day number grid, the dates ranging from 1 to 31. When the second disk is rotated relative to the first disk, the day grid draws an orbit and the grid is located below the window of the first disk. Consequently, when a predetermined year with respect to a predetermined month is selected, the window displays a corresponding calendar month. A stand is provided for supporting the calendar. A click stop, rachet wheel and leaf spring assembly may be provided behind the second disk, for controlled, incremental movement of the second disk relative to the first disk.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to calendars and in particular, to a single axis rotatable disk calendar.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The field of art to which the invention pertains is calendars. More specifically, the present invention relates to a disk calendar which is rotatable about a single axis and which through simple manipulations, can be used for a number of years. Such multi-year and perpetual calendars are known. However, most of these are complex utilizing vast arrays of numbers and symbols which require at least a moderate amount of effort to operate. At the other side of the spectrum are those calendars which are very simple to operate. Unfortunately, these simple to use calendars are not very intriguing to the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,049 issued on Sep. 23, 1969 to Benson describes a calendar showing a chronological arrangement of dates of a number of years in a sequence in which two members are provided which are mounted about a common axis constituting a center of rotation whereby the members are rotatable in relation to each other. One of the members carries a month scale consisting of twelve months of the year arranged concentrically around the center of rotation and a week day scale consisting of five weeks arranged concentrically around the center, the other of the members carrying a day date scale or table consisting of five concentric rows having a plurality of numerals arranged in a plurality of columns. The rows are arranged concentrically around the center of rotation. In addition, a year scale consisting of a predetermined number of consecutive years is also arranged substantially concentrically around the center of rotation. The year date of the year scale is visible through an opening and respective portions of the month scale and the week day scale and a portion of the day date scale constituting seven columns of the plurality of columns are visible through another opening.
Another interesting perpetual calendar is disclosed in Sawyers Catalog No. 3, Avon Products, Inc., New York, N.Y., and named "Ingenious Calendar--40 Year Perpetual Calendar." This calendar covers the years 1992-2031 and provides identification of a correct weekday for any selected date. However, the universal 31 day calendar of the device appears in an unfamiliar, awkward Tuesday through Monday format and its use is not readily apparent from a mere inspection of the device, unlike the instant invention. Furthermore, two potentially confusing arcuate openings at the top and bottom of the circular calendar are required.
The present invention eliminates the need for using such a plurality of openings as disclosed in the prior art just discussed, by having only one opening corresponding to the current calendar month arranged in a week day scale. This opening is located on a singularly smaller first disk having a window providing viewing of a calendar month. The calendar month is formed from a grid comprising seven pairs of 6.times.7 matrices which appear on a larger rearwardly disposed second disk. In addition, the present invention includes a table listing a plurality of years and being disposed about a peripheral edge of the second disk. The face of the first disk is provided with markings which align with corresponding markings on the second disk, to arrange a portion of the grid on the second, rotatable disk beneath the window of the first, fixed disk to form a corresponding calendar month in the window in the first disk, which may be read very easily, in familiar Sunday through Saturday, day 1 through day 31 style or fashion.
None of the above disclosures taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.


A secure print system comprises a sending computer entity and a plurality of receiving entities, each capable of decrypting and printing a specified number of copies of a document. The sending computer entity and the plurality of receiving devices are each pre-registered with each other by means of unique device identification number, which is embedded in inaccessible hardware, firmware or software components at the point of manufacture, linking the sending computer entity and the plurality of receiving devices. The receiving devices, after decrypting a received message, print a specified number of copies only, before deleting the electronic data from which the document copies have been printed.

Conventional solutions for secure printing attach printing rights to an individual person. Typically, a person sending a secure text and/or image file, may encrypt that file, send it over a network to a recipient, and the recipient, on receiving the file, decrypts the file using a known encryption mechanism, on a personal computer (PC) or other equivalent computer entity. Having decrypted the file, the recipient can send the file to print, load the file onto a data carrier such as a floppy disk, writable CD ROM, digital data storage (DDS) format device or similar. Prior art systems have the characteristic that firstly, once decrypted, there is no limitation on the number of prints which can be made from a received file. Secondly, receipt of the document is location independent. Provided the correct decryption software is loaded into a computer entity, there is no restriction on where the document can be decoded or on which individual computer entity, or printer device printing of a document can take place. Thirdly, the ability to decrypt data follows possession of a decryption key and decryption software, and a person having that key and software has potentially no physically enforceable restrictions on use of the document once decrypted.
In commercial or government organizations, different types of information are accorded different levels of security. For example, a typical four level security system may comprise:                Level zero—documents freely available to anyone inside or outside the organization, publicly available material.        Level one—documents which are restricted for employees or personnel within the organization, and which are not to be released outside the organization.        Level two—documents which are of a company confidential nature, such as technical reports, project specifications, and documents for which there would be commercial or other disadvantage in allowing to leak outside the organization        Level three—documents having restricted access to named individuals, for example take over/merger plans, personnel files, details of individuals salaries, business plans, financially sensitive data such as company financial accounts before publication, and defense or governmental classified information.
For higher security level information, individual paper documents may be individually numbered, and named individuals authorised to read the documents listed within the documents. Documents may be subject to restrictions, such as a bar on photocopying the documents, and restriction on the number of physical copies in circulation.
Electronic storage of such documents may also be restricted to machines which can be physically locked away.
With prior art secure electronic document solutions using computers, a recipient is allowed access to an electronic version of a file, which can be loaded onto a data carrier. The underlying assumption is that a person authorised at a particular security level has access to information in electronic storable format. However, whilst physical paper documents containing information are readily physically identifiable and can be checked by security personnel on leaving a building, electronic data can be easily passed out of an organizations premises and computer networks by electronic means, and in large quantities, without trace.
Although paper based information is not entirely secure, and is capable of being photocopied or sent by facsimile, it requires more time and effort to photocopy documents, or send them by facsimile, than it does to send documents electronically. The speed of sending electronic documents, and the large data volumes which can be sent without trace, make electronic storage of documents inherently less traceable and less secure, than the same information stored in paper format.

Mechanism for controlling if/when material can be printed on a specific printer

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A camera module includes a lens, an image sensor, a carrier carrying the image sensor, two spring supporting members, a frame, a base and a printed circuit board. The carrier has a comb-shaped first electrode having a number of first teeth. The carrier is suspended in the frame by the two spring supporting members, and is movable in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the image sensor. The base has a comb-shaped second electrode having a number of second teeth. The first teeth and second teeth are arranged in a staggered fashion. The printed circuit board provides a potential difference between the first and second electrodes, whereby an electrostatic force is generated between the first and second teeth to drive the first teeth to move towards the second teeth.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to camera modules, and particularly, to a camera module with movable image sensor.
2. Description of Related Art
With the ongoing development of microcircuitry and multimedia technology, camera modules, such as digital camera modules are now in widespread use and are being combined with various electronic devices. These camera modules are often required to have auto focusing function.
Camera modules typically include a number of lenses, and an image sensor aligned with the lenses. Nowadays, driving mechanisms, such as step motors, are often used for driving the lenses to move relative to the image sensor, thereby achieving the auto focusing function. However, the lenses, due to their own configuration for optical need, are bulky, and the step motor itself is also relatively bulky and heavy. In addition, the step motor consumes a substantial amount of power, especially relative to the amount of power that can be stored in a typical battery system of a camera or an electronic device.
What is needed, therefore, is a camera module which has a simple and energy-efficient driving mechanism for image sensor.


A system and method handles a group session of a communication group. The method includes determining server association data and access network association data for each mobile unit in a communication group. The server association data indicates a first association with a Push-To-Talk (PTT) server. The access network association data indicates a second association with an operating area respective to the PTT servers. The method includes determining a first MU of the MUs in the communication group being associated with a first PTT server and associated with a MBMS operating area of a second PTT server, the first PTT server controlling the group session. When none of the MUs participating in the group session is associated with the second PTT server, the method includes inviting the second PTT server to join the group session of the communication group.

A Push-To-Talk (PTT) server may be used to provide voice features. A traditional system that provides the PTT functionality may be performed over a communication network such as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. In such a system, only a single, controlling PTT server controls a particular group session of a PTT communication group that includes a plurality of mobile units (MUs). The controlling PTT server is configured to involve the MUs that belong to the controlling PTT server as well as MUs that belong to other (i.e., participating) PTT servers. The MUs that belong to, and operate in a coverage area of, the controlling PTT server may directly connect to the controlling PTT server for control messaging and media that is sent by unicast. The MUs that belong to, and operate in coverage areas of, other (participating) PTT servers may indirectly receive the control messaging and media, which is sent by unicast through the other PTT servers and which other PTT servers are connected to the controlling PTT server via a network-to-network interface (NM).
Similarly, for media broadcasts, the MUs that belong to the controlling PTT server and that operate in a Multicast Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) area of an operating area of the controlling PTT server may again directly connect to the controlling PTT server for receipt of the media broadcasts. Specifically, the Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services (MBMS) operating area may define at least one MBSFN area which provides a respective communication channel that may be configured for the group session of the PTT communication group. And the MUs that belong to other (participating) PTT servers and that are disposed within an operating area (or MBSFN area of that operating area) of the other PTT servers indirectly receive the media broadcasts from the controlling PTT server through the other PTT servers.
When MBMS support is required for the MUs that belong to the controlling PTT server but operate in an MBSFN area of one of the other PTT servers, the other PTT server serving the MBSFN area is required to provide MBMS support for these MUs. However, for the other PTT server to provide the MBMS support for these MUs, at least one MU included in the group session of the PTT communication group must belong to the other PTT server. That is, if at least one MU that is part of the group session belongs to the other PTT server, then an MU that belongs to the controlling PTT server but that operate in the MBSFN area of the other PTT server is capable of being provided the MBMS support by the other PTT server. However, if no MU that is part of the group session belongs to the other PTT server, then an MU that belongs to the controlling PTT server that operate in a MBSFN area the other PTT server might not be provided MBMS support, as the other PTT server is not associated with the group session. That is, the other PTT server, having no MUs that belong to the group session, is unaware of the group session as well as any MU belonging to the controlling PTT server that may operate in an MBSFN in its operating area.
Accordingly, there is a need for providing MBMS support for MUs that are participants of a group session of a PTT communication group belonging to the controlling PTT server but that are operating in a MBSFN area of an operating area of an unaware, other PTT server.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.


An auxiliary structure to improve efficacy of a fitness equipment includes a pair of swing bars pivoted to a pair of traction bars wherein in turn pivoted to a crank; the crank drives a sprocket and a resistance control wheel for both swing bars to drive both traction bars to travel up, down, back and forth; each pedal is disposed with a roller to travel in a slide attached to the traction bar and is pivoted to a pull-and-push connection bar, which in turn is pivoted to a transmission connection bar; each transmission connection bar is pivoted to a support; each mid section of the transmission connection bar is pivoted to an active connection bar, which in turn is pivoted to the swing bar; and each pedal is dragged by the push-and-pull connection bar driven by the transmission connection bar when both swing bars alternatively swing to drive the transmission connecting bar to increase longitudinal travel ranges of both pedals for providing adequate exercise amount for waist and legs of a user to improve exercise efficacy.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an auxiliary structure for efficacy of fitness equipment, and more particularly, to one that improves exercise efficacy by increasing longitudinal travel of a pair of pedals to put more exercise amount on one's legs and waist when a user alternatively swings a pair of swing bars to transmit kinetic energy through a connection bar of the fitness equipment to drives the pair of pedals to increase their longitudinal displacement.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Steppers generally available in the market operate on having a swing bar to drive a traction bar; the traction bar relying upon a sprocket as an axis has its crank pivoted to the axis to revolve and drive the traction bar to ascend, descend, and travel back and forth; and a pair of pedals are fixed to the traction bar; and the amount of travel is simply determined by a revolving displacement of a length of the crank to achieve fitness purpose by treading on the pair of pedals.
However, in the stepper of the prior art, both pedals are fixed to the traction bar to limit striding distance thus to fail expected treading and twisting results.
Furthermore, the exercise results are very limited since the stepper of the prior art is at its best a strolling machine by allowing its user only to travel back and forth within a range as determined by the swing arc of the pair of the swing bar, and tread also in a very small range defined by the ascending and descending of the crank.

Auxiliary structure for fitness equipment efficacy


Processes for transferring a semiconductor material to a polymer substrate to provide flexible semiconductor material include implanting ions to a predetermined depth in a semiconductor substrate, heat-treating the ion-implanted semiconductor substrate for a period of time and at a temperature effective to cause defect formation and enlargement of the implanted ion defect, adhering the ion-implanted, heat-treated substrate to a polymer substrate, and separating a semiconductor film such as a single crystal silicon film from the semiconductor substrate; and devices having single crystal silicon films disposed directly or indirectly on polymer films.

The present invention relates to thin film semiconductors, and in particular, to methods of making thin film semiconductors having a polymer substrate, and structures having a single crystal silicon film and polymer substrate.
There is a growing need for a variety of display devices, such as liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light emitting diode (OLED), and active matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) devices. These display devices are based on technology using thin-film semiconductor material. The thin-film semiconductor material is used to produce thin-film transistors (TFT), three-terminal devices in which an input signal controls the output current. TFTs are classified into those using polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si), amorphous silicon, or single crystal silicon (SCS) thin-film semiconductor material. TFTs perform switching and amplifying functions and can operate as a discrete device or as a building cell of integrated circuits. For example, an LCD device uses an array of TFTs to control the display process. In OLED devices, radiation is emitted as a result of electron-hole interactions in thin film organic semiconductors. An AMLCD device is a higher performance version of an LCD and uses an array of TFTs to control individual pixels.
TFTs made using amorphous silicon must be driven by standard integrated circuits. Amorphous silicon is a non-crystalline silicon possessing no long-range crystallographic order. As a result, amorphous silicon films possess poor electrical characteristics and inherently poor stability. Amorphous silicon film is suitable for producing transistors to switch individual pixels on and off, but is unable to handle logic and mixed signal functions needed for higher performance devices.
TFTs produced using poly-Si technology are superior to those made with amorphous silicon. Poly-Si is a crystalline silicon in which atoms are arranged following a specific pattern (long-range order) within limited grains. While this emerging technology is expected to eliminate the need for separate display drivers, required with TFTs made of amorphous silicon, and allow fabrication of drivers on poly-Si itself, and reduce the cost and size of display devices, poly-Si technology has been under development for several years and has yet to solve issues of poor uniformity and high cost of manufacture.
The use of SCS films creates superior electronic and photonic properties as compared to amorphous silicon and poly-Si films. SCS is a crystalline solid in which long-range order exists throughout the entire piece of material, significantly enhancing low-charge-carrier mobility. Also, the single crystal nature of the film provides better uniformity than amorphous silicon or poly-Si films.
Processes for transferring SCS film onto an oxidized substrate are known in the art. Exfoliation is one such technique. Exfoliation by the hydrogen ion implantation method generally involves implanting a silicon wafer with ions to create a defect structure in the wafer. Typically, the implantation ions are hydrogen ions. The ion-implanted side of the wafer is then brought into contact with an oxidized silicon substrate. The wafer and oxidized silicon substrate are heated to high temperatures, typically greater than 1,000° C. The heat treatment forms a bond between the ion-implanted side of the silicon wafer and the oxidized silicon substrate. The heat also causes the ion-implanted portion of the silicon wafer to separate from the silicon wafer.
Since processes for obtaining an SCS film on a substrate require relatively high temperatures, they are not suitable for polymer substrates. Consequently, most TFTs used in display devices are made using glass substrates. However, glass substrates result in significant weight of display devices due to the high density of glass employed therein. Also, glass substrates are rigid and possess a low tolerance for bending stresses. Moreover, glass is fragile and if dropped, TFTs made with glass substrates have a high risk of breakage.
Many applications require lightweight, flexible displays. There are many polymer materials that are much more flexible than glass and have less than about half the density of glass. As a result, some effort has been made to develop technology to replace glass substrates with polymer substrates. These technologies employ either amorphous silicon or poly-Si film transferred to a polymer substrate and are subject to the aforementioned drawbacks. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for devices employing SCS film on a polymer substrate.


Systems and methods for establishing UI push channels are disclosed. The UI push channels can be used to broadcast event notifications to multiple UIs whenever the information in an underlying data source is changed. In response to the event notifications, the UIs may update or refresh the displayed information so as to include the most current information in the data source. UI push channels are defined by associations between an application messaging channel (AMC) and the UI connection used to communicate with the client computing device and the application server. In particular, the UI push channels can be established by an AMC definition that defines a target data source, subscriber entities, and publisher entities. The listing of the publishers and the subscribers in the AMC definition infer the associations between the corresponding AMC and the UI connections.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Client-server system configurations provide for centralized data management and storage (e.g., databases, tables, etc.). Typically, centralized data management and storage systems are implemented on a server computer or in a cloud computing environment that can communicate over one or more proprietary or open networks. Client computing devices (e.g., desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, etc.) executing a client application specifically designed to communicate with the centralized data management and storage system can securely connect to the system over the networks.
In general, the purpose of the client application is to provide users with access (e.g., read, write, update, etc.) to data stored in a remote system (e.g., a business system). For example, a user, through the client application, might request that the information in a particular data table in the centralized data management and storage system be displayed in a UI on his client computing device. Information from the particular table may be displayed to the user in a particular graphical user interface (GUI). To handle the user input received from the user, render the GUI, and populate the GUI with the information from the table, some systems implement a UI agent-UI session configuration. In such configurations, the UI agent is instantiated on the client computing device and communicates with a corresponding UI session instantiated in remote application server with access to the centralized data management and storage system. The UI session handles requests from the UI agent for information or analysis of information in a data source, and in response, executes corresponding transactions on the data stores. The UI session may then send the resulting information back the UI agent to be displayed in the UI.
Because of the request-response nature of communication between the UI agent and the UI session, the information displayed in the corresponding GUI is only valid as long as the underlying data in the data source is unchanged. Because the data table may be available to a number of client computing devices simultaneously, it is possible that the data in the data source may be changed, updated, or deleted after the transaction for information was completed and the information is displayed. In particular, the information displayed in a GUI may no longer accurately represent the data if another UI session, or other application, has performed altering transactions (e.g., write, update, or replace functions) on the data source since the information was obtained. To ensure that the information displayed in the GUI includes the most timely data from the underlying data table, is often necessary to manually or periodically re-execute or update the transaction in order to obtain the most current data from the data table. Manually or periodically re-executing or updating the transaction can cause undesirable overuse of the available computing and network resources at all levels. The overuse of computing and network resources not only diminishes the performance of the centralized data management and storage system, but also decreases the user experience in the form of lag and delays.


A system for impacting a flow of fluid onto a wire, a bundle of wires, coil of wires and/or cables or other electrical/electronic materials/components that are oriented in a tangle or loose coils etc., and having one or more outer covering materials, and methodology of its use to remove the one or more outer coverings.

Recycling of materials is a growing industry. One area in which materials are available for recovery includes wires, bundles of wires, coils of wires or cables etc. which comprises a covering material. The covering material, (eg. Teflon®, polyethylene, polyvinyl-chloride, fluoropolymers and other polymers or the like), is valuable as is the metal encompassed thereby, however, a reliable approach to separating the covering and the underlying metal is prerequisite to achieving recycling benefits.
The presently preferred approach of removing coverings from wires is to chop them into short lengths (eg. 1-2 millimeters); which has the effect of liberating the covering material from the underlying wire. The materials are then separated by various methods, such as by those which exploit the difference in particle size and density of the wire and the covering.
A Search of Patents has provided:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,444 to Smith which describes use of a needle-like jet of fluid to cut into the outer jacket of a cable to allow its separation from the inner core thereof without damaging the inner core. The jacket is separated from the inner core and each is taken-up by a separate reel. Use of multiple jets is also mentioned.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,950 to Takano Takahashi mentions use of a water jet to peel insulation off an intermediate section of wire, but describes use of blades to cut out and mechanically remove an intermediate portion of a covering.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,610 to Hall describes use of a stream of baking soda powder particles to strip hard enamel coatings by abrasion at intermediate sections while leaving underlying wire unharmed. Nozzles are positioned and oriented to provide the stream at a 45 or 90 degree angle, and the nozzles are rotated 120 degrees with respect to one another around the circumference of the wire.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,130,404 to Campagna et al. describes use of lasers to remove plastic coating on a metal tube. Use of a jet of ultraclean water is mentioned as a means to cut and blow off a nylon coating deposited on a metal tube without affecting underlying metal.
Additional Patents the Inventor is aware of are U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,461 to Ciniglia et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,064,884 to Asp.
Even in view of the prior art, need remains for improved system and methodology for removal of plastic covering from tangled wires and loose coils.

Waterjet removal of coverings from tangled wire and loose coils


An apparatus for preventing an unauthorized use of a copyright medium adapted to identify a purchaser by authentication of the purchaser's fingerprint at the time of purchasing an encrypted copyright medium, so that only the purchaser can reproduce or copy work data recorded in the copyright medium. Data is read from a copyright medium identification database in order to write a copyright medium unique identification database and a cipher key database into a Smart card or other recording mediums using a Smart card or other recording medium data reading/writing device. Moreover, fingerprint data of the purchaser of the copyright medium is read by using a fingerprint authentication device. The purchaser's fingerprint data, the copyright medium unique identification data, and the cipher key are written into the Smart card or other recording medium using the Smart card or other recording medium data reading/writing device.

Conventionally, there have already been suggested systems wherein fingerprint data and a cipher key are written into a copyright medium. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-27231 discloses a system wherein biological information such as fingerprint information is directly written and stored in a management area of a recording medium such as a compact disk (CD), a digital video disk (DVD), or the like, which includes previously recorded digital contents composed of image data such as static or dynamic images, audio data such as music or voices, and composite data including image and audio data. In this system, however, there is a need for the fingerprint data or the like to be written into the copyright medium at the time of delivery of the copyright medium. Therefore, the copyright medium need be post-writable, which conflicts with existing structure specifications, thereby increasing a cost of mass production equipment disadvantageously. Furthermore, it is an object of the conventional system to prevent copying or reproduction of the contents, and therefore a purchaser is also inhibited to copy and use the contents. This causes inconveniences such that the purchaser-cannot make a backup copy in case of a product purchased being broken or that the purchaser cannot always have the, copyright medium ready for use in a plurality of places, such as in his/her house, automobile, and mobile audio-visual device. When being broken, the copyright medium purchased can be tracked down using an Smart card or other recording medium and fingerprint data, and thereby it can be reissued. It, however, requires extra cost and time disadvantageously.
Furthermore, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-258975 discloses an apparatus and a method, wherein a user's fingerprint image is collated with user's fingerprint data stored in an Smart card, if they match, a logon ID is read from the Smart card, and if it is coincident, the user is authorized to use a terminal concerned. In the apparatus and method for recognizing fingerprint, a user is authenticated at the time of system logon.

Apparatus for preventing unauthorized use of a copyrighted medium


In a first embodiment, the invention relates to an arrangement for operating a plurality of terminal devices (6) on a common antenna (4) with a coupling network (2) comprising a first separator (8) associated with the antenna (4) and a second separator (10) associated with the respective terminal (6). In a second embodiment, the invention relates to an arrangement for operating a plurality of terminal devices (6) on a common transmitting antenna (4″) and on a common receiving antenna (4) which is separate from the common transmitting antenna (4″) with a coupling network (2) comprising a separator (10) which is associated with the respective terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is concerned with an arrangement for the operation of multiple radio controlled terminal devices using a common antenna.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, the number of terminal devices for mobile communications is increasing in vehicles such as, for example, busses, automobiles, etc. Therein, besides employment for audio transmissions, these terminal devices (also referred to as mobile telephone devices) are employed ever frequently for the transmission of data in telephonic or emergency assistance systems.
Both for optical reasons as well as for space and cost considerations the number of antennae on the vehicle required for this increasing number of terminal devices cannot be increased without limit.
From DE-A-195 47 288 A1 the radio station with a setoff or separate antenna unit is known, wherein a duplexer is provided close to the antenna. Beyond this, a pre-amplifier is likewise provided close to the antenna. This antenna unit is in the form of a unit integrated with the transmitter and receiver antenna and is in communication via two dedicated separated transmission and receiving branches with unidirectional transmitter or receiver units.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,544 a transmitter and receiver unit for vehicles is known with a common transmitter and receiver antenna, wherein the base of the transmitter and receiver antenna is connected with an aerial combining unit in the immediate vicinity of the transmitter and receiver antenna. A preamplifier connected with the aerial combining unit is likewise provided in the immediate vicinity of the antenna base.

Arrangement for operating various terminal devices