A method of trading seat licenses over a computer network is provided whereby a seat license is listed for sale by a seller on a seat license exchange hosted by an intermediary, wherein the seat license exchange is conducted through a central computer over the computer network and the seat license is issued by an issuer and has an asking price determined by the seller. At least one bid for the seat license is received over the computer network from the bidder, wherein the bidder offering a first bid for the seat license, that is at least equal to the asking price thereof, is designated as the buyer of the seat license. A trade is thereafter initiated whereby the seat license listing is removed from the seat license exchange and a trade status is established. A title to the seat license is then directed from the seller and received by the intermediary. Concurrently, a remittance at least equal to the first bid is directed from the buyer and received by the intermediary. Upon receiving a final approval of the trade from the issuer, the trade is completed by directing the title to the seat license to the buyer, directing a first portion of the remittance to the intermediary, directing a second portion of the remittance to the seller, and notifying the issuer of the completion of the trade. Associated methods and systems are also provided.

Permanent seat licenses, also known, for instance, as personal seat licenses, Stadium Builder licenses (SBL), Charter Ownership agreements (COA), Charter Seat licenses (CSL), and Preferred Access Speedway Seating (PASS), are a relatively recent innovation wherein, for example, sports teams sell "seat licenses" to fans desiring admission tickets to team events. Generally, the seat license for a particular seat within the stadium or arena enables and/or requires the holder of that license to purchase season tickets to team events. The season ticket, in turn, gains the holder admission to individual team events during the course of the season where the holder is able to sit in the particular seat. However, permanent seat licenses (referred to herein as "PSL's") are also an important source of revenue for the sports team issuing the PSL's. This revenue can be used by the team to, for example, subsidize the construction of new facilities or for other purposes requiring capital outlay. Note that the PSL's may be issued by entities other than just sports teams. For example, the sports team may often act in partnership with a government entity, where the partnership issues the PSL's. In other instances, the government entity may build, own, and operate the stadium independently of the sports team and may thus issue the PSL's independently thereof. Further, the venue may be owned by an entity separate from both the sports team and the government entity and it is the separate entity which issues the PSL's. Note further that the PSL concept as described herein may be applicable to venues for other events besides sports such as, for example, theaters or the like. Thus, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that the PSL concept may have wide and varied applicability.
PSL's are generally offered directly to the public by the sports team (referred to herein as the "issuer"). These PSL's often have prices ranging from hundreds to many thousands of dollars. Sometimes, for a variety of reasons, such as moving from the area or losing interest in the team, holders may sometimes wish to sell their PSL's after buying them from the issuer. A problem herein lies that, since a PSL is a niche commodity, there is no established resale market for the product. In some instances, computer bulletin boards and newspaper classified ads are utilized to find a subsequent buyer. However, such transactions are often laden with uncertainty for both the seller and the buyer. For instance, due to the cost of the PSL's, a buyer may often have to procure financing, which may delay the transaction. If the seller is desperate to sell the PSL's, he may arrange to finance all or part of the sale to the buyer, which may further lead to uncertainty for the seller recouping his money from the buyer. Likewise, the buyer is faced with uncertainty as to, for example, whether the seller is the rightful owner of the PSL's or whether the seller will deliver the PSL's upon the buyer paying the purchase price. Sometimes, the buyer may be faced with the uncertainty that the PSL's correspond to seats that do not have the view of the playing field that the buyer desires or that the seats corresponding to the PSL's have a view that may adversely affect the value of the PSL's. In other instances, the PSL's may be offered for sale by the seller independently of the current season's tickets, wherein the buyer would not be able to obtain tickets until the following season. This situation may often not be revealed to the buyer, or the buyer may forget to inquire about this detail, until the transaction has been completed.
The PSL transaction may further include mutual uncertainties for both the buyer and the seller. For instance, since there is no established market, it is often difficult for both the seller and the buyer to ascertain a going market price for the PSL's. Such a market price may also be affected by performance factors with the team itself. For example, PSL's may rise significantly in price if the team has come off a successful championship season or has recently built a new stadium or arena. Conversely, the value of a PSL may drop significantly if the team is on a losing streak or is otherwise forecast to perform poorly in the future. In addition, there may be instances where the transaction between the buyer and the seller occurs over a distance and the parties cannot meet in person. In these instances, the uncertainties facing both the buyer and seller as to the reliability of the transaction may take on a greater significance. Further, the issuer typically maintains records of the current ownership of the respective PSL and the seller and/or the buyer may be required to notify the issuer of the ownership change at the time of the transaction, as well as to pay an associated fee for the transfer. Issuer requirements with regard to the transaction may vary between issuers and may also comprise a procedure which is unknown to the parties.
Thus, there exists a need for a medium for buying and selling PSL's in which reasonable assurances are provided to both the buyer and the seller concerning important aspects of the transaction, for example, that the seller is the rightful owner of the PSL and that the buyer is capable of paying the purchase price. Such a medium should also desirably be able to inform the parties of at least a best estimate of a current market price for the PSL's, be able to let the buyer evaluate the views from the corresponding seats, and be able inform the buyer and seller as to the transaction requirements imposed by the respective issuer. It may also be desirable for the medium to incorporate provisions for facilitating the transaction wherein the seller can submit the PSL and the buyer can submit the corresponding remittance to a trusted intermediary. The medium should also desirably be able to account for the current season's tickets corresponding to the PSL together with or independently of the sale of the PSL.

Methods and systems for trading permanent seat licenses


Among multiple scavenging passages 14 included in a cylinder, a scavenging passage connected to at least one scavenging port 16 constitutes a variable scavenging passage 14(ch). An upper end portion of the variable scavenging passage 14(ch) has a guide surface 50 defining a discharge direction of a scavenging gas discharged from a variable scavenging port 16(ch) connected thereto on a horizontal plane. The guide surface 50 includes at least a first guide portion 50(H) defining a first discharge direction of the scavenging gas and a second guide portion 50(L) defining a second discharge direction of the scavenging gas. The discharge direction of the scavenging gas is changed from the first discharge direction to the second discharge direction on the horizontal plane by the first and second guide portions 50(H) and 50(L) in the scavenging stroke.

The present invention relates to a two-stroke internal combustion engine.
In a conventional typical two-stroke internal combustion engine, scavenging in a cylinder is performed in the scavenging stroke by using a pre-compressed air-fuel mixture in the crank chamber. The two-stroke internal combustion engine includes a scavenging passage communicating with a crank chamber and a combustion chamber. An upper end opening of the scavenging passage, i.e., a scavenging port, is opened and closed by a piston reciprocating between a top dead center and a bottom dead center. This operation of the piston opens and closes an exhaust port.
When the piston descends during the combustion stroke, an exhaust port and a scavenging port are opened near the bottom dead center of the piston, and the scavenging in the cylinder is started at the same time as the opening of the scavenging port. The scavenging port communicates with the crank chamber via the scavenging passage, and at the same time as the opening of the scavenging port, the pre-compressed air-fuel mixture is discharged from the scavenging port into the cylinder as a scavenging gas.
A conventionally well-known two-stroke internal combustion engine pre-compressing the air-fuel mixture in the crank chamber has a problem of "air-fuel mixture blow-by" occurring in the scavenging stroke. The "air-fuel mixture blow-by" is a phenomenon in which the air-fuel mixture discharged from the scavenging port, i.e., the scavenging gas, is directly discharged from the exhaust port without contributing to the scavenging. This blow-by phenomenon not only pollutes the environment because the unburned air-fuel mixture is discharged, but also lowers an air supply efficiency ηtr and deteriorates a fuel consumption rate.
To deal with the problem of air-fuel mixture blow-by, "reversal scavenging" was proposed as a method of scavenging and has become the mainstream of current two-stroke engines. The "reversal scavenging" is performed by directing the air-fuel mixture discharged from the scavenging port, i.e., the scavenging gas, to a cylinder wall surface on the intake side opposite to the exhaust port. A reverse scavenging two-stroke engine is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 5553552 ("Patent Document 1"), for example. As can be seen from the Patent Document 1, the scavenging gas discharged from the scavenging port is directed to the cylinder wall surface on the intake side. Subsequently, the scavenging gas reverses in the cylinder and proceeds toward the exhaust port.
The Patent Document 1 proposes that the scavenging gas discharged from the scavenging port is directed to the cylinder wall surface on the intake side by forming a cross-sectional shape of an upper end portion of the scavenging passage into a substantially triangular shape having the scavenging port as one side.
While environmental problems are attracting attention, exhaust gas regulations are becoming stricter. To respond this situation, various proposals have been made to prevent the air-fuel mixture from blow-by. The scavenging port opens in accordance with the descending operation of the piston, and an effective opening area increases. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 60-145417 ("Patent Document 2") and 2001-182541 ("Patent Document 3") disclose inventions in which the direction of the air-fuel mixture discharged from the scavenging port, i.e., the scavenging gas, is changed in this process.
For facilitating understanding, a plane spreading along a vertical movement of the piston is called a "vertical plane", and a plane spreading in a lateral direction orthogonal to this plane is called a "horizontal plane".
The Patent Document 2 discloses an invention in which a ceiling wall surface of the upper end portion of the scavenging passage, i.e., a portion near the scavenging port, has a three-dimensional shape, and the discharge direction of the scavenging gas is changed on the vertical plane by the three-dimensional ceiling wall surface. According to this invention, the scavenging gas is directed upward when the scavenging port begins to open. Additionally, as the piston descends and the effective opening area of the scavenging port expands, the scavenging gas is gradually directed downward.
The Patent Document 3 discloses the invention in which a ceiling wall surface of an upper end portion of the scavenging passage, i.e., a portion near the scavenging port, is divided into a first surface on the intake side and a second surface on the exhaust side of a cylinder, and the first surface on the intake side has a relatively large inclination angle for directing the scavenging gas upward as compared to the second surface on the exhaust side. Regarding the shape of this scavenging passage, an upper edge of the scavenging port has a stepped shape, and in the upper edge of the scavenging port, a first half upper edge on the intake side is located on the upper side as compared to a second half upper edge on the exhaust side.
According to the invention of the Patent Document 3, when the piston descends and reaches the first half upper edge on the intake side of the scavenging port and the scavenging port begins to open, the air-fuel mixture discharged from the scavenging port, i.e., the scavenging gas, is directed relatively upward. When the piston further descends and reaches the second half upper edge on the exhaust side of the scavenging port, the scavenging gas discharged from the scavenging port is then directed relatively downward by the second surface having a relatively small inclination angle. Therefore, the invention disclosed in the Patent Document 3 discloses an invention in which the discharge direction of the scavenging gas is changed on a vertical plane as with the Patent Document 2.
As the exhaust gas regulations become stricter, it is necessary to aim for further improvement of air supply efficiency ηtr so as to prevent emission of unburned gas as much as possible and improve an engine output. Considering the proposals of Patent Documents 2, 3 from this point of view, when the combustion chamber is viewed in a plan view, a dead area may occur in which the scavenging gas discharged from the scavenging port does not spread, and a further improvement is expected.


Isolated polypeptides are disclosed comprising an amino acid sequence encoding a monomer of a fibrous polypeptide attached to a heterologous polysaccharide binding domain. Composites comprising same, methods of generating same and uses thereof are all disclosed.

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to compositions comprising fibrous polypeptides and polysaccharides and uses of same.
The most extensively investigated biological polymers for use in material science are polysaccharides due to their abundance and extremely diverse mechanical properties.
The polysaccharide cellulose is the most common biopolymer on earth. Although it is mostly found in plant biomass, it is also produced by animals, fungi and bacteria. Cellulose is a crystalline assembly of cellobiose subunits which are made from glucose. Due to its crystalline structure, cellulose has high tensile strength and elasticity approaching that of synthetic carbon fibers, and it has a very favorable strength/weight ratio compared to, for example, steel. In plant cell walls, cellulose is found as a composite with other polysaccharides such as hemicellulose, pectin, lignin, enzymes and structural proteins. These molecules link the cellulose microfibrils improving the mechanism of load transfer when the cell is subjected to mechanical stress whilst enhancing physical protection against pathogen attack.
The unique properties of natural biocomposites have prompted many scientists to produce composites of cellulose and synthetic polymer matrixes. For example, Favier et al, [Polymer engineering and science 37(10): 1732-1739] produced cellulose-latex composites resulting in increased shear modulus by more than three orders of magnitude of the latex rubbery state. Such biocomposites have been produced for the automotive industries and for production of biodegradable plastics.
The use of cellulose binding domains (CBD) for cellulose fiber modification is a well established technology [Shoseyov et al, Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 70(2):283-95]. Recently, CBD was used for production of novel cellulose-protein composite materials when recombinant CBD or CBD dimers, CBD-CBD fusion proteins (CCP), were bound to paper resulting in improved mechanical and water repelling properties [Levy et al., Cellulose 9: 91-98]. Furthermore, a recombinant CBD-starch binding domain (CSCP) demonstrated cross-bridging ability in different model systems composed of insoluble or soluble starch and cellulose [Levy et al., Cellulose 9: 91-98].
In addition to polysaccharide research, biopolymer research has focused in recent years on fibrous proteins due to their unique mechanical properties. These proteins are distinguished by their repetitive amino acid sequences that confer mechanical strength or flexibility. Among these proteins are mammalian collagen and elastin and the arthropod proteins, silkworm silk (Bombyx morii), spider dragline silk and resilin. The unique repetitive sequence of each protein confers its mechanical properties. For instance, spider silk is extremely strong while resilin and elastin are extremely elastic and resilient with a rubber-like nature.
Resilin is found in specialized cuticle regions in many insects, especially in areas where high resilience and low stiffness are required, or as an energy storage system. It is best known for its roles in insect flight and the remarkable jumping ability of fleas and spittlebugs. The protein was initially identified in 1960 by Weis-Fogh who isolated it from cuticles of locusts and dragonflies and described it as a rubber-like material.
Resilin displays unique mechanical properties that combine reversible deformation with very high resilience. It has been reported to be the most highly efficient elastic material known. The elastic efficiency of the material is purported to be 97%; only 3% of stored energy is lost as heat (U.S. Patent Application 20070099231). Resilin shares similar mechanical properties with elastin which is produced in connective tissues of vertebrates. In humans, elastin is usually found at sites where elasticity is required, such as the skin and cartilage (often in association with collagen). Elastin-collagen composites also serve as a major component in arterial walls where it allows the blood vessels to smooth the pulsatile flow of blood from the heart into a continuous and steady flow.
In spite of their functional analogy, the sequence homology between resilin and elastin is very low, apart from the high abundance of glycine in both proteins. Nevertheless, the elasticity of both proteins results from their architecture of randomly coiled, crosslinked polypeptide chains. Resilin is synthesized in the insect cytoplasm and subsequently secreted to the cuticle where peroxidase enzymes catalyze its polymerization via formation of di/tri tyrosine bridges, resulting in assembly of a natural protein-carbohydrate composite material with cuticular chitin. Two Drosophila melanogaster Resilin mRNA variants have been identified—CG15920-RA and CG15920-RB which differ in the truncation of their chitin binding domains (see FIG. 1A). The major components that were annotated are the 17-amino acid long elastic repeats and the 35 amino acid-long chitin binding domain of type R&R.
Recently, Elvin et al., 2005, [Nature. 437: 999-1002] successfully expressed and polymerized a synthetic, truncated resilin-like gene in E. coli. The synthetic gene consists of the 17 repeats of the native gene. The protein, once expressed, undergoes photochemical crosslinking which casts it into a rubber-like biomaterial. U.S. Patent Application 20070099231 discloses hybrid resilins comprising resilin and structural polypeptides.
Silk proteins are produced by a variety of insects and arachnids, the latter of which form the strongest silk polymers on earth. The spider spins as many as seven different kinds of silks, each one being optimized to its specific biological function in nature. Dragline silk, used as the safety line and as the frame thread of the spider's web, is an impressive material with a combination of tensile strength and elasticity. Its extraordinary properties are derived from its composition as a semicrystalline polymer, comprising crystalline regions embedded in a less organized "amorphous" matrix. The crystalline regions consist of antiparallel β-pleated sheets of polyalanine stretches that give strength to the thread, while the predominant secondary structure of the amorphous matrix is the glycine-rich helix which provides elasticity. Most dragline silks consist of at least two different proteins with molecular masses of up to several hundred kDa. On the basis of sequence similarities, dragline silk proteins have been grouped into spidroin1-like (MaSp1) and spidroin2-like (MaSp2) proteins.
As opposed to silkworm silk, isolation of silk from spiders is not industrially to feasible. Spiders produce silk in small quantities, and their territorial behavior prevents large amounts thereof from being harvested in adjacent quarters. Therefore, production of silk protein through recombinant DNA techniques is preferred. For such purposes, widespread use is made of synthetic genes based on a monomer consensus of the native spidroin sequences. These synthetic genes have been successfully expressed in the methyltropic yeast host, Pichia pastoris, in E. coli and in the tobacco and potato plants [Fahnestock S R., and Bedzyk L A Appl Microbiol biotechnol 47:33-39 (1997); Fahnestock S R., and Bedzyk L A, Appl Microbiol biotechnol 47:23-32 (1997), Sceller J. et al. Nature biotechnology 19:573-577 (2001)]. Through such means, laboratory scale amounts of silk-like protein powders are readily available. The final hurdle on the way to the production of manmade silks lies in the development of an appropriate spinning technology capable of converting these powders into high performance fibers. The tendency of these proteins to aggregate in-vitro, bypassing the protein folding process, acts as a significant limitation toward successfully producing functional silk. The assembly of the proteins from a liquid crystalline form into a solid silk string is extremely complex, and duplication of the operational function of spider spinning glands remains a major challenge.
Several attempts have been reported on the preparation of cellulose-silk fibroin composites which were prepared by molecular blending and regeneration of solubilized cellulose and silkworm silk [Freddi G, et al., (1995), J Appl Polymer Sci 56: 1537-1545; Yang, G, et al., (2000) J Membr Sci 210: 177-153]. Recently, Noishiki et al [Noishiki Y, Nishiyama Y, Wada M, Kuga S, Magoshi J. (2002) J Appl Polymer Sci 86: 3425-3429] prepared composite cellulose-silk films from solid cellulose whiskers and regenerated silkworm silk, resulting in notably improved mechanical strength, with breaking strength and ultimate strain about five times those of the constituent materials alone.

Compositions comprising fibrous polypeptides and polysaccharides

Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd.


A temporary holding section winds banknotes onto an outer peripheral face of a circular, cylinder-shaped and rotatably supported drum to retain the banknotes between a facing portion and the outer peripheral face. More specifically, the temporary holding section uses an upper side tape and a lower side tape, that respectively have one end wound onto the drum, such that accompanying rotation of the drum, the supplied banknotes are sandwiched between the tapes and the outer peripheral face. Moreover, in the temporary holding section, a movable section that presses the banknote against the drum outer peripheral face while being movable with respect to the drum is positioned with the other end further away from the drum than the facing portion.

Hitherto, automated teller machines, such as those employed in financial institutions, allow a customer to pay in cash, such as coins or banknotes, and pay out cash to a customer, according to the contents of a customer transaction.
An example of technology proposed for such an automated teller machine includes a banknote pay-in/pay-out port that accepts and dispenses banknotes for a customer, a classification section that classifies the denomination and authenticity of inserted banknotes, a temporary holding section that temporarily holds inserted banknotes, and denomination cassettes that store banknotes by denomination.
In this automated teller machine, when a customer has inserted banknotes into the banknote pay-in/pay-out port in a pay-in transaction, the inserted banknotes are classified in the classification section. The automated teller machine then holds banknotes classified as normal banknotes in the temporary holding section, and banknotes that are classified as unsuitable for use in the transaction are replaced in the banknote pay-in/pay-out port and returned to the customer. Then, when the customer has approved the pay-in amount, the automated teller machine reclassifies the banknotes held in the temporary holding section by denomination in the classification section, and the banknotes are stored in the respective denomination cassettes according to their classified denomination.
As an example of such a temporary holding section, technology is proposed that includes a circular, cylinder-shaped rotating drum and a pair of long tapes that mutually face each other. One end of each of the tapes is fixed to an outer peripheral face of the drum such that the tapes overlap with each other (see for example Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2010-1123).
FIG. 10 to FIG. 12 illustrate an example of a temporary holding section 115. Respective components of the temporary holding section 115 are attached to a temporary holding section casing 120.
Moreover, in the temporary holding section 115, both sides of banknotes BL (see FIG. 13) conveyed in sequence, for example from a classification section, are sandwiched, at a central portion in a left-right direction thereof that is orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the banknotes BL, between an upper side tape 33 and a lower side tape 36, whilst the banknotes BL are guided by a movable guide 141. The temporary holding section 115 rotates a drum 31, winding the banknotes BL onto an outer peripheral face of the drum 31 in this state, so as to temporarily hold the banknotes BL in a space between an inside face 120E of the temporary holding section casing 120 and the outer peripheral face of the drum 31.
The movable guide 141 swings about a pivot shaft 45 to follow changes in the thickness of the banknotes BL wound onto the drum 31. As a result, a gap SP opens up between a leading end portion on the left side of the movable guide 141 in FIG. 12 and the inside face 120E of the temporary holding section casing 120.

Medium storage and feed-out device and medium transaction apparatus


A receiver circuit including an oscillator, a mixer coupled to the oscillator, a switch coupled to an output of the mixer, and an envelope detector coupled to the oscillator, such that the envelope detector generates a timing signal for actuating the switch based on the envelope of a signal produced by the oscillator. In one exemplary embodiment, the receiver circuit may be used as part of a radar based sensor system.

Radio frequency (RF) receivers often utilize an 'integrate and dump' function to demodulate a received RF signal. The 'integrate and dump' function essentially involves utilizing an integrator to generate an information (data) signal from a modulated RF signal using a local oscillator (LO). Once the information signal is demodulated, it is typically 'dumped' to a sample and hold circuit for further processing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,587,072 (the "'072 Patent") describes a radar based sensor system which includes two separate 'integrate and dump' portions, one for in-phase (I) signals, and one for quadrature (Q) phase signals. FIG. 1 of the '072 patent shows a first 'integrate and dump' portion (I Channel) formed by mixer 44, integrator 48, sampler 51, and switch 52, and another 'integrate and dump' portion (Q Channel) formed by mixer 45, integrator 47, sampler 51, and switch 54. Particularly, the 'integrate' is performed by the mixers 44, 45 and the integrators 47, 48, and the 'dump' is performed by the sampler 51 and the switches 52, 54. The sampler 51 provides a timing signal for actuating the switches 52, 54 at a rate commensurate with the frequency of the pulses received at the receiving antenna 31, so that all incoming pulses are detected. If this timing signal is somehow delayed, or offset, accurate detection of the pulses will not be accomplished.
Implementations of 'integrate and dump' type receivers often require very stringent timing signals. Such receivers often experience differential delay offsets due to, for example, layout differences between the circuit board including the source of the timing signal and the circuit board including the integrator. At lower frequencies and slower clock rates, differential delay offsets are less problematic. However, at higher frequencies and clock speeds, accurate timing signals are required for proper operation. High Resolution Radar (HRR) is an example of a high frequency application which utilizes an 'integrate and dump' function in the receiver circuitry. For example, the above-referenced '072 Patent details an exemplary HRR system.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional receiver circuit 100 which includes an 'integrate and dump' function (i.e., similar to either of the I or Q Channels described above with reference to the '072 Patent). The 'integrate and dump' function is provided by amplifier 120, resistor 130, capacitor 140, and switch 150. The mixer 110 correlates an input RF signal with a local oscillator (LO) signal to produce an analog information (data) signal at the input of the amplifier 120. This information signal is then amplified by the amplifier 120, and applied through the resistor 130 to charge the capacitor 140 while the switch 150 is open. The amplifier 120, resistor 130, and capacitor 140 thus form the 'integrate' portion of the 'integrate and dump' circuit. The opening and closing of the switch 150 is controlled by a timing pulse provided by a separate timing circuit (not shown). The 'dump' takes place when the switch 150 is closed and the capacitor 140 discharges into the sample and hold circuit 160. As will be noted by those of ordinary skill in the art, the proper alignment of the LO signal and the timing pulse is essential to maintaining maximum efficiency of the correlation process, and thus maximizing the signal to noise ratio (SNR). If the timing signal experiences differential delays, it will become out of phase alignment with the LO signal, and thus degrade the efficiency of the receiver.
Thus, there is presently a need for a receiver including an 'integrate and dump' function which does not experience differential delay offsets at high frequencies.

Apparatus for generating an integrator timing reference from a local oscillator signal


Methods for the in-film polymerization of a second polymer in a film of a first polymer are provided. The methods integrate polymer synthesis with simultaneous block copolymer selfassembly, providing a route for on-demand nanopattern manipulation in polymeric films.

Many applications require the assembly of block copolymers (BCPs) in thin films with different regions containing different features (domain spacing and morphology). To attain this control, post-treatment processes have been developed, including kinetically trapping a non-equilibrium state during annealing; controlling air-polymer interfacial energies through top-coating; and adjusting the copolymer interaction parameter through a photoacid generator. These are often combined with either "bottom-up" (substrate modification) or "top-down" (lithography) techniques for locally controlling the morphology. However, these methods usually only lead to an orientation switch, an order-disorder transition, or a limited size variation of nanostructures, since the equilibrium morphology of each region is ultimately controlled by its underlying BCP. Alternatively, multi-step film casting/deposition, crosslinking and etching could generate deterministically defined hierarchical structures with multiple length scales from centimeters down to ˜10 nm, but these methods become more limited with increasing complexity of the final patterns, as one BCP only corresponds to one certain size and morphology.

Process for hierarchical manipulation of self-assembled polymer thin film patterns through in-film polymerization


The invention relates to a method and a forming apparatus for deforming a hollow workpiece having at least one open end, wherein the workpiece is clamped down in a clamping device, a first forming tool is placed into contact with the outer surface of the workpiece, said workpiece and said tool are rotated about an axis of rotation relative to each other and said workpiece is deformed by means of said first tool. A second forming tool is placed into the cavity defined by the workpiece and into contact with the inner surface of the hollow workpiece, after which the workpiece is deformed by means of said second tool.

The invention relates to a method for deforming a hollow workpiece having at least one open end, such as a metal cylinder, for example, wherein the workpiece is clamped down in a clamping device, a first forming tool is placed into contact with the outer surface of the workpiece, the workpiece and the tool are rotated about an axis of rotation relative to each other and the workpiece is deformed by means of said first tool. A method and forming machine of this kind are known for example from European patent application No. EP 0 916 428. Said publication discloses a method and a forming machine, comprising a forming head fitted with a number of rollers, by means of which the diameter of one end of a cylindrical metal element is reduced and moreover bent through an angle.
To this end, the metal cylinder is clamped down and said cylinder and said forming head are rotated relative to each other about an axis of rotation, whereupon said end is deformed by pressing said rollers in a radial direction against the outer surface of said cylinder and moving them along said outer surface in a number of cycles, whereby the radial distance between the rollers and the axis of rotation is decreased with each cycle, as a result of which a reduction of the diameter is obtained. Since the axis of rotation is at an angle with the central axis of the metal cylinder, the end of the cylinder is not only reduced as a result of the movement in radial direction of the rollers, but in addition said end will also be positioned at an angle. Due to the use of the aforesaid cycles, the workpiece assumes the shape of the final product step by step.
EP 0 916 426 discloses a comparable method and forming machine, wherein the axis of rotation is eccentrically offset from the central axis of the metal cylinder. Thus a product is obtained wherein the central axis of the deformed portion is likewise offset from the central axis of the undeformed portion of the metal cylinder.
The method and apparatus in hand can be used, for example, in the production of the housings of catalytic converters that form part of the exhaust system of vehicles, such as passenger cars. Such catalytic converters have a diameter which is larger than the diameter of the pipes of the exhaust system of which they form part, and they are preferably positioned close to the engine block in order to reach their operating temperature as quickly as possible after the engine has been started and to maintain that temperature as much as possible. One consequence of this is that, first of all, the diameter of the connections on either side of the catalytic converter housing must be reduced in order to properly connect to the rest of the exhaust system and that in addition they often need to have a complicated shape in order to enable an optimum position with respect to the engine block.
Prior art methods and apparatuses for producing workpieces having at least one deformed end, such as e.g. the above-described catalytic converter housings, appear to provide insufficient freedom as regards to shaping. Moreover, it is necessary to use relatively thick-walled workpieces, since a heavy load is exerted on the material during the deformation process, which may lead to folds, cracks and/or an irregular distribution of the wall thickness of the final product. As a result, the obtained products, such as e.g. the aforesaid catalytic converter housings, are often heavier than is necessary for their proper functioning in an exhaust system.

Method and forming machine for deforming a hollow workpiece


A foldable windshield device for removable attachment to a T-top of a motorized watercraft includes:                (a) a lower windshield portion including at least one lower attachment mechanism;        (b) a foldable upper windshield portion including at least one detachable upper attachment mechanism; and        (c) a waterproof, durable, flexible, substantially transparent hinge connecting the lower windshield portion to the upper windshield portion;

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a removable, foldable front windshield device for attachment to a T-top of a motorized watercraft or the like, more particularly a windshield device comprising a fold-down upper windshield portion with attachment mechanisms for detachable attachment to support poles of the T-top.
2. Background Information
There is nothing like sitting or standing in a motorboat traveling at a high-speed over the water with the wind whipping through your hair. After awhile though, the sea spray and flying insects striking you in the face as the boat bounces up and down over the waves can become inconvenient and occasionally even hazardous.
Popular center console style motorboats are often enhanced by adding a T-top to help shield the occupants from overhead sun, wind, and precipitation. While popular, the T-top affords little protection from the elements coming from the front of the boat while the boat is underway. Many boaters augment the T-top with custom windbreaks made from clear soft plastic film, usually installed by marine upholsterers. These film windshields are typically laced on with cord and cannot be removed easily. They typically last only a few seasons before becoming cloudy and weather-beaten. They are also difficult to see through at night because of light refracting through slight wrinkles in the fabric due to its stretchiness. Once they are installed, they cannot be removed to let in desirable breezes. Some boat owners have zippers custom-installed to allow the windshield to be "opened". Once again this custom procedure takes the boat out of service while the zippers are installed. It is not unusual for these zippers to corrode and jam under saltwater conditions. In any case, the addition of the custom-made soft windshield requires the boat to be unavailable while the piece is being created. Such custom pieces are difficult or impossible to remove, particularly over open water. Since they are susceptible to degradation by the elements, they must periodically be replaced.
The present invention provides a removable windshield device with a fold-down, rigid upper windshield portion for attachment to a T-top. With this device, the user can either experience the wind whipping by when the windshield device is in a folded position, or have the protection afforded by a windshield when the windshield device in its open position. This universal device can be fitted by the consumer to essentially any T-top with a few simple tools in a matter of minutes. The installation requires no permanent modifications or drilling into the T-top, so the structure is not compromised. When protection from the elements is needed, the windshield device of the present invention can be deployed to the up, open position in seconds. When a breeze through the cockpit is desired, the present windshield device can be folded down to allow for airflow. The windshield device of present invention is constructed using non-corroding materials, such as high strength plastics and stainless steel hardware to assure an extended working life.

Foldable windshield for T-top watercraft

Abstract: wherein the upper and lower windshield portions are detachably attachable to poles of the T-top, and the upper windshield portion is detachable from the T-top and foldable over the lower windshield portion.


A sliding member (1) includes an iron and steel-based sintered compact containing chromium, molybdenum, and carbon and having a content of chromium, of 5 mass % or less. The sliding member (1) includes: a compound layer (11) which has a sliding surface (1a) and is formed mainly of an iron and steel nitride; and a diffusion layer (12) which is adjacent to the compound layer (11) and has an iron and steel structure into which nitrogen and carbon diffuse. The concentrations of carbon and nitrogen in the diffusion layer (12) are gradually reduced with increasing depth from the sliding surface (1a).

For example, in Patent Literature 1, there is a description of a swash plate-type air compressor as illustrated in FIG. 6. The swash plate-type air compressor includes a rotary shaft 102 with a swash plate which includes a swash plate 103 inclined with respect to a shaft core at a predetermined angle. Pistons 104 are assembled in parallel to one another in a periphery of the swash plate 103 at a plurality of positions (e.g., at 5 positions) which are circumferentially equally spaced apart from one another. The rotary shaft 102 is inserted into shaft holes 105a and 106a of substantially cylindrical cylinders 105 and 106. Each piston 104 is housed in bosses 105b and 106b of the cylinders 105 and 106 so as to be slidable in an axial direction.
A notch configured to hold the periphery of the swash plate 103 is formed in the middle of a body portion of each piston 104. Further, a pair of shoes 107 configured to sandwich the swash plate 103 in the axial direction are arranged in each notch. The shoes 107 are formed to reduce friction with the swash plate 103, and each have a spherical surface brought into contact with a wall surface of the notch of each piston 104 and a flat surface brought into surface contact with a front or back surface of the swash plate 103.
When the rotary shaft 102 having the above-mentioned configuration is rotated, each piston 104 moves in any one of the axial direction by a pressing force from the rotating swash plate 103. With this, the pistons 104 reciprocate in the axial direction at a certain phase angle, and thus compressed air is continuously discharged.

Sliding member and method for producing same


An apparatus for managing memory in a real-time embedded system and a method of allocating, deallocating and managing memory in a real-time embedded system. The apparatus includes a defragmentation unit performing a defragmentation task according to a predetermined priority to collect together memory fragments, and a memory manager allocating or deallocating a predetermined area of memory upon request of a task, and calculating a memory fragmentation rate of the memory to determine a priority of the defragmentation task. The method of managing memory in a real-time embedded system includes determining whether the conditions under which the memory is used vary, and if the condition vary, calculating a memory fragmentation rate of the memory to determine a priority of the defragmentation task according to the memory fragmentation rate.

1. Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and apparatus for operating an embedded system and, more particularly, to an apparatus for managing memory in a real-time embedded system and a method of allocating, deallocating and managing memory in a real-time embedded system for operating the embedded system in real time.
2. Description of the Related Art
An embedded system is a special-purpose computer system designed to perform one or a few dedicated tasks with limited resources. In the case of a mobile phone as a typical example of the embedded system, the limited resources refer to the size of the mobile phone, the memory capacity and the battery capacity, and the dedicated task refers to call processing for communications.
Embedded systems need to be efficiently managed and operated due to their limited resources. Among these limited resources, memory is used in most tasks and therefore needs to be particularly efficiently managed.
Garbage collection is a form of automatic memory management in the embedded system. It refers to the detection and pruning of unused data structures. This helps to reduce the time needed to access data.
Garbage collection is generally performed when data is stored, deleted or updated in memory. However, if garbage collection is performed whenever data varies, a system can only be used after the data is reorganized. Therefore, garbage collection cannot be adapted to a real-time system which is required to respond quickly after data is created.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, one method has been proposed which uses a memory flag to perform garbage collection only when a system is in an idle mode. With this method users do not need to wait long since the data is reorganized in the idle mode when memory is not used. However, this method is not appropriate for memory-consuming tasks or multitasking systems requiring real-time processing.

Apparatus for managing memory in real-time embedded system and method of allocating, deallocating and managing memory in real-time embedded system


A magnetic recording device having (a) a housing, (b) a disk positioned in the housing or a motor, (c) a motor associated with the disk operable for rotating the disk at a selected rotational speed; (d) a head supported on a slider for a magnetically reading data from or magnetically writing data to the magnetic layer on the disk; (e) an actuator positioned in the housing and connected to the slider for moving the head across the disk; and (f) a liquid or solid, volatile base positioned in the housing to prevent the formation of polymeric deposits.

Current growth rates for the digital magnetic recording data storage industry show an increase in recording densities of 60 percent per year. To continue on this growth rate curve, the recording industry is being forced to make a number of significant changes in the design of the magnetic recording device. Digital magnetic recording devices for data storage generally comprise a thin film magnetic recording disk and a head or transducer which is moved along or above the surface of the rotating disk to read and write information on the disk. Advanced high areal density, thin film magnetic recording disks generally comprise preferably a textured rigid substrate, a magnetic layer such as a cobalt-based metal alloy, a protective amorphous carbon layer, and a lubricant layer such as a perfluoropolyether disposed on the carbon overcoat. The disk texture can be a full disk or, alternatively, a dual-zone texture.
The recording device comprises a positioning actuator connected to the head for moving the head to the desired location on the disk during reading or writing operations. The head is attached to a carrier or slider having an air-bearing surface which is supported during operation adjacent to the data surface of the disk by a cushion of air generated by the rotating disk. Since recording density depends exponentially on the separation distance between the recording head and the magnetic layer of the disk, lower fly heights are needed for high areal density recording. However, lower fly heights can cause an increase in the interaction of the head with the disk during normal flying. These interactions of the head and the disk result in the formation of amorphous deposits on the head and disk surfaces. These amorphous deposits result from polymerization occuring at the head-disk interface of gaseous contaminants present in the drive such as gaseous hydrocarbons, acrylates, siloxanes, and phthalates. These gaseous contaminants form from the thermal degradation of polymeric greases, adhesives, seals and lubricants present in the drive enclosure. With continued growth, these polymeric deposits can lead to a number of interface failures. For example, the formation of polymeric deposits on the magnetic recording disk can lead to an increase in the number of thermal asperities. Formation of polymeric deposits on the air bearing surface of the slider can lead to a fly height drop, accelerating the formation of these deposits. With continued growth, these deposits can cause a head crash with resulting failure of the disk drive. There is a need in the art for a disk drive which is designed to minimize the formation of thermal asperities.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved noncontact magnetic recording device which operates with improved resistance to polymerization of gaseous contaminants at the head-disk interface.
Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following disclosure.

International Business Machines Corporation


An optical semiconductor device includes a semiconductor laser buried with a current blocking layer, and a photodetector, such as a phototransistor, which are provided on a semiconductor substrate. In such a device, the photodetector has the same thickness and composition as those of the current blocking layer, and a groove is provided in the semiconductor substrate to define an emitting end surface of the semiconductor laser and a light detection surface of the photodetector opposed to each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated optical semiconductor device used in optical fiber communication or optical information processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In optical fiber communication or optical information processing, a light source such as a semiconductor laser has been generally used. However, in order to establish a desired information system, the phase and frequency of light emitted from the semiconductor laser must be controlled with high precision. For this reason, an optical circuit is formed on a substrate by an optical waveguide, and an optical signal must be processed, or a semiconductor optical waveguide and a photodetector must be integrated. In addition, it has been known that a photodiode is arranged at a position opposite to the radiation direction of the semiconductor laser to control or monitor the operation of the semiconductor laser. In a conventional technique, a semiconductor laser and a photodiode are independently provided, and they are fixed on a base to be opposed to each other.
In recent years, an optical semiconductor device integrated by forming a laser diode and a photodiode on the same semiconductor substrate has been proposed to obtain the most advanced functions, mass-production, and low cost. The integrated optical semiconductor device, as shown in FIG. 9, includes a semiconductor laser and a photodiode formed on an insulating semiconductor substrate 25. The semiconductor laser consists of an n-type InP clad layer 24, an InGaAsP active layer 23, a p-type InP clad layer 22, a p-type InGaAsP contact layer 21, a p-side electrode 20, and an n-side electrode 26, and the photodiode consists of an InGaAsP layer 30 serving as an light absorption layer, an n-type InP layer 31, a p-type InP layer 29, a p-type InGaAsP contact layer 28, an n-side electrode 32, and a p-side electrode 27. Since this photodiode is formed in the same process as that of the semiconductor laser, the composition of the photodiode is the same as that of the semiconductor laser. A positive potential and a negative potential are applied to the n-side electrode 32 and the p-side electrode 27 in the photodiode, respectively. For operating the semiconductor laser, a positive potential and a negative potential are applied to the p-side electrode 20 and the n-side electrode 26, respectively, to inject carriers to the active layer 23. The semiconductor laser and the photodiode are separated from each other by a groove 33 formed by a dry etching technique such as RIE. The photodiode serving as a photodetector, as described above, is made as follows. That is, the semiconductor layers for providing the semiconductor laser are formed on the semiconductor substrate 25 and etched down to the substrate 25 to form the groove 33. A part of the semiconductor layers separated by the groove 33 is then used as the photodiode. The photodiode, therefore, has the same structure as that of the semiconductor laser. In the semiconductor laser, the multilayer film including the active layer 23 and the clad layers is formed to provide a stripe-shaped structure, and a current blocking layer is grown on the substrate at both sides of the stripe-shaped structure in parellel with an optical axis. In order to provide the current blocking layer, after the multilayer film is provided, the stripe-shaped active region and the surface of the photodiode are covered with an insulating film such as an SiO.sub.2 film or an Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 film. Thereafter, the multilayer film is selectively removed to expose the substrate 25. Semiconductor layers are grown on the exposed semiconductor substrate 25 to form a current blocking layer. Finally, the electrodes are provided to complete the integrated semiconductor device. However, with the above arrangement, since the absorption layer 30 of the photodiode has the same composition as that of the active layer 23 of the semiconductor laser, it has a small absorption coefficient of the laser beam, and the photodiode having a desired sensitivity cannot be obtained. In addition, since the thickness of the absorption layer 30 has the same thickness as that of the active layer 23, and is thin i.e., about 0.1 .mu.m, it cannot sufficiently receive the laser beam emitted from the semiconductor laser. Furthermore, since the insulating substrate 25 is used, the electrodes cannot easily provided because they must be separately provided for elements on the substrate. Therefore, with the above arrangement, an optical semiconductor device having the most advanced functions, mass production, low cost cannot be obtained.

Optical semiconductor device having semiconductor laser and photodetector


A sample analyzer transports a first rack and a second rack, the first rack including a first number of supporters for supporting containers that contain biological samples of subjects, and the second rack including a second number of supporters for supporting containers that contain standard samples. The sample analyzer determines whether a transport object is the first rack or the second rack. When it has been determined that the transport object is the second rack, the sample analyzer performs a transporting operation according to the second rack and measure the standard samples in the containers supported by the second rack in a predetermined order, and prepares a calibration curve used for analyzing a measurement result of a biological sample, based on a plurality of measurement results of the standard samples.

For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-64680 discloses a conventional sample analyzer for transporting a sample rack holding a plurality of sample containers, and analyzing the samples in the sample containers.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-64680 discloses an automatic analyzer which transports a sample rack via a sampler, and measures a standard sample held in the sample rack. This automatic analyzer processes the data of the standard samples and prepares a calibration curve.
When measuring the standard sample and preparing the calibration curve, a plurality of standard samples are usually held in the sample rack according to the order of their concentration, and measurements are performed in the sequence of the concentrations as in the automatic analyzer disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-64680. During this measurement, it is sometimes necessary to measure more standard samples than can be held in a single sample rack. When containers accommodating standard samples are held in a plurality of sample racks, there is concern that the user may mistake about the order of the positions of the sample racks in the sampler. In this case, the order in which the standard samples are measured may not be correct, resulting in concern that an accurate calibration curve cannot be prepared.
When measuring standard samples that number fewer than the number of container supporters of a single sample rack, however, the containers accommodating the standard samples may be placed non-continuously in the sample rack so as to have empty space therebetween. In this case, aspiration abnormalities may occur when sample cannot be aspirated from a container supporter that does not hold a standard sample, and a calibration curve cannot be properly prepared. There is also concern of increasing complexity of the controls related to the measurements in order to properly measure the standard samples.

Sample analyzer and method for controlling sample analyzer


Provided is a combustor of a gas turbine including a combustion liner where combustion occurs, a transition piece connected to the combustion liner to allow combustion gases to pass through, and a honeycomb seal ring disposed between the combustion liner and the transition piece to prevent compressed air from leaking through a gap between the combustion liner and the transition piece. The honeycomb seal ring is inserted into the exit portion of the combustion liner to prevent compressed air from leaking when the combustion liner and the transition piece are coupled with each other.

A turbine is a mechanical device that obtains rotational force by impulsive force or reaction force by using a flow of compressible fluid, such as steam or gas, and includes a steam turbine using steam, a gas turbine using high-temperature combustion gas, or the like.
The gas turbine is a rotary power engine that extracts energy from the flow of the combustion gas. The gas turbine includes a compressor, a turbine, and a combustion chamber. The compressed air pressurized by the compressor is mixed with fuel and then the mixture is combusted, such that high-temperature high-pressure combustion gas expands, and the turbine is driven by this expansion force. Energy is transferred through a shaft as torque, or is obtained in the form of thrust or compressed air. This energy can be used to drive an aircraft, a generator, and so on.
The compressor is provided with an air inlet through which air is supplied to the compressor, and a plurality of compressor vanes and blades are disposed alternately in the compressor housing. The combustor supplies fuel to the compressed air compressed by the compressor and ignites it with a burner to generate high-temperature high-pressure combustion gas.
A plurality of turbine vanes and turbine blades are disposed alternately in a housing of the turbine. Further, a rotor penetrating a center of the compressor, combustor, turbine and an exhaust is also provided therein.
Both ends of the rotor are rotatably supported by bearings. A plurality of disks are fixed to the rotor and the blades are connected to the rotor. Simultaneously, a drive shaft of, e.g., a generator is connected to an end of an exhaust chamber or in front of the compressor.
Since the gas turbine does not have a reciprocating mechanism such as a piston of a four-stroke engine, consumption of lubricating oil is extremely low due to the absence of a mutual friction part such as a piston-cylinder. The gas turbine is also advantageous in that the amplitude, which is a characteristic of reciprocating machines, is greatly reduced, thereby permitting high-speed rotational motion.
The thermodynamic cycle of a gas turbine ideally follows a Brayton cycle. The Brayton cycle consists of four phases including isentropic compression (adiabatic compression), static pressure heating, isentropic expansion (adiabatic expansion), and static pressure heat discharge. After sucking the atmospheric air and compressing it to a high-pressure, a fuel is combusted in a static pressure environment to release heat energy. A high-temperature combustion gas is then expanded and transformed into kinetic energy, and an exhaust gas containing residual energy is discharged into the atmosphere. Likewise, the Brayton cycle consists of four processes, i.e., compression, heating, expansion, and heat discharge.
The operation of the gas turbine is briefly described. Air compressed in the compressor is mixed with the fuel and combusted to generate high-temperature combustion gas, and the combustion gas generated is injected into the turbine blades and vane. The injected combustion gas passes through the turbine vanes and blades and generates rotational force in the turbine blades, which eventually rotates the rotor coupled to the turbine blades.
The combustion gas with a high-pressure and high-temperature burned inside the combustion liner is transferred to the turbine through the transition piece. In order to maintain or improve gas turbine efficiency and emissions, it is important to prevent the high-pressure compressed air from leaking through the gap between the combustion liner and the transition piece into the combustion region.

Doosan Heavy Industries Construction Co., Ltd


An improved surgical stapler for closing wounds, having an approximation device connected to a side of the surgical stapler. The approximation device is a hook positioned adjacent the stapled ejection port and is adapted to grip one side of a wound and enable the operator to temporarily close the wound, while precisely positioning the staple ejection port over the closed wound. Subsequent actuation of the stapler causes the wound to be precisely stapled closed. In an alternative embodiment, the approximation device is integrally formed from one leg of a surgical staple, and provides an asymmetric staple configuration. The longer staple leg is designed with a hook end. When the stapler is partially actuated, the staple legs partially protrude from the staple ejection port, and the longer staple leg can engage the skin on one side of a wound, and enable the temporary closing of the wound for accurate positioning.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to surgical staplers. More particularly, it relates to a combined surgical stapler and skin approximator for surgically stapling wounds.
2. The Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,856 to Green, discloses an apparatus and method for subcuticular stapling of body tissue. The invention consists of a surgical apparatus having a pair of jaws that are movable towards and away from each other, body tissue engaging pointed members extending from each jaw toward the opposing jaw, and staple means for attaching the two skin portions. The tissue engaging pointed members at the end of the device engage the tissue (skin) on opposite sides of the opening (wound or surgical), and upon closing of the jaws, causes the tissue to be drawn together and close the opening. Once drawn together, the tissue is forced into an irregular or undulating shape as a result of the pointed members. A staple or elongated attaching member is then inserted so as to attach the end portions of the body tissue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,669 to Blake, III, discloses a skin approximator. The invention consists of a hinged device having two oppositely disposed arms. At the end of each arm are a pair of barbs for engaging the skin on opposite sides of a wound. Once engaged, the opposite sides of the wound are drawn together through the hinged motion of the arm, and the wound can be stapled or sutured.
The prior art devices work well for their intended purpose, but require the use of two hands to accomplish surgical stapling. Generally, one hand controls a skin approximator to draw the skin together and the other hand actuates the stapler to staple the wound. Green discloses the use of a skin approximator that can be operated with one hand to engage both opposite sides of the wound; however, a second hand is required to insert a staple-like nail to hold the two opposing edges of the wound together.


A MOS device includes a first MOS transistor having a first MOS transistor source, a first MOS transistor drain, and a first MOS transistor gate. The MOS device also includes a second MOS transistor having a second MOS transistor source, a second MOS transistor drain, and a second MOS transistor gate. The second MOS transistor source and the first MOS transistor source are coupled to a first voltage source. The MOS device includes a third MOS transistor having a third MOS transistor gate, the third MOS transistor gate between the first MOS transistor source and the third MOS transistor source, the third MOS transistor further having a third MOS transistor source and a third MOS transistor drain, the third MOS transistor source being coupled to the first MOS transistor source, the third MOS transistor drain being coupled to the second MOS transistor source, the third MOS transistor gate floating.

Field
The present disclosure relates generally to layout construction, and more particularly, to a source separated cell that may be part of a standard cell library.
Background
A standard cell is an integrated circuit that may be implemented with digital logic. An application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), such as a system-on-a-chip (SoC) device, may contain thousands to millions of standard cells. Reducing a size/area footprint of ASICs is beneficial. Reducing a size of the process technology may allow for the size/area footprint of ASICs to be reduced. In some instances, when reducing the size/area footprint of ASICs, resistance of one or more current paths through one or more of the standard cells may be increased. There is currently a need to address such an increased resistance in one or more current paths within a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) device in a standard cell.


The present disclosure provides an improved point-to-point serial peripheral interface, a system comprising an improved point-to-point serial peripheral interface, and a method for use in a system comprising an improved point-to-point serial peripheral interface. A master comprises a SPI initiating port. Each slave comprises at least one SPI receiving port and at least one SPI forwarding port. The master provides a set of SPI signals to the SPI receiving port of the first slave in the chain, and the entire SPI signals are forwarded via the SPI forwarding port of each of the slaves until the SPI transaction reaches a target slave, which is identified by an in-band device addressing mechanism.

Serial Peripheral Interface Bus or SPI is a synchronous serial data link that operates in either a full or a half-duplex mode. Devices communicate in master-slave fashion, in which the master initiates the data transmission by using a set of signal line interface. A typical SPI includes a serial clock line ("SCLK"), which is sent from the master to all slaves. It also includes a chip select signal ("CS") line for selecting the slave the master communicates with. Further, most modern SPIs use two data lines, a master-out-slave-in line ("MOSI") and a master-in-slave-out line ("MISO"), for the full duplex data communication between the master and slaves.
SPI is a single-master communication protocol. At the basic level, a system linked in a typical SPI includes a single master and a single slave, in which the devices communicate in a point-to-point topology. The master initiates SPI transactions by activating the clock signal at a clock frequency usable by both the master and the slave. The master provides data on the MOSI line while it samples data on the MISO line. In a more complex system having multiple slaves, however, additional hardware mechanisms or software protocols are needed for the master to communicate with a specific slave within a group of linked slaves. For instance, the master uses a global SCLK line and one global data line such as MOSI line to command all slaves. The master allots an independent CS line to each of the slaves to activate the slave it wants to communicate with, thereby creating a point-to-multipoint topology. In this SPI configuration, the SCLK line and the data line are shared among all slaves, but only the slave with its CS signal active will acknowledge and respond to the master's command.
This classic SPI configuration, however, comes with a number of problems. First, the number of slave devices that can connect to the master device is limited to the number of CS outputs available at the master. Each additional slave adds to the cost and layout complexity of the system. Second, because the global SCLK line is distributed from the master to all slaves, the capacitive load on the master's SPI port increases with each additional slave in the system. The increase in the capacitive load creates various electrical issues, such as noise and skew on the signal, which negatively affects the overall system stability.
Attempts have been made to solve some of the problems described above. For example, a daisy-chain configuration has been used to minimize the number of CS outputs on the master. In the conventional SPI daisy-chain configuration, the data output of each slave is connected to the data input of the next device in the chain, and the final slave data output is connected to the MISO line on the master. On each group of clock pulses, the SPI port on each slave forwards an exact copy of data received from the preceding device to the next device in the chain, thereby forming a logical shift register. The classic daisy-chain SPI configuration uses only a single CS line from the master to control all slaves. The master outputs a series of commands in a specific order to configure the slaves in the chain, and all slaves in the chain execute the commands written on them upon assertion of the CS signal.
In this classic daisy-chain configuration, the total number of slaves is no longer limited to a finite set of CS outputs on a master. This configuration, however, still operates with a global clock line distributed from the master to all slaves. Not only did the classic daisy-chain SPI configuration fail to solve the excessive capacitive load problem, it introduced a new problem: the SPI interface does not permit any wait states. Since all slaves are connected to the same CS line, all slaves respond to the master command, acting as a large shift register. All slaves in the chain operate as a single device, and each SPI transaction involves every slave in the chain. In other words, the slaves must accept or return data on every clock edge so long as the master is clocking the SPI clock. Accordingly, the standard SPI daisy-chain configuration cannot be used when the slaves require a variable delay before responding to a command.
It would be highly desirable to have an improved serial peripheral interface that does not suffer from the capacitive load problem regardless of the number of slaves in the chain. It would also be desirable to have an improved serial peripheral interface that provides a wait-state functionality, so that the slaves can take a variable number of clock cycles before respond to the master's command. Such SPI configuration would provide a truly flexible and reliable inter-chip data communication interface.

Point-to-point serial peripheral interface for data communication between devices configured in a daisy-chain


A two phase bicycle rear suspension assembly. The two phases allow for maximum suspension travel over very uneven terrain. The arrangement is such that when a bicycle fitted with the assembly is being pedalled, the second phase is locked out and lost pedalling energy due to pedal-induced lobbing is avoided, while at the same time the first suspension phase remains active.

In bicycle suspension design, emphasis is most frequently placed on the stability and equilibrium of the cyclist. Most designs aiming at this objective therefore create suspensions that are "plush" or soft, so that the suspension is responsive to uneven terrain over which the bicycle is pedalled. Suspension designs have also aimed at increasing the degree of suspension travel, that is, the extent of displacement available for the wheel relative to the frame.
However, it is recognised that softer suspension characteristics and/or high suspension travel designs have a drawback. When a cyclist is pedalling, all of the human pedalling energy dissipated in pedalling should ideally be transmitted to the rear wheel of the cycle. In practice, some energy is lost in the conversion of pedal rotation through the chain to the rear wheel. Where soft suspensions are placed adjacent in the rear wheel, it is common for the suspension to compress under the pedalling energy, thus robbing even more pedalling energy. The compression and expansion of the soft suspension, and the resulting motion of the rear wheel in rhythm with the pedalling motion is commonly known as "pedal-induced bobbing".
U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,934 to Sinclair describes a bicycle rear suspension employing two shock absorbers. The Sinclair design is directed especially for downhill racing bicycles where the rear suspensions are subjected to large impact forces that may cause the rear suspension to "bottom out". On the other hand, a stiffer rear suspension can handle large impact forces, but loses the ability to tract smaller "stutter" lumps. To address this, Sinclair uses two spring and damper assemblies, where a soft primary spring and damper assembly is designed to absorb most impacts and a stiffer secondary spring and damper assembly comes into effect to handle larger impacts. Because there is no provision make to prevent the spring and damper assemblies from compressing under pedalling force, the Sinclair design is also susceptible to pedal-induced bobbing.
I have designed a two-stage suspension arrangement using two suspension elements, such as shock absorbers, that can provide maximum suspension travel when the cyclist is not pedalling and to provide minimum suspension travel when pedalling forces are applied. This allows the suspension assembly to absorb impact forces efficiently while not suffering the extent of pedal-induced bobbing of common suspension design.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to go some way to achieving this desideratum or to at least provide the public with an effective alternative.


A method of pumping a product by means of a dosing pump unit entails that two individually driven pump chambers, which are connected with a common outlet, are controlled in such a way that the suction phases of the pump chambers overlap each other so that the total inflow to the pump unit is maintained constant. A pump unit includes two pump chambers which have a common inlet and outlet. Communication between the pump chambers and the inlet and outlet is controlled by a valve body, having an inlet passage that is formed such that it can be oriented to connect both pump chambers with the inlet.

The present invention concerns a method of pumping a pumpable product by means of a pump unit containing two pump chambers and a common control, which regulates the flow between the pump chambers and the unit's in- and out-flow.
With regular dispensing of a pumpable product by means of, e.g., a piston pump, an intermittent flow unavoidably arises in the pipe leading to the pump. This entails that pressure shocks arise in the pipe. With fast, regular dispensing of a product these pressure shocks can become very powerful and entail such serious damage to the pipe and its suspension that leakage arises.
Dosing pumps in the form of piston pumps are often used in industries such as the packaging industry. More particularly, piston pumps are often used in those filling machines which are used for filling bottles or packaging containers with liquid-state contents, e.g., various dairy products such as milk, sour milk and yogurt, or soups. Since packaging machines of this kind often work at high speed, pressure shocks in the pipe are a serious problem. The usual way of solving this is to provide the pipe with some form of pressure compensation device. In practice a tank is used or a level vessel in the form of a closed tank which is series-connected to the pipe and sometimes balanced with the aid of pressurized gas. The level in the tank is allowed to vary within certain limits and in this way pressure shocks between the pump and the tank can be compensated so that they do not spread any further to the pipe.
Even if the use of a compensation tank avoids the problem with pressure knocks, other problems are created instead, especially when the technique with a compensation tank is employed within the food industry, since the tank constitutes an irregularity in the pipe which thereby becomes difficult to wash in a satisfactory manner. With the type of packaging system that aseptically packages sterile foods, it is, in practice, impossible to wash and sterilize the tank in a rational manner, at least when several highly viscous products or products containing particles, e.g. soups, are to be packaged. A system with a compensation tank, which may also be provided with devices for being pressurized with inert gas, is, in addition, very expensive, particularly if it has to be made in a washable and sterilizable manner. With fast packaging machines, where a number of dosing pumps are used, the costs are increased.


A microcomputer includes a CPU capable of performing a plurality of tasks in a parallel time-sharing operation. The tasks include at least one special task having a fixed loop program with a constant increase of an instruction address. When the CPU performs a conditional judgment instruction in the special task, the CPU prohibits reflecting an execution result of the conditional judgment instruction to both of the CPU and a periphery circuit in a case where it is no need to perform an instruction described in the special task after the conditional judgment instruction.

An arrangement of a microcomputer shown in FIG. 5 is disclosed in JP-A-6-250857, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,304,957-B1. The microcomputer is arranged by employing a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a program memory 12 constructed of a ROM (Read-Only Memory), a data memory 13 constructed of a RAM (Random Access Memory), an I/O (Input/Output) block (pin) 14, a timing generator (not shown) for generating a CPU switching signal (clock signal) which will be explained later, a data bus 15 for transmitting/receiving data, an address bus 15 for transmitting/receiving an address signal, and a control bus 17 for transmitting/receiving a read signal, and also, another control bus 18 for transmitting/receiving a write signal.
The above-described CPU 11 is provided with two address registers 19 and 20, and two operation registers 21 and 22 in order to pipeline-process, for example, two sorts of tasks (namely, L task and A task) in a time divisional manner and a parallel mode. Since these address registers 19 and 20, and also, these operation registers 21 and 22 are alternately switched in response to a CPU switching signal, this CPU 11 may outwardly function in such a way that two pieces of CPUs are alternately switched.
In this case, both one address register 19 and one operation register 21 constitute registers used for a CPU0 (namely, for L task), whereas both the other address register 20 and the other operation register 22 constitute registers used for another CPU1 (namely, for A task). In response to switching of these address registers 19 and 20, a value (namely, address of instruction which is fetched next time) of a program counter 23 is updated, and thus, an address signal for the CPU0 (for L task) and another address signal for the CPU1 (for A task) are alternately outputted from this program counter 23 to the program memory 12.
Also, an error detecting circuit 24, and an instruction decoder/instruction sequencer 25 are provided in the CPU 11. The error detecting circuit 24 judges a sort of a task, to which an instruction read out from the program memory 12 belongs so as to detect an error contained in this judged task. The instruction decoder/instruction sequencer 25 decodes an instruction which has passed through the error detecting circuit 24. In response to a content of an instruction decoded by this instruction decoder/instruction sequencer 25, a calculation is executed in a calculator (ALU) 26 by employing the operation registers 21 and 22, and either a read signal or a write signal is outputted to the control buses 17 and 18.
On the other hand, both a program area 27 for the CPU0 (for L task), another program area 28 for the CPU1 (for A task), and a table immediate data area 29 have been provided in the program memory 12. In this case, an L task stored in the program area 27 for the CPU0 has been constituted by such a program which has been fix-looped and by which a branch instruction having a risk to be brought into a program runaway is prohibited. As a consequence, when a program of an L task is executed, an execution of an instruction is started from an address "0", and then, instructions are sequentially executed from an address "1", via an address "2", an address "3", and so on, and thereafter, when the instructions are executed at a predetermined address, the program counter 23 is brought into an overflow state, and then, is returned to the address "0." Subsequently, the instructions are repeatedly executed in accordance with the above-described address sequence. Also, all of instructions contained in this L task have been fixed to one word.
The L task is suitable to execute a sequential control process operation, and the program for constituting this L task contains a routine for monitoring a runaway (i.e., malfunction) of the A task, and another routine for a backup sequence used to establish a fail safe of the system. Furthermore, this L task is also equipped with a function as a timer by a fixed loop operation. For instance, when either an increment instruction or a decrement instruction is executed, so that the count value thereof is reached to a predetermined preset value, since an interrupt is produced in a process operation of an A task, this L task can realize a constant time process operation equivalent to a timer interrupt.
On the other hand, in the A task, a branch instruction, which is prohibited in the L task, is also allowed, and this A task is suitable for, for example, a complex analyzing process operation/numeral value processing operation. Similar to the above-described L task, all of instructions of this A task have been fixed to one word instruction. Both op-codes and operands (addresses) have been allocated within one word.
Next, a pipeline control system which is employed by the microcomputer having the above-explained arrangement will now be explained with reference to FIG. 6. This pipeline has been arranged as three stages of pipelines which are made of, for example, an instruction fetch stage, an instruction decode stage, and an instruction execute stage, and has been designed in such a manner that all of these instructions can be processed without any delay by the three stages of pipelines. Each of these three stages is executed within one cycle, and thus, one instruction is executed in three cycles. However, three instructions are processed in a parallel mode by the stages of pipelines, which may outwardly be equivalent to such a fact that one instruction is executed within one cycle.
A time required for one cycle (each stage) has been defined by a CPU switching signal (clock signal). As to this CPU switching signal, a time "TLo" of a low level is equal to a time "THi" of a high level. In the low level period, an instruction fetch of the CPU0 (L task) is executed, whereas in the high level period, and an instruction fetch of the CPU1 (A task) is executed, so that both the program of the CPU0 (L task) and the program of the CPU1 (A task) are pipeline-processed in a parallel mode in such a time divisional ratio of 1:1.
In addition, when the CPU1 fetches a branch instruction contained in the program of the A task, in order to fetch an instruction of a branch destination address in the next instruction fetch stage of the A task into which this fetched branch instruction is contained, the CPU 1 has been arranged in such a manner that the branch destination address is set in the instruction decode stage. FIG. 6 represents process timing in such a case that while a pipeline process operation is carried out, an instruction of the CPU1 at an address (Y+1) corresponds to a branch instruction (JMP) to an address (YY).
The CPU 11 has been equipped with the plurality of address registers 19 and 20, and the plurality of operation registers 21 and 22. These plural address registers 19 and 20 sequentially set different instruction addresses to the program counter 23. The plural operation registers 21 and 22 sequentially set instructions decoded by the instruction decoder/instruction sequencer 25 to the calculator 26. The CPU 11 has been arranged so as to be capable of pipeline-processing the plural programs 27 and 28 stored in the program memory 12 by sequentially switching the plural address registers 19 and 20, and the plural operation registers 21 and 22.
As previously described, in the microcomputer, since the execution of the branch instruction is prohibited (namely, description of branch instruction in program is prohibited) in the L task, the count value of the program counter 23 is always incremented by "1" (in this case, count value of program counter 23 has been set in above-described manner irrespective of byte number of one instruction), and thus, the L task can realize the runaway monitoring process operation on the side of the A task, and the timer function utilizing the count value of the program counter 23.
However, since such a restriction for prohibiting the branch instruction is given to the side of the L task, the branching process operation cannot be executed on the side of the L task. As a result, there is such a problem that, for instance, a conditional control flow cannot be executed on the L task side, while this conditional control flow selects as to whether or not a predetermined calculating process operation can be carried out in response to a result of executing a predetermined condition judgement.
Further, in microcomputers, there are such application programs capable of executing process operations in a time constant manner by utilizing interrupt process operations. For instance, in communication process operations, exclusively-used communication control blocks are mounted in order to secure time constant systems of communication speeds. In this connection, the Inventors of the present invention have supposed that, instead of the employment of the above-explained communication control blocks, desirable communications are realized by employing both a timer interrupt process operation and a software process operation. If the desirable communications can be realized by these timer interrupt and software process operations, then the above-described communication control blocks are no longer mounted and microcomputers can be constructed in low cost.
However, in this case, there is a problem how to realize the above-explained time constant process operation. That is to say, the timer interrupt must be executed without any shift of even one cycle. If the timer interrupt is shifted only for even one cycle, then an adverse influence may be produced as a communication speed error. On the other hand, since execution times of various sorts of instructions which are executed by a CPU may be different from each other, if an interrupt request is issued in a half way while such an instruction whose execution time is longer than that of another instruction is executed, there are some cases that a commencement of an interrupt process operation is held.
In other words, as indicated in FIG. 14A, for instance, while all of instructions are executed in the unit of one cycle, if an interrupt request is issued in such a case that a value (instruction fetch address) of a program counter is sequentially incremented by "1", then this interrupt request is not held, but an interrupt process operation is immediately commenced from a head address "200." To the contrary, as shown in FIG. 14B, if an interrupt request is issued in a half way while an instruction, whose execution time is equal to two cycles, is carried out, then this interrupt request is held for one cycle, so that start timing of the interrupt process operation is delayed.
For example, such a programmable controller is disclosed in JP-A-2001-265412, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,880,029. That is, in this programmable controller, a normal process operation (user program executing process operation, I/O refreshing process operation) is executed in a cyclic manner, and also, an interrupt trigger is generated in a predetermined time period. Then, the execution of the user program executing process operation is interrupted at the timing when this interrupt trigger is generated, and a peripheral service process operation is carried out only by a determined amount.
However, in accordance with the conventional technique, in such a case that the interrupt process operation is held, it is not possible to avoid such a fact that the execution start timing of the peripheral service processing operation is shifted. In other words, the conventional technique never supposes, or expects such a strict time management capable of avoiding that the execution start timing is shifted by one cycle.
Furthermore, as systems for controlling condition branches of programs in CPUs (processors), conventionally, the below-mentioned two systems have been proposed:
(i) A control system in which, while a conditional branch instruction and the like are contained in an instruction set, when a condition can be established, a process operation jumps to a designated address.
(ii) A system in which, while a skip instruction is contained in an instruction set, either one instruction or a plurality of continuous instructions are invalidated which are provided immediately after the skip instruction. Such a technical idea for causing an instruction to be brought into a non-operation state when a process operation skips has been described in, for instance, JP-A-61-221939.
In any of the above-described condition branch control systems (i) and (ii), a total execution cycle number when a condition can be established is different from a total execution cycle number when a condition cannot be established. As a result, there is such a problem that in a program and a system thereof in which execution timing of an instruction is important, such instructions after a branching process operation (namely, after skipping process operation in combination with non-operation treatment of instruction) cannot be executed at the same cycle timing.
For example, in the above-described condition branch control system (ii), the above-described problem corresponds to a load/store instruction having such a data size which exceeds a bus width, namely, a plurality of cycles are required so as to execute such a load/store instruction, which may cause the above-explained problem.

Processor, microcomputer and method for controlling program of microcomputer


A miter saw. The saw includes a base on which a scale disk is connected and a bench is rotatably connected on the disk. An angle position device is connected to the bench. Notches are defined in an underside of the scale disk and the angle position device is engaged with one of the notches. A position member is movably connected to the body of the angle position device and a lever is connected to the position member which is pushed to contact a periphery of the scale disk to position the scale disk. A connection member is connected to the bench and a circuit saw assembly is pivotally connected to the connection member. A handle on the circular saw assembly can be pulled out and rotated to adjust an angle thereof.

A conventional miter saw is shown in FIG. 8 and generally includes a base 60 with a disk 65 connected thereon and scale marks are marked on the disk 65. A circular bench 62 is pivotally supported on the disk 65 and a handle 631 extends from the bench 62. A position device 63 is connected to the handle 631 and has a position member 632 which is engaged with one of notches 651 defined in an underside of the disk 65 so that the bench 62 can be pivoted and positioned at desired angle. A connection member 64 is connected to the bench 62 so that the circular saw assembly 70 is pivotally connected to the connection member 64. The circular saw assembly 70 has a blade 74 which is driven by a motor 71 and an arm 72 is connected to a shaft of the blade 74. A handle 73 is connected to the arm 72. A fence 61 is located on the bench 62 so that an object to be cut is guided on the fence 61. The bench 62 can only be positioned at certain angles where notches 651 are available and it is difficult to set the bench 62 at an angle where no notch 651 is available. The user has to hold the handle 631 firmly to maintain the position of the bench 62 and lower the blade 74 to check the object will be cut at desired position. Besides, the handle 73 is fixed so that it cannot be satisfied by different users.

Pivotable handle and angle adjustable device for miter saw


A strand feeding device includes a seat body, a bobbin-mounting post extending uprightly from said seat body, a bobbin sleeved rotatably around the post, a pair of strand-guiding posts extending upwardly from the seat body and a strand-guiding member installed at the distal end of said strand-guiding posts. Said strand-guiding member includes an aperture, formed by a pair of first arc segments having a major axis with respect to which the aperture is symmetrical, and a pair of second arc segments having a minor axis with respect to which the aperture is symmetrical. This configuration of aperture enhances the braiding fluency and produces a coaxial cable with high quality of insulation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a strand feeding device, in particularly to prevent the strands from breakage and produce a cable with high transmitted quality.
2. Description of the Related Art
Refer to FIG. 1, a general cable 1 is able to lower the interference of electromagnetism and signal by wrapping the wire 11 with the braided strands 29 and further covering by the plastic materials 12.
Refer to FIG. 2, a conventional strand feeding device 2 includes a seat body 21, a bobbin-mounting post 22 extending uprightly from said seat body 21, a bobbin 23 sleeved rotatably around said bobbin-mounting post 22, a swinging arm 25 pivoted to the seat body 21 and providing with a lower strand-guiding reel 28, a pair of guiding posts 24 extending upwardly from the seat body 21 and having an upper strand-guiding reel 28 mounted adjustably on said guiding posts 24, and a strand-guiding member 26 installed at the distal end of said guiding posts 24 and having a circular aperture 27 defining thereon.
In use, the conventional strand feeding device has several defects:    1. The strands tend to be overlapped when a circular aperture does not provide sufficient space to let each of strands vertically appose on which results of the strands easily breakage. The operators have to combine the broken strands which delay the working process.    2. Further, because of overlapping of said strands, there will be some unnecessary interstice arose between strand and strand after braiding which lower the insolating quality of the cable.

Strand feeding device for a coaxial cable braiding apparatus


The instant devices and approach provide a way to provide custom scented fluids (or air freshener) in the form of evaporated scented air and also atomized scented liquids. It combines a vessel capable of constraining scented fluids or air fresheners with a semipermeable membrane for dispersing evaporated scented air and also an atomizer for dispersing scented liquids into the air and thereby eliminates the need for secondary valves.

Air fresheners are available in many form factors. In particular, there are automobile air fresheners that come pre-filled with an aromatic liquid that, as the liquid evaporates and becomes a fragrant gas, permeates through a semipermeable membrane.
The problem with these systems is that you are limited to the fragrance supplied by the vendor and they rely solely on evaporation to supply the amount of fragrance in the air, which may or may not be enough. For example, someone eating a fish sandwich in the car may totally overpower the scent emitted by evaporation alone coming from the air freshening device. While it may be possible to use a separate spray air freshener during periods of intense need, it is highly unlikely that they will be emitting the same fragrance and undesirable effects may occur.
Therefore, there continues to be a need for an air scenting system that is fillable by the end consumer and also allows for applying a more intense release of the desired fragrance than is supplied simply do to evaporation.