A radiation sensitive emulsion is disclosed containing a high chloride {100} tabular grain population in which the tabular grains contain bands of higher iodide.

During the 1980's a marked advance took place in silver halide photography based on the discovery that a wide range of photographic advantages, such as improved speed-granularity relationships, increased covering power both on an absolute basis and as a function of binder hardening, more rapid developability, increased thermal stability, increased separation of native and spectral sensitization imparted imaging speeds, and improved image sharpness in both mono- and multi-emulsion layer formats, can be achieved by employing tabular grain emulsions. These advantages are demonstrated in Kofron et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,520.
An emulsion is generally understood to be a "tabular grain emulsion" when tabular grains account for at least 50 percent of total grain projected area. A grain is generally considered to be a tabular grain when the ratio of its equivalent circular diameter (ECD) to its thickness (t) is at least 2. The equivalent circular diameter of a grain is the diameter of a circle having an area equal to the projected area of the grain.
High chloride tabular grain emulsions are disclosed by Kofron et al. The term "high chloride" refers to grains that contain at least 50 mole percent chloride based on silver. In referring to grains of mixed halide content, the halides are named in order of increasing molar concentrations--e.g., silver iodochloride contains a higher molar concentration of chloride than iodide.
The overwhelming majority of tabular grain emulsions contain tabular grains that are irregular octahedral grains. Regular octahedral grains contain eight identical crystal faces, each lying in a different {111} crystallographic plane. Tabular irregular octahedra contain two or more parallel twin planes that separate two major grain faces lying in {111} crystallographic planes. The {111} major faces of the tabular grains exhibit a threefold symmetry, appearing triangular or hexagonal. It is generally accepted that the tabular shape of the grains is the result of the twin planes producing favored edge sites for silver halide deposition, with the result that the grains grow laterally while increasing little, if any, in thickness after parallel twin plane incorporation.
While tabular grain emulsions have been advantageously employed in a wide variety of photographic and radiographic applications, the requirement of parallel twin plane formation and {111} crystal faces pose limitations both in emulsion preparation and use. These disadvantages are most in evidence in considering high chloride tabular grains. It is generally recognized that silver chloride grains prefer to form regular cubic grains--that is, grains bounded by six identical {100} crystal faces. Tabular grains bounded by {111} faces in silver chloride emulsions often revert to nontabular forms unless morphologically stabilized.
Brust et al EPO 534,395, published Mar. 31, 1993, discloses radiation sensitive high chloride {100} tabular grain emulsions. As employed herein the term "high chloride {100} tabular grain emulsion" indicates a high chloride tabular grain emulsion in which the tabular grains accounting for at least 50 percent of total grain projected area have major faces lying in {100} crystallographic planes. The high chloride {100} tabular grain emulsions of Brust et al represent an advance in the art in that (1) by reason of their tabular shape, they achieve the known advantages of tabular grain emulsions over nontabular grain emulsions, (2) by reason of their high chloride content they achieve the known advantages of high chloride emulsions over those of other halide compositions (e.g., low blue native sensitivity, rapid development, and increased ecological compatibility--that is, rapid processing with more dilute developer solutions and rapid fixing with ecologically preferred sulfite ion fixers), and (3) by reason of their {100} crystal faces the tabular grains exhibit higher levels of grain shape stability, allowing the use of morphological stabilizers adsorbed to grain surfaces during emulsion preparation to be entirely eliminated. A further and surprising advantage of Brust et al is that the high chloride {100} tabular grain emulsion sensitivity levels can be higher than previously thought possible for high chloride emulsions.
Historically photographic applications requiring higher photographic speeds have been served by employing photographic elements containing silver iodobromide emulsions, since these emulsions can exhibit the most favorable speed-granularity relationships. With the improved speed-granularity relationships obtained using the high chloride {100} tabular grain emulsions of Brust et al, the realization has occurred that high chloride {100} tabular grain emulsions can be used for photographic applications, such as films for use in hand held cameras, that have traditionally been served by silver bromoiodide emulsions, allowing the advantages of the high chloride composition to be obtained in these applications. However, Brust et al, though improving the speed-granularity position of high chloride emulsions, still has not equalled the best speed-granularity relationships of silver iodobromide emulsions.


Surgical stapling devices have a surgical buttress attached to an anvil jaw member, a cartridge jaw member, or both. The surgical buttress possesses a therapeutic layer of a therapeutic agent in a pattern thereon. The pattern may reflect various concentrations of a therapeutic agent, different therapeutic agents, or both.

Surgical stapling instruments are employed by surgeons to sequentially or simultaneously apply one or more rows of fasteners, e.g., staples or two-part fasteners, to body tissue for the purpose of joining segments of body tissue together. Such instruments generally include a pair of jaws or finger-like structures between which the body tissue to be joined is placed. When the stapling instrument is actuated, or "fired", longitudinally moving firing bars contact staple drive members in one of the jaws. The staple drive members push the surgical staples through the body tissue and into an anvil in the opposite jaw, which forms the staples. If tissue is to be removed or separated, a knife blade can be provided in the jaws of the device to cut the tissue between the lines of staples.
For some surgical procedures, it may also be desirable to introduce therapeutic agents at the site of treatment.
Improved surgical repair materials, capable of use as buttresses for sealing and/or reinforcing staple lines against tissue, and improved methods for introducing therapeutic agents to a patient, remain desirable.


One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for predicting a remaining useful life (RUL) for a computer system. The system starts by collecting values for at least one telemetry metric from the computer system while the computer system is operating. The system then uses the collected values to generate a RUL prediction for the computer system or a component within the computer system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to techniques for detecting impending problems in computer systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for predicting the remaining useful life of a computer system.
2. Related Art
For many safety-critical applications of computers, it is not sufficient to know whether a computer is healthy or at risk; the user also needs to know the "remaining useful life" (RUL) for the computer with a high confidence factor. In fact, the United States Department of Defense has recently issued a requirement that all future mission-critical and safety-critical computers have RUL capability. An example where RUL estimation capability is important is for scenarios such as the following. Suppose one is planning a mission-critical operation (for example a battle situation) that may last 72 hours. Before committing an asset plus one or more human lives to the operation, one needs to know if the RUL of all computers aboard the asset is longer than 72 hrs, and it is useful to know this with a quantitative confidence factor.
In additional being crucial for life-critical applications, RUL estimation is also beneficial for many eCommerce applications for enterprise servers. For example, consider a scenario where a server at a customer datacenter starts issuing warning flags in the middle of a busy work day. In this situation, the account team would likely want to know if the problematic field replaceable unit (FRU) needs to be swapped as soon as possible; or if the server can continue operating until a scheduled shutdown on Saturday night. RUL estimation capability could add significant return on investment in such situations.
At present, the most commonly used technique for assessing the reliability of a computer system is to estimate a mean-time-between-failure (MTBF) for the computer system. However, a MTBF estimation is a fairly crude measure that provides little insight into how a long a computer system is likely to continue operating based on the current operational state of the computer system.
Hence what is needed is a system which provides users with an accurate estimation of remaining useful life for a computer system.

Method and apparatus for predicting remaining useful life for a computer system


A belt buckle for selectively displaying an ornamental member. An ornamental member is attached to the front face of the belt buckle plate utilizing a screw insertable through an aperture extending through the belt buckle plate. The ornamental member includes an ornamental plate having a threaded socket. The screw is inserted through the aperture and into the threaded socket so that an ornamental member may be attached to the belt buckle plate.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates in general to belt buckles and in particular to selectively displaying ornamental members on the front face of belt buckles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Belt buckles having an ornamental member displayed on the front are well known in the art. Typically, these belt buckles have initials, entire names, or college or sports emblems displayed and are often used as an accessory to be worn with Western clothing. One approach to producing these belt buckles has been to form the ornamental member and belt buckle as one part. A significant disadvantage to this approach is the high cost associated with the retail space required to stock a wide assortment of ornamental belt buckles.
Another approach has been to provide a standard belt buckle with a variety of attachable ornamental members. The ornamental members have been attached utilizing tabs that clip over the buckle, a window for displaying flat items, and flanges for sliding the ornamental member over the buckle.
Although this approach does reduce the amount of retail space required for displaying the belt buckles, the appearance of the belt buckles is not the same high quality as the single part belt buckles. It has been readily apparent to viewers that belt buckles with attachable ornamental members are of a two part construction.


A method for accessing track on an optical disc, comprising steps of implementing a preliminary track jump by a light pickup of a certain number of tracks from a present block on the optical disc; reading track information of the track to which the light pickup is jumped by the initial step; calculating an actual linear velocity of the optical disc on the basis of the track information obtained in the reading step; and then calculating a correcting coefficient by using the actual linear velocity obtained by the first calculating step; and establishing for the light pickup a number of corrected tracks to be jumped up to a destination block by using the correcting coefficient obtained in the second calculating step; wherein a track jump of light pickup is performed according to the number of corrected tracks established in the last step. The invention also comprises an apparatus for accessing rack on an optical disc, comprising a preliminary track jump for jumping a light pickup till a certain number of tracks from a present block on the optical disc; a reading device for reading track information of the track to which the light pickup is preliminarily jumped; a first calculation device for calculating an actual linear velocity of the optical disc on the basis of the track information; a second calculation device for calculating a correcting coefficient by using the actual linear velocity; an establishing device for establishing for the light pickup a number of corrected tracks to be jumped up to a destination block by using the correcting coefficient; and a jumping device for jumping the light pickup according to the number of corrected tracks

This invention relates to a track access method of a disc for accessing a track of an objective or destination block at high speed in an optical disc or a magneto-optical disc.
Present track accessing methods of discs generally calculate the number of tracks from the present block to the objective block and perform track jumping by a tracking means to the calculated number of tracks.
However, in such conventional track accessing methods, since the track jump has been performed with the number of tracks to the objective block as it is, considerable time is required to amend the track jump so that it is within 1 track before the objective block. Accordingly, the number of times of track jumping increases by 1 or 2 until the access is completed. This causes the problem of "a prolongation of access time."
For instance, with compact discs, the linear velocity of the track is different, such as 1.2 to 1.4 m/s, according to the disc. Accordingly, up to the present, errors occurred in the number of tracks to the objective block calculated as a constant linear velocity (e.g., 1.3 m/s). As a result of this error, the increase in the number of times of track jumping was unavoidable and the access time to the objective track was prolonged.
This invention is performed in view of the above conventional problem points, and its objective is to provide a track access method of discs which is able to access the track of the objective block at a high velocity by decreasing the number of track jumping times.

Method and apparatus for accessing track on an optical disc


A layered structure comprising wiring layers and polyimide layers is formed on a ceramics board and a layered structure comprising wiring layers and polyimide layers is formed on an aluminum board. Both the structures are bonded together through adhesives to bring metal bumps formed on the former structure into electric contact with metal bumps formed on the surface of the latter structure and thereafter the aluminum board is removed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a polyimide multilayer wiring substrate, wherein polyimide resin is employed as interlaminar insulation when multilayer wiring layer is formed on a ceramic board, and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multilayer printed wiring substrates have conventionally been used as wiring substrates for carrying LSI chips thereon. A multilayer printed wiring substrate is constructed using a copper plated layered plate as a core member and using a prepreg as a bonding agent for the core member, and the core members and the prepregs are layered alternately, integrally with each other using a heat press. Electrical connection between the layered plates is established by forming, after the core members and prepreg are formed into a single structure, through-holes by drilling and thereafter plating the inner walls of the through-holes with copper.
Recently, multilayer wiring substrates, in which a polyimide resin is employed as interlaminar insulation when multilayer wiring layer is formed on a ceramic board, have been used for wiring substrates for use in large computers, which require a wiring density higher than that of multilayer printed wiring layers. For manufacturing a polyimide-ceramic multilayer wiring substrate, a polyimide multilayer wiring layer formed by repeating a series of steps comprising a polyimide resin insulation layer forming step, in which polyimide precursor varnish is applied to a ceramic board and dried to form a coated film, and viaholes are formed in said film, and a wiring layer forming step, in which photolithography, vacuum deposition and plating are used.
Aside from the above-mentioned method, there is a method in which wiring patterns are first formed on polyimide sheets and then the polyimide sheets are successively positioned and layered under pressure on a ceramic board to form a multilayer wiring substrate. Since a signal layer is formed individually, sheets free from defects can be selectively laminated, resulting in improved manufacturing yield as compared to the successive layering method as described above.
In the multilayer printed wiring substrate described above, since electrical connection between layered plates is established by means of through-holes formed therein by drilling, fine through-holes can not be formed, and hence the number of wirings which can be formed between the through-holes is limited. Further, one through-hole is required for the connection in one layered plate, and as the number of layers increases, the signal wiring capacity decreases, thereby leading to a drawback that it is difficult to form a multilayer printed wiring substrate having a high wiring density.
Meanwhile, a polyimide-ceramic multilayer wiring substrate which has been developed recently in order to offset the drawback of a conventional multilayer printed wiring substrate described above, requires repetition of the steps including a step of applying polyimide precursor varnish to a ceramic board , a drying step, a step of forming viaholes and a curing step, in which the number of repetition is equal to the number of polyimide insulation layers. Consequently, a very long period of time is required for the layering step for a multilayer wiring substrate. Further, since the step of forming a polyimide insulation layer is performed repetitively, there is another drawback that thermal stress in the curing step is imparted many times to the polyimide resin at lower layers of the multilayer wiring substrate layer, which deteriorates the polyimide resin. The polyimide multilayer wiring substrate has a further drawback that, since they are formed by a sequential layering method, it is difficult to enhance manufacturing yield.
Also the method for layering sheets one by one, which has been developed as a method to enhance the manufacturing yield, still has the drawbacks that, since layering is successively performed under pressure for each layer, as the number of layers increases, the thermal stress imparted to the polyimide resin of lower layers increases and the deterioration of the polyimide resin occurs mainly at an earlier stage and that a great number of days are required to manufacture a substrate.
In order to overcome the drawbacks described above, a yet further method has been proposed wherein a polyimide multilayer wiring substrate is formed by successively stacking a plurality of blocks each consisting of a layered structure including a plurality of wiring layers and dissolving, each time one block is stacked, a base material such as aluminum using a solution such as hydrochloric acid as occasion calls. The method, however, still has a problem that wirings are invaded by the liquid for dissolving the base material.

Method for manufacturing polyimide multilayer wiring substrate


A fabrication method and structure for a PCBA, and tool for assembly of the structure. The structure includes a circuit board, at least one first solder joint, a plurality of second solder joints, and an electronic device. The circuit board has a solder mask, having a plurality of openings exposing at least one first pad and a plurality of second pads arranged beyond the first pad, on a surface. The first solder joint has a maximum width J1 and electrically connects to the first pad. The second solder joints respectively have a maximum width J2 exceeding J1 and respectively electrically connect to the second pads. The electronic device has a plurality of third pads, arranged substantially corresponding to the openings, respectively electrically connecting to the first pad and second pads.

The present invention relates to a fabrication method and structure of a Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCB Assembly, hereinafter PCBA), and a tool for assembly thereof.
Due to the demand for small-aspect, light and powerful electronic products, it is necessary for a design rule of a semiconductor chip to lay out denser wiring and more devices in a limited area thereof, resulting in increased density and decreased pitch of terminals on the semiconductor chip and/or package thereof. When attaching a BGA (ball grid array) package with terminal pitch of 0.5 mm or less, for example, on a circuit board, alignment therebetween presents extreme difficulty. Although more alignment deviations are acceptable when assembling the BGA package resulting from self-alignment capability of solder balls, acting as terminals, of the BGA package, the acceptable deviation decreases with ball pitch of the BGA package. When ball pitch of the BGA package is 0.5 mm or less, unacceptable alignment deviation between the BGA package and circuit board becomes more often, resulting in solder joint opening and/or short when reflowing the solder balls, thus requires reworking or scraping the circuit board, negatively affecting process yield and cost. Even if solder joints experience neither open nor short, the quality thereof may be negatively affected, resulting in a defect such as decreased joint area, making it impossible for solder joints to form ideal lantern shape. The farther the solder joints from the center of the BGA package, the more the alignment deviation, results in more deterioration of the joint quality. External stress on the outer solder joints increase during shipping, warehousing, and use of the assembled electronic device, accelerating fatigue on the outer solder joints, negatively affecting the reliability of the assembled electronic device.
FIG. 1A is a top view of a PCB 100. The PCB 100 has a solder mask 105 on a surface. The solder mask 105 has a plurality of openings 102 with a width W and being arranged at a pitch P, wherein W is less than P and the pitch is the distance between geometric centers of two neighboring openings 102. A plurality of inner pads 103 and a plurality of outer pads 104 are exposed from the openings 102. The outer pads 104 are arranged beyond the inner pads 103. As shown in FIG. 1A, two lines of solder pads 104 sandwich one line of solder pads 103. The pads 103 and 104 can be SMD (solder mask defined) pads, NSMD (non-solder mask defined) pads, SMD-NSMD combinations thereof, or other types of pads. A closed dash line 106 indicates the predetermined position for attaching an electronic device to the PCB 100 subsequently.
FIG. 1B shows a top view of a conventional tool 150 for applying the solder paste over the PCB 100 using stencil printing method. The tool 150 is a metal plate having a plurality of openings 151 arranged corresponding to pads 103 and 104 of PCB 100. When forming solder paste over the PCB 100, solder volume overlying each pads 103 and 104 may vary. As a result, the volumes of solder joints formed by reflowing the solder paste with the solder balls of the BGA package are different.
Referring to FIG. 2A, the volumes of adjacent solder joints 62 for some pads 103 and 104 are oversized, which may result in solder bridge defects. FIG. 2B shows another possible defect. The outer solder joints 62 are undersized, thus increases the possibility of unsoldering between pads 12 of electronic device 10 and pads 104 of PCB 100, resulting in failure of electrical connection between pads 12 and pads 104. Even if electrical connection is formed between pads 12 and pads 104, the actual connecting area therebetween may be too small to provide sufficient mechanical strength and may affect product reliability.

Fabrication method and structure of PCB assembly, and tool for assembly thereof


Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a lubrication system based on an axle configuration of a tandem axle with a disconnect feature. In one example, a method may include adjusting an oil level in an axle sump of a tandem axle based on an axle configuration of the tandem axle (e.g., whether the tandem axle is operating with one of a 6×4 axle configuration and a 6×2 axle configuration), the axle sump selectably coupled to an external reservoir via a first passage and a second passage, the first passage including an electric pump, the second passage including a valve, and the tandem axle coupled to a drivetrain of a motor vehicle. In this way, an amount of oil in the axle sump may be adjusted based on the tandem axle configuration.

A variety of axle configurations may be provided to a motor vehicle, such as a heavy-duty motor vehicle for long-distance trucking operations. In a first example, a heavy-duty motor vehicle may have a 6×2 axle configuration. In such a configuration, one axle (e.g., two wheels) of a total of three axles (e.g., six wheels) is provided with torque from a drive shaft of the motor vehicle. In a second example, a heavy-duty motor vehicle may have a 6×4 axle configuration. In such a configuration, two axles (e.g., coupled to four wheels) of a total of three axles (e.g., coupled to six wheels) are provided with torque from the drive shaft of the motor vehicle. Each of the 6×2 axle configuration and the 6×4 axle configuration may provide advantages. For example, in a motor vehicle with the 6×2 axle configuration, fuel efficiency may be increased relative to a motor vehicle with the 6×4 axle configuration. However, due to the lower total number of wheels provided with torque, tractive power may be reduced in a motor vehicle with the 6×2 axle configuration, relative to a motor vehicle with the 6×4 configuration. For example, during some operating conditions, such as low-speed operation, the 6×4 axle configuration may be preferred, while in other operating conditions, the 6×2 axle configuration may be preferred. Thus, methods and systems for providing the benefits of both the 6×4 axle configuration and the 6×2 axle configuration are desired.
Therefore, some vehicle systems may include a tandem axle with a disconnect feature, so that a motor vehicle may be transitioned between the 6×4 axle configuration and the 6×2 axle configuration. For example, providing a vehicle with a tandem axle with a disconnect feature may enable increased vehicle efficiency at high speeds (e.g., during highway operation) by operating with the 6×2 axle configuration, and may provide increased tractive power during low-speed operation via the 6×4 axle configuration. However, less lubrication (e.g., engine oil) may be indicated while operating with the 6×2 axle configuration, relative to operating with the 6×4 axle configuration. For example, while operating with the 6×4 axle configuration, additional engine oil (e.g., a higher oil level in an axle sump of the tandem axle) may be indicated in order to decrease an incidence of component wear. In contrast, while operating with the 6×2 axle configuration, less engine oil (e.g., a lower oil level in the axle sump) may be indicated in order to increase the efficiency gains offered by 6×4 operation. In order to address these issues, some existing tandem axle systems provide an amount of oil intermediate between the ideal amount for the 6×4 axle configuration and the ideal amount for the 6×2 axle configuration, for example. However, this may reduce efficiency while operating with the 6×2 axle configuration, and may reduce durability while operating with the 6×4 axle configuration, which may lead to a decrease in customer satisfaction. As another example, some systems include a fully dry sump, and may provide a pump for transferring engine oil to an external reservoir while operating with the 6×4 axle configuration. However, the inventors herein have recognized potential issues with such systems. As one example, the pump may be parasitic with regard to power/torque from the drive shaft, and pump failure may result in low oil levels in the tandem axle, which may decrease tandem axle performance. For example, previous systems have lacked passive methods for increasing the oil level in the axle sump.
In one example, the issues described above may be addressed by a system for adjusting an oil level in an axle sump of a tandem axle based on an axle configuration of the tandem axle, the axle sump selectably coupled to an external reservoir via a first passage and a second passage, the first passage including an electric pump, the second passage including a valve, and the tandem axle coupled to a drivetrain of a motor vehicle.
As an example, while operating with a first axle configuration, the tandem axle may be configured so that the drive shaft of the engine provides torque to both of a first axle and a second axle, each of the first axle and the second axle coupled to at least wheels. Further, while operating with a second axle configuration, the tandem axle may be configured so that the drive shaft of the engine provides torque to the first axle and does not provide torque to the second axle. For example, when the tandem axle transitions from operating with the first axle configuration to operating with the second axle configuration, adjusting the oil level in the axle sump may include flowing oil from the axle sump to the external reservoir through the first oil passage by activating the electric pump and blocking flow through the second oil passage by closing the valve. Further, when the oil level in the axle sump is at or below a first threshold oil level while operating with the second axle configuration, oil flow may be blocked through the first oil passage by deactivating the electric pump. As another example, when the tandem axle transitions from operating with the second axle configuration to operating with the first axle configuration, adjusting the oil level in the axle sump may include flowing oil from the external reservoir to the axle sump through the second oil passage by opening the valve. Further, when the oil level in the axle sump is at or above a second threshold oil level while operating with the first axle configuration, oil flow may be blocked through the second oil passage by closing the valve. As an example, the second threshold oil level is higher than the first threshold oil level, and the second oil passage is a gravity feed.
In this way, a tandem axle with an adjustable lubrication system may operate with increased efficiency in the 6×2 axle configuration, while reducing an incidence of component wear in the 6×4 axle configuration. For example, by providing an adjustable lubrication system with an external oil reservoir, an electric pump, and a gravity feed selectably coupling the external reservoir to the axle sump, an oil level in the axle sump may be adjusted based on the selected axle configuration. Therefore, the oil level in the axle sump may be decreased in the 6×2 axle configuration in order to increase vehicle efficiency, and the oil level in the axle sump may be increased in the 6×4 axle configuration in order to provide additional lubrication and reduce component wear. For example, by including a gravity feed selectably coupling the external reservoir to the axle sump, additional lubrication may be provided to the axle sump without additional cost and complexity, and pump failure may not lead to component degradation due to low oil levels. Further, by pumping oil from the axle sump to the external reservoir in the 6×2 configuration via an electric pump, vehicle efficiency may be increased relative to systems that do not adjust the oil level for the 6×2 axle configuration, without including a parasitic pump, if desired. Overall, the vehicle may achieve the benefits of the 6×2 axle configuration at high speeds and the benefits of the 6×4 axle configuration at low speeds, which may increase customer satisfaction.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in a simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Systems and methods for providing adjustable lubrication to a tandem axle


The present invention provides nucleotide and amino sequences of the lysosomal targeting pathway enzyme GlcNAc-phosphotransferase, methods of producing and methods of purifying this enzyme.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to enzymes involved in the lysosomal targeting pathway and particularly to isolated and purified GlcNAc-phosphotransferase and phosphodiester α-GlcNAcase, nucleic acids encoding the enzymes, processes for production of recombinant GlcNAc-phosphotransferase and phosphodiester α-GlcNAcase, and the use of the enzymes for the preparation of highly phosphorylated lysosomal enzymes that are useful for the treatment of lysosomal storage diseases.
2. Description of the Prior Art

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

GlcNAc phosphotransferase of the lysosomal targeting pathway


An intercoupling component is of the type used to couple an array of electrical connection regions disposed on a first substrate to an array of electrical connection regions disposed on a second substrate. The intercoupling component comprises: an insulative support member; a plurality of electrically conductive terminal elements; a second insulative support member; and a seal member positioned between the first insulative support member and the second insulative member to restrict fluid flow along the terminal elements.

Ball grid array (BGA) packages are becoming increasingly popular because of their low profiles and high densities. With a BGA package, for example, the rounded solder balls of the BGA are generally soldered directly to corresponding surface mount pads of a printed circuit board rather than to plated thru-holes which receive pins from, for example, a pin grid array (PGA) IC package.
Sockets allow particular IC packages to be interchanged without permanent connection to a circuit board. More recently, sockets for use with BGA packages have been developed to allow these packages to be non-permanently connected (e.g., for testing) to a circuit board. Such sockets can be attached to circuit boards at connection points that mirror those of the BGA packages that the sockets are used with. However, problems can exist in attaching a socket to a circuit board using reflowable substances.


An apparatus for providing groups of shingled slices comprises a jump conveyor and a slicing machine. The slicing machine includes a slicing blade. The jump conveyor includes a first slice receiving section and a second slice receiving section, the first slice receiving section having a first slice receiving surface, and the second slice receiving section having a second slice receiving surface. The jump conveyor is located adjacent the slicing blade so that the first slice receiving surface receives slices cut by the slicing blade directly. The first slice receiving section is articulated with respect to the second slice receiving section to be articulatingly movable relative to the second slice receiving section to vary the angular orientation of the first slice receiving surface.

In slicing foodstuffs a slicing machine having a slicing blade is used to cut slices from a log of cheese, meat, or meat product at a constant repetition rate. The cut slices fall onto what is known as a jump conveyor which, typically, moves forwards at a slow speed to provide a shingle of slices and then, after a predetermined number of slices or a predetermined weight of foodstuff has been cut, accelerates and travels briefly at high speed. Recent jump conveyors have been arranged to have a fast jump operation so that the jump operation is carried out entirely in an interval between the cutting of consecutive slices. Typically a jump conveyor is followed by another conveyor which forms part of a downstream packing line. The following conveyor generally runs at a higher speed than the jump conveyor so that the separation between the groups of slices is increased as they are transferred onto the following conveyor.
A slicing machine capable of high speed operation can cut as many slices as around 1750 per minute. It is usually the jump conveyor which provides the limitation on the slicing speed because as the slicing speed of the slicer increases so the time interval between consecutive slices gets shorter and this means that the jump conveyor has less time to separate one group from another.
Our U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,303, the disclosure in which is hereby incorporated by reference, describes a combined jump conveyor and slicing machine capable of high speed operation. The arrangement described provides a jump conveyor formed of two separate conveyors. When the slicing machine is required to form shingled groups of slices then the first conveyor moves forwards slowly such that the slices are formed into a shingled group on it. Since the first conveyor is generally shorter than a group of shingled slices, during shingling both the first and second conveyor move at the same slow forwards speed and, in this way, accommodate a long shingle of slices. Once slicing of the group has been completed both the first and second conveyors are moved at a high speed in the interval between the slicing of two consecutive slices to create a gap between successive groups. As soon as the group has left the first conveyor the first conveyor can again be slowed down ready to receive the first slice of the following group. Equally, as soon as the end of the group has passed onto the second conveyor the second conveyor can carry on at high speed or can be decelerated so that the sliced group of product is transferred to a downstream packaging line at the line speed of that product. When the jump conveyor is preparing shingled groups of slices the second conveyor slows down to the shingling speed as soon as it has transferred the preceding group so that it can again cooperate with the first conveyor to hold the next shingled group as it is cut. Both conveyors of the jump conveyor have independent drive and control means to drive the two conveyors at the same speed or at different speeds. The independent drive and control means of the first conveyor also enable it to be driven at high speed in the reverse direction away from the second conveyor to reject slices cut by the slicing blade, for example when the cut face of the log is not uniform.
There has been a problem detected with the combined jump conveyor and slicing machine of U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,303 in that where particular foodstuffs, for example American Bacon, are to be sliced by the slicing machine and jump conveyor, the first few slices of a shingled group of slices are prone to sliding as they land on the first conveyor. This is generally due to the thinness of cut and dryness also sometimes the bacon is too cold and icy due to inconsistent freezing/conditioning of the product of the foodstuff. The last slices can also fall back from the acceleration of the jump function. As a result the shingled group of slices are presented in a finished pack having an uneven overlap between adjacent slices of the shingled group.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved combined jump conveyor and slicing machine capable of providing a shingled group of slices having a constant shingle overlap in order to improve shingle pack presentation, irrespective of the foodstuff being cut.
According to a first aspect of this invention in an apparatus comprising a jump conveyor and a slicing machine for providing groups of shingled slices, said slicing machine including a slicing blade, said jump conveyor including a first slice receiving section and a second slice receiving section, said first slice receiving section having a proximal end adjacent to the slicing machine, a distal end, and a first slice receiving surface, said second slice receiving section having a second slice receiving surface, said jump conveyor being located adjacent said slicing blade so that said first slice receiving surface receives slices cut by said slicing blade directly, the improvement wherein said first slice receiving section is articulated about its distal end with respect to said second slice receiving section to be articulatingly movable relative to said second slice receiving section to vary the angular orientation of said first slice receiving surface.
With the arrangement in accordance with this invention the first slice receiving section of the jump conveyor can be articulated with respect to the second slice receiving section to present a less acute angle for the first slice of a shingled group of slices to land on. By presenting a less acute angle to the first slice a greater contact area between the first slice and the first slice receiving surface may be created upon initial contact between the first slice and the jump conveyor, thus reducing the possibility of the first slice slipping as it makes contact, and as the jump conveyor moves forward at a shingling speed. The angular orientation of the first slice receiving surface may be moved to a lowermost position which corresponds to a position in which the first slice receiving surface receives a first slice of the group of shingled slices cut by the slicing blade. Accordingly, an optimal orientation of the first slice receiving surface is created to prevent the occurrence of slipping of the first slice on the jump conveyor. Since the slices are being cut to form a shingled group of slices, the second slice of a group of shingled slices will partially overlap the first slice and so the angular orientation of the first slice receiving surface for receiving the second slice of the shingled group may be adjusted to ensure that the slices form the correct shingle overlap and that the slices do not slip on the jump conveyor. The angular orientation of the first slice receiving surface may be varied so that as subsequent slices of the shingled group are cut and land on the first slice receiving surface, the first slice receiving surface is articulatingly moved to an uppermost position corresponding to a position in which the first slice receiving surface receives a final slice of the group of shingled slices. A rate of change of angular orientation of the first slice receiving surface may be varied according to which slice of the group of shingled slices is cut by said slicing blade.
In a first preferred embodiment, the jump conveyor comprises a first conveyor including the first slice receiving section and the second slice receiving section, and a second conveyor, the second conveyor being located downstream of the first conveyor and having a third slice receiving surface. The first conveyor and the second conveyor may each have the form of a multi-element strip conveyor, the first conveyor having a proximal end located adjacent the slicing blade and a distal end located furthest from the proximal end, the second conveyor having a proximal end located adjacent the distal end of the first conveyor, the distal end of the first conveyor having a reduced diameter adjacent the proximal end of the second conveyor to facilitate smooth transfer of slices from the first conveyor to the second conveyor.
Preferably, both the first and second conveyors are driven by servomotors which have a very high torque and are controllable to a high degree. In this way the motors, and hence the conveyors, can be both accelerated and decelerated rapidly in the interval between the cutting of two consecutive slices by the slicing machine. Preferably, the first and second conveyors in the operation of the slicing machine are all under the control of a program controller, or a program logic controller, so that the timing of the speed changes in the first and second conveyor are directly coupled to the operation and slice cutting of the slicing machine. Further preferably, the first conveyor and the second conveyor each have an independent drive means controlled independently by a control means to drive and control the conveying speed of the first conveyor and the conveying speed of the second conveyor, respectively. The driving control means may drive both the first and second conveyors at a shingling speed or at a jump speed, or may drive the first conveyor at a shingling speed whilst the second conveyor is driven at a jump speed. The independent driving control means may further enable operation of the first conveyor at a high speed in the reverse direction away from the second conveyor.
Alternatively, in a second preferred embodiment, the jump conveyor comprises a first conveyor comprising the first slice receiving section, and a second conveyor comprising the second slice receiving section. The first conveyor and the second conveyor may each have the form of a multi-element strip conveyor, the first conveyor having a proximal end located adjacent the slicing blade and a distal end located farthest from the proximal end, the second conveyor having a proximal end located adjacent the distal end of the first conveyor, the distal end of the first conveyor having a reduced diameter adjacent the proximal end of the second conveyor to facilitate smooth transfer of slices from the first conveyor to the second conveyor. As in the first preferred embodiment, the first conveyor and the second conveyor may each have an independent drive means controlled independently by a control means to drive and control the conveying speed of the first conveyor and the conveying speed of the second conveyor, respectively.
According to a second aspect of this invention there is provided a method for producing the shingled group of slices using the apparatus according to the first aspect, the method comprising the steps of articulating the first slice receiving section of said jump conveyor downwards to a lowermost position relative to the second slice receiving section, driving the jump conveyor at a shingling speed, cutting a first slice of a shingled group of slices from a log of product using the slicing blade, the first slice landing on the first slice receiving surface, progressively articulating the first slice receiving section upwardly towards an uppermost position relative to the second slice receiving section as subsequent slices of the shingled group of slices are cut from the log and land on the first slice receiving section to form the shingled group of slices having a predetermined shingle overlap, accelerating the jump conveyor to a jump speed to discharge the shingled group of slices therefrom, decelerating the jump conveyor to the shingling speed whilst articulating the first slice receiving section downwardly to the lowermost position relative to the second slice receiving section, and cutting a first slice of a second shingled group of slices from the log of the product using the slicing blade, the first slice landing on the first slice receiving surface.

Combined articulated jump conveyor and slicing machine


A furniture connector includes a substantially planar first tab extending from a substantially planar base. The substantially planar base includes a furniture attachment portion attached to a furniture component. A tab-receiving first aperture is sized to receive a second tab of an other furniture connector while the first tab is received in a tab-receiving second aperture of the other furniture connector, and while the second tab extends in a same direction as the first tab.

Situations exist in which it is desirable to gang furniture components. For example, when seating a large number of people, individual chairs can be ganged (connected to one another) to form rows of chairs that will remain in rows and in their proper orientation better than if the chairs were not ganged. Some types of furniture are manufactured with built-in ganging connectors to facilitate ganging; however, many types of furniture do not include built-in ganging connectors.
Many furniture ganging connectors in use today include two different (non-identical) connectors that connect to one another. For example, some ganging connectors have different left and right or male and female connectors. Other connectors have complicated structures that can be difficult to manufacture, such as when the connector includes multiple bends into multiple planes and directions, or structures that can weaken the inherent strength of the material the connector is made from. Still other ganging connectors require considerable user strength, finesse, and/or effort to either completely lift the furniture component off the ground and/or tilt the furniture component an excessive amount to connect the connectors. And still other ganging connectors do not provide a simple manner in which the pieces may be locked together to prevent unwanted separation of the furniture components.


The present invention provides a print processing apparatus which enhances the legibility of specific print contents such as a small-sized character. In the step executed in case it is determined by the screen processor that the object type is a character, it is determined whether the character size is equal to or smaller than X point. In case the character size is equal to or smaller than X point, execution assumes a small character size and proceeds to screen processing for small-sized characters. In case the character size exceeds X point, execution determines that the character size is a normal size or greater and proceeds to screen processing for normal-sized characters. The screen processing for small-sized characters performs density setting shifted in the direction of a lower density compared with the screen processing for normal-sized characters.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print processing apparatus and in particular to its screen processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
As apparatus to display legible characters, there is provided for example image processing apparatus disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-66658. The image processing apparatus references character attribute information and screen size information and converts a character color to prevent degradation of legibility of the characters irrespective of the screen size.
However, the image processing apparatus sets the display parameter of a character based on the degree of discrimination of the character against its background and does not consider the printout of a small-sized character.
In particular, when an ink-jet printer outputs a small-sized character from 2 to 3 point, setting the density by way of typical half-tone processing based on the gradient of the character emphasizes spreading of ink especially in case the density is high. This results in far more noticeable batter of a character than the output result of an electrophotographic printer such as a laser printer, thus failing to obtain high-quality characters. In case the overall printing density is lowered in order to avoid spreading of a small-sized character, the color tone of the overall print document is degraded and the color balance is lost.

Print processing apparatus and print processing method


A vehicle such as a riding lawn care vehicle may include a frame and a steering assembly. Wheels of the vehicle may be attachable to the frame. The steering assembly may include a steering apparatus operably coupled to at least one of the wheels of the vehicle to provide steering inputs to the at least one of the wheels based on a position of the steering apparatus. The steering assembly may further include a steering column, a pinion assembly and a rack assembly. The steering column may extend from the steering apparatus to rotate responsive to movement of the steering apparatus. The pinion assembly may be disposed along the steering column and include at least two pinions of different sizes. The rack assembly may be operably coupled to the frame and the at least one wheel of the vehicle to translate steering inputs from the steering apparatus to the at least one wheel via the pinion assembly. The rack assembly may include at least two rack portions of different sizes.

Lawn care tasks are commonly performed using various tools and/or machines that are configured for the performance of corresponding specific tasks. Certain tasks, like grass cutting, are typically performed by lawn mowers. Lawn mowers themselves may have many different configurations to support the needs and budgets of consumers. Walk-behind lawn mowers are typically compact, have comparatively small engines and are relatively inexpensive. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, riding lawn mowers, such as lawn tractors, can be quite large. Riding lawn mowers can sometimes also be configured with various functional accessories (e.g., trailers, tillers and/or the like) in addition to grass cutting components. Riding lawn mowers provide the convenience of a riding vehicle as well as a typically larger cutting deck as compared to a walk-behind model.
By their very nature, riding lawn mowers include steering assemblies that are used to direct the movement of the riding lawn mowers. The steering assemblies often take the familiar form of a steering wheel operably coupled to one or more wheels. With many conventional lawn mower steering assemblies, the steering effort required by the operator in order to turn the steering wheel increases as the steering assembly reaches its maximum turn configuration. Furthermore, an operator often desires finer steering control in some situations, but quicker steering responsiveness in other situations. As such, conventional mechanical steering systems are designed to balance these competing performance characteristics so as to obtain acceptable, but often less than optimal, steering performance over a range of situations. Therefore, improved steering assemblies are needed.


An absorbent structure made at least in part from a superabsorbent material having a retention capacity (CRC) as determined by a Centrifuge Retention Capacity Test of at least about 25 g/g and a free swell gel bed permeability (GBP) as determined by a Free Swell Gel Bed Permeability Test of at least 575×10−9 cm2. In another embodiment, the absorbent structure is made at least in part from a superabsorbent material having a retention capacity (CRC) as determined by a Centrifuge Retention Capacity Test of at least about 25 g/g, an absorbency under load (AUL) at 0.9 psi as determined by an Absorbency Under Load Test of at least 18 and a free swell gel bed permeability (GBP) as determined by a Free Swell Gel Bed Permeability Test of at least about 350×10−9 cm2.

This invention relates generally to absorbent structures used in disposable articles such as diapers, children's training pants, feminine care articles, incontinence articles, bandages, surgical gowns, absorbent wipes and the like, and more particularly to such absorbent structures containing a superabsorbent material having enhanced liquid handling characteristics such as an enhanced combination of retention capacity, free swell gel bed permeability and/or absorbency under load value.
Conventional disposable articles typically include an absorbent structure, also sometimes referred to as an absorbent core or absorbent composite, formed by air-forming, air-laying or other known forming technique. For example, the manufacture of such an absorbent structure may begin by fiberizing a fibrous sheet of hydrophilic material in a fiberizer or other shredding or comminuting device to form discrete fibers. In addition, particles or fibers of superabsorbent material, which are water insoluble, water swellable and capable of absorbing at least about ten times their weight in 0.9 weight percent sodium chloride solution in distilled water (saline solution), are mixed with the discrete fibers. The hydrophilic fibers and superabsorbent material are then entrained in an air stream and directed to a foraminous forming surface upon which the fibers and superabsorbent material are deposited and accumulated to form the absorbent structure.
There is a continuing effort by absorbent structure manufacturers to improve the liquid intake performance of absorbent structures to thereby reduce the tendency of such a structure to leak as it becomes increasingly saturated during use, particularly where the structure is subjected to repeated liquid insults before being discarded. For example, one means of reducing the leakage of absorbent structures has been the extensive use of superabsorbent materials. In addition to increasing the amount of superabsorbent mass, recent efforts in commercial absorbent structure design have generally focused on using a higher concentration of superabsorbent material and less fiber to make the absorbent structure thinner and denser.
However, notwithstanding the increase in total absorbent capacity obtained by increasing the concentration of superabsorbent material, such absorbent structures may still leak during use. The leakage may be in part the result of the structure having an insufficient intake rate, e.g., the rate at which a liquid insult can be taken into and entrained within the structure for subsequent absorption by the superabsorbent material. More particularly, the intake rate of such absorbent structures may decrease upon repeated insults thereof due to the tendency of the superabsorbent material within the structure to swell as it absorbs and thus restrict or otherwise block the open channels between superabsorbent particles, or between the particles and the hydrophilic fibers within the absorbent structure. This phenomenon is often referred to as a form of gel-blocking and may occur as a result of the superabsorbent material lacking sufficient gel integrity or reaching such a high degree of swelling that it tends to be easily deformable under an external pressure, such as those loads applied by a wearer during movement or upon sitting down.
The in-use performance of an absorbent structure may therefore rely upon 1) the ability to create open channels and void volume within the absorbent structure and 2) the ability to maintain the openness of and accessibility to such channels and void volume upon saturation of the absorbent structure. The ability to create the open channels may be a function of the ability of the superabsorbent material to absorb liquid while the material is under pressure as well as the ability to retain liquid and not deform while under pressure. Liquid handling characteristics commonly associated with such functions include the retention capacity (CRC) and the absorbency under load (AUL) value of the superabsorbent material. The ability to maintain openness of and accessibility to the channels and void volume may be in large part a function of the gel bed permeability (GBP) of the superabsorbent material. A higher GBP indicates a higher ability to maintain open channels within the absorbent structure after the superabsorbent material is saturated and fully swollen.
To date, research efforts directed toward improving the liquid handling characteristics of absorbent structures have generally been focused on enhancing the gel bed permeability of the superabsorbent material within absorbent structures. However, such an approach has come at a cost in the form of reduced or at least a lack of enhanced retention capacity.
There is a need, therefore, for absorbent structures incorporating superabsorbent materials having a high gel bed permeability, a high retention capacity and/or a high absorbency under load value.

Absorbent structure with superabsorbent material


A switching circuit (50) comprising cascaded transistor stages (52a, 52b. . . 52n and 54), connected between a high voltage terminal (62) and a sense resistor (RS) coupled to a low voltage terminal (64). The transistor stage (54) closest to the sense resistor (RS) is referred to as a current gain stage (54), and all the other transistor stages (52a, 52b. . . 52n) are referred to as component stages (52a, 52b. . . 52n). Blocking diodes (DD) are connected across all stages (52a, 52b. . . 52n and 54), forming a continuous path between the high voltage terminal (62) and the low voltage terminal (64). When an enable signal is provided to the current gain stage (54), the transistor stages (52a, 52b. . . 52n and 54) sequentially enter conduction, beginning with the current gain stage (54) and proceeding through the component stages (52a, 52b. . . 52n). As each transistor stage (52a, 52b. . . 52n) enters conduction, the resulting voltage drop will cause each corresponding blocking diode (DD) to avalanche, allowing current to flow. Eventually, all of the component stages (52a, 52b. . . 52n) are turned on, creating a conductive path through the stages (52a, 52b. . . 52n) and completing the switching of the switching circuit (50).

In many applications, it is desirable to switch high voltages. One application requiring switching high voltage levels is in conjunction with bipolar electrostatic chucks that are used in the semiconductor wafer manufacturing industry. Bipolar electrostatic chucks are used to hold semiconductor wafers during the manufacturing process. To hold a wafer, direct current (DC) high voltages of opposite polarity are applied to a pair of chuck electrodes. After the wafer is lowered onto the chuck electrodes, an electrostatic charge is applied to the wafer. The charges on the wafer and the chuck electrodes produce an electrostatic attractive force that presses the wafer against the upper face of the chuck. The chucking voltages are set to a high enough value to produce an electrostatic force between the wafer and the chuck that is adequate to prevent wafer movement during subsequent process steps. Typically, the chucking voltage may range between .+-.300 and .+-.3000 volts.
After completion of any semiconductor fabrication process steps, the wafer must be "dechucked," or removed from the electrostatic chuck. To remove the wafer, the chucking voltage is typically turned off and the chuck electrodes and the wafer connected to ground. Grounding the components removes the respective charges that have accumulated on the chuck electrodes and the wafer during the chucking process. The elimination of the electrostatic force therefore allows the wafer to be easily removed.
A recognized problem with the above-described method of removing a wafer from an electrostatic chuck is that repetitively charging and grounding the chuck electrodes causes the electrodes to retain some charge. If any electrostatic attractive force remains between the wafer and the chuck due to the retained charge, excessive force may be required to remove the wafer. The force can crack the wafer or cause the wafer to pop off the chuck into a position from which it is difficult to retrieve and align properly in an automatic assembly line.
Several different techniques have been suggested to solve the wafer sticking problem. In one technique, the polarity of the chucking voltages placed on the chucking electrodes is periodically reversed. For example, after a period of operation during which the first electrode is kept at +3000 volts and the other electrode kept at -3000 volts, the polarity of each electrode is switched so that the first electrode is operated at -3000 volts and the second electrode operated at +3000 volts. Periodically changing the polarity of the chucking voltage has been found to remove the tendency of the chuck electrodes to retain an electrostatic charge.
FIG. 1 depicts a representative circuit of a switching power supply 8 that may be used to reverse the polarity of a chucking voltage applied to one of the chuck electrodes. A first high voltage DC generator 10 produces a high voltage on an output line 12, for example 3000 volts. A second high voltage DC generator 14 produces a high voltage of the opposite polarity on a load line 16, for example -3000 volts. The load line is connected to one of the chuck electrodes for application of the chucking voltage. In order to allow the polarity of the chucking voltage to be reversed, two switches are provided in the power supply. A first high voltage switch SW1 is connected between the output of the first high voltage generator 10 and the load line 16. A second high voltage switch SW2 is connected between the second high voltage generator 14 and ground. When switch SW1 is closed, switch SW2 open, and the second high voltage generator turned off, the load line 16 is maintained at +3000 volts. When switch SW1 is open, switch SW2 closed, and the second high voltage generator turned on, the load line 16 is maintained at -3000 volts. Appropriately switching the two switches and the high voltage generators therefore allows the voltage on the load line to be switched between the two high voltage potentials, in this particular case causing a reversal in the output voltage polarity on one of the chuck electrodes. A second power supply similar to that shown in FIG. 1 is required to switch the polarity of the other chuck electrode.
While the design of the switching power supply 8 is very simple, in practice it is very difficult to construct the supply and achieve suitable performance. The implementation difficulty lies in the construction of switches SW1 and SW2. Power supply manufacturers have attempted to use high voltage electromechanical relays as switches in the power supply. Two problems have arisen with the use of relays, however. First, high voltage electromechanical relays are notoriously unreliable and have a tendency to fail periodically. Especially in automated assembly lines where the power supply switches are continuously cycled on and off, such failure is generally undesirable.
Second, the switching time of electromechanical relays is uncontrolled and often too fast to allow for compensation by other components within the switching power supply. For example, the high voltage provided on output line 12 must generally be maintained at an exact level for use in the electrostatic chuck. When switch SW1 is closed very quickly, the first high voltage generator 10 is connected with the load line 16 causing the load placed on the generator to increase suddenly. Because of the rapidity of the relay switching, the high voltage generator cannot immediately compensate for the change in load, causing the output from the generator to droop. Although the first high voltage generator will ultimately compensate for the added load, the droop in the output from the power supply is detrimental to the operation of the electrostatic chuck. For example, the droop in output voltage may result in dechucking and loss of a wafer or damage to the chuck.

Solid-state high voltage switch and switching power supply


An optical coupler and method of assembly are described that provide efficient coupling from the photonic integrated circuit (PIC) waveguide layer to external components, such as optical fibers, VCSELs, photodetectors, and gain blocks, among others. The optical coupler includes a PIC that can be supported by a printed circuit board, an optoelectronic transducer supported by the PIC that can convert between optical signals and corresponding electrical signals, and a coupled waveguide assembly. The coupled waveguide assembly includes a low-index waveguide, a high-index waveguide, and a reflective surface that changes a pathway of the optical signals to direct the optical signals from the optoelectronic transducer into the low-index waveguide or from the low-index waveguide into the optoelectronic transducer.

The present disclosure relates in general to electro-optical interfaces for transmitting and receiving optical signals through fiber optic cable systems. In particular, apparatuses and methods of transmitting optical signals between optoelectronic transducers, including-vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and photodiodes, and optical fibers as a part of a Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) are described.
As technology progresses and the demand for high bandwidth transmission of optical signals over fiber optic networks in data centers increases, the tolerances associated with the placement of components in the optical interconnects, such as for transmitting optical signals from a VCSEL to an optical fiber and/or from an optical fiber to a photodiode, become tighter. Such tight fabrication tolerances and strict requirements regarding the types of materials that can be used result in added cost and complexity in making the optical interconnects.

Method and apparatus for optical coupling of optical signals for a photonic integrated circuit


The Trolling Motor Transducer Mount (xe2x80x9cTMTMxe2x80x9d) is a device which allows a transducer, as would be used for sonar depth-finding equipment commonly used by fishermen, to be rigidly but removably mounted onto a trolling motor. The secure attachment prevents the transducer from being knocked loose and lost or knocked out of alignment due to impact from underwater obstructions while the trolling motor is propelling the boat. It also shields the transducer from direct impact with underwater obstructions, preventing damage to the transducer. The TMTM is formed of a housing for the transducer, two brackets which are each rigidly attached at one end to the housing and then extend out to form a circular collar with an open end, and a means for clamping the open ends of the brackets closer together. The open circular collar slides onto the trolling motor. Once in place, the clamping mechanism reduces the radius of the collar until it is tightly secured in place on the trolling motor. The TMTM may also have a groove along the inner surface of one of the brackets for holding the wires of the transducer, so that they will not snag on underwater obstructions.

Recreational and sporting fishermen often use a transducer, typically a sonar unit for detecting depth and/or for locating fish, as part of the basic equipment they take with them on each fishing trip. Often, they will mount their transducer on the bottom of their trolling motor, as this provides a convenient location for the transducer. This is particularly true for depth-finding sonar units, which should be directed straight down under the surface of the water in order to function properly. Unfortunately, locating the transducer on the trolling motor subjects the transducer to difficult conditions which may lead to a malfunction of the transducer mechanism, misalignment of the transducer, or even loss of the transducer.
There are many underwater obstructions and hazards located beneath the surface of the water in boating areas. As a result, the trolling motor may bump or snag various underwater obstructions. This subjects a transducer mounted on the trolling motor to impact, which may jar the transducer severely. Such impacts may result in damage to the sensitive mechanisms of the transducer. They may also lead to the transducer""s position on the trolling motor being altered, which may adversely affect the transducer""s ability to provide accurate information. The wires leading from the transducer up to the user in the boat may also snag on underwater obstructions, damaging the electrical components of the transducer. In the worst case scenario, such impacts may even tear the transducer loose from the trolling motor, in which case the transducer can be lost. In fact, most professional sports fishermen lose several transducers each year in this manner.
The current method for mounting a transducer upon a trolling motor uses either a large cable tie or a metal hose clamp to tie the transducer directly onto the bottom of the trolling motor. The transducer is unprotected and completely exposed to underwater obstructions, and the wires from the transducer also hang freely and are exposed, so that they may snag or snare upon underwater obstructions. Furthermore, the cable tie or hose clamp is not particularly strong, since it was not designed for this particular type of task. As a result, the cable tie or hose clamp will often break if the transducer hits some underwater obstruction during trolling, and the transducer will be knocked free of the trolling motor. Even if the metal hose clamp does not actually break, the transducer will often be either knocked out of alignment or jarred sufficiently so that the electronic mechanisms malfunction. Finally, when the trolling motor is in use, it may produce interference with the electronic data of the transducer.
The instant invention, referred to as a Trolling Motor Transducer Mount (xe2x80x9cTMTMxe2x80x9d), was developed to overcome these problems which typically arise when a transducer is operated from a position on a trolling motor. The TMTM provides a means for durably fixing a transducer upon a trolling motor. Because of the design of the TMTM, the transducer is much less likely to be torn off of the trolling motor. Indeed, the strength of the attachment provided by the TMTM also reduces the chances that the transducer will be knocked out of alignment. The TMTM also shields the transducer from direct exposure to underwater obstructions, so that the electronic mechanisms in the transducer are less likely to be jarred to the point of malfunctioning. The TMTM provides a convenient location for the wires leading from the transducer up to the user in the boat, so that the wires are not exposed to the elements in a manner that would allow for snagging to occur; rather, the wires are shielded within the TMTM. Enclosing the transducer within the TMTM also shields the transducer from interference when the trolling motor is operated. Finally, the TMTM allows the transducer to be easily removed from its position on a trolling motor. One embodiment of the TMTM even includes a convenient temperature probe, which is mounted on the TMTM so that the user may detect the temperature of the water beneath the surface. Obviously, the TMTM solves many of the problems which recreational and sporting fishermen have encountered using the current technology to affix transducers to trolling motors.
Generally, the present invention relates to mounting a transducer upon a trolling motor, although the present invention is not limited to such use. An object of the present invention is to durably but removably mount a transducer to the bottom of a trolling motor. Another object of the present invention is to rigidly affix a transducer to a position on a trolling motor, so that even if the transducer is bumped or jarred, its position will not be substantially altered. Yet another object of the present invention is to protect and shield the mechanisms of a transducer mounted to a trolling motor from direct impact which could damage or disrupt the functioning of the transducer. Yet another object of the present invention is to hold the wires of the transducer in a manner which reduces the chances that they may snag or snare upon underwater obstructions. Yet another object of the present invention is to shield the transducer and its wires from interference when the trolling motor is in operation. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a location to durably mount instruments, such as a temperature probe, underneath the surface of the water. Yet another object of the invention is to resist the corrosive environment underneath the surface of the water. A person skilled in the art field will understand these and other uses and objects for the present invention.
The TMTM is comprised of a circular collar which is open at one end. A housing with a recess, in which a standard transducer (such as LOWRANCE(copyright) and HUMMINBIRD(copyright) transducers) may be mounted, is attached to the circular collar. The housing may be attached anywhere along the circumference of the circular collar, but in the preferred embodiment the housing is located at the closed end of the circular collar. A standard transducer may be mounted in the recess so that it is enclosed within the TMTM and shielded by the TMTM from direct impact. The other end of the circular collar is open and is configured to allow for the open end to be clamped together in order to form a solid ring surrounding the circumference of the trolling motor. When the circular collar is open, it is sized so that it loosely fits around the housing of a standard trolling motor. Thus, when the circular collar is open and unclamped, it may be easily installed onto a trolling motor by simply sliding onto the housing of the trolling motor. When installing the TMTM upon a trolling motor, the recess is typically positioned so that, when the trolling motor is in use and is positioned beneath the surface of the water so as to drive a boat, the recess will face directly down towards the bottom of the body of water. Once the TMTM is properly positioned on the trolling motor, the open end of the TMTM is clamped together so that the TMTM acts as a solid collar encompassing the diameter of the trolling motor housing. This clamping action also causes the diameter of the TMTM to be reduced, so that the TMTM fits snugly onto the trolling motor housing. In essence, this clamping action causes the TMTM to lock into position on the trolling motor housing, with the friction between the inner surface or the TMTM and the trolling motor housing preventing any movement of the TMTM with respect to the trolling motor housing.
Typically, the open end of the TMTM is designed with flanges with bolt holes. Once the TMTM is properly positioned on the trolling motor housing, bolts are inserted through the holes in the flanges, and nuts are attached to the free end of the bolts. Once the nuts are tightened, the flanges will be pressed tightly together in order to close the open end of the TMTM so that it forms a solid circular collar tightly encompassing the trolling motor. In this way, the entire TMTM acts as a clamp, which may be properly located on the trolling motor when open but which is securely fastened to the trolling motor when it is closed and fixed shut.
The TMTM may also have an internal feature which holds the wires from the transducer inside of the TMTM so that they may not snag on any underwater obstructions. Typically, this is accomplished using a groove along the inner surface of the TMTM, along with a slot formed when the two flanges are joined together. The wires from the transducer are fed through the groove along one side of the TMTM and then exit through the slot between the flanges. Typically, the TMTM would be mounted close to the shaft of the trolling motor leading up out of the water. In that case, the wires from the transducer would exit through the slot, which is positioned atop the trolling motor, and could be attached to run up along the shaft, so that the wires would not hang freely but would be secured tightly along the profile of the trolling motor to reduce the chances of snagging.
Although the TMTM may be made adjustable in order to fit different sizes of trolling motors, in the preferred embodiment, different size TMTM devices are designed for use with different sizes of trolling motors. As most of the trolling motor market is made up of two specific sizes of trolling motors (namely the MOTORGLIDE(copyright) or standard MINN KOTA(copyright) with a diameter of approximately 3.710 inches and MAGNUM MINN KOTATM with a diameter of approximately 4.025 inches), typically there may be two different versions of the TMTM device, sized to fit the two primary types of trolling motors. Obviously, similar TMTM devices could be made to fit other trolling motors. Due to the substantial size of the TMTM encompassing a trolling motor, which is much wider and thicker than the hose clamps currently employed, the TMTM is much sturdier and is much better able to resist damage. Also, the larger surface area and the clamping mechanism for locking the TMTM in place on a trolling motor produces a much firmer attachment to the trolling motor.
Durability may also be increased by employing specific techniques in constructing the TMTM. Typically, a TMTM would be machined out of a solid block of aluminum and then anodized. The anodized aluminum provides a good combination of lightweight strength and corrosion resistance. Machining the device out of a solid block of metal also ensures greater strength than if the device were cast. Other construction techniques and materials may obviously be employed, so long as they provide the requisite strength and corrosion resistance.
Finally, the TMTM may serve as a solid location to mount other instrumentation which needs to be placed under the surface of the water. So for example, a temperature probe could be affixed to the outer surface of the TMTM, so that when the trolling motor to which the TMTM is mounted is in use, the temperature gauge would provide the user with the temperature of the water beneath the surface. Such information about the conditions of the water may prove useful to recreational and sporting fishermen.


An information processing apparatus includes a receiver configured to receive an output instruction to output data; a calculator configured to calculate an index value indicating a cost or an environmental burden when data subjected to output are output in a first output condition specified by the output instruction, and the index value when the data are output in a second output condition differing from the first output condition; and a display controller configured to display a screen to display a calculation result obtained by the calculator and to receive an output instruction based on one of the first and the second output conditions.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosures discussed herein relate to an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a recording medium storing an information processing program.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been significant growth in the demand of technologies to reduce costs relating to apparatus usages in offices with a background in environmental considerations and unstable electrical power supply due to natural disaster.
For example, attempts have been made to collect information on electric power consumption of apparatuses used in the office and the like to visualize such information. The visualized electric power consumption may serve as effective materials for planning a proposal to reduce electric power consumption.
However, in such approaches, the collected data will not provide users with specific reports of costs and environmental burdens that are actually imposed on the users.

Information processing apparatus, information processing system, information processing method, and recording medium


A reflectance oximeter is so mounted to the upstream or proximal side of a laryngeal mask as to face the posterior wall of the pharynx when the laryngeal mask has been positioned to perform its function of sealed, exclusive airway communication with the laryngeal inlet. Thus positioned, radiation from the oximeter can utilize local back-bone features as a reflector, for two-way passage of the radiation through tissue which characterizes the posterior wall of the pharynx. Moreover, the oximeter-observation region is within the body, so that ambient light has no degrading effect, and changes in oxygen saturation will be detected earlier than by use of any peripherally placed oximeter probe.

The invention relates to laryngeal mask airway devices for facilitating lung ventilation in an unconscious patient and to the coordinated use therewith of a reflectance oximeter for monitoring oxygenation in the blood as an indicator of current effectiveness of the lung ventilation.
Laryngeal-mask devices have been described in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,509,514 and 4,995,388, as well as in my copending U.S. patent applications, Ser. No. 919,289 filed Jul. 24, 1992, and Ser. No. 952,586 filed Sep. 28, 1992, which are incorporated herein by reference.
Such masks are artificial airway devices designed to facilitate lung ventilation in an unconscious patient by forming a low-pressure seal around the laryngeal inlet. A seal surrounds an appropriately shaped mask which fits into the lower pharynx and is attached to an airway tube which emerges from the mouth, as for connection to medical gas-supply tubing.
Such masks are artificial airway devices designed to facilitate lung ventilation in an unconscious patient by forming a low-pressure seal around the laryngeal inlet. A seal surrounds an appropriately shaped mask which fits into the lower pharynx and is attached to an airway tube which emerges from the mouth, as for connection to medical gas-supply tubing. More specifically the mask may comprise a plate with an inflatable ring having peripherally sealed engagement to the laryngeal inlet; and an elongate airway tube has a distal end that is sealed to the plate, for completing an externally accessible airway passage through the plate, for exclusive airway communication with the laryngeal inlet.
Pulse oximetry is a technique for non-invasively measuring the oxygen level in blood and has proved to be a very useful clinical tool as a means of continuously assessing the adequacy of ventilation, particularly in anaesthetized patients, for whom adequate oxygenation is a key concern. Most commercial pulse oximeters measure the signal when light of appropriate wavelengths is shone through a tissue such as a finger, and there are now more than 30 manufacturers of such devices. However, there are disadvantages to this technique, the most important being that the finger probe may easily become detached during use, with loss of signal, perhaps at a critical moment; also, since the device is peripheral in position, there is sometimes poor correlation between blood oxygenation in the finger, and oxygenation where it matters most--for example in the brain. Attempts to rectify this have resulted in development of probes for use on the ear, eyelid, and nose, with varying degrees of success.
Another approach has been to develop a related technique, reflectance oximetry, which has been described theoretically by Cui, Ostrander and Lee ("In Vivo Reflectance of Blood and Tissue as a Function of Light Wavelength", IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 1990, vol. 37, no. 6: 632 to 639) and in certain practical applications.sup.1. The aim is to measure a signal reflected back from a tissue surface instead of having to rely on light transmission. This avoids the necessity of using peripheral tissues such as the finger, since tissue thickness is no longer a problem. The disadvantages of the reflectance oximeter are that accuracy is reduced, in that there may be problems with incident light, and it may be necessary to heat the skin in order to maximize blood flow in the skin, noting that skin is always at a lower temperature than blood. FNT .sup.1 See for example: FNT Cheng, Hopwood and Kay, "Forehead Pulse Oximetry Compared with Finger Pulse Oximetry and Arterial Blood Gas Measurement", Journal of Clinical Monitoring, 1988, vol. 4, no. 3: 223 to 226. FNT Mendelson and McGinn, "Skin Reflectance Pulse Oximetry: In Vivo Measurements from the Forearm and Calf", Journal of Clinical Monitoring, 1991, vol. 7, no. 1: 7 to 12. FNT Mendelson and Ochs, "Noninvasive Pulse Oximetry Utilizing Skin Reflectance Photoplethysmography", IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 1988, vol. 35, no. 10: 798 to 805. FNT Johnson, Johnson, Fisher, Jobbings, Bannister, and Lilford, "Fetal Monitoring with Pulse Oximetry", British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 1991, vol. 98: 36 to 41.

Combined laryngeal mask and reflectance oximeter


Disclosed is an apparatus and method for controlling current consumption of a mobile device. The method includes measuring weather in an environment of the mobile device and comparing the measured value with an operating threshold. When the measured value is out of the operating range, current consumed by the mobile device is controlled.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a mobile terminal, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for controlling current consumption of a mobile terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a smart phone refers to a terminal that combines advantages of a mobile communication terminal, i.e., a personal communication services terminal, and a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) terminal, and incorporates data communication functions, such as schedule management, still image photographing, moving image photographing, facsimile transmission/reception, and Internet access, with the mobile communication terminal functions, such as voice call-related functions.
In addition, a terminal with a camera module that includes mobile communication capability, e.g., a Samsung Galaxy Camera, that mainly serves to photograph images, but also includes mobile communication capability as a main function is referred to as a mobile terminal, with the mobile communication module having a built-in camera also is referred to as a mobile terminal.
As the performance of such a mobile terminal improves, applications adapted to the mobile terminal's operating system rapidly increase, and the functions of the mobile terminal increase. Due to these various applications and functions, the amount of current consumed by a mobile terminal is on an increasing trend, and technologies for reducing this current consumption have been developed.
In a conventional mobile terminal, however, a greater voltage drop occurs at low temperature than at room temperature when current consumption is rapidly increased. Therefore, a problem arises in that, despite a battery of a mobile terminal being sufficiently charged, the battery cannot normally provide the mobile terminal with sufficient current, and thus the mobile terminal can power off or malfunction. In particular, a mobile terminal with a camera module having a lens barrel unit will frequently cause such problems because current consumption rapidly increases as the lens barrel unit moves, in particular at the initialization of the camera module.

Apparatus and method for controlling current consumption of mobile terminal


The disclosure provides an electronic device and a control method for the electronic device. The electronic device comprises: a memory unit, a metal pad, and a control unit. The metal pad is coupled to the memory unit, and utilized for receiving a first signal and a second signal. The control unit is coupled to the metal pad, and utilized for generating a control signal during a specific time period to control the first signal and the second signal received by the metal pad, to pull up a level of the first signal and to pull down a level of the second signal during the specific time period, so as to make the first signal and the second signal have a voltage difference. The disclosure can eliminate a glitch and avoid problems caused by inputting the glitch.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device and a control method for the electronic device, and more particularly, to an electronic device and a control method for the electronic device capable of eliminating input glitch.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to increase the writing or reading speed of synchronous dynamic random access memories (SDRAMs), double data rate three (DDR3) technology is introduced for related applications, where SDRAMs utilizing DDR3 technology can be referred to as DDR3 SDRAMs.
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a signal timing diagram of a clock signal CLK, a first data strobe signal DQS, a second data strobe signal DQS#, an input data strobe signal DQS_input, an input enable data strobe signal DQS_input enable, and an input chip data strobe signal DQS_input chip of the conventional Double Data Rate Three Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (DDR3 SDRAM).
As shown in FIG. 1, when the conventional DDR3 SDRAM performs a reading operation (e.g. during the time period T0˜T3 in FIG. 1), the first data strobe signal DQS and the second data strobe signal DQS# will turn on the On-Die Termination (ODT) in the chip, so as to make the first data strobe signal DQS and the second data strobe signal DQS# stay in a voltage level of ½ VDD. Since the first data strobe signal DQS and the second data strobe signal DQS# are differential signals, when the first data strobe signal DQS and the second data strobe signal DQS# have the same voltage level, a glitch will be generated. Moreover, uncertainty of switch time of the input enable data strobe signal DQS_input enable will cause inputting the glitch, and thus the conventional DDR3 SDRAM has problems of catching wrong data due to the glitch.

Electronic device and control method for electronic device


A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes an electrode group having a positive electrode and a negative electrode wound flatly by way of an interposed separator, a positive electrode tab electrically connected to the positive electrode, and projecting from a spiral winding surface of the electrode group, a negative electrode tab electrically connected to the negative electrode, and projecting from the spiral winding surface, and a nonaqueous electrolyte, wherein the nonaqueous solvent contains sultone compound including a ring having at least one double bond, and a distance between the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab is 6 mm to 18 mm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with the current trend in downsizing electronic appliances such as mobile communication appliances, notebook computers, palmtop computers, camcorders, portable CD (MD) players, and cordless telephones, there is an increasing demand for batteries of smaller size and larger capacity as power sources for these electronic appliances.
Batteries widely used as power sources for these electronic appliances include primary batteries, such as an alkaline manganese battery, and secondary batteries such as a nickel cadmium battery and a lead battery. Among others, a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising lithium composite oxide as a positive electrode active material and a carbonaceous material (graphitized material or carbon material) capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions as a negative electrode active material has attracted attention because of its small size, light weight, high cell voltage, and high energy density.
As the negative electrode, instead of the carbonaceous material, lithium or lithium alloy can be used. In such a case, however, as the secondary battery repeats charging and discharging, dissolution and deposition of lithium are repeated, and an acicularly grown dendrite is formed, and as the dendrite penetrates through the separator, an internal short-circuit may occur. On other hand, the negative electrode comprising a carbonaceous material can suppress the growth of dendrites as compared with the negative electrode containing lithium or lithium alloy.
On the other hand, as a case for containing an electrode group including the positive electrode and negative electrode as described above, a laminate film obtained by laminating a metal foil such as aluminum and resin is formed like a bag or cup, and the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is further reduced in weight and size.
As the nonaqueous electrolyte, a nonaqueous electrolyte comprising cyclic carbonate such as propylene carbonate (PC) or ethylene carbonate (EC) as a main solvent is known.
However, the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising a nonaqueous electrolyte using a nonaqueous solvent including PC and EC generates gas as the nonaqueous solvent is decomposed at the time of initial charging, and the charging and discharging reaction is disturbed by this gas, which makes the initial charging and discharging efficiency poor. Also in the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery using such nonaqueous solvent, if a highly flexible laminate film case is used, the case may be deformed significantly due to gas generated in initial charging. Swelling of the case brings about various problems such as oversize of a battery in an electronic appliance and malfunction of an electronic appliance.

Nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery


An improved light-tight web cassette 10 is disclosed for holding and dispensing a roll of photosensitive web material. The web cassette 10 comprises a tubular core 12 onto which a roll of web 14 material is wound. A jacket 16 surrounds the web roll and is provided with side edges 18. A pair of end caps 22 is provided, each end cap 22 having a central openings 28 and a peripheral recess 24 for receiving the end edges 18 of the jacket 16 in light-tight relation. A core plug 34 is provided for each end cap 22 which is adapted, when pressed through the central opening 28 into the tubular core 16 to an assembled position, to press and hold the end edges 18 of the jacket 16 into the recesses 24 of the end caps 22 in light-tight relation. Core plugs 34, moreover, holds the end caps 22 against the end of core 12.

It is generally known in the art to provide a web cassette for holding and dispensing a roll of unexposed light-sensitive web material for use in phototypesetting apparatus, in semi-automatic process cameras, for instance, for handling diffusion transfer material in a daylight environment, etc. In such web cassettes, the end caps have peripheral slots for receiving side edges of the cassette jacket, and are secured in light-tight relation to the side edges by adhesive and/or staples.
Accordingly, a shortcoming of the prior art web cassettes is that the assembly steps of applying the adhesive to the side edges of the jacket and stapling together the mating edges of the end caps and jacket side edges adds to the cost of manufacturing the web cassettes. Therefore, a need exist for a web cassette that is easy to assemble and, thus, economical to manufacture.

Web cassette for holding and dispensing a roll of web material