A cable modem termination system (CMTS) is disclosed that allocates one or more minislots of a super-frame arrangement to cable modems for upstream transmission. The super-frame arrangement includes multiple minislots that correspond to multiple communication channels of one or more super-frames. The CMTS receives requests for upstream bandwidth from the cable modems. The CMTS continuously allocates the minislots of the super-frame to provide upstream bandwidth grants to accommodate these requests. The CMTS communicates the upstream bandwidth grants as a single upstream bandwidth allocation map (MAP) to the cable modems.

1. Field of Disclosure
The disclosure relates to a cable communications system and more specifically to configuration and arrangement of an upstream in the cable communications system.
2. Related Art
Cable television (CATV) is a system of providing television, internet data, and/or other services to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to one or more customer premises through, but not limited to, optical fibers or coaxial cables as opposed to the over-the-air method used in traditional television broadcasting via radio waves.
A cable system may utilize Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) compliant equipment and protocols to carry out a transfer of information, such as video, audio, and/or data between one or more Set-top Devices or one or more Cable Modems (CM) and one or more cable modem termination systems (CMTS). The DOCSIS Specification generally refers to a group of specifications published by CableLabs® that define industry standards for the CMTS and the Set-top Device or the CM. In part, the DOCSIS specification sets forth requirements and objectives for various aspects of cable modem systems including operations support systems, management, data interfaces, as well as network layer, data link layer, and physical layer transport for data over cable systems. The DOCSIS interface specification entitled "Data-Over-Cable Service Interface Specifications, DOCSIS 3.0, MAC and Upper Layer Protcols Interface Specification, CM-SP-MULPIv3.0416-110623" is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
A DOCSIS cable system includes two primary components: one or more Set-top Devices and/or one or more CMs at a customer premises, and a CMTS located at a headend. As used herein, the term "downstream" refers to the transfer of information in a direction from the CMTS to the Set-top Devices or the CMs. The term "upstream" refers to the transfer of information in a direction from the Set-top Devices or the CMs to the CMTS. The DOCSIS specification allows for scheduling of information in DOCSIS service flows over multiple communication channels in the upstream.
DOCSIS originally provided for transmission over a single carrier, or a single communication channel at a time. In the upstream, each communication channel from among the multiple communication channels is viewed by a media access control (MAC) layer within the Set-top Devices or the CMs and/or the CMTS as a continuous stream of minislots, where a minislot represents the smallest unit of bandwidth allocation. Conventionally, these minislots are numbered in ascending sequential order using minislot numbers. The minislot numbers are used by the MAC layer in a upstream bandwidth allocation map message (MAP) to indicate which minislots are allocated to which CM.
More recent versions of DOCSIS allow for communication over multiple upstream communication channels at a time. This is termed channel bonding. Conventionally, one or more physical (PHY) layer parameters such as symbol or modulation rate, preamble length, minislot duration, modulation order, to provide some examples, of each upstream communication channel are configured independently of other upstream communication channels. Each upstream communication channel may have different capacity depending on noise and interference present on that upstream communication channel. Also, the minislots on each upstream communication channel are numbered in ascending sequential order independently of numbering of minislots of other upstream communication channels. The upstream communication channels may start numbering of their respective minislots from various starting points at various times, and count at varying rates depending on a slot size and a rate of the upstream communication channel, so at any given moment in time the current minislot numbers could be very different on different upstream communication channels.
Conventionally, the Set-top Devices or the CMs generally request upstream bandwidth by sending request messages to the CMTS. The CMTS may respond with various bandwidth grants allowing the use of one or more of the upstream communication channels. Typically, the CMTS may choose any combination of the upstream communication channels and make the bandwidth grants any length. At any given moment the CMTS may choose to distribute data differently across any of the upstream communication channels than it has previously or will in the future.
However, in practice, limits exist on the distribution of the data by the CMTS to allow for adequate system performance. For example, to minimize latency, the CMTS should not distribute the data over a very long bandwidth grant on one upstream communication channel and a very short bandwidth grant on another upstream communication channel. This would cause the CMTS to wait until the data is received from the long bandwidth grant and this would add latency to the data. Similarly, the CMTS should not distribute the data over a bandwidth grant that immediately begins on one upstream communication channel and a bandwidth grant that begins far in the future on another upstream communication channel.
As a result, the CMTS should maintain an awareness of the minislot numbering and duration represented by each minislot on each upstream communication channel and relationships of minislot numbering between upstream communication channels and timing relationships across upstream communication channels. The CMTS attempts to schedule bandwidth grants for various Set-top Devices or CMs to minimize latency while still providing fair service to all Set-top Devices or CMs. For large numbers of upstream communication channels, the complexity of tracking the slot numbering and timing relationships across upstream communication channels may be very high. In addition, the CMTS must send a separate MAP message for each upstream communication channel. This generates a large number of MAP messages when the number of upstream communication channels is large. For example, the CMTS must provide 32 separate MAPs to the Set-top Devices or the CMs, one for each upstream communication channel, when bonding 32 upstream channels which makes using a large number of upstream communication channels relatively complex.
Conventionally, the Set-top Devices or the CMs will receive multiple MAP messages for the multiple upstream communication channels in use. Each MAP message may contain a bandwidth grant to a Set-top Device or a CM. Conventionally, this bandwidth grant is indexed using the minislot numbering unique to that upstream communication channel. In order to minimize latency, the Set-top Device or the CM attempts to send earlier data in minislots that occur earlier in time, and later data in minislots that occur later in time. To do this, the Set-top Device or the CM must put the different received grants in time order across the upstream communication channels. This requires the Set-top Device or the CM to keep track of the relationships of slot numbering and duration across all upstream communication channels. For large numbers of upstream communication channels, this complexity may also be very high.
As a result of these shortcomings, channel bonding of upstream communication channels that were originally intended to be used in a single-carrier system adds a large amount of complexity to the conventional distribution of data. Thus, what is needed is a system and a method to efficiently distribute data over multiple upstream communication channels when bonding a large number of upstream communication channels to overcome the shortcomings stated above.
The disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. The drawing in which an element first appears is indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in the reference number.

Convergence layer bonding over multiple carriers


Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described that provide for a base station to use frequency hopping for cell acquisition according to a frequency hopping pattern. The frequency hopping pattern may include a set of anchor channels and a set of non-anchor channels used by a base station to communicate with wireless devices. The base station may occupy an anchor channel more often than a non-anchor channel and may transmit acquisition signals using the anchor channel. The anchor channel may also be used by the base station and a user equipment (UE) to exchange paging information, positioning information, random access resources, location of other channels, etc.

The following relates generally to wireless communication, and more specifically to synchronization and paging channel design for wireless communications.
Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, (e.g., a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, or a New Radio (NR) system). A wireless multiple-access communications system may include a number of base stations or access network nodes, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple communication devices, which may be otherwise known as user equipment (UE).
Some wireless systems may enable communication between a base station and a UE over different radio frequency spectrum bands (e.g., shared radio frequency spectrum bands, licensed radio frequency spectrum bands, or unlicensed radio frequency spectrum bands). When initially performing cell acquisition, or when identifying one or more neighbor cells when connected with a serving cell, a UE may identify one or more discovery reference signal (DRS) transmissions from a base station. DRS transmission may include a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), etc. Using the DRS transmissions may allow the UE to synchronize and communicate with the base station.
When operating over a shared radio frequency spectrum, transmitters may have limitations on the use of the spectrum and may or may not be transmitting when a UE may be trying to locate a synchronization signal. Such limitations may result in additional delays during a cell acquisition procedure. Long cell acquisition times may decrease device performance, increase power consumption, and in low signal to noise ratio (SNR) environments, communication between the mobile device and the base station may be deleteriously affected. Improved techniques for cell acquisition in such scenarios may thus be desired.

Synchronization and paging channel design for wireless communications


A noise filtering circuit for suppressing electromagnetic interference (EMI) is provided. The noise filtering circuit filters out high multiplied-frequency noise of a digital signal being transmitted and includes a reference voltage structure formed from conductors, a signal transmitting structure formed from a transmission conductor, a ground layer, and a ground structure electrically connected to the reference voltage structure and the ground layer. The ground structure is configured to form an inductor-capacitor oscillating structure in coordination with the electric-magnetical coupling between the reference voltage structure and the signal transmitting structure as well as the inductance of the ground structure, so that a digital signal is filtered out at a specific frequency and the passband of the digital signal can be transmitted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to noise filtering circuits for suppressing electromagnetic interference (EMI), and more particularly, to a noise filtering circuit for filtering out a high multiplied-frequency component of a high-speed digital signal within a broadband frequency band and enabling transmission of a passband of the digital signal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The operation speed and clock frequency of a high-speed digital circuit increases with the rapid development of consumer electronic product. The faster a digital signal is, the broader the distribution of its frequency domain components is. However, in practical electronic circuit design, asymmetry is inevitable. For example, to minimize the occupied area of a delay line, a meandered line is arranged in the form of bending, penetrating a via, or becoming discrete in order to give way to a via. Regarding the meandered lines, electromagnetic interference (EMI) usually arises from the high multiplied-frequency component of a signal passing through the discrete structures or being sent to a connected wire or metallic shield, and as a result issues pertaining to severe electromagnetic compatibility and EMI confront related products.
In view of this, some methods for filtering out a high multiplied-frequency component of a signal were put forth. Among the methods, the most typical one involves ferrite beads/toroid choke, that is, blocking the high multiplied-frequency component of the signal by the high inductance of a ferromagnet. However, due to rapid attenuation of the magnetic permeability of the ferromagnet at a high frequency, the ferrite beads/toroid choke are actually inapplicable to a high-frequency signal operating at GHz-level frequencies. Furthermore, due to its large dimensions, the aforesaid structure is inapplicable to a high-speed digital circuit.
Surface mount devices (SMD) available on an industrial scale nowadays are miniaturized structures designed in accordance with the prototype of a T-section or pi-section low-pass filter. However, the miniaturized filter structures require large series-connected inductance and bypass capacitance, as far as their design is concerned, thereby incurring high design costs.
Accordingly, it is imperative to provide a noise filtering circuit conducive to elimination of the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art, such as narrow application and high design costs.

Noise filtering circuit for suppressing EMI


A Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF) carrier includes a flat component perpendicularly connected to two flat side components to receive an NGFF module, a bar rotatably connected to the two flat side components, and a number of holds along an interior of the flat component to receive a fastener. The NGFF module is insertable in relation to the flat component when the bar is rotated to a first position and fixed on the flat component when the bar is rotated to a second position.

Connectors can be used to connect electronic components (e.g., server components, printed circuit boards, memory modules, etc.) within servers in a computing system or network to one another. Multiple portions (e.g., terminals) of the connector may be connected to an electronic component. The connector can transmit information (e.g., a signal) between the electronic components.

Next generation form factor (NGFF) carrier

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP


The invention relates to a method for producing a metal structural component, in particular a vehicle structural component, in which a steel part is hot formed and is hardened at least over sections by contact with a tool surface, in which the steel part is during the hardening cooled in at least two partial regions at different cooling rates, so that the partial regions after the hardening differ in their microstructure, wherein the cooling rates differing from one another are produced by sections of the tool surface corresponding to the partial regions of the steel part, which differ from one another as regards their thermal conductivities. The invention also relates to a further method for producing a metal structural component, as well as a tool and a batch furnace.

Hot-formed metal structural parts are widely used in the automotive industry, in particular in crash-relevant regions of the bodywork subjected to high transverse stresses. Thus, B pillars and B pillar reinforcements are frequently made of high-strength, hot-formed manganese-boron steel. High stretching resistances and tensile strengths in the structural component can be achieved by processing such materials in a hot forming process, so that the necessary sheet metal thickness can be considerably reduced compared to conventionally produced steel structural components and in this way a contribution to light-weight construction and thus to CO2 reduction can be achieved. The disadvantage of completely hot-formed metal structural components is that the elongation at fracture of a hot-formed metal structural component is relatively low. Hot-formed metal structural components can therefore be successfully used in transverse-stressed regions, since here the high strengths, in particular the yield strength, avoid a buckling of the metal structural components. Hot-formed metal structural components cannot, however, be used in the case of longitudinally stressed metal structural components, such as for example longitudinal members, since the low elongation at fracture would not allow a uniform folding of the metal structural components and the consequence would be a failure of the material following a relatively low energy absorption.
In DE 102 56 621 B3 a sheet bar is heated under varying conditions in a straight-flow furnace, so that on account of the different material temperatures different strengths in the metal structural component are obtained after the forming. In this method the sheet bar is tempered differently when it passes through two furnace chambers, so that different structural regions are established in the hardening process. This method has the disadvantage that only two to three different zones as regards strength and elongation at fracture can be achieved in the metal structural component. These can, furthermore, be formed only in the throughflow direction of the sheet bar. The throughflow direction of a steel part or sheet bar corresponds as a rule to the largest longitudinal dimension of the steel part or sheet bar.
DE 10 2006 019 395 A1 discloses a device and a method for the forming of sheet bars of high strength and super-high strength steels, with the aim of using hot-formed metal structural components also in longitudinally-stressed regions. The method is characterised in that the forming tool for the hot forming comprises tempering means with which a steel part can be tempered in different temperature zones during the forming to different, predetermined temperature values. In this way it is possible locally to influence the microstructure in the metal structural component, so that metal structural components with location-dependent material properties can be produced. Location-dependent material properties are understood to mean that the material properties are different in at least two partial regions of the metal structural component. The different types of structure are achieved by different cooling rates of the material. The forming tools with the means for tempering are however relatively complicated to produce and are therefore expensive.
The present invention is therefore based on the technical objective of providing a method and a device for producing a metal structural component, which permits a local adjustment of the structure in the metal structural component and at the same time is inexpensive and simple to implement.

Method and device for producing a metal component


A cartilage resurfacing implant is provided for replacing cartilage of an articulating portion of a bone at a skeletal joint having opposed joint surfaces. The cartilage resurfacing implant includes a body having a bearing surface and a bone interface. The bearing surface is able to support articulation with an opposing joint surface.

Degenerative and traumatic damage to the articular cartilage of skeletal joints can result in pain and restricted motion. Prosthetic joint replacement surgery is frequently utilized to alleviate the pain and restore joint function. During this surgery, one or more of the articulating surfaces of the joint are replaced with prosthetic bearing components. The replacement components typically include a portion for anchoring the implant adjacent to the joint and a portion for articulating with opposing joint surfaces. For example, during knee replacement surgery, an incision is made into the knee joint to expose the joint. Portions of the articular surfaces of the tibia and femur are removed and artificial joint components are positioned to replace the removed portions. In a total knee replacement, all of the articulating compartments of the joint are replaced with prosthetic components. However, often only one compartment of the knee joint, typically the medial compartment, is impaired. In a unicondylar knee replacement, only the damaged compartment is repaired with prosthetic bearing components. In an even less invasive approach, where the damage is limited to isolated defects in the articular cartilage, it has been proposed to replace just the articular cartilage in the immediate vicinity of the defect.

Orthopedic implant with bone interface anchoring


A breakerless distributor for an internal combustion engine ignition system in which a number of light emitting diodes (LEDs) (73, 75, 77, 79) equal to the number of engine cylinders are connected in series for simultaneous energization by the timing pulses. A phototransistor (83, 85, 87, 89) arranged in spaced, confronting relationship to each LED is connected to a silicon controlled rectifier (95) which triggers the energizing circuit (7, 9, 11, 13) for an individual spark plug (103) each time the phototransistor is turned on by emissions from its associated LED.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to breakerless ignition systems for internal combustion engines and to distributors therefor.
2. Prior Art
The ignition system for an internal combustion engine generates timing pulses which indicate the instant during the piston stroke that the spark plugs should be fired and distributes these pulses to the individual spark plugs to cause them to fire in a preset order. In the conventional ignition system, mechanical breakers are used to generate the timing pulses and a rotating mechanical distributor directs the pulses to the appropriate spark plugs in sequence. Since the high voltage required to fire the spark plugs greatly limited the life of the mechanical breakers, ignition systems were developed in which the switching of the high voltage necessary to fire the individual spark plugs was accomplished by breakerless electronic switches such as silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs). This significantly improved the life of the mechanical breakers which were still used for timing pulse generation. Subsequent developments have replaced the mechanical breakers for generating timing signals with magnetic and optical pulse generators. Many of the optical timing pulse generators, however, operate with a continuous light source which requires substantial electric power and therefore limits their use with magneto equipped internal combustion engines.
Further developments have resulted in a substitute for the conventional rotating mechanical distributor in the form of a transformer distributor. In such a system, the timing pulses are applied to a rotor which induces trigger pulses in angularly distributed secondary coils to fire the appropriate SCR controlled spark generating circuit. While the transformer distributor requires little power and has a long life, it is not suitable for use in a system with small firing angles because pulses can be induced under these conditions in two adjacent secondary coils simultaneously. This possibility of double firing also limits the amount of timing pulse advance that can be utilized with a transformer distributor.
A light activated system for applying energizing pulses to the injectors of an electronic fuel injection system is disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,612. In this system a single, continuously illuminated radiant energy source is used to sequentially activate the fuel injectors through a fiber optic which directs the radiant energy radially outward from the center of a disc rotated in synchronism with the engine to sequentially turn on circularly arranged photodetectors associated with the fuel injector activation circuits. No means are provided for advancing or retarding the pulses thus generated.
It is a primary object of this invention to provide a novel and improved internal combustion engine breakerless ignition system with a simple, inexpensive but reliable distribution means.
It is also an object of the invention to provide such a system which can operate at small firing angles.
It is another object of the invention to provide such a system which can accept full advance of the timing signal.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a system which requires a minimum amount of power to operate.

Breakerless pulse distribution system and opto-electrical distributor therefor


A submersible device for changing colors in an aquarium comprising of a base member of a rigid construction and heavy weighted material to allow placement in the bottom of an aquarium. A housing having a lower surface coupled to the base with upstanding sidewalls and a cover piece with a dome-like top formed with clear transparent windows therethrough to define a chamber therewithin, the chamber including an upwardly extending post at a central extent thereof coaxial with the axis of top. A driven gear having a circular extent in a horizontal plane within the chamber and having teeth around the periphery thereof, the gear being mounted on the post for rotation with respect thereto. A submersible motor mounted within the chamber having a drive gear rotatable about a vertical axis with teeth in contact with the teeth of the driven gear for rotating and imparting rotation to the driven gear. A fixed light source mounted within the chamber above the post. A domed member mounted above and to the driven gear for rotation therewith at a location above the light source, the domed member being provided with a plurality of transparent plates of varying colors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a submersible device for changing colors in an aquarium and more particularly pertains to changing the color and appearance of things in an aquarium through a light and rotating filters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of illumination devices with color filters and aquarium lights is known in the prior art. More specifically, illumination devices and color filters and aquarium lights heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of illuminating things for varying the illumination characteristics are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, the prior art in U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,060 to Sieracki discloses an aquarium lamp.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,216 to Willinger discloses an artificial aquarium plant.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,743 to Willinger discloses an artificial aquarium plant, anchor and container therefor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,243 to Jessop discloses aquariums.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,753 to Willinger discloses an artificial aquarium plant simulating a natural plant.
In this respect, the submersible device for changing colors in an aquarium according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of changing the color appearance of things in an aquarium through a light and rotating filters.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved submersible device for changing colors in an aquarium which can be used for changing the color appearance of things in an aquarium through a light and rotating filters. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

Submersible device for changing colors in an aquarium


Systems and methods for performing behavioral authentication of Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices are described. These methods may capture one or more behavioral characteristics of a specific USB device and may generate a device fingerprint based on the captured characteristics. When the USB device is plugged in again in the host device, the behavioral characteristics of the USB device may be re-captured and may be compared to those of the device fingerprint. If it is determined that such behavioral characteristics substantially match, authorization may be granted. In one example, timing characteristics may be used as behavioral characteristics, in which the timing of a series of transactions is sensed by the host device. A timing characteristic may include, for example, the time it takes the USB device to complete a transaction. The transactions are part of an enumeration process in some embodiments.

Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard that defines cables, connectors and communication protocols for connection, communication, and power supply between host devices (typically computers or servers) and external peripherals. Over the last few decades, USB has largely replaced a variety of previous interfaces, including serial and parallel ports. Presently, a wide variety of peripherals include USB interfaces for enabling communication with computers. Examples of such peripherals include printers, keyboards, mass storage device, scanners, cameras and mice.
USB interfaces are configured to enable exchange of data in a bi-directional manner. That is, data can be transferred from the host device to the USB device and vice versa. The original USB 1.0 interface enabled data rates up to 1.5 Mbit/s in low speed mode, and 12 Mbit/s in full speed mode. More recent versions, such as USB 3.2, allow data rates of up to 20 Gbit/s. In addition, USB interfaces are configured to provide power to the devices being connected to the host device. In this way, no additional cables are needed for powering.
Most peripherals, including printers, scanners and cameras, include intelligent electronic circuits. Such circuits are often programmed with internally stored firmware designed to control the device's operations. By contrast, some low-cost peripherals are not programmed with firmware, but rather rely on the host device to provide the control program.
In recent years, the number of software attacks aimed at maliciously accessing private information in computer systems has grown dramatically. One popular way for carrying out software attacks is via USB devices. In social engineering attacks, malicious actors use USB keys that contain HTML files to phish the user for their login and password information once the user clicks on the files. On the other hand, human interface device (HID) spoofing use specialized hardware to fool a computer into believing that a malicious USB key is a keyboard. The fake keyboard injects fake keystrokes designed to compromise the victim's computer. HID spoofing is the most commonly used type of attack via USB. Finally, in zero-days attacks, malicious keys use custom hardware that exploits a vulnerability in a USB driver to get direct control of a computer as soon as it is plugged in.

Behavioral authentication of universal serial bus (USB) devices


A thermoplastic polycarbonate molding composition comprising a polycarbonate resin and a stabilizing agent is disclosed. Containing (i) a polyether polyol and (ii) an aromatic disulfide, the agent imparts to the composition improved resistance to gamma-radiation-induced color change. Articles molded from the composition of the invention are suitable for the preparation of gamma-radiation sterilizable medical equipment.

Polycarbonate has been used extensively to mold medical devices such as blood filters, blood oxygenators and the like. Prior to use, these medical devices must be sterilized, preferably by exposure to ionization radiation, e.g. gamma radiation or electron beam radiation, for a prescribed period of time. While the physical and mechanical properties of polycarbonate are substantially unaffected by this radiation, the exposure results in an often undesirable change in the color, a general yellowing, of the resin.
It has been the object of several researchers in the field to identify the means to reduce this objectionable formation of color. The patent literature is noted to include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,804,692; 4,874,802 and 4,904,710 which disclosed gamma radiation resistant polycarbonate compositions containing polyether polyols.
Also relevant is 11.08.88-JP198940 for the disclosure that a polycarbonate composition containing an ester having mercapto group of thio glycolic acid or mercapto-propionic acid and alcohol is capable of being sterilized by exposure to radiation. A radiation sterilizable composition used for medical devices containing a semi-crystalline polymer, a hindered phenolic stabilizer, phosphite and a thioester (or thioether) has been disclosed in EP 303,894. Enhancing the color stability to sterilization radiation of polymer compositions has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,185. Accordingly, compounds having defined thioether groups, including dithiane, are said to stabilize aromatic polycarbonate upon exposure to sterilizing radiation. Compounds having sulfone functional groups and thiazole functional groups have been disclosed to enhance the color stability of polycarbonate compositions in U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,855 and 4,880,856 respectively.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,067,846 and 3,909,490 are noted to disclose flame retardant polycarbonate compositions containing metal salts of sulfonic acids of aromatic sulfides. A cyclic polycarbonate oligomer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,283. The oligomer may be prepared from monomers containing aromatic disulfides.

Gamma radiation resistant polycarbonate composition


An apparatus for conveying a roll such as a paper web roll set on the roll stand of a corrugator to a predetermined location at low speed, with a small initial force and without scratches or other damage to the roll. The apparatus includes a plurality of flat plate-shaped bases arranged end-to-end in the direction in which the roll is conveyed, a plurality of fulcrum shafts each passing through shaft holes in a corresponding base to allow each base to pivot on its shaft, raising and lowering units beneath each base to raise and lower the base, a load sensing unit below the downstream side of each base to detect a load exerted on the base, and a controller responsive to a signal from the load sensing unit to control raising and lowering units at a subsequent stage. When the bases are assembled together with the fulcrum shafts, a conveyance path for conveying the roll to the predetermined final location at low speed and without any acceleration is formed.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for conveying a roll-shaped article. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for slowly and safely conveying a paper web roll used in a cardboard manufacturing plant or the like without any acceleration while it is rotationally displaced.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A conventional double-sided cardboard is usually produced in a laminated structure having three layers such that liners are adhesively secured to opposite surfaces of a corrugated core. In addition, a double-sided cardboard including two corrugated cores (exhibiting a laminated structure having five layers) or a twin double-sided cardboard including three corrugated cores (exhibiting a laminated structure having seven layers) is practically used depending on an application field of the cardboard. To produce each of the cardboards, a roll-shaped paper web for corrugated cores and an odd number of roll-shaped paper webs, i.e., three, five or seven roll-shaped paper webs for liners, are set on a so-called corrugator, i.e., an apparatus for producing cardboards. Additionally, operations for exchanging used roll-shaped paper webs with replacement rolls, production of each cardboard to be produced is often performed many per day, and conveyance of roll-shaped paper webs in a warehouse as well as replacement of roll-shaped paper webs are manually conducted by an operator each time an exchanging operation is performed. Some roll shaped paper webs to be set on a roll stand of the corrugator are heavily dimensioned to have a width of 240 cm and a weight of 2000 kg. For this reason, great strength is required by an operator to rotationally convey each roll-shaped paper web on the floor surface This means that a conveying operation is performed with much danger. When foreign materials are present on the floor surface, there is a possibility that a roll-shaped paper web will accidentally be damaged by such foreign matter.

Apparatus for conveying roll-shaped article


A multiplexer includes a microstrip manifold, and a filter bank having at least two output filters. The multiplexer channelizes an input radio frequency (RF) band of electromagnetic energy into a set of output channels by way of the filter bank. The microstrip manifold has an input port that receives an input RF signal, and at least two output ports. The microstrip manifold distributes the input RF signal to each output port, each said output port being coupled to a respective one of the at least two output filters. The multiplexer may be an input multiplexer for a spacecraft communications payload system.

The assignee of the present invention manufactures and deploys spacecraft for, inter alia, communications and broadcast services from geostationary orbit. Payload systems of such spacecraft conventionally employ input multiplexers to channelize a radio frequency band of electromagnetic energy into a set of channels by use of a filter bank. The mass, efficiency, cost, and complexity of a multiplexer are important factors in determining the overall performance of the payload system.
Known input multiplexers couple the filter bank to an input RF signal by way of waveguide or coaxial manifolds that may or may not include circulators, as disclosed, for example, by Edridge, U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,259, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Such techniques result in multiplexer designs of substantial size and weight, and are difficult or impossible to tune once integrated.
As a result, improved multiplexer designs are desirable.


An ink jet head cartridge includes an ink jet head unit having an ink passage in which an energy generating element for generating energy used to discharge ink is disposed, and an ink tank adapted to store the ink to be fed to the ink passage and having a vent opening for permitting the interior of the ink tank to communicate with the atmosphere and being formed integrally with the ink jet head unit. In the ink jet cartridge an area where an ink absorber is disposed, and an air area at least a part of which is defined by a tubular member and which is filled with air, are formed in an internal space of the ink tank, and a porous member is disposed in an air passage extending from the air area to the vent opening. An ink tank can be incorporated into the above-mentioned ink jet head cartridge, and an ink jet recording apparatus utilizing the above-mentioned ink jet head cartridge can be provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet head cartridge integrally incorporating an ink jet head and an ink tank, and an ink jet recording apparatus on which such cartridge is mounted, and an ink tank.
2. Related Background Art
In the past, in a liquid jet recording apparatus such as an ink jet recording apparatus, generally, the ink was replenished for exchanging an empty ink cartridge by a new cartridge containing a predetermined amount of ink. In this case, if the ink jet recording head itself is cheap, a so-called head/ink-tank integral cartridge wherein a head and an ink tank containing a predetermined amount of ink are integrally formed has been used. In such a recording apparatus, since the recording head can be renewed without fail whenever a predetermined amount of recording is finished (i.e., a predetermined amount of ink is used up) due to the integral design of the ink tank and the head, it is possible to always maintain the good recording quality. And, even if the recording quality is poor, since the ink jet recording head itself can easily be replaced, it is possible to shorten the down time of the recording apparatus. Further, in replenishing the ink, foreign matter can be prevented from entering the ink.
By the way, such an ink cartridge integrally incorporating the head includes the ink tank for storing the ink and for supplying the ink to a discharging portion. Such an ink tank must meet the following functional requirements at least:
(1) preventing the leakage of the ink; PA1 (2) preventing the vaporization of the ink; PA1 (3) storing a predetermined amount of ink and supplying the ink to the discharging portion stably; and PA1 (4) not blocking the discharge of the ink from the discharging portion.
As ink tanks which can meet such functional requirements, an ink tank including an ink bag and an ink tank including an ink absorber therein for applying negative pressure to the ink at the discharging portion have been already known (refer to FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,237).
However, in the above ink tank including the ink bag, with respect to the above requirement (4), in order to avoid the blocking of the discharge of the ink from the discharging portion due to the liquid head pressure of the ink, the relative positional relationship between the recording head and the ink tank is constructurally limited, and, further, it is necessary to provide a case for enclosing the ink bag independently from the ink bag in view of the treatment of the ink tank, thus making the ink tank expensive. On the other hand, in the ink tank including the ink absorber which can avoid the blocking of the discharge of the ink from the discharging portion due to the liquid head pressure of the ink, it is practical to provide a vent opening connecting the interior of the ink tank with the atmosphere in order to cope with the change in pressure in the ink tank due to the reduction of the ink amount in the tank (by ink consumption) and/or due to a change in temperature of air in the tank. However, in this case, the ink is liable to be vaporized through the vent opening (this does not meet the above requirement(2)), and, if the ink tank is left in this condition for a long time, vaporization of the ink will occur.
For example, the aqueous ink which has widely been used because it is advantageous in view of safety, generally includes, as its main components, water, dye and a non-volatile solvent. If the volatile component such as water is vaporized, the ratio of the components included in the ink itself will largely change, thus deleterisusly the fixing ability of the ink or paper and/or the recording feature such as the ink density, and further clogging the discharging portion with ink due to the increase in the viscosity of the ink. Further, since the effective available amount of the ink in the ink tank itself is decreased, this structure is economically disadvantageous. In particular, the smaller the capacity of the ink tank or the cartridge of head/ink-tank integral type, the more serious are the disadvantages from the change in composition of the ink and/or the reduction of the ink amount due to the vaporization of the ink.


A high-durable pneumatic radial tire is disclosed using steel cords in at least one of the carcass and the belt. This steel cord is produced by twisting plural steel filaments each having a tensile strength of not less than 220 kgf/mm.sup.2, whose metallic structure being a fine pearlite structure having an average value of interlamellar distance between cementites of 300-500 .ANG. and an average sectional area of single pearlite crystal grain in filament section of not more than 20 .mu.m.sup.2.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to high-durable pneumatic radial tires, and more particularly to a pneumatic radial tire having considerably improved tire reinforcing properties by improving an internal structure of steel filament in steel cords as a tire reinforcement to thereby enhance the corrosion fatigue resistance of the steel filament itself.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When steel cords are used as a material for a carcass ply or a belt of a tire, various performance characteristics required for the tire deteriorate by a cord-breaking-up (CBU) failure mainly resulting from corrosion fatigue failure of the carcass, or by a corrosion of cords in the belt layers, particularly an outermost belt layer produced from cracks penetrating through a tread and a fatigue failure accompanied therewith, so that the use of steel cords comes into question in view of the tire durable life.
In this connection, the inventors have previously confirmed that the corrosion fatigue resistance of steel filaments used as a material for the steel cord can be improved by making an interlamellar distance between cementites in pearlite structure of the steel filament larger than the usual one of the prior art, which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 57-195,332.
Further, the inventors have examined with respect to the influence of grain size in pearlite crystals forming the pearlite structure and found out that the properties of the steel cord can considerably be improved by the particularization of the grain size of pearlite crystals.
In the steel cord, the progress of cracks based on the corrosion fatigue of the steel filament is governed by a stress state at an end portion of cementite inside the pearlite structure and a shearing stress state between cementite and ferrite. Although the average value of interlamellar distance between cementites in pearlite structure according to the prior art was usually 200-250 .ANG. when it is increased to a range of 300-500 .ANG. by optimizing a heat treatment before a final drawing at a production step of steel cords, the above mentioned stresses can be mitigated to make the growth and progress of cracks slow.
The cracks advance not only through the end portion of cementite in a pearlite crystal grain but also through the grain boundary in pearlite structure. In the latter case, it has been elucidated that the advance of cracks through pearlite crystal grains can be suppressed by making the grain boundary into a partition wall.
Namely, it is recognized that the fine division of pearlite crystal grain is required together with the increase of interlamellar distance.


An anti-tussive nebulized solution for targeted delivery of lidocaine into conducting and central airways. A method for treatment of cough and tussive attacks or episodes using said lidocaine solution. A nebulized lidocaine solution administered in daily dose from about 10 mg to 80 mg of lidocaine dissolved in a saline and nebulized into an aerosol having a mass median aerodynamic diameter 3 μm to 10 μm and a geometric standard deviation less than 1.7 using an electronic nebulizer.

1. Field of the Invention
The current invention concerns generally a method for targeted delivery of local anesthetics for treatment of cough and tussive attacks and episodes. In one aspect, the invention concerns an improved anti-tussive solution for targeted delivery of a local anesthetic to lungs by nebulization. In particular, the invention concerns an improved anti-tussive lidocaine solution for targeted delivery of lidocaine into conducting and central airways as well as a method using said lidocaine solution for treatment of cough and tussive attacks or episodes.
The solution for inhalation comprising lidocaine or another local anesthetic is administered in daily dose from about 10 mg to 160 mg. Lidocaine or another anesthetic dissolved in a normal or diluted saline is nebulized into an aerosol having a mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) within a range of 3 μm to 10 μm using an electronic nebulizer able to generate a substantially monodisperse particle spectrum. The solution comprising lidocaine or any other anesthetic nebulized according to the invention described herein is deposited predominantly in the target area for cough receptors, namely in the upper, conducting, and central airways, without any substantial residue of the anesthetic found in the oropharyngeal area or in the lower lungs.
In alternative, the local anesthetic solution suitable for treatment of cough may be administered nasally, orally or intravenously when appropriately formulated for such use.
For nasal administration, the local anesthetic is formulated as drops comprising about 2.5 mg of the drug in 0.3 ml of solvent. For oral administration, 50-100 mg of the drug is administered orally once or twice daily. For intravenous administration, the daily dose is up to 2000 mg administered once or several times a day.
The method for treatment of cough, asthma and tussive asthmatic attack is safer than the treatments described previously in that the secondary undesirable symptoms such as bronchospasm, loss of gag reflex and numbing of a pharyngeal region due to anesthetic properties of lidocaine or another anesthetic compound are prevented. The method is also more efficacious because it permits use of a lesser amount of lidocaine when the solution is nebulized using electronic nebulizer and delivers this solution in shorter time. Additionally, the electronic nebulizers produce a substantially monodisperse spectrum of particles substantially within a range of 3 μm to 10 μm of which a large percentage is deposited in the central airways.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Targeted delivery of lidocaine and other local anesthetics and a method for treatment of cough, asthma and tussive attacks


A modular cover for an air bag assembly has good appearance and is durable. The modular cover includes a main surface (3), four side walls (2A), (2B), (2C) and (2D) integral with the main surface (3), and a tear line (6) extending along only three of the four side walls (2B), (2C) and (2D).

As shown in FIG. 4, an air bag assembly is disposed centrally on a vehicle steering wheel 10 so as to deploy and inflate an air bag when sensing impact or deformation upon collision of a vehicle. This air bag assembly includes a mounting plate, commonly referred to as a retainer. An inflator and an air bag are mounted to the mounting plate and covered by a modular cover 11. The modular cover 11 is fit over spokes 12 of the steering wheel.
The modular cover 11 has tear lines 13 along which the modular cover can be ruptured when the air bag is deployed. The tear lines are in the form of a continuous groove or a semicontinuous groove. The tear lines may alternatively include spaced grooves of greater depth. When the cover has two different layers, a rigid layer i.e. and a soft layer, a slit may be formed in the rigid layer so that the cover may be ruptured along a predetermined line.
As shown in FIG. 4, the tear lines 13 of the prior art modular cover 11 are formed on a top or main surface 11A and includes tear lines 13a,13b extending vertically along lateral sides of the main surface 11A, and another tear line 13c centrally and laterally of the cover 11. A vertical direction is a direction from an occupant M toward a windshield G, and a lateral direction is the width direction of a vehicle. In this case, the steering wheel is so oriented as to allow the vehicle to run on a straight line.
When such a conventional modular cover is molded, sinkmarks may be formed to cause wrinkles around the tear lines 13 on the top or main surface 11A of the modular cover 11. Those wrinkles, if quite visible, may deteriorate the esthetic appearance of the modular cover.
The occupant of a vehicle may rub such wrinkles with his fingers. This causes the tear lines to be repeatedly bent and deformed to reduce the durability of the modular cover 11.
A leather may overlie the main surface 11A of the modular cover to provide a high quality modular cover. In such a case, however, the leather may prevent the modular cover 11 from opening along the tear lines 13. As such, the leather can not be used in the prior art modular cover.


A furnace for melting and refining E glass comprises a melting and refining tank for melting and refining the glass batch materials into glass and a forehearth, downstream of the tank, for further refining the glass and delivering the glass to fiberizing means. The melting and refining tank is heated with oxygen fired burners. The oxygen fired burners in the melting and refining tank are located in the sidewalls at the upstream end of the tank and extend for about one-third the length of the tank. In one embodiment, burners are also located in the upstream end wall. This arrangement of the oxygen fired burners at the upstream end of the melting and refining tank moves the melter hot spot upstream for better refining of the glass and enables the furnace to produce a higher output of glass than can be obtained in a conventional E glass furnace of the same size.

In the manufacture of glass, such as E glass fibers or filaments, by a continuous melting process, glass batch material is delivered to a furnace at the upstream end of the melting and refining tank. The glass batch material is melted and refined as it passes through the melting and refining tank to a forehearth which is connected to the downstream end of the melting and refining tank. The glass is withdrawn from the melting and refining tank into a conditioning section of the forehearth from which the glass passes to the working forehearth where the glass is distributed to fiber forming equipment and withdrawn from the forehearth through the fiber forming equipment to form the fibers or filaments.
In conventional E glass furnaces of the type shown in FIG. 1, the glass batch materials are melted by directly opposed air/gas fired burners which extend for substantially the entire length of the melting and refining tank. The forehearth is also fired with directly opposed air/gas burners to further refine the glass and to regulate and maintain the glass at the desired temperature for the fiber or filament forming process.
In a typical combustion process using an air/gas fired burner, natural gas and air is usually combined in a set ratio of 10 parts air to 1 part natural gas by volume. The main drawback to this method of combustion is the nitrogen content of air which constitutes 78% of air by volume and contributes nothing to the combustion process. Thus with air/gas fired burners, large volumes of air are required relative the volume of natural gas consumed. The relatively large volumes of combustion air and the resulting large volumes of exhaust gases which must be processed using air/gas fired burners require the use of costly, high volume combustion air and exhaust gas systems.
For more efficient combustion, the air supplied to the air/gas fired burners should be preheated from ambient temperatures to temperatures of about 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. Since the volume of air to natural gas employed by the burners is approximately 10 to 1, relatively large volumes of air must be heated to these high temperatures and delivered to the burners for use in the process. This requires the use of high temperature metal recuperators to preheat the combustion air and high temperature metal piping and insulation to deliver the hot air to the burners. These recuperators are expensive to construct and, with the highly corrosive exhaust gases that pass through them, costly to maintain.
In addition to greatly increasing the volume of gases to be preheated and handled in the combustion system, the presence of nitrogen in the air detracts from the heating process by carrying part of the heat of combustion away from the process. Thus, part of the heat of combustion goes to the nitrogen rather than to the glass melt for which it is intended and contributes nothing to the process. The presence of nitrogen in the combustion process also leads to the formation of nitrogen oxide emissions.
The low efficiencies of the air/gas fired burners require the use of a large number of burners along substantially the entire length of the melting and refining tank in order to melt and refine the glass batch materials. The furnace illustrated in FIG. 1 uses a total of thirty-two air/gas fired burners in the melting and refining tank.

Oxygen fired glass furnace with burners in the upstream end


A fluid delivery system includes one or more measure modules for measuring and delivering predetermined volumes of one or more different fluids. Each measure module includes a fluid inlet port, a retention vessel, an overflow aperture to allow fluid in excess of the desired volume to flow out of the vessel, and an outlet port for dispensing the retained fluid. A calibrating rod adjustably occupies a portion of the volume of the vessel to facilitate precise adjustment of the volume of fluid dispensed by the measure module. In one particular embodiment, a blender includes a plurality of measure modules whose outputs are coupled together to produce a mixture having a composition defined by the relative capacities of the vessels of the various measure modules. In another particular embodiment, one blender dilutes a chemical concentrate, and provides the diluted mixture to another blender, which further dilutes the mixture.

This invention relates generally to fluid dispensing systems, and more particularly to a system and method for dispensing a predetermined volume of fluid. Even more particularly, this invention relates to a system and method for accurately blending two or more fluids.
Onsite chemical mixing and delivery is difficult in industries requiring precise dilution and mixing ratios. Deterred by the difficulties involved in producing their own chemistry, such as labor expenses and precise molarity tolerances, industries such as semi-conductor fabrication typically purchase pre-diluted and/or pre-mixed chemicals. These pre-mixed chemicals, supplied by outside companies, vary slightly in price depending on concentration. The price per barrel of a chemical concentrate is typically only slightly higher than that of a dilution of the same chemical. Further, the freight cost of delivering multiple drums of chemicals is substantial.
Some industries opt to produce their own chemistry, but at the cost of large mixing vessels that are not typically automated. These large mixing vessels are useful only to entities able to afford the system""s maintenance costs as well as supply the space needed to house such a system.
Notwithstanding these limitations, onsite mixing and delivery systems provide many advantages over purchasing pre-mixed chemicals. By utilizing a chemical delivery and mixing system, a single barrel of concentrate chemical produces many times its volume in diluted solution, depending on the desired concentration of the dilute. Thus, a single barrel of concentrate, used to produce many barrels of dilute via a chemical delivery and mixing system, greatly reduces freight costs associated with chemical delivery. In addition, onsite dilution and mixing increases the variety of chemical concentrations and mixtures that are immediately available, without requiring a corresponding increase in the number of chemicals that must be purchased from chemical manufacturers, thereby providing the logistical and administrative advantage of reduced inventory.
What is needed is a compact system capable of mixing, blending, and delivering precise volumes of chemicals onsite, allowing small industry to manufacture chemistry in desired molarities or weight ratios at minimal cost, and in reduced batch sizes.
The present invention provides an advantage over the prior art by providing a compact fluid delivery system capable of producing large or small quantities of precisely mixed chemicals on demand. The embodiments of the invention shown herein are automated, but the present invention can be implemented in a manual or semi-manual system while retaining many of the advantages of the invention.
Fluid delivery systems according to the present invention include one or more measure modules for measuring and delivering precise volumes of fluids. Each measure module includes a fluid inlet port, a vessel, an overflow aperture, and a fluid outlet port. The vessel receives fluid via the fluid inlet port. The overflow aperture is positioned to define a predetermined retention capacity of the vessel, allowing excess fluid to flow out of the vessel while retaining the predetermined volume in the vessel. The measure module measures fluid by filling the vessel beyond its retention capacity, and then allowing the excess fluid to flow out through the overflow aperture.
An optional calibrating device (e.g., calibrating rod, slugs, inflatable bladder, etc.) facilitates fine adjustment of the retention capacity of the vessel. Alternatively, the position of the overflow aperture is adjustable. For example, in one embodiment the aperture is disposed atop a vertical drain tube, such that the height of the drain tube defines the retention capacity of the vessel.
An optional overflow reservoir collects the excess fluid flowing out of the vessel. The overflow fluid is transferred back into the vessel at the beginning of the next fill cycle. Use of the overflow reservoir prevents waste of expensive chemicals, and reduces the cost associated with disposal of hazardous chemicals.
One particular embodiment of the invention is capable of operation in two modes. In the first mode, the measure module operates as described above. In a second mode, however, the vertical drain tube functions as the xe2x80x9cvesselxe2x80x9d by measuring the amount of fluid to be dispensed. Excess fluid flowing out of the drain tube is collected by the vessel, which functions in the second mode as the xe2x80x9coverflow reservoir.xe2x80x9d
Various fluid delivery systems are constructed by interconnecting a plurality of the above-described measure modules in different ways. For example, in one embodiment a plurality of chemicals are blended by coupling the outputs of a like plurality of measure modules. Each of the measure modules measures and dispenses a particular one of the constituent chemicals of the mixture. The relative concentration of each chemical in the mixture depends on the retention capacity of the vessel of the measure module associated with that chemical. In another embodiment, the output ports of two measure modules are coupled together to dilute a chemical concentrate with water. The diluted mixture is provided to other measure module pairs for further dilution, such that the system is able to provide several different dilutions (e.g., 10:1, 50:1, 100:1, etc.) of the concentrated chemical.

System and method for accurately blending fluids


An automatic accompaniment apparatus is adopted to a keyboard-type electronic musical instrument. Herein, the chord constituent notes and bass note of the subharmonic chord (or fractional chord) are detected and separated from the notes which are designated by the performer who depresses the keys of the keyboard. In response to certain chord note, particularly root of the chord, the desirable chord pattern (or chord type) is selected from the predetermined chord patterns memorized in a data table. This data table can be memorized with relatively small memory capacity. Thus, it is possible to accurately detect the subharmonic chord with small memory capacity. Then, the desirable subharmonic chord is automatically sounded as the accompaniment in accordance with the selected chord pattern and the detected bass note.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic accompaniment apparatus which is suitable for the electronic musical instrument such as the electronic piano.
2. Prior Art
As known well, the recent model of the electronic piano provides the automatic accompaniment apparatus. This automatic accompaniment apparatus is provided to assist the chord performance and bass performance. Herein, on the basis of the detection result of detecting the chord type and root of the performed chord, the chord and bass sounds are automatically generated at the predetermined timings. Particularly, there is developed an automatic accompaniment apparatus which plays the automatic accompaniment on the basis of the subharmonic chord (or fractional chord) to be detected. Incidentally, this subharmonic chord is defined as the chord which includes the chord note (or chord constituent note) and bass note each having the different root.
On the basis of plural pieces of pitch information which are produced responsive to the key-depression made by the performer, the above-mentioned automatic accompaniment apparatus detects the chord root of the subharmonic chord so as to compute the bass interval corresponding to the chord root and subharmonic chord. As a result, chord notes and bass notes of the subharmonic chord are to be sounded. This kind of technique is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2-179690, for example.
Meanwhile, the above-mentioned conventional automatic accompaniment apparatus provides a pattern detection table, so that the chord can be detected by referring to this table. In this pattern detection table, each of the chord types each represented by twelve notes (e.g., C, C#, D, . . . , A#, B) is represented by 12-bit pattern data (hereinafter, referred to as chord pattern data), which are stored in the memory by the table-type format. Herein, data representing the mixture of the chord notes and bass notes are registered in this pattern detection table. In addition, only the simple subharmonic chords are registered in this table.
Therefore, when detecting the chord by use of the pattern detection table, the chord pattern is merely searched without distinguishing between the chord note and bass note in the chord to be designated. Therefore, the conventional apparatus forces to match the actually generated chord pattern with one of the limited number of the subharmonic chords registered in the table, thus regarding it as the detection result. For this reason, there is a drawback in that the accurate search cannot be made with respect to the subharmonic chords. In order to eliminate such drawback, a large number of tables must be provided to register complex patterns of the subharmonic chords. However, this increase the memory capacity which is required to store those tables.


A stand for mounting a device having a rib member includes a mast, with a pair of spaced mounting clips secured to the mast. The mounting clips are spaced from the outer surface of the mast so as to form pockets therewith for receiving the rib member. Upon insertion between the mounting clips, the rib member is pivoted for entry into the pockets and a locking pin receivable in an aperture in the rib member prevents a dislocating pivoting in an opposite direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to portable signs, and in particular, to portable folding signs typically used on a temporary basis. The present invention also pertains to the temporary mounting of devices other than signs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Signs are used for a wide variety of applications, both indoors and outdoors. One application, for example, is to post a temporary warning or alert notice adjacent a construction site or roadside work location. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, signs intended for outdoor use must be carefully designed to accommodate wind loadings which can be quite substantial, especially for larger sign panels, 48 inches or larger. In order to be commercially attractive, the sign should be capable of set-up by a single worker, even in a wide variety of weather and climate conditions. For example, a sign should be capable of ready assembly even in cold conditions which reduce manual dexterity, or in applications where gloves and other hand protection must be worn. It is important in temporary applications that a sign be reusable, storable in a compact space and readily erected on demand. In particular, it is important that the sign be easily displayed at the beginning of a work session without elaborate preparations, and thereafter stowed away when the warning or alert is no longer needed. One such sign which has met with widespread commercial acceptance is that employing a foldable sign panel, available from Dicke Tool Company, assignee of the present invention, as Part No. 3000. The sign panel is made of fabric and can thereby be rolled up for compact storage, thus making the maximum use of limited space available on a construction vehicle. Thus, it is possible to carry a number of frequently used sign panels on the construction vehicle at all times, thus allowing greater flexibility in scheduling the work assignments of a particular vehicle. The sign panel includes a pair of fiber glass ribs which are overlapped and pinned at their centers so as to provide a "scissors action" when assembling or disassembling the sign. The mounting base used with the sign is of a type similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,232 assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
The components of a sign should be versatile, interchangeable with other signs of a similar type, and ideally new sign systems should accommodate existing sign components whenever possible. If modification to the existing sign components is necessary for use with a new sign system, the modifications should be as simple to perform as possible.


A tracking error signal generation apparatus and method which utilizes confocal detection with a split detector and a differencing circuit for generation of tracking error signals. A first lens is positioned in the path of a light beam returning from an optical medium. A pinhole is positioned in the path of the light beam after the first lens and proximate to the focal plane of the first lens. A second lens is positioned in the path of the light beam after the pinhole, and a split detector, having equal halves is positioned in the path of the light beam after the second lens. A differencing circuit is operatively coupled to each of the halves of the split detector. In operation, a light beam is focused by an optical head onto a track in the optical medium, and the reflection of the beam from the optical medium is directed through the first lens, through the pinhole, through the second lens, and onto the split detector. When the focus of the light beam is centered on the track, the reflected light reaching the split detector is evenly distributed on the two halves of the detector, such that the differencing circuit will generate a tracking error signal (TES) having nominally a zero value. When the focus of the light beam is off-center with respect to the track, the reflected light received by detector is unevenly distributed on the two halves of the detector such that the differencing circuit generates a non-zero tracking error signal, which will be of positive or negative value depending upon the direction off-center of the light beam focus spot. The tracking error signals thus generated are communicated to a servo system which will reposition the optical head to maintain the light beam focus spot on the center of the track.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to systems and devices for tracking error signal generation and tracking error correction associated with writing and reading of optical data storage media. More specifically, the invention is a tracking error signal generation apparatus and method which utilizes confocal detection with a split detector and a differencing circuit for generation of tracking error signals.
2. Background
Various systems and methods for tracking error correction are known and used for writing and readout of optical data storage media. As optical media structures have become more complex and higher storage densities are achieved, improved tracking error correction systems are needed. There is accordingly a need for an improved tracking error signal generation apparatus and method. The present invention satisfies this need, as well as others, and generally overcomes the deficiencies found in the background art.
The invention is a tracking error signal generation apparatus and method which utilizes confocal detection with a split detector and a differencing circuit for generation of tracking error signals. In its most general terms, the invention comprises a first lens positioned in the path of a light beam reflected from (or transmitted through) an optical medium, a pinhole positioned in the path of the light beam proximate to the focal plane of the first lens, a second lens positioned in the path of the light beam after the pinhole, a split detector, having equal halves, positioned in the path of the light beam after the second lens, and a differencing circuit operatively coupled to each of the halves of the split detector. The reflected light beam will generally comprise a read beam on a return path from the optical medium. The second lens is positioned so that the focused beam emerging from the pinhole is re-imaged onto the split detector.
The invention is used with optical media having track patterns having differing reflectivity (or transmissivity) from the surrounding portions of the optical media, typically with the track having a higher reflectivity. In operation, a light beam is focused by an optical head onto a track in the optical medium, and the reflection of the beam from the optical medium is directed through the first lens, through the pinhole, through the second lens, and onto the split detector. When the focus of the light beam is centered on the track, the reflected light reaching the split detector is symmetrically and evenly distributed to the two halves of the detector, such that the differencing circuit will generate a tracking error signal (TES) having nominally a zero value. When the focus of the light beam is off-center, the reflected light received by detector is asymmertically distributed on the two halves of the detector such that the differencing circuit generates a non-zero tracking error signal, which will be of positive or negative value depending upon the direction off-center of the light beam focus spot. The tracking error signals thus generated are communicated to a servo system which will reposition the optical head to maintain the light beam focus spot on the center of the track.
The invention is particularly well suited for use with optical data storage media wherein tracks are defined by format grating structures. In one preferred embodiment, the optical media include a format hologram grating structure having vertical strips with high contrast carrier fringes separated by vertical strips with low contrast carrier fringes such that the high contrast carrier fringes define tracks. For disk shaped media the tracks are concentric and extend circumferentially around the medium to define cylindrical shells. Tracking is carried out by focusing the read spot on the center of the cylindrical shell or track.

Tracking error signal generation using confocally filtered detection


ROM memories made in MOS or CMOS technology with LDD cells may be programmed advantageously in a relatively advanced stage of fabrication by decoupling an already formed drain region from the channel region of cells to be permanently made nonconductive (programmed) by implanting a dopant in an amount sufficient to invert the type of conductivity in a portion of the drain region adjacent to the channel region. In CMOS processes, the programming mask may be a purposely modified mask commonly used for implanting source/drain regions of transistors of a certain type of conductivity. By using high-energy implantation and a dedicated mask, the programming may be effected at even later stages of the fabrication process.

The present invention relates to a process for fabricating and programming ROM type memory cells, made in MOS or CMOS technology with an LDD (a commonly used acronym of Lightly Doped Drain), source and/or drain graded diffusion. Programming is effected by making permanently nonconducting all the "programmed" cells of a ROM matrix having a com-mon-source configuration (commonly known as a "NOR-type" ROM).
ROM memories are commonly used in microprocessor-based systems made in MOS or CMOS technology, and their programming with a certain content of information corresponding to the specific application takes place during the fabrication process of the integrated circuits containing ROM memory sections. For this reason, from a point of view of the management of customer's orders and production, it is advantageous to be able to program the ROM memories as late as possible in the device fabrication process. The single ROM memory cells are generally composed of an n-channel or a p-channel transistor, while ever more often the read circuitry of the memory cell matrix, as well as other circuits integrated on the same chip, are made in CMOS technology, for obvious reasons of reducing power consumption.
The programming of ROM memories by purposely modifying the mask used for defining the active areas of the cells which will exclude altogether the formation of a cell in certain preestablished locations of the matrix causing the formation of a thick field oxide layer in those locations instead of the formation of a thin gate oxide layer, remains a commonly used technique. However this approach requires programming to be effected in a relatively initial phase of the fabrication process of integrated circuits and therefore other methods of programming which may be carried out during later steps of the fabrication process are favored. According to another known approach, the programming of n-channel memory cells is effected by implanting boron through the apertures of dedicated programming mask in an amount sufficient to raise the threshold voltage of the cells of the matrix to be "programmed".
Another known solution consists in implanting boron exclusively in the source zone of the cells to be programmed, and by thereafter diffusing it under the gate structure. In this way, it is possible to increase the threshold voltage above the supply voltage without significantly lowering the breakdown voltage because the latter is influenced by the doping level of the channel near the drain junction of the cells. Nevertheless, also this process is not always satisfactory and in particular it is inapplicable to VLSI devices, having a common-source type of architecture of the ROM memory matrix.
According to a process described in a prior Italian Patent No. 1,217,372 of the same Applicant of the present application, which is hereby incorporated by reference, the programming of the cells of a ROM memory may be advantageously effected by the use of the same mask which is used for implanting source and drain junctions, by masking the source and/or drain areas adjacent to an already formed gate structure of the matrix's cells to be programmed, thus obtaining a decoupling between the gate and the source and drain regions, by virtue of the backing off of the latter from the respective gate structure.
All these known programming processes have been used primarily with memory cells having a standard structure, i.e. a structure which does not contemplate the formation of source and drain junctions with a graded diffusion profile obtained through two distinct steps of implantation carried out in self-alignment with the gate structure. (Typically, as mentioned above, such LDD structures are fabricated using a first relatively lighter implantation immediately after having defined the gate structures, and a second relatively heavier implantation after having formed so-called dielectric spacers along the sides of the gate structure; but this sequence can be varied.) On the other hand, memory cells with junctions having a graded diffusion profile ensure a better long term reliability and generally this technique is being widely used in high density integration processes for making highly reliable MOS transistors with improved electrical parameters, notably in the circuitry which is normally integrated region on the same chip together with a ROM memory matrix.
The present invention advantageously provides a fabrication and programming process for a ROM memory matrix with cells having junctions with a graded diffusion (LDD), which is remarkably simple to implement and which permits both n-channel and p-channel LDD-type transistors to be used in the ancillary and external circuitry without any requirement for additional masks.
Basically, the programming process of the invention consists of implanting an area defined by a noncritical mask and in a self-alignment condition in relation to the edge of a preformed gate structure, with a second dopant of a type suitable to produce in the semiconducting substrate a type of conductivity opposite to the one which is produced by a first dopant which is implanted on the same area when performing a first LDD implantation of the drain regions of all the cells. Such an implantation of said second dopant is performed in an amount sufficient to completely compensate and invert the type of conductivity produced by said first dopant in a portion of the drain region of the cell which is immediately adjacent to the gate structure of a cell to be programmed. Of course the attributes "first" and "second" of the dopants do not imply a specific order of implantation, and in fact the order may be inverted.
Normally, in the most common case of n-channel cells, a first n-type LDD implantation of the cells drain area, typically using phosphorus, is "compensated" and "inverted," in cells to be programmed by a programming (LDD) boron implantation also effected in self-alignment to the preformed gate structure, in a portion of the drain area of the cell close to the gate structure. According to a first embodiment of the invention, the programming implantation step (e.g. Boron implant) may be performed before proceeding to form dielectric spacers on the sides of the gate structure and before performing a second (LDD) implantation carried out in self-alignment to the gate structure provided with lateral spacers, in the source area, with a dopant capable of enhancing an n-type conductivity, e.g. with phosphorus itself or more commonly with arsenic, while masking during this subsequent implantation the drain area of all the memory cells of the matrix by using a purposely modified (LDD) mask. In integrated circuits containing both n-channel and p-channel transistors, i.e. in a CMOS process, the programming mask used for the compensating-inverting boron implantation may conveniently be the same mask which is used for effecting a boron LDD implantation on drain and source areas of p-channel transistors of ancillary circuitry external to the memory matrix, actually modified in accordance with the data to be permanently recorded in the matrix of memory cells for the specific application.
The second step of implantation of the source and drain areas of the n-channel devices of the external circuitry with arsenic or phosphorus, in self-alignment with the gate structures provided with spacers, may then be effected by modifying the mask used for this purpose in the area occupied by the matrix of memory cells, so as to mask the drain areas of all the memory cells of the matrix. In view of the fact that the external reading circuitry, as well as other systems, integrated in the same memory device, commonly use CMOS structures (i.e. n-channel transistors as well as p-channel transistors), the fabrication process of the invention may be seen to be extremely advantageous by not requiring any additional process step. Of course, the same process of the invention may be used also for programming ROM memories with n-channel LDD cells in devices containing only n-channel LDD transistors. In this case, the repeated n-type dopant implantation would take place normally without using a mask and therefore it is necessary to use a dedicated programming mask for defining, within the areas of the matrix's cells to be programmed, a portion of the drain area defined by the mask wherein boron must be implanted in an amount sufficient to invert the type of conductivity which is produced in the semiconductor by an n-type dopant (typically phosphorus or arsenic) during a first LDD implantation step. Of course, the same process is valid also in case of channel ROM cells, by inverting the row of the dopants.
The process of the invention may also be implemented in an alternative form by effecting the programming implantation at a more advanced stage of the fabrication process of the devices, by using a high energy implantation process. In this case it is necessary to use a dedicated programming mask and a dedicated programming implantation step, however the additional cost is amply balanced by the great advantage of permitting the programming of the ROM memory matrix in a far more advanced step of the fabrication process of the integrated circuits. In practice, the programming implantation may be effected by implanting boron at high kinetic energy through the thickness of an intermediate dielectric isolation layer which is normally deposited after having completed the formation of the junctions in the semiconducting substrate and, desirably, after having "opened" the contacts and preferably before depositing the first metal layer.
The structure of the single memory cells of the invention has a source junction with a graded diffusion profile (LDD) while the drain junction has a configuration that comprises a drain region having a relatively light doping level, as obtained through a first LDD implantation and diffusion, because in the drain areas of the memory cells a subsequent implantation after having formed dielectric spacers on the sides of the gate structure is not performed. In practice the drain region of the memory cells retains a relatively low intrinsic doping level but this has been found not to modify in an appreciable way the electrical performances of the cells. This because of two factors, the first is due to the fact that the resistance of the lightly doped drain region is in any case substantially low in respect to the series resistance of the transistor, the second is due to the fact that by effecting a contact-area implantation and diffusion through the drain contact apertures before depositing the metal, the residual lateral extension of the low doping drain region is extremely small and therefore the ohmic drop through the drain region of the cells is in practice negligible.

Method of making NOR-type ROM with LDD cells