An integrated circuit (IC) device comprising: 1) an integrated circuit (IC) die having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and sidewalls extending between the first surface and the second surface; 2) an integrated circuit (IC) package for supporting the IC die, wherein the IC package is attached to at least one of the sidewalls of the IC die such that at least a portion of the IC die first surface and at least a portion of the IC die second surface are exposed; and 3) at least one auxiliary component attached to at least one of the exposed portion of the IC die first surface and the exposed portion of the IC die second surface.

The size of integrated circuit (IC) packages continues to decrease even as the complexity and level of circuit integration in the IC packages continue to increase. This is particularly true in the case of system-on-a-chip (SOC) devices, in which most, if not all, of an electronic appliance is integrated onto a single integrated circuit die. Thus, relatively complex devices, such as cell phones, network interface cards (NICs), communication buses, and the like, are now being implemented as a single integrated circuit or perhaps only several integrated circuits.
Many integrated circuit (IC) devices do not encapsulate the entire IC chip in a protective package. For example, an IC sensor chip used in a fingerprint reader is a Touch-chip™ device (produced by STMicroelectronics, Inc.) that uses a sensor array to is read a fingerprint. In order to work properly, the sensor array must be at least partially exposed in order to receive the finger of a user. Other types of IC packages that expose the surface of the integrated circuit are chemical and pressure sensors. Optical sensors may be covered by a lens element. Light sensitive elements on the surface of the IC die are left exposed in order to detect light. More generally, it is useful in many applications to leave at least a portion of the surface of an IC die exposed so that test points on the IC die may be probed. Alternatively, it may be useful to leave a portion of the IC die surface exposed so that an end-user of the IC device may incorporate the IC package into a larger system by forming electrical connections to points on the surface of the IC die selected by the end-user, rather than the manufacturer of the IC package.
For these types of devices, it is necessary to package the IC die in such a way that the edges and wires of the IC die are protected, but the sensor array and/or test points on the surface or the IC die remain completely exposed. The packaging is usually accomplished using some kind of molding process. However, this process is made more difficult by the need to prevent molding flash from forming on the IC sensor and by the need to compensate for variation in die thickness and die tilt. The exposed IC sensor surface is brittle and must be handled carefully to prevent it from shattering during the manufacturing process and in the field.
Also, these sensors are generally integrated into a handheld device, such as a mobile phone to check fingerprints, a portable glucose meter to check the composition of body fluids, or a web-cam to take a picture. The packaging of these sensors has to be very efficient, to make the sensor very adaptable for integration into a hand-held system using a conventional surface mount (soldering) process. The smallest possible package is the silicon sensor itself, without the packaging. However, this is not compatible with the surface mounting process. Standard packages, such as Dual-in-Line package (DIP) or Quad Flat Pack (QPF), increase the mounting areas because of their leads. Other packages, such as BGA, add an excessive amount of additional thickness to the sensor.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for improving the packaging of an IC sensor that contains at least a partially exposed integrated circuit die surface.

Integrated circuit package with exposed die surfaces and auxiliary attachment


A sliding intelligence toy including a housing, two fixed pads fixed at two inner ends of the housing, a movable pad located between the two fixed pads, a connecting shaft structure passing through the two fixed pads and the movable pad, a first block structure and a second block structure. One end of the connecting shaft structure sticks out from one end of the housing and can move along the axial direction of the housing and rotate along the radial direction of the housing under the action of an external force, and the movable pad can rotate with the rotation of the connecting shaft structure. The sliding intelligent toy has a simple game principle, can be operated easily and flexibly and set clear levels of difficulty, which is challenging.

Generally, a sliding intelligence toy is played by disorganizing number or color blocks and then reorganizing them to initial positions. The basic operation method is to move the blocks horizontally or vertically or swap them to change the positions of the blocks. Most of the existing sliding intelligence toys have the disadvantages of complex and inflexible operation, not clearly defined difficulty levels and a complex game principle and cannot meet the game play requirements.


The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in accordance with the present invention provides a metal-containing film capable of adjusting a work function. The including: (a) alternately supplying a first source containing a first metal element and a halogen element and a second source containing a second metal element different from the first metal element and at least one selected from the group consisting of a ligand of a methyl group, a ligand of an ethyl group and a ligand of a cyclopenta-based group onto a substrate in a process chamber to form a composite metal-containing film on the substrate; and (b) alternately supplying a third source containing a third metal element and a fourth source containing nitrogen onto the substrate in the process chamber to form a metal nitride film on the composite metal-containing film.

In a large-scale integration (LSI) manufacturing process, a transistor structure includes a gate stack structure configured to control a limit voltage of a transistor, in which a high-k dielectric film having a dielectric constant of more than 4 is formed on silicon and a conductive thin film is formed on the high-k dielectric film. In the transistor structure, various conductive thin films are used as a gate electrode to control power consumption of the transistor. These conductive thin films include specific work functions (WF). The threshold voltage of the transistor may be controlled by adjusting the work functions.
When a metal film (metal gate electrode) is formed as a conductive thin film with the miniaturization or complication of device shapes, a method of forming a film using a plurality of material gases has been adopted. With the miniaturization of devices, the width of a space in which the metal film may be deposited is reduced, so that a layer thickness of a gate electrode used to adjust a work function can tend to be reduced. Presently, a metal-containing film which is a metal nitride film [for example, a titanium nitride (TiN) film] has widely been adopted as a metal gate electrode (Patent Document 1).

Method of manufacturing semiconductor device


A scroll saw having an unlimited throat depth includes upper and lower spaced apart blade arms independently supported and interconnected only by a blade at their forward ends. A spring biases a forward end of the upper blade arm upwardly keeping the blade taut throughout its reciprocation by a motor connected through an eccentric to the lower blade arm. The lower saw unit may be movably positioned on a platform or cart while the upper saw unit is slidably supported on a wall mounted support arm.

A typical scroll saw is limited in the size of work piece it can cut. The saw will ordinarily have a support member which pivotally interconnects and supports the upper and lower blade arms. The blade arms will be interconnected at their forward ends by the blade and a spring will interconnect the rear ends. A motor connected through an eccentric arm to the lower blade arm will reciprocate the blade and pivot both blade arms against the action of the interconnecting spring normally biasing the blade arms apart at their rearward ends. Thus the work piece can be no longer than the distance between the blade and the frame portion connecting the upper blade arm to the lower saw unit. Many work pieces are larger than what this saw can accommodate.
Another shortcoming of the standard scroll saw is that when a blade breaks, the upper arm will continue to be reciprocated through the rear end spring connection thereby exposing the saw to possible damage.
Each time a blade is broken and a replacement blade is installed, time consuming adjustments are required before operation can be resumed.
Thus what is needed is a scroll saw that has no obstructions between the upper and lower arms to interfere with work piece regardless of size and a saw that will not damage itself when the blade is broken or require adjustments when a new blade is installed.


A power consumption management method including acquiring total power consumption of a consumption object in real time, determining whether the total power consumption of the consumption object is greater than or equal to a predetermined upper threshold, determining one or more servers whose current power consumption is greater than or equal to a first predetermined percent of a full-load power as high-consuming servers, when the total power consumption of the consumption object is greater than or equal to the predetermined upper threshold, determining whether a quantity of the high-consuming servers is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and setting a maximum CPU utilization of each server as a second predetermined percent when the quantity of the high-consuming servers is greater than or equal to the predetermined value.

In electric power industry, demand is an average value of power during a preset cycle, such as fifteen minutes, and maximum demand is a greatest value of the demand during an electric charge accounting period, such as a month. The maximum demand usually is predetermined by a consumer. Electric charges of the consumer are calculated according to the maximum demand predetermined by the consumer, if the predetermined maximum demand is too high, more basic electric charges may be applied, if the predetermined maximum demand is too low, more extra electric charges may be applied.

Power consumption management device, system and method thereof


A printing machine includes a support stand, a plate rotational with respect to the stand about an axis of rotation, elements for driving the plate in rotation, at least two mandrels for holding two articles to be printed in succession, the mandrels being carried by the plate, elements for driving the mandrels in rotation about axes of rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of the plate, and a plurality of workstations distributed around the rotational plate. The machine includes elements for the displacement of each mandrel in a plane parallel to the plane of the plate, in order to modify the spacing between the axis of rotation of the mandrel and the axis of rotation of the plate. The elements for the displacement of the mandrels are designed to synchronize the displacement of each mandrel with the rotation of the plate.

The present invention relates to a printing machine of the type comprising a supporting stand, a plate rotational with respect to the stand about an axis of rotation, means for driving the plate in rotation, at least two mandrels for holding two articles to be printed in succession, the mandrels being carried by the plate, means for driving the mandrels in rotation about axes of rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of the plate, and a plurality of workstations distributed around the rotational plate.

Printing machine with a drive system for displacement of each mandrel


A search engine is disclosed which suggests related terms to the user to allow the user to refine a search. The related terms are generated using query term correlation data which reflects the frequencies with which specific terms have previously appeared within the same query. The correlation data is generated and stored in a look-up table using an off-line process which parses a query log file. The table is regenerated periodically from the most recent query submissions (e.g., the last two weeks of query submissions), and thus strongly reflects the current preferences of users. Each related term is presented to the user via a respective hyperlink which can be selected by the user to submit a modified query. In one embodiment, the related terms are added to and selected from the table so as to guarantee that the modified queries will not produce a NULL query result.

1. Field of Invention
This present invention relates to query processing, and more specifically relates to techniques for facilitating the process of refining search queries.
2. Description of Related Art
With the increasing popularity of the Internet and the World Wide Web, it is common for on-line users to utilize search engines to search the Internet for desired information. Many web sites permit users to perform searches to identify a small number of relevant items among a much larger domain of items. As an example, several web index sites permit users to search for particular web sites among known web sites. Similarly, many on-line merchants, such as booksellers, permit users to search for particular products among all of the products that can be purchased from the merchant. Other on-line services, such as Lexis.TM. and Westlaw.TM., allow users to search for various articles and court opinions.
In order to perform a search, a user submits a query containing one or more query terms. The query may also explicitly or implicitly identify a record field or segment to be searched, such as title, author, or subject classification of the item. For example, a user of an on-line bookstore may submit a query containing terms that the user believes appear within the title of a book. A query server program of the search engine processes the query to identify any items that match the terms of the query. The set of items identified by the query server program is referred to as a "query result." In the on-line bookstore example, the query result is a set of books whose titles contain some or all of the query terms. In the web index site example, the query result is a set of web sites or documents. In web-based implementations, the query result is typically presented to the user as a hypertextual listing of the located items.
If the scope of the search is large, the query result may contain hundreds, thousands or even millions of items. If the user is performing the search in order to find a single item or a small set of items, conventional approaches to ordering the items within the query result often fail to place the sought item or items near the top of the query result list. This requires the user to read through many other items in the query result before reaching the sought item. Certain search engines, such as Excite.TM. and AltaVista.TM., suggest related query terms to the user as a part of the "search refinement" process. This allows the user to further refine the query and narrow the query result by selecting one or more related query terms that more accurately reflect the user's intended request. The related query terms are typically generated by the search engine using the contents of the query result, such as by identifying the most frequently used terms within the located documents. For example, if a user were to submit a query on the term "FOOD," the user may receive several thousand items in the query result. The search engine might then trace through the contents of some or all of these items and present the user with related query terms such as "RESTAURANTS," "RECIPIES," and "FDA" to allow the user to refine the query.
The related query terms are commonly presented to the user together with corresponding check boxes that can be selectively marked or checked by the user to add terms to the query. In some implementations, the related query terms are alternatively presented to and selected by the user through drop down menus that are provided on the query result page. In either case, the user can add additional terms to the query and then resubmit the modified query. Using this technique, the user can narrow the query result down to a more manageable set consisting primarily of relevant items.
One problem with existing techniques for generating related query terms is that the related terms are frequently of little or no value to the search refinement process. Another problem is that the addition of one or more related terms to the query sometimes leads to a NULL query result. Another problem is that the process of parsing the query result items to identify frequently used terms consumes significant processor resources, and can appreciably increase the amount of time the user must wait before viewing the query result. These and other deficiencies in existing techniques hinder the user's goal of quickly and efficiently locating the most relevant items, and can lead to user frustration.

Refining search queries by the suggestion of correlated terms from prior searches


A phased array antenna system producing multiple beams that can be rapidly and reliably scanned between desired angular beam locations without the need for highly complex hardware. The antenna system includes multiple antenna elements (30) coupled to frequency converters (34) that downconvert received signals to an intermediate frequency. Each frequency converter (34) receives a local oscillator (36) signal that passes through a phase shifting circuit (40). The phase shifting circuits are adjusted only in a calibration mode, to remove any phase errors, but are not used to select beam locations. In a receive mode, the downconverted received signals are input to a matrix network (44), such as a Butler Matrix, which transforms the antenna signals on its input lines (42) to an equivalent set of beam location signals on its outputs (46), of which there is one for each possible angular beam location of the antenna system. A switch network (50) then selects from among this set of beam location signals and associates selected beam location signals with selected beam signals. The switch network (50) has its configuration determined by multiple electronically controllable switches (58), and determines the association of each of multiple communication beams with a selected angular beam location. Thus each communication beam can be conveniently directed or redirected to a desired angular beam location without the need to adjust a large number of phase shifting circuits.

This invention relates generally to phased array antennas and, more particularly, to phased array antenna systems that must provide multiple beams simultaneously. By adjusting the phase angles of signals received from or transmitted to multiple antenna elements in an antenna array, an antenna control system effectively steers the antenna beam, whether in a receive mode or a transmit mode. In satellite communication systems, it is highly desirable to be able to provide phased array antenna systems with highly agile beams, which can be scanned both rapidly and accurately between beam locations. It is also desirable to provide on-orbit re-configurabilty of such an antenna system, to switch rapidly between different beam configurations as needed.
In both commercial and military satellite communication systems, antenna arrays must be controlled to produce relatively narrow beams, as small as one degree in width. Each narrow beam covers only a relatively small, approximately circular area of the earth's surface. Besides being more energy efficient, the use of narrow beams permits multiple ground stations to use the same radio frequency without conflict. Also modern satellite communication systems need the ability to transmit or receive over multiple beams simultaneously. As the number of required multiple beams increases, so does the complexity of the phased array antenna control circuitry.
In conventional phased array antenna systems, each radiating element in the array has to have an independent radio-frequency (RF) phase shifting circuit for each independent beam to be produced. In an illustrative system to be discussed in more detail below, the array has 547 elements and there is a requirement to produce sixteen independent beams. Thus, 8,752 phase shifting circuits are needed, together with sixteen 547-way RF power combiners to produce the sixteen independent beams. Each phase shifting circuit has to be connected to an appropriate one of the power combiners, creating a maze of crossing lines. Moreover, each of the phase shifting circuits requires its own four-bit control line to provide the requisite beam steering accuracy. The complexity of implementation increases even further as the number of independent beams rises above a modest value.
Accordingly, it will be appreciated that there is a need for a less complex technique to provide multiple independent beams from a phased array antenna system. The present invention is directed to this end.

Multiple scanning beam direct radiating array and method for its use


A method of determining a transaction identifier for a message to be sent from a node on a network. The node has an address table and a memory. The method comprising the steps of: accessing the address table to determine an address for the message; and accessing the transaction identifier at a memory location corresponding to the address.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the field of network communications. In particular, the present invention describes improved duplicate message detection.
2. Description of Related Art
In most computer networks, information is communicated using messages. Nodes on the network prepare messages and transmit these messages to other nodes. Each message contains a number of bytes corresponding to the information to be communicated and a number of bytes identifying the message, called the header. These types of networks can be used in control systems. For example, a control system network can be used to control the heating and the ventilation of a large building.
A sender node can request that a receiver node return an acknowledgment. An acknowledgment is a message that is in response to another message. If such a request is made, the sender node will wait for the acknowledgment. If no acknowledgment is received the sender node can then transmit a duplicate of the original message. However, this raises the problem of distinguishing between original messages and duplicate messages. For reliable communications, the receiver should detect that a given message is a duplicate, and the sender node should detect whether a given acknowledgment is a duplicate. The following illustrates an example of the undesirable effects that lack of a duplicate message detection system can have. Assume that the sender node transmits a command to open a valve 10% more. The receiver receives and executes the command. Assume that the acknowledgment from the receiver node has been lost. The sender node would not know that the original message had been received and would then transmit the open valve 10% more command. If the receiver node does not detect this second message as a duplicate, the valve will be opened 20%. Clearly, this could be disastrous.
One previous method of detecting duplicate messages is to use transaction identifiers (transaction ids). A transaction is the start to end process of successfully communicating a message. The transaction id identifies each separate transaction. Transaction ids are also referred to as transaction sequence numbers. A sender node includes a transaction id in each original message. The receiver node remembers this transaction id. If a subsequent message arrives with exactly the same transaction id, then the receiver node knows that the message has been previously received. The receiver node can ignore the command contained in the message. The receiver node also know that it must transmit the acknowledgment. The receiver node includes the transaction id in the acknowledgment. The sender node, upon receipt of the acknowledgment, can end the transaction.
One practical problem with the use of transaction ids is that they can only represent a limited range. That is, after a certain number of transactions, transaction ids must be reused. The set of all possible transaction ids is called the transaction space. Generally, if the receiver node receives two messages with the same transaction id, the receiver node will assume that the second message is a duplicate. To prevent the receiver node from erroneously assuming a second message with a previously used transaction id is a duplicate, previous systems use timers to allow received messages, and their transaction ids, to expire. The receiver node uses a transaction timer for each transaction id.
In Tanenbaum, A. N., Computer Networks, 2nd Edition, at page 429, a large transaction space (e.g. 2.sup.32 -1) is defined for use in local and wide area networks. This helps to ensure that when transaction ids start repeating, a sufficient period of time has passed for all previous transactions to have expired. In typical local and wide area networks, the data rates are relatively high, and the number of messages are relatively large. Therefore, using a large number of bits to represent the transaction id in a message is an acceptable design constraint. For example, a transaction id may be only four bytes of a message containing two kilobytes of information.
However, some networks have relatively low data rates and relatively small sized messages. For example, in a networked control system, data rates may be 600 baud. For example, temperature information may only be a few bytes of data. Therefore, requiring a large number of bits to represent the transaction id is unacceptable. One previous system uses a transaction space of sixteen transaction ids. After initiating sixteen transactions, the first node reuses the transaction ids. If, for example, one node is used for configuring many other nodes on the network, then it is quite possible to reuse a transaction id that has not yet expired. This can cause the receiver node to erroneously disregard the information in the second message. LONBUILDER 2.2, available from Echelon Systems of Palo Alto, Calif., supports such a network and communications system.
What is needed is a method and apparatus having improved duplicate message detection, but have an acceptable ratio between the size of the header and the rest of the information to be communicated.
An improved method and apparatus for detecting duplicate messages.

Duplicate message detection method and apparatus


A mobile communications device may include an RF signal source configured to generate RF signals over an RF frequency band(s), and an RF transmitter coupled to the RF signal source. The RF transmitter may include an RF amplifier configured to operate over a plurality of different power control levels. The RF amplifier may have an input configured to receive the RF signals from the RF signal source and an output having an impedance which changes based upon changes between the different power control levels. The RF transmitter may further include a shunt resistor(s) coupling the output of the amplifier to a voltage reference, and the shunt resistor(s) may be configured to decrease a highest impedance change of the RF amplifier output to below a threshold impedance level. An antenna(s) may be coupled to the output of the RF amplifier to operate over the at least one RF frequency band.

Mobile communication systems continue to grow in popularity and have become an integral part of both personal and business communications. Various mobile devices now incorporate Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) features such as calendars, address books, task lists, calculators, memo and writing programs, media players, games, etc. These multi-function devices usually allow electronic mail (email) messages to be sent and received wirelessly, as well as access the internet via a cellular network and/or a wireless local area network (WLAN), for example.
Mobile communication devices are required to meet certain operational standards for the respective frequency bands over which they communicate. For example, UMTS cellular devices are typically required to meet inner loop power control (ILPC) requirements. ILPC in the uplink is the ability of the mobile transmitter to adjust its output power in accordance with one or more transmit power control (TPC) commands received in the downlink. The mobile transmitter may be required to change its output power with various step sizes (e.g., 1 dB, 2 dB and 3 dB) while remaining within a certain power control range.

Mobile communications device including an RF transmitter providing impedance fluctuation dampening and related methods


An association management system for establishing, maintaining, and monitoring associations between a personal identifier and an electronic device, includes a provider subsystem in operable communication with at least one of the personal identifier and the electronic device. The provider subsystem is configured to provision a person associated with the personal identifier, authenticate both of the personal identifier and the electronic device, and establish an association of the authenticated personal identifier to the authenticated electronic device. The system further includes a certificate authority subsystem for issuing at least one digital certificate to verify an identity of one or more digital entities operating on the management system, and a digital distributed ledger including a plurality of a consensus pool of participating processors. The digital distributed ledger is configured to verify, using the at least one digital certificate, transaction events of the association management system.

The field of the disclosure relates generally to device association security, and more particularly, to device to person association using distributed ledger technology.
A variety of devices interact with people. Often, details of what devices are used, by specific people, and at specific times, are important to know and verify. For example, for insurance and safety reasons, it may be very important to know details about critical medical devices associated with specific patients. In law enforcement examples, it is often important to verify details of certain devices (such as body cameras) associated with particular law enforcement officer persons, whether for evidentiary or for safety reasons. Unlawful activities, such as insurance fraud, malpractice, and/or other criminal or unethical practices, provide significant incentives to falsify records associating devices to people, and other data associated therewith (e.g., timestamps, geolocations, etc.). Conventional systems and methods, which rely on manual processes augmented by traditional databases, do not provide sufficient transparency and visibility to confidently verify that a specific device was assigned or being used by a specific person at a specific time and in a specific location.
Moreover, communication with associated devices is often performed as data transactions over a network that is not considered to be secure. Conventional transaction security solutions can be extremely complex, and conventional mechanisms for transaction security are increasingly being exploited. For example, where conventional systems employ multiple security measures for a transaction, it is difficult to verify whether the transaction itself has been compromised, or when the compromise occurred, once one security measure has been breached.

Systems and methods for secure person to device association


A system controls the speed of a Voice Coil Motor (VCM) in order to perform the ramp loading of hard disk heads with low noise. This system includes a generator for generating a discontinuous PWM drive signal to a power stage. A sampling block is clocked by a synchronization signal issued from the generator and receives as an input a signal related to the electromotive force (Bemf) provided by the VCM motor. An adder node placed at the sampling block output receives a signal related to a reference electromotive force (Bemf_ref). A filtering block placed downstream of the adder node generates a power supply voltage signal to the power stage. The control system further includes a control block having at least one voltage divider and controlled switches. The control block is input the signal issued from the filtering block and control signals from the generator block to selectively operate the controlled switches and set the value of the power-on signal of the power stage.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for controlling the speed of a Voice Coil Motor (VCM) in order to perform a low-noise ramp loading of Hard Disk heads.
2. Description of Related Art
As is well known in this specific technical field, a Voice Coil Motor (VCM) is a special type of motor operative to move a read/write head in small steps across a magnetic disk, the extent of the movements being controlled by the electromotive force of a coil. The initials VCM will be used herein for brevity to denote a Voice Coil Motor.
It is common to provide the drive for a power stage controlling the speed of a VCM in a discontinuous pulse width modulation (PWM) mode. Pulse Width Modulation will be designated PWM herein for brevity. This operation mode is used by reason of it being simple and demanding no calibration.
The state of the art provides a number of solutions to the problem of feedback driving motors as above by PWM signals. Relevant references are, for instance, Patents Nos. U.S. Pat. No. 6,542,324 B1, EP 1,118,994 A2, U.S. Pat. No. 6,320,717 B1, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,214 B1, the disclosures of each which being incorporated herein by reference.
The above-mentioned and other patent references provide the same circuit type, to be generally discussed below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3a.
Shown in FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a speed control system for a VCM motor 1.
The system of FIG. 1 includes a discontinuous PWM signal generator 2 operative to generate an enable signal INONOFF to a power stage 3; this stage includes two power transistors TR1 and TR2 having gains K and −K, respectively, and being both supplied the same power supply signal INFIL.
The stage 3 outputs drive signals Out_M and Out_P to the winding of the VCM motor 1, through which motor a current IVCM flows. A current sensor, for example, in the form of a sensing resistor Rsense is connected in series with the winding of the motor 1.
The difference in value between the two output signals Out_M and Out_P sets the value of the electromotive force Bemf issued from the stage 3, when the output stage is in the tristate condition and there is no current. Both signals Out_M and Out_P are taken to the inverting (−) and non-inverting (+) terminals, respectively, of an operational amplifier 6, the latter supplying a signal OUTRAM to power a Sample and Hold sampling block 4. The block 4 receives a synchronization signal INSH from the generator 2 for synchronizing the reading of the electromotive force Bemf from the VCM motor 1 with the frequency of the PWM signal generated by the generator 2; it comprises basically a switch SW which is driven by the signal INSH, and an output capacitor C1. The block 4 is connected to an adder node 7, to which it supplies a signal OUTSH; the value of OUTSH is compared, by means of the adder node 7, to a reference electromotive force value Bemf_ref, thereby to produce an input signal IN+ to a filtering block 5. The filtering block 5 basically comprises a feedback amplifier 8 in an inverting configuration, which amplifier is input a reference voltage value Vref through its non-inverting (+) terminal, and the signal In+ issued from the adder node 7 through its inverting (−) terminal; the filtering block 5 filters and amplifies the signal IN+and supplies the power stage 3.
It can be appreciated from the above example that, during the operations for disk loading or ramp loading the heads, the speed of the VCM motor 1 is controlled by a direct reading of the electromotive force Bemf generated by the movement of the VCM motor 1 itself. In fact, during a time period when the power stage 3 is enabled (in the Current or in the Voltage mode), a current IVCM flows throughout the VCM motor 1 which will generate a suitable torque to keep the speed under control, whereas during a subsequent time period, the power stage 3 will be cut off by a high impedance Rsense (tristate condition) to allow the current flowing throughout the VCM motor 1 to be discharged, and upon completion of the discharging step, the generated electromotive force Bemf to be detected.
The differential amplifier 6 connected to the two outputs Out_M and Out_P then reads the electromotive force Bemf representing the feedback signal of the speed control cycle of the VCM motor 1.
Unfortunately, a side effect of this driving mode is that acoustical noise is generated during the aforesaid ramp loading operations, due to the low working frequency of the discontinuous PWM drive.
In addition, the intensity of this noise can vary according to the frequency of the PWM signal generated, the mechanical characteristics of the hard disk, or the amount of the current IVCM required for keeping the VCM motor speed under control.
Shown in FIG. 2 is a timing diagram illustrating how the power-on signal INONOFF and synchronization signal INSH are linked with the two output voltage signals Out_P and Out_M of the power stage 3 and with the current IVCM flowing throughout the VCM motor 1.
It can be seen on the diagram that the electromotive force Bemf is detected at the end of the cut-off time period of the power stage 3, when the differential voltage at the two outputs of the power stage exactly matches the electromotive force Bemf generated by the movement of the VCM motor 1.
Also, during the enable time period (Ton) of the power stage 3, the current IVCM through the VCM motor 1 shows a step-wise pattern, specifically at its trailing edge.
FIG. 3a shows a current profile as detected in a prior art application. It can be seen from FIG. 3a that during the enable time period (Ton) of the power stage 3, no control is performed on the profile of the current IVCM flowing throughout the VCM motor 1.
Unfortunately, the current profile generated by prior art systems during the enable time period (Ton) is a major cause of the acoustical noise which is inherent to the drive arrangement discussed above.
There is accordingly a need to provide a system for controlling the speed of a VCM motor, specifically during the ramp loading of hard disk heads, with suitable design and performance features to still permit driving in the discontinuous PWM mode, but with a significant reduction in the acoustical noise caused by the loading operation, thereby overcoming the limitations of current systems according to the prior art.

System for controlling the speed of a voice coil motor (VCM) in order to provide a low noise ramp loading of a hard disk head


An apparatus and method for current protection from lightning strikes is provided. An apparatus for current protection comprises an electrically conductive strip affixed to a surface, such as a structural panel, and electrically bonded to a system current return strip to conduct electricity between the electrically conductive strip and a current return location.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for both routing and dissipating electrical energy, and more particularly to improving the routing and dissipation of electrical energy received by elements as a result from a lightning strike to a surface that is connected to the elements.
2. Background
The ability to effectively deal with lightning strikes on composite materials that form structural panels for wings, fuselages, fuel tanks, and other components of an aircraft structure is an important consideration for the safety of an aircraft and other means of transportation. Composite materials are highly desirable for structural components due to lower mass, while possessing high structural rigidity and high strength. However, composite materials are not highly conductive and cannot readily dissipate the energy from a lightning strike as efficiently as traditional metal body components used with many conventional aircraft.
Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) is one type of composite material used for spar and rib installations. A CFRP structure is about 2000 times more resistive than most metals and consequently CFRP is more prone to spark events when subjected to currents from lightning strikes, especially at interfaces and fasteners. In flammable regions the spark events can trigger catastrophic explosions.
Current methods used to prevent lightning currents from entering flammable regions in aircraft, through systems mounted in flammable vapor boundaries employ bonding wires, straps or dielectric isolators. Improvements over these methods are desirable for providing spark free performance (for example, by minimizing discontinuities in the form of gaps and material interfaces), improved flight performance (for example, by reducing the weight of system spar and rib mount assemblies), and CFRP integration performance.
Therefore, what is desired is a system that can discharge current away from a composite material when lightning strikes.

Method and system for lightning current conduction protection using foil bonded strips


A conjugated polymer in an oxidized state has a doping level of 0.4 or higher. In said oxidized state the polymer is electroconductive, transparent to visible light and preferably colorless. A method of preparing such a polymer comprises the step of bringing the polymer into contact with a strong oxidative agent such as thianthrenium perchlorate. Layers of such polymers may be used as a transparent coating on a display device or as an electrode layer in an electroluminescent device.

The invention relates to a conjugated polymer in an oxidized state and a method of preparing such a conjugated polymer.
The invention further relates to a substrate surface, in particular a surface of a display screen of a display device, provided with a layer comprising such a conjugated polymer.
The invention also relates to an electrode comprising such a conjugated polymer, and in particular to an electroluminescent device comprising such an electrode.
In the context of the invention, a conjugated polymer is a polymer (the term polymer includes copolymer, terpolymer, etc. as well as oligomer) which has a poly-conjugated system, i.e. an extensive interconnected system of double and/or triple bonds (also known as .pi.-bonds or unsaturated bonds). Generally, the poly-conjugated system extends along the main chain (backbone) of the polymer.
As is well known in the art, the presence of a poly-conjugated system renders many conjugated polymers readily oxidizable. Thus, a conjugated polymer in a neutral state may be brought into an oxidized state by bringing said conjugated polymer into contact with an oxidative agent, whereupon a redox process occurs. As a result, a conjugated polymer in an oxidized state having an increased specific conductivity is obtained which is interesting from a technical point of view. Typical values range from 10.sup.-3 to 10.sup.3 S/cm. The redox process is also referred to as doping, the oxidative agent as a dopant, and the oxidized state as a doped state, whereas the conjugated polymer in an oxidized state is also referred to as a doped conjugated polymer, for short. If the charge carriers accommodated by the poly-conjugated system are positively charged, the doping is said to be p-type. If the poly-conjugated system carries almost no charge, the conjugated polymer is in the neutral or undoped state.
Layers comprising such doped conjugated polymers are electroconductive and can be suitably used for a large variety of applications. For example, a layer of such a polymer can be used as an anti-static or electromagnetic shielding coating or as an electrode layer.
Doping the conjugated polymer does not only change the electrical properties but also the optical properties associated with the conjugated polymer, such as its color and transparency in the visible range. As a general rule, it appears that conjugated polymers are, both in the doped and undoped state, highly colored and rather opaque.
This is unfortunate since in the art a clear need exists for polymers which are electroconductive, transparent to visible light and, preferably, colorless. Such polymers can be suitable used in place of or in addition to known inorganic transparent conductors such as indiumtinoxides. However, attempts to satisfy this need have been largely unsuccessful. More in particular, as exemplified by a publication by Having a et al. in Chem. Mater., vol. 8, 1996, pp 769-776, it has so far been impossible to provide a conjugated polymer in an oxidized state which is electroconductive, transparent and, preferably, colorless, if said polymer, in its neutral, state has an oxidation potential, expressed in terms of a half-wave potential, E.sub.1/2, at room temperature, of more than 0.0 V vs the saturated calomel electrode (SCE). In this respect it is noted that both poly-3,4,ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT) and polyaniline (PANI), which are among the very few polymers which are known to be transparent and electroconductive in the oxidized state, have an oxidation potential in the neutral state which is significantly lower than 0.0 V vs SCE, where it is understood that the neutral undoped state of PANI is leucoemeraldine PANI. PANI is an exceptional conjugated polymer in that it has another neutral form, which is known as emeraldine base PANI.


A compact imaging lens suitable for a high pixel density image pickup device which properly corrects chromatic aberration and other types of aberrations and ensures high image quality, low f-number, and low cost. A first lens, second lens, third lens, fourth lens, and fifth lens are arranged in order from the object side and both sides of all the lenses are aspheric surfaces and a diffractive optical surface with a chromatic aberration correction function is formed on one of the surfaces from the object side surface of the first lens to the object side surface of the second lens and on one of the surfaces from the object side surface of the third lens to the object side surface of the fifth lens. All the lenses are made of a plastic material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to imaging lenses which form an image of an object on an image pickup device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor and more particularly to compact imaging lenses which are mounted in PDA (personal digital assistants) such as mobile phones and the others.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today most mobile phones have a camera function and recently mobile phone models with a high resolution camera function comparable to a digital still camera have been introduced into the market. The pixel size in an image pickup device is very small and the pixel pitch is less than 1.4 microns. On the other hand, as mobile phones become smaller and thinner, there is a demand for smaller imaging lenses and in order to cope with the demand for compactness of imaging lenses and higher resolution of image pickup devices, the need to improve the aberration correction capability of an imaging lens is becoming stronger.
Conventionally, imaging lenses for mobile devices such as mobile phones and smart phones have been made of aspheric plastics, in which aberration correction is made mainly by a lens array combination, namely combination of lens power and lens shapes. Chromatic aberration has also been corrected similarly and examples of such imaging lens configurations are described in JP-A No. 2007-264180 (Patent Document 1) and JP-A No. 2010-197665 (Patent Document 2).
On the other hand, for chromatic aberration correction, a method which uses a diffractive surface is known and it has been already applied to zoom lenses (JP-A No. H10-213744 (Patent Document 3) and JP-A No. H11-23968 (Patent Document 4)). However, it has been rarely applied to light and compact fixed-focus cameras, namely imaging lenses for mobile phones and smart phones.
Considering that image pickup devices tend to provide higher resolution and the temperature dependence of plastic lens refractive index is high, a high accuracy chromatic aberration correction method should be adopted for imaging lenses for mobile phones as well.
The diffraction method takes advantage of the fact that the Abbe number (d-ray) of a diffractive surface is −3.452 (negative value), in which a single lens is used to implement an achromatic mechanism which would be implemented using two (positive and negative) lenses in a conventional technique. It is also a useful technique in an effort to decrease the number of lenses and shorten the total optical length of the imaging lens.
Next, related art techniques will be described.
The imaging lens described in Patent Document 1 is comprised of five lenses which are located in the following order from the object side: a first lens a with positive refractive power, a second lens as a negative meniscus lens with a concave surface on the image side, a third lens as a positive meniscus lens with a convex surface on the image side, a fourth lens with negative refractive power, and a fifth lens with negative refractive power having a concave surface on the image side near the optical axis. This technique is designed to ensure chromatic aberration correction and telecentricity, in which a low-dispersion material is used for the first lens, a high-dispersion material is used for the second and fourth lenses and for the fourth and fifth lenses, a conditional expression concerning lens thickness and inter-lens distance and a conditional expression concerning focal length are derived to correct chromatic aberration. The F-value is 2.8 or so and the half-angle of view is 31.9°, though both the F-value and half-angle of view are insufficient for adaptation to a high density image pickup device. In addition, since a glass material is used, the technique is disadvantageous from the viewpoint of cost reduction.
Similarly the imaging lens described in Patent Document 2 includes five lenses arranged in the following order: positive, negative, positive, positive and negative power lenses. In this technique, the second lens is mainly used for chromatic aberration correction, namely the second lens is largely responsible for chromatic aberration correction, so it should have large refractive power and manufacturing tolerance is tight. The F-value is 2.8 or so, which is insufficient.
The above two techniques only use an array of lenses to make chromatic aberration correction, but correction of chromatic aberration and other various types of aberrations by a lens array combination has limitations and design freedom in such techniques is very low.
On the other hand, Patent Document 3 describes a two-group zoom lens in which each group has a diffractive surface to correct axial chromatic aberration from a telescopic end to a wide-angle end. As far as comparison is made on the telescopic end and wide-angle end, it is hard to say that the use of two diffractive surfaces is more advantageous in spherical aberration correction than the use of a single diffractive surface. Patent Document 4 describes a three-group zoom lens in which one group has a diffractive surface to correct axial chromatic aberration and chromatic aberration of magnification from a telescopic end to a wide-angle end. Whereas, as mentioned above, zoom lenses use a diffractive surface to ensure that chromatic aberrations at the telescopic end and wide-angle end are corrected, fixed focal length lenses rarely use a diffractive surface.


According to an aspect, a method includes receiving a first three-dimensional model (3D) model of at least a body part of a person, receiving a second 3D model of a wearable device, and predicting, by at least one machine-learning (ML) model, a plurality of contact points between the first 3D model and the second 3D model.

Wearable devices may include smartglasses, earbuds, watches, fitness trackers, cameras, body sensors, etc. A wearable device may be worn on the skin of a user, and the manner in which the wearable device fits or feels on the user is dependent upon the body/facial features of a particular user and how the structure of the wearable device interacts with the relevant body part.

Prediction of contact points between 3D models


A downhole tool comprises at least one inlet and a first pump coupled to the at least one inlet via a first flow line. The first pump is to pump at a first pump rate to extract fluid via the at least one inlet from a subsurface formation in which a borehole is created and in which the downhole tool is to be positioned. A sample chamber is coupled to the inlet via a second flow line, and a second pump is coupled to the inlet via the second flow line. The second pump is to pump at a second pump rate to extract the fluid via the at least one inlet from the subsurface formation and for storage in the sample chamber. The first pump rate is greater than the second pump rate.

The disclosure generally relates to fluid sampling from a subsurface reservoir, and more particularly to a split flow probe for sampling a reactive downhole reservoir.
Hydrocarbons, such as oil and gas, are commonly obtained from subterranean formations. The development of subterranean operations and the processes involved in removing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation are complex. Typically, subterranean operations involve a number of different steps such as, for example, drilling the wellbore at a desired well site, treating the wellbore to optimize production of hydrocarbons, and performing the necessary steps to produce and process the hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation.
In order to optimize the performance of hydrocarbon recovery operations, it can be advantageous to determine various formation characteristics such as, for example, pressure and/or permeability. A formation tester can be used to determine formation characteristics. The formation tester is typically lowered into a borehole traversing a formation of interest. A probe of the formation tester, generally composing either a pad or packer, may then be extended and sealingly placed in fluid communication with the formation of interest. Formation fluid may then be drawn by the formation tester, and various analysis can be performed on such fluid.

Split flow probe for reactive reservoir sampling


A bonded abrasive tool comprises a blend of abrasive grains and a bond component. The blend of abrasive grains comprises a filamentary sol-gel alumina abrasive grain and agglomerated abrasive grain granules. A bonded abrasive tool comprising an agglomerate of filamentary sol-gel alumina abrasive and non-filamentary abrasive grains, and a bond component is also disclosed. The filamentary sol-gel alumina abrasive grain has a length-to-cross-sectional-width aspect ratio of greater than 1.0. The agglomerated abrasive grain granules comprise a plurality of abrasive grains held in a three-dimensional shape by a binding material. A method of making such a bonded abrasive tool as described above is also disclosed.

In many grinding operations, grinding tool porosity, particularly porosity of a permeable or an interconnected nature, improves efficiency of the grinding operation and quality of the work-piece being ground. In particular, the volume percent of interconnected porosity or fluid permeability has been found to be a significant determinant of grinding performance of abrasive tools. The interconnected porosity allows removal of grinding waste (swarf) and passage of cooling fluid within the wheel during grinding. Also, the interconnected porosity provides access to grinding fluids such as lubricants between the moving abrasive grains and workpiece surface. These features are particularly important in deep cut and modern precision processes (e.g., creepfeed grinding) for high efficiency grinding where a large amount of material is removed in one deep grinding pass without sacrificing the accuracy of the workpiece dimension.
Examples of such abrasive tools having a very open and permeable structure include abrasive tools utilizing elongated or fiber-like abrasive grains. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,738,696 and 5,738,697 disclose methods for making bonded abrasives utilizing elongated or fiber-like abrasive grains having an aspect ratio of at least about 5:1. One example of such abrasive tools employing filamentary abrasive grains is currently commercially available under the ALTOS™ trademark from Saint-Gobain Abrasives in Worcester, Mass.
ALTOS™ abrasive tools employ sintered sol gel alumina ceramic grains (Saint-Gobain Abrasives in Worcester, Mass.) with an average aspect ratio of about 7.5:1, such as Norton® TG2 or TGX Abrasives (hereinafter "TG2"), as a filamentary abrasive grain. ALTOS™ abrasive tools are highly porous and permeable grinding tools that have been shown to have high metal removal rates, improved form holding and long wheel life, along with a greatly reduced risk of metallurgical damage (see, for example, Norton Company Technical Service Bulletin, June 2002, "Altos High Performance Ceramic Aluminum Oxide Grinding Wheels"). ALTOS™ abrasive tools use abrasive grains that include only the filamentary abrasive grain, e.g., TG2 grain, to achieve maximum structural openness according to fiber-fiber packing theories (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,738,696 and 5,738,697, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference). It is generally believed that blending TG2 grain with a significant quantity of other non-filamentary, such as sphere-like, grains would either compromise the structural openness or compromise surface finish of a metal workpiece. However, TG2 grains, although very durable, are not friable enough for certain applications and TG2 grain is more costly to manufacture than most blocky or sphere shaped grains.
Therefore, there is a need to develop a more friable, more cost effective abrasive tool having performance characteristics similar to the performance of abrasive tools employing filamentary abrasive grains, such as ALTOS™ abrasive tools.

Abrasive tools having a permeable structure


Graphite fluoride is produced from graphitized carbon. A bromine iodine mixture reacts with graphitized carbon to produce iodine intercalated graphitized carbon that is then exposed to fluorine.

Various methods have been proposed to produce fluorinated carbon. Among these are U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,620 to Palchan et al which is directed to a method for producing intercalation compounds of graphite which exhibit high conductivity. Graphite is reacted with fluorine in a sealed system under pressure, and in the presence of a catalytic amount of fluorine compound which itself can form an intercalation compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,624 to Nalewajek discloses a low temperature synthesis of carbon fluoride The process is prepared from a Group V-A pentahalogen intercalate and fluorine gas at temperatures at between 250.degree. C. and 300.degree. C.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,661 to Hung discloses methods of preparing graphite fluoride fibers and graphite fluoride fiber polymer composite materials Graphite fluoride fibers are produced by contact reaction of bromine intercalated graphitized fibers and fluorine gas.

Graphite flouride from iodine intercalated graphitized carbon

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


An optical interrogation system, e.g., an OFDR-based system, measures local changes of index of refraction of a medium contained within a light guiding tube and includes an optical interferometric interrogator, optical detection circuitry, and a data processor. The data processor initiates a sweep of the light source and guide light from an interrogating light source into a medium contained by a tube which restricts movement of particles provided into the tube, where the medium is subjected to a driving force that overcomes resistance to movement of particles through the medium in the tube. The optical interferometric interrogator provides an optical interference pattern associated with a group of particles having moved in the tube as a result of the driving force. Based on the optical interference pattern, the data processor identifies a current location of the group of particles in the tube.

Electrophoresis is a process for separating a mixture of particles into separate groups of similar particles using the movement of ions in an electric field (drift currents). In capillary electrophoresis, a small tube (sometimes called a "capillary") with an inner diameter that is small enough to avoid turbulent flow is filled with an aqueous solution. A small amount of a mixture to be analyzed is provided at one end of the tube. An indicator stain or fluorescent marker may be included in the mixture to assist in resolving groups of particles after separation has occurred. A voltage, typically in the low tens of thousands of volts, is placed across the tube. Positive ions begin to move toward the negative electrode, and negative ions begin to move toward the positive electrode creating a current in the low tens of milliamps. The speed at which the ions move is determined by the size of the voltage (electric field), the charge on the ion, and the resistance to movement through the solution in the tube. Since different particles in the mixture have different resistances to movement, each type of particle moves at a different rate, and thus, the different particles begin to separate due to their differing resistances to movement. Over time, different and distinct particle groups form along the length of the tube. A group of the same particles, e.g., the same molecules, often appear in the shape of a plate or a band. Ultimately, electrophoresis is a stable way to separate a heterogeneous solution of particles into distinct individual particle groups.
FIG. 1 illustrates this electrophoresis process and shows a mixture of particles 12 introduced at one end of a capillary tube 10. As time progresses, the mixture separates into two distinct groups or groups of particles with one group 12A including one type of particle and the other group 12B including a second different type of particle. Each group is shown as a plate or band. Because one of these groups is faster than the other group, a separation distance develops. Once separated by a sufficient distance, the two groups may be identified and distinguished.
FIG. 2 illustrates an electrophoresis setup that includes probe light focused by a lens 14 through the tube 10 onto a stationary optical detector 16. The optical detector 16 detects each group as it crosses a detector zone that includes probe light and a focusing lens. Typically, only one location along the tube 10 is monitored. An output of a capillary electrophoresis instrument coupled to the detector 16 may be a plot of detected material, e.g., by UV fluorescence or absorbance, as a function of time. FIG. 3 is an illustration of an example capillary electrophoresis plot with peaks arriving over the course of 1 to 10 minutes.
In the case of fast moving molecules, gel electrophoresis is implemented to increase the resistance to movement for the molecules. Similar to the first example, groups of particles migrate down a tube under a voltage and the gel ensures separation can be achieved before the particles reach the end of the tube by supplying a higher resistance to movement. A drawback of gel type and other known electrophoresis techniques is that they are time consuming. A significant amount of time must be waited before each group of particles passes the detection location, and this time period is even longer when a higher resistive transportation medium is used in the tube. For example, FIG. 4 shows a spatial distribution of three different groups of particles at 3 minutes into the test. It would be desirable to identify the individual groups as they separate and move down the capillary tube before reaching the single detection location in order to speed up the process.
In addition to long processing times, known technology suffers from a limited detection region. As seen in FIG. 2, a typical setup consists of a single monitoring location. This is due to the complexity of setting up additional detection points as each requires a probe light, focusing lens, and detection system. This location must be monitored continuously, and without interruption, as particles that pass that detection location when the system is not monitoring the location will have no means of being detected as they progress in a single direction through the tube. This causes multiplexing of several sample tubes to be impractical, as a sample may be missed as another tube is being monitored. Another problem is that single point scanning approach requires that the length of the capillary tube be determined before the contents and separation rate of the various particles are known.
The inner diameter of the capillary tube is also restricted in current techniques. As the inner diameter decreases, optical detection becomes more difficult because the path through the solution becomes smaller as well. Reduced path length means a lower number of particles will exist in the volume requiring higher concentrations for successful detection. It is desired in the technique to use smaller tubes. As the inner diameter decreases, there is less current carried by the solution, and thus, less heat dissipation. Further, whatever heat is generated is more quickly moved out of the solution and into the tube wall. Lower temperature means less thermal diffusion and better resolution of the particle groups. The ability to use smaller capillary inner diameters means that high separation rates (due to higher voltages) can be achieved with better resolutions (due to lower temperatures).

Method and apparatus for OFDR-based electrophoresis


The interconnecting network for switching data packets, having data and flow control information, comprises a local packet switch element (S1) with local input buffers (I(1,1) . . . I(1,y)) for buffering the incoming data packets, a remote packet switch element (S2) with remote input buffers (I(2,1) . . . I(2,y)) for buffering the incoming data packets, and data lines (L) for interconnecting the local and the remote packet switch elements (S1, S2). The interconnecting network further comprises a local and a remote arbiter (A1, A2) which are connected via control lines (CL) to the input buffers (I(1,1) . . . I(1,y), I(2,1) . . . I(2,y)), and which are formed such that they can provide that the flow control information is transmitted via the data lines (L) and the control lines (CL).

Multi-stage scaling of interconnection networks has long been used in circuit switching, where contention-free paths through the network are set up and torn down on a per-connection basis, eliminating the need for buffers in the fabric. Although this approach can in principle also be applied to packet switching, as the network capacity grows in terms of ports and link rate, it quickly becomes infeasible to compute and apply contention-free network configurations within the duration of a single packet. Therefore, buffered switch elements are more suitable as a building block for packet-switched networks. The traditional approach is to use switch elements with individual output buffers per output port or with a shared memory which functions as a shared output buffer for multiple output ports.
A well-known, traditional approach to build large packet-switched interconnection networks out of smaller building blocks is by arranging a number of packet switch elements in a multi-stage topology, such as a Banyan, Benes, Clos, Fat Tree, Hypercube, or Torus. FIG. 1, for example, shows a two-level interconnection network of packet switch elements S1 to S6 that are interconnected in a Fat Tree topology, which utilizes bidirectional links L. The end nodes N1 to N8 of the interconnection network are located at the bottom of the tree. Each packet switch element S1 to S6 routes a data packet from an ingress or input port IP to one or more egress or output ports OP. The full network of interconnected packet switch elements S1 to S6 is capable of routing packets from any of the end nodes N1 to N8 (shown at the bottom of the network) to any of the other end nodes N1 to N8.
In general, the two-level Fat Tree topology lets an N-port switch element support a network of ½*N2 end nodes, with full bisection bandwidth. In FIG. 1 the two-level packet-switched interconnection network comprises switching elements S1 to S6 with N=4 ports and with that supports a network with ½*N2=8 end nodes N1 to N8. Other topologies may allow more or fewer end nodes to be interconnected, with more or less bandwidth between end nodes.
In the packet-switched interconnection network shown in FIG. 1 the basic packet switch elements S1 to S6 can be constructed in a variety of ways, but all packet switch elements S1 to S6 incorporate means for routing packets from ingress ports IP to egress ports OP. For example, in FIG. 2, the packet switch element S1 comprises the routing fabric R1. Furthermore, a multi-stage packet-switched interconnection network comprises links L for interconnecting the packet switch elements S1 to S6 to end nodes N1 to N8 and to other packet switch elements S1 to S6. In addition, the packet switch elements S1 to S6 comprise input packet buffers I(1,1) to I(6,4) and output packet buffers O(1,1) to O(6,4), which are located at the ingress ports IP and the egress ports OP of the packet switch elements S1 to S6 respectively. Additionally, to arrange such a packet switch element S1-S6 in a multi-stage topology and avoid uncontrollable packet loss due to input or output buffer overruns, each packet switch element S1 to S6 comprises some means for controlling the flow of packets between subsequent stages or packet switch elements.
Traditional packet switch elements have buffers at the ingress ports IP and as well at the egress ports OP of the fabric as shown in FIG. 2. This allows straightforward, point-to-point link-level flow control between the egress buffers O(n,x) of stage n and the ingress buffers I(n+1,y) of stage n+1. Flow control information is transmitted in the direction opposite to the direction of the packet flow. Assuming that all links L are bidirectional, the flow control information can be transmitted in-band, on the same links L used for transmitting the data packets in the reverse direction, i.e., from stage n+1 to stage n. In this context in-band transmission means that the flow control information is transmitted over the links L and not over the control lines CL.
FIG. 2 furthermore illustrates a local flow control loop FC1 and a remote flow control loop FC2 in the interconnection network comprising input buffers I as well as output buffers O. This type of switch element structure may be termed "Combined Input- and Output-queued" (CIOQ). Typically, the input and output buffers I and O of the same port P physically reside on the same line card.
As an example of how a remote flow control loop operates in such a CIOQ packet switch element, consider the remote flow control loop FC2 between port P4 of packet switch element S1 and port P2 of packet switch element S2. The flow control information is generated by the input buffer I(2,2), e.g., by the release of a credit or assertion of a stop signal because of the crossing of a threshold. The input buffer I(2,2) passes this information internally to the output buffer O(2,2), which inserts the flow control information in the header of a data packet traveling via link L to the input buffer I(1,4), or injects an idle packet if there is no data packet. The input buffer I(1,4) extracts the flow control information from the header of the received data packet and passes it internally to the output buffer O(1,4), which performs the flow control bookkeeping, e.g. incrementing the available credit or (re-)setting an on/off (start/stop) flag.
The expression available credit shall be understood as a counter value which indicates how many packets can be received from a transmitter without losing data. That is, the available credit represents the size of the buffer space of the receiving buffer. Therefore, the higher the available credit of a certain receiving buffer is, the more data packets said receiving buffer can receive without data loss. By communicating the available credit, the receiving buffer can inform a transmitter about how much data the transmitter can still send without causing a buffer overflow.
Changes in the available credit of a receiving buffer, e.g. owing to the departure of a packet, can be communicated by absolute credits, indicating the absolute size of the available buffer space, or by incremental credits, which indicate only the change in the size of the available buffer space. An incremental credit comprises a credit count, indicating the magnitude in the change of the available credit, and optionally an identifier indicating the receiving buffer. The transmitter maintains a credit counter that reflects the available credit of the corresponding receiving buffer. Upon receipt of an incremental credit this counter is incremented according to the indicated value. Upon transmission of data, it is decremented according to the size of the transmitted data.
The expression on/off (also referred to as start/stop) flow control denotes a command with which a data packet transmission from an output buffer to input buffer or from an input buffer via a packet switch element to an output buffer is started (on) or stopped (off).
Pertaining to a switch element S under consideration, the expression "local" shall be understood as pertaining to the same switch element S, e.g., in FIG. 2, routing fabric R1, arbiter A1, input buffers I(1,1) . . . I(1,4), and output buffers O(1,1) . . . O(1,4) are all considered local with respect to switch element S1.
Pertaining to a switch element S under consideration, the expression "remote" shall be understood as pertaining to a switch element connected to the switch element S via one or more links L. E.g., in FIG. 2, output buffer O(2,2), as a part of switch element S2, is considered remote with respect to switch element S1.
The above mentioned switch and network designs are described in Chapter 2 of Andrew Tanenbaum, "Computer Networks", Prentice Hall PTR, 2002, and in Chapter 1 of Jose Duato, Sudhakar Yalamanchili, Lionel Ni, "Interconnection Networks", Morgan Kaufmann, 2002.

Interconnecting network for switching data packets and method for switching data packets

International Business Machines Corporation


Mechanisms operable to configure, monitor and manage network devices without regard for device type and/or manufacturer are disclosed. One implementation includes a network manager unit disposed between the network administrator and the network devices. The network manager unit allows the administrator to holistically view, configure and manage an entire network without regard to device type and/or manufacturer. The administrator can implement this holistic approach with the use of a central repository for all configuration information and/or a central posting location for all network events. A device-specific command template database may be provided for providing device-specific command templates for various device types and/or manufacturers. Configuration information for a network device may be used to populate fields of a device-specific command template, selected from the database based on a device type and/or manufacturer of the network device, to generate a device-specific command that is used to configure the network device.

With the ever-increasing reliance upon electronic data, businesses are becoming more and more reliant upon those networks responsible for distributing that data. Unfortunately, the rapid growth in the amount of data consumed by businesses has outpaced the development and growth of certain necessary network infrastructure components. One reason that the development and growth of the network infrastructure has lagged behind centers on the present difficulty in expanding, configuring, and reconfiguring existing networks. Even the most routine network expansions and reconfigurations, for example, require significant, highly technical, manual intervention by trained network administrators. Unfortunately, these highly trained network administrators are in extremely short supply. Thus, many needed network expansions and reconfigurations are delayed or even completely avoided because of the inability to find the needed administrators to perform the required laborious, technical tasks.
The present difficulty in configuring and reconfiguring networks is best illustrated by an example directed toward installing a single new router on an existing network. To install a new router (such as router 100 or 105 in FIG. 1), an administrator 110 first would need to choose a particular router with the best attributes for the network. The basic configuration of the new router generally will be defined by its manufacturer and its model. Although it would seem that the router should be chosen based upon its attributes, administrators 110 often choose a router based upon the identity of its manufacturer and the administrators' ability to configure devices from that manufacturer. Administrators 110, for example, may only know how to configure and operate devices manufactured by Cisco Systems, Inc. and may overlook equal or even superior devices from other manufacturers merely because they cannot configure them.
After the administrator 110 has chosen the desired router (router 105, for example), the administrator 110 generally will order the router 105 from the manufacturer and have it shipped, not necessarily to the installation site, but rather to the administrator's site where a basic configuration can be installed. The administrator 110 then ships the router 105 to the installation site where it can be physically installed. After the router 105 has been physically installed, the administrator 110 typically is manually notified, e.g., by telephone, that the router 105 is connected to the network. The administrator must then create the device-specific commands required to fully configure the router 105 and transfer those commands to the router's memory 115. After the administrator 110 verifies that the device-specific commands were installed correctly, the router 105 can be brought online.
Obviously, the steps required for an administrator to configure a single router are quite cumbersome and require significant technical skill. The problem, however, is even more severe when the administrator desires to simultaneously configure or reconfigure several network devices. First, the administrator, for example, would need to manually identify the network devices that need to be configured or reconfigured. For example, if the administrator desired to turn up service between two points, the administrator would need to identify the routers along the path between the two points. The administrator would then need to verify that the policies and rules established for the network permit the contemplated reconfiguration for those devices. Assuming that the reconfiguration is within the network's policies and rules, the administrator would need to create the device-specific code required to reconfigure each of the identified devices. In many instances, the same device-specific code cannot be used on all of the devices. For example, the device-specific commands required to reconfigure a Cisco™ router differ significantly from the device-specific commands required to reconfigure a Juniper™ router. Thus, if the identified network devices include both Cisco™ and Juniper™ routers, the administrator would be required to create different versions of the device-specific commands, thereby significantly increasing the chance for error in the reconfiguration process.
Once the device-specific commands have been created for each of the identified network devices, the commands must be manually transmitted to each device. That is, a connection, e.g., a telnet connection, must be established to each device and the particular commands transferred thereto. After each device has received its commands, the network administrator must manually reconnect to each device and verify that the device received the proper commands and that it is operating properly.
Although some tools have been developed to help administrators perform certain ones of the laborious tasks of network management, these tools are extremely limited in their application. For example, CiscoWorks™ is a group of unrelated tools that can aid administrators in some enterprise level tasks. CiscoWorks™ and similar tools provide singularly focused, unrelated tools to perform activities such as quality of service (QOS) provisioning and network policy management. These tools do not provide a way to interrelate the various happenings in a network. In essence, these present network tools lack a holistic approach to network administration.
Moreover, tools like CiscoWorks™ are generally dedicated to the management of one type of network device, e.g., router or optical device, and one brand of network device. For example, CiscoWorks™ does not help an administrator configure a Juniper™ router, and it does not help an administrator configure optical devices. Thus, if the network has both Cisco™ and Juniper™ devices, multiple, unrelated tools must be utilized to perform basic network management tasks. Unfortunately, because these multiple, unrelated tools are so difficult to manage, network administrators are prone to select routers based upon manufacturer identity rather than upon device features.
In addition to several other drawbacks, these singularly focused network tools result in substandard fault detection and recovery. For example, in present systems, once a configuration is changed, there is no easy way to "back out" of that configuration if a problem arises. Presently, if a new configuration for a target device fails, the network administrator would be forced to recreate the device-specific commands of the target device's previous configuration, manually connect to the device and then transmit the recreated device-specific commands to the device. As can be appreciated, this process can be extremely time consuming and error prone.
The lack of a comprehensive, holistic tool to manage network resources has led to slowed expansion and the under utilization of existing networks. As skilled administrators become more scarce and as networks grow larger and more complicated, the problems surrounding network management could reach crisis proportions. Accordingly, an integrated network administration tool is needed. In particular, a system and method are needed to efficiently configure, monitor and manage network devices without regard for device type and/or manufacturer.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Configuration, management and monitoring of network resources using device specific command templates


A vehicular illumination system includes a vehicular illumination unit whose light distribution is changeable, a detection unit that detects an illumination target, and an acquisition unit that acquires load information representing a processing load when processing is performed to controls the light distribution of the vehicular illumination unit based on the relative displacement between the subject vehicle and the illumination target detected by the detection unit. Further, the vehicular illumination system includes a control unit that is capable of plural types of light distribution control, in each of which the processing load is different, and that controls the light distribution of the vehicular illumination unit by the light distribution control of a load corresponding to the processing load that is represented by the load information acquired by the acquisition unit.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a vehicular illumination system, and in particular to a vehicular illumination system that controls the distribution of light emitted from headlights or the like.
2. Related Art
As a vehicular illumination system that controls the light distribution of headlights or the like, the technology described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2006-21631, for example, has been proposed.
In the technology described in JP-A No. 2006-21631, it is proposed to provide: plural light sources that illuminate respectively different regions to form a predetermined overall light distribution pattern including a main light distribution portion and a peripheral light distribution portion; a camera that images the front of a vehicle; a dangerous object determination component that determines whether or not an object is a dangerous object that poses a danger to the travel of the vehicle on the basis of the image acquired by the camera; and a light source control component that changes the orientations of the plural light sources to illuminate the dangerous object when the dangerous object so determined by the dangerous object determination component is located outside the main light distribution portion. That is, in the technology described in JP-A No. 2006-21631, what is proposed is to perceive a target object around the subject vehicle by photographing the target object with a camera and performing light distribution control, such as directing light axes, with respect to the recognized target object.
However, in the technology described in JP-A No. 2006-21631, when there are many target objects, or when the situation around the subject vehicle changes rapidly such as when approaching an intersection, the processing load of image processing and the like with respect to the image photographed by the camera rises, and there is the potential for this to cause delays in control. Accordingly, there remains scope for further improvements in control.


Hair tweezers have a bend section from which a pair of opposing plate-shaped gripping sections extend in the longitudinal direction, and opposing gripping surfaces are respectively formed on the ends of the gripping sections which are located on the side facing the bend section. The hair tweezers do not cause a problem in that, when the hair tweezers are in use, the ends on the side on which the gripping surfaces are formed are displaced relative to each other in the vertical direction, which intersects the longitudinal direction, to make it difficult for the user to grip a targeted unwanted hair. The thickness of a bend portion is equal to or greater than the thickness of the portions of a pair of gripping sections which are not included in the bend section. The pair of gripping sections are respectively provided with thin sections, which have a small thickness, located between the bend section and the ends having the gripping surfaces formed thereon.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a pair of hair tweezers that are used in picking up and then pulling out any unwanted hairs or any other small things such as splinters, thorns and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The conventional pair of hair tweezers that are known to the prior art will be explained below by using FIG. 1.
In general, the conventional hair tweezers 1 include a bend section 2 and a pair of opposing plate-shaped gripping sections 3a, 3b that are bent at the bend portion 2 from which the gripping sections 3a, 3b extend in the longitudinal direction, wherein the pair of opposing gripping surfaces 5a, 5ba that are provided to face opposite each other are formed on the lateral end edges 4a, 4b of the corresponding gripping sections 3a, 3b which are located on the side facing the bend section 2.
Using the conventional hair tweezers, the user may grip the gripping sections 3a, 3b with his or her fingers, bringing the lateral end edges 4a, 4b of the gripping sections 3a, 3b closer to each other against the action of their elastic forces and in the directions shown by arrows 6a, 6b. In this way, any unwanted hair or the like can be pulled out by picking up or holding the hair or the like located between the pair of gripping surfaces 5a, 5b. During this operation, the elastic force can be provided by the pair of opposing plate-shaped gripping sections 3a, 3b that are bent at the bend section 2 and extend from the bend section 2 toward the longitudinal direction.
Various types of the hair tweezers described above have been proposed until the present time (such as Patent Documents 1 and 2).


High performance, low viscosity hot melt adhesives are obtained using acrylic block copolymers. The level of acrylic block copolymer in the adhesive formulation is less than 50% by weight.

Typical acrylic pressure sensitive adhesive formulations are copolymers of alkyl ester monomers and a functional monomer such as acrylic acid. These adhesives, however, are generally low in adhesion. While such adhesives are conventionally formulated with low levels of tackifiers (5-30%) to improve their tack and peel, tackification results in loss of heat resistance and poor aging properties. Moreover, acrylics designed for hot melts have typically been poor in shear even without tackification.
Block acrylics have been synthesized for hot melt applications to improve heat resistance, but have exhibited relatively poor adhesion. This is due to the presence of a hard block phase that stiffens the acrylic to a degree such that grab and tack are insufficient.
There continues to be a need in the art for improved acrylic polymer compositions that can be used to prepare pressure sensitive hot melt adhesive compositions that can be formulated with sufficient adhesion for applications such as industrial tapes and dermal applications.
The current invention fulfills this need.

Hot melt adhesive based on acrylic block copolymers


A syringe (2), of the type having a barrel (4) with a plunger (6) disposed within the bore of the barrel, includes two needle assemblies (22) housed within needle assembly guides (14) positioned along the exterior (16) of the syringe barrel. Each needle assembly guide provides a path along which the needle assembly moves, between an extended position, with the needle exposed, and a retracted position, with the needle encompassed by the needle guide. A flow path (36, 44) exists between the interior (46) of the syringe barrel and each needle assembly when each needle assembly is in the extended position. The use of two needles allows one needle to be used to aspirate the liquid pharmaceutical into the syringe and the other, unused needle to be used to give the injection. Each needle assembly is irreversibly locked (54, 60) when moved into the retracted position to prevent syringe reuse.

Syringes are widely used for the administration of drugs or other substances to, or for the withdrawal of fluids from, a body. Syringes are also used for a variety of health industry and other purposes as well. Typically, a syringe includes a barrel and a plunger. The plunger is reciprocally disposed within the barrel, with the plunger protruding from the proximal end of the barrel throughout its range of movement. To utilize the syringe a needle will generally be attached to the distal end of the syringe barrel, the needle being coaxial with the central axis of the barrel. The syringe may be provided with the needle pre-placed in this location, with a protective cap or sheath covering the needle. Alternatively, and more commonly, a needle with an associated sheath is attached to the distal end of a syringe barrel prior to use.
Generally, the syringe barrel and needle sheath are mass produced from a low cost material, such as polypropylene, by a cost-efficient method such as injection molding. The needle is made of a suitable material, such as 304 stainless steel.
When administering a medicine the empty syringe is often filled from a vial containing the medicine. Medicine vials usually have a membrane covering the liquid opening. The needle is used to pierce the membrane to draw the medicine into the syringe.
A problem with drawing medicine from a vial is that the needle can be dulled when piercing the membrane. The dull needle can cause obvious problems when used for injecting the medicine into a patient.
One known solution to the problem is to remove the dulled needle and replace it with a fresh needle. This practice is, however, time consuming and also requires a supply of fresh needles. Furthermore, the dull needles are discarded individually presenting another possible hazard.
Subsequent to use the syringe needle will often be recapped and discarded in a suitable disposal container. In some settings the needle may be clipped prior to recapping, in an effort to preclude any illicit use of the needle after its disposal; however, clipping can release toxic and/or infectious aerosolization mists.
For many applications a syringe with a coaxial needle will suffice. However, there are numerous situations in which this embodiment presents significant obstacles to the effective use of the syringe. The typical syringe with a coaxial needle may have limited use when administering fluids intravenously, or particularly subcutaneously. The foregoing problems are exacerbated when larger volumes of fluid, and consequently larger diameter syringe barrels, are utilized.
Furthermore, very serious, even life threatening, problems may be associated with the attachment, but more particularly with the removal, of a needle from such a syringe. The problems associated with the recapping and disposal of previously-used syringe needles are also severe. In the medical industry an exceptionally high percentage of job-related needle sticks occur during the process of needle recapping. Such needle sticks may serve as a mode for the spread of infectious disease, and are accordingly of great concern. The clipping procedure may also lead to needle sticks and/or toxic or infectious aerosolization exposure; if the syringe barrel is not also clipped it may be illicitly used once a functional needle is obtained.

Safety syringe with off-axis needle cannula