A testing system and a method for obtaining drive files for the testing system for wheel rim testing, includes providing a wheel assembly in contact with a drum surface, the wheel assembly being rotatable about an axis defining a lateral axis, and wherein a vertical axis extends through a drum surface in contact with a tire of the wheel assembly and is orthogonal to the lateral axis, and a longitudinal axis is defined orthogonal to both the lateral and vertical axes. A parameter is measured indicative of an overturning moment applied to the wheel rim about the longitudinal axis. A camber angle of the wheel rim relative to the drum surface is adjusted to obtain a desired overturning moment on the wheel rim about the longitudinal axis.

The present invention relates to testing apparatuses used to test components of a motor vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a testing apparatus used to test tire, wheel, spindle and/or braking components of a motor vehicle.
A rolling wheel testing apparatus using the inside of a rotating drum was developed by the Fraunhofer-Institut Fur Betriebsfestigkeit and has been shown to be an effective test technique. Generally, a tire and wheel are mounted to a drive motor and is disposed within a drum where the tire engages an inside circumferential surface. Improvements have been made on the original design to simulate loading when the tire and wheel rim are mounted to a motor vehicle as the motor vehicle travels down a road. The loading can include radial wheel loading to simulate the weight and dynamic loading of the vehicle and lateral loading where the load is applied along the axis of rotation of the tire and wheel rim. In yet further embodiments, applications of driving and braking torque have also been proposed in "Adapting the Biaxial Wheel Test System for Brake Components and Lug-Loosening", published in the Proceedings of the 3rd International User Meeting, Sept. 11, 1997, Darmstadt, Germany.
Although the original design has been found effective and improvements have been made to simulate road conditions, shortcomings are still present. For instance, the radial and axial forces acting on the vehicle wheels are not constant, but are dependent on a variety of factors. In order to duplicate forces acting on vehicle components, strain gauges are commonly provided on components of interest and the vehicle is driven under real world conditions and data is collected therefrom. Actuators are operated to apply loads to vehicle components in the laboratory having similar strain gauges to approximate the loads seen during real world conditions. However, a complicated setup procedure (i.e. mapping process) is required before testing can even begin. For instance, a test wheel rim or wheel rims incorporating strain gauges can be used in the laboratory for setup. Forces are then applied, and the strain gauge outputs are monitored to determine if the desired strain fields exist in the test wheel rim. The machine camber angle settings of the wheel assembly along with applied forces (load pair) are iteratively adjusted, until the strain field readings are satisfactory. This setup procedure complicates testing because it takes a considerable amount of time as well as causes wear upon the test specimen.

Control methodology for a multi-axial wheel fatigue system


Each of terminals for use in a regional broadcast radio system includes a measuring unit for measuring an electric field value of a received signal of a specific frequency; a comparing unit for comparing the electric field value of the received signal with a predetermined electric field value; a scanning unit for scanning a specific frequency band when the electric field value of the received signal is equal to or less than the predetermined value; a frequency detecting unit for detecting a frequency of a maximum received electric field; and an information detecting unit for detecting whether notification information is included in a reception signal of the detected frequency. Each of terminals further includes an acquiring unit for acquiring a district code from the detected notification information; and a district code changing unit for setting the acquired district code as a district code of each of terminals.

For example, in a general regional broadcast radio system (or a regional simultaneous communication system), a master station is installed in an administrative agency, and a plurality of terminals are installed outside or inside of facilities in the administrative district administered by the agency, so that notification information such as disaster-related information is transmitted by radio from the master station to those terminals.
The broadcast radio systems are provided on an administrative district (e.g., country, town or ward) basis and communication from the master station to the terminals are carried out by radio. Therefore, when same broadcast radio systems are operated in neighboring districts (or regions), there may occur crosstalk interference of radio waves between broadcast radio systems in the districts. Because of this, as a measure for preventing such a crosstalk problem, there is a control operation, in which different frequencies are allocated to different broadcast systems and a district (or region) district code is transmitted as a scramble code when transmitting information by radio. In such a central operation, if the scramble code in the notification information received by a terminal does not coincide with a pre-registered scramble code therein, information reception is not executed. Hereinafter, a broadcast radio system between a master station and a terminal which are originally belong to a same district will be referred to as a "intra-broadcast radio system", and a broadcast radio system between a master station and a terminal in different districts will be referred to as an "inter-broadcast radio system".
FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a configuration of a digital regional broadcast radio system 200.
In FIG. 6, components that are similar to those shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B related to an embodiment of the present invention to be described later are given the same reference characters. The regional broadcast radio system 200 shown in FIG. 6 includes, e.g., a master station E, and a plurality of terminals which include plural terminal stations F1-Fn, and a number of house receivers G1-Gm.
The master station E includes a base station radio transceiver 1 having a controller 11, a radio unit 12, and an antenna 13 to execute radio communication; an operation table 2 for operating in response to a command to receive various kinds of instructions; and a text transmitter 3 for operating in response to a command to execute the input of text messages and the transmission of text.
Each of the terminal stations F1-Fn includes a terminal station main body 21 having a controller 31, a radio unit 32, and an antenna 33 to execute radio communication; a connection box 22 functioning as an interface for connecting the terminal station main body 21 with other components 23 and 24; a horn speaker 23 outputting sound including alarm and/or voice, in response to a command; and a display 24 displaying text information and the like in response to a command. Each of the house receivers G1-Gm includes a display unit 41 for displaying information and the like.
In the regional broadcast radio system 200, for example, if a terminal under in the intra-broadcast radio system tries to receive notification information from the inter-broadcast radio system, the reception frequency and the district code of the terminal state device under the intra-broadcast radio system are changed by those for the inter-broadcast radio system, so that the terminal under the intra-broadcast radio system can receive the notification information in the inter-broadcast radio system.
[Non-Patent Document 1] regional digital simultaneous communication system, ARIB STD-T86, Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (http://www.arib.or.jp/english/html/overview/doc/1-STD-T86v3—0.pdf)
In an emergent disaster where the digital regional broadcast radio system is most frequently used, a terminal under the intra-broadcast radio system is occasionally lent out to inter-broadcast radio system, so that disaster information of a neighboring district can be acquired. In this case, according to the technique disclosed in the Non-Patent Document 1, a worker personally must change the set-up by following the complicate set-up procedure, which takes a certain amount of time (several minutes). Because of this, immediate responses and fast actions are difficult to be performed. Further, as a fire fighting radio system, for example, disaster recovery activities across administrative districts (e.g., country, town or ward) and the like, are required as countermeasures of emergent disasters. Also, the regional broadcast radio system is required not only for transmitting information within the intra-broadcast radio system, but also for receiving notification information from inter-broadcast radio system. Therefore, there is a need for a function of providing all local residents with notification information such as proper, accurate information related to disaster and the like.


The present invention makes use of unique tags of a specific biopolymer that can be exploited for determining the concentration the biopolymer in crude solutions. In preferred embodiments the biopolymer is either a protein or a polynucleotide. Particularly, the invention provides a method for the determination and quantitation of biomolecules in crude mixtures by way of a separation technique in combination with mass spectroscopy. In one general embodiment, a target biomolecule is selected for analysis and an analog thereof is generated. Peak area integration of the peptide pairs provides a direct measure for the amount of target protein in the crude solution.

Protein concentration determination is at the heart of any study concerned with the catalytic efficiency of an enzyme. Even for highly purified enzymes the choice of first-principle methods for accurately measuring molar concentrations is restricted to a few techniques (amino acid, total nitrogen, and absorbance measurement (Pace et al., 1995), titration of oxidized sulfur (Guermant et al., 2000). For enzymes in crude solution the options are even smaller and techniques are much more elaborate (e.g., active-site titrations involving the stoichiometric release of a reporter group, enyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), densitometry after sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE)). Catalytic rate assays while highly specific for an enzyme and often quantitative in nature presuppose validation with purified enzyme which in turn requires first-principle methods for accurate mass quantitation.
The determination of the concentration of a specific protein among other proteins in crude solution, such as a fermenter broth, is a formidable challenge. Even more demanding is the task of verifying the presence of a specific protein and the quantitation of this protein in a cell or tissue extract without knowing the properties of the protein and ever having seen it before.
Most methods for estimating protein concentration are built on general properties of proteins, e.g., the chemistry and light absorbance of aromatic side chains and the peptide bond, and the binding affinity for chromophores. More specific techniques, e.g. immunoassay and active site titration, require some prior knowledge of the targeted protein. All such methods, however, suffer from interferences, as the extensive literature on protein assays documents, and none of the methods takes advantage of that one unique feature that differentiates non-identical proteins, the amino acid sequence. On that level there is no interference possible.
The use of isotopically labeled biopolymers to investigate cellular processes is not new. For example, Chowdhury et al. used mass spectrometry and isotopically labeled analogs to investigate the molecular weight of truncated mature collagenase, and Stocklin et al. have investigated human insulin concentration in serum samples that had been extracted and purified. Neither one discuss the use of crude solutions to determine biopolymer concentration without prior isolation of the biopolymer.
The present invention makes use of the subunit sequence as a unique tag of a biopolymer (e.g., the amino acid sequence of a specific protein), that can be exploited for determining the concentration in crude solutions.

Mass spectrometric analysis of biopolymers


For the purpose of readily specifying a portion of the circuit which has a high possibility of error occurring due to a variation in the supply voltage so that the specified vulnerable portion is countermeasured in a mask layout process, a simulation section simulates the operation of a semiconductor integrated circuit to obtain a transition timing of an input signal that is input to each circuit element. A simultaneous-operation circuit element number detecting section detects, based on a result of the simulation, the number of circuit elements which are supplied with the supply voltage through a common power supply line and in which transition timings of input signals occur within a predetermined time interval (e.g., 0.3 ns or shorter). A supply voltage variation level estimating section estimates the variation level of the supply voltage according to the number of circuit elements which is detected by the simultaneous-operation circuit element number detecting section.

The present invention relates to an error portion detecting method and layout method for a semiconductor integrated circuit, wherein a portion of the semiconductor integrated circuit which has a high possibility of error occurring due to a variation in the supply voltage during the operation carried out based on a clock signal, for example, is specified, whereby the specified vulnerable portion is countermeasured in a mask layout process.
In recent years, an effect of a voltage drop which may occur due to a power supply line has been increasing along with the increase in scale and the progress of miniaturization of semiconductor integrated circuits. That is, when the supply voltage is varied due to a voltage drop, the delay time or the signal level is also varied, and the possibility of a malfunction of a circuit increases.
Conventionally, for the purpose of preventing the above errors and malfunction, all of the design margins, such as a delay margin, and the like, have been increased, or the wire width for the power supply has been increased. However, such countermeasures make a design complicated or increase the number of gates and the chip area and accordingly increase the production cost.
In view of the above, there is a method which has been employed with more frequency wherein a variation in the supply voltage is calculated by simulating the operation of a circuit with consideration for the resistance and capacitance of wires, or the like, and the calculated voltage variation is fed back into the design and layout of a circuit. More specifically, in a known simulation technique, the voltage at a power supply terminal is calculated from, for example, the impedance value of the power supply line, the switching time information of a logic cell, and the current characteristics of the logic cell, and the delay time of the logic cell is calculated based on the calculated power supply terminal voltage to simulate the circuit operation (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-239865).
However, in the case where the above simulation is carried out with high accuracy, a simulation apparatus requires abundant computer resources and an enormous length of time, and therefore, it is actually difficult to simulate the entire operation of a large-scale semiconductor integrated circuit with sufficient accuracy. Thus, it is difficult to build up a circuit design and layout design with quick and proper comprehension of the effect of a variation in the supply voltage.

Error portion detecting method and layout method for semiconductor integrated circuit

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Rhodococcus equi (R.equi) has been determined to have a major adhesion factor encoded by a rpl pathogenicity island which enables host colonisation, wherein the rpl pathogenicity islandis absent from non-pathogenic Rhodococcus species. Further, the proteins (Rpl) encoded by the rpl pathogenicity islandhave been determined to be major immunodominant antigens. There is provided a novel diagnostic marker and vaccine candidate for R. equi in horses and other susceptible species.

Rhodococcus equi is a Gram-positive, facultative intracellular coccobacillus classified in the order of Acitnomycetales. It is primarily a soil organism. It has been recognised as a positive agent of a debilitating and potentially fatal bronchopneumonia affecting foals worldwide. R. equi is considered to be one of the most significant pathogens in the equine breeding industry.
The successful early diagnosis and treatment of Rhodococcus equi in foals and management of the foals environment to reduce the risk of contracting the disease are, arguably, among the most challenging experiences currently facing equine stud farms. Presently the treatment of R. equi disease is by the prolonged administration of a combination of antimicrobials, macrolides, i.e. erythromycin, azithromycin or clarithromycin, and rifampicin. However, as this therapy risks antibiotic resistance and adverse drug reactions in the foal and the dam, improved means of therapy and prophylactic treatment are required.
R. equi can also affect non-equine species. In pigs R. equi is associated with granulomatous lymphadenitis of cervical lymphatic tissue and in man R. equi can cause cavitary pneumonia, predominantly in immunocompromised individuals especially those with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). As a consequence of the AIDS pandemic, R. equi pneumonia has become a disease of increasing significance in human medicine. R. equi infections have also been described in cattle, sheep, goats, lama, cats and dogs, but disease in these species is rare with lesions confined to lymph node abscessation or wound infection.
Infection by R. equi relies on the ability of R. equi to colonise the airways and replicate inside macrophages which is dependent on its capacity to interfere with endosomal maturation following phagocytosis and to prevent acidification of the vacuole in which it resides. Eventually, intracellular proliferation of the pathogen leads to the necrotic death of the marcophages accompanied by massive damage to lung tissue characterised by cavitation and granuloma formation.
Studies of the virulent strains of R. equi have determined that such strains possess an extra chromosomal DNA element known as a plasmid, which is associated with virulence. Plasmids isolated from regular strains infecting foals have been proposed to include a region that represents a pathogenicity island, which is a DNA fragment containing genes required for virulence. The pathogenicity island identified contains a family of nine virulence associated protein (Vap) chains (VapA-VapC-Vap-I, pseudo-VapE). Killed/inactivated R. equi organisms do not illicit protective immunity, and there is no consistent evidence that protein or DNA vaccines, based on the highly immunogenic VapA surface antigen, are efficacious in producing protection against a Rhodococcal pneumonia in foals. In view of the lack of an efficacious vaccine, R. equi infection is a major cause of mortality in young foals and the heavy economic losses incurred due to R. equi has a major economic impact in countries where thoroughbred racing and breeding is important (USA, Australia, Ireland, Argentina, UK, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Japan etc.). There is a need for treatment regimes and a vaccine to be developed which can be used to control R. equi on farms, in particular stud farms.

UNIVERSITY COURT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH


A semiconductor memory device includes: a plurality of memory areas; a target area setting unit suitable for designating a target area according to a number of accesses to the respective memory areas; a random address generation unit suitable for generating a random address within the respective memory areas in a random manner; a target address generation unit suitable for generating a target address based on the target area and the random address; and a driving unit suitable for performing a smart refresh operation according to the target address.

1. Field
This patent document relates to a semiconductor design technology, and more particularly, to a semiconductor memory device which performs a refresh operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, semiconductor memory devices such as DRAM include a plurality of memory banks for storing data, and each of the memory banks includes a large number of memory cells. Each of the memory cells includes a cell transistor serving as a switch and a cell capacitor for storing data. Since current leakage occurs due to the structure of the memory cell, such as in the PN junction of the cell transistor, the data stored in the cell capacitor may be lost. Thus, semiconductor memory devices require refresh operations for recharging the memory cells before their data is lost (hereafter, referred to as 'normal refresh operation').
The normal refresh operation may include an auto refresh operation and a self refresh operation. The auto refresh operation refers to a mode in which the semiconductor device performs a refresh operation according to a refresh command applied from outside, and the self refresh operation refers to a mode in which the semiconductor device performs a refresh operation while sequentially changing an internal address according to a refresh command applied from outside.
Recently, in addition to the normal refresh operation, semiconductor devices have incorporated additional refresh operations on memory cells of a specific word line that is likely to lose its data due to row hammering. This operation is typically referred to as a target-row refresh (TRR) operation or a smart refresh (SR) operation.

Semiconductor memory device for performing refresh operation


A cigarette kit includes a case that has a plurality of monolithically formed sidewalls defining a cavity therebetween. One sidewall defines a planar bottom surface of the case. The case includes a lid pivotally conjoined therewith and has a fulcrum axis about which the lid is adaptable. An insert is positioned within the cavity and has a first top surface offset and parallel from the bottom surface. A plurality of cigarettes are storable in the cavity wherein selected ones of the cigarettes have bottom end portions situated on the bottom surface and other ones of the cigarettes have bottom end portions situated on the first top surface respectively. The cigarettes have uniquely dimensioned longitudinal lengths that include at least two cigarettes selected from the group including a small cigarette, a medium cigarette, a large cigarette, and any combination thereof.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to cigarette packaging and, more particularly, to combined cigarettes and associated method of packaging.
2. Prior Art
Over the past years, the price of tobacco and tobacco-related products has greatly increased. This is due both to general market trends and an attempt to discourage people from smoking excessively, due to the health risk related therewith. Unfortunately, people often find themselves lighting up a cigarette, but then not having enough time to finish the cigarette.
Presently, they are faced with the option of discarding the unfinished cigarette or saving it. Most people opt for discarding the unfinished cigarette because an unfinished cigarette tends to emit a foul odor, thus it is unpleasant to keep it on your person. When taking into consideration the price of cigarettes, it becomes obvious that this practice of discarding unfinished cigarettes can be quite costly to the consumer since they are paying for a product that they do not get to use.
Unfortunately, cigarettes are sold in uniform packs, which contain cigarettes all of the same size. The current form of cigarette packs also does not provide a method for packing differently sized cigarettes therein, should the need therefore arise. Thus, a consumer remains stuck with the decision to either throw away a partially smoked cigarette, or keep it on their person, and dealing with the odor associated therewith.
Accordingly, a need remains for combined cigarettes and associated packaging in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing combined cigarettes and packaging that is practical in design, convenient, provides money savings, and is convenient to use. The new method of producing and packaging cigarettes provides individuals with a convenient alternative to the standard cigarette. The smaller cigarettes can be consumed when one has limited time while larger ones can be consumed during leisure time, thus saving the user time and money by not having to waste their cigarettes.

Combined uniquely dimensioned cigarettes and associated packaging


The invention concerns a connector of the shielded type comprising a socket (1) attached to a printed circuit board (CI) and a plug (7) designed to be mechanically and electrically coupled to socket (1). One wall of socket (1) is covered with a shielding (5) of electrically conductive material. This shielding (5) is extended on its front part by projections (52) folded back on themselves so as to form a spring, these springs emerging inside socket (1) and exerting a pushing force on plug (7) along a direction orthogonal to the direction of insertion of the plug into the socket, so as to establish a galvanic contact with shielding (9b) of plug (7).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a shielded connector, and more precisely a shielded connector of the type comprising a plug and a socket designed to be attached to a flat support, notably a printed circuit board.
Numerous connections are known, designed to be attached by soldering to a printed circuit board provided with metallized holes.
The Applicant proposed in European Patent Application EP-A-0 649,195 a connection element having an insulating bridge piece with a "U" shaped section and elbow contact elements emerging inside the "U" structure on one end. The other end is inserted by force ("press fit") into the metallized holes of a printed circuit board. Moreover, according to one interesting characteristic, it has a rear insulating component surrounding the electrical contact elements in their bent part and a holding piece also inserted into the printed circuit board.
This connection element forms a socket designed to receive a plug of complementary shape. The arrangements used advantageously protect the bridge piece during vacuum soldering operations of the connection element and other components of the card.
For certain applications, it is necessary to have a connector that is insensitive to electromagnetic interference, notably when the signals carried are signals called "weak" and at high or very high frequency. To do this, the connector elements must be provided with a shielding. Moreover, a good ground continuity must be made between the two elements (plug and socket), on the one hand, and between the socket and the printed circuit card, on the other hand.
2. Prior Art
Shielded connection elements have been proposed, for example, in the patents U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,624 (Patrick CHAMPION et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,773 (Patrick CHAMPION et al.) or U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,301 (Patrick CHAMPION et al.). These modular connection elements permit creating electrical contacts from a mother card and/or a daughter card.
In order to create ground continuity, two elastic metallic projections in the form of a cross are provided, of one piece with the socket and cooperating with openings pierced in the walls facing the socket, so as to come into galvanic contact with the shielding of the corresponding plug. Although this pair of projections exerts a pressure force on the plug, the holding of the plug inside the socket is especially accomplished by inserting the male contact elements of one of the components (for example, the socket) into the female contacts of the other component (for example, the plug). In other words, the quality of the ground continuity can fluctuate.
The invention therefore has the primary goal of a good ground continuity between the socket and the plug.
In one preferred variant, it also has the goal of assuring a good ground continuity between the printed circuit supporting the socket and the plug.
This preferred variant of embodiment also retains, with regard to the socket, the essentials of the advantageous structure of the connection element according to the above-mentioned European Patent Application EP-A-0 649,195.
To do this, the shielding component comprises a principal body that is extended toward the front by projections (or sliding contacts) curved back on themselves, so as to make up a spring. This spring emerges inside the socket and exerts a pressure force on the plug.
In one preferred variant, when the connector has the structure described in the above-mentioned European Patent Application, the principal body is extended by a vertical wall folded back to form a horizontal plate. This latter comprises an opening designed to receive the holding piece of the bridge piece, before insertion of the latter into the printed circuit. According to this variant, the plate is joined to the socket, notably by this holding piece.
Advantageously, bent-back supplemental tabs are provided in the rear of the horizontal plate. The latter are inserted by force press fit! into metallized holes made in the printed circuit board. This variant therefore permits a good ground recovery on the printed circuit.
In one preferred variant of the invention, a second shielding is also provided, on the surface opposite the first.
The assembly does not perceptibly increase the complexity of manufacturing operations, nor the manufacturing costs.

Shielded connector, notably of the type comprising a plug and a socket designed to be attached to a flat support


A circuit for calibrating the DC offset in a wireless communication device utilizes a voltage-generating circuit to generate a first voltage value and its negative value, and utilizes a detecting circuit to detect an output of the wireless communication device and generate a first target-branch reference value corresponding to the power of the output when the first voltage value is inputted into a target branch (e.g., the in-phase branch or the quadrature branch) of the wireless communication device, and detect an output of the wireless communication device and generate a second target-branch reference value corresponding to the power of the output when the negative value of the first voltage value is input into the target branch. Then, an estimating circuit estimates the DC offset on the target branch according to the first and second target-branch reference values and the first voltage value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a DC offset calibration circuit and related method applied to a wireless communication device, and more particularly, to a circuit and related method for generating a calibration signal that can be converged quickly by using analysis formulae to calibrate carrier leakage, wherein the calibration circuit and related method are not affected by the process variations at the transmitting end of the wireless communication device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A mixer in a wireless communication transmitter is utilized for carrying a base-band modulation signal on a high frequency carrier, so as to enable the base-band modulation signal to be transmitted over a channel having a specific frequency band. The non-ideal effect of a radio-frequency circuit element, asymmetrical circuit layout, or circuit mismatch, may cause an undesired DC offset at the input of the mixer, however. The DC offset is mixed with an output signal of a local oscillator via the mixer to generate unwanted carrier leakage at the output of the mixer. This will not only leads to a decline in the performance of the mixer, causing the subsequent circuits to become saturated, but also result in the transmitting bandwidth of the wireless communication transmitter to exceed the spectra mask specified by the communication standard such that the communication quality of the other subscribers will be influenced.
In order to compensate the carrier leakage caused by the DC offset to make the transmit bandwidth comply with the specified spectra mask, a conventional scheme sends test signals into the mixer repeatedly until one of the test signals is found to be able to cancel out the DC offset. The U.S. Pat. No. 6,704,551 provides an example of the conventional scheme. The steps of generating the found test signal comprise: generating a DC compensation signal having n bits, and then gradually adjusting each of the n bits of the DC compensation signal by using the binary search algorithm. Since the number of times 1.2 n-2 n for calibration is required during the adjustment from the most significant bit (MSB) to the least significant bit (LSB), and the in-phase and quadrature branches need to be processed separately, a total of 2.4 n-4 n number of times for calibration is necessary. A much longer convergence time is therefore required to generate the desired DC compensation signal.

Circuit and method of calibrating direct current offset in wireless communication device


A forming apparatus has a passage with a chamfered entrance for bending a tip of a syringe such as a syringe used for dispensing dental material. The passage and chamfered entrance enable the tip to be bent to a desired angular configuration while in view of the user.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for bending a tip of a dispensing syringe.
2. Description of the Related Art
Syringes are widely used in health care procedures and typically include a hollow barrel containing a quantity of fluid and a thumb-operated plunger for dispensing the fluid from the barrel through a hollow needle or tip. Syringe tips are often made of stainless steel tubing having a relatively small diameter.
The tip of a syringe normally extends in a straight direction along an axis that is colinear with the longitudinal axis of the barrel and the axis of movement of the plunger into the barrel. In some instances, however, it is desirable to bend the tip to an angle that provides more convenient dispensing of the fluid to a location that otherwise might be difficult to reach.
For example, dentists often use syringes that contain a quantity of etching gel for etching tooth enamel in order to enhance the subsequent bond of a dental adhesive to the enamel. However, certain types of etching gel contain phosphoric acid which may irritate the gingiva and other tissue in the mouth. Since access to portions of certain teeth is difficult, it is often desirable to bend the tip of the syringe in a curved arc to ensure that the etching gel is properly placed on the selected surface areas of tooth enamel without contacting adjacent tissue.
In the past, dental practitioners sometimes have attempted to bend the tips of syringes by holding the syringe barrel in one hand and forming the tip between the thumb and forefinger of the other hand. However, such a procedure is not entirely satisfactory because latex gloves worn by the practitioner may be punctured by the metal tip as the tip is bent. Moreover, it is sometimes difficult to bend the tip by hand at a certain location along its length and to precise angular configuration because the tip is relatively small and the thumb and forefinger may obscure the view of the bending operation.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


A method in a distributed computer system includes a server and a client and is for delivering Web content within a body section of electronic mail messages. The method includes receiving at a server, at least one mail message containing an embedded hyperlink. The method includes downloading Web content associated with the hyperlink into the message store at the server. The method also includes transmitting the mail message and at least one of a link to the Web content downloaded into the message store at the server and the corresponding Web content for display at the client. The method includes determining whether the client has a preset time for downloading messages containing Web content. In response to determining that a preset time for downloading Web content exists, the method includes caching the message and Web content at the server until the preset time is reached.

Embodiments of the invention(s) generally relate to the field of communications, and, more particularly, to downloading of web content in response to an embedded link in an electronic message.
Electronic mail (e-mail) is one of the most commonly used applications for distributed computer networks. The benefits of e-mail applications are obvious. Users can quickly communicate with one another. If a person is unable to pick up a message immediately, the message is stored until that person can review the stored message at a later time. E-mail messages also provide a quick and easy way to package information such as sales reports, graphics, and other data for transfer to another user by simply attaching the information to the message. Business users increasingly rely on e-mail messages to share ideas, transmit documents, schedule meetings, and transmit links to large amounts of information stored on a remote server.
The World Wide Web is the Internet's multimedia information retrieval system. In the Web environment, client machines effect transactions to Web servers using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which is a known application protocol providing users access to files (e.g., text, graphics, images, sound, video, etc.) using a standard page description language known as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). HTML provides basic document formatting and allows the developer to specify "links" to other servers and files. In the Internet paradigm, a network path to a server is identified by a so-called Uniform Resource Locator (URL) having a special syntax for defining a network connection. Use of an HTML-compatible browser (e.g., Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer) at a client machine involves specification of a link via the URL.
As is often the case, users place a link to a URL of interest within an e-mail message that they want the recipient to view. The recipient opens the message and either selects the link or copies the link into their browser and waits for the HTML page associated with the URL to be downloaded. In order to download the information, users must first wait while the browser software opens, contacts the Web server indicated in the URL, then downloads the corresponding HTML page to the user's computer. Depending upon the type of connection and the size of the Web content being downloaded, the downloading step could take several minutes. A method for downloading the messages with the Web content already present in the body of the message would be very helpful.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Automatic download of web content in response to an embedded link in an electronic mail message

International Business Machines Corporation


Provided are a semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the same. The semiconductor device can include a transistor structure, including a gate dielectric on a substrate, a gate electrode on the gate dielectric, a spacer at sidewalls of the gate electrode, and source/drain regions in the substrate; and an interlayer dielectric on the transistor structure where an air gap is provided in a region between the spacer, the interlayer dielectric, and the source/drain region of the substrate.

The demand for improvements of the performance of a transistor is increasing with the acceleration of the integration of a semiconductor device, and the size of a memory cell is decreasing with an increase in the integration degree of a semiconductor device.
However, a parasitic capacitance occurs due to a pre-metal dielectric that fills a gap between a transistor and a gate spacer formed in fabricating the transistor.
A parasitic capacitance is one of the main factors reducing the operation speed of a high-integration device, and the occurrence of a parasitic capacitance greatly affects the characteristics of the device.
Recently, research is being conducted to apply low-dielectric materials to an interlayer dielectric process in order to reduce a delay time caused by such a parasitic capacitance.

Semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same


A method of manufacturing a yoke of an electric rotary machine is disclosed. The manufacturing method includes providing a cutout steel plate having one end formed with a plurality of concave portions and the other end formed with a plurality of protrusions, rolling the cutout steel plate into a cylindrical shape until a distal end of each protrusion faces the inlet of each concave portion, inserting the protrusions into the concave portions, respectively, in a circumferential direction, and conducting punch-caulking press on each protrusion at near-wall areas on both sides thereof in close proximity to indents of each concave portion to form localized expanding portions at the near-wall areas on both sides of each protrusion while causing the localized expanding portions to flow axially outward to be fitted into the indents of each concave portion, respectively.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to yokes for use in rotary electric machines such as, for instance, starter motors, and, more particularly, to a yoke and a method of manufacturing the yoke.
2. Description of the Related Art
In related art, attempts have heretofore been made to provide a method of manufacturing a yoke for use in a starter motor or the like as disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 64-60247. In the related art shown in FIG. 6, a steel plate 100, cut out in a rectangular shape, is rolled in a cylindrical configuration. During such rolling, a manufacturing method is carried out by causing protrusions 110, formed on one end of the steel plate 100, to be brought into mating engagement with concave portions 120, formed on the other end of the steel plate 100, after which a central area of each protrusion 110 is press caulked in an expanded portion through which the protrusions 110 and the concave portions 120 are coupled to mechanically joint the both ends 100a, 100b of the steel plate 100.
In such a manufacturing method, when rolling the steel plate 100 in the cylindrical configuration, an inlet of each concave portion 120 is formed in a size equal to or slightly less than a width of each protrusion 110 so as to enable the protrusions 110 and the concave portions 120 to be brought into mating engagement with each other in a circumferential direction as shown by an arrow in FIG. 7A. Further, under a condition where the protrusions 110 and the concave portions 120 remain in mating engagement with each other, a clearance 130 is formed between an outer periphery of each protrusion 110 and an inner periphery of each concave portion 120 as shown in FIG. 7B. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7C, a central area of each protrusion 110 is press caulked at PW and a peripheral area of each protrusion 110 is expanded to plug the clearance 130 whereby both ends 100a, 100b of the steel plate 100 are mechanically jointed.
However, the related art method encounters various issues listed below.
a) Under a status where the protrusions 110 remain in mating engagement with the concave portions 120, the clearance 130 is formed substantially around each protrusion 110 and, therefore, it becomes hard for the peripheral area of each protrusion 110 to be uniformly expanded upon punch caulking. This results in increased probability where the clearance 130 is left between each protrusion 110 and each concave portion 120 with the resultant occurrence of issues in airtight capability and reduction in mechanical joint strength between each protrusion 110 and each concave portion 120.
b) If a localized expanding portion, formed by punch caulking, is dislocated toward a distal end of each protrusion 110, that is, when a localized expanding portion increases in greater extent toward the distal end of each protrusion 110, a force is exerted to the yoke to cause the protrusions 110 and the concave portions 120 to be drawn apart from each other, causing deteriorated precision in an inner diameter and roundness of the yoke.

Method of manufacturing yoke of electric rotary machine


An instrument and associated method are disclosed for conducting microwave assisted chemical reactions. The instrument includes a microwave cavity, preferably a closed microwave cavity, for conducting microwave assisted chemical reactions, and a source for applying microwave radiation within the cavity and to a vessel and its contents. The instrument also includes an illumination source for illuminating the vessel and its contents, as well as a camera or spectrometer for visually observing the vessel and its contents, an infrared detector for monitoring the temperature of the vessel and its contents, and a filter for preventing the illumination source from saturating the infrared detector, thereby enabling concurrent visual observation and infrared monitoring.

The present invention relates generally to the field of microwave-assisted chemistry techniques, and in particular relates to techniques of monitoring microwave-assisted chemical reactions.
Microwave-assisted chemistry techniques are generally well established in the academic and commercial arenas. Microwaves have some significant advantages in heating (or otherwise supplying energy to) certain substances. In particular, when microwaves interact with substances with which they can couple, most typically polar molecules or ionic species, the microwaves can immediately create a large amount of kinetic energy in such species, which can provide sufficient energy to initiate or accelerate various chemical reactions. Microwaves also have an advantage over conduction heating in that the surroundings do not need to be heated because the microwaves can react instantaneously with the desired species.
The term "microwaves" refers to that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum between about 300 and 300,000 megahertz (MHz) with wavelengths of between about one millimeter (1 mm) and one meter (1 m). These are, of course, arbitrary boundaries, but help quantify microwaves as falling below the frequencies of infrared (IR) radiation and above those referred to as radio frequencies. Similarly, given the well-established inverse relationship between frequency and wavelength, microwaves have longer wavelengths than infrared radiation, but shorter than radio frequency wavelengths.
Because of their wavelength and energy, microwaves have been historically most useful in driving robust reactions or reactions in relatively large sample amounts, or both. Stated differently, the wavelengths of most microwaves tend to create multi-mode situations in cavities in which the microwaves are being applied. In a number of types of chemical reactions, this offers little or no disadvantage, and microwave techniques are commercially well established for reactions such as digestion or loss-on-drying moisture content analysis.
Relatively robust, multi-mode microwave techniques, however, tend to be less successful when applied to small samples of materials. Although some chemistry techniques have the obvious goal of scaling up a chemical reaction, in many laboratory and research techniques, it is often necessary or advantageous to carry out chemical reactions on small samples. For example, the availability of some compounds may be limited to small samples. In other cases, the cost of reactants may discourage large sample sizes. Other techniques, such as combinatorial chemistry, use large numbers of small samples to rapidly gather a significant amount of information, and then tailor the results to provide the desired answers, such as preferred candidates for pharmaceutical compounds or their useful precursors.
Microwave devices with larger, multimode cavities that are suitable for other types of microwave-assisted techniques (e.g., drying, digestion, etc.) are generally less-suitable for smaller organic samples because the power density pattern in the cavity is relatively non-uniform.
Accordingly, the need for more focused approaches to microwave-assisted chemistry has led to improvements in devices for this purpose. For example, in the commercially available devices sold under the assignee's (CEM Corporation, 3100 Smith Farm Road, Matthews, N.C. 28106) DISCOVER®, EXPLORER®, VOYAGER®, NAVIGATOR™, LIBERTY™, and INVESTIGATOR™ trademarks have provided single mode focused microwave devices that are suitable for small samples and for sophisticated reactions such as chemical synthesis.
The very success of such single mode devices has, however, created associated problems. In particular, the improvement in power density provided by single-mode devices can cause significant heating in small samples, including undesired over-heating in some circumstances. The ability to monitor the temperature of a microwave assisted chemical reaction aids in avoiding these difficulties.
One technique for monitoring a temperature change is through the use of infrared (IR) temperature monitoring. An IR detector monitors infrared radiation emitted by the vessel or its contents and can do so without directly contacting the vessel. Accordingly, the detector can be located in a position, either inside or near the cavity, that avoids interference with microwaves. Infrared temperature monitoring can also produce a measurement that is more representative of the entire sample, whereas traditional thermometers and temperature probes can tend to produce temperature measurements for primarily localized areas.
Moreover, because infrared radiation, as previously discussed, has different wavelengths than microwaves, the detector can accurately measure the temperature of the emitted infrared radiation without interfering with the microwave heating process, or vice versa. Temperature probes and traditional thermometers may be affected by microwave heating, resulting in the addition of extra heat to the sample or an inaccurate temperature reading.
As is known to those having ordinary skill in the art, organic reactions are often monitored visually to detect, for example, a color change or the presence of a precipitate. These physical changes are often indicative of the progress of a reaction, including completion, and can aid in determining the time of reaction (rate). For example, lack of a physical change could indicate that more time is needed. Conversely, a physical change occurring earlier than expected could indicate a faster reaction time. The ability to recognize a delayed or early reaction during heating enables the chemist to save time, either by stopping a reaction or by continuing the reaction, thereby avoiding the necessity of repeating the reaction with a longer reaction time. Other physical or chemical changes that are beneficially observed visually include changes in absorbance, emission, light scattering, and turbidity.
The capability to observe visible changes (or the lack thereof) in an ongoing reaction can also provide the opportunity to avoid undesired side reactions and to evaluate and identify optimum reaction conditions, particularly including optimum temperatures or temperature ranges.
Most single mode microwave instruments, however, require closed cavities, thus making direct visual observation of reactions difficult or impossible. Furthermore, a microwave cavity must internally reflect, rather than transmit, the relevant wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. Thus, cavity walls transparent to visual radiation will generally be (unfavorably) transparent to microwave radiation as well. A transparent cavity will not, of course, contain microwave radiation, regardless of mode.
As an independent problem, and even if cavity walls or wall portions offer some visibility (as in the screened doors of many domestic kitchen microwave ovens), the light sources providing the illumination, such as incandescent, fluorescent, and other common visual sources, often include an infrared component. The presence of the infrared component can—and typically will—interfere with or saturate an infrared temperature detector, thereby compromising or defeating its performance.

Real-time imaging and spectroscopy during microwave assisted chemistry


A lens barrel drive unit for a camera, in which the present invention is implemented, comprises a lens barrel that is a moving object having a female screw, a drive screw that includes a male screw which engages with the female screw and that moves the lens barrel back and forth with the rotation of the male screw, a drive source for rotating the drive screw, a signal generator for generating a pulse signal according to the rotation of the drive source or drive screw, a first memory that stores a difference between a theoretical lead and an actual lead of the drive screw as a correction coefficient, a second memory that stores the theoretical number of pulses associated with a quantity of rotation of the drive screw which is required to drive the lens barrel to a given position corresponding to a subject distance, and a computing unit that uses the correction coefficient and the theoretical number of pulses to compute the actual number of pulses required for extending the lens barrel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a moving object extension controller.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known extension mechanism for a moving object; such as, a lens of a camera has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-158420. This mechanism is shown in the longitudinal cross-sectional diagram of FIG. 10, wherein a cam ring 206 is rotated to advance or withdraw first and second lens frames 201 and 202 along the optical axis O.
The above mechanism will be described in detail. First, an output of a drive motor 209 is transmitted to a gear 206b formed on the outer circumference of the cam ring 206 via a gear array 208. On the other hand, the first lens frame 201 holding front lens elements 203 is united with the second lens frame 202 holding back lens elements 204. A rectilinear guide rod 210, which is locked in a fixture 213 of a barrel, is fitted in a guide hole 211 bored on the flange of the first lens frame 201 and second lens frame 202. The rectilinear guide rod 210 prevents the rotation of the first lens frame 201 and second lens frame 202 around the optical axis. A spring 212 is compressed and inserted between the first lens frame 201 and the fixture 213, which presses the first lens frame 201 and second lens frame 202 in the optical-axis direction. Thereby, a drive pin 205, which is implanted in the cylindrical outer circumference of the second lens frame 202, is continuously maintained in contact with an end cam 206a formed on the end surface of the cam ring 206 as shown in the development of FIG. 11.
The actuation of the lens drive mechanism having the foregoing construction will be described. First, the drive motor 209 is activated. Then, the cam ring 206 is driven via the gear 206b to rotate with the optical axis as the axis of rotation. The rotation causes, as shown in the development of FIG. 11, the end cam 206a and drive pin 205 to move to positions 206a' and 205' respectively along the optical axis. With the actions of the end cam 206a and spring 212, the first lens frame 201 and second frame lens 202 move in both the .alpha. and .beta. directions along the optical axis O.
Thus, when the drive motor 209 starts up, the first lens frame 201 and second lens frame 202 move along the optical axis. The quantities of movements of the first lens frame 201 and second lens frame 202 are controlled with pulses sent from a pulse output unit (not shown) that is interlocked with the cam ring 206 or gear array 208.
The aforesaid conventional lens extension mechanism employs a cam ring, while an extension mechanism shown in FIG. 12 employs a rod type lead screw, a ring type helicoid screw, or other lead screw. In FIG. 12, an output of a drive motor 109 is transmitted as a torque to a lead screw 5 via a gear array 6. Then, driven via a female screw 1a engaging with the lead screw 5, lens frames 1 and 2 whose rotations around the optical axis O are restricted i.e., are not permitted to advance or withdraw along the optical axis. The quantities of movement of the lens frames 1 and 2 are controlled with pulses sent from a photo-interrupter (PI) or other pulse output unit, which is not shown, coupled to the lead screw or gear array.
The aforesaid lens extension mechanism described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-158420 rotates a lens having a high moment of inertia to control the extension of a lens. This deteriorates the precision in stopping the lens. A drive motor is requested to provide a high torque, which results in adoption of a large-scale drive motor. Consequently, a lens drive mechanism becomes large.
The aforesaid conventional lens extension unit using a rod type lead screw has solved the foregoing problems of the lens extension unit disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-158420. However, since a lead screw is adopted, a lead error caused by the lead screw poses a problem. The lead error is attributable to a difference .DELTA.x in the quantity of extension relative to the quantity of rotation .theta. of the lead screw between a set value TH and an actual value RE caused by a lead screw actually molded or machined.
The above error is, needless to say, present in the aforesaid ring type lead screw.
In recent years, a lens has been more powerful with its size reduced progressively. A minor difference in the quantity of extension influences resolution considerably. From this viewpoint, the aforesaid error becomes a significant problem.
The influence will be described in conjunction with FIG. 13 or the graph of the quantity of extension and FIG. 14 showing how big a circle of confusion caused by a lens is. As shown in FIG. 13, a difference in the quantity of extension relative to the quantity of rotation .theta. between a set value and an actual value is .DELTA.x, and the longitudinal magnification of a lens is .beta.2. Under these conditions, a product of .DELTA.x by .beta.2 is regarded as a deviation from a focal point of a subject at infinity, fc. Assuming that the diameter of a circle of confusion resulting from the deviation is d, the following equation is established: EQU d=K.multidot..DELTA.x.multidot..beta.2
where, K is a constant of proportion.
If the diameter of a circle of confusion, d, ranges from 30 to 50 .mu.mm, the resultant photograph appears to be in focus. If the diameter is larger than 50 .mu.mm, the resultant photograph looks out of focus. Even when .DELTA.x is constant, since the longitudinal magnification .beta.2 is high due to the recent trend toward reduction of the size of a lens, the diameter of a circle of confusion, d, cannot help but increase.
Therefore, despite the merits of improved precision in stopping a lens and of reduced size of a lens, the lens extension mechanism using a lead screw cannot be employed for a lens that is very powerful or has a high longitudinal magnification .beta.2.


A device for assisting a user in marking an overhead surface to correspond with a mark on a surface below includes a substantially hollow housing having pressurized gas containers received therein. The pressurized gas containers are in communication with a projection barrel extending upwardly from the housing. A lower laser module is positioned on the lower surface of the housing for projecting a laser beam downwardly onto a target mark on an underlying surface. The paint ball projection barrel is coaxial with the lower laser module such that when the laser beam is directed toward the target mark, a paint ball can be projected upwardly to produce an overhead mark that is axially aligned with the target mark.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device that assists a construction worker in marking an overhead surface so that the resulting mark is axially aligned with an existing mark on a surface below.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various construction workers such as carpenters, electricians, pipe fitters, framers, etc., typically mark locations where certain fixtures or structures are to be installed by snapping chalk lines on the floor, wall, etc. Often, it is necessary to transfer the location of a specific mark on the floor to a corresponding location on the ceiling above to accurately position and secure a wall or similar structure. Typically, this is accomplished by using a ladder which is tedious, time consuming and often results in inaccuracies. Accordingly, there is currently a need for a device that assists a construction worker in transferring a floor mark to a corresponding location on an overhead surface. The present invention satisfies this need by providing a device having a paint ball projector that is aligned with an existing mark on a subsurface for projecting a paint ball upwardly to mark a corresponding spot on the ceiling above. Not only is the device accurate, but it allows a user to mark an overhead surface without the assistance of a co-worker.


A toner supplying apparatus having a sealing member. The toner supplying apparatus includes a toner tank to hold toner, the toner tank having a toner supplying hole to discharge the toner, a slide shutter disposed inside the toner tank so as to close the toner supplying hole, the slide shutter allowing the toner supplying hole to be opened when the toner tank is mounted in an image forming apparatus, and a sealing member disposed on an outer circumference of the slide shutter to prevent the toner from leaking out through a gap between the slide shutter and the toner tank.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to an image forming apparatus. More particularly, the present general inventive concept relates to a toner supplying apparatus to supply an image forming apparatus with toner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, when a separate toner supplying apparatus usable in an image forming apparatus is mounted to a predetermined position on the image forming apparatus, toner is supplied from the toner supplying apparatus to a developing unit of the image forming apparatus.
FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a conventional toner supplying apparatus used in an image forming apparatus.
In FIG. 1, a supplying part 11 of a toner supplying apparatus 1 is mounted in a fixing part 5 of an image forming apparatus 3. The toner supplying apparatus 1 includes a toner tank 10 and the supplying part 11 which is formed at one side of the toner tank 10. The supplying part 11 is formed in a substantially hollow cylindrical shape and a toner supplying hole 13 for discharging toner is provided on an outer circumference of the supplying part 11. A slide shutter 15 is formed in a substantially hollow cylindrical shape and has an outer diameter corresponding to an inner diameter of the supplying part 11 so the slide shutter 15 can slide relative to the supplying part 11. A toner outlet 17 facing the toner supplying hole 13 of the supplying part 11 is formed at the slide shutter 15. Accordingly, if the slide shutter 15 is slidingly moved to one side and the toner outlet 17 is aligned with the toner supplying hole 13, toner in the toner tank 10 may flow through the toner outlet 17 to the toner supplying hole 13, and if a body of the slide shutter 15 closes the toner supplying hole 13, discharge of the toner may be blocked. The fixing part 5 of the image forming apparatus 3 is molded in a substantially hollow cylindrical shape, and includes an operating projection 7 to operate the slide shutter 15 of the toner supplying apparatus 1. Additionally, a toner inlet 9 facing the toner supplying hole 13 of the toner supplying apparatus 1 is mounted on a lower side of the fixing part 5. Accordingly, if the supplying part 11 of the toner supplying apparatus 1 is mounted in the fixing part 5 of the image forming apparatus 3, the toner supplying hole 13 of the toner supplying apparatus 1 may face the toner inlet 9 of the image forming apparatus 3. At this time, the slide shutter 15 is slid to one side by the opening projection 7 of the fixing part 5, so the toner outlet 17 of the slide shutter 15 may also face the toner supplying hole 13. Therefore, the toner outlet 17, toner supplying hole 13, and toner inlet 9 are in fluid communication with each other, and thus the toner in the toner tank 10 may be supplied to the image forming apparatus 3 by the slide shutter 15.
When the toner in the toner tank 10 runs out, the toner supplying apparatus 1 is separated from the fixing part 5 to fill the toner tank 10 with new toner. The slide shutter 15 is slid in a reverse direction by a return spring (not illustrated) to block the toner supplying hole 13.
The slide shutter 15 is formed of an injection molding product, and there is a need for a regular gap between the outer surface of the slide shutter 15 and the inner surface of the supplying part 11 so that the slide shutter 15 can slide relative to the supplying part 11 of the toner tank 10. However, since toner particles are very fine, the toner may flow out of the toner tank 10 through the gap between the slide shutter 15 and the supplying part 11, and the toner supplying hole 13. In other words, the slide shutter 15 does not sufficiently seal the toner tank 10 to prevent leakage of the stored toner.
Additionally, if the toner is attached to the outer circumference of the slide shutter 15, it is impossible for the slide shutter 15 to easily slide along the inner surface of the supplying part 11. In this situation, when the toner supplying apparatus 1 is separated from the image forming apparatus 3, the slide shutter 15 cannot move, and as a result separation can only be performed when the toner supplying hole 13 is opened. Accordingly, toner remaining in the toner tank 10 flows out and contaminates the environment.

Slide shutter and toner supplying apparatus having the same


A gas generator is provided that contains a housing containing a base and a cap fixed to the base; a divider separating the housing into a first combustion chamber and a second combustion chamber, wherein the divider prevents sympathetic actuation of the second combustion chamber when the first combustion chamber is actuated; and an inner wall within the housing, the divider slidably engaged with the inner wall upon actuation of the first and second combustion chambers. Accordingly, a valve assembly of the present invention generally contains a movable divider that substantially seals an enclosure thereby defining a secondary combustion chamber within the gas generator.

The present invention relates generally to systems for generating gases for gas-actuatable devices. Dual stage inflators have been developed to provide staged gas production, whereby a first stage is actuated to deliver a predetermined amount of gas. If necessary, or if desired, a second stage is concurrently or subsequently actuated to deliver additional amounts of gas depending on the severity of an associated crash event, or depending on the position of the occupant, for example. As such, dual stage inflators typically contain two different combustion chambers that respond to a computer algorithm or other stimulus that directs one of several options for the dual stage inflator. For instance, the single stage or single chamber actuation of the dual stage inflator (in situations not requiring both stages) may be selected. Or, the concurrent actuation of both stages (in situations requiring additional gas) may be selected. Or, the sequential actuation of the two combustion chambers (depending on the position of the occupant for example) may be selected to tailor the inflation profile of the airbag.
One challenge is to ensure that the sympathetic ignition of a second chamber is prevented when the first chamber is algorithmically actuated to singularly operate. Or, alternatively, to ensure sequential actuation or operation of both chambers when that option is algorithmically determined. Stated another way, it is an ongoing challenge to prevent premature or sympathetic ignition of the secondary chamber prior to its scheduled deployment. In essence, it has been found that preventing the ignition and combustion products and heat from the primary or first-actuated chamber from entering or communicating with the second chamber is necessary to ensure independent operation of the first and second chambers.


In an optical disk drive that is equipped with a binarization circuit by the PRML method and carries out record/reproduction at a speed higher than a standard speed, to realize reproduction compatibility between the drive and another optical disk drive by the ordinarily adopted direct slice method. It can be realized by applying verification judgment equivalent to reproduction at a standard speed in accordance with a reproduction speed. More specifically, it is realized by counting 2 T data number by the direct slice method, using a Viterbi decoder that validates a run length shorter than the minimum run length, and adopting other measures. A higher record/reproduction speed is realized while reproduction compatibility, which is an important original function of an interchangeable optical disk, is secured.

Optical disks are widely used in the forms of CDs and DVDs, the development of a next generation optical disk using blue laser has been advancing, and such an optical disk has been required to have a larger capacity. In addition, a super multi-drive, wherein a single optical disk drive has the functions of not only the replay of a CD but also the replay of a CD and a DVD and the record/replay of a CD-R/RW, DVD-RAM and DVD-R/RW, has been commercialized and is considered to be a mainstream product in future.
An optical disk medium has to be retrieved from an optical disk drive and replayed with another drive. To that end, when data is recorded with a single optical disk drive, the processing for judging the quality of the recorded data called verification is applied in many cases in order to confirm that the recorded data can be reproduced with another drive. Data for error correction using a Reed-Solomon code or the like is added to the data recorded in an optical disk medium so that the data is correctly reproduced by applying error correction processing to cope with the defects of the optical disk medium, the degradation of the optical disk drive with age, and the like. In verification processing, it is the common practice to: count the number of error correction when the recorded data is reproduced; judge whether or not there is an appropriate allowance in the correction capability; and thus judge whether or not the quality of the recorded data is good. The appendix M of JIS X6243, one of the DVD-RAM specifications, shows the guideline of the verification with an allowance in the error correction capability and the method called the replacement or alternation processing of a sector when the quality of the recorded data is judged to be insufficient as a result of the verification.
In an optical disk drive and an optical disk medium, the record/replay speed thereof is also increasing simultaneously with the aforementioned larger capacity thereof, and an optical disk drive that can record/replay at a speed 52 times faster in the case of a CD-R and 16 times faster in the case of a DVD±R than a standard speed has also been commercialized.
When the reproduction speed of an optical disk drive is increased, jitter appears and the quality of the reproduced data such as an S/N ratio deteriorates. This is, as generally known, because the influence of the circuit noise represented by amplifier noise increases in accordance with the increase of the speed. Further, as is also commonly known, an optical disk medium, such as a CD-R or a DVD-R, of a write-once type using an organic coloring matter has the same reflectance as a read-only memory type medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM and therefore is comparatively hardly affected by amplifier noise. In contrast, a rewrite type medium using a phase-change material has a lower reflectance than the above mediums and therefore is strongly affected by amplifier noise.
A direct slice method and a PRML (Partial Response Maximum Likelihood) method are generally employed as a method for binarizing a regenerative signal of an optical disk. The PRML method is excellent in improving an S/N ratio and hence widely used as the means of securing the higher speed and larger capacity of a magnetic disk. The PRML method is a method that binarizes a regenerative signal to form a most probable bit string while comparing the specific regenerative signal at the time N in the consecutive regenerative signals with a target signal. The Viterbi decoding method, one of the ML methods, is widely used since it can drastically reduce the circuit size. The direct slice method has been used from the past as a method of replaying an optical disk, but it is obvious that the method has limitation on the increase of the speed and capacity. For that reason, the PRML method has been applied also as the reproduction means of an optical disk. However, even the Viterbi decoding method requires a larger circuit size than the direct slice method. In this light, the standardization of CDs and DVDs is based on the direct slice method and most of the previous generation optical disk drives employ the direct slice method.
A rewrite type optical disk is strongly required to have a higher speed. In the case of a DVD-RAM in particular, recorded data can instantly be verified and hence the verification at the same speed as the recording is necessary for securing the performance of an optical disk drive. In an optical disk drive that records and reproduces data at a high speed on such a rewrite type optical disk, it is necessary to employ the PRML method in order to improve the S/N ratio. It is also necessary at the same time to assure the reproducibility of data with a previous generation optical disk drive employing the direct slice method.
As an example of the PRML method for an optical disk, JP-A No. 296987/1999 discloses the technology of adaptively tracking the target signal level of a Viterbi decoder in conformity with a regenerative signal level.
As an example of an optical disk drive employing both the binarizing methods of the PRML method and the direct slice method, JP-A No. 298514/2002 discloses the configuration of an optical disk drive wherein a signal subjected to PR equalization processing is binarized on the basis of the expected level of an edge.
Further, JP-A No. 149679/1999 discloses the technology of processing verification with an optical disk drive employing the PRML method by observing a regenerative signal during the record of data and simultaneously observing both the response from the data recorded at the last minute and the response of the signal reproduced at the same time as the record.

Reproduction method, optical disk drive, and IC circuit


A system and method are provided for obtaining information on inquiries related to location dependent facts utilizing mobile networked communication devices and preselected respondents who obtain information on the requested facts. The system includes a call center comprising a communication server and one or more work stations manned by call center agents. A plurality of respondents act as information gatherers to find answers to inquiries forwarded to the respondents by the call center. Customers first contact the call center, and inquiries are parsed for location and subject matter. The inquiry is then allocated to a qualified respondent within the area of the location of interest. The respondent gathers information necessary to answer the inquiry and forwards the answer to the call center, preferably by use of the mobile networked communication device carried by the respondent. Respondents log in to the system indicating availability for servicing inquiries. Location tracking is provided so that the call center is aware of the locations of respondents. Global position satellite techniques as well as phone triangulation techniques may be used to track the respondents' locations.

With the advent of the Internet, there are many online services that enable one to conduct a search to obtain answers to factual questions. These services are provided through what are commonly referred to as Internet search engines. The search engines allow a user to enter a search request, and the search engine will produce a search list that may include a number of websites or Internet publications containing the key word(s) searched. Various levels of sophistication exist for Internet search engines that enable a user to more readily obtain information concerning a specific fact. One of the more popular search engines includes Google®. There are a number of different types of searches that may be conducted on the Google® search engine. For example, one search offered by Google® allows a user to search for particular products or services within particular geographic areas. For example, a person can search for restaurants in a particular geographic area. Another search offered by Google® is Google® Answers. For this search, a user enters a question to be answered, along with a price bid for answering the question. Screened researchers are available to answer the question. Price bids that are set too low may result in a question not being answered. The researchers are screened and approved independent contractors who are paid by the Google® support service for posting answers to the questions. Registered users of the search service can ask questions and post comments to the site, but they are not allowed to post answers. The answers provided can be rated by the customers, and follow-up questions may be asked also on a price basis.
In addition to standard Internet search engines, there are enhanced search services that may be used in order to obtain information about facts that may be less well known. One enhanced search service includes Mojo Knows™. This particular service utilizes the Google® search engine, as well as other information sources enabling a user of the service to obtain an answer to a specific question. The user simply forwards the question to the Mojo Knows™ service, preferably by a mobile communication device, and then Mojo Knows™ responds to the customer's inquiry utilizing Google® and other information sources.
In the known Internet search engines as well as the enhanced search services, the information obtained about the fact in question is location independent. In other words, the question of fact that must be answered is a question that can be answered without a person having to be physically present at a particular location. For example, in the Google® search mentioned above, a customer requesting information about restaurants in a particular geographic area does not require a Google® representative to actually visit restaurants in the geographical area at that time; rather, a listing of restaurants in the particular area is information which is available through other sources such as a telephone listing.
There are many questions of fact that are location dependent and require a person to be physically located at the particular location in order to answer the question of fact. For example, if a person wished to know about available parking for an event such as a concert or sporting event and the person wished to know the parking status at a particular time just before the start of the event, a person located in the parking area of the concert is best qualified to provide a report on the parking status at that time. The Google® search engine is unable to provide information regarding such a location and time dependent fact.
There are many other types of location dependent facts that cannot be answered by an Internet search engine, or other Internet-based search services. Further for example, someone may wish to obtain information on the status of their home, and the status requires observation of the home at that time to answer the fact, such as whether the homeowner inadvertently left a fence gate open enabling a pet to roam, or whether the homeowner remembered to turn off a sprinkler/irrigation system.
Therefore, there is a need for an information service that can provide the customer of the service real time information on location dependent facts. These and other needs are addressed by the various embodiments of the present invention.


In a radiographic image capturing apparatus for capturing radiographic images by controlling a radiation generator and a detection device for converting an intensity distribution of radiation generated by the radiation generator into image information, the exposure conditions of each frame in dynamic image radiography are determined so as to set a total irradiation dose of radiation for the dynamic image radiography to be equal to or smaller than an irradiation dose required for a single static image radiography on the basis of the exposure condition of the dynamic image radiography. The dynamic image radiography is executed by capturing the radiographic image of each frame under the determined exposure conditions.

As the most popular method of noninvasively observing the interior of a human body and using the observation result in medical diagnosis, direct imaging of the transmittance distribution of X-rays transmitted through the human body is known. As such imaging method, a conventional method of imaging a fluorescence distribution due to X-rays that reach a phosphor using a silver halide film, a method of amplifying photoelectrons due to fluorescence using an image intensifier, and visualizing them using a TV camera, and a method of exciting latent image information formed by an X-ray intensity distribution on a photostimulable phosphor using a laser beam, and reading and visualizing the information are known. Furthermore, in recent years, a method of imaging the spatial distribution of free electrons generated in a heavy metal by fluorescence or X-ray radiation using a flat panel detector (FPD) which comprises a large-scale solid-state image sensing element that can cover the entire chest of a human body is put into practical applications due to the development of semiconductor technology.
The motions of a human body can be separated into parts such as a heart, gastro-intestinal, and the like that move depending on only the autonomic nerve, and parts such as respiration, four limbs, and the like that can also be moved intentionally. In conventional static image radiography, X-ray images are radiographed as static images since the part that can be moved intentionally can also be kept static intentionally. This is because a radiographic apparatus mainly uses a silver halide film or photostimulable phosphor. However, it is important to observe dynamic states of even such parts in the medical sense of the term. When such part is intentionally moved upon radiography without being kept static intentionally, since the rate of motion can be controlled, an exposure rate in tune with motion need not be set unlike that for the heart. For example, upon observing the respiratory behavior of a lung field, if a patient respires relatively slowly, the dynamic state can be satisfactorily observed even at an exposure rate of, e.g., about 3 frames per sec. However, it is difficult for a patient to intentionally move a given part too slowly, and respective parts have appropriate motion rates.
Conventionally, upon observing the dynamic states depending on the autonomic nerve, since such parts are limited ones, i.e., a heart, artery, gastro-intestinal, and the like, a required part can be radiographed using a TV camera system using an image intensifier. In this case, the exposure rate is important.
On the contrary, an imaging area is important in place of the exposure rate upon radiographing a part that can be moved intentionally, especially, upon radiographing the respiratory behavior of a lung field. For example, in order to observe a lung function from a dynamic state, various aspects from the motion of a diaphragm to that of veins inside the lung field must be observed. Therefore, the image intensifier with a limited imaging area cannot be used, and dynamic state observation must be done at a rate of about three frames per sec by exchanging large-sized films at high speed. However, in order to realize such radiography, a mechanism for exchanging large-sized films at high speed is required, and X-ray irradiation of a considerable dose is required to image films. For this reason, in order to obtain a plurality of images for dynamic state observation, huge dose and cost are required, and such method is far from practical use. Also, no method for optimally observing such plurality of images is available.
In recent years, along with the development of a large-sized X-ray FPD, the dynamic state of a human body over a relatively broad range (e.g., a chest) can be captured without any mechanical operations (e.g., those for exchanging films at high speed). However, even FPDs of practical use in terms of cost are those which have sensitivity equivalent to conventional films. Hence, the FPD does not have sensitivity as high as the TV system using the image intensifier, and requires a considerable dose to capture an image with sufficiently high image quality. For example, "J. H. Siewerdsen, L. E. Antonuk; DQE and System Optimization for Indirect-Detection Flat-Panel Imagers in Diagnostic Radiology; SPIE Vol. 3336", a dose of X-rays that normally reach a sensor in chest static image radiography is 3 mR (milli-roentgens), and if a plurality of images for dynamic state observation are radiographed at this dose, a considerable dose is required.

Radiographic image capturing apparatus, radiographic image display apparatus, and methods thereof


A method of oxidizing the surface of carbon microfibers that includes contacting the microfibers with an oxidizing agent that includes sulfuric acid and potassiaum chlorate under reaction conditions sufficient to oxidize the surface. The invention also features a method of decreasing the length of carbon microfibers that includes contacting the microfibers with an oxidizing agent under reaction conditions sufficient to decrease the length.

This invention relates to modifying the surface of carbon microfibers.
Carbon microfibers (i.e. fibers having very small diameters, typically less than 1 micron) are known. Microfibers having diameters less than 0.5 micron are often referred to as fibrils. Examples of such microfibers and methods for preparing them are described in Tennent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,230 ("Carbon Fibrils, Method for Producing Same and Compositions Containing Same"), Tennent et al., U.S. Ser. No. 871,676 filed Jun. 6, 1986 ("Novel Carbon Fibrils, Method for Producing Same and Compositions Containing Same"), Tennent et al., U.S. Ser. No. 871,675 filed Jun. 6, 1986 ("Novel Carbon Fibrils, Method for Producing Same and Encapsulated Catalyst"), Tennent et al., U.S. Ser. No. 149,573 filed Jan. 28, 1988 ("Carbon Fibrils"), and Mandeville et al., U.S. Ser. No. 285,817 filed Dec. 16, 1988 ("Fibrils"), all of which are assigned to the same assignee as the present application and are hereby incorporated by reference.


A table-type electronic percussion instrument is constructed by a table board, legs, pads as well as a musical tone generation circuit and a speaker system. Herein, the table board has a specific shape such as a pentagon-like shape which enables multiple persons to seat. The table board is supported by the legs and is constructed by a base material having a high rigidity and a dressing board like a plywood. The dressing board covers a surface of the base material through which holes are formed. The pads are arranged on a surface of the dressing board to match with locations of the holes. Sensors are provided inside of the holes and are attached to a backside of the dressing board. So, the sensors are arranged to detect striking force which is imparted to each of the pads by the persons. The musical tone generation circuit is provided beneath the table board to convert electric signals of the sensors to musical tone signals. The speaker system is located beneath the table board to generate musical tones (e.g., percussion sounds) based on the musical tone signals. For example, if the pads act like electronic drums and/or electronic cymbals, the speaker system generates drum sounds and/or cymbal sounds when the pads are struck by the persons. Thanks to the table-like construction, the electronic percussion instrument is shared by multiple persons to play an ensemble. Incidentally, the musical tone generation circuit contains a mixing circuit which performs mixing operations on the musical tone signals corresponding to the pads and other musical tone signals supplied thereto. So, the musical tone generation circuit outputs mixed musical tone signals, based on which the speaker system generates mixed musical tones.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electronic percussion instruments which are preformed to generate percussion sounds.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, there are provided multiple kinds of electronic percussion instruments such as electronic drums and electronic cymbals. For example, an example of the electronic drum is disclosed by the papers of Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-19718, whilst an example of the electronic cymbal is disclosed by the papers of Japanese Utility-Model Publication No. 4-3358.The electronic drums and electronic cymbals conventionally known have a same basic configuration which is designed to generate electronic sounds. According to the basic configuration, vibrations which occur on pads are converted to electric signals, based on which a musical tone generation circuit produces musical tone signals which are supplied to speakers or headphone to generate electronic sounds. In order to obtain performance feelings which are similar to those of the acoustic instruments corresponding to drums, pads are generally constructed using a flexible film. In the case of the electronic cymbals, pads are constructed using a plate made of plastics having rigidity to provide performance feelings which are similar to those of the acoustic instruments corresponding to cymbals. Both of the electronic drum and electronic cymbal are designed to be attached to an instrument stand or a bus drum by means of an instrument holder. So, they are played by a single performer.
As described above, the conventional electronic percussion instruments are designed to be played by a single performer. In other words, the conventional technology fails to provide an electronic percussion instrument which can be shared by multiple persons but which can arbitrarily genenerate musical tones designated by multiple persons individually. So, when playing an ensemble using the conventional technology, it is necessary to provide multiple instruments which are played by multiple performers individually.

Table-type electronic percussion instrument


An underwater erosion control system (10, 110) has an array of panels of material (12, 112). Each generally rectangular panel of material has a retaining portion (20, 120) and at least one sheet (16, 116). Each sheet contains a plurality of slits, (22, 122) which are generally perpendicular to the retaining portion (20, 120). The slitted sheets disrupt laminar flow in the vicinity of the erosion control system and promote rapid precipitation of particulates out of suspension. The slits (22, 122) begin at the retaining portion and terminate at the top edge (18, 118) of the sheet. The retaining portion (20, 120) may contain openings (26, 126) sized to receive an anchor component (28) that is anchored to the sea or river bed. The panel of material (12, 112) is durable and buoyant having a polymer backing (40) laminated to a closed cell polymer foam (42).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an underwater erosion control system, and in particular, to an underwater erosion control system that disrupts laminar flow and increases viscous drag to cause particulates in fluids to precipitate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Devices used to prevent erosion of underwater surfaces, such as riverbeds, seabeds, and the like, and cause particulate deposition are known. Typical devices include buoyant frond elements or artificial seaweed anchored underwater in the area in which bed erosion (i.e., sea floor scour) is to be prevented. These devices operate by increasing viscous drag on the underwater current, which reduces the velocity of the current and of particulate transported by the current to a level where the particulate settles out of the current and is deposited in and around the erosion control system.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,469 to Alsop discloses a structure comprising a continuous sequence of buoyant fronds arranged side by side to form a frond line. The frond line is folded back and forth to form frond sections. Each section has an aligned opening for receiving an anchor line for anchoring the array to the sea bed.
Another example of an underwater soil erosion prevention system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,639 to Alsop. In this system, an open grid mat structure is used as a base to attach a number of randomly overlapping elongate buoyant frond elements. The open grid mat structure requires the grid lines to be at least nine inches (9") apart from one another in practice. Spacing the grid lines, and thus frond elements, so far apart from one another limits the viscous drag exerted and the amount of disruption of laminar flow on the current, and thus, the structure's erosion prevention capabilities. In addition, the open grid mat disclosed in the foregoing patent is not adapted to be efficiently manufactured and deployed.
An additional problem with prior underwater erosion prevention and control systems is the inability to provide a strong and durable yet sufficiently buoyant system to form a mound or berm of particulate removed from suspension. The system must be strong enough to provide sufficient resistance to the water current and durable enough to sustain resistance to the water current for an extended period of time. The system must also be sufficiently buoyant to rise to a level to be effective in dissipating enough energy in the moving fluid to cause particulate deposition and formation of a berm appropriate to arresting the erosion.
Therefore, a need exists for an easily manufactured and deployed device with sufficient durability and buoyancy to exert a maximum amount of laminar flow disruption and viscous drag on the water flow to maximize erosion control.

Viscous drag and non-laminar flow component of underwater erosion control system