A tape measure includes a reel, a tape that is wound on the reel and that can be reeled out, and a hook attached to a free end of the tape. The tape includes a concave-convex shape when it is reeled out. The concave-convex shape includes a height and a width and provides rigidity for the standout length. The tape includes a flat shape when it is wound on the reel. The flat shape includes a flattened width. The maximum standout length is not larger than 100 times of the flattened width or the flatness is not larger than one fourth of the flattened width. Thus, the tape can easily be wound and flattened on the reel and will not be deformed because of change in stress when it is retroflexed or wound.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a tape measure and, more particularly, to a tape measure including a tape with maximum standout length for allowing smooth reeling in of the tape.
2. Related Prior Art
There are various tape measures. A tape measure includes a tape wound on a reel biased by a coil spring. The tape includes a concave-convex shape in a cross-sectional view taken along a line perpendicular to the length thereof. The concave-convex shape includes two lateral sections and a middle section extending between the lateral sections. The middle section includes a curvature radius while both of the lateral sections include a common curvature radius. Two concave-convex shapes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,462. In the first concave-convex shape, the curvature radius of the middle section is identical to that of the lateral sections, i.e., the concave-convex shape includes a single section. In the second concave-convex shape, the curvature radius of the lateral sections is indefinite, i.e., the lateral sections are flat. Another concave-convex shape is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,324,769. In this concave-convex shape, the curvature radius of the middle section is not larger than that of the lateral sections while the curvature radius of the lateral sections is definite. Almost all of the tapes of the tape measures include these concave-convex shapes.
As known in the art, the shorter the curvature radii are (that is, the greater the curvatures are), the deeper the concave-convex shapes are, and the more rigid the tapes are, and the larger the standout length is, i.e., the longer the tapes extend before they collapse because of their own weight. However, the greater the curvatures are, the more difficult it is to flatten the tapes when they are reeled in. When the curvature reaches a certain point, the tapes could be damaged because the strength of the tapes could not stand the stress loaded in the tapes when they are flattened. This has been discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,462. A relation has been given between the blade width and standout length of a so-called commercially available tape as follows:
TABLE 1BLADE WIDTH, INCHESSTANDOUT LENGTH, INCHES¼12-16½35-43¾55-73186-97
As listed in TABLE 1, there should be a upper limit in the standout length for a given width of a tape.
Tapes that are more than 1 inch wide have gotten considerable attention, since wider tapes include larger standout length. That is, users can measure longer, wider and taller objects accurately without having to resort to other manners for retaining the tapes substantially straight along their length. Wide tapes are preferred also, because they can carry large numerals that can clearly be read.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.


A database operation mechanism includes the capability of specifying a predefined database operation as a source of data for a different database operation. When the different database operation needs to be performed, the database operation mechanism determines whether the different database operation can use a predefined database operation as a data source. If so, the predefined database operation is specified as the source of data for the different database operation. If the different database operation cannot use a predefined database operation as a data source, the database operation mechanism determines whether the different database operation can use a modified form of a predefined database operation as a data source. If so, the different database operation may use the modified predefined database operation as a source of data. If the different database operation cannot use a predefined database operation or a modified form of a predefined database operation as a data source, a different database operation is generated and executed.

1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to computer systems, and more specifically relates to apparatus and methods for performing operations on a database.
2. Background Art
Since the dawn of the computer age, computers have evolved and become more and more powerful. In our present day, computers have become indispensable in many fields of human endeavor including engineering design, machine and process control, information storage and retrieval, and office computing. One of the primary uses of computers is for information storage and retrieval.
Database systems have been developed that allow a computer to store a large amount of information in a way that allows a user to search for and retrieve specific information in the database. For example, an insurance company may have a database that includes all of its policy holders and their current account information, including payment history, premium amount, policy number, policy type, exclusions to coverage, etc. A database system allows the insurance company to retrieve the account information for a single policy holder among the thousands and perhaps millions of policy holders in its database.
Retrieval of information from a database is typically done using database operations such as queries. Other database operations, such as an insert or an update, may manipulate information stored in the database. A database query usually specifies conditions that apply to data stored in the database, and may specify relatively complex logical operations. The database is searched for data that satisfy the conditions in the query, and the matching data is returned as the query result in what is typically referred to as a "result set".
Structured Query Language (SQL) is one very popular language for querying a relational database. SQL is extremely powerful, yet effectively using SQL requires extensive knowledge of SQL syntax and intimate knowledge and understanding of the structure (or schema) of the underlying database. Many database users have no desire to become SQL experts, they simply want to be able to perform database operations to retrieve needed data from the database. The related application, Ser. No. 10/083,075 filed on Feb. 26, 2002, discloses a mechanism for abstracting queries so that users do not need to know the database schema or details of SQL to perform database operations. An abstract query is translated into SQL or other query languages when the query is executed. Current implementations of SQL require that a table or other data storage entity be specified as a source of data in an SQL query. Once a query is defined, it may be stored for later use. However, if no predefined query matches the query that needs to be performed, a new query must be generated. There is currently no way to use a predefined query as a data source for a different query. As a result, the reusability of a predefined query is limited. Without an apparatus and method for using predefined queries as data sources for a different query, the computer industry will continue to suffer from inefficient mechanisms and methods for performing database operations.

Apparatus and method for using a predefined database operation as a data source for a different database operation

International Business Machines Corporation


An improved network for communication of message packets. The network of the present invention implements an improved collision avoidance, detection and backoff system for communication on a media between nodes. The apparatus calculates a time period P after detecting the media is idle using a formula F which is a function of a pseudo-random delay factor T. If the media remains idle during the time period P, the device may transmit a message. The apparatus further has the ability to assign messages as being either priority or non-priority messages. Priority messages may be transmitted during priority message slots preassigned to transmitting nodes. Non-priority message contend for the media during a period of time following the period set for transmission of priority messages.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network protocol which may be employed to facilitate communication between processing nodes such as nodes responsible for control of and communication with devices.
2. Prior Art
Any number of network communication protocols are known in the art. A number of protocols have become "standards" in the industry either because of adoption by the various standards boards such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or because of their commercial acceptance or both. Other communication protocols are proprietary in nature although in many instances such protocols have gained widespread commercial acceptance. Examples of known network communication protocols include Recommendation X.xx from the International Consultative Committee for Telephony and Telegraphy (CCITT) (e.g. X.21, X.25, etc.); High Level Data Link Control (HDLC); EHKP4; IBM's Systems Network Architecture (SNA); DEC's Distributed Network Architecture (DECNET); Univac's Distributed Communication Architecture (DCA); and Burroughs Network Architecture. The above-referenced protocols are described in greater detail with reference to Anton Meijer and Paul Peters, Computer Network Architectures, Computer Science Press, 1982.
Many of these communication protocols may be characterized as following the Reference Model of Open Systems Interconnection, defined by the International Standards Organization (ISO) and described in greater detail with reference International Standards Organization, ISO/TC97: Information processing system. Open Systems Interconnection-Basic Reference Model, Draft International Standard ICO/DIS 7498, April 1982 which reference is reproduced as Appendix A in Meijer.
The Reference Model defines a layered approach to communication architectures; specifically seven (7) layers are defined and may be identified, with reference to Table I, as follows:
TABLE I ______________________________________ Level # Layer ______________________________________ 7 Application Layer 6 Presentation Layer 5 Session Layer 4 Transport Layer 3 Network Layer 2 Data Link Layer 1 Physical Layer ______________________________________
The Application layer may be generally described as being responsible for processing information being exchanged between nodes in the network. The Presentation layer provides transparency between nodes in the network allowing for such functions as performing session establishment requests; presentation of data from a message packet; code conversion; compression/expansion of redundant data; and performing session termination requests. The Session layer provides for establishment of the relation between two nodes; maintains the integrity of the relation; and controls data exchange between the two nodes. The Transport layer is responsible for creation of a transport pipeline between the two nodes and performs the functions of breaking messages into packets; reassembling messages at the destination node; and applying flow control to the packet stream. The Network layer is responsible for creation and maintenance of a route in the network between the source node and destination node. The route may be a sequence of nodes and transmission links, e.g., telephone lines, communication cabling, etc. The Data Link layer ensures uncorrupted delivery of the data independent of the actual physical transmission medium utilized. Finally, the Physical layer comprises the actual physical devices and medium necessary to perform transmission of information.
More recently, standards and protocols have been produced for communication in local area networks (LANs). In addition to the above-described layers, many LANs include a sublayer known as the Medium Access Control (MAC) sublayer which is responsible for determining which node is allowed access to a channel when there is competition for the channel. The MAC sublayer is typically thought of as being the upper portion of the Physical layer (Layer 1) and is sometimes referred to as Layer 1.5. One set of standards dealing with communication protocols for LANs has been defined by the IEEE known collectively as IEEE 802. This set of standards has been adopted by ANSI, by the National Bureau of Standards, and by ISO (known as ISO 8802). Part 802.3 of the IEEE standard describes Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) protocols for LANs. This Part 802.3 is described in greater detail with reference to Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Computer Networks, Second Edition, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1988.
In addition to describing the Part 802.3 standard, Tanenbaum describes several CSMA protocols. In any CSMA protocol it is an objective to allow for minimizing delays before transmission of information onto a channel and to allow for minimizing collisions of data on the channel. Various protocols are known and in each case there is a tradeoff between minimizing delays and minimizing collisions. Below, in Table II, is summarized several protocols and their various performance tradeoffs:
TABLE II ______________________________________ Protocol Description ______________________________________ Pure Allows for unsynchronized transmission at any ALOHA time by any node; leads to low delays and a high collision rate. Slotted Random transmission within defined timeslots; ALOHA reduces the period of time during which a transmission is vulnerable to collision over Pure ALOHA; 1-persistent Senses whether there is activity on a channel and CSMA waits to transmit until the channel is available; continuously monitors the channel after sensing the channel is busy yielding a probability of 1 (thus, the name 1-persistent) that the node will transmit when the channel is idled. Collisions are possible (even likely) because the two nodes may be waiting for a channel at the same time. p-persistent A variation on 1-persistent in which the probability CSMA any given node will transmit when the channel becomes available is p. This protocol reduces the likelihood of collisions over a 1-persistent scheme; however, there is also an increase in the average delay before transmission. non-persistent Unlike 1-persistent and p-persistent CSMA, CSMA non-persistent CSMA does not continuously sense the channel after detecting the channel is busy but rather waits a random period of time after sensing the channel is busy before again testing it. This protocol leads to a lower collision rate than 1-persistent CSMA but also leads to longer delays. ______________________________________
Further explanation of the above-mentioned protocols are given with reference to Tanenbaum.
As can be imagined, various characteristics of any given communications network influence design decisions regarding the above-described tradeoffs. For example, in a system in which the average length of a message is relatively long, it may be desirable to minimize the collision rate in order to minimize the need to re-transmit information. Conversely, in a system characterized by relatively short message lengths, it may be desirable to minimize delays at the expense of increasing collisions.
As one object of the present invention, it is desired to describe a system having improved optimization of delay time and collision rate.
As a second object of the present invention, it is desired to describe a system having improved capability for recovery and backoff from collisions on a network medium.
As a third object of the present invention, it is desired to describe a system having an improved prioritization scheme for prioritizing network messages.
In networked systems, it is often desirable to allow one node in the network to multicast a message for receipt by a plurality of other nodes. In certain cases, it may be of relatively insignificant consequence whether the transmitted messages are actually received by all of the desired nodes. In other cases, it may be critical to operation of the network that transmitted messages are received by each intended recipient node.
In certain prior art networked messaging systems, it is known to provide for delivery of a message to a designated group of nodes. However, known prior art networked messaging systems suffer difficulty in managing acknowledgements from multiple nodes in a group. This leads to difficulty in providing for reliable multicast of messages.
As another object of the present invention, it is desired to describe a networked messaging system which provides for reliable multicast of messages.
It is another object of the present invention to describe methods for providing reliable multicast of messages through use of reminder messages and acknowledgement messages.
It is another object of the present invention to describe a networked messaging system which provides for reliable multicast of messages with improved efficiency in the acknowledgement of messages by members of a multicast group.
As will be appreciated by any individual who has configured a network, one difficulty often encountered during configuration of the network involves correctly and accurately assigning and recording the addresses for each node. Further, during maintenance of a highly distributed system, it is often desirable to provide accessibility to identification information identifying a particular node in the network.
It is desired to develop an improved apparatus and method for configuring and maintaining nodes in a network.
These and other aspects of the present invention are disclosed with reference to the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment and to the Figures.

Multiaccess carrier sensing network communication protocol with priority messages


A shroud for an axial blade fan provides a circumferential, axially directed flow of air between the fan blade tips and the shroud to improve fan efficiency. The shroud preferably includes a smaller, centrally disposed fan which is driven by an auxiliary motor, a circumferentially extending generally toroidal plenum, a plurality of hollow spokes providing fluid communication between the fan and the plenum, a circular throat which directs air toward the annulus between the shroud and the fan blade tips and a throat adjacent, circumferential Coanda surface which controls and guides air exiting the throat. Air is provided to the shroud plenum at a pressure of between about 2 and 10 inches water gauge (4 to 20 Torr). The narrowest region of the circular throat has a width of between about 1 mm to 5 mm. Adjustment of the air pressure and throat dimension allows accurate control of the velocity profile of the air flow through the annulus.

The invention relates generally to shrouds for motor vehicle cooling fans and more particularly to a shroud for a motor vehicle engine cooling fan which utilizes a Coanda surface to provide air flow through the annulus between the fan blade tips and the shroud and includes an integral air supply.
As motor vehicle engine compartment designs continue to evolve in response to increasing demands of vehicle and engine efficiency, operating temperatures continue to increase while the engine compartment's frontal area and natural air flow continue to reduce. All of these considerations conspire to increase underhood operating temperatures.
Nonetheless, a vehicle traveling at highway speeds at elevated ambient temperatures presents no significant engine cooling problems. Likewise, a vehicle stopped in traffic in moderate ambient temperatures presents no significant cooling problems. The combination, however, of high ambient temperatures and operation in congested, slow moving traffic wherein air heated by one vehicle is ingested by an adjacent vehicle and heated further represents an acknowledged severe engine operating condition. A second severe operating condition known as "hot soak" occurs when the engine has been subjected to heavy load by, for example, pulling a trailer uphill and the vehicle then stops. Operation under these conditions demands operation of and dependence upon the engine driven cooling fan. Operation in these conditions also demands the highest possible efficiency from the fan in order to achieve maximum cooling and safe engine operating conditions.
Such fan efficiency is achieved by well-known and recognized parameters such as the number of fan blades and their configuration as well as a properly designed radiator/fan shroud which maximizes radiator air flow and heat transfer while minimizing leakage and back flow around the fan.
In this regard, a problem inherent in motor vehicle design typically interferes with the attainment of high fan efficiencies. This problem results from the mounting of the radiator and fan shroud to the vehicle body whereas the fan is mounted upon the engine which is, in turn, secured to the vehicle body or frame through a plurality of engine mounts. These engine mounts are typically resilient and allow controlled motion of the engine and associated drive train components relative to the body or frame in response to engine reaction torque and vehicle acceleration and deceleration. While the spacing of the fan tips from the shroud can vary depending upon the fan and shroud location relative to the engine mount, the stiffness of the engine mounts and other variables, it has been found that spacing on the order of one-half inch (12.7 mm) to one inch (25.4 mm) or more is necessary to ensure that given the greatest excursion of the engine and fan relative to the shroud and vehicle body, the fan does not contact the shroud.
Unfortunately, the introduction of an annular space of this size has a significant deleterious effect on fan efficiency. Fan efficiencies in such configurations have been determined to be on the order of sixteen percent. Viewed not only from the perspective of fan efficiency but also from the perspectives of achieving necessary engine cooling with a given fan size and overall engine efficiency and fuel consumption, this is not a desirable figure. Accordingly, it is apparent that improvements in the configuration of motor vehicle cooling fans which provide improved fan efficiency and thus motor vehicle cooling are desirable.

Board of Trustees operating Michigan State University


The present disclosure provides methods that permit detection of all known species of Parechovirus, including Human parechovirus and Ljungan virus (LV). In particular examples the method includes amplifying at least a portion of the 5′NTR of parechovirus nucleic acid molecules obtained from a sample, and detecting the resulting amplicons, but does not require culturing of the virus. The present disclosure also provides methods for determining which particular species or serotype of parechovirus is present in a biological sample. Also provided are oligonucleotide primers and probes that can be used in the disclosed methods.

The genus Parechovirus is one of the newer additions to the Picornaviridae family. Two virus species, Human parechovirus (HPeV) and Ljungan virus (LV), are currently recognized. Three HPeV serotypes have been described. HPeV1 (formerly echovirus 22) and HPeV2 (formerly echovirus 23) were first isolated and described in 1956 (Wigand and Sabin, Arch. Gesamte Virusforsch. 11:224-47, 1961), while HPeV3 was isolated in 1999 in Japan (Ito et al., J. Gen. Virol. 85:391-8, 2004). The spectrum of clinical disease of the HPeVs mirrors that of the human enteroviruses (EVs) and includes respiratory and gastrointestinal disease, aseptic meningitis, myocarditis, encephalitis, acute flaccid paralysis, and neonatal sepsis (Stanway et al., Rev. Med. Virol. 10:57-69, 2000). A WHO study of 581 cases of HPeV1 infection showed 29% of patients had gastrointestinal symptoms, 26% had respiratory symptoms, and 12% had CNS symptoms (Grist and Bell, Prog. Med. Virol. 24:114-57, 1978). Two small sero-epidemiologic studies, in Japan and Finland, indicated that children are infected with HPeVs early in life, reaching a high rate of seroprevalence by the time children reach school age (Joki-Korpela and Hyypia, Clin. Infect. Dis. 26:129-36, 1998; Takao et al., Jpn. J. Infect. Dis. 54:85-7, 2001). The possibility of high levels of infection with HPeVs in children indicates that, like EVs, many HPeV infections are probably asymptomatic or result in only mild illness.
The Ljungan viruses (LV) were first isolated from bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) in Sweden in the mid-1990s (Niklasson et al., Virol. 255:86-93, 1999). Molecular and physical characterization identified LV as a novel parechovirus, related to, but distinct from, the human parechoviruses. Sequence comparisons of the polymerase gene (3D) of the Swedish LVs with 3D sequences of two previously unclassified North American viruses showed that the two American viruses are LVs (Johansson et al., J. Gen. Virol. 84:837-44, 2003). Strain NY64-7855 was isolated in 1964 during an arbovirus survey in St. Lawrence, N.Y. from the red-backed mouse (C. gapperi). This virus was later shown to be immunologically related to a virus, OR62-M1146, isolated from Mictrotus montanus in Klamath County, Oreg. in 1962, OR62-M 1146. Genomic sequencing of several of the LVs demonstrated that LVs are most closely related to, but distinct from, the HPeVs (Johansson et al., J. Virol. 76:8920-30, 2002). It has been demonstrated that up to one-third of captured bank voles develop type I diabetes, and that diabetes in voles is caused by LV (Niklasson et al., Int. J. Exp. Diab. Res. 4:1-10, 2003). It has been indicated that LV may be involved in the etiology of a variety of human diseases, including type 1 diabetes mellitus, myocarditis, and Guillain-Barre syndrome, because the incidence of these diseases in northern Sweden rises and falls in parallel with the cyclic population changes observed in the small rodent species from which LV has been isolated (Niklasson et al., Emerg. Infect. Dis. 4:187-93, 1998). The possibility of a zoonotic relationship between LV infection and human disease remains under investigation, with no definitive association has been found to date.
Current methods of detecting Parechovirus amplify and detect Parechovirus nucleic acids, since no antibodies to the virus are yet available (see for example the methods described in Benschop et al., Clin. Infect. Dis. 42:204-10, 2006, Oberste et al., J. Med. Virol. 58:178-81, 1999; Read et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 35:691-6, 1997; Shimizu et al., Pediatr. Infect. Dis. 14:584-8, 1995; Legay et al., J. Virol. Meth. 102:157-60, 2002; Corless et al., J. Med. Virol. 67:555-62, 2002; Jokela et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 43:1239-45, 2005; Joki-Korpela and Hyypia, Clin. Infect. Dis. 26:129-36, 1998). However, the current methods do not permit detection of all known members of the Parechovirus genus in a single assay.
Benschop et al. (Clin. Infect. Dis. 42:204-10, 2006) disclose a method that permits detection of HPeV1, HPeV2, and HPeV3, but not LV. Corless et al. (J. Med. Virol. 67:555-62, 2002) disclose a method that permits detection of HPeV1 and HPeV2, but not HPeV3 or LV. Jokela et al. (J. Clin. Microbiol. 43:1239-45, 2005) disclose a method that permits detection of HPeV1, HPeV2, and HPeV3, but not LV. Joki-Korpela and Hyypia (Clin. Infect. Dis. 26:129-36, 1998) disclose a method that permits detection of HPeV1, but not HPeV2, HPeV3, or LV. Legay et al. (J. Virol. Meth. 102:157-60, 2002) disclose a method that permits detection of HPeV1, but not HPeV2, HPeV3, or LV. Oberste et al. (J. Med. Virol. 58:178-81, 1999) disclose a method that permits detection of HPeV1, HPeV2, and HPeV3, but not LV. That is, multiple primer sets are used to screen for the presence of all known Parechovirus species using the previously disclosed methods.
In addition, current methods of detecting parechoviruses require culturing of the virus, for example in Vero or rhesus monkey kidney cells. Because this culturing requires several days, methods that include a culturing step do not permit the rapid detection of Parechovirus; furthermore, cell culture isolation is less sensitive than PCR For example, HPeV1 and HPeV2 can be identified by neutralization assay following virus isolation in cell culture, using the available Lim and Benyesh-Melnick antiserum pools (J. Immunol. 84:309-17, 1960), using pools E and H (HPeV1), or G and H (HPeV2. However, culturing is required prior to identification, and antigenic typing reagents are not available for HPeV and LV.
Although there are PCR assays based on the 5′UTR region (for example see Nijhuis et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 40:3666-70, 2002) or the VP region (U.S. Pat. No. 6,846,621 to Oberste et al.) of enterovirus, another member of the Picornaviridae family, these assays do not detect HPeV nor LV. In addition, the RT-PCR assays for HPeV are not routinely used to detect HPeV in clinical samples because most lack the required analytical sensitivity to detect viral RNA in original clinical specimens (Benschop et al., Clin. Infect. Dis. 42:204-10, 2006; Oberste et al., J. Med. Virol. 58:178-81, 1999; Read et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 35:691-6, 1997; Shimizu et al., Pediatr. Infect. Dis. 14:584-8, 1995; Legay et al., J. Virol. Meth. 102:157-60, 2002; Corless et al., J. Med. Virol. 67:555-62, 2002; Jokela et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 43:1239-45, 2005; Joki-Korpela and Hyypia, Clin. Infect. Dis. 26:129-36, 1998).
Therefore, methods are needed that permit detection of all known species Parechovirus directly from clinical specimens, for example without the need for culturing the virus.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services


An object to the invention is to narrow the region burned by the preheating current at the spot welding. Structure is provided for allowing conventional welding current to be flowed between a first welding electrode tip and a contact member intermittently via an electronic switch until a predetermined current starts to flow between a first welding electrode tip and a second welding electrode tip.

The present invention relates to a spot welding apparatus for spot-welding overlapped articles or workpieces to be welded, at least one of which has a coating on its outer surface. The spot welding apparatus according to the present invention comprises a welding power source for supplying a low-voltage, large-current welding energy, a first cable drawn from one pole of the welding power source, a first welding electrode tip connected to an end of said first cable, second and third cables connected to the other pole of the welding power source, a second welding electrode tip connected to an end of said third cable, and a contact member provided at an end of said second cable, said contact member contact-connecting to metal-exposed surfaces at portions of the articles to be welded which portions are spaced apart from a spot welding area of the overlapped articles to be welded.


A handsaw for holding a saw blade for cutting is disclosed to include a handle having an cantilever bar, an extension bar pivoted to the cantilever bar and turnable relative to the handle between a received position and an extended position, a blade-retaining arm pivoted to one end of the extension bar remote from the handle and turnable about the axis of the extension bar, and two blade retaining members respectively provided at the handle and the blade-retaining arm for the mounting of a saw blade when the extension bar is turned to the extended position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hand tools and more particularly, to a collapsible handsaw frame for holding a saw blade of handsaw.
2. Description of the Related Art
A handsaw is a convenient manual cutting tool for cutting things, for example, for trimming branches of trees during gardening or cutting away obstacles during hunting. However, the frame of a regular handsaw is neither deconstructable nor bendable. When a regular handsaw is not in use, is requires much space for storage.
To eliminate the aforesaid problem, Taiwan Patent Publication No. 317215 discloses a handsaw entitled "Improved structure of saw", which comprises a base frame bar, a grip pivoted to one end of the frame bar, and a saw blade receivable to the base frame bar. This design of handsaw is collapsible. However, the base frame bar has a length approximately equal to the length of the saw blade, such that the collapsed saw is still not convenient for carrying or storage. Further, when collapsing or extending out the saw, the grip is biased relative to the base frame bar through a big angle. Therefore, this design of saw is not suitable for use in a narrow place.


The present invention relates to an applied ignition internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder in which a piston slides along the cylinder axis, with a cylinder head capping the cylinder and, together with the piston and cylinder, defining a combustion chamber. The piston has a recess open toward the cylinder head, the recess having several shapes of an ellipsoid section along a transverse plane of the piston, of which the main axis and generatrices are substantially parallel to the lengthwise axis of the piston in order to reduce the area-volume ratios in the combustion chamber and increase turbulence levels at the end of the compression cycle. The ellipse or ellipses is or are such that:. 1) 0<.lambda.<0.6 with ##EQU1## where G.sub.R is the major radius of at least one of the spaces P.sub.R is the minor radius of the space or spaces.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of applied ignition internal combustion engine. Specifically, the present invention relates to at least one cylinder in which a piston slides along the cylinder axis, with a cylinder head Capping the cylinder and, together with the piston and cylinder, defining a combustion chamber, the piston having a recess open toward the cylinder head. Engines of the aforementioned type that operate on a lean mixture are particularly the subject of the invention.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Advantageously, applied ignition engines operating on a highly dilute mixture (richness of the mixture less than 0.6 for example) considerably reduce pollutant emissions such as nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.X).
However, this technology may raise problems linked to flame initiation and propagation which result in combustion instabilities and increased levels of unburned hydrocarbons.
An engine manufacturer familiar with this type of engine must thus pay special attention to the quality of combustion which must be rapid and stable to reduce NO.sub.X emissions while increasing the energy efficiency of the engine.
Combustion characteristics depend on geometric factors (shape of chamber, shape of recess in piston, position of spark plug, and position of intake system) and aerodynamic factors (turbulence and speed), distribution factors, etc.
Optimization of the internal aerodynamics proves to be an important step in the design of an applied ignition engine operating on a lean mixture. The design of the internal aerodynamics in the chamber at the time of ignition must contribute to increasing combustion rates and favoring stability of the flame upon ignition. The flow characteristics at this time in the chamber depend on the result of the interaction between the post-intake aerodynamics and the shape of the combustion chamber. The turbulence levels and rates must in particular be optimized to favor ignition stability and flame propagation in the chamber.
Various geometries have been recently developed, particularly of the recess formed in the piston itself
Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,665 describes a combustion chamber formed in the piston by a recess with a particular geometry.
Document French Patent 2 713 282 discloses another geometry of the recess formed in the upper part of the piston.

Applied ignition internal combustion engine whose pistons have elliptical recesses


An identification and information system for establishing a nexus between discrete entities includes primary and secondary information regarding primary and secondary entities borne by primary and secondary information means. The primary and secondary information may be encoded for mechanical reading which establishes the nexus between said primary and secondary entities.

Identification cards, such as credit cards, driver's licenses, and similar identifying instruments, have employed a variety of means to avoid counterfeiting and to properly identify an individual involved in a particular transaction. In order to avoid the use of such identification cards by individuals who are not legitimate cardholders, an image, frequently in color, of the cardholder is applied to the card or other instrument to permit the recognition of the legitimate owner of the card or other instrument at the time that the card is utilized to identify the legitimate owner of the card.
Such images are generally made by video imaging input to a computer. The image may, thereafter, be placed on a card or other instrument having descriptive text printed thereupon by a selected conventional process. More recently, as the art of symbology has advanced, it has been suggested that symbol technology comprising characteristic parameters of the image of the cardholder be stored on the identification card in proximity to the image, U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,494.
This permits the identification of the cardholder to be verified by scanning or viewing the image of the cardholder, thereby re-determining the characteristic parameters of the cardholder and comparing the same with the parameters of the corresponding symbology on the card. Therefore, the alteration of the card by the substitution of an image other than the original image is ineffective because of the subsequent comparison of the substituted image with the original symbology.
Also exemplary of such a prior art identification card is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,686, entitled "System for Checking the Authenticity of Identification Paper" issued Dec. 8, 1979.
The symbology is created by scanning the image or by utilizing video and computer technology to record the image of the cardholder or the actual image presented when the cardholder applies for the issuance of the card. In substitution for or in addition to the symbology mentioned above, an RFID (radio frequency identification) circuit can be utilized. Such identification means are related to a particular card or document holder bearing the image and the encoded corresponding symbology which will approximately reproduce the image.


Disclosed herein is a group messaging system for providing file sharing through bidirectional interlock with a cloud server, including: a messenger server receiving information requesting creation of a group chatting room including group members and instructing user terminals of the respective group members to create the group chatting room; and a cloud server interlocking with the messenger server, receiving information about the creation of the group chatting room from the messenger server, and creating a sharing group mapped to the group chatting room in a one-to-one scheme.

1. Field
The present invention relates to a file sharing system and method through an instant messenger, and more particularly, through a group messaging system through a bidirectional interlock between a messenger server and a cloud server.
2. Discussion of the Background
Generally, the Internet is an open network configured to apply a common protocol called a Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) to participant computers. Users of the Internet may use various services, such as, exchange multimedia information, exchange an e-mail, exchange a file, navigate the World Wide Web (WWW), and the like, as well as, exchange basic character information.
With a rapid increase in the use of the Internet domestically and globally, importance of the Internet as a strategic tool for increasing efficiency and productivity over all of the existing industries has rapidly increased. New business opportunities through the Internet have also been continuously created and fields of the new business opportunities through the Internet have expanded. Operators using the Internet have also gradually increased.
Users use a homepage, an e-mail, a telephone auto response service (ARS), or the like. However, the homepage and the e-mail feature low real time customer communication. The telephone ARS imposes a high communication cost on the user.
Instant messaging (hereinafter, referred to as a 'messenger') is useful for transferring information in real time using the Internet. An object of the messenger is to transfer a simple message between users in real time. When the messenger is used, two users may talk in real time through characters transferred, as if they directly converse with each other. The messenger's real time feature transfers an input content of the message immediately to the participant.
A messenger client program also transmits emoticons, flashcons, giftcons, or the like, to a chat participant through a messenger chatting window. The messenger client program also transmits a file using the chatting window as well as a function of simply transferring a message.
There is also a group chatting function where several persons may chat through a single chatting window as well as 1:1 chatting. In order to perform the group chatting, the user selects a plurality of chatting participants in the messenger client program to request the plurality of chatting participants for the chatting, thereby creating a group chatting window or adding chat to a created chatting window.
In order to transmit a file to the plurality of chatting participants, the user drags and drops a file to be transmitted in the group chatting window or selects a file transmission command in the messenger client program. FIG. 2 illustrates a method for transmitting a file in a group chatting window according to the related art. When the transmission of the file to the participants in the messenger chatting group is executed, a file transmission state 220 for group members 210 is displayed in a group chatting window 200. When one of the group members 210 requests file transmission, the file is transmitted to each of other group members 210. The transmission of the file is displayed to each of the group members 210 and starts when corresponding group members 210 allow file transmission.
FIG. 1 illustrates a system for sharing a file in a messenger according to the related art. A sender accesses a messenger server 120 using a terminal 110, for example, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a smart phone, or the like, to execute a messenger program and create a group chatting window. The sender transmits a file 101 stored in a terminal 110 or a personal cloud server 100a to the participants participating in group chatting through the group chatting window shown in FIG. 2.
The file 101 transmitted by the sender is transmitted to user terminals 130 of the recipients in a peer to peer (P2P) scheme or a temporary storage of the messenger server 120. The recipients accept a file to be received through the group chatting window, and the file is transmission starts. The respective recipients may receive the file through a mobile client program and store the received file in a personal cloud server 100b, or store the received file in a local device or a personal cloud server 100c through a desktop client installed in the PC, or the like. The recipients may store the received file in a local device or a personal cloud server 100d through a web client.
The method for sharing a file through a messenger according to the related art has the following problems. First, a single file is repeatedly transmitted to each of a plurality of recipients, such that an overload may be incurred in a network. When the number of users participating in the group increases, network load is generated, and the same file is repeatedly copied in the local devices or the personal cloud servers of several users.
Further, in the related art, complexity of a group activity process like file synchronization is high. Because transmitted individual files are present in the local devices or the personal clouds of each of the users. When a specific recipient modifies the stored file, synchronization between the modified file and files stored in the local devices or the personal clouds of other users is not performed. In an environment in which a file transfer client is not installed in the messenger, group file sharing becomes inconvenient.
A method for compressing and transmitting a file in a cloud system has been described in Korean Patent No. 10-1035302 entitled "Cloud System and Method of Compressing and Transmitting Files in Cloud System" by ESTsoft Corp. However, Korean Patent No. 10-1035302 does not provide a method for sharing a file between users formed as a group through a messenger, and does not solve problems, such as, overload in a network and an increase in complexity of a group activity process for a shared file, even though the technology disclosed is combined with the messenger.
Therefore, a method for effectively sharing a file between group chatterers of a messenger and a method for effectively controlling a group activity for a shared file would be useful.

Group messaging system and method for providing file sharing through bidirectional interlock with a cloud server


A honeycomb core panel structure for use for instance as a lining or roofing in an automobile. The panel structure has cavities or pockets for receiving lamps or other fittings and includes an upper support plate member, a lower support plate member and an intermediate support plate member interposed between the upper and lower plate members and defining a bottom wall of each pocket. The lower support plate member has reinforcing extensions extending a predetermined distance into the region of the pockets.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to structural wall materials, particularly a honeycomb panel structure having pockets for receiving lamps and the like and a method of making the same.
2. Prior Art
Honeycomb cores have heretofore found extensive application for their inherent advantages of being light-weight and high mechanical strength. Typically, panel or board members comprised of honeycomb cores made of aluminum, steel or other core materials have been widely used for instance as a lining in the interior of an automobile which is provided with cavities or pockets for receiving lamps or other fittings.
A conventional form of such honeycomb panels or boards is shown in FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings in which a web of honeycomb core 100 is covered on both sides adhesively with surfacing plate members 101 and 102. The upper plate member 101 extends linearly throughout the length of the web across the region of pockets 103 formed at predetermined positions and intervals. The lower plate member 102 extends linearly over pocket-free straight surface regions Xa, Xa but is bent to run in conformity with the configuration of each pocket 103 having a length Xb. This prior art device has a drawback in that its fabrication is complicated and time-consuming and further in that the corner region C of the pocket 103 is susceptible to localized stresses.


A rigid polyvinyl chloride pipe comprises a strip member A that comprises a rigid polyvinyl chloride strip 1 with a U-shaped cross section consisting of an intermediate portion 1a of a predetermined width having a generally flat surface on at least one lateral side and two ribs 1b that extend from opposite sides of the intermediate portion 1a in a generally perpendicular direction with respect to the intermediate portion, with a layer of flexible synthetic resin 2 highly fusible to the rigid polyvinyl chloride resin being fused integrally to substantially the entire outer surface of the lateral side of both ribs 1b. The strip member A is wound spirally to be positioned in such a way that the U-shaped concave portion 3 of the rigid strip 1 is open radially outward and that the flexible synthetic resin layer 2 is interposed between the mating surfaces of two adjacent ribs 1b so that the ribs 1b are fused together by means of the flexible synthetic resin layer 2 in such a way that the width (w) of the flexible synthetic resin layer 2 is generally equal to or smaller than the width (W) of the ribs 1b as they are joined together.

This invention relates to a rigid polyvinyl chloride pipe having smooth inner peripheral surfaces, more particularly, to a pipe having a structure adapted for large-diameter design.
Conventional rigid polyvinyl chloride pipes are produced by extrusion molding and they have smooth inner and outer surfaces with uniformity in wall thickness along the entire length. Such "straight" rigid polyvinyl chloride pipes having various advantages including fairly good weather resistance due to the nature of the constituent material, easy availability of the material and ease in manufacture. Because of these advantages, the pipes have been produced and sold on the market in large quantities for many years. However, most of the commercially available straight, rigid polyvinyl chloride pipes are small in diameter.
In spite of their small diameter, the conventional straight, rigid polyvinyl chloride pipes have to be formed in comparatively large wall thickness in order to satisfy the requirements for high resistance to pressure and impact. To this end, the resin material must be used in a large quantity but then not only does the pipe weight increase but also the increase in production cost is inevitable. Further, if one wants to produce a pressure-resistant straight pipe of large diameter, the wall thickness must be increased but, again the increase in the use of resin material, the pipe weight and production cost is inevitable. As long as the straight geometry is adopted, it has been impossible to eliminate those disadvantages from the conventional straight pipes.
There is another problem that is peculiar to rigid polyvinyl chloride; that is, two sheets of rigid polyvinyl chloride cannot be completely bonded together even if they are molten and the joint will easily delaminate or separate.


A caked grain breaker for separating caked grain particles in a storage bin. The device includes a top grate for positioning above the opening in the bin floor. The top grate has a plurality of apertures therethrough for permitting passage of grain through the top grate. A plurality of spikes for breaking apart caked grain are upwardly extended from the top grate. A plurality of telescopic legs are downwardly depended from the top grate for supporting the top grate above the bin floor. A fluidic piston-cylinder actuator is provided in each of the legs so that each fluidic piston-cylinder actuator extends its associated leg when the fluidic piston-cylinder is extended.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for breaking apart caked grain and more particularly pertains to a new caked grain breaker for separating caked grain particles in a storage bin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of devices for breaking apart caked grain is known in the prior art. More specifically, devices for breaking apart caked grain heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,478; U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,706; U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,706; U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,307; U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,304; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,756.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new caked grain breaker. The inventive device includes a top grate for positioning above the opening in the bin floor. The top grate has a plurality of apertures therethrough for permitting passage of grain through the top grate. A plurality of spikes for breaking apart caked grain are upwardly extended from the top grate. A plurality of telescopic legs are downwardly depended from the top grate for supporting the top grate above the bin floor. A fluidic piston-cylinder actuator is provided in each of the legs so that each fluidic piston-cylinder actuator extends its associated leg when the fluidic piston-cylinder is extended.
In these respects, the caked grain breaker according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of separating caked grain particles in a storage bin.


An electrical distribution system is provided for selectively connecting an electrical power source to load devices comprising a panel and a plurality of switching devices mounted in the panel. Each switching device is electrically connectable between an electrical power source and a load device for selectively delivering electrical power to the load device. A control system controls operation of the switching devices. The control system comprises a programmed controller for commanding operation of the switching devices. The control system includes analog ports for selectively controlling analog load devices.

Circuit breaker panels are used to protect electrical circuitry from damage due to an overcurrent condition, such as an overload, a relatively high level short circuit, or a ground fault condition. To perform that function, circuit breaker panels include circuit breakers that typically contain a switch unit and a trip unit. The switch unit is coupled to the electrical circuitry (i.e., lines and loads) such that it can open or close the electrical path of the electrical circuitry. The switch unit includes a pair of separable contacts per phase, a pivoting contact arm per phase, an operating mechanism, and an operating handle.
In the overcurrent condition, all the pairs of separable contacts are disengaged or tripped, opening the electrical circuitry. When the overcurrent condition is no longer present, the circuit breaker can be reset such that all the pairs of separable contacts are engaged, closing the electrical circuitry.
In addition to manual overcurrent protection via the operating handle, automatic overcurrent protection is also provided via the trip unit. The trip unit, coupled to the switch unit, senses the electrical circuitry for the overcurrent condition and automatically trips the circuit breaker. When the overcurrent condition is sensed, a tripping mechanism included in the trip unit actuates the operating mechanism, thereby disengaging the first contact from the second contact for each phase. Typically, the operating handle is coupled to the operating mechanism such that when the tripping mechanism actuates the operating mechanism to separate the contacts, the operating handle also moves to a tripped position.
Switchgear and switchboard are general terms used to refer to electrical equipment including metal enclosures that house switching and interrupting devices such as fuses, circuit breakers and relays, along with associated control, instrumentation and metering devices. The enclosures also typically include devices such as bus bars, inner connections and supporting structures (referred to generally herein as "panels") used for the distribution of electrical power. Such electrical equipment can be maintained in a building such as a factory or commercial establishment, or it can be maintained outside of such facilities and exposed to environmental weather conditions. Typically, hinge doors or covers are provided on the front of the switchgear or switchboard sections for access to the devices contained therein.
In addition to electrical distribution and the protection of circuitry from overcurrent conditions, components have been added to panels for the control of electrical power to loads connected to circuit breakers. For example, components have been used to control electrical power for lighting.
One system used for controlling electrical power to loads utilizes a remote-operated circuit breaker system. In such a system, the switch unit of the circuit breaker operates not only in response to an overcurrent condition, but also in response to a signal received from a control unit separate from the circuit breaker. The circuit breaker is specially constructed for use as a remote-operated circuit breaker, and contains a motor for actuating the switch unit.
In an exemplary remote-operated circuit breaker system, a control unit is installed on the panel and is hard-wired to the remote-operated circuit breaker through a control bus. When the switch unit of the circuit breaker is to be closed or opened, an operating current is applied to or removed from the circuit breaker motor directly by the control panel. Additional, separate conductors are provided in the bus for feedback information such as contact confirmation, etc., for each circuit breaker position in the panel. The control unit contains electronics for separately applying and removing the operating current to the circuit breakers installed in particular circuit breaker positions in the panel. The panel control unit also has electronics for checking the state of the circuit breaker, diagnostics, etc. One advantage of that system is that the individual circuit breakers can be addressed according to their positions in the panel.
As is apparent, the intended function of a power distribution system of the type disclosed is to switch loads on or off. For example, in a lighting control panel, the system can be used to automatically control lighting loads according to desired schedules. However, there is no capability to provide enhanced control features other than basic on/off functions. Instead, a user is required to add separate devices for alternative control functionality, such as dimming of lighting loads.
The present invention is directed to further improvements in electrical distribution panels.

Integrated lighting control panel with analog inputs/outputs


An embodiment of the present invention is a plasma system that comprises a main coil with a flattened side and a capacitor in parallel that form a tuned circuit with radio frequency energy coupled to it through a radio frequency match by a generator. A process chamber with a quartz window and containing a low pressure gas is adjacent to the flat side of the main coil and a two-dimensional planar plasma in the shape of a circular disk is ignited and maintained by a high rate of change of the current flowing in the main coil. An electrode positioned in the chamber opposite to the window is used for attaching a semiconductor wafer for processing and a potential applied to the electrode independently controls the ion energy of ions attracted and accelerated out of the plasma.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for producing low pressure plasmas. More particularly, it relates to equipment for producing highly uniform planar plasmas which can be used for treating semiconductor wafers in low pressure processing equipment.
Plasma generation is useful in a variety of semiconductor fabrication processes including etching, deposition, ion implantation and the like. Plasmas are generally produced in a low pressure gas by accelerating naturally occurring free electrons in the gas to the gas ionization energy, typically between five and twenty electron volts. Collisions between these energetic electrons and the gas molecules occasionally cause a molecule to be ionized, releasing an additional free electron. Each additional free electron is also accelerated and can also ionize gas molecules. The resultant partially ionized gas is called a plasma.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most matter typically exists in one of four phases: solid, liquid, gas and plasma. Super hot plasmas are used in gas chromatographs to break down samples that have been injected so that they produce characteristic spectrums of light for analysis, and in semiconductor processing equipment to etch material away from a wafer. Plasma based semiconductor equipment also includes deposition processes, resist stripping and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition.
Larger and more uniform plasmas need to be generated now to keep pace with the ever increasing wafer sizes being processed. Whatever the step in the process, whether etching, depositing or implanting, the effects of the plasma typically need to be uniform across the entire surface. Present day technology includes eight inch wafer processing, and twelve inch wafer process fabrication facilities (fabs) are already being planned. The prior art equipment that was suitable for plasma etching two-inch wafers is unable to produce the uniformity that translates into maximum yields and better profits for state-of-the-art fabs.
Previous planar magnetically coupled plasma (PMCP) generating methods use a varying magnetic field generated by a planar spiral coil to generate the plasma, optionally combined with an independent radio frequency power source to accelerate the ions. This method is effective in providing independent control of flux and field with inexpensive equipment and simple operation through varying magnetic field electron acceleration. But it does not provide for uniform electron acceleration, especially near the axis of the coil. A prior art plasma etching system described by the present inventor in U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,458, issued Aug. 14, 1990, comprises a chamber with a dielectric window, such as quartz. A planar coil and capacitor combination is positioned adjacent to the window, with the axis of the coil perpendicular to the window, and a powerful radio frequency source is coupled to the coil. Power transfer is maximized by impedance matching and tuning to provide resonance at 13.56 MHz, for example. Inlet ports supply a process gas to the interior of the chamber. A varying magnetic field is induced by the coil into the process gas at power levels sufficient to create a plasma of the process gas that has a circulating flow of electrons. The electron motion is closely confined to a plane parallel to the planar coil, so transfer of kinetic energy in non-planar directions is minimal. The flow of electrons is planar, albeit annular, and therefore has an eye at the axis that has a lower energy level than the other parts of the planar plasma. The eye is unavoidable with a planar coil wound in a spiral, with the axis of the coil perpendicular to the plasma plane, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 6 and 7 of the patent.
A very common method for accelerating free electrons for plasmas in semiconductor wafer processing is to apply a radio frequency (RF) electric field between a pair of electrically conductive plates, or electrodes, on opposite sides of a process chamber that has been filled with a low pressure process gas. A wafer to be processed is typically mounted on one of these electrodes. As such, the RF electric field will accelerate electrons in the space between the electrodes with an ionization energy perpendicular to the surface of the wafer. The accelerated electrons will collide with process gas molecules, at a frequency dependent on the gas pressure. The collisions generate ions of gas which constitute the plasma. When the electrons strike the wafer, they are captured, and this results in a negative electric charge build up on the wafer. Such a charge will attract the positive ions circulating nearby in the plasma, and pull them to the wafer at high velocity. Whether the consequential ion impacts results in etching, deposition, or other effect, is a function of the type of gas generating the ions, the surface materials of the wafer, and other process conditions.
A single RF electric field will determine the levels of both the ion flux, which is the number of ions, and the ion field, which is the energy with which the ions strike the wafer. Independent control of the ion flux and field is therefore not easy to accomplish. However, some independent control of ion flux and field can be achieved by varying the gas pressure. As the gas pressure is lowered the distance between molecules increases, so electron collisions with molecules become less frequent. Since there are fewer collisions, there are fewer ions generated. Thus the ratio of ion flux to field is, in general, decreased. At pressures below approximately twenty pascals (0.15 torr), the ratio of ion flux to field becomes excessively low. Since pressures below twenty pascals are becoming increasingly important as semiconductor feature line widths decrease, the simple parallel plate method of plasma generation has recognized limitations. Several methods have been developed to circumvent the low pressure limitations of the parallel plate system.
In a magnetically enhanced plasma generation configuration, which is sometimes referred to as magnetically enhanced reactive ion etching (MERIE), a steady transverse magnetic field is used to curve the energized electron path. This increases the distance electrons must travel before they ultimately terminate in an electrode plate or wafer. While this method will increase the ion flux to field ratio, and permits a lower pressure for a given ratio, there are serious process disadvantages in having an intense transverse magnetic field so close to a wafer. This limits the lower pressure to approximately four pascals. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,668,338, and 4,668,365, issued to Maydan, et al., and Foster, et al., respectively, describe a common approach to magnetically enhanced plasma generation.
Another prior art method, called electron cyclotron resonance (ECR), uses microwaves to accelerate the free electrons that create the plasma in a carefully controlled transverse magnetic field. The magnetic field is adjusted so that the rotation frequency of an electron, as deflected by the magnetic field, is equal to the microwave frequency. The electron energy is increased through a number of microwave power cycles until it reaches the ionization energy. For a microwave frequency of 2.45 GHz, the ECR magnetic field is 875 gauss. ECR plasma generation is often combined with a separate RF power source that is applied to an electrode on which the wafer is mounted. The separate source provides for ion acceleration. The microwave power therefore independently controls the ion flux and the RF power independently controls the ion field. While this method provides independent flux and field control, and can operate at low pressure, it also requires large and expensive magnets, combined with critical adjustments, for proper operation.
Other methods, in particular inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and helical inductor resonator (Helicon), are also used for plasma generation, but each has disadvantages in terms of efficiency, the ability to generate effective low pressure plasmas, and the ability to provide independent flux and field control. For more information on this subject, U.S. Pat. No. 4,421,690, describes an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) plasma generation apparatus, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,392, describes a helical inductive resonator plasma generation configuration.
Prior art plasma generation systems are not completely satisfactory in terms of their efficiency in generating a uniform planar plasma. Independent control of ion flux and field, in a simple, inexpensive configuration with no critical adjustments, is also lacking. While the planar magnetically coupled plasma system using a planar spiral coil is capable of satisfying most of these goals, there is a discontinuity in electron acceleration at the center of the coil that is an aberration in the desired plasma uniformity. However, there are advantages in providing transverse electron acceleration through the use of controlled amount of both electric and magnetic varying fields. At pressures below approximately ten pascals, an oscillating magnetic field is generally more efficient than an oscillating electric field in coupling energy to a plasma. However, an oscillating electric field may be needed to initiate the plasma. At pressures above approximately 100 pascals, an oscillating electric field is the more efficient.
An apparatus and method for generating highly uniform plasmas within semiconductor equipment is needed to support uses in etching, deposition and ion implantation equipment. Both electric and magnetic oscillating fields for acceleration of the ionizing electrons are desirable. The apparatus should preferably include a plasma generation capability that can generate high ion flux densities over a wide pressure range with a low ion energy directed toward a wafer being processed. An independent ion acceleration capability is needed for independent control of the ion flux and field to manage the ions striking the wafer. A simplicity of adjustment and operation, efficient operation in terms of power utilization, and small size are also goals that should be realized.
Therefore, an improvement in plasma generating technology is needed. The present invention overcomes the problems traditionally associated with plasma generation.

Method and apparatus for producing low pressure planar plasma using a coil with its axis parallel to the surface of a coupling window


The present invention provides a one-liquid low temperature hardenable type colored enamel paint and a one-liquid low temperature hardenable type clear paint, which are used for coating of plastic materials and sufficiently harden even by baking at a low temperature and can form a hardened coating film that is excellent in contaminationproofing and acidproofing without damaging flexibility. The colored enamel paint comprises: resin components, which include a polyesterpolyol and an acrylic polyol; a crosslinking agent, which includes a blocked isocyanate as the essential component and may further include a melamine resin; a blocked isocyanate dissociation catalyst, which at least includes a dibutyltin dicarboxylate; and a pigment. The clear paint comprises: a resin component, which includes an acrylic polyol; the crosslinking agent; and the blocked isocyanate dissociation catalyst.

A. Technical Field
The present invention relates to respective improvements of a one-liquid low temperature hardenable type colored enamel paint and a one-liquid low temperature hardenable type clear paint, which are used for coating of car bumpers and so on, because the paints have excellent durability and waterproofing and further have softness. Colored enamel paint is mainly coated onto plastic materials such as bumpers, and the clear paint is mainly used for overcoating of a base coat layer, such as a coat layer of the colored enamel paint, as formed on a material surface.
B. Background Art
In recent years, there is a problem of acid rain as brought about by environmental contamination. Solution of this problem is especially important to cars running outdoors, and it is demanded that car paints as used for plastic materials of bumpers and so on and for steel sheets of bodies and so on all should be excellent in the acidproofing, and that coating films of the paints should not deteriorate even if acid rain adheres to their surfaces.
At present, the most commonly used car paints are those which harden by melamine-crosslinking. However, it is difficult to say that these paints have sufficient acidproofing, because the melamine resin decomposes by the action of an acid.
As to the car bumper paint, a coating film resultant therefrom needs to be soft for functions of bumpers, so the glass transition temperature of the coating film is usually set to be low. Thus, there are also problems in that when compared with the steel sheet paint, the bumper paint is easier to contaminate and more difficult to remove the contamination from. There is a possible method for improving the contaminationproofing of the bumper paint, in which the glass transition temperature of the coating film is enhanced to harden the coating film. However, such a method causes another problem in that the softness, namely, the flexibility, is so much decreased that the coating film cracks. Thus, as to the bumper paint, the contaminationproofing and the flexibility are mutually exclusive properties, and therefore it is desired to attain both properties.
Japanese Allowable Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 4-508 discloses a coating composition, comprising an acrylic resin, a polyalkylene glycol resin, an amino resin, and a blocked isocyanate, as a paint that satisfies basic performance of bumper paints. This coating composition is assumed to be capable of forming a coating film that is excellent in properties such as weatherproofing and waterproofing and has good hardness due to the combination of the polyalkylene glycol resin with the acrylic resin. However, this coating composition is not sufficient with regard to the contaminationproofing or the acidproofing. In this case, the polyalkylene glycol resin, which acts as a softener and is included in the coating composition as an essential component thereof, is considered to decrease the contaminationproofing and the acidproofing.
Japanese Patent Application Publication (Kokai) No. 1-158079 discloses a coating composition, which comprises an acrylic copolymer and a melamine resin and may further comprise a blocked isocyanate, as a bumper paint. This paint is hardened by baking at a high temperature. For car usage, thus, a method, in which a paint is coated and then the resultant coating film is hardened by baking at a high temperature, is carried out, but where materials for bumpers are plastic materials, it is demanded to bake the coating film at a low temperature of about 120.degree. C. because the plastic materials merely have low heatproofing. However, where the conventional paint as mentioned immediately above is baked at a low temperature, the hardening is insufficient, so that the contaminationproofing and the acidproofing are both low.
Although used for metals, a paint for metals of cars is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication (Kokai) No. 4-246483. This paint comprises an organic tin monocarboxylate as a blocked isocyanate dissociation catalyst. In addition, Japanese Patent Application Publication (Kokai) No. 7-258599 discloses a steel sheet paint comprising an inorganic catalyst as a blocked isocyanate dissociation catalyst. As to this paint, the inorganic catalyst is insoluble in solvents, so this paint cannot be used as a clear paint for which transparency is demanded. Similarly to the above-mentioned conventional bumper paint, where baked at a low temperature, these steel sheet paints also merely insufficiently harden and therefore provide inferior results with regard to the contaminationproofing and the acidproofing.
Thus, none of the prior arts provides a paint that sufficiently hardens even by baking at a low temperature and secures the contaminationproofing and the acidproofing. From such circumstances, it is hoped to develop a car paint that sufficiently hardens by baking at a low temperature and is excellent in the contaminationproofing and the acidproofing.

One-liquid low temperature hardenable type colored enamel paint and clear paint


Device and method are described for operational control of a knob on a stove or range. In some examples, a safety device, a sensor relay device, and method are described for automatically positioning an operational shaft of a burner to an Off position such that the power supplied to the burner is terminated upon the occurrence of a safety event.

A large number of residential and commercial fires originate in the kitchen during cooking. The stove top burner is a common source for ignition of these fires, for example, as overheated cooking oils or greases can easily ignite. The risks of a fire igniting are significantly higher during unattended use of a stove or range oven. One way to reduce damage of a fire caused by a stovetop burner is to shut off the power to the burner when the fire starts. However, if no one is present, the stove or burner cannot be manually shut off.

Automatic safety device and method for a stove


A high transconductance HFET (21) utilizes nonalloy semiconductor materials (26) to form a strained channel layer (26) that has a deep quantum well (38). The materials utilized for layers adjacent to the channel layer (26) apply strain to the channel layer (26) and create an excess of high mobility carriers in the channel layer (26). The materials also form a deep quantum well (38) that confines the high mobility carriers to the channel (26). The high mobility carriers and the high confinement provide an HFET (21) that has high transconductance, high frequency response, and sharp pinch-off characteristics.

The present invention relates, in general, to field effect transistors, and more particularly, to a novel field effect transistor that has high transconductance.
Previously, the semiconductor industry produced P-channel field effect transistors (FETs) using both metal oxide semiconductor FET (MOSFET) technology as well as heterostructure FET (HFET) technology. For both technologies, the P-channel transistor performance was inferior to the N-channel transistor. This inferior performance appeared as a P-channel transistor that had lower transconductance, lower frequency response, and inferior pinch-off characteristics than a corresponding N-channel transistor. Precision analog and high speed digital circuits often were built using complementary structures that required both N-channel and P-channel transistors. The P-channel transistor's inferior performance limited the precision that could be obtained in complementary analog circuits. In digital circuits, the P-channel transistor resulted in high gate delays and lower operating frequencies.
Previous efforts of producing improved P-channel HFETs typically employed alloys of III-V semiconductor materials, such as indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), as the channel material. In general, the alloy channel material was between adjacent layers of other III-V alloys such as aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs). One problem of these previous HFETs was alloy scattering that occurred in the alloy channel material. As carriers traveled through the alloy, the carriers collided with the non-uniform lattice structure created by the alloy. These collisions decreased the carrier mobility and resulted in low HFET transconductance. Another disadvantage of these previous HFETs was low carrier confinement. The low mole fraction (typically less than 15 percent) concentration of small band gap material, such as indium, that could be included in these alloys was insufficient to provide a deep quantum well that confined carriers to the channel material. The primary result of the low carrier confinement was an inferior pinch-off characteristic. In addition to low confinement, the low mole fraction concentration of small band gap material also resulted in low mobility. To obtain a high mobility, the previous P-channel devices typically had to be operated at low temperatures (generally 77 degrees Kelvin or below).
Accordingly, it is desirable to have P-channel field effect transistors that have high transconductance, high mobility, high frequency response, and sharp pinch-off characteristics. It is also desirable that these P-channel HFETs have high mobility at room temperature, and that they do not suffer from alloy scattering.

Method of making high transconductance heterostructure field effect transistor


Solder bumps are provided on round wafers through the use of injection molded solder. Copper pillars or ball limiting metallurgy are formed over I/O pads within the channels of a patterned mask layer. Solder is injected over the pillars or BLM, filling the channels. Molten solder can be injected in cavities formed in round wafers without leakage using a carrier assembly that accommodates wafers that have been previously subjected to mask layer deposition and patterning. One such carrier assembly includes an elastomeric body portion having a round recess, the walls of the recess forming a tight seal with the round wafer. Other carrier assemblies employ adhesives applied around the peripheral edges of the wafers to ensure sealing between the carrier assemblies and wafers.

Flip chip technology has been widely used as it allows a high I/O count, high density interconnection scheme with proven performance and reliability. Solder bumps are deposited on contact pads on chip surfaces and the chips are then flipped and positioned such that the solder bumps are aligned with matching pads of an external circuit. Solder reflow completes the interconnection process, after which underfill material is introduced to fill the spaces about the interconnections.
Flip chip interconnection assemblies have included copper pillars with solder caps. The copper pillars and solder caps may be formed by electroplating processes, which can lead to non-uniformity in the heights of the pillars and caps. Therefore, the solder volume in the pillar-cap structures may vary and compromise the ability to ensure reliable interconnections following reflow.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,386 of Inoue et al., entitled 'Method of forming bumps,' discloses wherein preformed solder balls and a tool having a large number of through-holes are used, and under the condition that the through-holes of the tool are aligned with the pads of the semiconductor device, the solder balls are charged into the through-holes, pressed to be fixed on the pads, and then reflowed to form bumps. This method also does not disclose forming bumps of uniform height on non-uniform copper pillars.

Direct injection molded solder process for forming solder bumps on wafers


A database intrusion detection system (DIDS) automatically trains itself to account for changes to the database. The DIDS monitors upstream queries sent to the database and downstream data provided in response to the queries. The DIDS classifies an upstream query as legitimate or anomalous. If the query is anomalous, the DIDS determines whether the anomaly resulted from a change in the database by performing one or more tests. One test determines whether the query references new fields or tables. Another test determines the frequency at which the query is received, and/or whether the query is received from multiple sources. A third test determines whether the query accesses sensitive information. Together, the results of these tests describe whether the query should be classified as anomalous or legitimate.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains in general to computer security and in particular to detecting database intrusion and data theft attempts.
2. Description of the Related Art
Databases are widespread in modern computing environments. Companies and other enterprises rely on databases to store both public and private data. Many enterprises provide publicly-accessible interfaces to their databases. For example, an electronic commerce web site typically includes a "search" field that accepts search terms and allows an end-user to search items for sale on the site. This search field is a publicly-accessible interface to a database that stores data describing the items for sale. Similarly, an enterprise can maintain a private database that is accessible to only employees of the enterprise.
At a technical level, many of these databases work by having a web server provide a web browser executing on the client with an HTML and/or JAVASCRIPT™-based form. The web browser displays this form on the client, and the end-user provides values for the fields in the form. The end-user performs an action, such as pressing a "Submit" button, that causes the web browser to send the entered values to the server. At this point, back-end logic at the server constructs a query to the database using the user-supplied values. This query executes on the database and the server returns the results to the client web browser.
Malicious end-users can exploit the web interface to the database to perform malicious actions such as obtaining access to confidential information. For example, in an SQL (Structured Query Language) injection attack, the attacker fills out the form using specially-crafted data. These data, when used by the server to generate a query to the database, result in a malicious query being sent to the database on behalf of the attacker.
A database intrusion detection system (DIDS) attempts to detect malicious queries. One type of DIDS works by observing legitimate database queries during a training period and generating a set of templates describing those queries. After the training period, queries that match the templates are allowed to execute while queries that do not match are treated as potentially malicious. This technique works well if the queries encountered during the training period are representative of legitimate queries, the types of queries issued on the database are relatively static, and the database itself is relatively static.
However, training a DIDS is difficult. There are often queries that run at only certain times or dates. For example, a query for generating a quarterly report might run only once every three months. These queries might not be encountered during the training period. Moreover, training the database more frequently or over longer intervals increases the risk that a malicious query will get incorporated into the set of template queries.
Further, queries and databases in the real world are rarely static. It is common for new table and fields to be added to a database. Likewise, new queries will be issued that access these new areas. The new queries will not match the template queries and, as a result, will cause the DIDS to generate false positive intrusion detections.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a way to train a DIDS and generate templates for legitimate queries that does not suffer from the deficiencies mentioned above.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Automatic training of a database intrusion detection system


A control device for controlling a fluid supplying machine. The control device includes a first handle and a second handle connected by a resilient attachment member. The resilient attachment member is configured to allow the first handle to move with respect to the second handle in response to an input from an operator. The control device further includes a sensor attached to the first handle for producing a variable control signal indicative of a distance between the first handle and the second handle.

The present invention relates to a control device for a machine that regulates fluid flow. More particularly, the control device produces a variable control signal between a preset maximum value and a minimum value, proportional to the distance between movable members to control a fluid-supplying machine.
The biomedical, chemical and food processing industries have numerous processes that require real-time fluid-flow control. These processes typically use automatic valves and variable pressure pumps controlled by a signal from a computer or human operator. In most applications using real-time control, the operator who controls the fluid-supplying machine needs accurate rate control and the ability to quickly respond to unexpected events. Satisfaction of these needs requires a control device that is located near the flow rate instrumentation and that produces either an analog control signal or a multi-bit digital control signal. The ideal control device for real-time control applications also provides an intuitive user interface that can reduce the possibility of error in an emergency situation.
The design of a mobile control device must also account for environmental concerns in addition to providing an appropriate control signal. This is a significant problem in the biomedical, chemical, and food processing industries because contaminants can ruin many of the associated products. Bacterial contamination is a particular problem for biomedical and processed food companies because their products usually require sterile conditions. These industries require constant sterilization of the control device without damaging or degrading the functional performances of the electrical and mechanical components. Furthermore, any control device used in these industries must be designed without openings that can trap contaminants between moving parts.
In addition to the contamination problem, many operations in the biomedical, chemical, and food processing industries involve the use of corrosive fluids. Control devices used in these applications must resist corrosion and must allow an operator to effectively clean all exposed surfaces. Because corrosive fluids can quickly damage electronics, a well-designed control device should also protect its electrical components.
One common control device design uses push-buttons to produce a binary control signal. However, this method will not work satisfactorily in many applications because the fluid can only flow at two predetermined rates. The addition of variable control would significantly improve this design because the fluid-supplying machine could then operate anywhere between a maximum and minimum flow rate. Adding this feature would allow a user to optimize operation of the fluid-supplying machine.
A common improvement to the push-button controller increases the number of operating states with a microprocessor. In this design, one button typically increases the fluid flow from one operating point to another. A second button decreases the flow rate, and a third button resets the machinery. An operator must press a button several times or hold down a button for several seconds to make a large change in fluid flow rate. Different implementations reduce the time necessary to move between flow rates by increasing the increment caused by each press of a button. However, this decision trades off speed of response against control accuracy. The push-button design also causes accidents because an operator can mistakenly press the wrong button in an emergency.
The controllers currently used in industry also have other flaws. For example, many of the controllers fail to seal their electronic components from the environment. This omission exposes the sensors to corrosion, increases the risk of shorting in the electrical system, and decreases the number of cleaning methods a customer can use on the control device.
The above-described control devices have all been created to control a fluid-supplying machine. However, none of these devices combines the advantages of a variable control signal with the ability to be cleaned and sterilized. These shortcomings greatly detract from the utility of existing control devices in the biomedical, chemical, and food processing industries. Therefore, a substantial need exists for a sealed control device able to provide a variable control signal to a fluid-supplying machine.

Control device for providing a variable control signal to a fluid-supplying machine