A needle unit comprises a needle mounted in a hub having a sleeve made from a deformable material and surrounding an end of the needle at a radial distance from that needle. The sleeve is designed to be snap-locked onto a connecting piece at the outlet end of a syringe by protrusions on the inner wall of the sleeve engaging a circumferential recess in the outer wall of the connecting piece. It is also designed such that the locking engagement between the protrusions of this sleeve and the recess of the connecting piece is released when certain zones of the outer sleeve wall are pressed inwardly. A magazine for storing the needle unit comprises a compartment which can receive the needle unit in a plurality of rotational positions. The needle unit and magazine include a syringe/needle unit release mechanism which, in a first rotational position, does not press the release zones inwardly, thereby allowing the needle unit to lock onto the syringe, but which in a second rotational position, presses the release zones inwardly so that the needle disengages from the syringe and remains inside the magazine for disposal.

The invention relates to needle units for disposable injection needles, and specifically a needle unit comprising a needle mounted in a hub having a sleeve made from a plastic material and surrounding an end of the needle in a distance from that needle, the unit being designed to be mounted at the outlet end of a syringe having a cylindric connecting piece with a recess in a plane perpendicular to the cylinder axis, which connecting piece is received in the sleeve of the needle unit.


A transmitting/receiving apparatus of down-link data using an automatic repeat request (ARQ) scheme and a method thereof in a wireless communication system is provided. In order to send an ARQ feedback message between a base station and a terminal without a radio resource allocation process in a wireless communication system, when the base station receives down-link data from the terminal of the base station, the base station stores the number list of the transmitted frames and periodically detects the list and automatically allocates radio resources for up-link without an additional process when the list is larger than a predetermined frame. The radio resource allocation request process can be omitted because a radio resource is automatically allocated during the up-link period after the base station transmits the down-link traffic. Thus, the response speed of an ARQ feedback acknowledgement message is enhanced, thereby enhancing a down-link transmission speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmitting/receiving apparatus of down-link data using an automatic repeat request (ARQ) scheme and method thereof in a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for transmitting an ARQ feedback acknowledgement message for down-link traffic from a base station to a terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a wireless communication system, an automatic repeat request (hereinafter, called "ARQ") scheme, that is, an error controlling protocol for requesting a data retransmission when a transmitter or receiver detects a data error generated in a transmission line, includes a selective repeat ARQ scheme for retransmitting only erroneous parts, a cumulative-ARQ, a cumulative with selective-ARQ, and a cumulative with bulk-ARQ scheme. These respective ARQ schemes require an ARQ feedback acknowledgement message indicating whether an ARQ service receiver correctly receives an ARQ block from the ARQ service translator.
A wireless communication system including such an ARQ scheme uses a time division multiple access (TDMA) scheme as a transmission scheme, and it is accordingly configured such that the terminal additionally performs a radio resource allocation request process to the base station so as to transmit up-link data. In addition, general web traffic is asymmetric in that an amount of down-link traffic is very much larger than that of up-link traffic. The down-link traffic relates to traffic transmitted from the base station to the terminal, and the up-link traffic relates to traffic transmitted from the terminal to the base station.
Therefore, a down-link traffic speed among service flows performing ARQ services is considerably dependent on up-link feedback response speed. The reason that a limited size of window is saturated in the case of delaying the update is that the transmitter can transmit the ARQ services only within the ARQ window and an update is performed by the ARQ feedback acknowledgment.
In addition, generally, a wireless communication system for providing a web service uses the TDMA scheme at the down-link for transmitting a large amount of data. Accordingly, there is a problem in that a large delay occurs because the terminal must perform a radio resource allocation process so as to transmit an ARQ feedback response to the up-link.
In addition, because of Internet traffic characteristic, excessive data are transmitted at a predetermined point. When the ARQ service transmitter window receives an ARQ feedback acknowledgement message transmitted from the ARQ service receiver late, it is easy for the ARQ feedback acknowledgement message to exceed the maximum size of the transmitter window. Accordingly, at this time, there is a problem in that the ARQ feedback acknowledgment message is not transmitted to the ARQ service receiver.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Down-link data transmission and receiving system and method of ARQ in wireless communication system

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


This invention relates to a blend comprising a polyester, polycarbonate and an amine functinalized elastomer and optionally an effective amount of an effective graft coupling agent.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to impact resistant polyester/polycarbonate blend compositions formed from a polyester, a polycarbonate, an amine functionalized elastomer and a graph coupling agent. Another aspect of this invention relates to articles of manufacture formed totally or in part from the blends of this invention.
2. Prior Art
Blends of polyester and polycarbonates, and the use of same to fabricate articles such as molded parts are known. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,522,797; 4,764,556; 4,897,448; 4,737,545; 4,629,760; and 4,753,980 and EPO 0 180 648.
The addition of carbodiimides or polycarbodiimides to various polymers such as polyesters, polyetheresters, acrylate-butylenediacrylate-diallyl maleate-methacrylate copolymers is known. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,975,329; 4,071,503; 4,110,302; 4,689,372 and 4,465,839; and Chem. Abs. 85, 1785339 (1976); 78 17364C (1973); and 104, 150170K.

High impact polyester/polycarbonate blends


A combination interferometer (ifo) inspection device is provided which includes a Twyman-Green (T-G) ifo optically coupled to a Mach-Zehnder (M-Z) ifo. MEMS and MOEMS versions permit substantial reduction in size and weight to permit permanently embedding an inspection device into an optical system which permits remote and automated inspection and/or adjustment of the optical system. The inspection device permits use of different coherence length light sources and receipt of an output signal from an optical system. The addition of the T-G ifo to the M-Z ifo aids pinhole alignment and general alignment to the optical system under test, as well as inspection with long coherence sources, while the addition of the M-Z ifo permits measurement with long or short coherence sources, allows measurement of the output beam, and permits the system to operate in a receive-only mode with an external source. The inspection device provides versatile functionality and redundancy for using a single inspection device in a variety of situations and manners in the same application.

Optical systems can require quality control to ensure proper alignment and determine aberrations of the optical path of an optical system. An optical path carries light radiation from a source, typically a laser source, to an output device. And in going from the source to the output device, the radiation impinges upon and passes through mirrors and beam splitters and often passes through relay telescopes and lenses which focus, diverge, and converge the beam. This optical path may be modified and adjusted and may include misalignments, deficiencies, and aberrations which would advantageously be able to be measured. Further, quality control and inspection may be required to verify that hardware is built correctly and within specification requirements for accuracy and limitations on deficiencies and aberrations. Quality control of optical system can be performed by probing the optical path to troubleshoot a system. The testing of an optical path is only as accurate as the instrument performing the test. Thus, accuracy of the instrument is important. And, particularly for testing an optical system in operation or during use, the size and weight of the instrument and the time required to perform the testing are also important. Current instruments to probe optical paths are too large for use in many applications. Similarly, current instruments are too heavy to be used as permanent fixtures in many applications such as many airborne applications, thus, preventing the use of permanent testing instruments for remote or automated functionalities. Rather, current systems require temporary installation for inspection by very experienced hands-on individuals. The installation and removal of the inspection system from an optical system could misalign or damage the optical system. These restrictions on use of current instruments for testing optical paths limits the ability to test and limiting the quality control of many optical systems.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved inspection apparatus and method for inspecting optical paths which is accurate, convenient to use, and capable of being integrally fixed within the optical system for remote or automated testing.

Optical MEMS wavefront diagnostic transceivers and receiver


An extension bar with built-in light includes an elongate body having an open first end and an engaging recess in a second end of the elongate body. A switch member with a first conductive member extends through a transverse hole of the elongate body. A carrier is received in the engaging recess and a second conductive member is connected to the carrier. A power supply unit and a light bulb are received in the passage. The first end of the second conductive member is moved to contact the power supply unit to activate the light bulb when a conductive hand tool is inserted into the engaging recess. The light bulb is also activated when rotating the switch member to contact directly the first conductive member, the second conductive member and the power supply unit.

A conventional hand tool can be connected with variety of connection bars or extension bars which includes accommodation recesses so as to be connected with different tool bits. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,477,434 and 6,183,103 respectively disclose an extension bar with built-in light to be cooperated with hand tools. The built-in light of U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,434 can be activated when a hand tool is connected with the extension bar, and built-in light of U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,103 cannot be activated by the connection of the hand tool, a switch has to be operated to activate the built-in light.
The present invention intends to provide an extension bar with a built-in light which can be activated by either being connected with a hand tool or by operation of a switch member on the extension bar.


A contact lens case (101) comprises a base (103) having a left cavity (105A) and a right cavity (105B) for storing contact lenses (113A, 113B). An upward-facing base dome (109A, 109B) in each cavity supports the lenses with the rims of the lenses downward. A lid (106) comprises downward-facing lid domes (121A, 121B) to retain the lenses on the upward-facing domes of the base. The lid domes allow expelling of air during closing of the case to maintain good hydration of the lenses.

The popularity and use of contact lenses has grown with the introduction of designs such as soft contact lenses and disposable contact lenses. New materials, optical designs and fashion designs such as colored lenses have further popularized their use.
The new lens technologies have created new issues such as the need for better lens hydration and more stringent lens and case cleanliness requirements. Users also want the added convenience of accessories for lens care and use within easy reach. Case ergonomics and esthetic design have become more important to many users, especially women.
Earlier case designs have primarily focused on solving only one of the many issues facing contact lens users. There exists a need for a new case design that addresses many of the needs of modern contact lens users.


A random access method in a mobile communication system, the random access method for supporting random access with a cell size of about 100 kilometers (km) or more and a power limited terminal, and a preamble structure thereof are provided. While a conventional long term evolution (LTE) random access preamble sequence is reused, a difference in a round-trip delay time between terminals in a large cell area may be compensated. Additionally, since higher power transmission is achieved per bandwidth, a higher link margin may be secured. Also, compatibility with resource scheduling of the conventional LTE may be maintained. Random access may be supported in a large cell, and a preamble structure of a satellite mobile communication may be implemented based on terrestrial LTE.

The present invention relates to a random access method in a long term evolution (LTE) based mobile communication system for supporting a random access having highest compatibility with conventional LTE with a cell size of 100 kilometers (km) or more and with a power limited terminal, and a preamble structure for the random access.
In the future, a mobile communication network is expected to develop for combination or cooperation between a terrestrial network and a satellite network. In the integrated satellite and terrestrial system, community between a satellite and a terrestrial wireless interface is an essential matter in consideration of cost for a terminal. In particular, considering that an LTE-based terrestrial mobile system is considered as a next generation international mobile telecommunication (IMT)-advanced system, there is a great demand for research on an LTE-based satellite wireless interface which has an even larger cell size and longer round-trip delay (RTD) compared to those of a terrestrial network, and considers a power limited satellite network environment.
To help cell search which is a process for synchronization with a cell in a network, two particular signals such as a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) are transmitted to an LTE downlink. Two PSS of one frame are identical in one cell. The PSS in one cell may have three different values according to a cell identifier (ID) of a physical layer of the cell. More specifically, the three cell IDs in one cell ID group may correspond to different PSS, respectively.
In any cellular system, random access of a terminal is basically required to request a connection setup with a network. In the LTE, the random access is used for a few purposes as follows.                To form a wireless link as an initial connection (move from Radio Resource Control(RRC)_IDLE to RRC— CONNECTED)        To form a wireless link again after the wireless link fails        To establish uplink synchronization with a new cell as a handover        To establish uplink synchronization when uplink or downlink data arrives in a state in which a terminal is in an RRC_CONNECTED state but uplink synchronization is not established        To request for scheduling when scheduling request resources designated on a physical uplink control communication (PUCCH) are absent
In all cases above, a main purpose of the random access is establishment of uplink synchronization at an initial connection. Also, the random access is performed to allocate Cell Radio Network Temporary identifier (C-RNTI) which is an only identifier of the terminal.
A main purpose of transmitting a preamble is in informing a base station that random access has been tried and helping the base station estimate a delay between the terminal and the base station. The delay is estimated to adjust uplink timing. Time-frequency resources through which the random access preamble is transmitted are called a physical random access channel (PRACH). A network broadcasts time-frequency resources available for transmission of the random access preamble to all terminals. During the random access, the terminal selects one preamble to be transmitted through the PRACH.
A length of a preamble region in a time domain is determined by preamble setup. A length of random access resources is basically 1 ms. However, a longer preamble may be set. Theoretically, an uplink scheduler of evolved node B (eNodeB) may remain a long random access region by avoiding scheduling of terminals in a plurality of consecutive subframes.
FIG. 1 illustrates a process of random access of 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) LTE selected as an international mobile telecommunication (IMT)-Advanced wireless interface technology. Referring to FIG. 1, the random access process of LTE may include four steps. In a first step, synchronization is obtained through PSS/SSS from a base station, and system information is obtained through a broadcasting channel (BCH). The information transmitted through the BCH may include parameters for generating a random access preamble. In a second step, the terminal transmits the random access preamble. Therefore, the eNodeB may estimate a transmission timing of the terminal. Uplink timing estimation is an indispensable process in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-based LTE. Without setting synchronization, uplink data cannot be transmitted. In a third step, a parameter of the transmitted preamble is extracted from the base station. In a fourth step, the terminal having the parameter of the preamble detected from the base station transmits a preamble ID, an access permission message, and Timing_Advanced information necessary for the uplink synchronization, to inform that the uplink synchronization is obtained. Last, the terminal adjusts the Timing_Advanced information based on the signal transmitted from the base station and request resources of the base station.
FIG. 2 illustrates a random access preamble format. Referring to FIG. 2, the random access preamble currently defined by the random access process includes a cyclic prefix (CP), a preamble sequence, and a guard time (GT), and has four formats. Format 0 includes lengths of the CP and the GT of 0.1 ms, respectively. Format 0 supports a cell size of about 15 km. Format 1, Format 2, and Format 3 support a cell size of about 78 km, 30 km, and 100 km, respectively. Formats 2 and 3 transmit the preamble sequence twice to increase an energy gain. For transmission of the preamble, the GT is used to cope with uncertainty of timing. Before the random access begins, the terminal obtains downlink synchronization from a cell search process. However, before the uplink synchronization is established, location of the terminal in the cell is not yet known and therefore uplink timing is still uncertain. According to an increase in the cell size, the uncertainty of the uplink timing is increased. To take the uncertainty into consideration and avoid interference with following subframes unused for the random access, the GT may be used as part of the preamble transmission. For this purpose, the GP needs to be set larger than a sum of a RTD time difference between a nearest terminal and a farthest terminal with respect to the eNodeB and a multipath preamble delay time. In case of Format 4 having a longest GT, a cell size is 100 km or less. Therefore, in a mobile communication network having a cell size of 100 km or greater, such as a satellite mobile communication network, a conventional preamble format may not solve the uncertainty of uplink timing and the interference with the following subframes.
When the preamble includes the CP, it is efficient since the base station may process a low-complexity frequency domain. For this, a length of the CP needs to be greater than the RTD time difference between the nearest terminal and the farthest terminal with respect to the eNodeB, and may be almost equal to the length of the GT. Since any uplink transmission is not scheduled with respect to the subframes following the random access resources, a protection region larger than as shown in FIG. 2 may be generated. Therefore, when the cell size is about 100 km or more as in the satellite mobile communication network, frequency domain processing through one time of fast Fourier transform (FFT) window is impossible since the RTD time difference between terminals exceeds the length of the CP. Accordingly, time domain processing needs to be performed using a plurality of windows. As a result, complexity of a receiver and a preamble obtaining time is increased.
Finally, in the satellite mobile communication network, high output signal transmission is necessitated due to a small link margin. Considering a maximum transmission power level of a handheld terminal, which is relatively low, a transmission band width of 1 MHz or more of the uplink random access preamble in the LTE may not provide transmission power satisfying the link margin of the satellite system, by power allocated from respective subcarriers of a transmission block. Furthermore, since the lengths of GT and CP, which are considered to support a mobile communication network having a large cell area, need to be increased than in the conventional LTE, an entire preamble length needs to be increased on a time axis. Considering that the preamble bandwidth of the conventional LTE is 1 MHz or greater, the increase in the preamble length on the time axis may cause reduction in data transmission resources.

Random access method and random access channel structure in mobile communication system having large cell radius

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A glass composition for glass fiber includes SiO2 in the range of 52.0% by mass or more and 56.0% by mass or less; B2O3 in the range of 21.0% by mass or more and 24.5% by mass or less; Al2O3 in the range of 9.5% by mass or more and 13.0% by mass or less; MgO in the range of 0% by mass or more and less than 1.0% by mass; CaO in the range of 0.5% by mass or more and 5.5% by mass or less; SrO in the range of 0.5% by mass or more and 6.0% by mass or less; and TiO2 in the range of 0.1% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less; and includes F2 and Cl2 in the range of 0.1% by mass or more and 2.0% by mass or less in total, with respect to the total amount.

Glass fiber is manufactured by melting a glass raw material prepared so as to be a glass composition for glass fiber having a desired composition in a glass melting furnace to form molten glass (a melt of the glass composition for glass fiber); discharging the molten glass from a container (bushing) having a nozzle plate on which several to thousands of nozzle tips are formed; and cooling the discharged molten glass while stretching by winding at a high speed to solidify it into fiber (hereinafter, this operation is sometimes referred to as "spinning"). The above bushing is formed from a noble metal such as platinum.
Conventionally, glass fiber has been widely used in various applications to improve the strength of resin molded products, and the resin molded products have been increasingly used for a housing or a part of electronic devices such as a server, a smartphone, and a laptop computer, and the like.
In general, glass absorbs energy from alternating current as heat, and thus has a problem that the above resin molded product generates heat when the resin molded product is used for a housing or a part of the electronic devices.
The dielectric loss energy absorbed by glass is proportional to the dielectric constant and the dielectric loss tangent determined by the component and the structure of the glass, and is represented by the following formula (A):W=kfv2×ε1/2×tan γ  (A).
wherein W is a dielectric loss energy, k is a constant, f is a frequency, v2 is a potential gradient, ε is a dielectric constant, and tan δ is a dielectric loss tangent. From formula (A), it is found that the dielectric loss is larger and heat generation of the above resin molded product is larger as the dielectric constant and the dielectric loss tangent are larger and as the frequency is higher.
In recent years, in response to the fact that the frequency (f in the above formula (A)) of the alternating current used in a housing or a part of the above electronic devices has increased, a lower dielectric constant and a lower dielectric loss tangent have been required for the glass fiber used for a housing or a part of the above electronic device in order to reduce dielectric loss energy. In particular, a low dielectric loss tangent is required because the dielectric loss tangent has larger influence on the formula (A) than that of the dielectric constant, which is raised to the power of ½.
In response to the demand, the present applicant has suggested, as a glass composition for glass fiber having a low dielectric constant and a low dielectric loss tangent, suppressing the occurrence of phase separation for achieving efficient glass fiber formation, and reducing the viscosity at high temperatures, a glass composition for glass fiber including SiO2 in the range of 52.0 to 59.5% by mass, B2O3 in the range of 17.5 to 25.5% by mass, Al2O3 in the range of 9.0 to 14.0% by mass, SrO in the range of 0.5 to 6.0% by mass, MgO in the range of 1.0 to 5.0% by mass, and CaO in the range of 1.0 to 5.0% by mass, and including F2 and Cl2 in the range of 0.1 to 2.5% by mass in total, with respect to the total amount of the glass composition for glass fiber (see Patent Literature 1).

Glass composition for glass fibers, glass fibers, glass fiber fabric, and glass fiber-reinforced resin composition


An interface card fixing member is disclosed according to the present invention. The interface card fixing member is applicable to a fixing bracket of an electrical device, for fixing an interface card. The interface card fixing member includes a base connectible to the fixing bracket, an elastic frame connected to the base, a fixing portion connected to the elastic frame, a first positioning portion located on the fixing portion, and a supporting board connected to the base, the elastic frame being movable in an elastic deformation direction to have the fixing portion to be interfered with and coupled to the supporting board, and the fixing portion move to a position where the interface card can be unplugged. Therefore, a user can plug and unplug the interface card easily with both hands.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to fixing elements, and more specifically, to an interface card fixing member, which is applicable to a fixing bracket that is installed in a mechanical case of an electronic device, for fixing an interface card.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, an electronic device, such as a mainframe computer or an industry computer, has stand-up adapter cards installed on a motherboard, and a plurality of interface cards plugged into the stand-up adapter cards and therefore being parallel to the motherboard, so as to reduce the size and expand the functionalities of the motherboard. For example, a mainframe computer, such as a network server or an industry server, in order to enhance its functions and cope with its heavy duty workload, has to have varieties of interface cards, such as a sound card, display card, video capture card, graph card, video card, adapter, small computer system interface card, and peripheral component interconnect card, etc.
However, the interface card that parallelly plugged into the stand-up adapter card is easily to get loose if the plugging interference is the only clamping force, therefore a shaking situation brought out by processes of assembly, transportation, and others may cause the interface card of falling out, or getting loose, and may further make the electronic device incapable of operating normally. For this reason, the industry mostly fixes the stand-up adapter card to a fixing bracket, meanwhile, on each of the front and rear ends of the fixing bracket relative to the lateral sides of the interface card, installs a fixing element or a fixing structure to fix the interface cards, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
As shown in FIG. 1, which illustrates a fixing mechanism according to Taiwanese Patent No. M276240, the fixing mechanism comprises structures installed in a mechanical case 10, and a separate fixing element 14. The mechanical case 10 comprises a first board body 101 and a second board body 102. A flange 103 is formed on the first board body 101. A fixing plate 104 is formed on the flange 103. A magazine 1041 is formed on the fixing plate 104. A motherboard 11 having a plurality of sockets 110 is installed on the second board body 102. A plurality of add-on cassettes 12 that correspond to the sockets 110 are installed on the first board body 101. A hooking portion 121 is formed on the outside of the add-on cassettes 12. The sockets 110 are for insertion of interface cards 13. The interface card 13 has a blocking tab 131 installed for blocking the add-on cassettes 12. An axle 141 is formed on one end of the fixing element 14 and is pivotally connected to the mechanical case 10. A fixing portion 142 is formed on the other end of the fixing element 14.
However, the fixing element 14 is coordinately installed in the magazine 1041 by means of the axle 141 in order to pivotally connecting to the mechanical case 10, and in order to have the fixing element 14 press on the add-on cassettes 12 and thus fix the interface cards 13, it must make use of the fixing portion 142 that is located at the other end of the fixing element 14 to couple with the hooking portion 121. Therefore, the constructions of the fixing element 14 and the first board body 101 are complicated and the production cost is high as well.
Referring to FIG. 2, which illustrates an interface card fixing member 20 that is installed on a fixing bracket 30 according to another prior art, the interface card fixing member 20 comprises a coupling portion 201 for coupling to the fixing bracket 30, a fixing portion 203 for fixing an interface card, and an operation portion 205 for releasing the fixing portion 203. While installing the interface card, a user has to pull the operation portion 205 with one hand, and hold and plug the interface card into a socket of a motherboard with the hand; while unplugging the interface card, the user has to pull the operation portion 205 with one hand, and withdraw the interface card from the socket of the motherboard with the other hand.
However, since interface cards are not equal in length. For example, the length of an interface card for a server is approximately equal to the width of a host housing of the server. Therefore, it is not easy for a user to plug the interface card into the socket with only one hand.
Moreover, while plugging a plurality of interface cards into the sockets, user has to manipulate many interface cards at the same time, which requires a great deal of labor force, thus relatively increases the difficulty level in single hand operation. Therefore, this kind of prior art is inconvenient in application.
Hence, it is a highly urgent issue in the industry for how to provide a technique which provides a simple structure that is easy to plug in and unplug interface cards, thus can effectively solve the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art.


A distributed radio frequency (RF) generator for wireless power transfer for wireless power transfer is described. A distributed RF generator can include an electrically-conductive loop having at least a first end and a second end that are adapted to be electrically coupled to one or more direct current (DC) power sources, where the loop comprises a plurality of segments, each of the plurality of segments comprising: a length of wire and at least one active component, wherein the at least one active component has a first terminal and a second terminal that are electrically coupled to the loop, wherein: a DC voltage exists between the first terminal and the second terminal; a DC current flows into the first terminal and out of the second terminal; an oscillating RF voltage is output across the first terminal and the second terminal; and the at least one active component is synchronized in phase.

Wireless power transfer is the transmission of electrical energy from a power source to an electrical load without the use of man-made conductors to connect the power source to the electrical load. A wireless power transfer system consists of a transmitter and one or more receiver devices. The transmitter is connected to a source of power and converts the power to a time-varying electromagnetic field. The one or more receiver devices receive the power via the electromagnetic field and convert the received power back to an electric current to be utilized by the electrical load.
The recent proliferation of small sensors and the Internet-of-Things (IoT) has introduced a new need for powering a large number of small devices within a large, pre-defined area, such as a room, factory, grain silo, etc. Because wires limit device mobility, and batteries place strict limitations on device functionality and lifetime, a wireless power solution is desirable.

Series distributed radio frequency (RF) generator for use in wireless power transfer


A sorting system for flat mail items includes a process controller and at least three storage modules connected in a parallel arrangement. Each of the at least three storage modules has a storage area and an infeed function to transfer mail items from a mail item stream into the storage area, and an extraction function to extract mail items from the storage area for generating an improved mail item stream. One of the at least three storage modules is operable in the infeed function, another one of the at least three storage modules operable in the extraction function, and at least one further module of the at least three storage modules is operable in a halt status. Address information is added to the mail items by the process controller for the mail items contained in the storage area of the storage module operated in the halt status.

The present invention relates to a sorting system for flat mail items, said system comprising at least three storage modules connected in a parallel arrangement, wherein each of the at least three storage modules comprises a storage area and an infeed function which transfers mail items from a stream of mail items into the storage area, and an extraction function which extracts mail items from the storage area for the purpose of generating an optimized stream of mail items.
With present-day mail sorting systems, very large quantities of mail items sometimes have to be sorted and distributed in what are referred to as mail centers and/or major post offices. Thus, for example, the average daily volume of mail handled in Germany amounts to approximately 80 million mailings, which are required to reach their addressees already on the very next day or at the latest on the next day but one after posting. Mail items of this kind are generally referred to as "letters". Said mail items are characterized in that their length and width are generally large compared with their height. However, there are sometimes significant differences between the postal administration authorities of the different national states with regard to the definitive dimensions used for assigning mail items to this "letters" group. As well as these size variations it can also easily be seen that the properties of the mail items, even when they are all "letters" may differ considerably from one to another in certain cases.
It is therefore easy to imagine that mail automation processes today have to be operated with a high degree of efficiency and, as a result of cost pressure, also with a comparatively small number of operators. To achieve sufficiently high throughput rates in the sorting machines, the mail items are conveyed through the sorting machine at speeds of up to 4 m/s and in places even more, and are sorted to their destination by means of appropriately switched diverters and a sophisticated, usually multi-stage delivery route sequencing sorting method.
To ensure correct delivery of the mail items it is therefore essential that the address of the mail item can be properly registered once by automated means at least at the beginning of the sorting process. Frequently, however, the address is not machine-readable but must be added by entering the address (or at least the part thereof which is significant for the current sorting process) manually. This fact makes it necessary for the non-machine-readable mail items to be filtered out of the sorting process and buffered while the address is manually assigned. Following manual address assignment, they must then be extracted from the buffer once more and can be fed back into the sorting process.
This buffering is currently achieved by means of what are referred to as storage conveyors on which the incoming individual mail items are transported at a minimum spacing until the time required for interpreting the address and for registering at least certain significant parts of the address has elapsed. Typically, an image which can be read by operators (people) is generated of a non-machine-readable address, the operators then entering the recognized address into the control system, as a result of which the manually entered address is assigned to the mail item and at the next opportunity in the sorting process is printed onto the mail item, usually in the form of a barcode.
A critical factor in dimensioning the length of said storage conveyor is therefore the processing time for recognizing the address and entering and assigning the registered address data to the mail item previously not (correctly) recognized with regard to its address. At the given speeds (as a function of the envisioned throughput) there therefore result storage conveyors which very quickly reach lengths of 50 m or even more. Since the gap displacements between the mail items are approximately proportional to the transport length on the storage conveyor, a corresponding loss in throughput is therefore also associated with a long storage conveyor, because the gap displacements have to be made available in addition to a required minimum gap between two adjacent mail items. Furthermore the storage conveyor itself is attended by a number of disadvantages, because, of course, a correspondingly long storage conveyor also takes up a relatively large amount of space and, of course, also has to be installed, operated and maintained. In order to be able nonetheless to use the generally limited amount of space available in a sorting center as efficiently as possible, the storage conveyor usually runs with a multiple fold, although this also leads to a folding of the mail items and consequently unfortunately also sometimes to considerable damage to the mail items.
As a result of these restrictions the storage conveyor is therefore always set to a certain minimum. This means that the mail items can be evaluated only to a limited depth in terms of information, which on the one hand results in the absence of information depth as regards the address resolution, the completeness of which would, however, be necessary for the delivery route sequencing, leading to additional processing steps. On the other hand this leads to the mail items only being evaluated with a great frequency, which means that the mail items that have not been evaluated have to be processed automatically once again or just have to be processed manually.

Sorting system having storage modules for flat mail items with last-in/first-out operation and improved address assignment


A method of playing a card game. The object of the card game is that each player must achieve a preset minimum point value with a hand of three cards and beat the hand of a dealer. To achieve the minimum point value, the cards of the hand are added together and must be of the same suit. The exception to the rule is that all three (3) of a kind hands can be counted for points and always equals the point value of thirty and one-half (30½) points. In the card game, a hand of an Ace, King and Queen of the same suit equals a point value of thirty-one (31).

The present invention generally relates to card games which can be played using cards or electronic simulation of cards. More specifically, the present invention relates to a casino type card game with a jackpot.
The increase in casinos has given rise for new card games to attract gamers into the casinos. The gamers desire card games which are new, fast paced, fun and easy to play. The gamers also desire card games which can be played in an electronic form. Therefore, casinos always welcome new card games to attract gamers which can be played OLE_LINK1using cards or electronic simulation of cards.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new casino card game.


An omnidirectional isotropic antenna employing a tubular waveguide 12, a dielectric insert 18 which includes a lens 20 and a depending stem 22. The lens 20 is an elliptoid generated by rotating an elliptoid form about the longitudinal axis 42 of the tubular waveguide 12 with its foci 40 aligned with the longitudinal axis 42 and its major axis 38 lying in a zone of rotation 43 intersecting the horizontal plane 44 that is normal to the axis 42 and containing the foci 40. The stem 22 has integrally formed a polarizing element 36, and an impedance to matching element 21. There is provided a passband filter 50 and a modified tubular waveguide 60 that provides node differences for the RF signals.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to omnidirectional isotropic antennas, and more particularly, to omnidirectional antennas that transceive isotropic radiation patterns using a dielectric lens structure.
2. Discussion
Omnidirectional isotropic antennas are extremely important in transmitting and receiving electromagnetic radiation patterns where the direction is variable and it is undesirable to use pointing or detecting mechanisms. Known omnidirectional isotropic antennas are capable of producing uniform patterns in azimuth but not routinely in elevation. That is, the pattern is azimuthally symmetric but is not isotropic. Antennas that produce isotropic radiation patterns can be used with transponders, walky-talkies, automobile radios and cellular telephones. For these applications the antenna must be relatively small to be portable. In addition, at millimeter wave frequencies these antennas can be difficult and expensive to manufacture.
Certain known antenna structures capable of producing isotropic radiation are physically quite large. For example, there is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,590, granted to Gary G. Wong, a procedure for modifying the RF pattern electronically which results in a rather large antenna structure. Antennas that are required to transceive millimeter electromagnetic waves in the range of 38 Ghz to 95 Ghz and higher, are of necessity quite small in size. Other prior patents teaching omnidirectional performance such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,093, granted to Chang S. Kim, employ a waveguide encircled with helical dielectric strands. Such an antenna may be useful for radiation in the microwave frequency range, but at millimeter wave frequencies, a very small structure would be required which would be difficult to fabricate. The helical antennas also require a phasing circuit which electronically provides the necessary circular polarization. The instant invention provides in combination with its dielectric lens insert polarization structures, passband filters, and an impedance matching element that are integral with the dielectric lens.


A respiratory circuit inhalation apparatus is adapted to communicate a fluid stream between at least one air source and a patient and is formed with at least one central body portion defining an interior fluid stream communication passageway. An integrally formed dual function mouthpiece and effluent port projects from an end of the central body to communicate the fluid stream between the air source and a portion of the respiratory circuit that can lead to the patient or other components of the respiratory circuit. An integrally formed ambient fluid port is also formed as part of the inhalation apparatus that projects from the central body portion opposite to the dual function port. As with the other ports, the ambient fluid port also communicates the fluid stream between the interior fluid passageway and the at least one air source. The preferred inhalation apparatus also further includes a medication port that is formed about the central body portion and which includes a baffle or baffle portion that projects into and terminates within the interior fluid passageway. The terminus orifice and exit plane of the baffle preferably projects and terminates within the interior fluid passageway beyond the surface thereof so that liquids pooled within the passageway can be retained therein without draining into the medication port. Any or all of the various ports can be configured to be compatible for use with industry preferred respiratory circuit components and rigid and deformable 22 millimeter tubes.

Many attempts have been made to devise new and improved devices for use with inhalers, aerosol dispensers, and nebulizers. However, there has long been and there remains a need to reduce the number of components needed to employ and use such devices effectively. Also, increased competition has created the need for devices that are less expensive to manufacture, which has in turn established the as yet unmet but long felt demand for inhalation devices that have a reduced number of parts and components and that can be produced at lower production costs with improved performance characteristics.
One attempt at improving the art is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,238 to Glenn, which is limited to examples of a multi-part, complicated, and costly to fabricate nebulizer that incorporates multiple air passage ports and a mouthpiece. However, the Glenn nebulizer is restricted to a number of various components that must be fabricated and then assembled together. Additionally, each of the Glenn components incorporates a range of complex surface profiles and includes features that are challenging to form during fabrication, which complexities and challenges only serve to create further increases in part and fabrication costs, among other problems.
Another prior art attempt is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,090 B1 to Piper, which is limited to an inhalation therapy device that is specially adapted for use with reservoir type bags that collapse and expand in response to patient respiration so as to store and reintroduce aerosolized gas as a patient inhales and exhales. Many different components are needed for the Piper '090 device to operate as intended. The Piper components include, among other limitations, a mouthpiece and various ports connected by air passageways that must be fabricated and assembled together in a complex and time-consuming manner to fashion the Piper device. As with other prior attempts, the Piper device suffers from unnecessarily complicated assemblies that increase difficulties to the user and practitioner and that also increase costs of production.
Forchione et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,932 B1 discloses yet another prior attempt to address some of the problems in the art of inhalation devices. Forchione et al. teach an aerosol enhancement device that incorporates a number of components akin to the configuration set forth by the Glenn '238 device that is described above. As with earlier attempts, the Forchione et al. device requires that numerous parts be formed and assembled together to establish the intended objective of communicating medicated air to a patient through a mouthpiece. What is missing from the prior art devices of record here and what continues to be needed is a device that is compatible for use with a wide range of nebulizers, inhalers, and dispensers and that is compatible with and that can be used in any number of possible air passage circuits that may be needed in various applications. The more desirable inhalation device would preferably simultaneously reduce manufacturing costs, decrease the number of parts needed to achieve the objective of communicating medicated air and gases to a patient, and that further reduces the attendant production and implementation costs while increasing operational efficiencies and performance characteristics. The present invention addresses these and other needs and overcomes many of the problems experienced with the prior art devices in a variety of new and novel configurations and with any of a number of possible and equally effective embodiments, configurations, and alternative and preferred and optional arrangements.


A showerhead including a fluid connector configured to be threadedly coupled to a shower arm, and an outer shell receiving the fluid connector. A rotational stop or drive member is operably coupled between the fluid connector and the outer shell and is configured to limit relative rotation between the fluid connector and the outer shell.

The present invention relates generally to a showerhead and, more particularly, to a showerhead including a housing pivotable about a fluid coupling and configured to be hand tightened to a shower arm.
According to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a showerhead includes a fluid connector hidden by an outer shell when installed on a standard shower arm. The showerhead may be hand tightened onto the shower arm. In one illustrative embodiment, drive features are provided on the showerhead that facilitate threading onto the shower arm while maintaining adjustability after installation. In another illustrative embodiment, a drive tool is removably coupled to the showerhead during installation onto the shower arm and then disposed of thereafter.
According to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a showerhead includes a fluid connector having a ball with an outlet and a stem with an inlet. A fluid passageway extends along a longitudinal axis between the inlet and the outlet. An inner housing defines a ball joint socket receiving the ball for pivoting movement about a pair of orthogonal axes. An outer shell includes a side wall extending between an inlet end and an outlet end, and an opening defined at the inlet end, wherein the stem of the fluid connector is recessed within the opening of the outer shell. A rotational stop is operably coupled between the fluid connector and the outer shell. The rotational stop is configured to limit relative rotation about the longitudinal axis between the fluid connector and the outer shell.
According to another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a showerhead includes a fluid connector having a ball and a stem, the stem including threads to couple with threads on a shower arm. A ball joint socket receives the ball for pivoting movement about a pair of orthogonal axes. An outer shell receives the ball joint socket. A rotational stop includes an inner engagement member supported by the stem of the fluid connector, and an outer engagement member supported by the outer shell. The inner engagement member is configured to contact the outer engagement member to limit relative rotation between the fluid connector and the outer shell.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.


An arrangement where a switching system receives parameter(s) concerning the traffic expected on a call from a first user to a second user, the system determines a priority for the call based on the expected traffic parameter(s), and information is transmitted to the second user during the call based on the determined priority and with less than a maximum jitter. The priority is selected from a predefined priority table based on expected traffic parameters. The priority table is usable for both constant bit rate and statistical calls.

The term broadband covers a host of new products, technologies, services, and networks. One way to define broadband networks is to categorize them as those networks that support services requiring bit rates well above one megabit per second. Business and residential subscribers will be connected to broadband networks via a common access, operating at 150 megabits per second or above, that can handle a range of different broadband service types. ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) has been chosen as the communication principle on which broadband networks will be based. A future broadband ISDN (integrated services digital network) will offer the flexibility needed to handle diverse services ranging from basic telephone service to high speed data transfer, videotelephony, and high quality television distribution. The key to this flexibility is ATM which carries digital information in special cells. This allows the network to be used efficiently by applications and services with widely differing bandwidth requirements and call characteristics.
Priority-based systems have been designed for switching ATM cells or performing other packet switching functions. In such systems, all cells (packets) for a given priority are transmitted to their destination before the first cell of the next lower priority. Within a given priority, cells are transmitted on a first come-first serve basis. All equal priority cells arriving at a given cell time are transmitted before the same priority cells arriving at the next cell time are started. This becomes the root cause of jitter because one high bandwidth call could have a cell arriving every other cell time; all of a sudden, ten or twenty cells from other calls and having the same priority as the one high bandwidth call arrive in one of the open cell times. All ten or twenty of these cells will be transmitted before the next cell of the high bandwidth call causing an absolute jitter of ten or twenty cell times. During this interval, cells for the high bandwidth call keep arriving every other cell time and are queued up. When the high bandwidth call does begin transmitting its cells again, they will be transmitted every cell time, back-to-back, until the queue is empty. Not only is such jitter unacceptable in many applications, substantial resources are required for buffering and receiver buildout delay.
In addition to being important in constant bit rate applications, jitter is also an important parameter for statistical (bursty) traffic. Variable bit rate video requires very low delay, has very high bandwidth and relatively low burstiness. Variable bit rate voice also requires moderately low delay, has relatively low bandwidth and low burstiness. Both of these applications must have relatively low jitter to guarantee that cells do not arrive "too late" and the buffer at the receiving end does not become empty. Even though this is statistical traffic, it is jitter sensitive.
Other applications, including file transfers and screen image dumps, do not typically require low delay. Such applications can have either low or high average bandwidth; however, they are very bursty. Such applications could significantly interrupt the delay sensitive applications resulting in excessive queuing delays and very large buffer buildouts on the receiving end.
In view of the foregoing, a recognized need in the art exists for an arrangement usable in ATM or other packet switching systems which will bound jitter to an acceptable amount and which is applicable to both constant bit rate and statistical traffic.

Arrangement for bounding jitter in a priority-based switching system


An electronic circuit includes: a pair of first transistors in which a first control signal is inputted to at least one of a first control terminal; a comparator circuit that sets electric potentials of a pair of differential output terminals based on an electric current flowing through the pair of first transistors; second transistors that are coupled in series in a path between an electric power source and a node from at least one of the pair of differential output terminals and between the corresponding pair of first transistors, and having a second control terminals to which a second control signal is inputted; first switches that are respectively coupled in series to the second transistors in the path and that are turned ON in synchronization with a clock signal; and a generation circuit that generates the second control signal based on the clock signal.

A comparator compares, for example, analog differential input signals and converts the signals to digital signals. A comparator includes an offset due to variations in transistors or due to asymmetrical layouts. The offset corresponds to the amount by which a threshold (difference between differential input signals that are determined by high and low levels of a digital signal) is shifted from zero. The offset adversely affects circuit operations. The threshold may be set to a value other than zero.
The following are reference documents.
[Document 1] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-223553 and
[Document 2] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2013-70156.


Parallel plate tunable varactors having a bulk capacitance contribution to a total capacitance increased compared to a fringing capacitance contribution are disclosed. The contribution of the bulk capacitance to the total capacitance of an exemplary BST varactor is increased by increasing the area/perimeter ratio of the active region, thereby improving the tunability and other properties of the varactor. In an exemplary embodiment, an active region of the varactor has a lateral shape with a perimeter that is less than a perimeter of an equivalent area square. In various exemplary embodiments, the shape of the active region may be substantially circular or substantially octagonal. Methods for fabricating and designing such varactors are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to designs for parallel plate voltage-variable capacitors (varactors), and more particularly, to the design of electrode geometries for parallel plate ferroelectric varactors to improve various performance characteristics such as tuning, reliability, and electrostatic discharge, and for high field testing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Capacitors are a basic building block for electronic circuits, and voltage-variable capacitors (varactors) have the added flexibility that their capacitance can be tuned by changing a bias voltage across the capacitor. Dielectric materials that have a permittivity that depends on the applied electric field can be used to form such varactors. Varactors have an added advantage that they can be easily integrated with other components, particularly if the dielectric layer is a thin film. One common approach to voltage-variable varactors is the "parallel-plate" configuration, in which the voltage-variable dielectric is sandwiched between two electrodes. For example, in an integrated varactor, one electrode may be a bottom conducting layer, the dielectric may be a ferroelectric thin film deposited over the bottom electrode, and the top electrode may be a metal layer.
In the parallel-plate configuration, the total capacitance of the varactor is determined primarily by the parallel combination of two components: a bulk capacitance due to the direct electric field between the two electrodes and a fringing or fringe capacitance due to the fringing electric field between the two electrodes. Ideally, the bulk capacitance should dominate over the fringing capacitance so that the bulk capacitance is the major contributor to the total capacitance of the varactor. This results in greater tunability of the varactor capacitance since the bulk capacitance typically is more tunable than the fringing capacitance.
The use of thin film ferroelectric layers of barium titanate, strontium titanate, and/or composites of the two (collectively referred to as "BST" materials) has led to smaller area varactors since the permittivity of such BST layers is high. In such varactors, however, the assumption that the bulk capacitance is the major contributor to the total capacitance may no longer hold true as the fringing capacitance begins to become a significant fraction of the total capacitance. This is especially true for small capacitance value varactors, because as the area that contributes to the bulk capacitance decreases, the fringing capacitance has a greater impact on the total capacitance.
Thus, there is a need for a thin film BST varactor that has a total capacitance determined in greater part by the bulk capacitance to improve tunability of the thin film BST varactor.

Varactor design using area to perimeter ratio for improved tuning range


A wiring structure is made up by electrically connecting a via part made up by forming CNTs in a via hole and a wiring part made up of multilayer graphene on an interlayer insulating film via a metal block such as Cu. In the wiring structure using the CNTs at the via part and the graphene at the wiring part, it is thereby possible to obtain the wiring structure with high reliability enabling a certain electrical connection between the CNTs and the graphene with a relatively simple configuration.

In a current LSI, a multilayer wiring structure is generally applied. The wiring structure is made up by including a wiring part extending in a lateral direction on an interlayer insulating film and a via part in a vertical direction which fills a via hole of the interlayer insulating film with a conductive material, and electrically connects the wiring parts (between wirings at up and down). Copper (Cu) is mainly used as a wiring material of a leading-edge semiconductor device, and it is general to form the via part by filling and so on a metal material such as Cu in the via hole formed at a predetermined position so as to conduct with Cu wirings.
In recent years, it has been studied to use a carbon material including a cylindrical structure of carbon represented by so-called a carbon nanotube (CNT), a cylindrical carbon fiber, and so on in addition to the metal material such as Cu at the via part. In particular, the CNT has various properties such as excellent in chemical stability, and having peculiar physical and electrical characteristics, and so on, and therefore, it is watched as a forming material of a semiconductor device. As for the CNT, various studies have been continued up to now, for example, a forming position control, a chirality control, and so on in addition to controls of a size and a length thereof.
There is a configuration in which the wiring part of Cu is formed via a barrier film of Ta and so on which prevents Cu diffusion so as to cover the CNTs protruding from the via hole in the wiring structure using the CNTs at the via part (refer to Patent Literature 1, Non-Patent Literature 1). Besides, a configuration in which the wiring part is formed by using the CNTs is also proposed (Patent Literature 2). Further, a configuration in which a wiring is formed by using graphene, in particular a multilayer graphene is also proposed (Non-Patent Literature 2).
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent No. 4212258
Patent Literature 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-251701
Non-Patent Literature 1: Nihei et al., Japan Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 43 (2004) p. 1856
Non-Patent Literature 2: A. Naeemi and J. D. Meindl: Proc. of the 11th IEEE IITC (2008) p. 183
Non-Patent Literature 3: D. Kondo et al., Appl. Phys. Express, Vol. 3 (2010) p. 025102.
Non-Patent Literature 4: A. Reina et al., Nano Lett. Vol. 9 (2009) p. 30.
As stated above, the wiring structure in which the CNTs are used at the via part and the graphene is used at the wiring part is extremely effective for the LSI. However, there is a problem to be solved to enable the above. Actually, it is impossible to secure an enough electrical contact between the CNTs and the graphene only by overlapping the graphene on the CNTs. It is because a good connection is difficult to obtain only by pressing the CNTs and the graphene.

Wiring structure and method of manufacturing the same


A portable grease gun with a dual pressure output capability which can be selectively changed by the user with little effort. The larger diameter plunger is slidable within a plunger retainer. The larger diameter plunger has a bore through them in which a smaller diameter plunger is slidable. The smaller diameter plunger moves when an actuating lever is operated to compress grease in the grease gun. The larger diameter plunger may be adjusted to remain static during operation of the actuating lever or it may be adjusted to move during all or part of the compression stroke of the actuating lever. A high pressure can be generated by movement of the smaller diameter plunger alone, or a high flow volume can be generated by movement of the smaller and larger diameter plungers in unison.

The present invention pertains to portable grease guns, whether manually operated or driven by air power or by electric batteries. Typical hand operated grease guns include a piston which forces grease from a nozzle, the grease being fed to the compression chamber from an attached mounted barrel containing bulk grease or a grease cartridge. Most existing grease guns provide only one output pressure of the grease expressed from the gun.
Frequently the user of a grease gun encounters a grease zerk which will not accept grease because it is seized or clogged. In that case, little can be done without replacing the zerk to correct the problem. One prior art grease gun requires changing position of the handle to adjust the mechanical advantage. This device cannot provide the 4:1 ratio pressure increase needed to overcome a resistant zerk. Another prior art grease gun uses a complex labyrinth and a mechanical switch to engage or disengage a ball check valve to vary pressure of grease exiting the grease gun. This device does not permit supply to the grease gun from an attached barrel and therefore the portability and versatility of the device is limited.
The foregoing problems are addressed by the present two stage grease gun invention.


A hydraulic circuit for a working vehicle comprising a first pump, a second pump, a first actuator, a second actuator, and a selector valve having a plurality of control positions. The selector valve is switchable between a first position for connecting the first pump to the first actuator and the second pump to the second actuator, and a second position for connecting the first pump and the second pump to the second actuator. This circuit includes a first relief valve disposed between the selector valve and the first pump, and a second relief valve disposed between the selector valve and the second pump. The first relief valve is set to a higher relief pressure than the second relief valve.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hydraulic circuit for a working vehicle having a plurality of actuators and a plurality of hydraulic pumps.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A tractor, for example, has, besides a hydraulic device (main actuator) for raising and lowering a working implement attached rearwardly, a hydraulic device (auxiliary actuator) for actuating a cane cutter or a grass cutter and a loader implement. The respective actuators receive pressure oil from two hydraulic pumps driven by an engine.
The auxiliary actuator is interchangeable. When the loader implement is used, for example, it is possible to shorten a cycle time by increasing oil supply. A greater quantity of oil may be required in this case than when the cane cutter or the like is used. However, this requirement is not met since the pump for driving the auxiliary actuator provides a fixed displacement.
It is relatively easy to supply the oil discharged from the main actuator confluently with the oil from the auxiliary actuator. However, oil lines extending to the respective actuators include relief valves. Where the two relief valves have the same relief pressure, the confluence of the oils from the two pumps may cause resonance of the relief valves and produce chattering sounds. Thus, the oils cannot simply be joined to meet the above requirement.
Various hydraulic devices have approximately the same relief pressure and to increase the relief pressure for certain hydraulic devices impairs flexibility. On the other hand, the relief pressure may be freely selected for the hydraulic implements of the tractor to which the above hydraulic devices are applied. It is known that a high system pressure enables compact designing.

Two pump hydraulic system with relief valves having different relief pressures


A multifunctional light-duty soft robot includes paired wheel power mechanisms, soft contact mechanisms, buffer spring mechanisms and a middle frame deformation mechanism. Each of the paired wheel power mechanisms includes a wheel frame and a wheel rotatably connected thereto. The wheel frame is internally provided with a power mechanism connected with a wheel axis of the wheel. Each of the soft contact mechanisms includes a flexible cantilever and a soft transmission belt. The two paired wheel power mechanisms are respectively arranged at two ends of each of the flexible cantilevers. The wheel on one of the paired wheel power mechanisms is connected with the wheel on the other of the paired wheel power mechanisms. The buffer spring mechanisms are arranged between the wheel frames and the wheels. The middle frame deformation mechanism includes a connection unit and two movable units rotatably connected to the connection unit respectively.

Up to now, the total mileage of China's oil and gas pipelines has exceeded 130,000 kilometers, excluding natural gas and water transportation pipelines. The pipeline transportation industry is huge and growing rapidly. In the face of complex pipeline networks and geographical conditions, it is necessary to use pipeline robots for pipeline inspection and maintenance. The natural gas transportation pipelines are mostly erected in mountains and canyons, winding for thousands of kilometers. At present, most of existing robots for inspection inside pipelines are bulky, and most of them adopt metal frames with high overall structural rigidity. A relative movement is maintained by friction between group wheels and pipe walls. This power transmission mode not only consumes a lot of energy, but produces scratches on the pipe walls to shorten the life of the pipelines.
The pipeline robots are usually used for pipeline inspection. A traditional pipeline robot often adopts a spring-type push-pull structure to reduce a diameter. In actual use, a diameter reduction ratio often may not meet performance requirements of passing through complex pipe networks, so the traditional pipeline robot is suitable for small-range long straight pipe networks and difficult to popularize on a large scale. Meanwhile, most of the pipeline robots focus on operations inside the pipelines, that is, they are merely used for inspection and maintenance of internal pipe bodies. However, many pipeline defects, such as corrosion and external cracks, often occur on external surfaces. Further, an additional device needs to be provided for peripheral inspection of the pipelines, which brings a lot of inconvenience to overhauling. Therefore, a widely used and more flexible and portable detection device is needed for pipeline detection.


A durable, versatile, reusable landscaping curb system includes a plurality of sectional housings, yieldably connectable by joining clips, a typical housing section having a substantially hollow body, a substantially horizontal face on the top of the housing, the horizontal face supported by two sides, the two sides being first and second substantially vertical faces, the first and second substantially vertical faces disposed in a parallel relationship with respect to each other. The joining clips comprising two clip halves that can be paired to provide connection of two housing sections, or a single clip half may be attached to a specialized housing component, such as a terminating end, a foundation interface, a driveway interface, a patio interface, or an utilities feed interface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates broadly to landscaping. Specifically, the present invention relates to decorative curbing deployed in a landscape application. More specifically, the present invention relates to lightweight decorative curbing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Extruded concrete curbing has been used in landscaping for decades. Typically, such landscaping techniques involve bringing extrusion equipment to the job site, loading it with concrete mix and water, and moving the extrusion equipment as the concrete curb is extruded. In landscaping, the outward appearance of a curb provides an orderly appearance generally appealing to a large section of the population. The technique of forming curbs in place with concrete is costly, permanent, and in many instances, there is not enough space for the extrusion equipment to extrude curbing in a desired location. This shortcoming is often seen in newer residential construction, where lot sizes are small and homes occupy much of the land. For many of these homes, the side access leading to the backyard is very narrow and prevents the use of curb extrusion equipment. Segmented curbing, where the decorative curbing is cast in pieces and configured as desired, offers a solution to the access problem, but deters most homeowners because segmented curbing is still too heavy for most homeowners, and lacks the desired appearance of extruded curbing. The shortcomings of segmented curbing are easily viewed after a period of time passes from its installation, as the ground under these heavy concrete segments may settle differently under different segments, allowing the curb segments to fall out of alignment and further detract from the desired appearance of extruded curbing.
Whether extruded or segmented, concrete curbing suffers additional shortcomings. Concrete breaks down over prolonged exposure to water, especially in freezing climates. Often, within a couple of years, cracks form or pieces of the concrete chip away from the curbing. It also is beyond the abilities of most homeowners to perform repairs on damaged concrete, and the only solution is tear out the existing curbing, either with sledgehammers and pry bars or power equipment such as jackhammers. The cost of concrete curbing is also prohibitive to the renting public, as such improvements are generally considered fixtures and thus remain after the renter vacates the premises. When the average renter only stays in a property for a short span of time, there is no incentive to select decorative curbing as a landscaping choice.
Another shortcoming of existing decorative curbing lacks utility. Aside from serving as a border between areas of a garden, such as between flowerbeds and lawn, decorative curbing provides little utility in the landscape setting aside from decoration. Because concrete curbing is solid, and, in the case of extruded applications, there is no way to use the span of curbing to deploy wiring or plumbing, or reuse the spans in order to easily alter the landscaping. Thus, there remains a heartfelt need for decorative curbing that solves the shortcomings of traditional curbing, whether extruded or segmented, and it would be an improvement to the art to provide an easy to install, reusable, versatile decorative curbing system.
Finally, existing decorative curbing lack are rigidly linked link. They lack flexibility with respect to adjacent members, or do not permit one member to yield with respect to an adjacent member in the event that one member is under a heavy weight of a vehicle, or even the modest weight of yard equipment. Under extreme or repeated load, if the connection does not permit the members to yield, one of the members or the connection will ultimately break. It would additionally an improvement to the art to provide for a reusable decorative curbing system that securely remains connected, yet provides for yielding and flexibility between the components in order to better resist damage from movements in the ground or being run over by heavy equipment.

Decorative curbing apparatus for deploying devices in a landscaping setting


A semiconductor device comprises a first insulating film which is formed on a semiconductor substrate and has a groove whose bottom does not reach said semiconductor substrate, and a capacitive element which is composed of a lower electrode of a first metal layer which is embedded in said groove, a capacitive insulating film of a second insulating film formed on said lower electrode, and an upper electrode of a second metal layer formed in a region where both said lower electrode and said capacitive insulating film are formed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a process for production thereof. More particularly, the present invention is intended to provide a semiconductor device containing a precision capacitive element and a process for production thereof.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Electronic machines and equipment are becoming smaller in size and lighter in weight, and are improving in performance and expanding in functions. This movement is accelerating the trend toward integrating linear or analog circuits (essential for AV machines and communication instruments) with digital circuits into a single semiconductor device (LSI). These circuits need precision capacitive elements, which are conventionally of DFC (Double Poly Capacitor) type or MIM (Metal-Insulator-Metal) type. The former type is composed of two polysilicon layers and one capacitive insulating film held between them. The latter type is composed of two metal layers and one capacitive insulating film held between them.
A capacitive element of DPC type is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. HEI 9(1997)-36313. It has capacitive electrodes constructed of polysilicon layers which are semiconductor layers. Therefore, a small depletion layer occurs in the capacitive electrode itself no matter how large the amount of impurities added to polysilicon may be. The depletion layer thus formed fluctuates in width depending on the potential applied across the capacitive electrodes. This leads to fluctuation in capacitive value. Therefore, the capacitive element of DPC type does not suit circuits which need a very high precision.
In contrast, the capacitive element of MIM type, in which the capacitive electrodes are made of metal, does not permit a depletion layer to occur. Therefore, it offers the advantage of keeping a constant capacitive value regardless of potential across the electrodes. For this reason, it is common practice to use capacitive elements of MIM type for precision analog circuits.
A capacitive element of MIM type and a process for production thereof are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. HEI 8(1996)-181282.
The process is illustrated in FIGS. 3(a) to 3(d).
On a semiconductor substrate 41 is deposited a silicon oxide film 42. On the silicon oxide film 42 is deposited a first metal layer 43. From this metal layer 43 are formed a lower electrode 43a and a wiring 43b by patterning through a mask of resist pattern (not shown) formed by photolithography. See FIG. 3(a).
On the semiconductor substrate 41 is deposited an oxide film 44 by a plasma CVD method. On the oxide film 44 is formed an SOG (Spin On Glass) film 45 by spin coating. The SOG film 45 undergoes etch-back by RIE (reactive ion etching) to such an extent that the underlying oxide film 44 is exposed. As a result, the SOG film 45 partly remains on the vertical step of the first metal layer 43, thereby moderating the slope angle of the step. Furthermore, an oxide film 46 is formed on the semiconductor substrate 41 by a plasma CVD method. See FIG. 3(b).
A resist pattern (not shown) having an opening above the lower electrode 43a is formed by photolithography. Using this resist pattern as a mask, etching by RIE is performed on the oxide film 44 and 46 so as to form an opening 47 through which the surface of the lower electrode 43a is exposed. On the semiconductor substrate 41 is deposited a plasma nitride film 48 which functions as the capacitive insulating film. See FIG. 3(c).
A resist pattern (not shown) having an opening above the wiring 43b is formed by photolithography. Using this resist pattern as a mask, etching by RIE is performed on the oxide film 44 and 46 and the plasma nitride film so as to form an opening 49 through which the surface of the wiring 43b is exposed. See FIG. 3(d).
On the semiconductor substrate 41 is further deposited a second metal layer, which is subsequently undergoes patterning using a resist pattern (not shown) as a mask formed by photolithography, so that an upper electrode 50a is formed above the lower electrode 43a and a wiring 50b is formed above the wiring 43b. In this way there are obtained a capacitive element 52 of MIM structure and a wiring 51 of laminate structure, the former being composed of the lower electrode 43a, the capacitive insulating film 46 and the upper electrode 50a, and the latter being composed of the wiring 43b and the wiring 50b. See FIG. 3(d).
In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. HEI 9(1997)-92786 discloses a capacitive element of MIM type and a process for production thereof, as explained in the following.
The process is illustrated in FIGS. 4(a) to 4(f).
On a semiconductor substrate 60 is deposited a first metal layer 61, which is subsequently patterned as desired. Then, on the semiconductor substrate 60 is deposited an insulating layer 62, the surface of which is subsequently planarized by CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polish) method or the like. See FIG. 4(a).
The insulating layer 62 is etched using a resist pattern (not shown) as a mask formed by photolithography to such an extent that the first metal layer 51 is exposed, so that openings 63a and 63b are formed. See FIG. 4(b).
On the semiconductor substrate 60 is entirely deposited a thin dielectric film 64, which functions as a capacitive insulating film afterward. On the thin dielectric film 64 is deposited by photolithography a resist pattern 65 which has an opening above the opening 63b. This opening functions as a connection for the metal wiring layer. See FIG. 4(c).
The dielectric film 64 undergoes etching through the resist pattern 65 as a mask, so that the first metal layer 61 is exposed at the bottom of the opening 63b. See FIG. 4(d).
On the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate 60 is deposited a second metal layer 65. See FIG. 4(e).
The second metal layer 65 is patterned into a desired form through a resist pattern (not shown) as a mask formed by photolithography, so as to form an upper electrode 65a and a wiring 65b. In this way there is formed a capacitive element 66 of MIM structure composed of the lower electrode 61, the dielectric film 64 and the upper electrode 65a, and also there is formed the wiring 65b connected to the lower electrode 61. See FIG. 4(f).
The conventional capacitive elements of MIM structure as mentioned above, however, have posed the following problems as recent semiconductor devices are required to have finer fabrication and faster operating speeds. That is, as semiconductor devices have came to have finer fabrication and faster operating speeds, the metal wiring has become multi4ayered. And in the circuits containing analog elements such as capacitive elements, three to six layers of wiring is now required.
The process of forming multi-layered wiring requires that each layer is planarized sufficiently. The result of failure in planarization is that the subsequent step to finely pattern the metal layer or to form a small opening in the interlayer film has to be carried out on an uneven surface. Photolithography on an uneven surface suffers a decrease in focusing margin, which makes it difficult to form fine and precision patterns and openings. Making each layer flat is a key factor in the process of forming multilayered wiring. One way to meet this requirement is to planarize the insulating film between metal wiring layers by CMP method.
The disadvantage of the above-mentioned conventional process for producing capacitive elements is that the opening 47 or 63a (for a capacitive element to be formed therein) causes the surface of the upper electrode 50a or 65a to have unevenness which is originated in the steps of the underlying interlayer insulating film. Such steps present difficulties in the fine patterning of the upper electrode 50a or 65a and also in the pattering of multilayered wiring formed on the electrodes.
The present invention was completed in order to address the above-mentioned problems. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device having a precision capacitive element (with a structure suitable for microfabrication) and a process for producing the same.
In according with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device comprises a first insulating film which is formed on a semiconductor substrate and has a groove whose bottom does not reach said semiconductor substrate, and a capacitive element which is composed of a lower electrode of a first metal layer which is embedded in said groove, a capacitive insulating film of a second insulating film formed on said lower electrode, and an upper electrode of a second metal layer formed in a region where both said lower electrode and said capacitive insulating film are formed.
In according with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device comprises; an element formed on a semiconductor substrate, a first insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate containing said element, and having at least one opening whose bottom reaches said element and at least one groove whose bottom does not reach said element, a contact plug of a first metal layer embedded in said opening, a lower electrode or wiring layer of the first metal layer embedded in the groove, a capacitive insulating film of a second insulating film formed on said lower electrode, an upper electrode of the second metal layer which is formed in a region where both the lower electrode and the capacitive insulating film are formed, and a metal wiring of the second metal layer formed on said contact plug.
In according with still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process for producing a semiconductor device, said process comprises the steps of: depositing a first insulating film on a semiconductor substrate, forming in said first insulating film a groove whose bottom does not reach said semiconductor substrate, depositing a first metal layer on the first insulating film containing said groove, selectively etching said first metal layer to form a lower electrode only in said groove, depositing a second insulating film on said first insulating film containing said lower electrode, patterning said second insulating film to form a capacitive insulating film on said lower electrode, depositing a second metal layer on said capacitive insulating film, and selectively etching said second metal layer to form an upper electrode in a region where both the lower electrode and the capacitive insulating film are formed.
In according with still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process for producing a semiconductor device, said process comprises a step of: forming an element on a semiconductor substrate, depositing a first insulating film on said element, forming in said first insulating film at least one opening whose bottom reaches said element and at least one groove whose bottom does not reach said element, depositing a first metal layer on the first insulating film containing said opening and said groove, selectively etching said first metal layer to form a contact plug in said opening and a lower electrode or wiring layer in said groove, depositing a second insulating film on the first insulating film containing said contact plug, lower electrode and wiring layer, patterning said second insulating film to form a capacitive insulating film on said lower electrode, depositing a second metal layer on said capacitive insulating layer, and selectively etching said second metal layer to form an upper electrode in a region where both the lower electrode and the capacitive insulating film are formed, and to form a metal wiring on said contact layer.

Semiconductor device and production process thereof


A system for and methods of securing vehicle electronic data is disclosed. For example, a vehicle data protection system for and methods of securing access to a vehicle's event data recorder (EDR) data are provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises scanning a label having a near field communication (NFC) tag using an NFC reader device, and then displaying on the NFC reader one or more vehicle data items associated with a vehicle profile. The vehicle data items may be stored and accessed from a cloud database, and may include any useful vehicle and/or vehicle owner information. The method may further include installing or granting permission for a service provider to install a vehicle connector lockout apparatus onto a diagnostic link connector of a vehicle, and establishing a chain of custody link for EDR data via an NFC tag on the vehicle connector lockout apparatus.

The vehicle DLC (OBD-II) is regulated by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 40 CFR 86.094-17(h) and revisions for subsequent model years. It is standardized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Vehicle Electrical Engineering Systems Diagnostic Standards Committee. The physical configuration of the output plug is specified under SAE J1962-2002 and thru the International Standards Organization (ISO) under ISO 15031-3-2004 and is increasingly used as an access point to other in-vehicle electronics systems, subsystems, computers, sensors, actuators and an array of electronic control modules (ECU) including air bag sensing diagnostic modules (SDM). The onboard DLC is also used as a serial port to retrieve data elements from on-board systems, subsystems, modules, devices and functions that collect and store data elements related to a vehicle crash such as a restraint control module (RCM) and an event data recorder (EDR) as per 49 CFR 563: Event Data Recorders.
An EDR is a device or function in a vehicle that records a vehicle's dynamic, time-series data just prior to or during a crash, intended for retrieval after the crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is responsible for general EDR regulatory oversight and requires the installation of EDR in vehicles to provide an accurate and unbiased understanding of a crash event. The IEEE1616™ standard established in 2004 specifies minimal performance characteristics for onboard tamper- and crash-proof memory devices for various types and classes of vehicles (the 1616 standards and revisions of which are available at https://standards.ieee.org/ and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety).
According to the Driver Privacy Act of 2015, when the vehicle owner purchases or leases the vehicle they are considered owners of the Event Data Recorder (EDR) data that the vehicle generates and stores. However, the DLC port is so unsecure that the FBI issued a public service announcement (available at https://www.ic3.gov/media/2016/160317.aspx and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety).
The IEEE 1616™ was amended in 2010 to add information pertaining to motor vehicle event data recorder connector lockout apparatuses. The amendment defines a lockout protocol for EDR output data accessibility by securing the DLC. This standard does not prescribe data security within the vehicle electronic control units (ECUs) or within the intra-vehicle communication and/or diagnostic networks but instead defines ways and means to permit uniform, but controlled access of electronic scan tools to the DLC for legitimate vehicle emissions status, maintenance and/or repair. This standard also defines a means of maintaining data security on the vehicle via a motor vehicle DLC connector lockout apparatus (MVEDRCLA). The MVEDRCLA is applicable to vehicles and their respective event data recorders for all types of motor vehicles licensed to operate on public highways.
The Department of Homeland Security's US-CERT tasked the CERT Coordination Center (CERT/CC) at Carnegie Mellon University's Software Engineering Institute (SEI) to study OBD devices to better understand the cybersecurity impact to consumers and the public. The CERT/CC analyzed a representative sample of these devices for vulnerabilities and found widespread failure to apply basic security principles. If these devices are compromised, the potential impact includes loss of privacy, vehicle performance degradation or failure, and potential injury. The goal of CERT/CC's research was to better inform consumers, enterprise fleet managers, insurance companies, and policy makers about the potential risks of these devices.
The NHTSA estimates that 91.6% of modern vehicles include EDRs. When the Haddon Matrix is applied to crashes it cites pre-crash, crash and post-crash. The crash mode is generally the crash site. The 'window of opportunity' to misuse EDR date is from the time of the crash until the time that the data is downloaded by a trusted entity of the Court, such as law enforcement.
Additionally, the CERT/CC report notes, "In enterprise IT environments, the majority of attackers are assumed to be remote, attacking the systems over the Internet. A specific automobile would be difficult to identify on the Internet, if it is directly accessible at all. Attackers are also likely to use computer security vulnerabilities as enablers of other, more physical crimes. Therefore, the threat actors are likely to be local to a targeted vehicle, generally within Wi-Fi or Bluetooth range. This doesn't rule out remote attacks, as a compromised mobile device with Internet connectivity could be connected to the car via an OBD-II device, USB, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi. A secondary risk of using these devices is that compromise of the manufacturer or operator's back-end server may allow an attacker to access any device connecting to its network. When a consumer decides to plug one of these devices into their car, they are unintentionally moving the security boundary from the vehicle itself to the device manufacturer's network, associated services, and any other connected device."
Aftermarket OBD-II devices have the potential to introduce serious safety and security risks to an automobile. The design of the OBD-II port means that such a device has unlimited access to some or all of a car's internal networks. These OBD-II devices also have some sort of external interface that is accessible from outside of the car—typically Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular.
Thus, there remains a need to secure a vehicle's EDR data from cybersecurity attacks, particularly before, during and after a crash event, while at the same time providing a chain of custody of the vehicle's EDR data.
In some states, EDR data is not protected by the Fourth Amendment and may be obtained without a warrant. See Mobley v. State, 346 Ga.App. 641 (2018). Thus, Applicant also desires a system and method for installing a device to prevent unauthorized access to the EDR data or provide permission for others to install the device after a crash event.

System for and methods of securing vehicle electronic data