The present invention relates to novel crystalline forms of sodium salt of trans-7-oxo-6-(sulphooxy)-1,6-diazabicyclo[3,2,1]octane-2-carboxamide (e.g., NXL-104) thereof. The present invention relates to compositions comprising a crystalline form of sodium salt of trans-7-oxo-6-(sulphooxy)-1,6-diazabicyclo[3,2,1]octane-2-carboxamide (e.g., NXL-104) alone or in combination with an antibacterial agent (e.g., ceftaroline fosamil). Processes for the preparation of the crystalline forms and methods of treating bacterial infections by administering the crystalline forms alone or in combination with an antibacterial agent (e.g., ceftaroline fosamil) are also described.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,112,592 discloses novel heterocyclic compounds and their salts, processes for making the compounds and methods of using the compounds as antibacterial agents. One such compound is sodium salt of trans-7-oxo-6-(sulphooxy)-1,6-diazabicyclo[3,2,1]octane-2-carboxamide. Application WO 02/10172 describes the production of azabicyclic compounds and salts thereof with acids and bases, and in particular, trans-7-oxo-6-sulphoxy-1,6-diazabicyclo[3.2.1]octane-2-carboxamide and its pyridinium, tetrabutylammonium and sodium salts. Application WO 03/063864 and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0020572 describe the use of compounds including trans-7-oxo-6-(sulphooxy)-1,6-diazabicyclo[3,2,1]octane-2-carboxamide sodium salt, as β-lactamase inhibitors that can be administered alone or in, combination with β-lactamine antibacterial agents. These references are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety.
Ceftaroline is a novel parenteral cephalosporin with a broad spectrum of activity against clinically important community-acquired and hospital-acquired Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,417,175 discloses compounds having excellent antibacterial activities for a broad range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. These compounds are represented by the general formula:

wherein R1-R4, Q, X, Y and n are as defined therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,417,175 discloses methods for preparing the compounds, and generically discloses formulations of the compounds, such as aqueous and saline solutions for injection. One such compound is 7β-[2(Z)-ethoxyimino-2-(5-phosphonoamino-1,2,4-thiadiazole-3-yl)acetamido]-3-[4-(1-methyl-4-pyridinio)-2-thiazolythio]-3-cephem-4-carboxylate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,906,055 discloses a chemical genus which includes compounds of formula:

Ceftaroline fosamil is a sterile, synthetic, parenteral prodrug cephalosporin antibiotic. The N-phosphonoamino water-soluble prodrug is rapidly converted into the bioactive ceftaroline, which has been demonstrated to exhibit antibacterial activity. Ceftaroline fosamil is known as (6R,7R)-7-{(2Z)-2-(ethoxyimino)-2-[5-(phosphonoamino)-1,2,4-thiadiazol-3-yl]acetamido}-3-{[4-(1-methylpyridin-1-ium-4-yl)-1,3-thiazol-2-yl]sulfanyl}-8-oxo-5-thia-1-azabicyclo[4.2.0]oct-2-ene-2-carboxylate. Ceftaroline fosamil may be an acetic acid hydrous form.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,419,973 discloses compositions comprising ceftaroline fosamil and a pH adjuster, such as, L-arginine.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,417,175 and 6,906,055 and 7,419,973 are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety.
The present invention relates to the solid state physical properties of trans-7-oxo-6-(sulphooxy)-1,6-diazabicyclo[3,2,1]octane-2-carboxamide sodium salt (e.g., NXL-104). These properties may be influenced by controlling the conditions under which trans-7-oxo-6-(sulphooxy)-1,6-diazabicyclo[3,2,1]octane-2-carboxamide sodium salt (e.g., NXL-104) is obtained in solid form.
Solid state physical properties include, for example, the flowability of the milled solid, rate of dissolution and stability. The physical characteristics are influenced by the conformation and orientation of molecules in the unit cell, which defines a particular crystalline form of a substance. A crystalline form may give rise to thermal behavior different from that of the amorphous material or another crystalline form. Thermal behavior is measured in the laboratory using techniques such as capillary melting point, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). These techniques may be used to distinguish between different crystalline forms. A particular crystalline form may show distinct spectroscopic properties that can be detected using powder X-ray diffractometry (XRPD), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy and infrared (IR) spectrometry.
In deciding which crystalline form is preferable, the numerous properties of the crystalline forms must be compared and the preferred crystalline form chosen based on the many physical property variables. A particular crystalline form may be preferable in certain circumstances in which certain aspects, such as ease of preparation, stability, etc., are deemed to be critical. In other situations, a different crystalline form may be preferred for greater solubility and/or superior pharmacokinetics.
The discovery of new crystalline forms of a pharmaceutically useful compound provides a new opportunity to improve the performance characteristics of a pharmaceutical product. New crystalline forms of trans-7-oxo-6-(sulphooxy)-1,6-diazabicyclo[3,2,1]octane-2-carboxamide sodium salt have now been discovered.
There is an existing and continual need in the art for new and improved compositions and methods for treating bacterial infections by administering antibacterial agents. Surprisingly and unexpectedly, compositions comprising a crystalline form of trans-7-oxo-6-(sulphooxy)-1,6-diazabicyclo[3,2,1]octane-2-carboxamide sodium salt and ceftaroline fosamil have been found to stable. Such formulations may be used for the treatment of bacterial infections, such as, complicated skin and structure infection and community acquired pneumonia.

Crystalline forms of trans-7-oxo-6-(sulphooxy)-1,6-diazabicyclo[3,2,1]octane-2-carboxamide sodium salt


Described is a high speed, low power level shifter circuit which includes a cross-coupled level shifter coupled to a sensing circuit. The sensing circuit turns off a cross-coupled node of a pair of cross-coupled nodes based on detecting that an input voltage has crossed a threshold voltage for a cross-coupled input transistor of a pair of cross-coupled input transistors, i.e. due to switching from a current logic level to an incoming logic level. Once the sensing circuit detects a threshold voltage crossing, a pull-up circuit pulls high a cross-coupled node and cross-coupled source transistor tied to the cross-coupled node. This turns off the cross-coupled source transistor and turns on another cross-coupled source transistor. Two parallel paths are now established to pull the cross-coupled node high, enabling a high-speed transition. The turning off of the cross-coupled source transistor also pulls the output to the incoming logic level.

Input/output (I/O) circuits need to achieve I/O speeds from 1 Gbps to 50 Gbps at lower and lower fabrication sizes with increasingly lower supply voltages. Level shifters shift the voltage level of a logic signal from one operating voltage to another operating voltage and are used as front-end circuits for other circuits and devices such as the I/O circuits, drivers, and the like. Although operable at low power, conventional level shifters fail to address the high-speed requirements of the I/O circuits. The conventional level shifters suffer from skew, delay, and rise and fall mismatches due to their use of cross coupled transistors and associated legs which require one leg to settle before triggering the other leg. Duty cycle is particularly bad during skewed corners where a p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) remains in a fast process corner and a n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) remains in a slow process corner. High-speed operability is impractical due to the multi-voltage nature of the conventional level shifters. These issues become increasingly problematic as the voltage gap widens between core and I/O circuits.

Cross-coupled high-speed, low power level shifter


A collision sensing system for a side air bag system has a door opening state detector and an air bag actuation inhibiter. The side air bag system is provided with an air bag which is confined in a side door of a vehicle and inflated and expanded in a space between an occupant of the vehicle and the inner side wall of the compartment such as the side door when a collision detector detects a vehicle collision. The air bag actuation inhibiter inhibits the inflation of the air bag when the door opening state detector detects the open state of the side door.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a collision sensing system for a side air bag system for detecting a collision of another vehicle against the side of a vehicle to inflate an air bag for protecting an occupant from a secondary collision.
2. Description of the Related Art
An air bag system for inflating its component air bag at the time of a collision against the side of a vehicle thereby to protect an occupant inflates the air bag with the inert gas such as nitrogen gas which is produced by an inflater. Especially in the air bag system of electric type, a gas producing agent in the inflater is ignited in response to a signal which is output from a collision sensor such as a pressure sensitive sensor or a contact sensor arranged in a predetermined position of the vehicle body when the collision sensor detects the collision. Then, the air bag is instantly charged to inflate with the massive gas produced by the inflater. As a result, the air bag is expanded between a vehicle occupant and the inner side wall of the compartment such as the inner wall of the side wall thereby to protect the occupant from any secondary collision against the inner side wall of the compartment.
Collision sensing systems for the side air bag system of the aforementioned kind have already been proposed by us and others as in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-69791. FIGS. 8 and 9 show one example of the collision sensing system, FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the collision sensing system, and FIG. 9 is a layout showing the arrangement of sensors. This collision sensing system is equipped in the individual side doors at the two sides of a vehicle body 1 with contact type side collision sensors 2, which are disposed fully of the door width, and on the side doors at the inner sides of the compartment with air bag modules 3, each of which is equipped with a not-shown air bag and an inflater for inflating the air bag. And, the side collision sensor 2 at each side door sends an ignition signal to the corresponding inflater when it detects a side collision. At the vehicle body 1, on the other hand, there are disposed acceleration sensors 4 and an air bag actuation control unit 5. If one of the acceleration sensors 4 detects an acceleration higher than a predetermined level, the air bag actuation control unit 5 sends an ignition signal to the corresponding inflater.
If, moreover, one of the collision sensors 2 and/or one of the acceleration sensors 4 detect a side collision, the air bag disposed in a position necessary for protecting the corresponding occupant is inflated.
In the collision sensing system for the side air bag system thus far described, however, the air bag may possibly be expanded in the following cases even at the time of non-collision, in which the air bag need not be operated. Specifically, in case the side door is violently opened with the vehicle being halted, in case the side door hits an obstacle such as a pole of street lighting, in case the open side door is hit by another automobile or a bicycle, or in case the side door is violently shut, either the collision sensors 2 disposed in the side doors or the acceleration sensors 4 disposed at the vehicle body may be turned ON by an impact similar to that at the time of a side collision thereby to send the ignition signal to the corresponding inflaters.

Collision sensing system for side air bag system


A probe card for testing semiconductor dice contained on a wafer and a method for fabricating the probe card are provided. The probe card includes a substrate preferably formed of silicon, and having a pattern of contact members corresponding to a pattern of test pads on the wafer. Each contact member is formed integrally with the substrate and includes a projection formed as an elongated blade adapted to penetrate into a corresponding test pad to a limited penetration depth. In addition, a cavity and a flexible membrane are formed in the substrate subjacent to the contact members to permit flexure of the contact members. Fluid or gas pressure can be introduced into the cavity through flow passages formed in the substrate.

A fabrication process for a semiconductor die begins with a semiconductor wafer on which a large number of semiconductor dice have been formed by doping, masking, deposition of metals, and etching a silicon substrate. Following the fabrication process the wafer is probed and mapped. Wafer probe is performed to test the gross functionality of the dice on the wafer. In addition, the nonfunctional dice are mechanically marked or mapped in software.
In the past semiconductor wafers have been probed utilizing needle probes formed on a probe card. The needle probes provide a temporary electrical connection between test pads on the dice and external test circuitry. The probe card typically includes an insulating substrate, such as a glass filled plastic, and the needle probes are soldered to openings in the substrate in electrical communication with circuit traces on the substrate.
One problem with this type of conventional probe card is that the planarity and vertical position of the needle probes can vary. Also the z-direction location of the test contacts on the wafer can vary. This can cause inaccuracies in the test results because electrical contact with the different test pads can vary. Continued use of the needle probes causes deformation and further misalignment of the needle probes. Probe cards with needle probes are thus expensive to fabricate and expensive to maintain. In addition, needle probes do not adequately compensate for vertical misalignment between the test pads on the wafer.
Another problem with needle probe cards is that the test pads on the wafer are typically coated with a metal oxide layer. For example, aluminum test pads can be covered with aluminum oxide that forms by oxidation of the underlying metal. This metal oxide is electrically non-conductive and provides a high degree of electrical resistance to the needle probes. In order to ensure accurate test results, the needle probes must penetrate this oxide layer to the underlying metal film. This requires high contact forces which can damage the test pads.
To overcome some of the problems associated with conventional needle probes, membrane probe cards have been developed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,891,585; 4,918,383; 4,906,920 and 5,180,977 disclose representative membrane probe cards. Membrane probe cards typically include a membrane formed of a thin and flexible dielectric material such as polyimide. Contact bumps are formed on the membrane in electrical communication with conductive traces. The conductive traces electrically connect to external test circuitry.
In general, membrane probes are able to compensate for vertical misalignment between the test pads on the wafer. In addition, the membrane probe can include a support mechanism that allows the contact bumps to scrub the surface of the test contacts on the wafer to penetrate the oxide layer.
Membrane probes are typically formed by plating a metal layer on a flexible dielectric surface and then patterning and etching the metal layer using photolithographic methods. The contact bumps can also be formed by plating or other deposition process. However, the manufacturing process for membrane probes is complex and expensive. In addition, the support mechanisms for membrane probes are also complicated and can require a large number of moving parts.
Another disadvantage of membrane probes is that large contact forces are required to make a reliable electrical connection between the contact bumps on the probe and the test pads on the wafer. These contact forces include a vertical "overdrive" force and a horizontal "scrubbing" force. These large forces can damage the test pads and the wafer. In addition, the contact bumps and membranes are repeatedly stressed by the large forces. These forces can cause the membrane to lose its resiliency.
In addition, an elastomeric member is typically formed between the membrane probe and the support mechanism to cushion the force applied by the membrane probe to the wafer. This elastomeric member can also be adversely affected by the large contact forces. High temperatures used during the test procedure can also compound this problem. It is well known that elastomeric materials exhibit a compression set or "creep" under stress. High temperatures and large contact forces increase creep in the elastomeric member and in the membrane of the probe.
In view of the foregoing problems associated with conventional probe cards for testing semiconductor dice, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved probe card for testing semiconductor dice contained on a wafer.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved method for forming a probe card for testing semiconductor dice contained on a wafer.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved method for testing semiconductor dice contained on a wafer using a silicon micromachined probe card.
Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds.

Micromachined probe card having compliant contact members for testing semiconductor wafers


An embedded symmetrical multiprocessor system includes arbitration logic that determines which central processing unit has access to shared memory. Upon grant of access, the memory address is stored in a memory address register. An address compare circuit compares the access address of any other central processing unit with this stored address. Upon a match, the arbitration logic stalls the second accessing central processing unit until expiration of a programmable number of wait states following the first access. These wait states give the first central processing unit enough time to determine the state of a lock variable and take control of an operation protected by the lock variable. The application boot code can determine how long the read-check-write operation requires and program that value into the wait-state generator.

Most multiprocessor systems have two or more processors that are not completely identical, but instead have a degree of individual special features and functions. The tighter coupling between the multiprocessors integrated on a single chip allows for a more efficient passing of data than for similar multiprocessors implemented at the board level. Each processor may have a different memory map, different peripheral set and perhaps even a different instruction set. In applications that have very distinct boundaries, such as a cell phone, this method of extracting optimum performance is crucial.
It is desirable to define an architecture that offers the modularity and flexibility that the multiprocessor system offers and reuse advantages of a single processor system, but also the lower development costs and scalability. The symmetric parallel processing system, upon which this invention is based, was developed for this reason.
One of the more formidable difficulties designers of any symmetric multiprocessing system (SMP) must deal with is the issue of data coherence. Since all central processing units have access to all system resources such as memory and peripherals, if one central processing unit changes a value in memory, it must not affect the operation of the other central processing units. As an example, if a shared variable exists in memory that is used as a lock variable with an active locked state signified by a logical '1', no other central processing unit can use the process associated with the lock until it is first set to logical '0' by the lock-grabbing central processing unit. For example, suppose central processing unit 101 reads the lock variable, checks the value and then proceeds to set the lock. However, central processing unit 103 also reads the lock before central processing unit 101 has completed setting the lock. Both central processing units proceed under the assumption that the lock is not set. They both proceed with the process that the lock is designed to safeguard against. This will cause program behavior that was not anticipated by the software engineer and can cause an application to perform differently than expected.
Many desktop central processing units avoid this unwanted occurrence by having this special lock-set/lock reset hardware primitive as part of the instruction set. For example, the base central processing unit used in the symmetrical multiprocessor system will have a special instruction or instruction pair that will check memory and set a lock flag bit if that location is not set. This atomic operation is not interruptible and it thereby insures that another central processing unit cannot read the same location before the first central processing unit has completed writing the set value back to memory. This approach is not available to the base central processing unit of an embedded multiprocessor if this instruction is not a part of the original instruction set.

Data synchronization hardware primitive in an embedded symmetrical multiprocessor computer


The present invention compensates for variations in the angular velocity of the drive's spindle motor by periodically dropping clocks to a counter based upon the previous servo wedge-to-wedge timing. This enables a substantially constant count to be maintained between servo wedges and allows a more predictable generation of the data sector pulses. A more predictable generation of the data sector pulses enables the size of the guard band preceding each data sector to be decreased and the capacity of the disk to be correspondingly increased.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disk drives. More particularly, the present invention relates to disk drives that vary the timing of the servo detect window according to measured variations in the angular velocity of the drive's spindle motor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In contemporary magnetic hard disk drives, servo sectors of servo information are interspersed with data sectors circumferentially in concentric tracks around the surfaces of the disk or disks. As shown in FIG. 1, the format of a track of a rigid magnetic disk drive calls for regularly spaced embedded servo sectors (also called servo wedges) (of which representative servo sectors 121, 122, 123 are shown) containing servo information therein. Between the embedded servo sectors are a number of data sectors. There may be an integer number of data sectors between any two servo sectors. However, a track may also include a non-integer number of data sectors between adjacent servo sectors, as some of the data sectors may be split across servo sectors.
As shown in FIG. 2, a servo sector (exemplary servo sector S2 122 being shown for illustrative purposes only, it being understood that all of the servo sectors shown in FIG. 1 have the same format) may include a preamble 201, 202, a servo sync word 203, a track identifier 204 and servo burst fields A, B, C and D, referenced by numerals 205, 206, 207 and 208, respectively. The preamble 201, 202 may, for example, include a first portion 201 that includes a fill code to enable the read channel to adjust is gain and allows a phase locked loop (PLL) to achieve bit synchronization with the incoming servo information. The preamble may also include a second portion 202 that includes a DC erase portion in which there are no logical transitions (such as an uninterrupted string of zeros, for example) for a specified length. As areas containing no transitions are illegal everywhere else on the disk, the DC erase field uniquely identifies this portion as being part of a servo sector. Following the preamble 201, 202 is a servo sync word 203 that identifies the sector as being a servo wedge and that establishes byte synchronization. After the servo sync word 203 is a track identifier (ID), which uniquely identifies the number of the track being read. The servo burst fields 205, 206, 207 and 208 are used to determine the head's current location on the track. The detection of the servo sync word establishes a positive timing reference and allows a disk controller integrated circuit to forecast the timing of the next servo sync word, since they are equally spaced along the tracks recorded on the recording surface of the disk or disks and since the nominal angular velocity of the disk is known.
A spindle motor drives the disk or disks in rotation. However, the spindle motor does not, in practice, drive the disks at a perfectly constant angular velocity. Indeed, there are some variations in the angular velocity at which the spindle motor drives the disk in rotation. Such variations may cause the detection of the servo sync words to be read later (in the case wherein the spindle motor has slowed down relative to its nominal speed) or earlier (in the case wherein the spindle motor is driving the disk faster than its nominal angular velocity) than forecast.
The disk controller, to detect the servo sync word, opens up a timing window during a servo gate signal (not shown), which enables the read channel to begin the detection of the preamble of the servo sector, in order to establish gain, achieve bit synchronization and the like. The controller also opens another timing window for the detection of the servo sync word. This timing window is made as narrow as possible within the constraints of the variations in the angular velocity of the spindle motor, to reduce the possibility of a false detection of the servo sync word. If the servo sync word is made unique and the timing window for its detection is made as narrow (is opened only for a short duration), the probability of a false detection is relatively low.
During most of the operation of the drive, the controller operates in hard sector mode. In hard sector mode, upon detection of a servo sync word, a fixed interval is established for the detection of the next servo sync word in the next servo sector. After the fixed interval has elapsed, the controller opens up the window to detect the next servo sync word. The fixed interval may be established by a counter that is decremented until it reaches zero, for example. If the drive has, for any reason, lost synchronization or is just starting up and has not yet achieved synchronization, the drive may operate in a soft sector mode. In soft sector mode, the controller may not know the location of the read/write heads over the disk. In soft sector mode, the servo gate signal is opened up and the drive looks for the next preamble, track ID and servo sync word. Once several servo sync words have been detected and synchronization is achieved, the drive may switch to hard sector mode.
The detection of the servo sector and of the servo sync word within the servo sector, therefore, is essential as it allows the controller to predictably determine the start of the data sectors on the track.
FIG. 3 is a diagram of an exemplary structure of a data sector recorded on the recording surface of a disk of a magnetic hard disk drive. Exemplary data sector 104 (exemplary data sector D4 104 being shown for illustrative purposes only, it being understood that all of the data sectors shown in FIG. 1 have the same format) includes a preamble 301, 302, followed by data sync word 303 and the data 304. The read channel decodes each data sector and the data sync word establishes when the data 304 may be clocked in (writing) or out (reading). The aforementioned speed variations in the angular velocity of the spindle motor require that guard bands 130 (FIG. 1) be included before each data sector. The width of the guard bands is a function of the variation in spindle motor speed between writing data to that sector and subsequently reading the data back. Indeed, the width of the guard band is related to the minimum to maximum spindle motor speed variation, as well as the time interval between re-synchronizing the sector timing logic upon detection of the servo sync word. As the read/write head moves away from the detected servo sync word, the uncertainty (it is a sampled system) of the location of a sector is the difference between the actual angular velocity of the spindle motor and the nominal speed thereof, and increases in linear fashion. This results in maximum uncertainty just before the detection of the next servo sync word. The wider the guard bands are, the more disk real estate is made unavailable for storing data. Therefore, if the width of the guard bands could be reduced, comparatively more data could be stored on the disks.
What is desired, therefore, are disk drives that enable the width of the guard bands to be decreased and the capacity of the disk media to be increased, given the constraints imposed by the aforementioned variations in the angular velocity of the spindle motor.

Disk drive having a sector clock that is synchronized to the angular speed of the spindle motor


A duty cycle correction circuit includes a clock adjustment unit configured to adjust a duty ratio of an input clock signal in response to a duty control signal and generate an output clock signal, a tracking type setting unit configured to generate an tracking type selection signal for setting a first or second tracking type based on a duty locking state of the output clock signal, and a control signal generation unit configured to generate the duty control signal, into which the first or second tracking type is incorporated, in response to the tracking type selection signal and the output clock signal.

1. Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to semiconductor design technology, and more particularly, to a duty cycle correction circuit and operation method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, semiconductor devices, such as double data rate synchronous DRAM (DDR SDRAM), perform a desired operation in response to different kinds of signals received from an external controller. Such semiconductor devices are developing toward a high-speed operation according to users' demands. For the high-speed operation of the semiconductor devices, a clock signal having a high frequency should be provided from the outside. The external clock signal is the source of an internal clock signal that is internally used in a semiconductor device, and the frequencies of the external clock signal and/or the internal clock signal determine the operating frequencies of the semiconductor device. Basically, if the frequency of the clock signal is high, the operating speed of the semiconductor device may be increased. An increase in the frequency of the clock signal, however, is limited. A variety of methods have been proposed to overcome the limit. One of the methods is a double data rate (DDR) method for enhancing the utilization of the clock signal.
The existing single data rate (SDR) method is, for example, a method of inputting/outputting data in response to the rising edge of a clock signal, whereas the DDR method is a method of inputting/outputting data in response to both of the rising edge and the falling edge of a clock signal. That is, two data is input/output in one cycle of the clock signal. Accordingly, more data may be processed in the DDR method than in the SDR method for the same period.
Meanwhile, to process data in response to both of the rising edge and the falling edge of a clock signal as in the DDR method, it may be important to maintain the duty ratio of a clock signal at 50:50. That is, the logic 'High' section of a clock signal must be identical with the logic 'Low' section of the clock signal. When the 50:50 duty ratio of a clock signal is broken due to a jitter component and other reasons, reliability of data input/output in response to the clock signal may not be guaranteed.
Furthermore, an increase in the frequency of a clock signal may cause difficulties in controlling the duty ratio of the clock signal. Accordingly, schemes for precisely and quickly controlling the duty ratio of a clock signal having a high frequency are in demand.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Duty cycle correction circuit and operation method thereof


A computer program operably controls a riveting system to join two or more workpieces with a rivet. In another aspect of the present invention, a self-piercing rivet is employed with computer software to sense, measure and/or determine riveting and/or joint characteristics. Still another aspect of the present invention employs an electronic control unit and one or more sensors to determine a riveting characteristic and/or an actuator characteristic.

This invention relates generally to riveting and more particularly to a riveting system and a process for forming a riveted joint.
It is well known to join two or more sheets of metal with a rivet. It is also known to use self-piercing rivets that do not require a pre-punched hole. Such self-piercing or punch rivet connections can be made using a solid rivet or a hollow rivet.
A punch rivet connection is conventionally formed with a solid rivet by placing the parts to be joined on a die. The parts to be joined are clamped between a hollow clamp and the die. A plunger punches the rivet through the workpieces such that the rivet punches a hole in the parts thereby rendering pre-punching unnecessary. Once the rivet has penetrated the parts to be joined, the clamp presses the parts against the die, which includes a ferrule. The force of the clamp and the geometry of the die result in plastic deformation of the die-side part to be joined thereby causing the deformed part to partially flow into an annular groove in the punch rivet. This solid rivet is not deformed.
Traditionally, hydraulically operated joining devices are used to form such punch rivet connections. More specifically, the punching plunger is actuated by a hydraulic cylinder unit. The cost of producing such joining devices is relatively high and process controls for achieving high quality punch rivet connections has been found to be problematic. In particular, hydraulically operated joining devices are subject to variations in the force exerted by the plunger owing to changes in viscosity. Such viscosity changes of the hydraulic medium are substantially dependent on temperature. A further drawback of hydraulically operated joining devices is that the hydraulic medium, often oil, has a hydroscopic affect thereby requiring exchange of the hydraulic fluid at predetermined time intervals. Moreover, many hydraulic systems are prone to hydraulic fluid leakage thereby creating a messy work environment in the manufacturing plant.
When forming a punch connection or joint with a hollow rivet, as well as a semi-hollow rivet, the plunger and punch cause the hollow rivet to penetrate the plunger-side part to be joined and partially penetrate into the die-side part to be joined. The die is designed to cause the die-side part and rivet to be deformed into a closing head. An example of such a joined device for forming a punch rivet connection with a hollow rivet is disclosed in DE 44 19 065 A1. Hydraulically operating joining devices are also used for producing a punch rivet connection with a hollow rivet.
Furthermore, rivet feeder units having rotary drums and escapement mechanisms have been traditionally used. Additionally, it is known to use linear slides to couple riveting tools to robots.
It is also known to employ a computer system for monitoring various characteristics of a blind rivet setting system. For example, reference should be made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,887 entitled xe2x80x9cBlind Rivet Set Verification System and Methodxe2x80x9d which issued to Byrne et al. on Sep. 2, 1997, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,710 entitled xe2x80x9cBlind Rivet Setting System and Method for Setting a Blind Rivet Then Verifying the Correctness of the Setxe2x80x9d which issued to Weber et al. on Sep. 16, 1997. Both of these U.S. patents are incorporated by reference herein.
In accordance with the present invention, a riveting system is operable to join two or more workpieces with a rivet. In another aspect of the present invention, a self-piercing rivet is employed. A further aspect of the present invention uses a self-piercing rivet which does not fully penetrate the die-side workpiece in an acceptable joint. Still another aspect of the present invention employs an electronic control unit and one or more sensors to determine a riveting characteristic and/or an actuator characteristic. In still another aspect of the present invention, an electric motor is used to drive a nut and spindle drive transmission which converts rotary actuator motion to linear rivet setting motion. In yet another aspect of the present invention, multiple rivet feeders can selectively provide differing types of rivets to a single riveting tool. Unique software employed to control the riveting machine is also used in another aspect of the present invention. A method of operating a riveting system is also provided.
The riveting system of the present invention is advantageous over conventional devices in that the present invention employs a very compact and mechanically efficient rotational-to-linear motion drive transmission. Furthermore, the present invention advantageously employs an electric motor to actuate the riveting punch thereby providing higher accuracy, less spilled fluid mess, lower maintenance, less energy, lower noise and less temperature induced variations as compared to traditional hydraulic drive machines. Moreover, the electronic control system and software employed with the present invention riveting system ensure essentially real time quality control and monitoring of the rivet, riveted joint, workpiece characteristics, actuator power consumption and/or actuator power output characteristics, as well as collecting and comparing historical processing trends using the sensed data.
The riveting system and self-piercing hollow rivet employed therewith, advantageously provide a high quality and repeatable riveted joint that is essentially flush with the punch-side workpiece outer surface without completely piercing through the die-side workpiece. The real-time characteristics of the rivet, joint and workpieces are used in an advantageous manner to ensure the desired quality of the final product. Furthermore, the performance characteristics may be easily varied or altered by reprogramming software set points, depending upon the specific joint or workpiece to be worked upon, without requiring mechanical alterations in the machinery. Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Riveting system and process for forming a riveted joint


Doping the jacket of a data cable reduces the bulk volume resistivity of the jacket material allowing built-up static electricity to discharge. This reduces the likelihood of static charge interfering with data transmission.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a data cable and, more particularly, to a data cable that dissipates the static charge that is produced on the surface of the data cable as a result of dry air blowing across its outer surface.
2. Description of Prior Art
A data cable used in an outdoor environment (such as those found on seismic surveys) is subject to many harsh conditions. The cable typically must endure temperature, humidity, and ultra-violet radiation extremes that range from the desert, to the rain forest, to the Arctic. The jacket of the cable must be abrasion resistant to withstand the rough handling on the cable that may be retrieved and deployed several times a day over all types of terrain in all ranges of climates. To successfully endure these conditions, traditional cables have used high-quality outer jacketing materials such as polyurethane. In addition to the properties necessary to survive adverse listed conditions, these materials typically are moderately good electrical insulators, with bulk volume resistivity values of about 10.sup.12 ohm-cm.
As is well known, a static electrical potential difference is produced between dissimilar materials when they are rubbed together. This effectively occurs when (dry, perhaps sand-laden) air blows across the surface of an insulative cable jacket, due to the accumulation of electrical charge. If there is an effective path or means for the static charge to dissipate then no harm is done to the signal being carried by the conductors in the cable. However, if there is no such effective means present that allows dissipation of the charge as rapidly as it is accumulated then eventually voltage breakdown will occur between the outer jacket of the cable and the surrounding ground plane thereby creating a path through which the charge dissipates. When there is such a voltage breakdown, typically this results in a relatively high current arc, which is capacitively coupled as noise into the signals being carried by the conductors. The effectiveness of the path of dissipation is inversely proportional to the resistance values of the materials used to form the jacket of the cable; an insulator will retain a charge while a conductor will dissipate it.
Therefore, to reduce noise due to the build up of static charge, there exists a need to provide a cable wherein a better electrical path from the surface of a cable (where the charge accumulates) to the ground on which it is lying. For outdoor applications such as seismic surveying, this problem is typically worse on very dry, windy days and almost non-existent on rainy days. In severe cases in seismic applications, prior art has suggested a labor intensive method of wetting the cable and/or the nearby surrounding soil, which in remote and desert areas may be impractical but in any event since seismic surveying is conducted over a vast area at a time such a solution can be very expensive. Furthermore, this solution provides only temporary relief, i.e., until the moisture has been evaporated.
Thus, there remains a need of providing a data cable which effectively dissipates or discharges static charge built up on the surface of the cable jacket.

Static dissipating data cable and seismic apparatus


There is disclosed a human body implant device including a first unit including a transmission unit, and a second unit configured to communicate with the first unit, wherein the second unit includes a second package including a reception unit configured to receive power or an electrical signal from the transmission unit, a first package configured to generate a stimulation signal in response to the electrical signal, a connector configured to electrically connect the first package and the second package, and a cover configured to package the first package, the second package, and the connector.

Embodiments relate to a human body implant device.
Many medical devices have been developed to help people who have lost a specific function, either congenital or acquired. As such medical devices, human body implant devices including nerve assist devices have also been developed. As one of the human body implant devices, the cochlear implant system, which stimulates auditory nerves of people who have functioning auditory nerves with electricity to help the people sense sound, has been recognized as the most efficient device among the nerve assist devices that have been developed thus far, and such cochlear implants are increasing every year.
The cochlear implant system may include an external device provided outside the body and an internal device provided inside the body.
The external device serves to receive sound from outside the human body and convert the received sound into an electrical signal, and includes a microphone (sender), a speech sound processor (language synthesizer), and a transmitting antenna (transmitter). In this case, the microphone and the transmitting antenna may be combined with a headset.
The internal device serves to stimulate the auditory nerve using signals transmitted from the external device, and includes a receiver and an electrode for reception and stimulation.
The cochlear implant system transmits an acoustic signal transmitted from the microphone attached to a part outside the human body to the auditory nerve fibers through the electrode implanted in the cochlear, without passing through the eardrum or the auditory ossicles, by converting physical vibration of the acoustic signal into an electrical signal through processes of amplification, filtering, and the like by the external speed sound processor.
The external device of the cochlear implant system consumes power to drive the microphone, the speech sound processor, and the like, and the internal device also requires power for driving the receiver. In a conventional cochlear implant system, an internal device provided inside the body includes an internal coil configured to supply power through radio frequency (RF) communication with an external coil provided outside the body.
In the conventional cochlear implant system, the internal device that is inserted into the body is inserted into the scalp at a central portion of a side of the head, and the external device is distributed across the outside of the scalp.
However, in such a configuration, since use of the cochlear implant system is easily recognizable by visual inspection, a user who does not want to let others know about his or her use of the cochlear implant system may be dissatisfied or mentally bothered.
Further, since the components of the cochlear implant system are exposed as they are, the exterior of the cochlear implant system is not preferable, and thus improvement is required.
That is, since areas where a user can wear the cochlear implant system are very limited, the degree of freedom of wearing the cochlear implant system is low, and thus improvement is required.
Further, the conventional electrode has problems in that the cost and time are increased and the yield is decreased because a platinum electrode and a wire are manually aligned and silicone-molded. Further, there is a problem in that current stimulation is relatively low due to a small electrode area.


An internal mix spray nozzle assembly adapted for operation with lesser pressurized air requirements. The spray nozzle assembly includes a liquid passage for directing a liquid flow stream against an impingement pin, and an air guide is provided for forming an annular pressurized air passage about the liquid flow stream for striking and atomizing a laterally spreading dispersion of liquid from the impingement surface. For enhancing liquid atomization, the air guide defines a relatively narrow width air flow opening for substantially accelerating and increasing the pressure of the atomizing air stream, and the impingement pin is formed with a relatively large primary impinging surface and a parallel downstream secondary impingement surface that facilitates further liquid particle breakdown and prevents the accumulation of liquids about the bottom of the impingement pin.

Internal mix air atomizing nozzles are known in the art, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,885 assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Such air atomizing nozzles are particularly effective for generating and discharging a finely atomized liquid spray at high flow rates.
Pressurized air sources available in customer plants sometimes are inadequate to enable such spray nozzles to be operated with optimum liquid atomization, particularly in spraying systems which involve a large number of such air atomizing nozzles. The need exists for air atomizing nozzles that can be optimally operated with lesser pressurized air requirements so as to (1) permit more economical use of smaller air compressors and (2) to enable greater numbers of air assisted spray nozzles to be operated from existing pressurized air sources. The need also exists for spray nozzles which are adapted to effect finer atomization of the liquid and which do not accumulate liquid within the nozzle body that can cause undesirable drippage from the nozzle, which detracts from the spray performance.

Internal mix air atomizing nozzle assembly


A plurality of radiation image signals respectively representing a plurality of radiation images of an object, which radiation images have been formed with several kinds of radiation having different energy distributions, are obtained. An energy subtraction image signal, which has been formed from the plurality of the radiation image signals, is also obtained. Compression processing is performed on the plurality of the radiation image signals and the energy subtraction image signal. The energy subtraction image signal is compressed with a compressibility higher than the compressibility with respect to each of the radiation image signals.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for compressing image signals. This invention particularly relates to a method and apparatus for compressing image signals, wherein radiation image signals, which represent radiation images of an object, and an energy subtraction image signal, which is obtained from the radiation image signals of the object, are compressed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Techniques for photoelectrically reading out a recorded radiation image in order to obtain an image signal, performing appropriate image processing on the image signal, and then reproducing a visible image by use of the processed image signal have heretofore been known in various fields. Also, it has been proposed to use stimulable phosphors in radiation image recording and reproducing systems. Specifically, a radiation image of an object, such as a human body, is recorded on a sheet provided with a layer of the stimulable phosphor (hereinafter referred to as a stimulable phosphor sheet). The stimulable phosphor sheet, on which the radiation image has been stored, is then exposed to stimulating rays, such as a laser beam, which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to the radiation. The light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet, upon stimulation thereof, is photoelectrically detected and converted into an electric image signal. The image signal is then processed and used for the reproduction of the radiation image of the object as a visible image on a recording material.
In the radiation image recording and reproducing systems wherein recording sheets, such as X-ray film or stimulable phosphor sheets, are used, subtraction processing techniques for radiation images are often performed on image signals detected from a plurality of radiation images of an object, which radiation images have been recorded on the recording sheets.
With the subtraction processing techniques for radiation images, an image is obtained which corresponds to a difference between a plurality of radiation images of an object recorded under different conditions. Specifically, a plurality of the radiation images recorded under different conditions are read out at predetermined sampling intervals, and a plurality of image signals thus detected are converted into digital image signals which represent the radiation images. The image signal components of the digital image signals, which components represent the image information recorded at corresponding sampling points in the radiation images, are then subtracted from each other. A difference signal is thereby obtained which represents the image of a specific structure or part of the object represented by the radiation images.
As one of the subtraction processing techniques described above, an energy subtraction processing technique has heretofore been known. In the energy subtraction processing technique, such characteristics are utilized that a specific structure of an object exhibits different levels of radiation absorptivity with respect to radiation with different energy distributions. Specifically, by the utilization of the characteristics described above, a plurality of radiation images of an object, in which different images of a specific structure of the object are embedded, are formed with several kinds of radiation having different energy distributions. Thereafter, the image signals representing the plurality of the radiation images are weighted appropriately and subjected to a subtraction process in order to extract the image of the specific structure of the object. More specifically, as the plurality of the radiation images described above, a low energy image, which has been formed with radiation containing a comparatively large quantity of low energy components, and a high energy image, which has been formed with radiation containing a comparatively large quantity of high energy components, may be obtained. In cases where the subtraction processing is performed on the low energy image and the high energy image, for example, a soft tissue image, in which only a pattern of a soft tissue of the object is illustrated, or a bone image, in which only a pattern of a bone of the object is illustrated, is obtained as an energy subtraction image in which only a specific structure of the object is illustrated. The applicant proposed novel energy subtraction processing methods using stimulable phosphor sheets in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,855,598 and 4,896,037, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3(1991)-285475.
Image signals, which represent the radiation images, such as the low energy image and the high energy image, and an image signal, which represents the energy subtraction image, such as the soft tissue image or the bone image, are transferred to an external device, such as a display device or a printing device. Also, the image signals are transferred to storage media, such as MO, and stored on the storage media. Heretofore, such that the efficiency with which the transfer or the storage is performed may be enhanced, compression processing has been performed on all of the image signals. In such cases, the degree of signal compression has heretofore been set at a value such that the image quality of the image represented by a decompressed image signal, which will later be obtained from decompression processing performed on the compressed image signal, does not become markedly bad. Specifically, of the images described above, the low energy image is the image utilized also in making an ordinary diagnosis, or the like. Therefore, the low energy image signal representing the low energy image has heretofore been compressed with a reversible compressing process, which has the characteristics such that the image quality of the image represented by the decompressed image signal obtained from the decompression processing performed on the compressed image signal, does not become bad, or with an irreversible compressing process utilizing a low compressibility such that the image quality of the image obtained from the decompression processing is capable of being kept to be approximately identical with the original image quality. Also, the high energy image signal representing the high energy image and the energy subtraction image signal representing the energy subtraction image have heretofore been compressed in the same manner as that for the low energy image signal.
However, each of the image signals described above is composed of a very large quantity of data. Therefore, in cases where the signal compression with the reversible compressing process or the irreversible compressing process utilizing the low compressibility is performed, the processing efficiency and the storage efficiency at the time of the transfer, the storage, and the like, cannot be kept sufficiently high.

Method and apparatus for compressing image signals


A method of achieving sterile dry packaging, the key steps of which include enclosing a sterile item in one or more thin-gauge inner bags which are in turn enclosed within a polyethylene/metallized polyester laminate and sealed therein, followed by gamma irradiation and sterilization of the outer surface of the laminate with a vaporized sterilizing agent such as hydrogen peroxide.

The use of blood culture media to ascertain the presence and identity of microorganisms in medical and laboratory research applications is well known. In use, the culture medium is inoculated with, for example, a scraping from the environment or patient, incubated, and then studied for the presence of characteristic microbial growth patterns. Typically, such a protocol is carried out in a sterile "clean room." In order for the testing to be accurate, it is absolutely essential that the culture media be totally sterile prior to the test. This is generally accomplished by sterilizing the media immediately prior to the inoculation in an isolation chamber by contacting the packaging of the media with a sterilizing agent at ambient temperatures. Conventional sterilizing agents, used in vaporized mist form, are aqueous solutions of hydrogen peroxide, formaldehyde, peracetic acid, and mixtures thereof.
A major problem associated with the use of such sterilizing agents is that they are sufficiently corrosive to attack and break down and so penetrate the packaging for the culture media, thereby allowing premature exposure of the media to the environment, along with contamination of the media by the sterilizing agent. Attempts have been made to address this problem by enclosing the culture media in heavy gauge packaging material to form a vapor barrier. However, this method in turn often leads to the formation of "wet" culture media due to evaporation of water contained within the media, followed by condensation within the packaging material. The formation of moisture on culture media, even in slight amounts, is problematic in that the characteristic growth patterns of microorganisms tend to become blurred and indistinct, thereby preventing proper identification of the microorganism in question. To allow moisture to escape, semipermeable packaging material such as bonded olefin (sold by DuPont as Tyvek.RTM.) has been used, but this material is insufficiently resistant to attack by the conventional sterilizing agents mentioned above.
Clean rooms are also used for other medical and laboratory research applications, and for fabrication and handling of items that are extremely sensitive to microbial contamination. To maintain such clean rooms and equipment therein in relatively sterile condition, sterile absorbent wipes and sterilizing solutions are routinely used. However, the packaging for such wipes and solutions is itself subject to microbial contamination when it is in storage awaiting use.
There is therefore a need for packaging that is capable of maintaining a sterile item in a sterile and dry condition, while at the same time being capable of withstanding chemical attack by commonly used sterilizing agents. These needs and others are met by the present invention, which is summarized and described in detail below.


A method for securely accessing information from disparate data sources through a network is provided. The method includes requesting a logon menu from a network server using a client and receiving a logon menu. The method further includes communicating a logon input to the network server which then communicates the logon input to a database server. Next, the method includes verifying the logon input at the database server and generating and storing a unique session identification number at the database server in response. The method continues by communicating the session identification number and a portion of the logon input to the client and storing, and communicating a menu to the client prompting the user to perform at least a first function requiring access to a first type of disparate data source. Next, the method includes requesting the first function and communicating the session identification number, the portion of the logon input, and the first function request to the network server from the client. Next, the method includes providing this information to the database server and verifying that the session identification number and the portion of the logon input are valid. Finally, the method includes exchanging information between the database server and the first type of disparate data source while performing the first function, and then generating a first output at the network server that is provided to the client in response.

The increased popularity of the Internet and the development of the World Wide Web (WWW) has resulted in the creation of new business opportunities. One such business opportunity is that of Internet commerce or on-line commerce. On-line commerce involves the exchange of goods, services, and information as a result of transactions executed using an on-line computer system. On-line commerce is often achieved using a computer application and system that allows access to information from disparate data sources through a computer network, such as the Internet. To support on-line commerce, it is of paramount importance that the underlying computer application and system provide: (1) relevant information, often from disparate data sources, in a timely and accurate manner; and (2) a secure means for allowing access to a user's account and the disparate data sources used by the system. Primarily, users do not want unauthorized access to their account information and information providers do not want unauthorized access to their data sources and systems.
On-line commerce computer applications and systems are difficult to design and implement, frequently taking years to develop, and provide either too little security or a level of security that is too cumbersome in actual operation and hence unacceptable. In particular, the development of computer applications and systems requiring interprocess communication for access to disparate data sources is complex and time consuming. Disparate data sources include information or data from such sources as databases, application programs, or systems that reside on multiple and disparate platforms, database management systems, and environments that may be physically separated from one another. The design difficulties and complexities arise from the interface software that must be developed for each disparate data source to ensure that information can be accessed from each disparate data source in a timely and accurate manner. The interface software is difficult and complex to develop because each disparate data source may have a different or proprietary method and format or protocol for exchanging data. The format or protocol peculiarities of each disparate data source must be taken into account and coded into the interface software. Often, the difficulties and delays in designing the interface software adversely affect the development and implementation of other portions of the on-line commerce application and system, which further increases overall system development time and costs.
The proper exchange of information between disparate data sources is especially critical when the information is time sensitive. Time sensitive data is any data that frequently changes. For example, on-line commerce computer applications and systems involving the trading of securities, such as stocks, bonds, notes, options, futures, mutual funds, and the like, rely heavily on time sensitive data to ensure that trades are timely placed and that decisions are based on accurate and up-to-date information.
As mentioned above, another significant problem encountered when developing on-line commerce computer applications and systems is that of overall system security. Systems must be secure enough to prevent unauthorized access to a user's account and unauthorized access to the various disparate data sources. Unfortunately, security in many systems is either easily defeated by the unscrupulous computer hacker or is so tedious and cumbersome that users find the system too cumbersome to use. Security is especially a problem in systems implemented using the Internet or corporate intranets where clients are not continuously in direct communication with the on-line commerce system. In such arrangements, the client communicates with the on-line commerce system through a network of servers opening up the possibility to unauthorized access of sensitive information while in transit. This arrangement also presents the disadvantage of preventing the on-line system from determining when a session has started and when a session has ended because of the absence of the continuous communications path by which the system can easily determine when a user has logged on or out. This presents the opportunity for two users, the second of which may be an unauthorized user, to logon at the same time under the same account number or user identification number.
Some prior attempts at providing a system for securely accessing information from disparate data sources have provided too little security. For example, an unauthenticated security system allows access to one of the disparate data sources by anyone having access to a web server and may allow one user to break into another's session. This is unacceptable to most users and information providers.
Still other prior attempts at providing a system for securely accessing information from disparate data sources have provided a security system that is too burdensome and inflexible. For example, some of these security systems require user identification numbers that are different from a user's account number, thus requiring the user to remember yet another number, in addition to an account number and password. Also, some security systems require passwords and logon identifications for each disparate data source. This greatly increases the overall system administrative burden because databases containing valid passwords and logon identifications (or user account numbers) must be maintained at multiple locations using different technologies. Whenever a new user is added or deleted or when an existing user changes a password, this information must be changed at multiple locations. The availability of the user information at multiple locations also increases the risk of unauthorized internal access by personnel having access at the various locations. Some other security systems require an Internet or intranet user to exit their web browser before starting a new session with their on-line system or after changing a password. This is unacceptable to many users.
Other attempts at system security have focused on maintaining a user database of valid passwords and logon identifications at a database on a web server. These types of security systems do not provide the added security of insulating the user database from web server personnel. These security systems also frequently fail to provide the added security feature of allowing permissions and rights to be assigned to individual users or groups of users to limit access to certain data sources.

System and method for securely accessing information from disparate data sources through a network


One embodiment provides a computer implemented method of for monitoring and upgrading a dual-flash device. The method includes performing an OS upgrade on a server; writing an upgraded OS to the dual-flash device; updating a grub.cfg file corresponding to the upgraded OS; and deleting old OS files from the dual-flash device.

Commercial data centers run a very large number of backup storage appliances that receive a large number of service requests regarding fixing corrupted systems. Systems can be corrupted during run-time, reboot, power failures, or during OS upgrades, etc. For example, a root file system can be corrupted due to a power failure, or OS software can be corrupted during an upgrade. When an appliance runs into a critical error, such as when a head controller root file system is corrupted, OS files are lost, OS software bugs are found, etc., a support engineer may need to trouble shoot and resolve these issues by restoring the appliance OS.

System and method for monitoring and upgrading a dual-flash device


An exemplary liquid crystal display (200) includes a liquid crystal panel, a gate driving circuit (210), and a data driving circuit (220). The liquid crystal panel includes a pixel array (230), a short-circuit test circuit (240), and a control circuit (290). The short-circuit test circuit and the control circuit cooperatively form a discharging circuit. When the liquid crystal display is powered off, electric charge stored in the liquid crystal panel is discharged through the discharging circuit. The gate driving circuit is configured for scanning the liquid crystal panel. The data driving circuit is configured for providing gray-scale voltages to the liquid crystal panel when the liquid crystal panel is scanned.

An LCD has the advantages of portability, low power consumption, and low radiation, and has been widely used in various portable information products such as notebooks, personal digital assistants (PDAs), video cameras and the like. Furthermore, the LCD is considered by many to have the potential to completely replace CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors and televisions. An LCD generally includes a liquid crystal panel, a driving circuit for driving the liquid crystal panel, and a backlight module for illuminating the liquid crystal panel.
FIG. 2 is essentially an abbreviated circuit diagram of a typical LCD 100. The LCD 100 includes a liquid crystal panel (not shown), a gate driving circuit 110 and a data driving circuit 120. The gate driving circuit 110 and the data driving circuit 120 are formed on the liquid crystal panel by a chip on glass (COG) method. The gate driving circuit 110 is used to scan the liquid crystal panel. The data driving circuit 120 is used to provide gray-scale voltages to the liquid crystal panel when the liquid crystal panel is scanned.
The liquid crystal panel includes a pixel array 130 and a short-circuit test circuit 140. The pixel array 130 includes a number of gate lines 111 that are parallel to each other and that each extend along a first direction, and a number of data lines 121 that are parallel to each other and that each extend along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The gate lines 111 and data lines 121 cross each other, thereby defining an array of pixel units 150. The gate lines 111 are connected to the gate driving circuit 110. The data lines 121 are connected to the data driving circuit 120.
Each pixel unit 150 includes a thin film transistor (TFT) 151, a storage capacitor 152, and a common electrode 153. A gate electrode (not labeled), a source electrode (not labeled), and a drain electrode (not labeled) of the TFT 151 are connected to a corresponding gate line 111, a corresponding data line 121, and a terminal of the storage capacitor 152 respectively. The other terminal of the storage capacitor 152 is connected to the common electrode 153. The TFT 151 functions as a switching element for charging and discharging of the storage capacitor 152.
The short-circuit test circuit 140 includes a plurality of switching TFTs 141, a test control line 142, a first test lead 1401, a second test lead 1402, a third test lead 1403, a fourth test lead 1404, and a fifth test lead 1405. Each of odd-numbered gate lines 111 is connected to the third test lead 1403 via a drain electrode and a source electrode of a corresponding switching TFT 141. Each of even-numbered gate lines 111 is connected to the fourth test lead 1404 via a drain electrode and a source electrode of a corresponding switching TFT 141. Each of odd-numbered data lines 121 is connected to the first test lead 1401 via a source electrode and a drain electrode of a corresponding switching TFT 141. Each of even-numbered data lines 121 is connected to the second test lead 1402 via a source electrode and a drain electrode of a corresponding switching TFT 141. The fifth test lead 1405 is connected with gate electrodes of the switching TFTs 141 and finally the gate driving circuit 110 in series via the test control line 142. The structure of the short-circuit test circuit 140 is a so-called 2G2D structure.
The short-circuit test circuit 140 is generally used to test whether the gate lines 111 and the data lines 121 are damaged or not before the driving circuits 110, 120 are attached to the liquid crystal panel. When the liquid crystal panel is tested, each of the test leads 1401, 1402, 1403, 1404, 1405 receives a test signal. The fifth test lead 1405 provides a high-voltage signal to switch on the switching TFTs 141. The third test lead 1403 provides a high voltage to odd-numbered gate lines 111 to switch on odd-row TFTs 151. The fourth test lead 1404 provides a high voltage to even-numbered gate lines 111 to switch on even-row TFTs 151. The first and second test leads 1401, 1402 provide gray-scale voltages to the storage capacitors 152 respectively via odd-numbered data lines 121 and even-numbered data lines 121, thereby displaying test images on the liquid crystal panel. After the gate driving circuit 110 is attached onto the liquid crystal panel, the gate driving circuit 110 provides a low voltage to the gate electrodes of the switching transistors 141 via the test control line 142 so as to deactivate the short-circuit test circuit 140.
The LCD 100 is powered on by an external power supply (not shown), which connects with the LCD 100 via an external power supply connection of the LCD 100. After the LCD 100 is powered on, the gate driving circuit 110 provides a high voltage to the gate lines 111 so as to switch on the TFTs 151. The data driving circuit 120 provides a gray-scale voltage to the storage capacitors 152 via the data lines 121 and the activated TFTs 151. After being charged, the storage capacitors 152 each store a changeless amount of electric charge until a next gray-scale voltage is applied thereto.
When the LCD 100 is powered off, electric charge stored in the storage capacitors 152 generally cannot be discharged quickly. This makes the voltage at the external power supply connection drop slowly. As a result, the gate driving circuit 110 and the data driving circuit 120 operate incorrectly, thereby producing a residual image on the liquid crystal panel.
What is needed, therefore, is a new LCD that can overcome the above-described deficiencies.

Liquid crystal display having discharging circuit


Provided are a speech translation method and apparatus, an electronic device and a storage medium. The method includes: acquiring a source speech corresponding to a to-be-translated language; acquiring a specified target language; inputting the source speech and indication information matched with the target language into a pre-trained speech translation model, where the speech translation model is configured to translate a language in a first language set into a language in a second language set, the first language set includes a plurality of languages, the first language set includes the to-be-translated language, the second language set includes a plurality of languages, and the second language set includes the target language; and acquiring a translated speech corresponding to the target language and output by the speech translation model; where the to-be-translated language is different from the target language.

Simultaneous interpretation refers to a translation mode in which an interpreter incessantly interprets the content of a speaker to audiences without interrupting the speaker.
At present, the mode of implementing the simultaneous interpretation is as follows: a source speech is recognized as a text in a first language, the text in the first language is machine-translated into a text in a second language, and a speech in a target language is generated based on the text in the second language.
However, in this mode, only the translation from the speech in one language to the speech in another language can be achieved, that is, only one-to-one translation between speeches is supported. In addition, this mode includes three steps of speech-to-text, text translation and text-to-speech, so that the time of the speech translation is long. Moreover, since errors occur in each step, and the errors of the previous step are carried over to the next step, the accuracy of the speech translation is reduced.

Speech translation method electronic device and computer-readable storage medium using SEQ2SEQ for determining alternative translated speech segments

BEIJING BYTEDANCE NETWORK TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Exemplary method, systems and arrangements can be provided for creating a high-resolution magnetic resonance image (“MRI”) or obtaining other information of a target. For example, radio-frequency (“RF”) pulses can be transmitted toward the target by a RF transmitter of a MRI apparatus. In response, multiple echoes corresponding to each pulse may be received from the target. Data from each of the echoes can be assigned to a single line of k-space of a distinct image, and stored in memory of the apparatus. An image of the target, velocity data and/or acceleration data associated with a target can be generated as a function of the data. In one exemplary embodiment, the data from different echoes can be assigned to the same k-space line and to different cardiac phases. The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be utilized for the heart or for any other anatomical organ or region of interest.

In the field of MRI and particularly in the field of cardiac MRI, a series of images may be acquired that have different slices of the target (e.g., the patient's heart) at different times (e.g., at different times during the cardiac cycle). Typically, the temporal resolution of each "cine" scan can be approximately 30-50 milliseconds, which is generally limited only by the patient's breath-hold duration, typically 5-25 seconds. This temporal resolution is sufficient for a number of MRI applications, such as a study of a general cardiac function. This resolution may be insufficient for other applications, such as a study of extremely rapid mechanical cardiac functions, for example, valve motion, mechanical activation maps, and evaluation of mechanical dyssynchrony, which is a key indicator for early stages of systolic contraction and diastolic expansion.
To improve temporal resolution, one conventional approach can use a multi-echo steady-state free precession ("MESSFP") technique which is known. The MESSFP technique permits temporal resolutions of approximately 5 milliseconds and acquisition of single-slice datasets in a single breath-hold scan. In this approach, each echo acquires data for a different line of frequency space (e.g., k-space), and all echoes in the train of echoes acquires data for the same cardiac phase. The MESSFP technique is phase-dependent, and requires a smooth transition from one line of k space to the next line of k space. For example, the phase referred to herein is the phase of the complex data, which can be labeled as a "complex" phase. MESSFP also requires a careful design to avoid "complex" phase-based ghosting artifacts, uses various magnetic field gradient schemes (e.g., flyback schemes, echo-shifting, etc.). These considerations limit the temporal resolution of the MESSFP technique to approximately 5 milliseconds, in a series of three (3) echoes.
Single echo SSFP (e.g., balanced or unbalanced SSFP) techniques allow for a temporal resolution of approximately 2.5 milliseconds, but suffer from certain problems. For example, single echo SSFP techniques require application of a large number of radio frequency ("RF") pulses into the patient's body, which is undesirable. Also, for sequences that involve magnetization preparation (e.g., magnetization tagging), application of a high number of RF pulses causes an early destruction of the magnetization preparations (i.e., the tags fade faster). This potentially limits the analysis of prepared datasets (i.e., tagged datasets) to a small fraction of the cardiac cycle.
MESSFP techniques are generally used in conjunction with parallel imaging techniques, such as time-adaptive sensitivity encoding ("TSENSE"), "complex" phased array approach to ghost elimination ("PAGE"), sensitivity encoding ("SENSE"), simultaneous acquisition of spatial harmonics ("SMASH") or Generalized Autocalibrating Partially Parallel Acquisitions ("GRAPPA"), to speed up data acquisition. The reconstruction based on this combination can be a lengthy process because each echo in the train of echoes (or echo-train) contributes to the same image, or cardiac phase, and it may not be easy to parallelize the reconstruction of the data acquired using this combination.
Magnetic resonance "complex" phase velocity mapping (PVM) using a "complex" phase contrast approach is a procedure that has been used clinically to measure blood flow (e.g., see G. P. Chatzimavroudis et al., "Evaluation of the precision of magnetic resonance phase velocity mapping for blood flow measurements," J Cardiovasc Magn. Reson. 2001; 3(1):11-9). However, conventional "complex" phase contrast (PC) magnetic resonance imaging may have a lower temporal resolution than corresponding magnitude imaging, due to the preference to acquire two differentially flow-encoded images for every PC image frame, in order to subtract out or remove non-motion-related "complex" phase changes.
Spiral "complex" phase contrast pulse sequences have been used (e.g., see K. S. Nayak et al., "Real-time color flow MRI," Magn Reson Med 2000; 43(2):251-8) to develop real-time color flow MRI. Since this approach is real-time, no breath-holding or gating is needed. In this approach, a sliding window reconstruction can be used to acquire the data. However, this approach can only yield temporal resolution of up to 60 msec (e.g., when used with single-shot spirals), with a corresponding spatial resolution of 4 mm.
The used of balanced steady-state free precession (b-SSFP) has been demonstrated (e.g. see M. Markl et al., "Balanced phase-contrast steady-state free precession (PC-SSFP): a novel technique for velocity encoding by gradient inversion," Magn Reson Med 2003; 49(5):945-52) to perform "complex" phase contrast imaging (PC-SSFP). b-SSFP sequences are attractive since they exhibit intrinsically higher signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) than conventional imaging sequences. The publication by Markl, et al. demonstrates an approach to encode for flow without introducing any additional velocity encoding gradients, so as to keep the repetition time (TR) as short as in typical SSFP sequences. Instead, sensitivity is established to through-plane velocities by inverting (i.e., negating) all gradients along the slice-select direction. It was possible to adjust the velocity encoding sensitivity (Venc) by altering the first moments of the slice-select gradients. In order to avoid disturbing the SSFP steady state, they acquired different flow echoes in sequentially executed scans, each over several cardiac cycles, using separate steady-state preparation periods. Using this approach, it was possible to show that PC-SSFP exhibited a higher intrinsic SNR and consequently lower "complex" phase noise in measured velocities compared to conventional "complex" phase contrast (PC) scans. It was also demonstrated that PC-SSFP is less reliant on in-flow-dependent signal enhancement, and hence yields more uniform SNR and better depiction of vessel geometry throughout the cardiac cycle in structures with slow and/or pulsatile flow. Their acquisition, however, had a temporal resolution of only 58 ms.
The highest temporal resolution "complex" phase contrast MRI has been demonstrated (e.g., see R. B. Thompson et al., "High temporal resolution phase contrast MRI with multiecho acquisitions," Magn Reson Med 2002; 47(3):499-512) by using a multiecho acquisition. In this publication, an improvement by a factor of 2 in the temporal resolution was achieved by acquiring the differentially flow-encoded images in separate breath-holds rather than interleaved within a single breath-hold. They also utilized the multiecho readout to acquire more views per unit time than is possible with the conventional PCMRI sequence. These changes allowed them to achieve a total improvement in temporal resolution by ˜5 times over conventional PC imaging. They were able to achieve a temporal resolution of 11.2 ms and an in-plane spatial resolution of 2 mm×2 mm. Yet higher temporal resolution than that achieved to date is desirable which will allow the acquisition of very high resolution velocity data. This can be used, for example, for the evaluation of valvular function and flow mechanics. The present invention provides for finer detail of jets that may arise from regurgitation and/or stenosis. The present invention permits the highest temporal resolution velocity measurement with MRI than that which is known to have ever been recorded before.
Single-shot magnetic resonance imaging, in which the data corresponding to the entire image is acquired in a single instance, can generally be used to acquire snapshot images of physiologic processes. While echo-planar imaging (EPI) is one of the renowned examples of fast snapshot imaging, this technique may suffer from various artifacts, such as susceptibility, and T2 or T2* signal attenuation effects, which reduce its practical usefulness to select regions of the body, and to low spatial resolutions. One potential region where there is a preference for fast snapshot imaging is studying lung dynamics using hyperpolarized helium (3He) (or similar polarized or hyperpolarized gas) MRI. Due to the short T2* of 3He (approximately 12 ms), EPI is not a practical solution for clinically useful spatial resolutions (3 mm or less). While techniques such as spiral imaging have been developed for fast imaging, such techniques have to utilize sliding window approaches to achieve "high" temporal resolution. Beside the situation that spiral imaging may be nontrivial to reconstruct, the sliding window approach can lead to an averaging of the data over multiple time points, making it difficult to determine the true temporal resolution of the data. Segmented and multi-echo gradient recalled approaches have been developed to overcome some of the artifacts associated with conventional EPI techniques. These approaches acquire only a short echo train corresponding to a portion of the data representing the image after every RF pulse. This approach can enable data acquisition within T2* limits, may minimize the susceptibility artifact, and can allow higher spatial resolution to be achieved. However, this segmented approach can make it difficult to acquire data with the type of temporal resolution that is achieved with EPI.
High temporal resolution dynamical imaging of lungs using hyperpolarized gases such as 3He can be used for diagnosis of many pulmonary diseases. Different techniques have been developed to achieve this. For example, fast EPI has been developed to achieve temporal resolution of 40 ms (see, e.g., Saam et al., MRM. 1999; 42:507-514)) for matrix size 32×64. A projection reconstruction method (see, e.g., Holmes et al., Proc. ISMRM, Miami, 2005) provides a temporal resolution of 366 ms for matrix size 256×256. Interleaved spiral imaging can provide a temporal resolution of 3.4 ms for matrix size 128×128 using 24 interleaves and a sliding window technique for reconstruction (see e.g. Salerno et al., MRM 2001 46:667-677). However, spiral imaging can be cumbersome to implement and the sliding window reconstruction leads to time averaging of the signal. One of the major problems encountered in making accurate maps of T1 is the long time generally needed. For a good accuracy over a wide range of T1 values, multiple points of the T1 recovery curve should be sampled. If a conventional two-dimensional (2D) inversion-recovery spin-echo sequence is used, data acqisition for each slice can take a significant time (e.g., several hours). Several schemes have been developed for the rapid imaging of T1 in 2D in which multiple points on the recovery curve can be sampled. These techniques can include methods based on Look-Locker, snapshot-fast low-angle shot (snapshot—FLASH), inversion prepared echo planar imaging, and stimulated echo imaging.

Multi-echo magnetic resonance imaging method and system


A flood flow modulator system including a dam positioned across a watercourse so as to restrict water flow therein and thereby create a retained water body; the dam having an upstream surface facing the water body, an oppositely directed downstream surface, and a top surface joining the upstream and downstream surfaces. Defined by the dam is a slot having substantially vertical side surfaces and a substantially horizontal bottom surface. A gate is pivotally mounted in the slot for movement between a substantially vertical closed position and a substantially horizontal open position; the gate being U-shaped in section and having a front wall with edges disposed adjacent to the side and bottom surfaces so as to substantially close the slot when in the closed position, and sidewalls projecting transversely from the front wall toward the water body and each closely adjacent to a different one of the side surfaces. The sidewalls prevent an accumulation of proximate debris which could adversely affect desired operation of the gate.

This invention relates generally to a water control system and, more particularly, to a system for modulating flood flow in a watercourse.
Dam structures are used extensively to raise the level of a stream or river and thereby produce an elevated head of water which can be used for irrigation or industrial purposes. In some cases, such dam structures include gates that are normally held in an upright closed position but pivot to an open position when the level of a retained water body exceeds a predetermined height. Water gates of this type are operated either manually or by manually initiated electrical or hydraulic actuators controlled by an operator monitoring the level of the water body being retained.
To eliminate the requirement for manual supervision, there have been proposed various types of balanced water gates which open or close automatically in response to the level of the retained water body. Examples of balanced gates are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 803,072; 1,039,072 and 4,073,147. Most such automatic gates are designed for operation in response to changes in hydraulic pressure produced by rising and falling levels of the water body. Operational problems of hydraulically operated, balanced gates result from time induced deterioration of bias mechanisms employed for balance control. Also, operation of balanced gates can be adversely effected by accummulated upstream debris or by the downstream deposition of sand, clay and rocks. Also known are gates automatically controlled by float type water level detectors. However, the performance of float operated gates frequently is adversely effected by debris and water currents existing near proximately located float detector devices. Erratic operation of such prior gates can cause significant changes in downstream water flow rates which adversely affect conservation and wildlife interests.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved flood flow modulator system.


A molded wall flashing kick out is designed to be the lower terminus end of a flashing system that is used wherein a roof section terminates against a sidewall of a building. The molded wall flashing kick out has a sheet-like body member that is bent along a longitudinal seam. A kick out plate is integrally formed on the end cap and extends outwardly from a generally vertical section of the body member toward and attaches to a generally horizontal section of the body member. A channel, which may have two sections, is formed on the body member in order to receive a vinyl siding J-channel. The outer edge of the horizontal section of the body member is curled while at least one opening is located on the vertical section of the body member in order to receive a fastener therethrough.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a molded wall flashing kick out that is installed on a roof side wall interface of a building such that the flashing end cap has an integral kick out plate to divert water away from the building as well as a J-channel receiver for receiving a J-channel used for vinyl siding.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Many buildings have multiple roof levels wherein the end of one of the roof decks terminates and abuts against a side wall of the building. In building the roofing system for such a configuration, a section of flashing is run along the entire length of the roof deck side wall interface. The purpose of the flashing, which is an angled sheet member of monolithic construction, is to help seal the juncture of the roofing deck with that of the side wall in order to prevent water from entering the building at this juncture. Flashing, which is also used in other areas of roof construction, works with a high degree of reliability. However, one problem with such flashing installation occurs at the lower terminus of the flashing whereat the roof deck ends. Hereat, water oftentimes tends to wick around the end of the generally vertical leg of the flashing and behind the flashing wherein the water may penetrate into the interior of the building. To combat this problem, a kick out plate is constructed at the lower end of the flashing by taking a small length of the end of the vertical leg of the flashing, placing a small cut into the flashing between the horizontal leg and the vertical leg, and bending the vertical section inwardly over or toward the horizontal leg so that as water flows down the flashing, the kick out plate at the end kicks the water away from the building in order to minimize water intrusion into the building at this area of the roof. The problem with this type of kick out plate is that oftentimes workers will completely forget to construct one, leaving the roof vulnerable to water penetration. Additionally, if the cut or bend is not properly performed by the worker, then the kick out plate may achieve lower effectiveness. Furthermore, some flashing systems are now being made from plastic material which material is difficult if not impossible to bend inwardly to form the kick out plate.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a system that allows a flashing system to have a kick out plate without the need for a worker to form the plate in order to reduce the possibility of oversight or incorrect kick out plate manufacture. Such a system must be usable in a roof deck to side wall transition area and must be usable with flashing systems made from a variety of materials. Ideally, such a system must allow vinyl siding systems to have a neater appearance when used with the system. Advantageously, such a system will be of relatively simple design and construction and be easy to use and install.