This invention relates to the modification of bitumen by polymeric materials used particularly for the preparation of asphalt mixtures with enhanced mechanical properties, wherein the polymeric materials are selected from additives capable of forming a supramolecular assembly. The modified bitumen may be used for the fabrication of asphalts mixtures with mineral aggregates used in construction or maintenance of sidewalks, roads, highways, parking lots or airport runaways and service roads and any other rolling surfaces.

Bitumen or asphalt is the heaviest portion from the oil distillation process. Due to the different origins and distillations processes of such oils, the resulting bitumen may have a wide range of properties and characteristics. In the present invention, bitumen refers not only to the product from oil by direct distillation or from distillation of oil at reduced pressures, but as well the product coming from the extraction of tar and bituminous sands, the product of oxidation and/or fluxation of such bituminous materials, as well as blown or semi-blown bitumens, synthetic bitumens (such as described in FR 2 853 647 A1), tars, oil resins or indene-coumarone resins mixed with aromatic and/or paraffinic hydrocarbons and the mixtures of such.
The main application for bitumen is in asphalt mixtures where the bitumen is mixed with mineral aggregates that can be of different size, shape and chemical nature. These asphalt mixtures are particularly used for construction or maintenance of sidewalks, roads, highways, parking lots or airport runaways and service roads and any other rolling surfaces. In the present invention mineral aggregates are the product from quarries as well as aggregates recuperated from previous asphalt mixtures (as described in the AFNOR XP P98-135, December 2001), products from building demolition and their mixtures. Other common components in asphalt mixtures are organic and inorganic fibers, such as glass, metal or carbon fibers, as well as, cellulose, cotton, polypropylene, polyester, polyvinyl alcohol and polyamide fibers.
The mixing process for the fabrication of asphalt mixtures using the composition described in this invention, can take place by different methods that may be grouped into three main categories based on their fabrication temperatures: processes at room temperature, processes with a fabrication temperature above 100° C. and processes at temperatures between room and 100° C.
The asphalt mixture fabrication processes taking place at room temperature, depend on methods that provide enough fluidity to the bitumen at such temperatures. One of such methods can be, for example, the one based on the addition of volatile solvents to the bitumen. This would allow the proper coverage of the aggregates by the solubilized bitumen at room temperature, and its proper laying and compaction. However, large quantities of volatile solvents are required which pollutes the atmosphere when evaporated. This technique is pretty much vanished since the use of volatile solvents can be avoided by the use of other techniques.
Another process that allows the production of an asphalt mixture at room temperatures conditions is the one that uses an emulsion or dispersion of bitumen in water as a mean to make it fluid. The asphalt mixtures fabricated by this process have the advantage that no thermal treatment is required for the aggregates and practically no polluting emissions are generated. This process can be combined with the technique mentioned above which uses volatile solvents added into the bitumen prior to the emulsification or dispersion. Nevertheless, the mechanical properties obtained by this method are, in general, lower that the ones obtained by hot mixing methods, where the aggregates are used dried after a thermal treatment above 100° C. Bitumen emulsions and dispersions are commonly used for example to produce grave emulsion, storable cold mixes, cold wearing courses like microsurfacing or like the ones produced with pugmills, transported with haul trucks and compacted with rollers and to waterproof surfaces.
The most commonly used method for the fabrication of asphalt mixtures is the one that takes place at temperatures above 100° C. At these temperatures, the bitumen can be fluid enough to properly cover the aggregate that is, in contrast to the previous methods at room temperature, dried during the heating process. The obtained hot asphalt mixtures have also to be laid and compacted at elevated temperature to guarantee their fluidity. The temperature at which the aggregates are heated is chosen to obtain proper evaporation of their moisture and to ensure an adequate fabrication temperature for the used bitumen. The fabrication temperature is set mainly by the viscosity of the utilized bitumen, the more viscous the bitumen the higher the fabrication temperature.
For example, in France, an asphalt mixture using bitumen with a penetration of 35/50 is generally fabricated at a temperature of 150° C. to 170° C. and laid at 140° C. (as recommended by Eurobitume). This hot asphalt mix process is widely used due to its simplicity and robustness, since the main parameter to control is the fabrication temperature. However, a substantial amount of heat goes to the heating and drying of the mineral aggregates (˜90-96 wt % of asphalt mixture), which makes this an energetically expensive process that also releases a significant amount of undesired emissions.
Recently, there have been several developments for asphalt mixture fabrication at temperatures above room temperature but below 100° C. Examples of such processes are: the use of two different types of bitumen during fabrication (as in WO 97/20890), the introduction of a fraction of cold and wet aggregates during the mixing stage to create a fluid bitumen foam (as in EP 1 469 038 and EP 1 712 680), or the use of a bitumen/water emulsion to also produce a foam during mixing to achieve the aggregate covering (as in WO 2007/112335). These processes have several advantages, in particular on the reduction of energy consumed and polluting emissions generated, but they require substantial modification to the standard asphalt hot mixing equipment.
Other techniques exist and are known to those skilled in the art, like tack coat, cheap seal, surface dressing employing anhydrous bituminous binder or bitumen emulsions. The anhydrous bituminous binder or bitumen emulsion has to achieve cohesion very fast once sprayed over the surface to be treated so that the aggregates are not expelled upon mechanical action. One conventional solution is to use a volatile solvent mixed with the bitumen so that the solvent evaporation enables a cohesion increase. This is no longer seen as a long-term solution because of the related organic emissions. FR 2 768 150 proposes to use, admixed with bitumen, a non-volatile solvent that chemically reacts in contact with the oxygen of the air to get the right bitumen cohesion.
However, the cohesion-augmentation kinetics remains difficult to control and use is made of a metallic catalyst.
It is known by any person skilled in the art that polymers can be added to the bitumen in order to fabricate asphalt mixtures with enhanced mechanical properties. Polymers are large molecules formed by the chemical linkage of several repeating units or monomers. Modification of bitumen with polymers of high molecular weights (above ˜10,000 g/mol) is generally required to improve the mechanical behavior of an asphalt mixture because the mechanical properties of bitumen are susceptible to temperature changes.
Although, there exist solutions to harden bitumen, that is, to increase the stiffness of the bitumen at high service temperature to avoid rutting, like for example by incorporating paraffins or polyphosphoric acid, these solutions are only partial because the high susceptibility of the modified bitumen remains, creating or even enhancing problems at low temperature like for example a lack of flexibility.
Hence polymer modification of bitumen is very often used to increase its low temperature flexibility, that is below the ambient temperature and down to about −40° C., and the same polymer modification increases the softening point of the bitumen. It can also increase the cohesion and stiffness of the bitumen at high service temperature and consequently that of the asphalt mixture made with it, improving its resistance to rutting. Examples of polymers commonly used in the modification of bitumen are: styrene butadiene rubbers, styrene/butadiene block copolymers, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers, polyethylene and other alpha-polyolefins (see "Asphalt binder testing manual", Asphalt Institute 2007). The use of non-crosslinked low molecular weight polymers, also known as oligomers, or other small molecules cannot modify the bitumen in the manner as large polymers do.
Incorporating polymers into the bitumen, even at the low contents commonly used (from 2% to 6% of polymer) is not an easy task. Polymers and bitumen have at most only a partial compatibility that usually makes the polymer to phase separate from the bitumen overtime. In addition, due to the high viscosities of molten polymers, the mixing process requires high temperatures and long mixing times under vigorous agitation to achieve a good dispersion of the polymer in the bitumen. The required temperatures to achieve the dispersion of polymer into bitumen are generally higher than the usual storage and fabrication temperatures according to the nature of bitumen.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,862 shows as an example that the dispersion of a styrene butadiene copolymer with a molecular weight of 100,000 daltons at 3.5% in bitumen with a penetration of 80/100 takes 2.5 hours at 175° C. to be homogeneous. For this kind of bitumen, a typical storage temperature is between 140 and 160° C. The higher temperatures required for dispersing the polymer in the bitumen may also prove detrimental to the bitumen properties since it would accelerate its oxidation. The addition of a crosslinking agent, such as a sulfur-containing compound, is also commonly used in polymer-modified bitumens to further increase the molecular mass of the dispersed polymer by forming a chemical network between the preexisting polymer molecules. Such network increases the viscosity of the bitumen even further but avoids phase separation. In addition, such sulfurous compounds combined with the high temperatures required to achieve the mixing present important safety issues during the modified bitumen fabrication process. The difficulty to prepare modified bitumen with polymers, make the process accessible only to bitumen refiners or large construction companies which are the only ones capable of making the considerable investment in the adequate mixing equipment.
The use of a modified bitumen in order to fabricate an asphalt mixture generally results in a change of the fabrication process relatively to the unmodified bitumen. In the case of emulsions, for example, the addition of polymer may limit the grade of bitumen used since the emulsification process with water limits the temperature at which the bitumen can be added. More viscous bitumen grades may be used to fabricate emulsions in water at higher than atmospheric pressures. However, this adds a certain complexity to the emulsion fabrication process. In the case of hot mix asphalt fabrication, higher temperatures for fabrication, laying and compaction are required when modified bitumen is used. The higher viscosity of polymer-modified bitumen, compared to the one of the pure bitumen, can also bring problems to processing methods at temperatures below 100° C. and higher than room temperature, reducing the overall asphalt mixture fluidity.
It is of practical interest if the modification of bitumen by a polymeric material can be done without a substantial increase in its fabrication temperature, compared to the pure bitumen, while still obtaining an enhancement in mechanical properties on the resulting asphalt mix.
Also, a temperature reduction during the polymer dispersion and asphalt mixture fabrication process is of practical interest because it would lead to several advantages. A reduction in the dispersion temperature, and/or in time, reduces the amount of bitumen oxidation and aging, extending the life of the final application, such as in an asphalt mix for a road. If such reduction in temperature is translated to the asphalt mixture fabrication process, it would reduce the amount of energy consumed during dispersion and, most importantly, during an asphalt mixture fabrication process. Decreasing the aggregates and bitumen temperatures during the asphalt mixture fabrication process will also significantly reduce the amount of polluting emissions, including CO2 and other greenhouse effect gases.
There are several approaches to reduce the time and temperature necessary for the dispersion of polymers in bitumen. One of such approach is the addition of a solvent during the mixture, which can also be used to disperse the polymer before adding to the bitumen. The use of volatile solvents, as discussed above, is not a practical option due to the polluting effect and difficulty of using them at elevated temperatures. Other solvents could be used such as vegetable oils or their derivates. The use of such solvents in the production of modified bitumens for asphalt mixtures often leads to a softening of the material and an increase in rutting.
WO 2005/087869 describes a composition of polymer-modified bitumen using a mono-alkyl ester of a vegetable oil as solvent to facilitate mixing. In addition, an amide additive is also added to overcome the decrement in mechanical properties due to the addition of the alkyl ester. However, the addition of about 6% of rapeseed oil methyl ester, to previously dissolve the polymer as stated in one of the examples, would still make the mixture softer, resulting in a softer asphalt mixture. In addition, a temperature higher than 160° C. and 30 minutes of stirring is still required to incorporate the polymer solution to the bitumen with a penetration of 160/220. A typical storage temperature for this kind of bitumen when pure is between 130° C. and 150° C.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,113 describes another approach to enhance the mechanical properties of the final bitumen composition while maintaining low viscosities at fabrication temperatures. In this patent, fatty acid monoesters are added to the bitumen to reduce viscosity by a solvation effect at fabrication conditions while, by the addition of a metal catalyst, crosslinking of such esters takes place under application conditions. This process may take several days. Although this method allows for low viscosities at fabrication conditions and enhanced mechanical properties of the final asphalt mixture, the use of certain metal catalysts may be restrained due to their negative impact to environment and men.
FR 2 871 804 proposes the use of a polymer-bitumen mixture containing a high level of polymer, called a master batch. This mixture is prepared with an extrusion device and then diluted with bitumen to get the right polymer dosage in a short time. The drawback of the solution is that a special device is still necessary to mix the polymer and the bitumen to produce the master batch, resulting in a considerable economic investment.
Since the main problem with the addition of regular or conventional polymers into bitumen is their high viscosity, one solution would be to have a polymer with good mechanical properties at asphalt mixture application temperatures (about −20° C. to 70° C.) while having very low viscosity at elevated temperatures (above 100° C.). Such low viscosity at higher temperatures would make the dispersion of such polymer into the bitumen considerably easier under lower temperatures, milder mixing conditions and shorter mixing times. This would also result in an easier use of the modified bitumen thanks to the lower temperatures and or lower process duration.
Polymeric materials with such properties can be achieved by the use of oligomers or monomers than assembly into a supramolecular polymer-like structure with non covalent bonds at low temperatures but dissociate at high temperatures.
WO 01/07396 describes a polymer like material comprised of oligomers that can associate into large structures by means of hydrogen bonding between specific carboxylic acid and alcohol functional groups. The resulting material shows mechanical properties far superior to those of the original monomer, which increase with the number of associated functional oligomers. No application with bitumen is discussed in this text.
WO 03/059964 describes another supramolecular polymer based on a different chemistry. In this case, polymer-like properties are also achieved by the interconnection of the smaller molecules by hydrogen bonding. No application with bitumen is discussed in this text.
WO 2006/087475 describes an elastomeric material formed by the supramolecular assembly of smaller molecules. The rubber-like material of this invention becomes a liquid above a certain temperature due to the dissociation of the hydrogen bonds. The transition from elastic polymer to liquid is reversible in temperature. No application with bitumen is discussed in this text.


The printer of the present invention prevents loss of print data due to print operation malfunction after the completion of the initialization of print head 3 by detecting error conditions related to the motion of the print head during the initialization of the print head. In the initialization process of print head 3, print head 3 is moved until it is detected by reference position detector 16 located at the left edge of the print area of the printer; after completion of the initial-position detection for print head 3, print head 3 is moved over the entire print area to rightmost move position 37. By moving print head 3 as described above and by checking whether or not the print head has moved correctly, it is possible to detect any error conditions relating to the motion of print head 3.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a so-called serial printer that prints by moving the print head relative to the recording medium. In particular, the present invention relates to a technique of preventing a loss of print data when the print head does not move correctly. Therefore, the present invention relates to a technology that is strongly related to printers used in systems that handle monetary data, such as POS/ECR.
2. Description of the Related Art
Because of its structure, a serial printer needs to know the position of the print head. This is because without knowing the current print head position, the printer is unable to print accurately at a given position even when a print position on the recording medium is specified. In this sense, the printer also needs to know the position at which the recording medium is mounted.
In order to set the print head at its initial position, a conventional serial printer moves the print head in a specified direction until the print head is detected by the print head reference position detector. Because the reference position detector normally is provided at one end of the printable area, the direction of motion is uniquely determined as the direction from the current position of the print head toward the reference position detector. If a reference position is not detected even when the drive motor is operated to an extent equivalent to the amount of motion of the print head corresponding to the width of the printable area, the printer determines that the print head cannot be set at its initial position, and terminates processing by stopping the carriage motor. Incidentally, the process or operation of setting the print head at its initial position is referred to as the initialization of the print head, or, simply, as initialization.
Serial printers are used as output terminals for various information-processing devices. In particular, they are often used in systems that are involved in handling of money, such as POS/ECR systems. Confirming the details of transactions in writing is deep-rooted in the customary use of these systems, and transaction data is always printed. Therefore, for handling monetary transactions using such a system, the results of printing are critical; in such a system, the accuracy and reliability of print results are of paramount importance.
The information-processing devices and associated printers discussed above are normally used by operators of varying skill levels. Therefore, it is important that the printer be able to print reliably, regardless of the operator. With a printer, an especially important requirement is the absence of printing malfunction that could lead to a loss of print data.
In the conventional initialization operation discussed above, it is possible to determine whether or not the moving operation was performed correctly by moving the print head from the current position to the reference position and by setting the print head at the reference position. In other words, if the reference position is not detected during the above initialization operation, it is possible to infer that moving of the print head to the reference position was not performed correctly due to some kind of error.
The range in which the print head is moved by this processing, however, does not necessarily encompass the entire area in which the print head can print. Therefore, the initialization processing cannot detect error conditions in the entire area. In other words, even if the initialization operation has normally terminated, problems could exist in the parts of the print area through which the print head did not pass. These problems include a protruding recording medium in the path of print head motion, the presence of foreign objects, or an error in the print head transport mechanism. Conventional methods cannot detect these problems.
Therefore, conventionally it is possible that printing is performed even if such a print hindering condition exists. In such a case, the print data which the printer has received from the information-processing equipment is liable to be erased from the printer before it can be printed in a form amenable to visual inspection. This can be a serious problem especially in POS/ECR systems involved in handling of money.

Printing apparatus and a control method thereof


A computer system comprising a processor, a first storage coupled to the processor and comprising an operating system, and a second storage coupled to the processor. The processor is adapted to store a group of files pertaining to the operating system on the second storage prior to launching the operating system. The processor is capable of using the group of files to restore the operating system.

An operating system (OS) comprises computer system software that directly controls and manages the computer system hardware and various other system operations. The OS also provides a platform upon which to run software applications, such as word processing programs and Web browsers.
An OS is subject to corruption and other types of damage which may render the OS useless. Accordingly, an OS image, which is a group of files that comprise various information pertaining to the OS (e.g., OS settings, OS updates), is regularly backed-up to storage. When the OS is damaged, the backed-up OS image is used to restore OS functionality. However, restoring the OS from the backed-up image can be via a process that is OS-specific and thus undesirably time-consuming and inconvenient.

Storing files for operating system restoration

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


The present invention provide an image display device including a level shift circuit not requiring a clock signal nor a control signal from the outside and operating at a low voltage and ensuring a high yield.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display device using a liquid crystal element, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) element, or the like, and more specifically to an image display device having a level shift circuit in an output section of a drive circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image display panel using a liquid crystal element, an organic EL element, or the like includes a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) formed on a transparent board and has a pixel circuit configured with the TFT element, a data driver, a gate driver, and a protection circuit. A control signal for driving the data driver and the gate driver is transmitted from an external system via an FPC (Flexible Printed Card) to inside of the image display panel, while a data signal transmitted to the pixel circuit is further transmitted via a driver IC to inside of the image display panel.
Here, there is a problem that an operating voltage for an external system is different from that for the TFT circuit prepared inside the image display panel. (Generally, the operating voltage for the TFT circuit inside an image display panel is higher than that for an external system). To overcome this problem, a voltage level for a control signal such as a gate driver control signal or a data driver control signal is changed from an operating voltage for the external system to that for the TFT circuit inside a panel by using a level shift circuit formed with a mono-crystalline silicon transistor formed on the external system or a level shift circuit formed with a TFT inside the image display panel. A driver IC is subjected to level change in the output stage.
FIG. 11 illustrates a general configuration of a level shift circuit provided outside a display panel in an image display module which is currently produced (The configuration is disclosed, for instance, in JP-A-2003-283326). This circuit actuates a gate of an NMOS transistor NM7 by applying an input signal via an inverter INV1 and an inverter INV2 to the gate of the NMOS transistor NM7, and also actuates a gate of an NMOS transistor NM8 by applying an inversion signal for the input signal via the inverter INV1 to the gate of the NMOS transistor NM8.
In the following description, it is assumed that the NMOS transistor NM7 and the PMOS transistor PM8 are non-conductive to each other and also that the NMOS transistor NM8 and a PMOS transistor PM7 are conductive to each other. When an input signal voltage rises and surpasses a threshold value for the NMOS transistor NM7, the NMOS transistor NM7 is set in the conducting state. When an inversion signal voltage for an input voltage falls and becomes lower than a threshold value for the NMOS transistor NM8, the NMOS transistor NM8 is set in the non-conducting state. In this step, since the PMOS transistor PM7 is in the conducting state, a potential at a node ND9 is decided according to a conduction resistance ratio between the NMOS transistor NM7 and the PMOS transistor PM7.
When this potential falls down to a level lower than the threshold value for the PMOS transistor PM8 and the PMOS transistor PM8 is set in the conducting state, a value at the node DN10 rises toward a H (high) level voltage (H level voltage in the figure is VDD2), so that the PMOS transistor PM7 is set in the non-conducting state and a value at a node ND9 falls toward a L (low) level voltage (level voltage in the figure is a ground potential (GND)). Namely, the circuit functions as a level shift circuit which converts a low amplitude signal transmitted from a circuit using a low power voltage VDD1 to a high amplitude signal and transmits the high amplitude signal to a circuit using a high power voltage VDD2.
The level shift circuit shown in FIG. 11 is excellent in high speed operation and low current consumption although the level shift circuit has a small number of transistors. In addition, voltages applied to a source and a back gate of a transistor constituting the circuit shown in FIG. 11 are always kept equal, so that a parasitic diode D1 shown in FIG. 5B illustrating a cross-sectional structure of an NMOS transistor expressed with a transistor symbol in FIG. 5A or a parasitic diode D2 as shown in FIG, 7B illustrating a cross-sectional structure of a PMOS transistor expressed by a transistor symbol in FIG. 7A is always kept OFF, so that the substrate bias effect is never generated. Because of the feature, the level shift circuit is also excellent in operations at a low temperature, and is one of monocrystal silicon circuits which are most generally used.
The circuit shown in FIG. 12A is disclosed in JP-A-2000-187994. This circuit is configured with a thin film transistor (TFT). Applied to a gate electrode of a NMOS transistor NM13 is a voltage at the node 12 decided according to a conduction resistance ratio between a NMOS transistor NM10 and a PMOS transistor PM10. Applied to a gate electrode of a NMOS transistor NM14 is a voltage at a node ND11 decided according to a conduction resistance ratio between a NMOS transistor NM9 and a PMOS transistor PM9. When the NMOS transistor NM9 is shifted from the non-conducting state to the conducting state, also the NMOS transistor NM13 is shifted from the non-conducting state to the conducting state. When the NMOS transistor NM10 is shifted from the non-conducting state to the conducting state, also a NMOS transistor NM14 is shifted from the non-conducting state to the conducting state. These shifting operations occur alternately.
Conductivity resistance of a NMOS transistor is decided by the NMOS transistor NM9 and the lower cabinet 13 or by the NMOS transistor NM10 and the NMOS transistor NM14. A high amplitude signal with the L level at GND and the H level at the high power voltage VDD is input to gate electrodes of the NMOS transistor NM13 and the NMOS transistor NM14, so that a circuit operation can be realized with a small gate width. Therefore the circuit can be incorporated in a panel.
The circuit shown in FIG. 13 is formed with a monocrystal silicon semiconductor. In the circuit shown in FIG. 13, a voltage at the node 13 decided by a conduction resistance ratio between a NMOS transistor NM17 and a PMOS transistor PM11 is applied to a gate electrode of a NMOS transistor NM19, while a voltage at a node ND14 decided by a conduction resistance ratio between a NMOS transistor 18 and a PMOS transistor PM12 is applied to a gate electrode of a NMOS transistor NM20.
When the NMOS transistor NM17 is shifted from the non-conducting state to the conducting state, also a NMOS transistor NM 20 is shifted from the non-conducting state to the conducting state, while, when the NMOS transistor 18 is shifted from the non-conducting state to the conducting state, also a NMOS transistor NM19 is shifted from the non-conducting state to the conducting state, and there operations occur alternately. In this circuit, even when the circuit is in the initial state and the capability to drive the NMOS transistor NM17 and the NMOS transistor 18 is small, a difference is generated between a voltage appearing at the node ND 13 and that appearing at the node ND14, so that the circuit operates regularly. As an example of the level shift circuit having the configuration as described above is disclosed, for instance, in JP-A-2004-228879.
FIG. 14 illustrates a level shift circuit described in JP-A-2003-115758. This circuit realizes level shift by using the principle of a charge pump. This circuit requires a clock signal CLK and an inversion signal /CLK, and is configured with a TFT circuit. Because of the circuit configuration, when the circuit is formed with a monocrystal silicon semiconductor, a NMOS transistor NM23 is affected by the substrate bias effect. An input signal is received via a transistor NM21 for switching at a gate terminal of a NMOS transistor NM22, so that it is necessary to hold a threshold voltage for the NMOS transistor NM22 at a low level for raising a voltage of an input signal at a low voltage. When the circuit is formed with a TFT, a limit for operations at a low voltage is decided by a threshold value for the TFT, but since there is no influence by the substrate bias effect even when the NMOS transistor NM22 is replaced with a monocrystal silicon semiconductor having a lower threshold value that that for the TFT, it is considered that operations at a low voltage can be realized by the replacement.
However, there are several problems in the general level sift circuit shown in FIG. 11. Voltages at a node DN9 and a node ND10 is decided by a ratio between a conduction resistance of the NMOS transistor and that of the PMOS transistor, namely a ratio of drive capabilities of the two transistors.
In the PMOS transistors PM7 and PM8, a voltage at the source electrode is fixed at the high power voltage VDD2, and a high amplitude signal with the L level at GND and the H level at the high power voltage DD2 is input, while, in the NMOS transistors NM7 and NM8, a voltage at the source electrode is fixed at the GND voltage, and a low amplitude signal with the L level at the GND and the H level at the lower power voltage VDD1 is input to the gate electrode, and therefore in the monocrystal silicon semiconductor in which the lower power voltage VDD1 has been becoming more and more lower, or in the TFT circuit in which a threshold value Vth is large, a difference between voltages applied to the gate electrode and the source electrode is large, so that the capability for driving the NMOS transistors NM7 and NM8 is low. In this case, conduction resistance of the NMOS transistor becomes lower, and the PMOS transistor PM8 is not shifted by a voltage at the node ND9 from the non-conducting state to the conducting state, or the PMOS transistor PM7 is not shifted from the non-conducting state to the conducting state by the voltage at the node ND10. To set the ratio of driving capabilities at a proper level so the PMOS transistor PM8 properly operates even with high frequency waves, it is necessary to make a gate width of the NMOS transistor larger than that of the PMOS transistor.
The characteristic line shown in FIG. 15 represents sizes of the NMOS transistors NM1, NM2 required for quadrupling output for the VDD 1 of 2.5 V and for the VDD 2 of 10 V under the conditions in which a threshold voltage Vth for the transistor is 1 V and a load of 0.1 pF is applied to an output terminal of the level shift circuit. In FIG. 15, the horizontal axis represents an operating frequency [MHz] and the vertical axis represents a ratio of a channel length L of a MOS transistor and a channel width W thereof (W/L). For instance, for the NMOS transistor to operate at a frequency of 50 MHz, the transistor size expressed by W/L is required to be 490/4 or more. TO achieve the requirement above, an area of the input circuit section becomes larger, which disadvantageously drops the yield.
In the circuit shown in FIG. 12A (JP-A-2003-283326), in the state where the clock signal CK is fixed at the H level and the NMOS transistors NM11 and NM12 are always conducted to each other, if drive capabilities of the NMOS transistor NM9 and the NMOS transistor NM10 are small, the conduction resistance is high in both the NMOS transistor NM9 and the NMOS transistor NM10 and a voltage difference is not generated between a voltage at the node ND11 and the node ND12, so that both the NMOS transistor NM13 and the NMOS transistor NM14 are set in the conducting state, and both the voltage at the node ND11 and the voltage at the node ND12 drop to the L level, which sometimes disable operations of the circuit. To prevent occurrence of this problem, a control signal for a clock signal CK from the outside as well as for an inversion signal /CK is used, and the circuit is run correctly by transmitting the signals CK and /CK to prevent both the voltage at the node ND11 and the voltage at the node ND12 from dropping to the L level due to influence by the NMOS transistors NM15 and NM16 even when both the NMOS transistors NM13 and NM14 are in the conducting state.
In the circuit configuration shown in FIG. 12B, it is disadvantageously required to employ the clock signal CK from the outside and the inversion signal /CK. In order to lower conduction resistances in the NMOS transistors NM9, NM11, NM13 and NM 15 or in the NMOS transistors NM10, NM12, NM14 and NM16 and to set a ratio of the drive capabilities at the optimal value, it is necessary that amplitudes of the clock signal CK and the clock inversion signal /CK should be large, and therefore it is difficult to apply the circuit configuration to a TFT circuit having a large threshold value or a circuit requiring an input signal with low voltage and small amplitude.
Since the circuit shown in FIG. 13 is formed with a monocrystal silicon semiconductor, the circuit is affected by the substrate bias effect, and threshold values for the NMOS transistors NM19 and the NMOS transistor NM20 increase, so that sufficient drive capabilities are not generated, and the conduction resistance decided by a combination of the NMOS transistor NM17 and the NMOS transistor NM20 or by a combination of the NMOS transistor 18 and the NMOS transistor NM19 does not drop sufficiently, which is another problem to be solved.
The characteristic line F13_1 shown in FIG. 15 represents sizes of the NMOS transistors NM17, NM18 required when the ratio of a channel width W versus a channel length L (W/L) is 4/4, the work function (2φF) is equal to 0.7, the substrate bias effect coefficient γ is 0.3, and outputs for the VDD1 of 2.5 V and for the VDD2 of 10 V is to be quadrupled under the conditions in which a threshold value Vth for the transistor is 1 V and a load of 0.1 pF is applied to an output terminal of the level shift circuit. For instance, to operate with a frequency of 50 MHz, the transistor size W/L of 450/4 or more is required. The horizontal axis in FIG. 15 represents an operating frequency f [MHz].
The characteristic line F13_2 shown in FIG. 16 represents sizes of the NMOS transistor NM19 and the NMOS transistor NM20 when operating at a frequency of 50 MHz under the same conditions as those described above. Even when a transistor size as expressed by W/L of each of the NMOS transistor NM19 and the NMOS transistor NM20 is 16/4, the transistor size W/L is required to be 300/4 or more. To overcome the problem, the NMOS transistor NM17 and the NMOS transistor 18 are replaced with PMOS transistors to avoid the influence by the substrate bias effect. However, since there is still the problem that a drive capability of the PMOS transistor is smaller as compared to that of the NMOS transistor and cannot supply a sufficient voltage to a section between a gate and a source of the PMOS transistor. Also, in a low voltage monocrystal silicon semiconductor circuit or in a TFT circuit having a large threshold value, the problem relating to the necessity for a large area is not solved, and also the problem of low yield still remains.
In the circuit configuration shown in FIG. 14, the operating speed is decided by the conduction resistance of a NMOS transistor NM21 and a time constant for a capacitor C1, and is limited by a threshold value for the NMOS transistor NM21. When the NMOS transistor NM21 is replaced with a monocrystal silicon semiconductor, influence by the substrate bias effect is generated, and the effect of the replacement cannot be expected.

Abstract: The level shift circuit comprises a pair of transistors each having a source electrode connected to a power, a gate electrode and a drain electrode (the gate electrode and the drain electrode of one of the transistors being connected with the drain electrode and the gate electrode of the other (cross coupling)); and transistors each having an a source electrode connected to a low voltage source or the ground, a drain electrode connected to a connection point for the cross coupling, and a gate electrode, one of the gate electrodes being connected to an input signal and the other being connected to an input inversion signal. The level shift circuit has also a transistor having a gate electrode connected to a connection point for the cross-coupling, a drain electrode connected to a connection point for cross-coupling forming a pair with the cross-coupling connection point, and a source electrode, one of the source electrodes being connected to an input signal and the other being connected to an input inversion signal. The transistor with at least the gate electrode connected to the cross-coupling connection point is a TFT formed on an insulating substrate.


A customized installation is created by allowing a user to select a pattern of software. Then software that is installed on another user's computer is identified. If the identified software belongs to the selected pattern, then an installation of the software is obtained from a database and built into a custom built installation. The identification of the software and selection of a corresponding installation includes identification of a version of the software. A requested pattern can describe the category of use of the software, or the pattern can describe a usage history. After building the customized installation, the customized installation can be installed on a new machine.

Setting up a new computer requires installation and configuration of software that runs on the computer. Typically, the first software that must be installed on the computer is the operating system. Once the operating system is installed, other software can then be added to provide additional features and functionality for the user of the computer. For example, there are applications that are used for word processing, accounting, computer games, etc.
Before a user can install any software, the user needs to decide which software to install. A user can choose from a variety of different operating system vendors, such as open source operating systems or closed source operating systems. Considerations that go into selection of an operating system can include ease of use, security concerns, cost, breadth of features, etc.
Once an operating system vendor is selected, the user often has to choose among a variety of different versions. Some versions are built tailored for a professional environment, while other operating system versions might be intended for home or personal use. Different versions can be used to identify particular releases of the operating system. A first version released to customers might be version 1.0. Subsequent improvements or patches can be made to the first version, resulting in an increased version of software, which might be numbered version 2.0.
After an operating system is selected and installed, the user can then choose application software to run on the operating system. Some application software is used by many different computer users, while other application software meets a need for a specific type of user. For example, a computer that is to be used as a web server might not have any use for office processing software applications. Other software applications can be categorized as multimedia software, or financial software, etc.
Most software allows for configuration, permitting the user to take advantage of the particular features of interest. This is particularly true with an operating system, which can require some configuration after installation. Configurations can affect the look and feel of the software, as well as performance issues or enablement of particular features.
While it might seem a simple task to select software to install and then use a standard configuration of the software, problems might lurk for a less sophisticated software user. Some software applications only run on particular operating systems, or a particular version of a specific operating system. Other software applications do not work well together. A standard configuration might not provide the features that a user desires, but it might not be easy for a user to determine how to appropriately change the configuration.
In fact, sometimes it is difficult to know what features can be changed through configuration. Many users do not take the time to read about all of the different features that are possible: the documentation can be overwhelming, even assuming the documentation sufficiently describes the product. Unless a user has seen a demonstration of the particular feature, or the feature has been publicized, the user might not even know that a desired feature exists in a particular software package. And even if the user knows about a feature, it might not be clear how the user can take advantage of the feature.
Accordingly, a need remains to allow a user to create a customized software installation for a computer that addresses these and other problems in the prior art.

System and method for creating a pattern installation by cloning software installed another computer


A device and method for testing the functionality of various electronic device components. The device is portable and is capable of being upgraded with changes in technology. The device is enclosed within a housing, which comprises a power supply and a display. The disclosed device incorporates a tester for computer components, including but not limited to, power supply, microprocessor, motherboard, system memory, video subsystem, mass storage devices, and cables.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of testing the condition of a computer and the components and/or peripherals thereof and includes an apparatus and method for achieving testing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Diagnosis of a faulty computer system can be a difficult process. The computer service technician is charged with identifying all the faults in a given system in quick and accurate fashion. Prior to the advent of the instant invention, the methods a technician may utilize to accomplish this task qualify as unsatisfactory. Presently, one method entails trial and error, replacing the various components of a PC with components that are known to work properly. This constitutes a cumbersome and time-consuming process that requires the technician to continually have on hand an inventory of tools and known-good parts.
Another method is to use a variety of computer testing tools, which are known in the art, to test all the various components/peripherals of the PC. Once again, to accomplish testing and repair in this manner, the technician must have on-hand a large inventory of tools, each designed to test a single PC component. Further, the technician must once again possess an inventory of known-good parts to replicate the function of components he finds to be faulty.
These methods become even more unsatisfactory when one considers how quickly technology changes. In order to stay abreast of the frequent and substantial changes in computing technology, the technician must always be purchasing new tools designed to test the functionality of such new devices and standards as are developed. Moreover, when these new devices and standards are developed, their adoption is never immediate, meaning that a technician will always be required to service a mix of old and new technologies. Thus, he does not simply discard his old tools in favor of the new, but rather adds the new tools to the old.
The result of these practices is a toolbox that is ever larger, ever more unwieldy, and ever more expensive. Of higher import, if a technician requires a large number of tools in his daily business, he must be proficient in the use of a large number of tools. As well, the technician must understand how to operate each of the tools in his kit, how they relate to one another, and how to interpret the various and extensive results and/or outputs of the tests. In short, there is a burden placed upon the technician to coordinate and understand the large and diverse number of data with which he is regularly presented.
Furthermore, the hardware diagnostic tools presently available and known in the art make no provision for the testing of a computer's software configuration. This constitutes a glaring weakness, since the software configuration is at least as important to proper operation as the hardware. A service technician cannot be said to have made a complete diagnosis unless he has also tested a computer's software. (This is particularly true in light of the current epidemic of viruses and spyware; at present, nearly every Windows-based machine the service technician encounters will be infested with some form of "malware.") Additionally, the service technician will frequently need to retrieve data stored on a malfunctioning computer, and no tool presently available makes any provision for such data retrieval due to the design of present systems.
A large number of diagnostic tools for individual PC components are known to the art, and in fact are in wide use in the industry. But there exists in the art no portable, universal, completely modular, expandable, and upgradeable device that integrates into one package all the tools a field service technician needs, tests each PC component in its native operating environment, replicates the function of faulty PC components, provides for the testing of a PC's software condition, and allows for the retrieval of data from a malfunctioning PC.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,805, issued to Krukovsky in 1999, discloses a tester for computer audio and video that is both portable and universal. But this device, while an obvious improvement to other testers known in the art, is limited in scope to the testing of video and audio. In a field service environment, it would be just one more tool in the service technician's kit, rather than an integrated diagnostic solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,775,192, issued to Harrington et al. in 2004, discloses a DRDRAM chip tester, which differs from other DRDRAM testers known to the art in that it can test a memory chip in a reduced power state. But this device requires the memory chips to be inserted in the device's test banks. In a field service environment, the end user would be obliged to remove the chips from the computer under test and place them in the device. This is an obvious inconvenience. But, far more importantly, this device tests only the memory chips themselves. In a field service environment, the service technician requires a memory test that tests the entire memory subsystem. It is imperative, therefore, that the field service technician test memory chips in their native operating environment—a test the Harrington device cannot conduct.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,764, issued to Russello in 1989, discloses "an apparatus and method for testing the condition of computer peripherals." This device, however, is limited in scope to the testing of computer peripherals such as printers and modems: It makes no provision for the testing of internal PC components. This device is not portable. This device makes no provision for upgrading to new technologies—and indeed, the technologies around which this device is built are now obsolete, meaning that this device would not function with any PC peripheral sold today. Furthermore, the Russello device relies upon a series of diagnostic cards, which cards need to be written with diagnostic routines suitable for each individual peripheral under test. This solution is impracticable: To have on hand a diagnostic card appropriate for every peripheral type known in the art would be not just unnecessarily cumbersome, but virtually impossible.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,519, issued to Martin in 1994, discloses "a device and method for diagnosing a faulty computer system without disassembling the system." These "nonintrusive diagnostics of a computer system" allow the end user to connect the Martin device to the externally accessible ports of a malfunctioning PC, whereupon the device will execute a series of test routines, and report back to the end user any errors in the PC's hardware it finds. Since PCs are built in many different configurations, the device operates via a series of removable ROM packs and port packs: The user inserts the appropriate ROM pack, which contains the appropriate test routines for the particular PC under test, and the appropriate port pack, which replicates the port configuration on the particular PC under test. Thus, the Martin device allows an end user with little training to diagnose PC problems accurately, without ever needing to access the interior of the PC under test.
As with the Russello device, the Martin device relies upon a series of removable ROM packs and port packs, requiring the end user to have on hand two accessory packs for each computer to be tested; if these packs are not present, the device cannot function. These packs are cumbersome, and they call into question the Martin device's claim to portability: Although the device itself may be portable, the end user must also carry a potentially very large number of ROM and port packs. Furthermore, the Martin device makes no provision for replicating a malfunctioning PC's faulty components. While it uses its own components to compensate for the missing functionality of faulty components, it runs its own software-based test routines, rather than enabling the PC under test to load into its normal operating environment. Thus, the end user cannot assess the condition of a PC's software configuration, nor can he retrieve data from a malfunctioning PC, using the Martin device.
Most importantly, however, the Martin device's diagnostic method is irreparably obsolete: It simply would not function with today's technology. Many of its diagnostic subroutines rely upon accessing the Test Manager diagnostic program stored in the boot ROMs of the Macintosh computers of this device's era. But Macintosh computers no longer make use of boot ROMs, and Windows-platform PCs never did. The Martin device would not function on any PC manufactured today. Moreover, even when the Macintosh's boot ROM system was state-of-the-art, this device could make no claim to universality: The Macintosh never enjoyed much market support; this device would function on, at best, one machine in ten. A computer testing device that cannot test Windows-based PCs isn't of much practical value.
In summary, investigation of these disclosed devices illustrates that presently, there is no single device known in the art that meets the requirements of a field service technician as nothing in the prior art discloses a portable integrated tester which allows the user to check a variety of component and functionality.


Adjustment mechanisms are used in conjunction with integrated lancet test strips to adjust the position of the drive system, engagement system, or the drive coupling in a fixed stroke lancing system to thereby adjust the penetration depth of the lancet. In a variable drive stroke lancing system, the lancet penetration depth is adjusted by changing the stroke length of a drive system. The stroke length of a drive system is adjusted by rotating a cam or sliding a cam in a cam type drive system. In either the fixed or the variable drive stroke lancing system, the test strip and/or guidance foil of the integrated lancet test strip is immobilized while the lancet is actuated.

The present invention generally concerns techniques and mechanisms to adjust the range of motion of a piercing member in a lancet integrated test strip. The present invention also concerns techniques and mechanisms that engage and drive the lancet as well as immobilize a test strip during the skin piercing process to ensure independent movement of the piercing member relative to the test strip.
Decreasing the amount of pain associated with forming an incision for bodily fluid testing is typically very desirable for users. One technique employed for decreasing pain includes adjusting the penetration depth of a bare lancet. Typically an adjustable cap is attached to the exterior of an incision forming end of a lancet driver housing the bare lancet. The cap is adjusted to limit the penetration depth of the lancet; however, the lancet moves the same distance to form an incision no matter how the cap is adjusted. In other words, the stroke length of the bare lancet remains fixed while the relative end position of the cap is adjusted to adjust the penetration depth of the lancet. A user of these lancet drivers also requires additional equipment to store a test strip and display test results. All of this separate equipment is more burdensome for users. Therefore, many users or patients requiring bodily fluid testing or blood glucose testing might prefer to use lancet integrated test strips ("LITs") to lance, collect, and test a bodily fluid sample. Also the lancet is assured to be sharp and sterile for each use compared to traditional lancet which dull with use and progressively cause more pain. Additionally, LIT eliminates lancet cross contamination as the lancet is thrown away with the test strip, making it ideal for hospital use where cross contamination is a real concern.
Thus, there is a need for improvement in this field.

Lancet drive system depth control method and test strip location methods


A method of making float glass is provided that results in a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films being integrally formed with the float glass at the tin side thereof. In particular, a donor(s) such as antimony and/or an oxide thereof is added to the glass batch during the process of manufacture. The donor diffuses into the tin oxide inclusive layer adjacent the tin bath during the “float” manufacturing process, thereby increasing the number of electrons in the tin oxide inclusive layer so as to form a TCO film at the tin side of the glass.

The use of transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films on glass is known in the art. Such TCO films on glass are typically deposited pyrolitically (via pyrolysis) which requires expensive equipment and processing (i.e., large capital investments).
The process of making float glass is known in the art. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,954,432, 3,083,551, and 3,220,816, the disclosures of all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. Generally speaking, the process of making float glass involves delivering molten glass to a pool of molten tin (which forms a so-called tin bath) in a forming chamber. Shortly after the initial delivery, the applied tractive forces in withdrawing the glass from the forming chamber attenuate the glass while it is cooling to form a continuous sheet of a ribbon of glass of a desired, predetermined, shape and thickness which is continuously advanced over the bath of molten tin. Pyrolytic coatings are typically applied to the upper surface of the glass after it exits the tin bath, on the non-tin-bath side of the glass.
It will be appreciated that there exists a need in the art for a method of forming TCO films which is less costly than known pyrolysis techniques.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, a TCO film is integrally formed along with the float glass during the float glass manufacturing process. In certain example embodiments of this invention, a compound including donor properties in respect to tin oxide (e.g., antimony and/or an oxide thereof) is added to the glass batch for the melt stage of the glass manufacturing process. The hot glass ribbon with the donor therein proceeds onto the tin bath during the "float" process. A thin tin oxide inclusive film forms in the glass at the side of the glass having the interface with the tin bath during the float process (i.e., at the bottom surface of the hot glass ribbon which lays on the tin bath). The donor diffuses into the tin oxide inclusive film that is integrally formed at the glass surface which interfaces with the tin bath, thereby changing the electrical properties of this tin oxide inclusive film/layer (e.g., increases the number of electrons, thus increasing conductivity) causing the tin oxide inclusive layer to be a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) film or layer integrally formed with the float glass. In particular, the donor element(s) diffuses into the tin oxide inclusive layer area of the glass thereby increasing the number of electrons therein, which results in a higher conductivity of the layer.
Float glass made in such a manner so as to include a TCO film integrally formed therein can be used in applications such as solar cells, oven doors, defrosting windows, or the like in certain example embodiments of this invention.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, the donor material may be Sb (antimony) and/or Sb2O3 as a dopant for the tin oxide inclusive layer integrally formed with the float glass. However, other donor dopants may instead or additionally be used. The antimony will dope the naturally formed SnOx (e.g., 0≦x≦1) on the tin side of the glass, thereby producing a transparent conductive oxide film at this side of the float glass. Thus, an economical way has been found to produce a TCO layer at the tin side of the float glass by adding an amount of antimony and/or other dopant to the batch during the process of manufacturing the glass. In certain example embodiments of this invention, an example Sb and/or Sb2O3 dopant may make up from about 0.01 to 10% by weight of the glass batch and/or final glass, more preferably from about 0.1 to 5%, and most preferably from about 1 to 5%.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a method of making float glass, the method comprising: providing a glass batch including soda, lime, silica and antimony; causing molten glass from the batch to be provided on a top surface of a tin bath, thereby causing a tin oxide inclusive film to be formed at the glass surface adjacent the tin bath; and wherein the presence of antimony increases the number of electrons in the tin oxide inclusive film formed at the glass surface so as to result in the formation of a transparent conductive oxide film at the glass surface that was adjacent the tin bath.
In other example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a method of making float glass, the method comprising: melting a glass batch including SiO2, Na2O, CaO and at least one electron donor; and locating a hot ribbon from the glass batch on a tin bath, so that a tin oxide inclusive layer is formed, and electrons are donated to the tin oxide inclusive layer by the donor, so as to provide a transparent conductive oxide film at a tin side of resulting float glass.
In still further example embodiments of this invention, there is provided float glass comprising: SiO2 67-75%, Na2O 10-20%, CaO 5-15%, wherein a transparent conductive oxide film is integrally formed with the float glass at a tin side thereof. The conductive oxide film may be formed with the help of at least one donor added to the glass batch.

Method of making float glass with transparent conductive oxide (TCO) film integrally formed on tin bath side of glass and corresponding product


In a multi-fuel system for diesel engines, natural gas is mixed with diesel fuel and conditioned in a mixing chamber before being injected into the mixing chamber of the engine. Filtered blow-by gas may also be introduced into the combustion chamber. A computerized controller is used to determine and control the proportion of diesel fuel, natural gas fuel, the mixing and conditioning of these fuels, and the supply of filtered blow-by gas.

The present invention generally relates to fuel systems for an internal combustion engine. More particularly, the present invention relates to a multi-fuel system for an internal combustion engine that utilizes both diesel and natural gas.
It is estimated that there are currently three hundred million vehicles on America's roads. Every day, the average American spends almost an hour driving in a car. Additionally, approximately seventy percent of goods that are shipped in America travel on commercial vehicles. Clearly, automobiles are an integral part of everyday life in America. The same is true for most countries around the world. The world's dependence on automobiles creates a similar dependence on fuel sources to power these automobiles. Most vehicles on the road today are fueled by gasoline or diesel fuel. Most commercial vehicles are fueled by diesel fuel.
The reliance on fossil fuels creates a host of problems. Diesel fuel prices fluctuate on a daily basis, but there is a definite upward trend in fuel pricing. There are no indicators to suggest that these fuel prices will go down in the foreseeable future. The air pollution problems inherent in the operation of gasoline fueled and diesel oil fueled internal combustion engines are well known. These air pollutants include carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, ozone, sulfur dioxide and lead. All these pollutants are known sources of a wide variety of health problems in humans, as well as ozone depletion and acid rain in the environment. Many speculate that air pollution is causing the gradual and irreversible warming of the globe.
For these reasons, various emission control devices are presently in use, and may be required by federal regulations in order to reduce the amount of pollutants discharged in the atmosphere by internal combustion engines. These emission control devices are in response to various Air Quality Standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including the Clean Air Act. Individual states also have their own environmental protection regulations and methods of enforcement. California's Air Resources Board (CARB) is the strictest regulatory body concerned with pollution in the country. The emissions standards set by CARB are stricter than the federal EPA requirements, specifically with regard to hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emissions, which become smog. Currently, sixteen other states have adopted, or are in the process of adopting, California's strict emissions standards.
Emission control devices, however, only remove a portion of the pollutants and are subject to deterioration with the passage of time. Also, they often hinder engines from operating at peak efficiencies. Such emission control devices also are somewhat limited in their ability to remove pollutants, and increase the costs of the automobiles significantly.
Discharge or burning of blow-by gas also contributes to emissions. In a diesel powered engine, oil is used to lubricate the crankshaft and connecting rod bearings. The crankcase is mainly filled with air and oil. It is the intake manifold that receives and mixes fuel and air from separate sources. The fuel/air mixture in the intake manifold is drawn into the combustion chamber where it is ignited by a sparkplug, or as a result of compression in the combustion chamber due to the movement of the piston shaft. Although piston rings, disposed around the outer diameter of the pistons within the piston cylinder, are intended to seal off from the crankcase the unburned and burned fuel and air injected into the combustion chamber, the piston rings are unable to completely seal off the piston cylinder. Thus, waste gas enters the crankcase, which is commonly called "blow-by" gas.
Blow-by gasses mainly consist of contaminants such as hydrocarbons (unburned fuel), carbon dioxide and/or water vapor, all of which are harmful to the engine crankcase. The trapping of blow-by gasses in the crankcase allows the contaminants to condense and accumulate over time in the engine crankcase. Condensed contaminants form corrosive acids and sludge in the interior of the crankcase. This decreases the ability of the engine oil in the crankcase to lubricate the cylinder and crankshaft. The degraded oil that fails to properly lubricate the crankshaft components can be a factor in increased wear and tear in the engine, as well as poor engine performance.
Crankcase ventilation systems have been developed to expel blow-by gasses out of a positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve and into the intake manifold to be re-burned. However, such blow-by gasses removed from the crankcase often contain relatively high levels of lubricating oil and the like, which are introduced into the air intake manifold and thus into the combustion chamber, which increases the pollution generated by the vehicle.
These issues are especially problematic in diesel engines as diesel engines burn diesel fuel which is much more oily and heavy than gasoline. Thus, the blow-by gas produced by the crankcase of the diesel engine is much more oily and heavy than gasoline blow-by gas. Of course, the burning of such diesel blow-by gas creates even a greater pollution concern.
Recently, there have been found vast sources of natural gas within the United States. Natural gas is also sometimes used as a fuel for internal combustion engines. It has the capability of producing less combustion pollutants and decreasing engine operating costs without complex emission control devices. Its use is anticipated to reduce the rate of world fossil fuel consumption.
Since the current transportation infrastructure does not include large numbers of widely dispersed retail suppliers of natural gas for vehicles, it has been impractical to produce vehicles that are fueled solely by gaseous fuels like natural gas due to range limitations. Instead, it is more practical to equip vehicles with a supply of both a liquid fuel, such as diesel fuel, and an auxiliary supply of gaseous fuel such as natural gas.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for a system which is capable of burning not only diesel fuel, but diesel fuel combined with natural gas so as to lessen the emissions of the diesel combustion engine. What is further needed is such a system that does so with as little retrofitting as possible to the existing fuel intake systems and configuration, in order to lessen the complexity and the cost of the system and also to enable existing diesel engines to be retrofitted. What is also needed is such a system that filters the blow-by gas of the diesel engine crankcase, so as to maintain a clean and filtered lubricating oil within the crankcase, while lessening the environmental impact of blow-by gasses that are introduced into the combustion chamber. The present invention fulfills these needs, and provides other related advantages.

Multi-fuel system for internal combustion engines


Techniques for enabling remote recovery of computer system is disclosed. OOB communication with a provisioning server is established using a wireless communication device on a computer system that fails. The computer system includes an OOB controller. The OOB communication is authenticated. A disk image is downloaded from a server. Operations to correct the failure are performed.

A common component in most computer systems, such as a personal computer (PC), laptop computer, workstation, etc., is a disk drive, also referred to as a hard disk, a hard drive, fixed disk, or magnetic disk drive. Despite the mean-time between failure (MTBF) claimed by manufacturers of disk drives, the shock and vibration may severely taxes the MTBF, especially when the computer system is a laptop or a notebook system. The disk drive typically serves as permanent data storage for an Operating system (OS) and other applications. Critical data may also be stored in the disk drive. When exposed to shock and vibration, the disk drive may develop bad sectors. When the bad sectors are in an area where the OS resides, the OS may not be read successfully from the disk drive, causing the computer system to fail. When there is a disk drive problem, it may be necessary to rebuild the computer system. Depending on how the rebuilding process is performed, the computer system may not be available for an extended period of time. There are on-going efforts to improve the rebuilding process.


The invention relates to a method and device for detecting the mass of fiber material (5) which is processed in a rotor spinning machine to form yarn. In order to obtain a measurement signal which is a function of the mass of fiber material and which can also be used for controlling or monitoring a spinning station without requiring an independent measuring device, this measurement signal is detected in the spinning station of a rotor spinning machine on the feed trough (1) thereof.

Known rotor spinning machines include many spinning stations. Each is sometimes referred to as a "spinning box." A sliver or a fiber strip is applied to each such station. A so-called feed trough is located at the entrance to each spinning station to receive the fiber strip and press it against a rotating feed roller, so that the fiber material will be drawn over the feed trough by the feed roller. The feed trough can be constructed as a type of lever or flap which is pivotally mounted and extends in the vicinity of the feed roller approximately tangentially thereto. After the feed roller, the fiber material is taken up by a separating roller where the fibers are separated.
The weight of fibers advanced per unit of time by the feed roller is an important factor with respect to the size of the yarn produced at the spinning station of a rotor spinning machine. Also, the uniformity of the mass of fibers along the length of the strip forming the input to the spinning station is an important factor with respect to the uniformity of the resulting yarn. However, if the thickness or mass of the fiber material is to be measured in the vicinity or region of a spinning station, then it is necessary to arrange measuring devices, such as measuring hoppers etc., upstream or downstream of the spinning station. But, this can only be done where space for a measuring device is available along the route of the supplied fiber material. If this space is available, a measuring device can be provided. However, this generates resistance in the fiber material which needs to be overcome and which can influence the fiber material in an unexpected manner.

Method and apparatus for detecting the mass of fiber material in a spinning machine


Methods, apparatus and systems are provided that enable the generation of random regression suites for verification of a hardware or software design to be formulated as optimization problems. Solution of the optimization problems using probabilistic methods provides information on which set of test specifications should be used, and how many tests should be generated from each specification. In one mode of operation regression suites are constructed that use the minimal number of tests required to achieve a specific coverage goal. In another mode of operation regression suites are constructed so as to maximize task coverage when a fixed number of tests are run or within a fixed cost.

Functional verification is widely acknowledged to be a bottleneck in the hardware design cycle. Indeed, up to 70% of design development time and resources are typically spent on functional verification. Allowing users to find design flaws, and fixing them in a subsequent release would be unwise and costly for three main reasons: (1) harm to reputation and brand-name; (2) a high cost of recall and replacement when there is a large installed base; and (3) litigation in the event that design flaws caused injury.
In current industrial practice, dynamic verification is the main functional verification technique for large and complex designs. Dynamic verification is accomplished by generating a large number of tests using random test generators, simulating the tests on the design-under-test, and checking that the design-under-test behaves according to its specification.
The rationale behind verification by simulation is that one acquires confidence in the correctness of a design-under-test by running a set of test cases that encompass a sufficiently large number of different cases, which in some sense is assumed to be a representative sample of the full space of possible cases. The ability of the design-under-test to correctly handle all cases is inferred from the correct handling of the cases actually tested. This approach is discussed, for example, in the document User Defined Coverage—A Tool Supported Methodology for Design Verification, Raanan Grinwald, Eran Harel, Michael Orgad, Shmuel Ur, and Avi Ziv, Proc. 38th Design Automation Conference (DAC38), pages 158-163, 1998. When conducting simulations, it is desirable to define a particular subspace, which is considered to be "interesting" in terms of verification, and then to generate tests selected at random that cover the subspace.
Test cases developed by algorithms such as the foregoing are typically implemented on a test generator, which may optionally bias the tests based on internal testing knowledge. Such test generators are described in the following documents: Model-Based Test Generation For Processor Design Verification, Y. Lichtenstein, Y. Malka and A. Aharon, Innovative Applications of Artificial Intelligence (IAAI), AAAI Press, 1994; Constraint Satisfaction for Test Program Generation, L. Fournier, D. Lewin, M. Levinger, E. Roytman and Gil Shurek, Int. Phoenix Conference on Computers and Communications, March 1995; and Test Program Generation for Functional Verification of PowerPC Processors in IBM, A. Aharon, D. Goodman, M. Levinger, Y. Lichtenstein, Y. Malka, C. Metzger, M. Molcho and G. Shurek, 32nd Design Automation Conference, San Francisco, June 1995, pp. 279-285.
The term coverage concerns checking and showing that testing has been thorough. Coverage is any metric of completeness with respect to a test selection criterion for the design-under-test. Simply stated, the idea is to create in some systematic fashion a large and comprehensive list of tasks, and check that in the testing phase each task was executed. A common coverage metric used in the industry is statement coverage, which is a metric of the number of source language statements executed under test. Coverage measurement tools for user-defined coverage models are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,356,858 to Malka et al., of common assignee herewith, and herein incorporated by reference.
One of the uses of coverage is to find good regression-suites. A regression test suite, referred to herein as a regression suite, is a group of tests, which are repeated on the design-under-test after a modification of the design-under-test, and is intended to show that the behavior of the design-under-test is unchanged except insofar as required by the current modification. To be effective, a regression suite must be sufficiently comprehensive so that it is likely to discover newly introduced design flaws, yet be compact, so that it can be economically repeated many times during the course of the development cycle.
Tests are included in regression suites for different reasons. For example, tests that previously led to the discovery of hard-to-find bugs are often included in regression suites. A complementary approach is to design regression suites so that they yield high coverage, i.e., regression suites that produce coverage at least as high as was thus far attained by the entire verification effort.
One approach for creating high-coverage regression suites is to find the smallest subset of the set of previously executed verification tests that yields comparable coverage. This is an instance of the set cover problem, which is known to be NP-Complete. However, an efficient and simple greedy algorithm can provide a good approximation of the optimal solution. An on-the-fly version of the algorithm produces good results for very large sets of tests, as described in the document, Compacting Regression-Suites On-the-Fly. E. Buchnik and S. Ur, in Proceedings of the 4th Asia Pacific Software Engineering Conference, December 1997, which is herein incorporated by reference. Methods for producing compact regression suites are disclosed in the document, On Minimizing Regression-Suites Using On-Line Set-Cover, E. Buchnik and S. Ur, in Proceedings of Eurostar97: The Fifth European Conference on Software Testing, November 1997, which is herein incorporated by reference.
Regression suites that are built from a predetermined set of tests have several inherent problems. First, they are sensitive to changes in the design-under-test and its environment. Changes in the design may affect the behavior of the tests and affect areas of the test space that are not covered by the regression suite. In addition, tests that were previously used are less likely to find bugs than newer tests that have not-yet been included in the regression suite. Finally, the maintenance cost of such regression suites is high because every test has to be automated and maintained.

Probabilistic regression suites for functional verification

International Business Machines Corporation


A disposable device for monitoring exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) over a single period of time and a cumulative period of time. The device includes a base upon which is applied a UVR sensitive material that irreversibly changes after exposure to UVR. A protective covering is applied over the UVR sensitive material and includes segments that are individually removable to reveal a portion of the UVR sensitive material thereunder. A UVR exposure scale and first and second keys are provided on the base. A first segment of the covering is removed and the base is placed in an appropriate location. After a period of time, the change in the UVR sensitive material is compared to the scale and first key to determine if the level of exposure is safe for that time period. The procedure may be repeated over a number of time periods with a new segment of the protective covering being removed for each time period. The cumulative UVR exposure is determined by comparing the change in the first time period's UVR sensitive material to the scale and a second key associated therewith.

1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to health products. More particularly, the invention relates to a monitoring device. Specifically, the invention relates to a device that aids in monitoring exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) which includes a UVR sensitive material and a cover tape that are progressively removed to reveal the UVR sensitive material over a period of time.
2. Background Information
Over the past several decades, there has been a growing awareness of the dangers of overexposure of the skin to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. The climbing rates of skin cancers, awareness of problems with the ozone layer and media attention to these and other issues have made the general population more aware of the need to take preventive steps to protect their skin from potential damage. Some of these measures have included using specially manufactured UV blocking clothing, wearing of hats and sunglasses, and the application of sunblocks and sunscreens that contain protective chemicals.
All of these measures restrict the amount of UV radiation a person is exposed to. They do not, however, provide any real information about the actual quantity of UV radiation a person is receiving and whether or not that exposure level is safe.
There are several products available today that may be used to monitor a person's exposure to UVR. An example of such a device is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,116 issued to Bannard et al, discloses a UV radiation detection device that is applied to the skin by way of an adhesive. The device comprises a housing having a UV sensitive material applied to an inner surface thereof. The top of the housing shields the UV sensitive material from direct exposure to UV radiation. When the UV sensitive material is exposed to indirect UV radiation that has been reflected off the individual's skin, the material irreversibly changes color. The color change is compared to a graduated scale to determine if the level of exposure is harmful. The device is designed for single day use and is disposable. One of the issues with this type of device is that attaching the device on the skin may leave a shaped area that has not been as exposed to the sun as the surrounding region. This leaves a less tanned shaped region on the body which some individuals find aesthetically displeasing. Furthermore, the device is intended as a single use device and consequently is of no assistance for monitoring cumulative exposure to UVR over a period of time.
Yet another device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,681 issued to Faran et al. The device is contemplated to be in the form of a sticker or badge that is attachable to the individual or to their clothing, for example. The device is manufactured to indicate when a specific quantity of exposure has occurred, namely 1 MED. The patent defines a MED as "the radiant exposure of the UV radiation that produces a just noticeable erythema (i.e., sunburn) on previously unexposed skin." (Clarification added by the applicant). The device includes photochromic compounds which irreversibly change their color after exposure to this 1 MED dose of UVR and once this irreversible change has occurred, the individual is supposed to get out of the sun and throw away the device. The device takes into account the fact that individuals have differently pigmented skin and a 1 MED dose of UVR for a fair skinned individual differs greatly from a 1 MED does for a darker skinned individual. Consequently a number of differently graduated devices would be made available and the individual will purchase the device most appropriate for their skin color. The device does not include a graduated scale that indicates a range of possible exposures to UV radiation—just a single color change when the full dose of radiation has been received. This device again may leave a less tanned region on the person's body and is only meant for single use and is therefore of little assistance in monitoring UVR exposure over several days.
Finally, Hovorka discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 6,060,321 a disposable UV dosimeter that has a test zone that changes color when exposed to UVR over a period of time. The test zone is surrounded by a color panel which includes at least three areas that indicate whether the individual has been exposed to a low, moderate or high dose of UVR. The user compares the test zone with the color panel to determine the level of UVR to which they have been exposed.
These and numerous other devices have been developed for determining the level of an individual's exposure to UVR. However, these devices have been designed for single day use. Most vacationers tend to go to sunny destinations for an average a length of about a week. The daily exposure to the human skin is cumulative over this length of time. Each day can have varying amounts of sun intensity and the user may or may not be exposing themselves to the sun each day or part of the day.
A number of other UV monitoring devices which include complex electronic circuits, display panels and the like, have been proposed for monitoring exposure to UVR over a period of time. These devices are not contemplated to be disposable, would typically be relatively expensive and may be prone to failure because of all their component parts.
Accurate monitoring of the sun's intensity on humans is problematic as humans are three-dimensional in nature. They therefore tend to have different parts of their body exposed to the sun at different times and at different rates. The angle of the sun to the monitoring device has a large effect on how much exposure the card will record. There are also two different types of possible users of UVR monitoring devices. A responsible adult will use the device to monitor their personal exposure and will likely place the device correctly for exposure to the sun. When they are in the sun, they will monitor the device throughout the period and decide if the exposure is excessive. The other type of user would be a person who is taken care of a group of children in a common area such as a park or swimming pool. Each of these applications requires a different device for monitoring UVR exposure.
It would be therefore be desirable to have a UV monitoring device that would last the duration of a typical vacation, i.e., one week, and which would provide both daily and weekly readings of UVR exposure. The daily reading is important so that the individual can ensure they are not being exposed to too much UVR from the sun in one single day. The weekly cumulative readings are important so as to monitor the total sun exposure received during a week's vacation.

Ultraviolet radiation monitoring device and a method of using the same


A compact absolute and gage pressure transducer consists of two sensors made from the same silicon wafer and adjacent each other on the wafer. The transducer contains a common header with a first and a second input port for receiving a first and a second pressure, respectively. The second port is directed through a reference tube into the hollow of a housing to apply pressure from the reference tube to the common sensor arrangement. The first port is directed from another surface of the housing to direct pressure to both sensor devices. One sensor operates as a gage sensor producing an output proportional to the difference between input pressures and the other sensor produces an absolute output. The sensor chip is associated with a sensor header which includes an alignment pin extending therefrom, and a guide plate with an aperture for accommodating an alignment pin.

The piezoresistor sensor has been used in many applications to measure pressure or force. The assignee herein, namely Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc. holds over 150 patents on pressure sensor design and the technology is well known. In regard to such pursuits, it has been determined that there is a need for a compact and economical absolute and gage pressure transducer. Such transducers can be utilized in the automobile industry, as well as many other industries. As one can ascertain, these devices have to be reliable and extremely economical. Furthermore, the devices have to be compact in order to take up less room and consume less power. As one can ascertain in the automotive industry, pressure transducers are employed to measure the pressure of various engine fluids and to measure the pressure at the manifold and so on. The devices have to be extremely reliable. As one can understand, differential pressure measurements can be accomplished by a differential transducer which provides an output which is the difference between two input pressures. In the case of a gage sensor, one of these pressures is atmospheric pressure and the other pressure is the pressure being monitored. Essentially a gage transducer provides an output which is the difference between atmospheric pressure and the monitored pressure. In the case of the absolute pressure transducer, the output is indicative of monitored pressure.
As one can ascertain from the prior art, such devices exist while there can be many problems. One typical problem, in the case of an absolute transducer, is that it is difficult using standard integrated circuit chip fabrication and packaging techniques to form a reference pressure on the circuit side of the sensing diaphragm. Other configurations are deficient in that there has to be extreme care in positioning the piezoresistive sensing device in the package so that it is properly aligned in order to receive the common input pressures. This has been a difficult job and requires an experienced assembly technician to align the integrated circuit chip within the housing so that the optimum pressures can be applied to the chip. Other problems exist in regard to the difficulty of providing a compact device which will also be rugged and reliable. As one can ascertain, the smaller one makes the device, the more difficult it is to operate the same and to construct the same in a reliable manner. In any event, the prior art is replete with the number of patents which describe absolute and gage sensors.
For example, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,277 issued on Sep. 16, 1980 to A. D. Kurtz, et al. and entitled Media Compatible Pressure Transducer. This patent is assigned to Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc., the assignee herein. As one can ascertain, that patent discloses an absolute and gage pressure transducer which are contained on a single wafer, where the wafer contains a gage sensing configuration on one portion and an absolute sensor configuration on the other portion. In any event, the device depicted responds to and produces an output proportional to both absolute and to gage pressure.
Reference is also made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,955,771 entitled Sensors for Use in High Vibrational Applications and Methods for Fabricating Same issued on Sep. 21, 1999 to A. D. Kurtz, et al. and assigned to Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc., the assignee herein. That patent is pertinent as it shows a technique for fabricating semiconductor devices which are designated as leadless devices and which devices can be utilized in the invention to be described.
In regard to absolute differential pressure devices reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,179 entitled Method and Apparatus for the Determination of Absolute Pressure and Differential Pressure Therefrom. That patent was issued on Sep. 2, 2003 to A. D. Kurtz, the inventor herein and assigned to Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc. The patent describes a combination of absolute and differential pressure sensing devices or transducers, where each transducer includes a plurality of a half bridge structure and a device for selectively coupling one half bridge structure of one absolute pressure transducer to at least one resistor. As one can see, the patent describes in detail the device employed as well as showing the wafer and glass supporting members. As well can be explained and seen in FIGS. 7A and 7B the device has similar attributes to the device to be described herein.
Also reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 7,057,247 issued on Jun. 6, 2006 to A. D. Kurtz, et al. and assigned to Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc. and entitled Combined Absolute Differential Transducer. This patent discloses a combined absolute and differential pressure transducer which consists of two sensors made from the same wafer of silicon and selected to be adjacent to each other on the wafer. As one can ascertain from reviewing the patent, which has nineteen Figures, the device depicted therein provides a relatively inexpensive structure which is capable of measuring both absolute and differential pressures.
References also made to U.S. Pat. No. 7,107,853 entitled Pressure Transducer for Measuring Low Dynamic Pressures in the Presence of High Static Pressures issued on Sep. 19, 2006 to A. D. Kurtz, the inventor herein, and assigned to Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc., the assignee herein. In that patent a sensor is described which consists of a leadless high sensitivity differential chip which responds to both static and dynamic pressure. Located on the transducer are two sensors. One sensor has a thicker diaphragm and responds to both static and dynamic pressure to produce an output indicative of essentially static pressure. The other sensor has a thinner diaphragm as one side or surface responds to both static and dynamic pressure. The other side of the differential sensor has a reference tube coupled to the bottom of the diaphragm. The tube only allows static pressure to be applied to the underside of the diaphragm. In any event, as one can see from the structure a single chip is employed. In any event, in view of the above, as one can ascertain, there are many patents which exist in the prior art which show the absolute and differential gage pressure transducers employing a single chip having two sensor circuits located on the chip and employing various header designs. As indicated above, it is a problem in regard to such prior art devices to accurately fabricate the device so that the chip is in proper alignment with respect to the pressure ports and that the device is compact and capable of being quickly and reliably assembled. It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact absolute and gage pressure transducer having these features.

Compact absolute and gage pressure transducer having a mounting apparatus for accurately positioning and aligning a leadless semiconductor chip on an associated header


A connector for electrical, telephonic and/or data transmission for selective engagement with a complementary receptacle, is provided. The connector includes a housing defining a pair of channels extending into slots at a rear surface of the housing and capable of supporting a contact member therein. The connector further includes a lanyard operatively associated with the housing. The lanyard includes locking and releasing arms slidably disposed within each channel of the housing, and an extracting tab selectively engageable with each locking and releasing arm. Additionally, the extracting tab includes a pair of legs insertable into a respective slot at the back of the housing. Each leg includes an engaging member projecting from an inner surface thereof for engaging a respective aperture formed in the slider. Desirably, the extracting tab is snap-fit connected to each locking and releasing arm.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to electrical, telephonic and/or data connectors and, more particularly, to electrical connectors including snap-in lanyards capable of locking and unlocking the electrical connector to a corresponding receptacle.
2. Background of Related Art
Various latching mechanisms and lanyards have been developed and incorporated into electrical, data and/or telephonic cable connectors or plugs for mechanically connecting the plug to a corresponding complementary receptacle. Typically, in order to release the plug from the receptacle an individual must squeeze, depress or otherwise manipulate the latching mechanism in order to release the plug from the receptacle.
However, in densely packed arrays of receptacles, manipulation of the latching mechanism, for the plugs connected to substantially the centrally located receptacles of the array, is greatly hindered and impaired as compared to manipulation of the latching mechanisms for plugs located around the perimeter of the array. Typically, in order to manipulate the latching mechanism and unplug the centrally located plugs from the receptacle array, it is not uncommon to have to first unplug and/or remove the perimetral plugs from the perimetral array in order to gain sufficient access to the latching mechanisms of the centrally located plugs.
Accordingly, the need exists for latching mechanisms and/or snap-in lanyards which facilitate connection and disconnection of plugs into/from corresponding receptacles.

Electrical connector including snap-in lanyard