A technique for load balancing in resilient packet ring (“RPR”) networks, including wavelength division multiplex RPR (“WDMRPR”) networks is described. In one embodiment, the present technique comprises implementing on every node a QoS/BB monitor, which is common to all rings in the RPR and has knowledge of traffic performance for each class on each ring of the RPR, which information is obtained through periodic measurements or in response to failure events. This allows the monitor to vary the QoS parameters on a node, for a particular traffic class, to achieve load balancing. Likewise, the QoS/BB monitor can signal to the BB entity at higher layers to vary the BB parameters on a node for a particular class to achieve load balancing. The QoS/BB monitor enables QoS and BB parameter changes to be coordinated with one another.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to resilient packet rings ("RPRs") and wavelength division multiplex RPRs ("WDMRPRs"). More particularly, and not by way of any limitation, the present invention is directed to a load balancing technique for use in RPRs and WDMRPRs.
2. Description of Related Art
Resilient Packet Ring ("RPR") is a packet-based technology designed primarily for implementing metropolitan area networks ("MANs"). The basic topology of RPR is a dual counter-rotating ring in which both rings transport both data and control packets. WDMRPR is an RPR with more than one wavelength per ring. RPR technology includes a Medium Access Control ("MAC") mechanism that controls access to the RPR.
FIG. 1 is an example RPR network 100 consisting of five nodes, respectively designated A–E, and two rings, illustrated in FIG. 1 as an outer ring X and an inner ring Y. Each node A–E is connected to its adjacent nodes via at least two links; one on the inner ring and one on the outer ring. Links on the inner ring are designated a–e, while links on the outer ring are designated α–ε. Accordingly, nodes A and B are connected by links α and e, nodes B and C are connected by links β and d, nodes C and D are connected by links γ and c, nodes D and E are connected by links δ and b, and nodes E and A are connected by links ε and a.
Information is carried in one and only one direction on a ring, either clockwise or counter-clockwise. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the outer ring X carries data and control packets in the clockwise direction and the inner ring Y carries data and control packets in the counter-clockwise direction. Features of RPR include spatial reuse and destination stripping, fast protection, media independent MAC, support for layer 2 devices (e.g., Ethernet switches) and layer 3 devices (e.g., routers). RPR operates as a distributed switch at layer 2. Alternatives to RPR include SONET/SDH rings and Ethernet switches. The former, implemented with routers, is expensive and inefficient for dynamic traffic patterns; however, it provides efficient protection. The latter offers no protection bandwidth or fairness, but does provide efficient bandwidth utilization. Moreover, in contrast to layer 3 devices, RPR has ring awareness. RPR, therefore, is intended to embody the best features of both SONET and Ethernet switches, that is, bandwidth efficiency, fairness, and fast protection. To realize these features, the RPR should provide a basic ring access mechanism, additional mechanisms to provide satisfactory performance for traffic transiting the ring, and appropriate protection features.
Several RPR terms and concepts will now be defined. Referring again to FIG. 1, assume that traffic destined for node D enters the ring at node A and passes through nodes B and C. Node A is referred to as the "ingress node", node D is referred to as the "egress node", and nodes B and C are referred to as "intermediate nodes." As previously noted, the fiber connecting two nodes is referred to as a "link". In WDMRPR, a wavelength between two nodes is referred to as a link. From the perspective of nodes B and C, traffic from node A is "ring traffic". Traffic entering node B or C is referred to as "tributary traffic," with respect to node A traffic.
At the ingress node, as soon as a flow is admitted to the RPR, an RPR header is created and attached to every packet within the flow. The RPR header contains a Class of Service ("CoS") marking, a preemption bit, a ring identifier, and a destination MAC address. Each intermediate node will examine the incoming packet and perform an address lookup. If the packet is destined for the current node, it is taken off the ring at that node. If it is destined for some other node, it is placed back on to the ring.
One problem inherent in RPR architecture is the problem of load imbalance between two or more rings or wavelengths. Hereinafter, unless otherwise explicitly specified, the term "rings" will be deemed to encompass both rings and wavelengths. Load imbalance results from excessive traffic on one ring, as compared to little traffic on another ring. In an RPR with two rings, there are only two options for sending traffic from one node to another node, either on one ring or on the other. In such cases, traffic is typically sent on the ring with the fewest hops. This may result in a situation where a lot of traffic travels from one node to another on only one ring, because the ring has fewer hops as compared to the other ring.
Additionally, because RPR employs destination stripping, certain segments on one ring are typically more heavily loaded as compared to other segments on the same ring. Also, certain segments on one ring may be much more heavily loaded as compared to segments on the other ring.
As previously indicated, load imbalance may be defined as the concurrent overutilization of capacity on one or more links in the RPR and the underutilization of capacity of other links in the RPR. Load imbalance can be illustrated as follows. Referring again to FIG. 1, traffic going from node A to node B can travel either on the outer ring, via link α, or on the inner ring via links a, b, c, and d. For obvious reasons, traffic will tend to take the link α, since it is the more direct route. In the absence of any other traffic on the RPR, the link α will be overutilized, while the other links will be underutilized. The solution is to "load balance" the traffic between the links so that packets of a given class will experience approximately the same delay regardless of what the shortest path is.
Thus, traffic going from one node to another experiences varying amounts of delay depending on how many and which heavily loaded segments it traverses. Since traffic performance is judged by total end-to-end delay, the traffic performance (delay, dropped packets, etc.) on one ring may be significantly worse than the traffic performance on the other ring for a single class of service. This results in congestion on one ring versus unused capacity on the other ring and therefore requires load balancing.
Load balancing in RPR involves two functions: (a) diverting incoming flows from more heavily loaded rings to alternate paths on other rings, where they will likely experience more hops, but better performance, due to less traffic; and (b) improving the performance of existing traffic on the heavily loaded ring. Perfect load balancing in RPR, for all classes, between all pairs of nodes, is challenging due to the ring structure and destination stripping features of RPR. Load balancing performed for one pair of nodes for one class may result in traffic redistribution that might necessitate load balancing between another pair of nodes for the same or different traffic class. Dynamic traffic patterns and time-dependent flow arrivals and departures also complicate load balancing in RPR.
Prior art for load balancing traffic in multiple rings (or wavelengths) of RPR is currently not known to exist. Prior art for changing quality of service ("QoS") parameters of various classes relative to one another is inadequate to help divert traffic to alternate paths on multiple rings. Prior art to change the token bucket ("TB") parameters, including peak data rate and maximum burst size, for aggregate traffic flows does not allow the behavior of traffic classes to be changed relative to one another. While it may be adequate to reduce congestion in a network, it is inadequate to implement load balancing between rings in an RPR. Finally, all known prior art is restricted to only TB parameters and does not consider the interaction between the bandwidth broker ("BB") parameters, which include allocated bandwidth, available bandwidth, and used bandwidth, and the QoS parameters, which include the TB parameters as well as the class based queuing ("CBQ") parameters.

Load balancing technique for a resilient packet ring


The present invention is directed to a method of wrapping products in films, including the steps of: positioning the products on a first sheet of film which is continuously advanced in one transport direction; covering the products with a second sheet of film, which is continuously advanced in the transport direction and which is aligned plane-parallel to the first sheet of film; ultrasonically welding the first and second films on the outer edges of the products in each case and ultrasonically separating the overlapping films at selected positions; separating the wrapped products or groups of wrapped products.

Products, especially confectionery such as sweets, chocolates, etc., are conventionally wrapped in wrapping paper. This involves the disadvantage that the product is not wrapped hermetically until the time of consumption.
It is also known to wrap products in films which are plasticized and welded by the application of heat. As a consequence of the heating effect, there is a risk that the product could be affected as well and that it could melt, at least in parts.
Sensitive products are conventionally wrapped by bonding films together. This is relatively complicated, especially because the adhesive has to be applied thinly and evenly to the bonding sites. Furthermore, the adherents are relatively large.
The object of the invention was therefore to provide an improved method and an improved device for wrapping products in films, in order in particular to make economical mass production possible and to obtain hermetically wrapped products.

Method and device for packing products in films and film-packed product


An improved apparatus for separating chaff from coffee and cocoa beans is designed for use in combination with either the hot air blowing base of the common household consumer appliance, the electrical popcorn popper or the larger volume coffee roasters. The apparatus comprises a hopper having an open top, an open bottom mountable over the hot air blowing base of the popper for roasting beans, at least one exhaust gas outlet, a transparent or translucent lid for covering the top and allowing the user to observe the color of the roasting beans and a screen mounted over the exhaust gas outlet. The screen is coated with a material that causes its surface to become electrostatically charged during the bean roasting process. In addition, a protective outer coating is deposited to completely cover the dielectric material to prevent this material from being destructively removed or electrochemically altered by the chemicals in cleaners for the lid. The chaff from the beans becomes separated during the roasting process and then is entrained in the exhaust gases which pass upward from the hot air blowing base for roasting the beans and through the open bottom. The chaff is collected on the electrostatically charged screen and is easily removed after the roasting process.

The chaff separating device of the '783 patent, the pertinent portions of which are incorporated by reference herein, is designed for use in combination with the hot air blowing base of the common household consumer appliance, the electrical popcorn popper, to serve as the bean roaster. The device of the '783 patent contains a specially treated screen over the exhaust gas outlet. Specifically, the screen is coated with a mixture of materials to cause the surface of the screen to become electrostatically charged during the bean roasting process. The chaff that becomes separated from the beans during the roasting process is entrained in the exhaust gases and is collected on the electrostatically charged screen. After the chaff separating device had been introduced into the market, some users found the screen was no longer able to maintain the electrostatic charge. This problem was noted with users that repeatedly cleaned the device after each roasting batch using the low alcohol glass cleaners currently being sold to meet stricter environmental controls. After from about three to five roasting batches, the chaff did not adhere to the screen to enable the user to easily separate the chaff by shaking the device over a waste receptacle. It is theorized that the window cleaners commonly found on the market after 1995 contain electrical conductive chemicals which become absorbed by the bi-polar dielectric materials used to coat the screen. The resulting combination of chemicals from the cleaner and the dielectric material are slowly removed by the high heat, i.e. temperatures of above about 400.degree. F. generated by the bean roasters.

Apparatus and method for separating chaff and roasting coffee and cocoa beans


A device for producing a tubular pack which is filled with a product, particularly with a foodstuff, comprises a conveying device for conveying a tube filled with the product. A closing device is provided for producing tubular packs. This closing device comprises pinching elements, which can be moved toward one another and which serve to press a closing clasp together that closes the tube. According to the invention, the closing device comprises at least three pinching elements that can be displaced by a displacing element. This results in the exertion of pinching forces, which are directed in a radially inward manner, by the pinching elements onto the closing clasp.

Conventionally, tubular packs are filled with the respective product and closed with a closing clasp of metal at regular intervals. The tubular pack is an endless material so that the closing clasps are arranged such that between two successive closing clasps, a tubular pack filled with a product and an empty tubular section are alternately configured. To produce a single tubular pack filled with a product, the tubular pack is separated by cutting in the empty section after it has been closed with closing clasps.
A device for producing tubular packs filled with a foodstuff is described in DE 40 11 470 A1. For closing the individual tubular packs, closing clasps consisting of a flat metal piece are used. The metal piece, which is rectangular in the non-deformed state, is laid about the filled tubular pack and closed by a closing device. By means of the closing device, the closing clasp is bent and pressed together from two sides so that a flat closing clasp is created. The ends of the closing clasp overlap each other to avoid that the product in the tubular pack escapes. Thus, the closing clasp known from DE 40 11 470 A1 is substantially rectangular in the closed state, the force required for closing being exerted upon the tubular pack by the two opposite longer sides.
Such closing clasps suffer from the disadvantage that tightness problems do often occur, particularly because of the ends of the closing clasps overlapping each other. This leads to the fact that the products do not keep well and the products have to be stored in refrigerating shelves. Another disadvantage consists in that the described device is only able to process closing clasps of a certain size. This results in that only tubular packs within a small diameter range can be processed. The processable dimensional variations are very small. Further, it is difficult to process different packaging materials if they differ in material thickness and thus, a different amount of material appears in the bundled state at that site where the closing clasp is arranged. This leads to tightness problems very often. To be able to process different tubular packs by this device, high modification efforts are required.
It is an object of the invention to provide a device for producing tubular packs that are filled with a product, by means of which different tubular packs can be closed. Further, it is an object of the invention to provide a corresponding method.

Device and method for producing tubular packs that are filled with a product


In one embodiment, methods for making semiconductor devices are disclosed.

The present application relates, in general, to electronics, and more particularly, to methods of forming packaging structure for semiconductor devices.
The semiconductor industry typically utilizes various methods and structures to form packages that encapsulate a semiconductor die and provide leads for electrically connecting to the semiconductor die. In one type of semiconductor package, the semiconductor die is mounted between a lead frame and a clip. The lower lead frame has a continuous flat surface on which the die is mounted then a clip is used to complete the electrical circuit on the top of the die. This configuration may provide inaccurate positioning of the semiconductor die to the lower lead frame. In addition, the same inaccurate positioning can occur with the clip. During mounting of both the die and clip, solder paste is typically used between the die to lead frame and clip to die. During reflow, both the die and clip may move, drift, tilt, and/or rotate, which can lower the quality and performance of the semiconductor device.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have techniques for mounting a semiconductor die that can reduce or eliminate drifting, tilting, or rotation. It is also desirable to have techniques for mounting different semiconductor dies using the same lead frame design.
For simplicity and clarity of the illustration, elements in the figures are not necessarily to scale, and the same reference numbers in different figures denote the same elements. Additionally, descriptions and details of well-known steps and elements are omitted for simplicity of the description. As used herein current carrying electrode means an element of a device that carries current through the device such as a source or a drain of an MOS transistor or an emitter or a collector of a bipolar transistor or a cathode or anode of a diode, and a control electrode means an element of the device that controls current through the device such as a gate of an MOS transistor or a base of a bipolar transistor. Although the devices are explained herein as certain N-channel or P-Channel devices, or certain N-type of P-type doped regions, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that complementary devices are also possible in accordance with the present invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the words during, while, and when as used herein are not exact terms that mean an action takes place instantly upon an initiating action but that there may be some small but reasonable delay, such as a propagation delay, between the reaction that is initiated by the initial action. The use of the word approximately or substantially means that a value of element has a parameter that is expected to be very close to a stated value or position. However, as is well known in the art there are always minor variances that prevent the values or positions from being exactly as stated. It is well established in the art that variances of up to about ten percent (10%) (and up to twenty percent (20%) for semiconductor doping concentrations) are regarded as reasonable variances from the ideal goal of exactly as described. For clarity of the drawings, doped regions of device structures are illustrated as having generally straight line edges and precise angular corners. However, those skilled in the art understand that due to the diffusion and activation of dopants the edges of doped regions generally may not be straight lines and the corners may not be precise angles.

Semiconductor devices and methods of making the same

SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC


A process is provided for manufacture of branched carboxylic acids from branched olefins by means of reaction with carbon monoxide and a solid acid catalyst. In this process, a branched olefin, or a precursor thereof, is reacted in continuously backmixed reactor, with continuously supplied carbon monoxide and water, while continuously an effluent is withdrawn comprising branched carboxylic acid, non-converted olefin, carbon monoxide and water, in the presence of an acidic ion exchanger, having sufficient acid groups to provide requisite protons for conversion of the olefin or a precursor of it, and carbon monoxide into branched carboxylic acids.

The up to now available processes are characterized by the fact that no solid acid catalyst could be used, unless the catalyst is operated under unattractively severe conditions or unless the catalyst is combined with corrosive Lewis acid cocatalyst or unless the catalyst is used in a non-aqueous reaction system.
In particular from International Application WO 96/20154 a process is known for production of trialkylacetic acids from branched olefins and carbon monoxide in a non-aqueous reaction system using a solid resin catalyst comprising a cationic resin, having sufficient acid groups to provide requisite protons for conversion of branched olefin and carbon monoxide to trialkylacetic acids.
In particular the cationic resin was specified to have an acidity of at least equivalent to that of a 65 wt % sulphuric acid.
It will be appreciated by an average person skilled in the art that the process can only be performed in two steps, in the first step of which stoichiometric amounts of branched olefin and water will not lead to the desired products in an acceptable yield. Moreover, the process cannot produce more than 1 mole of converted olefin per mole active proton on the solid catalyst in one cycle of two steps.
In WO 92/18592 a process is suggested for manufacture of trialkylacetic acids and particularly of pivalic acid, from branched olefins and particularly isobutene, and carbon monoxide, using a solid acid catalyst together with minor amounts of a Lewis acid, such as boron trifluoride.
EP-A-0249976 suggests a process for the manufacture of branched carboxylic acids, by catalytic conversion of olefins with carbon monoxide and water in the presence of zeoliths as catalysts at temperatures of from 200 to 500.degree. C. and at pressures of 200 to 700 bar.
More in particular zeoliths of the pentasil type are used as catalysts. According to the exemplified embodiments only high temperatures (300.degree. C.) and pressures (300-500 bar) are used.
It will be appreciated that the disclosed reaction conditions will give rise to higher operation costs due to required measures as to safety and environment.
Therefore there is still a strong need for further improvement of the manufacturing process of branched carboxylic acids, starting from branched olefins and carbon monoxide.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved manufacturing process for branched carboxylic acids, which process uses relatively mild conditions on the one hand and which shows high conversion and high selectivity to branched acids on the other hand.

Process for the manufacture of carboxylic acids


A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for generating a hardware interrupt to the operating system in response to detecting a presence of the event in the platform. The event is stored in a partition queue associated with a partition firmware in response to the presence of the event. The event is identified in the partition queue, in response to receiving a request to check the hardware interrupt in the partition firmware. The event is processed in response to identifying the event.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and in particular to a method and apparatus for processing data. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method, apparatus, and computer instructions for responding to events.
2. Description of Related Art
Increasingly large symmetric multi-processor data processing systems, such as IBM eServer P690, available from International Business Machines Corporation, DHP9000 Superdome Enterprise Server, available from Hewlett-Packard Company, and the Sunfire 15K server, available from Sun Microsystems, Inc. are not being used as single large data processing systems. Instead, these types of data processing systems are being partitioned and used as smaller systems. A partitioned functionality within a data processing system allows multiple copies of a single operating system or multiple heterogeneous operating systems to be simultaneously run on a single data processing system platform. Partitioning of a data processing system may be physical and/or logical. A partition, within which an operating system image runs, is assigned a non-overlapping subset of the platforms resources. These platform allocatable resources include one or more architecturally distinct processors with their interrupt management area, regions of system memory, and input/output (I/O) adapter bus slots. The partition's resources are represented by the platform's firmware to the operating system image.
Each distinct operation system or image of an operating system running within a platform is protected from each other such that software errors on one logical partition cannot affect the correct operations of any of the other partitions. This protection is provided by allocating a disjointed set of platform resources to be directly managed by each operating system image and by providing mechanisms for insuring that the various images cannot control any resources that have not been allocated to that image. Furthermore, software errors in the control of an operating system's allocated resources are prevented from affecting the resources of any other image. Thus, each image of the operating system or each different operating system directly controls a distinct set of allocatable resources within the platform. With respect to hardware resources in a logical partitioned data processing system, these resources are disjointly shared among various partitions. These resources may include, for example, input/output (I/O) adapters, memory DIMMs, non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), and hard disk drives. Each partition within an LPAR data processing system may be booted and shut down over and over without having to power-cycle the entire data processing system.
In a logical partitioned data processing system, a number of scenarios or instances may occur in which the platform firmware and hardware need to inform the operating systems or the partition firmware of critical platform events that are abstracted from the partition. Examples of critical platform events include a loss of power, a low battery, a system bus failure, or a high temperature that a result in damage to components in the logical partitioned data processing system.
In current architectures, the platform firmware is unable to directly call an operating system or partition firmware within the logical partitioned data processing system. Runtime partition firmware is a passive layer of software that can only be invoked by the operating system. Although some hardware owned by the partition may seek immediate service by interrupting the device driver for the hardware, platform hardware is present that is abstracted from the partition and cannot communicate directly with the operating system.
One mechanism used to detect events in the platform relies on the operating system periodically polling the partition firmware to identify new events occurring in the platform. This approach is inadequate when an immediate response to an event is needed. For example, storage servers are required to respond immediately to power conditions and other events that could cause data corruption or data loss. Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions for enabling a partition to respond to events generated by platform hardware.

Method and apparatus for responding to critical abstracted platform events in a data processing system


A terminal can play back song or video information in real time without downloading it, and thus restrictions on the hardware of the terminal are reduced and a large amount of music can be listened to anytime and anywhere. Also, the user can listen to music more cheaply than if it was downloaded, and copyright problems are reduced. Further, the terminal is charged based on the playback time or the amount of information. Accordingly, when the user stops playback because he or she does not like a song, the price is less than it is when the user listens to the song to the end, and thus the user can feel free to use this service.

The present invention relates to an information providing method and an information providing system for providing music or video information, for example, through the Internet.
With the development of an Internet-related technique, music information and so on has been provided to users through the Internet by using various methods. Among them, the following are two main methods:    1. Charge-free and short-time audition or playback of music as a promotion    2. Paid distribution by downloading
Users can obtain music information by, for example, paid distribution by downloading, and do not need to go to a store. Therefore, increased convenience can be realized.
In the charge-free and short-time audition, however, users can listen to music only for a short time and they cannot always listen to a desired song. Also, in the playback as a promotion, users cannot always listen to a desired song, as in the short-time audition.
On the other hand, in the paid distribution by downloading, more songs are provided than in a short-time audition and a promotion, and a desired song is more likely to be provided. However, this service is expensive and users may have second thoughts.
In such a situation, the Internet cannot be used adequately and copyright holders of music cannot obtain sufficient income.

Information providing method and information providing system


A generally flat, fabric bag to hold a quantity of dried Indian corn. The Indian corn can be heated in a microwave oven. Once heated, the corn holds a large quantity of heat and can produce heating for several hours. The corn can also be cooled in a freezer to produce hours of cooling therapy, if desired. The fabric bag not only holds the corn, but also acts a thermal shield to protect the user from excessive temperatures produced by the corn.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to heating pads and particularly to heating pads using a fungible heating element.
2. Description of Related Art
Heating pads have been used for years to warm the body during cold weather and to help soothe sore muscles or joints after heavy work or exercise. Ice has also been used as a way of preventing inflammation and swelling of injured areas of a body. Recent developments in gel technology have produced a gel pack that can be heated in a microwave oven, or cooled in a freezer. This type of pack, however, must be wrapped in a towel before use, as direct contact with the skin can cause injury to the user. Moreover, the gel packs do not provide lasting heat. Finally, the gel packs can crack or break open. Once the plastic container has failed, the gel pack is useless as the gel cannot be contained.
As mentioned above, the gel packs must be used with a towel or other covering to prevent injury. It is also a good idea to use some type of wrap to place and hold the gel pack in place. A gel pack by itself, for example, cannot be wrapped around a knee or ankle without an external wrap or band to secure it in place.
Besides gel packs, traditional heating pads are also available. These pads are typically powered by electricity are not portable. Moreover, these pads cannot be chilled to provide cold therapy if such therapy is needed.


A pixel matrix printer 10 scales a pixel input image into a dot matrix output image printed on paper 10R by selectively depositing discrete pixel toner units onto the paper. A toner source array 12A carried by mounting head 12H is responsive to the input image to selectively deposit the discrete toner units. The toner source array has N uniformly spaced toner sources extending along an array axis which forms a known cant relative to the advance direction. A pixel scanner mechanism provides a scanning relative motion between the toner source array and the paper along the scan direction. Each scan cycle forms a raster of N matrix rows as the toner units are deposited. Successive cycles form successive rasters in registration with the paper advance collectively forming the output image on paper 10R. A raster advance mechanism provides advance relative motion between the toner source array and the paper along the advance direction.

Heretofore printing heads were mounted in alignment with the direction of travel of the paper in order to maintain the vertical attribute of the input font. The output matrix format normally included all of the pixel rows and columns as the input matrix format. However, sometimes the height of the matrix format was reduced by eliminating entire rows of pixels. For instance, by international convention, group 4 facsimile transmission (FAX) is formatted at 400 dpi (dots per inch) by 400 dpi (or other multiples of 100), and printed 400 scanlines per inch at a pixel density of 400 pixels per inch within each scanline. However, plain paper FAX machines may employ standard dot-matrix printers with a single column of individual dot-forming structures such as ink nozzles or dot-pins formatted at 360 dpi by 360 dpi. This 360 by 360 format presents a 11% pixel mismatch with the 400 dpi of group 4, which if unresolved would cause the characters printed by the receiving FAX machine to be approximately 11% larger than the characters on the document transmitted. Faxing a standard 8.5" by 11" letter would require a non-standard 9.4" by 12.2" printout sheet. Heretofore this print density problem was resolved by increasing the horizontal scan dpi to produce 400 dpi horizontal printing, plus deleting every tenth scanline causing 400 transmitted scanlines to be printed as only 360 scanlines. The resulting loss of data produced a visible aberration in the image with a corresponding loss of print quality.

Matrix printer with canted printing head


Power control circuitry and method for controlling a variable output DC power source. The power control circuitry may comprise a first comparator to compare a signal representative of an output current level of the variable output DC power source with a threshold level and provide a first output signal in response to the comparison. The power control circuitry may further comprise threshold input circuitry to provide the threshold level to the first comparator, the threshold level being a fixed threshold level if an output voltage of the variable output DC power source is less than or equal to a first fixed voltage level, the threshold level being a variable threshold level if the output voltage is greater than the first fixed voltage level.

A variety of electronic devices such as cell phones, laptop computers, and personal digital assistants to name only a few, may be powered by one or more variable output DC power sources. A variable output DC power source may accept an unregulated input voltage and provide a variable output DC voltage and output current to a load of the electronic device. The unregulated input voltage may be an alternating current (AC) or DC input voltage.
Like other power supply sources, the variable output DC power source may be capable of providing a maximum output power to the load. At any time, the actual output power can be expressed as the product of the output voltage and output current. The instantaneous values of the output voltage/current of the variable output DC power source may be controlled by one or more control signals. These control signals may be provided according to a power management algorithm and may be the result of a set of sensing signal processing performed by power control circuitry. Other limitations may be imposed on the instantaneous output voltage/current of the variable output DC power source, but for clarity and simplicity, analysis herein is directed to the output power limiting features of the power control circuitry. Hence, if other limitations are not imposed, as the output voltage is reduced the output current can be increased as long as the product of the output voltage and output current is less than the maximum output power. Similarly, as the output current is reduced the output voltage can be increased as long as the product of the output current and output voltage is less than the maximum output power.
However, since power control circuits are relatively complicated and expensive, a conventional power control circuit limits the output current to a fixed maximum current level and limits the output voltage to a fixed maximum voltage level. The fixed maximum current and voltage levels are designed so that the product of each is at most equal to the maximum output power. Although a simple approach, this conventional power control circuit significantly reduces the safe operation region of the variable output DC power source.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended that the claimed subject matter be viewed broadly.

Method circuitry and electronic device for controlling a variable output dc power source


A spin-valve transistor has an emitter, a base including a spin-valve film in which two magnetic layers are stacked with interposing a nonmagnetic layer between the two magnetic layers, and a collector, the spin-valve film having a stacked structure of M/A/Mxe2x80x2 or M/B/Mxe2x80x2 and the spin-valve film being (100)-oriented, where each of M and Mxe2x80x2 includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni and an alloy including Fe, Co, Ni, A includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, Pt, Cu and Al, and B includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of Cr and Mn.

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-200133, filed Jun. 30, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spin-valve transistor, which can be suitably employed, for example, in a magnetic head for reading high-density magnetic recording and in a high-density memory device such as a magnetic RAM (MRAM) and a magnetic ROM (MROM).
2. Description of the Related Art
Highly increased density and velocity of magnetic recording in recent years can be mainly attributed to progress in magnetic recording apparatuses, in particular, to progress in magnetic heads used for writing and reading of magnetic recording as well as to improvement in magnetic recording media. As the magnetic recording medium is increasingly reduced in size and improved in capacity, a relative velocity between the magnetic recording medium and the magnetic reading head is decreased correspondingly. In order to provide a high output even under such a situation, a giant magnetoresistive head (GMR head) comprising a spin-valve film has been developed as a new-type readout magnetic head. The GMR head has excellent characteristics in that it provides a high magnetoresistance ratio (MR ratio) compared with a conventional MR head. Recently, a GMR head of a tunnel junction type that is expected to exhibit even better characteristics is attracting a lot of attention.
Conventional magnetic recording media such as a magnetic disc is designed to function as a file memory, in which information stored therein is once read into a semiconductor memory (DRAM or SRAM) of a computer before the information is utilized. Certainly, the semiconductor memory has various excellent characteristics, but is accompanied with a defect in that it consumes high electric power for memory holding. In recent years, a flash memory and an FRAM, which require no electric power for memory holding, have been developed, but they have a drawback in that the number of rewrite operations is rather limited. On the other hand, endeavor to develop a magnetic memory (MRAM), which permits substantially infinite rewrite operations, has been started. In order to realize the MRAM, however, development of a material or a device capable of exhibiting a high MR ratio is desired.
Under the circumstances, a magnetic tunnel junction element is now attracting a lot of attention as an element exhibits a higher MR ratio than the conventional spin-valve film. The magnetic tunnel junction element or a combination of the magnetic tunnel junction element and a MOS transistor has been used in attempts to fabricate a magnetic head or a magnetic memory. Further, development of a spin-valve transistor capable of exhibiting a higher MR ratio than the magnetic tunnel junction element has also been started.
FIGS. 1A and 1B show examples of band diagrams of conventional spin-valve transistors.
The spin-valve transistor shown in FIG. 1A is of a type in which electrons are injected from an emitter via a tunnel junction into a base. This spin-valve transistor has a stacked structure of an Al emitter 11, a tunnel insulator 12, a base 13 comprising an Fe/Au/Fe spin-valve film, and an n-Si collector 14.
On the other hand, the spin-valve transistor shown in FIG. 1B is of a type in which electrons are injected from an emitter via a Schottky junction into a base. This spin-valve transistor has a stacked structure of an n-Si collector 21, a base 22 comprising a Co/Cu/Co spin-valve film, and an n-Si collector 23.
These spin-valve transistors are known to exhibit an extremely high MR ratio of several hundreds percent. However, these conventional spin-valve transistors have a defect in that a collector current (Ic) is extremely low, for example, in the level of about 10xe2x88x924 of an emitter current (Ie). This low ratio of collector current/emitter current (Ic/Ie) is undesirable in view of power consumption, operating speed, noise, and so on.
The reason why the collector current is extremely low in the conventional spin-valve transistors can be explained as follows. For example, in the case of the spin-valve transistor shown in FIG. 1A in which electrons are injected from the emitter via the tunnel junction into the base, angle dependency of the tunnel current can be represented by the following equation:
Jxcex8xe2x88x9d exp[xe2x88x92xcex22 sin2xcex8]xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
where xcex24=2 ms2EF2/h2(Evxe2x88x92E); xcex8 is an angle formed between the normal line to the junction surface and a wavenumber vector of electrons; Jxcex8 is a current density in the direction of xcex8; m is the mass of electron; s is a width of the tunnel barrier; EF is Fermi energy; h is the Planck constant; Ev is a height of the tunnel barrier; and E is energy of tunnel electrons.
It will be seen from this equation that, when the direction of travel of electrons passing through the tunnel insulator is almost perpendicular to the junction surface, the tunnel current can be increased. Even in the case of the spin-valve transistor shown in FIG. 1B in which electrons are injected from the emitter via the Schottky junction into the base, the current can be increased when the direction of travel of electrons is almost perpendicular to the junction surface.
The spin-valve transistor is designed to operate based on spin-dependent scattering of electrons, which means that the manner of electron scattering changes depending on whether the spin directions are parallel or antiparallel in the two magnetic films of the spin-valve film included in the base. However, in the conventional spin-valve transistor, diffusive scattering is mainly caused within the magnetic layer (F) or at the interface between the magnetic layer (F) and the nonmagnetic layer (N) as shown in FIG. 2A. In this case, since the scattered electrons are incapable of flowing into the collector due to a strong diffraction effect at the interface between the base and the collector, the collector current is decreased. Therefore, in order to increase the collector current, it is necessary to reduce the diffusive scattering. However, there arises a problem that the MR ratio is also reduced if the diffusive scattering is reduced.
An object of the present invention is to provide a spin-valve transistor capable of exhibiting a high MR ratio and a high ratio of collector current/emitter current.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a spin-valve transistor comprising: an emitter, a base comprising a spin-valve film in which two magnetic layers are stacked with interposing a nonmagnetic layer between the two magnetic layers, and a collector, the spin-valve film having a stacked structure of M/A/Mxe2x80x2 or M/B/Mxe2x80x2 and the spin-valve film being (100)-oriented, where M and Mxe2x80x2 may be the same or different and individually comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni and an alloy including Fe, Co, Ni; A comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, Pt, Cu and Al; and B comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Cr and Mn.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a spin-valve transistor, comprising: a spin-valve film comprising a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer stacked with interposing a nonmagnetic layer between the first and the second magnetic layers, the spin-valve film being (100)-oriented; a first electrode electrically connected to the first magnetic layer; a second electrode electrically connected to the second magnetic layer; wherein each of the first and the second magnetic layers comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni and an alloy including Fe, Co, Ni; the nonmagnetic layer comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, Pt, Cu, Al, Cr and Mn.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a spin-valve transistor manufactured by a process comprising: forming a first electrode on a substrate being (100)-oriented by epitaxial growth; forming a first magnetic layer on the first electrode; forming a nonmagnetic layer on the first magnetic layer; forming a second magnetic layer on the nonmagnetic layer; forming a second electrode on the second magnetic layer, wherein the first magnetic layer, the nonmagnetic layer and the second magnetic layer are formed with a deposition rate within the range of 0.01 nanometers per second to 0.1 nanometers per seconds.


The present invention proposes a method for managing rights of subscribers to a pay-television system comprising an access control system to which are connected subscriber management systems each managed by an operator and a plurality of subscriber decoders, said decoders each being equipped with a security module containing the rights for each subscriber allowing him the decryption of encrypted digital data of a stream broadcasted by at least one operator, during a modification of the rights carried out by an operator in the security module of a subscriber, the control access system receives data identifying a subscriber with modification commands of rights of said subscriber coming from a subscriber management system of an operator, generates a management message containing the modified rights and transmits said message to the security module of the subscriber via the stream containing the encrypted data, said method comprising the step of verification of the modifications according the properties and the available resources of the security module and the step of generation of the management message containing the modified rights when the result of the comparison is positive.

The functioning of a decoder is managed by a security module or chip card containing the data pertaining to a subscriber. This data comprise rights paid by the subscriber allowing him to decrypt audio and/or digital video programs broadcasted by an operator via a cable, a satellite or any other diffusion network.
Each operator has and manages a database containing the data related to the contract that each subscriber has agreed with the operator. These databases are connected to an access control system that one of its functions is the generation of management messages called EMM "Entitlement Management Messages", that is to say messages containing the commands intended for a decoder or a group of decoders. These messages are broadcasted in the data stream of audio and/or video programs and are processed by the security module of the decoder. The latter stores the rights authorizing or not the decryption of a program that a subscriber has requested from an operator.
The document EP0989743 describes a method for transmitting, in a digital data stream, a table containing information concerning applications related to a set of services. This table allows namely to decide on the maintenance or not of certain applications during switching from one service to another included in a bouquet. The decoder stores the table in a memory and controls the downloading and the updating of the applications in function of the information contained in the table.
The document U.S. Pat. No. 5,742,677 discloses a subscriber terminal comprising a secured non-volatile memory configurable under the control of a local server or head end. The memory can be directly accessible by service providers, which transmit messages including commands without the intervention of the head end in condition that these providers are certified.
According to a known configuration, each digital television operator manages a group of subscribers having at least one functioning decoder with a security module provided by the operator. When a subscriber wishes to decrypt the programs of another operator, he is invited to replace the security module of the first operator with that of the second operator from whom he has bought the rights corresponding to programs that are only managed by this other operator. This change of security module is only possible with a decoder provided with a module in the form of a removable smart card or selectable cards inserted into several card readers.
This type of configuration presents a drawback at time of the increase of the number of specialized operators who each propose a card to be inserted into the decoder to be able to decrypt their programs. Therefore, a subscriber may be forced to change cards each time the type of program is changed. For example, during the showing of a sports program, then a film, then a variety program and then a sports program again, the subscriber may change the card up to three times.

Method for managing rights of subscribers to a multi-operator pay-television system


An illuminated water bottle cage includes a cage forming a receiving space for a water bottle and including a bottom and a backing extending from a top edge of the bottom. The backing includes two barriers on two respective lateral sides thereof. The bottom, the backing, and the two barriers delimit the receiving space. An illuminating device engages with the cage and includes an illuminating member. The illuminating member in use projects light rays in a direction toward the receiving space.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water bottle cage and, in particular, to an illuminated water bottle cage with an illuminating device projecting light rays in a receiving space of the water bottle cage.
2. Description of the Related Art
China Patent No. CN201484558 shows a water bottle cage and an illuminating unit engaging with the water bottle cage. The water bottle cage has a carrying portion delimiting a receiving space for a water bottle. At night, the illuminating unit can be used to project a light on the water bottle cage. However, there is a desire to provide an illuminated water bottle cage that can really have a warning light effect when needed, without a need of a high lumen light.
The present invention is, therefore, intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.


Acrylic copolymer PSA compositions having enhanced peel strength without substantially decreasing shear properties have been formulated by homogeneously incorporating the tackifying resin into the polymer matrix. The tackifying resin is dissolved into a solution of alkyl (meth) acrylate and (meth) acrylic acid monomers prior to polymerization. To enhance the molecular weight of the resultant PSA, the monomer/tackifier solution is emulsion polymerized in the absence of chain transfer agents, such as antioxidant additives typically found in commercially available tackifiers, and allylic hydrogen present in many unsuitable tackifiers.

According to the "Glossary of Terms used in the Pressure Sensitive Tape Industry", a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) is a material which is aggressively and permanently tacky, adheres without the need of more than finger pressure, exerts a strong holding force, and has sufficient cohesiveness and elasticity that it can be removed from substrates without leaving a residue. Tackified acrylic copolymers are used as PSAs. Such tackified copolymers have usually been prepared by physically mixing a tackifying petroleum-based hydrocarbon resin or a natural resin with a polymerized acrylic copolymer. While the resulting adhesive is often satisfactory to obtain certain properties such as tackiness and peel strength on substrates such as polyester or stainless steel, certain properties are found to be deficient, particularly the holding power on these same substrates. Previously, increasing the peel strength of tackified acrylic copolymers to a value greater than 2.0 pounds per inch caused the holding power (1 kg over one inch square on stainless steel) to diminish to below 40 hours. Of course, it is desirable to maintain high holding power, particularly when the PSA is to be used to prepare an adhesive tape.
The prior art describes attempts to prepare satisfactory tackified acrylic copolymers. For example, Japanese Patent J-59213783 teaches the preparation of a hot-melt PSA by first heating a tackifying resin having a softening point between 60.degree. and 200.degree. C. to above its melting point and adding to the hot melt a polymerization mixture of alkyl (meth) acrylate, a functional monomer such as acrylic acid, and a free radical initiator. The polymerization mixture is added to the hot-melt over a period of several hours, with stirring, to form a pale yellow, transparent, solid, hot-melt adhesive. The tackifying resins are broadly identified to include rosin-based resins, terpene-phenol resins, phenol resins, coumarone resins, aliphatic and aromatic resins.
Japanese Patent J-59227967 discloses a hot-melt polymerization of an alkyl (meth) acrylate monomer and a functional comonomer including (meth) acrylic acid, maleic anhydride, maleic acid, vinyl ethers, and the like where a surfactant is present with the resin during the polymerization to form a solid mass, hot-melt adhesive.
In Japanese Patent 53074041 a polymerized powdery toner product is obtained by dissolving a binder resin such as a vinyl resin, acetal resin, epoxy resin, or the like in a polymerizable liquid monomer such as styrene, vinyl toluene, (meth) acrylic acid or its ester and the like and polymerizing the monomers in bulk in the presence of a coloring material.
In Japanese Patent J-51125472, a petroleum resin emulsion is obtained by polymerizing vinyl monomers in the presence of petroleum resins having softening points of from 40.degree. to 160.degree. C., an average molecular weight of 300 to 3000, and an acid value and saponification value of less than 1. The monomers include, for example, alkyl (meth) acrylates, vinyl acetates and vinyl chlorides, styrene, acrylonitrile, and acrylic acid. The emulsified mixture is then reacted in an emulsion polymerization reaction to form a shelf-stable emulsion adhesive. The resin emulsion produced is described as having fine particle sizes and ample stability and when cured, the films produced have excellent water resistance and gloss. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,711 to Winslow et al. describes the incorporation of hydrocarbon resins from many sources, i.e., from hydrogenated resin esters, polyterpene, polymerized alkyl styrene, and polymerized petroleum-derived monomer resins, into PSA tape compositions where the adhesive is a polymerized acrylic emulsion. The patent describes physically mixing the resin with the polymer emulsion.
Numerous approaches have been used to produce resin emulsions. One approach is to dissolve the resin in a hydrocarbon solvent, combine the resin solution and water to form an emulsion, and strip the solvent. Invariably some residual hydrocarbon solvent remains in the finished emulsion which is undesirable in certain applications. This has led to the development of solvent-free dispersions (see U.S. Pat. No. 2,809,948) and emulsions (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,377,298) of petroleum resins. In both of these formulations, ionic emulsifiers have been utilized; in the former a mixture of cationic and non-ionic surface active agents is used to achieve a resin emulsion; and in the latter an ionic surfactant is used in combination with an aqueous gel of a swelling earth to produce an emulsion paste of a petroleum resin. These resin emulsions have been commercially used to tackify natural rubber, carboxylated styrene-butadiene and acrylic latexes for many adhesive applications.
As mentioned above, there has generally been a decrease in shear properties associated with an increase of peel strength and tackiness. There is a need to improve the peel strength of PSAs while yet maintaining high shear properties and thus obviating the decline in shear usually resulting from increase in peel.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to prepare a resin tackified acrylic copolymer in the form of a latex-like dispersion for application as PSAs having increased peel strength without serious decrease in shear.
It is a further object to provide a process for preparing a resin tackified acrylic copolymer, wherein the tackifying resin is dissolved in the acrylic monomer solution prior to the polymerization reaction, and wherein the tackifying resin is essentially free of chain transfer agents such as allylic hydrogen and conventional antioxidants.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide PSAs for the manufacture of tapes and adhesives for the manufacture of laminant articles.

Internal resin-tackified acrylic polymers


Methods and an apparatus for providing contact management with directory assistance. An example method includes obtaining, via a processor, a billing record generated to track usage of a directory assistance service by a caller, the billing record comprising a first data object conveyed to the caller in association with the usage of the directory assistance service; querying, via the processor, a first directory with the first data object of the billing record to obtain listing information associated with the first data object; and conveying a contact record including the obtained listing information to a device associated with the caller.

When using communications systems, individual users are generally interconnected via user devices that are associated with a unique identifier to enable communication among multiple nodes within the communication systems. For example, in a telecommunication system, the identifier is commonly referred to as a "telephone number," which is dialed or inputted with an originating user device to reach a user device (e.g., a telephone) at a particular network termination point associated with the identifier. Given the enormous number of user devices and users within communications systems, each user may desire to retain these identifiers in an accessible medium, such as an electronic address book. Electronic address books may be networked to allow accessibility from a plurality of user devices or transferred to store in local memory of a user device. Electronic address books are commonly formatted in a data structure relating one or more records with varying information, such as addresses, names, etc.
Directory assistance services are commonly used in communication systems to provide listing information to communication systems users. Generally, directory assistance services use a directory or a database containing names, addresses, and telephone numbers for respective users. For example, in the North American public switched telephone network, a user desiring particular listing information dials a directory assistance access code, for example "411," and connects with a directory assistance service. The user generally provides listing information such as a name (e.g., business name, surname, etc.) and/or locality information (e.g., zip codes, state names, cities, etc.) associated with a desired listing record. If the directory assistance service matches the listing information to a particular listing record, a human operator or a recorded message file communicates additional listing information (e.g., a telephone number) associated with the particular listing record to the user. However, to use the requested telephone number in the future, the user must memorize the listing information, manually record the listing information, or call back to the directory assistance service.
After the directory assistance service communicates the additional listing information to the user, the directory assistance service creates a billing feed to charge a particular user for the service. This billing feed may include a phone number or any other unique account identifier for the user and the phone number provided for the matched listing. Generally, this billing feed is sent to a customer records information system ("CRIS"), which bills and records the directory service usage.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods and apparatus to provide contact management with directory assistance


An exterior rearview mirror has a mirror head carrier and a mirror connected to the mirror head carrier. A cover is slipped onto the mirror head carrier. A spring secures the cover to the mirror head carrier in an unstressed position of the spring. The spring has at least one locking member and the cover has a counter locking member, wherein the at least one locking member engages the counter locking member to secure the cover at the mirror head carrier. The spring has a securing latch securing the spring in an elastically compressed position, wherein the spring in the elastically compressed position releases the cover.

The present invention relates to an exterior rearview mirror especially for motor vehicles, comprising a mirror head which has a mirror head carrier onto which a cover can be slipped which is secured with at least one spring at the mirror head carrier whereby the spring has at least one locking member that cooperates with a counter locking member at the cover.
In known exterior rearview mirrors of this kind (German Patent Application 41 30 176) the cover is secured by a spring in the mounted position against accidental release. For releasing the cover, the spring must be compressed by pushing a screwdriver from the exterior through an opening of the cover. The spring must be held in this compressed position until the cover has been slipped past the spring in the outward direction. Only then the tool (screwdriver) can be removed and the spring returns into its unstressed position. This release process is difficult and requires a certain amount of dexterity and time.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to embody an exterior rearview mirror of this kind such that the cover can be mounted in a simple and fast fashion at the mirror head carrier and can be removed also simply and without having to hold the spring in the compressed position.


When an air bag is prepared by laying a pair of silicone rubber-impregnated and/or coated base fabric pieces one on the other, with the coated surfaces of the pieces inside, and joining peripheral portions of the pieces together to form a bag, an addition curable silicone rubber composition which is loaded with aluminum hydroxide powder and cures into a silicone rubber having an elongation at break of at least 1000% is used as a sealer and applied to the peripheral portions of the base fabric pieces, thereby achieving improved adhesion therebetween.

One typical process for preparing an air bag involves the steps of furnishing a pair of base fabric pieces impregnated and/or coated with silicone rubber, laying the pieces one on the other, with the coated surfaces of the pieces inside, and bonding or stitching peripheral portions of the pieces together to form a bag. An attempt has been made to apply an adhesive silicone rubber composition as a sealer to the peripheral portions of the base fabric pieces prior to bonding or stitching. With the state of the art, it is very difficult to bond an uncured silicone rubber composition to once cured silicone rubber.
Applicants previously proposed an addition reaction curing type silicone rubber composition filled with calcium carbonate as an air bag sealer (see JP-A 2003-253121 corresponding to US2003-0162875). It would be desirable to have an air bag sealer having further improved adherence.

Air bag sealer silicone rubber composition


A reclosable package includes two sheets of a first polymeric resin material facing one another and forming a package opening having an inside and an outside. A first zipper strip having a male zipper profile and a first flange area, and a second zipper strip having a female zipper profile and a second flange area, are extruded from a second polymeric resin material. The first flange area is sealed to the first sheet with a first seal on the outside of the package opening, and the second flange area is sealed to the second sheet with a second seal on the outside of the package opening. The first and second seals are offset from one another relative to the male and female zipper profiles, so that the first and second seals are not in a back-to-back relationship with respect to one another.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the packaging art, and, more specifically, relates to plastic bags or packages formed from extruded polymeric resin sheet material. In particular, the present invention relates to plastic bags or packages of this general type which have zipper closures extruded from polymeric resin material and attached thereto to form a reclosable plastic bag or package.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Plastic bags and packages having zipper enclosure extruded from a polymeric resin material, such as polyethylene, are old in the art. Commonly, bags and packages of this type are formed from plastic sheet material on a form-fill-and-seal (FFS) machine and concurrently filled with a consumer item or items. During the formation of the bags or packages, zipper closure strips are introduced between two facing internal portions of the plastic sheet material and sealed thereto.
Recently, the need to attach zipper closure strips to previously formed or manufactured plastic bags has arisen. The bags in question are formed from a tube of polyethylene. During manufacture, the tube is flattened, and sealed transversely at regularly spaced intervals. The seals ultimately become the bottoms of the bags. Adjacent to each seal, the flattened tube is perforated, so that the bags may be separated from one another. The perforations form the mouths or tops of the bags. The tube, perforated and sealed as described, is wound up in the form of a roll including as many as several thousand individual bags. Individual bags are fed, bottom first, from the roll by automatic bag filling equipment, which sequentially deposits a consumer item or items into each bag and seals each bag transversely below the perforations at the mouth or top thereof.
Where bags have previously been formed or manufactured, however, the zipper closure strip or strips must be attached to the outsides of the bags. Such attachment is carried out by some form of heat sealing. Unfortunately, because there is no way to keep the two layers of a previously formed bag separated from one another, there is a tendency for them to be sealed to one another during the attachment process.
The present invention provides a solution to this problem.


Precursor compositions in the form of a tape that can be transferred to a substrate and converted to an electronic feature at a relatively low temperature, such as not greater than about 200° C. The tape composition can be disposed on a carrier to form a ribbon structure that is flexible and can be handled in a variety of industrial processes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to precursor compositions in the form of a tape that are useful for the deposition of electronic features such as conductors, resistors and dielectrics by transferring the tape to a substrate. The tape materials can also have a low conversion temperature to enable low-temperature treatment of the tape to form electronic features on a variety of substrates. The tape compositions can also be disposed on a carrier to form a mechanically robust ribbon structure.
2. Description of Related Art
The electronics, display and energy industries rely on the formation of coatings and patterns of various materials such as conductors, dielectrics and resistors, to form circuits on organic and inorganic substrates. The primary methods for generating these patterns are screen printing for features larger than about 100 μm and thin film and etching methods for features smaller than about 100 μm. Other subtractive methods to attain fine feature sizes include photo-patternable pastes and laser trimming.
Another method that is known in the art is the transfer of material from one surface (a carrier) to another surface (a substrate) by some force, such as mechanical force.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,177,151 by Chrisey et al. and 6,025,026 by Smith et al. disclose the use of laser transfer from a tape to fabricate a variety of electronic end products. The tape includes a composition that increases in volatility during transfer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,932 by Uchibori discloses the use of a tape with an adhesive to attach conducting layers with stamping for patterning. A method to overcome the need for etching to provide layers is also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,550 by Benge discloses a web driven approach for handling of tape. U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,984 by Wilson discloses decals and decal transfer methods for fuel cell component assembly. The decals are formed on a surface with a release layer and then laminated to another surface and separated from the backing. U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,554 by McIntyre et al. discloses methods for laminating to make fuel cell layers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,010 by Spaepen discloses rolling methods to make coatings for fuel cells and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,268 by Kosaka et al. discloses a transfer sheet including a thermoplastic resin, a protective cover and a release layer. A resist is used to obtain patterns. The use of laser transfer and thermal heads is also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,520 by Wolk et al. discloses thermal transfer and laser transfer for electroluminescent (EL) lamp manufacture. Light is used to heat a conversion layer to accomplish transfer. Conductor compositions disclosed include ATO, ITO, carbon and graphite.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,280 by Roth discloses thermally active coatings on ribbon. Transfer to a printed circuit board is accomplished by thermal processing. The use of precursors in the coating is not disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,329 by Roth discloses polymer thick film conductors formed from tape. U.S. Pat. No. 5,909,083 by Asano et al. discloses patterning tapes by etching through masks, particularly for glasses in plasma display applications. U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,320 by Kosaka et al. discloses transfer sheets and the details of their construction. U.S. Pat. No. 5,712,673 by Hayashi et al. discloses color transfer sheets. U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,483 by Lin discloses the transfer of material from printed paper. A solvent is applied, pressure is applied, and material is dissolved and removed to achieve transfer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,472 by Tanaka et al. discloses the use of Bi—B—Si—O glass tapes and hot melt tape transfer to form patterns for plasma displays.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,085 by Isberg et al. discloses organic electroluminescent lamp fabrication methods. The deposition of phosphors by laser transfer is disclosed. Optional interlayers, thermal transfer layers and adhesive coatings are also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,074,725 by Kennedy discloses applications of tape fabrication in microfluidics. Laminates are formed comprising structures between channels. The structures can be printed by laser, screen printing, ink-jet printing, precursor chemistry, and other approaches.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,953,037 by Hayashi et al. discloses tapes for color applications.
There is a need for compositions that provide electronic materials at low processing temperatures to allow deposition of the materials onto organic substrates with a fine minimum feature size, such as less than 200 μm, while still providing electronic features with adequate properties.
Precursor compositions for electronic materials such as conductors have been described by R. W. Vest (Metallo-Organic Materials for Improved Thick Film Reliability, Nov. 1, 1980, Final Report, Contract #N00163-79-C-0352, National Avionic Center). The compositions disclosed by Vest included a precursor and a solvent for the precursor. These compositions were not designed for processing at low temperatures, and as a result the processing temperatures were relatively high, such as greater than 250° C.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,882,722 and 6,036,889 by Kydd disclose conductor precursor compositions that contain particles, a precursor and a vehicle and are capable of forming pure conductors at low temperatures on organic substrates. However, the formulations are designed for screen printing of thick film electronic components. Materials to form transferable ribbon materials are not disclosed.
Polymer thick film materials containing particles in a polymerizable organic vehicle have also been disclosed in the prior art. These compositions are processable at low temperatures, such as less than 200° C., allowing deposition onto organic substrates. The compositions contain particles, usually flakes, at high loading and have a high viscosity. Ribbon and tape applications designed for transfer onto a substrate are not disclosed.
Attempts have been made to produce metal-containing compositions at low temperatures by using a composition containing a polymer and a precursor to a metal. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,926 by Southward et al. However, the deposits were chosen for optical properties and were either not conductive or were poorly conductive.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,846,615 and 5,894,038, both by Sharma' et al., disclose precursors to Au and Pd that have low reaction temperatures thereby conceptually enabling processing at low temperatures to form metals. It is disclosed that an ink jet can be used to apply the precursors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,646 by Wright et al. discloses a method of making colloidal palladium and/or platinum metal dispersions by reducing a palladium and/or platinum metal of a metallo-organic palladium and/or platinum metal salt which lacks halide functionality. However, formulations for depositing electronic features are not disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,744 by Muller discloses the use of Cu-formate solutions for the direct laser writing of copper metal. The solutions prevent' crystallization of copper formate during drying.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,044 by Behm et al. discloses a document, such as a lottery ticket, having simple circuitry deposited thereon. The circuitry can be formed from inks containing conductive carbon and other additives as well as metallic particles. It is disclosed that the inks can be deposited by methods such as gravure printing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,734 by Senzaki et al. is directed to compositions for the chemical vapor deposition of mixed metal or metal compound layers. The method uses a solventless common ligand mixture of metals in a liquid state for deposition by direct liquid injection.
The ideal tape composition and its associated deposition technique for the fabrication of electronic features such as a conductor would combine a number of attributes. The conductor would have high conductivity, preferably close to that of a dense, pure metal. The processing temperature would be low enough to allow formation of conductors on organic substrates. The deposition technique would allow deposition onto surfaces that are non-planar (e.g., not flat). The conductor would have high resistance to electromigration, solder leaching and oxidation. The conductor metal would be capable of forming an alloy with useful properties.
In the case of conductors derived from ribbon compositions containing combinations of precursors and particulates, a variety of criteria would be met. In one embodiment, the ribbon would be stable under ambient conditions, preventing compositional changes such as drying, enabling storage for extended times prior to transfer and processing. In another embodiment, the ribbon could be rolled and stored on a tape roll. The deposited material would not spread once deposited, to maintain the feature dimensions. The transferred material would have a high yield of conductor. In some cases where conductivity is the most desired characteristic, the final conductor would not contain polymers or other non-conductive materials. The deposit would adhere strongly to the surface and would be compatible with the substrate and other materials in contact with the conductor. The deposit would be flexible and mechanically strong. In cases where ease of processing is most critical, UV curable compositions would be desirable.
Further, there is a need for electronic circuit elements and complete electronic circuits fabricated on inexpensive, thin and flexible substrates such as paper using high volume printing techniques such as reel-to-reel printing. Recent developments in organic thin film transistor (TFT) technology have accelerated this need. These organic transistors will become key components of organic circuitry and low cost, disposable devices. This development highlights the emerging need for complimentary circuit elements that can be deposited directly onto low cost substrates. Such elements include conductive interconnects, electrodes, conductive contacts and via fills, resistors, capacitors, inductors, transformers, photoconductors, transparent electrodes, antennas, memory elements, electro-optical devices, optical modulators, optical wave guides, high frequency filters and modulators, rectifiers and a wide variety of sensors.

Method for the fabrication of conductive electronic features


A microprocessor based control system for controlling frost accumulation on the outdoor evaporator coil of a heat pumping system during normal heat mode operations. A demand defrost concept is implemented to increase efficiency and maximize time intervals between defrost cycles by initiating the defrost cycle only when an optimal maximum amount of frost has accumulated on the coil. The control system also facilitates monitoring of the rate of frost accumulation to make the outdoor coil conditions less favorable to frost buildup.

The present invention relates generally to electronic control systems for air conditioners, heat pumps and refrigeration equipment. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and method utilizing digital circuitry to control a heat pump during its normal operating cycle in order to control the accumulation of frost on the outdoor evaporator coil while providing optimum system efficiency and performance during the defrost cycle.
Whether operating as an air-conditioning system or a heat pump system, the basic refrigeration cycle operates by metering refrigerant through a closed system in a precisely controlled manner. The refrigerant cools by evaporation in a heat exchanger commonly called an evaporator coil. The refrigerant is metered to the evaporator coil through an orifice sometimes called an expansion valve. Ideally, a refrigeration system should meter just enough refrigerant into the evaporator coil so that the refrigerant extracts heat throughout the length of the coil as it evaporates. Due to changing dynamics of the system, changes in thermostat settings and changes in load from sun, wind and so forth, the optimal flow through the expansion valve will need to be varied as the system operates.
The precise control of the expansion valve during steady state operation, to achieve optimal efficiency during steady state operation, has been the subject of much study in the continued effort to improve energy efficiency. In addition to the desire to improve efficiency, there is also a need to address the frost buildup problem. In the heating mode operation of a heat pump system, a layer of frost normally builds on the outdoor coil surfaces whenever the temperature of the coil falls below 32.degree. F. This frost significantly reduces the heating capacity of the heat pump and, as the frost continues to accumulate, the performance of the unit eventually degrades to a point where the frost has to be melted.
This defrost process, however, is extremely inefficient. The heating process is interrupted and, in effect, replaced with a counterproductive air conditioning process. This wastes energy and reduces the heating capacity of the heat pump. Heat flows in the wrong direction during defrosting intervals, thus cooling the house or building. To offset this cooling it can be necessary to turn on the resistance heaters, thereby consuming additional energy.
The need to defrost the evaporator coil would appear to be a necessary evil in all but the most arid environments. It would therefore be desirable if a heat pump system could be developed to reduce the number of defrost cycles per day and also to effect the defrosting cycle more quickly and efficiently when it is needed.
The present invention addresses this need through the use of a microprocessor-based control system and digitally controllable expansion valve. The present system utilizes a "demand defrost" scheme wherein the intervals between defrost cycles vary rather than being simply performed on a periodic basis. The defrost cycle is initiated only when a predetermined amount of frost has accumulated on the evaporator coil. This saves energy and improves efficiency by eliminating unnecessary defrost cycles.
In addition, time intervals between defrost cycles are further maximized by making the outdoor coil conditions less favorable to a frost buildup. This is accomplished by monitoring the rate of accumulation of frost buildup in terms of the temperature difference between the ambient air and outdoor coil. If a change in the slope of this temperature difference is sensed, refrigerant flow through the system is increased by modulating the expansion valve setting, thereby raising the outdoor coil temperature. The microprocessor-based system determines the proper valve setting, balancing the objective of maintaining an efficient temperature coil with the objective of gradually raising the temperature of the coil (with some efficiency tradeoff) to retard frost accumulation. The system is therefore able to maintain a level of efficient operation for longer periods.
The present control system also modulates the expansion valve setting to open the valve orifice to a greater diameter than normal on the initiation of the defrost cycle. This enables rapid transfer of the refrigerant charge to the outdoor coil and significantly reduces the length of the defrost cycle. In addition, by pre-starting the outdoor fan prior to termination of the defrost cycle, pressure transients are reduced resulting in greater reliability and longevity of the heat pump and its components.
The result is a state-of-the-art heat pump system which offers high efficiency and longer component life. Because frost buildup on the outdoor coil is monitored and precisely controlled, intervals between defrost can be maximized. Losses incurred by the defrost cycle ar minimized and system efficiency can be optimized.
For a more complete understanding of this invention, its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following specification and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Frost/defrost control system for heat pump


A holding device for attaching to a torso and supporting a pop-up umbrella upright without the use of hands of a wearer and has an in-use position where it is releasibly attached to the torso of the wearer and a non-use position where it is removed from the torso of the wearer and stowed away for easy transport. The holding device includes a carrying case that has an open position when the holding device is in its in-use position and a closed position when the holding device is in its non-use position, a sleeve pivotally mounted in the carrying case, a pop-up umbrella that has an open position, a closed position, and a shaft captured in the sleeve for lateral pivotal movement therewith so as to allow the pop-up umbrella to pivot away from the wearer before being opened and thereby prevent injury to the wearer when the carrying case is in its open position and the holding device is in its in-use position, and apparatus for releasibly attaching the carrying case to the torso of the wearer when the carrying case is in its open position and the holding device is in its in-use position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for supporting an umbrella. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for attaching to a torso and supporting a pop-up umbrella upright without the use of hands.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An umbrella requires a user to employ at least one hand to hold the umbrella shaft by its handle. When it is necessary for both hands to be free, one cannot also hold an umbrella. When an umbrella is to be held for a long period of time, it becomes very tiresome. Thus, in each of these situations, it is desired that an umbrella not be supported by the hands of the user.
Numerous innovations for devices for supporting an umbrella without the use of hands have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
FOR EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 361,654 to Petracco teaches the ornamental design for a combined umbrella and body attachable support.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 1,657,263 to Lauby teaches an umbrella holder comprising a belt having an adjustable buckle and adapted to surround the waist of a wearer, a looped member carried by the belt and adapted to receive the handle of an umbrella while permitting rocking of the handle, a shoulder strap having its ends secured to the belt, and means carried by the shoulder strap and adapted to detachably lock the stem of the umbrella to the shoulder strap.
STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 2,085,984 to Kruithof teaches an umbrella holder comprising a stiff backing, a sheet of flexible material secured to the backing with its intermediate portion projecting forwardly from the front face of the backing to provide a pocket open at its top, a block thrust into the pocket through the open end thereof and fitting snugly therein with its upper end spaced downwardly from the upper end of the pocket. The block is formed with an axially extending socket leading from its upper end. The portion of the pocket extending upwardly from the block is of a length adapting it to be folded rearwardly over the upper end of the block against the backing. Means detachably secure the folded upper portion of the pocket against the backing in overlying relationship to the block. The upper portion of the pocket is formed with a slot whereby the staff of an umbrella may be thrust downwardly through the slot and into the socket of the block. Means carried by the backing secures the holder in an upright position against a person's body.
YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,149 to Grogan teaches an elongated hollow substantially rigid member adapted to receive the shaft of an umbrella, and having an elongated filament slidably connected with the elongated hollow member and extending the length of the hollow member. The filament having the central portion thereof formed as a loop adapted to surround the wearer by going over one shoulder and under the opposed arm of the wearer, and the terminal ends thereof surrounding the waist of the wearer. Means secure the terminal ends. Also included is means adapting the elongated hollow member to receive umbrella shafts of different diameters. Insertable means releasably secure the umbrella shaft within the elongated hollow member.
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,339 to Pearson teaches an umbrella support that includes a planar support having upper and lower pockets thereon to receive a curved or straight handle of a short or long umbrella shaft, respectively, of an umbrella to be supported. The support is mounted on the front or back of a user's body. When mounted on the back, the angle of the planar support to the user's body can be varied by a pivotally mounted plate at the bottom of the planar support engaging the user's body at various angles. The upper end of the planar support has guide passages to receive a portion of the umbrella shaft and retain it therein. Leather straps secure the umbrella shaft to the planar support between the upper or lower pocket in which the handle end of the shaft is supported and the passages in the guides. The upper end of the planar support has a pivotally mounted plate with slots therein to receive the umbrella shaft when the plate is in a horizontal position. In this position, the umbrella shaft cannot pass through the guide passages so that the angle of the umbrella to the planar support is different. Each of the slots in the pivotally mounted plate retains the umbrella shaft therein.
FINALLY, YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,786 to Drane teaches an umbrella holder which straps to an individual's torso and is adapted to hold an open umbrella upright so as to permit the user's hands to be unencumbered. The umbrella holder includes a harness having a shoulder strap which crosses the back and chest of the user at an oblique angle and engages a waist belt. A support member which secures the umbrella to the harness extends generally perpendicular from the belt and engages the shoulder strap. The shoulder forms a brace which provides lateral support to the support member to maintain the umbrella in its upright orientation.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for devices for supporting an umbrella without the use of hands have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.

Device for attaching to a torso and supporting a pop-up umbrella upright without the use of hands


A disk device is presented that includes a drive motor which has a rotatable hub fitted with a recording medium and rotates the recording medium, and a disk-shaped clamper attached to the hub to hold the recording medium. The clamper has a center aperture formed on a central axis of rotation of the drive motor and at least one positioning hole eccentric to the central axis of rotation. The clamper is fixed to the hub by a fixing screw driven into the hub through the center aperture. The hub has a support surface opposed to the clamper and an annular engaging groove formed in the support surface to be coaxial with the central axis of rotation and opposed to the positioning hole, the engaging groove being configured to be engaged with a fixing pin which is passed through the positioning hole.

1. Field
One embodiment of the invention relates to a disk device having a disk for use as a recording medium and a method of assembling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, disk devices, such as magnetic disk devices, optical disk devices, etc., have been widely used as external recording devices of computers or image or music recording/reproducing apparatuses.
For example, a magnetic disk device generally comprises a spindle motor, magnetic head, carriage assembly, and voice coil motor (VCM). The spindle motor rotates a magnetic disk for use as a recording medium. The magnetic head serves to record and reproduce information to and from the magnetic disk. The carriage assembly supports the magnetic head for movement with respect to the disk. The VCM serves to drive the carriage assembly, thereby moving to and positioning the head in a region over a desired track of the disk.
The spindle motor has a cylindrical hub that serves as a rotor, and a flange is formed on one end side of the hub. The magnetic disk is fitted on the hub and held between a clamper, which is screwed to the upper end of the hub, and the flange of the hub.
Usually, the clamper is formed of a disk-shaped metal plate, which has an abutting portion on its peripheral edge portion that touches the magnetic disk. An aperture for the passage of a screw is formed in the central portion of the clamper. The clamper is provided with a plurality of positioning holes that are situated in positions eccentric to the aperture. The clamper is fixed to the hub of the spindle motor by driving the screw, which is passed through the aperture, into the upper end of the hub and fastening it to the upper surface of the hub, with its peripheral edge portion in contact with the upper surface of the inner peripheral portion of the magnetic disk. As the central portion is fastened by the screw, a flat portion of the clamper is elastically deformed, and a disk clamping force is obtained based on a resulting tensile stress.
Normally, in fixing the clamper to the hub of the spindle motor, the clamper and the hub must be held lest they race. In a conventional magnetic disk device, as described in, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-343002, therefore, the upper surface of a hub is provided with a plurality of engaging holes corresponding to positioning holes in a clamper. The clamper and the hub are fixed to each other in a manner such that fixing pins are fitted individually into the engaging holes of the hub through the positioning holes of the clamper from above the clamper.
In the conventional magnetic disk device described above, however, the respective positions of the positioning holes, engaging holes, and fixing pins must be all aligned when the clamper and the hub are fixed together, in order to fit the fixing pins into both the positioning holes of the clamper and the engaging holes of the hub. In other words, the respective rotational angles of the individual components must be all coincident when the centers of the components are aligned with a central axis of rotation.
In order to realize such position alignment by the use of an automatic assembly apparatus, for example, it is supposed to be relatively easy to adjust the positional relationship between the clamper and the fixing pins that can be easily handled for alignment with use of a tray or the like. Since the hub is rotatable, however, the positions of the engaging holes are too irregular to be managed practically. Thus, the assembly apparatus requires a function to recognize the positions of the engaging holes of the hub, a hole position alignment mechanism, etc., so that its construction is inevitably complicated and entails an increase in manufacturing cost.

Disk device having hub with engaging groove