Methods of authenticating a user design in a programmable integrated circuit. The methods utilize an identifier unique to the programmable IC and a data word taken from the user design. The data word can be unique to the design and can include a string of data taken from the configuration data for the design, or the values of circuit nodes read from selected points throughout the design. A function is performed on the identifier and the data word, producing a key specific to the user design as implemented in that programmable IC. The key is compared to an expected value. When the key matches the expected value, the user design is enabled. When the key does not match the expected value, at least a portion of the user design is disabled. Circuitry for performing the steps of the method can be implemented in the programmable resources of the programmable IC.

Programmable logic devices (PLDs) are a well-known type of programmable integrated circuit that can be programmed to perform specified logic functions. One type of PLD, the field programmable gate array (FPGA), typically includes an array of programmable tiles. These programmable tiles can include, for example, input/output blocks (IOBs), configurable logic blocks (CLBs), dedicated random access memory blocks (BRAM), multipliers, digital signal processing blocks (DSPs), processors, clock managers, delay lock loops (DLLs), and so forth.
Each programmable tile typically includes both programmable interconnect and programmable logic. The programmable interconnect typically includes a large number of interconnect lines of varying lengths interconnected by programmable interconnect points (PIPs). The programmable logic implements the logic of a user design using programmable elements that can include, for example, function generators, registers, arithmetic logic, and so forth.
The programmable interconnect and programmable logic are typically programmed by loading a stream of configuration data into internal configuration memory cells that define how the programmable elements are configured. The collective states of the individual memory cells then determine the function of the FPGA.
To program an FPGA to implement a circuit design, a user captures the circuit design using a well-known design capture tool, and then uses well-known software tools to convert the captured design into a device specific bitwise representation. The bitwise representation, commonly referred to as a configuration bitstream or configuration data, is typically stored in a non-volatile storage device such as a Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) and written into the PLD using a predefined configuration process, or can be written into the PLD by an external device.
Note that the FPGA's configuration memory array is typically a volatile memory such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM). Thus, when the FPGA is powered off, the configuration data stored in its configuration memory array is lost. Consequently, when the FPGA is again powered up, it must be re-configured using configuration data provided by the non-volatile storage device, as described above.
Consequently, a system including an FPGA typically includes a non-volatile memory storage device including the configuration data, and a bus or wire on which the configuration data is transmitted each time the system is powered up. The configuration data is therefore subject to interception from the bus or wire. Alternatively, the configuration data can be read from a programmed FGPA using a "readback" feature typically provided, or by using JTAG, for example. Potentially, an unscrupulous attacker can use this "pirated" configuration data to duplicate the system in an unauthorized manner. Additionally or alternatively, the configuration data potentially can be reverse-engineered to obtain the user design represented by the configuration data, and the user design could be analyzed or altered.
Various methods are known that can reduce the hazard of the unauthorized duplication of configuration data. For example, FPGA manufacturers routinely provide encoding and decoding for configuration data. The data stream is encoded using a key, e.g., by the same software that generates the unencrypted configuration data for the design. The encoded data is stored in a non-volatile memory device, from which it is downloaded to the FPGA and decoded on-chip using the same key. Therefore, the transmitted configuration data is encoded, and anyone who does not have the key used to encode the data cannot decode the data to reverse-engineer or alter the design.
For example, the Virtex-4™ family of FPGAs from Xilinx, Inc. incorporates a 256-bit encryption scheme using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption algorithm. The 256-bit key is transmitted to the Virtex-4 device via a JTAG port, and is stored in the device in volatile memory, where the value is maintained using a small external battery. The key cannot be read from the volatile memory, and if the battery is removed the value is erased. Therefore, the key cannot be retrieved or duplicated from the device. If an encrypted stream of configuration data is loaded into the Virtex-4 device, but the encryption key used in generating the data stream does not match the decryption key stored on the device, the device does not function and behaves as if the configuration was not successful. The Virtex-II Pro™ family of FPGAs uses a similar system based on either the DES or the triple-DES algorithm, at the discretion of the user.
Encryption and decryption is an effective way of preventing the duplication and/or reverse-engineering of configuration data. However, this method does have some disadvantages. For example, the cost of providing the encryption/decryption functionality is borne by all users, not just those that desire the extra level of security. Additionally, there are extra hardware costs involved in programming and maintaining the keys. When the keys are SRAM-based, as in the exemplary FPGAs described above, an external battery must be provided. The keys must also be distributed and managed to maintain their secrecy, which carries a logistical cost.
Another copy protection technique involves using an attached secure device to authenticate a design. Authentication is different from copy-protection in that the configuration data is stored and transferred in an unencrypted form. Therefore, the configuration data can be duplicated at will. However, when configuration data is not properly authenticated, the design represented by the configuration data fails to operate in the target FPGA. One way of authenticating a design is to include an authentication key in a secure device coupled to the FPGA. For example, an authentication key can be stored in a secure EEPROM such as the Dallas Semiconductor/Maxim DS2432. A processor included in the FPGA checks the authentication key in the EEPROM against a known value programmed into the processor, e.g., by comparing a first hashed value obtained from the authentication key with a second hashed value obtained from the known value. The processor then either allows the user circuit to begin functioning (when they match), or disables the user circuit (when they do not match). The processor can be implemented in either hard-coded logic or soft logic in the FPGA. The disadvantages of using an attached secure device include the additional cost of the secure device, and the cost of the processor in the FPGA.
Another protection method involves the provision of so-called "Protection Registers" for processor code. For example, the Intel StrataFlash® memory device includes a 128-bit register comprising a 64-bit, factory-programmed, unalterable and unique identifier, and a 64-bit user-programmable field. The user-programmable field can be programmed, and then "locked" against future alteration. Therefore, this 64-bit field can be used to store, for example, an encryption or authentication key. The unique identifier can also be used, if desired, to provide the key for decrypting the processor code stored in the Flash memory device. The Atmel "C-" and "D-" series DataFlash® devices include a similar protection register. However, in both cases the encryption or authentication key has a known maximum number of bits (e.g., 128 bits for the StrataFlash device and 128 bytes for the DataFlash devices) and typically comprises either a single stored value or a simple concatenation of two values stored in the protection register. Given sufficient motivation, a key having these known attributes could potentially be reverse-engineered by a determined attacker, although the reverse-engineering process becomes more difficult with the larger key sizes available in some Flash memory devices.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide additional methods of providing authentication for user designs implemented in programmable integrated circuits.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Penetration testing campaigns generate remediation recommendations based at least in part on information about files stored in network nodes of the tested networked system. Information is obtained about files stored in a plurality of network nodes of the networked system, and based on the obtained information, a corresponding data-value score for each network node of the plurality of network nodes is determined according to a common data-value metric. The penetration testing campaign is executed, following which one or more remediation recommendations are selected based on the data-value scores corresponding to at least some of the plurality of network nodes.

There is a growing proliferation of organizational networked computing systems. Every type of organization, be it a commercial company, a university, a bank, a government agency or a hospital, or any other kind of organization, heavily relies on one or more networks interconnecting multiple computing nodes. Failures of the networked computing system of an organization or even of only a portion of it might cause significant damage, up to and including completely shutting down all operations. Additionally, all data of the organization can exist somewhere on its networked computing system, including all confidential data comprising its "crown jewels" such as prices, details of customers, purchase orders, employees' salaries, technical formulas, etc. Loss of such data or leaks of such data to outside unauthorized entities might be disastrous for the organization.
As almost all organizational networks are connected to the Internet at least through one computing node, they are subject to attacks by computer hackers or by hostile adversaries. Quite often the newspapers report incidents in which websites have crashed, sensitive data has been stolen or service to customers has been denied, where the failures were the results of hostile penetration into an organization's networked computing system.
As a result, many organizations invest a lot of efforts and cost in preventive means designed to protect their computing networks against potential threats. There are many defensive products offered in the market claiming to provide protection against one or more known modes of attack, and many organizations arm themselves to the teeth with multiple products of this kind.
However, it is difficult to tell how effective such products really are in achieving their stated goals of blocking hostile attacks, and consequently most CISO's (Computer Information Security Officers) will admit that they don't really know how well they can withstand an attack from a given adversary. The only way to really know how strong and secure a system is, is by trying to attack it as a real adversary would. This is known as red-teaming or penetration testing (pen testing, in short), and is a very common approach that is even required by regulation in some developed countries.
Penetration testing requires highly talented people to man the red team. Those people should be familiar with each and every publicly known vulnerability and attacking method and should also have a very good familiarity with networking techniques and multiple operating systems implementations. Such people are hard to find and therefore many organizations give up establishing their own red teams and resort to hiring external expert consultants for carrying out that role (or completely give up penetration testing). But external consultants are expensive and therefore are typically called in only for brief periods separated by long intervals in which no such testing is done. This makes the penetration testing ineffective as vulnerabilities caused by new attacks that appear almost daily are discovered only months after becoming serious threats to the organization.
Additionally, even well-funded organizations that can afford to hire talented experts as in-house red teams do not achieve good protection. Testing for vulnerabilities of a large network containing many types of computers, operating systems, network routers and other devices is both a very complex and a very tedious process. The process is prone to human errors of missing testing for certain threats or misinterpreting the damages of certain attacks. Also, because a process of full testing against all threats is quite long, the organization might again end with a too long discovery period after a new threat appears.
Because of the above difficulties several vendors are proposing automated penetration testing systems. Such systems automatically discover and report vulnerabilities of a networked system, potential damages that might be caused to the networked system, and potential trajectories of attack that may be employed by an attacker.
A major goal of attackers of a networked system is to export important and confidential files out of the attacked networked system and into the attacker's hands. The exported data may be Excel files containing financial data, Word files containing business plans, password files containing passwords of multiple network nodes of the networked system, etc.
Not all network nodes of a networked system contain the same amount of important data and not all network nodes of a networked system contain data of the same importance or of the same confidentiality. For example, a finance manager's computer may contain dozens of Excel files containing confidential financial data, while an administration manager's computer in the same organization may contain only a couple of Word files containing unimportant administrative procedures.
Prior art penetration testing systems fail to take such facts into consideration, neither during the execution of penetration testing campaigns, nor when generating remediation recommendations after the completion of those campaigns.
When a user desires to operate a prior art penetration testing system for conducting a test on a specific networked system, the penetration testing system must know what test it should execute. For example, the penetration testing system must know what is the type of attacker against whom the test is making its assessment (a state-sponsored actor, a cyber-criminal etc.), and what are his capabilities. As another example, the penetration testing system must know what is the goal of the attacker according to which the attack will be judged as a success or a failure (copying a specific file and exporting it out of the tested networked system, encrypting a specific directory of a specific network node for demanding ransom, etc.).
A specific run of a specific test of a specific networked system by a penetration testing system is called a "campaign" of that penetration testing system. A collection of values for all information items a penetration testing system must know before executing a campaign is called "specifications of the campaign" or "scenario". For example, the type of the attacker and the goal of the attacker are specific information items of a campaign, and specific values for them are parts of the specifications of any campaign.
One special information item of a campaign is the lateral movement strategy of the attacker during the campaign.
The lateral movement strategy of an attacker is the decision logic applied by the attacker of a campaign for selecting the next network node to try to compromise.
During a penetration testing campaign, it is assumed that the attacker makes progress by an iterative process, wherein in each iteration the attacker selects the next node to attack, based on the group of network nodes that are already compromised and controlled by the attacker. If the attack on the selected node is successful, that node is added to the group of nodes that are already compromised, and another iteration begins. If the attempt to compromise the selected node fails, another node is selected, either according to the lateral movement strategy in use or randomly.
All types of penetration testing systems, whether using simulated penetration testing, actual attack penetration testing or some other form of penetration testing, must use a lateral movement strategy. In penetration testing systems that actually attack the tested networked system, the lateral movement strategy selects the path of attack actually taken through the networked system. In penetration testing systems that simulate or evaluate the results of attacking the tested networked system, the lateral movement strategy selects the path of attack taken in the simulation or the evaluation through the networked system. Therefore, in the present disclosure, the term "attack" should be understood to mean "actual attack or simulated/evaluated attack", the term "already controls" should be understood to mean "already controls or already determined to be able to control", the term "already compromised" should be understood to mean "already compromised or already determined to be compromisable", etc.
A simple example of a lateral movement strategy is a "depth first" strategy in which the next network node to attempt to compromise is a network node that is not yet compromised and is an immediate neighbor of the last network node that was compromised, provided such neighbor node exists. Two network nodes are "immediate neighbors" of each other if and only if they have a direct communication link between them that does not pass through any other network node.
Another simple example is a "breadth first" strategy, in which the next network node to attempt to compromise is a network node that is not yet compromised and whose distance from the first node compromised by the campaign is the smallest possible. The distance between two network nodes is the number of network nodes along the shortest path between them, plus one. A path is an ordered list of network nodes in which each pair of adjacent nodes in the list is a pair of immediate neighbors. Thus, the distance between two immediate neighbors is one.
An example of a more advanced lateral movement strategy is a strategy that is applicable when a goal of the attacker is related to a resource of the networked system that resides in a specific network node. In such case, the next network node to try to compromise may be selected by determining the shortest path in the networked system leading from an already compromised node to the specific node containing the desired resource and selecting the first node on the determined path as the next node to attempt to compromise. If the shortest path has a length of one, which occurs when the specific node is an immediate neighbor of an already compromised node, then the next node to attempt to compromise is the specific node containing the desired resource.
Another example of a lateral movement strategy is a strategy that gives priority to network nodes satisfying a specific condition, for example nodes that are known to have a specific weakness, such as running the Windows XP operating system. In such case, the next node to attempt to compromise is a node that satisfies the condition and is also either an immediate neighbor of or reachable from an already compromised node, if such a node exists.
Lateral movement strategies used in prior art penetration testing systems pay no attention to the files stored in network nodes considered as candidates for the selection of the next network node to attempt to compromise. As an example, suppose the above-mentioned computers of the financial manager and the administration manager are the only two candidates for selection in a penetration testing system that uses the breadth-first lateral management strategy. If it so happens that the distance between the administration manager's computer and the first node compromised by the current campaign is smaller than the distance between the finance manager's computer and the first node compromised by the current campaign, then the breadth-first strategy will cause the selection of the administration manager's computer as the next node to attempt to compromise, even though the "spoil" (a.k.a. "yield") gained from compromising the finance manager's computer has much higher value.
The problem demonstrated by the above example is not only that the order of compromising network nodes is not reasonable—compromising less-valuable nodes before more-valuable nodes. Many penetration testing campaigns are carried out under a time limit, forcing them to terminate once the time limit is over. In such campaigns the unreasonable order of targeting nodes might result in terminating the campaign before a highly valuable node containing critical files is reached.
Thus, lateral movement strategies of prior art penetration testing systems might generate non-optimal movements during a campaign, causing a penetration campaign to miss opportunities available to attackers for capturing highly valuable file assets. In such case the result of a penetration test might give the user a false and unjustified sense of security.
Similarly, remediation recommendations generated by prior art penetration testing systems based on results of penetration testing campaigns pay no attention to the quantity and importance of data stored in files residing in network nodes of the tested networked system. As an example, suppose the above-mentioned computers of the financial manager and the administration manager are both identified by a campaign as points of vulnerability that might fail against a direct attack by an attacker. If it so happens that the cost of exploitation for an attacker to compromise the finance manager's computer is a bit higher than the cost of exploitation for an attacker to compromise the administration manager's computer, and the cost of remediation for the finance manager's computer to block its vulnerability is a bit higher than the cost of remediation for the administration manager's computer to block its vulnerability, then prior art penetration testing systems will typically recommend giving higher priority to fixing the vulnerability of the administration manager's computer, even though the real benefit from fixing the vulnerability of the finance manager's computer is much higher.
Thus, prior art penetration testing systems might generate non-optimal remediation recommendations following a campaign, causing a penetration test to result in investing resources in fixing a vulnerability that is not the most important to fix.

Using information about exportable data in penetration testing


A tissue and organ extractor is provided for use during laparoscopic surgical procedures. The extractor is generally rod-shaped, having a handle, an elongated shank with a central bore, and a flexible collapsible cone-shaped terminal end. The shank extends continuously between the handle and the cone-shaped terminal end. The cone-shaped end is the intra-abdominal end of the instrument and includes a generally circular open end. The handle includes a locking lever for locking a grasping instrument, which might be used to grasp tissue or organs, securely in place in relation to the extractor.. In use, the surgeon inserts the extractor through a cannula and, using the grasping instrument, manipulates a tissue or organ into the open-ended, cone-shaped terminal end. The instrument used to manipulate the tissue may be locked into place in the shank of the extractor, and the extractor, instrument and tissue contained in the extractor may be removed from the abdominal cavity through the cannula. As it is being removed, the flexible cone-shaped end of the extractor envelops and compresses the tissue contained therein.

Laparoscopy is noninvasive, nontraumatic surgery that involves visualizing the interior of the abdominal cavity using an illuminating optical instrument, a laparoscope, that is placed through a puncture orifice in the abdominal wall. Laparoscopic procedures have value as a diagnostic and operative tool for general surgery, as well as for gynecological surgery wherein such procedures are widely used. As physicians specializing in other fields have begun to recognize the advantages of laparoscopic surgery, the need for providing surgical tools especially adapted for general laparoscopic procedures has increased.
Instruments used during laparoscopic procedures are introduced into the abdominal cavity through a device known as a "trocar." A trocar comprises a cannula or trocar sleeve (a hollow sheath or sleeve with a central lumen) into which fits an obturator, a solid metal rod with an extremely sharp three-cornered tip used for puncturing the muscle. The obturator is withdrawn after the instrument has been pushed in the abdominal cavity. The trocar sleeve remains in the body wall throughout the surgical procedure and various instruments and surgical tools used during laparoscopic procedures are introduced in the abdomen through this sleeve. Trocars are available in different sizes to accommodate various instruments.
The advantages of laparoscopic surgery include: avoiding unnecessary general surgery by performing the procedure on an outpatient basis; providing the surgeon the opportunity for viewing intra-abdominal viscera without laparotomy, a large incision made in the abdominal wall; using small puncture wounds as opposed to large incisions, lessening the danger of traumatic injury to delicate intraabdominal tissues; determining incision sites for laparotomies when such incisions are appropriate; reducing both patient and insurer medical costs by shortening hospital stays; and reducing postoperative patient discomfort with recovery times measured in days as opposed to weeks.
Laparoscopic instruments for gall bladder surgery are known in the prior art. Existing laparoscopic instruments are inserted through the trocar sleeve and are used to grasp the tissue or organ to be removed from a patient's abdominal cavity. However, while the prior art devices are capable of extracting the tissue or organ from the abdominal cavity of a patient, their design has limited their use in certain applications.
One of the problems associated with existing instruments is that when dealing with soft tissue or organs, the tissue or organ can tear especially as the surgeon removes the tissue or organ through the trocar sleeve. If parts of tissue are left in the abdominal cavity or if the contents of an infected organ are released into the abdominal cavity, infection may result requiring the surgeon to use laparotomy to remove the tissue or organ. This would defeat the purpose and advantages of laparoscopic surgery enumerated above by necessitating a longer hospital stay for the patient, increased expense for the patient and his or her insurer, as well as a lengthy post-operative recovery period. A tissue and organ extractor that could be used to safely and completely extract tissue and organs from the abdominal cavity of a patient without tearing and that could be used in a wide variety of laparoscopic procedures would provide a decided advantage over the prior art.


This specification discloses methods and systems providing reader-mode performance enhancement for operating a device that communicates via inductive coupling. In reader-mode, Tx (transmitter) power of a reader device is maximized even though for some tags, the communication distance is limited by Rx (receiver) sensitivity. Therefore, power is wasted. Even worse, a too highly boosted Tx power demands a high Rx dynamic range and consequently a low Rx sensitivity. In turn, the communication distance may even be degraded by a too highly boosted Tx power. Therefore, in some embodiments, reader-mode performance enhancement is based on backing off Tx (transmitter) power when not needed (energy distance>communication distance) to save power and/or to relax reader-mode Rx (receiver) sensitivity requirements. In some embodiments, the backing off of Tx (transmitter) is also based on a sensor determining a geometric position/location of a reader device relative to a tag-mode device.

An NFC (Near Field Communication) device is an example of a communications device that communicates via inductive coupling. NFC is a short-range wireless technology that allows communication between NFC enabled objects over a distance of less than 10 cm. NFC is based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) standards. It is a technology that is designed to make an easier and more convenient world for us, enhancing the way we make transactions, exchange content and connect devices. The NFC tags one might see or create include contacts, URLs, map locations, text and much more.
An "NFC Device" in reader mode behaves like a simple contactless card reader. It initiates communication by generating a magnetic field and then sending a command to the target. The target responds to the interrogator by retro-reflecting the incident wave. The specificity of NFC operating modes is that the target can be not only a tag or a contactless card, but also an "NFC Device" that behaves like a contactless card (in card emulation mode). Usages of reader mode, for example, include information reading, when "NFC Devices" is used to read data by waving it in front of electronic labels available on streets, bus stops, sightseeing monuments, ad banners, parcels, products or on business cards (vCard). But there are many other possible use cases.
Because an "NFC Device" is very useful, there are strong motivations for enhancing its performance.

Reader-mode performance enhancement for inductively coupled communication systems


The present disclosure generally relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to dielectric repair for via and skip via structures and methods of manufacture. The method includes: etching a via structure in a dielectric layer; repairing sidewalls of the via structure with a repair agent; and extending the via structure with an additional etching into a lower dielectric layer to form a skip via structure exposing a metallization layer.

A via is an electrical connection between wiring structures (e.g., wiring layers) in a physical electronic circuit that goes through the plane of one or more adjacent layers. For example, in integrated circuit design, a via is a small opening in an insulating oxide layer that allows a conductive connection between different wiring layers. A via connecting the lowest layer of metal to diffusion or poly is typically called a "contact".
In via technology, a skip via can be formed through many insulator layers, e.g., bypassing one or more wiring structures within the insulator layers, to connect with a lower wiring structure. This provides improved resistance characteristics, minimizes capacitance for a lower wiring structure, e.g., at M0 layer, as well as provides area efficiencies in the chip manufacturing process.
There are many challenges to using via and skip via structures. For example, during the etching processes, the dielectric materials surrounding the via and skip via structures can be damaged. This damage causes higher resistivity which, in turn, decreases device performance. More specifically, the patterning of skip via structures uses an organic planar layer (OPL) as a mask to create the skip via by drilling down from an upper metal layer, e.g., (M2), to a lower metal layer, e.g., (M0), in sequential reactive ion etching (RIE) processes. The RIE and an oxygen ashing process used to remove the OPL damage the dielectric materials e.g., ULK, surrounding the via and skip via structures, resulting in an undercut, necking in the via profile or voids in the skip via fill, amongst other issues.


A small cylindrical lithium-ion secondary battery provided with a safety mechanism that enables internal pressure to be released when an anomaly occurs. The battery includes an electrode group formed of a positive electrode and a negative electrode that are wound or stacked with a separator interposed therebetween, an electrolytic solution, a battery case that contains the electrode group and the electrolytic solution, and a sealing body. The battery case has an outer diameter of 10 mm or less. The sealing body includes a ring having a through-hole and includes a sheet-like or film-like valve member disposed such that the valve member covers the through-hole of the ring, and a safety mechanism that causes the valve member to cleave when the internal pressure reaches a predetermined pressure is disposed therein. The ring includes protrusions formed of linear ridge lines that protrude toward an inside of the through-hole.

In recent years, there has been an increasing need for batteries that supply power to wearable equipment such as a smart watch, a wearable health monitor, and smart glasses, and there has accordingly been a need for small lithium-ion secondary batteries that are safer and have a high capacity.
Examples of a battery installed in wearable equipment include a small laminate lithium-ion secondary battery and a cylindrical lithium-ion secondary battery. The cylindrical lithium-ion secondary battery is required to prevent bursting thereof due to an increase in internal pressure of the battery during abnormal functioning (for example, when an active material or an electrolytic solution is decomposed to produce gas).
With regard to a cylindrical lithium-ion battery having a typical size (for example, a size of 18650), PTL 1 discloses a method of deforming a valve member toward a through-hole as a result of pressure being applied to a portion formed of a ring including the valve member and the through-hole for cleaving the valve member when the internal pressure of the battery increases and causing the valve member to cleave when the pressure reaches a predetermined pressure.
Protrusions are formed so as to extend toward the inside of the through-hole of the ring that supports the valve member. In this case, stress is concentrated on the valve member at the tip of the protrusions when the internal pressure increases. Accordingly, the valve member cleaves at a normal pressure with certainty, the gas produced in the inside of the battery can thereby be released, and bursting of the battery can be avoided. Consequently, operating pressure can be decreased even when the area of the valve member is small.
With regard to a prismatic lithium-ion battery, PTL 2 discloses a structure for cleavage in which a protrusion is disposed so as to extend in the direction perpendicular to a three-layered laminate cover and is caused to stick in a surface of the laminate cover.

Cylindrical lithium-ion secondary battery

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MGMT CO., LTD.


A molten thermoplastic resin is extruded in the form of a double-layer cylindrical hollow film with the two film layers being interconnected with each other by a number of spaced legs and is then immediately passed through an annular gap defined by annular side walls of inner and outer vessels in such a manner that the two film layers are in contact with the respective side walls defining the gap. Coolant is supplied to the inner and outer vessels and overflows above the side walls to bring the coolant into contact with the resin. The level of the coolant overflowing above both side walls is adjusted to be equal and also to have a liquid pressure on the extruded resin balanced with a gas pressure supplied in between the two film layers and the legs of the extruded resin.

This invention relates to method and apparatus for forming a double-layer hollow film, in which a pair of film layers are interconnected integrally by a number of spaced legs so as to define a number of elongated compartments between the pair of film layers.
A hollow film of this type in the excellent heat insulative property, i.e. heat-storing property, compared with a conventional mono-layer sheet film, and therefore has recently drawn much attention as a covering material for greenhouses. However, if such a hollow film has extremely lower light permeability than the conventional mono-layer sheet film because of its double-layer hollow construction, solar heat in the daytime cannot be stored sufficiently within the greenhouse. Further, if a number of legs bridging between the pair of film layers cannot separate these films sufficiently to define elongated compartments therebetween, the heat insulation effect is decreased too low to be used as covering material a greenhouse. In addition, it is required that such a hollow film can be wound up for storage transportation as in the case of the conventional mono-layer sheet film. It is also necessary for the hollow film to have sufficient flexibility to increase working efficiency.
In the conventional technique, however, it has been impossible to economically form such double-layer hollow film having a pair of film layers integrally molded with a plurality of legs from a transparent, thin and flexible for obtaining a desired level of light permeability with the legs being thin but firm to prevent the compartments defined thereby between the pair of film layers from being deformed or crushed.
In one method for forming a double-layer hollow film, an inflation-extrusion process has been proposed as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 133263/1975. According to this inflation-extrusion process, a molten thermoplastic resin is extruded and inflated outwardly of an annular extruding die including a pair of annular slits, having different diameters and arranged concentrically, and a plurality of slits interconnecting between these annular slits. Upon inflating the thus extruded resin, in order to prevent the legs interconnecting the film layers from being deformed irregularly or bent, it becomes necessary to regulate the pressure of gas supplied to the center space of the annularly inflated film and also the pressure of gas supplied inbetween the smaller and larger diameter slits. However, such regulation is extremely difficult to carry out by present day techniques. Further, in the known process, the inflated resin is subjected to air-cooling for curing. However, air-cooling takes a considerate amount of time, during which the resin is generally likely to be stretched or extended to be so thin that the legs between the film layers are distorted or bent. The light permeability of the resin is also decreased during a slow cooling operation, resulting in low utility.
Water-cooling can be employed instead of air-cooling. The conventional water-cooling process, however, which has been used for cooling mono-layer film, cannot provide a simultaneous and uniform cooling to the two film layers without deforming the compartments defined therebetween. Thus, water-cooling has the defects as in the case of the air-cooling.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve the above-mentioned known method and apparatus for forming a double-layer hollow film.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for forming a double-layer hollow film having high light permeability and desired thickness as well as flexibility.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus as set forth above in which the double film layers are separated as desired by legs therebetween for enhancing heat insulation.

Method and apparatus for forming double-layer hollow film


According to the present invention, there are provided stable, solid compositions which include (a) a biodispersant, including surfactants; (b) a biocide, including halogenated hydantoins; and (c) optionally, a halogen scavenger, including a hydantoin; In a further embodiment, these compositions are added to a substrate in order to remove or to inhibit the formation of a biofilm and to prevent or to inhibit the growth of or to kill microorganisms.

Biodispersants are commonly used to inhibit the formation of or to remove biofilms. They are used in conjunction with biocides to provide general overall biocidal control. Biodispersants and biocides, particularly in solid forms, typically are not combined until they are applied to or dispersed in the substrate to be treated, especially if the biocide is an oxidizing biocide. This is because biodispersants and biocides, when in concentrated forms, generally are unstable in the presence of one another, each tending to decompose rapidly. Two part treatments are inconvenient, however, as they require storing, mixing, and measurement of each component.
Stable, solid compositions which include both a biodispersant and a biocide have now been discovered. These compositions overcome many of the disadvantages described above.


A method for manufacturing a copper alloy of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a Cu—Ni—Sn-based copper alloy and includes: a first aging treatment step of performing an aging treatment in a temperature range of 300° C. to 500° C. using a solution treated material; an inter-aging processing step of performing cold working after the first aging treatment step; and a second aging treatment step of performing an aging treatment in a temperature range of 300° C. to 500° C. after the inter-aging processing step. In the first aging treatment step, a peak aging treatment is preferably performed. In addition, in the second aging treatment step, the aging treatment is preferably performed for a short period as compared to that of the aging treatment in the first aging treatment step. In the inter-aging processing step, cold working is preferably performed at a processing rate of more than 60% to 99%.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a copper alloy and a copper alloy.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, since a Cu—Ni—Sn-based copper alloy is formed of relatively inexpensive metal elements and has a high mechanical strength, this copper alloy has been used as a rolled material of a practical alloy. In addition, a Cu—Ni—Sn-based copper alloy has been known as a spinodal decomposition type age-hardening alloy and has also been known as a copper alloy having an excellent heat resistance, that is, excellent stress relaxation characteristics at a high temperature, such as 200° C.
As a method for manufacturing a Cu—Ni—Sn-based copper alloy, for example, a method has been proposed in which, for example, a heat treatment in a temperature range of 600° C. to 770° C., an inter-aging processing at a processing rate of 0% to 60%, and a heat treatment in a temperature range of 350° C. to 500° C. for 3 to 300 minutes are sequentially performed (see Patent Literatures 1 and 2). It is disclosed that, in this method, unlike a heat treatment method performed from a single phase region at approximately 800° C. or more, a heat treatment is preformed from a temperature region of 600° C. to 770° C. at which two phases are in an equilibrium state, the structure is formed so that the two phases are uniformly dispersed in the matrix under room temperature conditions, and as a result, fatigue characteristics are improved. In addition, by an aging treatment performed at 350° C. to 500° C., the fatigue characteristics are further improved. Furthermore, a method performing a solution treatment at 800° C. or more prior to the heat treatment performed in a temperature range of 600° C. to 770° C. disclosed in Patent Literatures 1 and 2 has also been proposed (see Patent Literatures 3 and 4). It is disclosed that, in this method, since a processed structure present in an alloy can be completely eliminated by a heat treatment performed at 800° C. or more in a single phase region, besides the improvement in fatigue characteristics, the moldability and the stress relaxation characteristics can also be improved. In addition, another method has been proposed in which, after a solution treatment and a cold rolling treatment are performed on a Cu—Ni—Sn-based copper alloy in this order, a heat treatment is performed at a temperature of 250° C. to 500° C. for 1 hour or more, and continuous annealing is then performed at a temperature of 300° C. to 600° C. for 1 to 20 minutes (see Patent Literature 5). It is disclosed that, by this method, a flat mill-hardened material can be efficiently obtained.

Method for manufacturing copper alloy and copper alloy

National University Corporation Kanazawa University


This invention relates to an apparatus wherein a vacuum chamber is divided into two spaces, the substrate heating space and the crystal growth space, so that the degree of vacuum in the substrate heating space is set lower than the pressure for the Si growth and the degree of vacuum in the crystal space is set corresponding to the pressure for Si growth to thereby grow Si based semiconductor with excellent reproducibility over a long period. Moreover, heat efficiency toward the substrate is heightened by enclosing the upside and the circumference of the heating means with the heat shielding body to cut energy cost.

As an method for producing a semiconductor device, there is known conventionally molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) process which comprises causing solid raw material to be evaporated using a heater, electric beam and the like, and depositing the obtained vapor on a substrate in an ultra-high vacuum chamber made of stainless steel to thereby cause growth of crystal. However, because of the use of the solid material, vacuum condition of the vacuum chamber has to be released for replenishment of the material every time the material is used up, and it takes long time to put the inside of the vacuum chamber back to the ultra-high vacuum condition again, which intermits growth of crystal film to cause unevenness of crystal film quality. These are disadvantages of this method.
Therefore, a process which comprises supplying constitutive material of crystal in a gaseous state (gas source MBE) has been tried recently in order to remove the above-mentioned disadvantages. In this method, an apparatus provided by a principle as shown in FIG. 4 is employed, for example. That is, in the center portion of a vacuum chamber 1 of the apparatus, a heater 6 is hung from the top and a substrate holder 5 pasted with a substrate 2 with indium and the like is set below the heater 6. And plural kinds of gasses are supplied at the same time through material gas feeding pipes 9 and 10 positioned down below with heating the above-mentioned substrate holder 5 and substrate 2 by radiant heat to thereby be deposited on the reference numeral 2a (a surface of the substrate 2) and cause growth of crystal. The reaction is ordinarily put in practice at high vacuum of about 10.sup.-4 to 10.sup.-6 Torr, and vacuum drawing is conducted by a vacuum pump (not shown) communicating with a vacuum pipe 8. Because material can be supplied continuously in this method, release of vacuum condition is not required for replenishment of material as is used to be, so that high quality crystal thin film can be obtained in short time.
The above-mentioned gas source MBE process has no problem for producing compound semiconductor such as GaAs, InP, and the like. However, for producing Si based semiconductor such as Si, SiGe, and the like, it is found that reproducibility of crystal growth is damaged because Si begins to accumulate on the heater 6 and the substrate holder 5 when the pressure for Si crystal growth in the vacuum chamber 1 reaches about 10.sup.-5 Torr and Si accumulates radically at the vacuum of around 10.sup.-4 Torr, which is suitable pressure for crystal growth of Si, to hinder radiating heat from the heater. Also Si requires the temperature over 1100.degree. C. for film production and needs much more calorie than Ga (Film production temperature is 700.degree. C.) does. Particularly, heat efficiency of silicon wafer is even worse because of its high heat transmissivity. Therefore, the improvement of heat efficiency of the previous apparatus is strongly desired.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus for gas source molecular beam epitaxy with excellent heat efficiency while no accumulation of Si appears on the heater and the like during production of Si based semiconductor.

Apparatus for gas source molecular beam epitaxy


A rapid and precise cementing of components to a surface is achieved using a specially modified cement on an epoxy base in that the parts to be cemented are precisely aligned at the cemented location, are fixed with UV light and are subsequently thermally hardened.

The present invention relates generally to the adhering of a component, such as an electronic, electric or optical component to a surface using an adhesive or a cement. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for bonding a component to a surface using an epoxy-based cement or adhesive made in accordance with the present invention.
In many technical fields, workpieces are already being connected and fastened exclusively by cementing. Conventional fastening methods such as soldering, welding, screwing or the like are thus being supplanted by cement or adhesives. For the constantly expanding fields of use, cements are needed which must satisfy a wide variety of requirements. In electronics and optical communications technology, reactive resins are being increasingly used for reliable and cost-effective assembly of different materials reasons of production technology, one-component systems are desirable, it being possible to employ these for bonding directly, without additional preprocessing. However, it is disadvantageous here that the one-component systems can only be rapidly hardened at increased temperatures. Short cycle times which as are necessary for an automatic production are thus difficult to achieve.
For different cementing problems, particularly in optical communications technology, a precise aligning of the components to be cemented is required. This must occur prior to the final hardening, whereby it is often necessary to fix the aligned components until hardening since the cement passes through a low-viscosity state during hardening. In addition, the cement can comprise a shrinking behavior, which in turn results in a misalignment.
Besides the de-aligning, the thermal load exhibited during the hardening of one-component reactive resins can lead to strong tensions or even to damage to the parts, or respectively, components to be cemented. In addition, the temperature sensitivity of parts that are to be cemented can limit the hardening temperature, thus necessitating cements that harden at lower temperatures.
One possibility for rapid fixing is offered by UV-hardenable cements. However, in many cases these do not comprise the necessary combination of properties that leads to a lasting, and reliable bond. Thus, in many cases a second bonding agent is employed, usually an epoxy resin, in order to guarantee the reliability and permanence of the cemented connection. This has the disadvantage that light-hardening resin and epoxy resin can be disadvantageously influenced. Furthermore, the mere need for two different bonding agents is undesirable in and of itself.
German Patent Application No. 40 38 989 teaches a bonding method with the aid of a cationically initiated hardenable epoxy resin wherein the cement is activated with the aid of UV light and can then be hardened thermally at a relatively mild temperature. It is disadvantageous in this method that a heating of the cemented location must occur for rapid fixing, and the transfer of a sufficient amount of heat is necessary. This limits the cycle times in automatic production methods. In addition, this cement hardens only where an illumination occurs, not at points where an illumination does not occur at all.
Another problem is to find a cement that is suitable for thermoplastic surfaces which enables a rapid and exact hardening.

Method for cementing a component to a surface


A shopping cart safety brake system for preventing a shopping cart from rolling away from a user. The shopping cart safety brake system includes a shopping cart and a generally rectangular inverted U-shaped connector member having a spaced apart pair of elongate side rods and an upper rod connecting the side rods together. The upper rod is positioned adjacent a handle bar of the shopping cart so that the side rods downwardly depend from the upper rod. Each of the lower ends of the side rods has a pivot arm pivotally coupled to the shopping cart at a pivot point. Each of the pivot arms has a brake pad which abuts an associated adjacent rear wheel of the shopping cart when the brake pads are pivoted towards an engaged position such that each brake pad holds the associated rear wheel against rotation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to brake systems for a shopping cart and more particularly pertains to a new shopping cart safety brake system for preventing a shopping cart from rolling away from a user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of brake systems for a shopping cart is known in the prior art. More specifically, brake systems for a shopping cart heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,975; U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,517; U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,663; U.S. Pat. No. 3,276,550; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 339,096; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,366,201.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new shopping cart safety brake system. The inventive device includes a shopping cart and a generally rectangular inverted U-shaped connector member having a spaced apart pair of elongate side rods and an upper rod connecting the side rods together. The upper rod is positioned adjacent a handle bar of the shopping cart so that the side rods downwardly depend from the upper rod. Each of the lower ends of the side rods has a pivot arm pivotally coupled to the shopping cart at a pivot point. Each of the pivot arms has a brake pad which abuts an associated adjacent rear wheel of the shopping cart when the brake pads are pivoted towards an engaged position such that each brake pad holds the associated rear wheel against rotation.
In these respects, the shopping cart safety brake system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of prevent a shopping cart from rolling away from a user.


A coating for harvested agricultural commodities which delays ripening and controls decay is described. The coating comprises a modified chitosan matrix containing a yeast antagonistic to postharvest pathogens. The modified chitosan may be carboxymethylchitosan or glycolchitosan. The combined fungicidal activities of the modified chitosan and the antagonistic yeast make this formulation an attractive preservative which is superior to existing coatings and ensures the even distribution of the antagonistic yeast over the surface of the harvested commodity, thus increasing its effectiveness.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a composition which serves as a bioactive coating for harvested agricultural commodities to delay ripening and control decay.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Present coatings (mostly waxes) for postharvest commodities are effective in delaying ripening, but in general, do not prevent decay. Moreover, they are under scrutiny as possible health hazards. Synthetic fungicides which have been added to the coatings to alleviate the problems of decay have recently been withdrawn from the market, and there is also public pressure to remove the petroleum-based coatings because of health and environmental concerns. A critical need therefore exists for alternatives to present coatings for agricultural commodities which are fungicidal as well as safe for the consumer and the environment.
Antagonistic yeasts have been disclosed as effective biocontrol agents for the biological control of postharvest disease (Wilson and El Ghaouth. Symposium Proceeding, Beltsville Symposium XVIII. 1993). In addition, chitosan, an animal-derived polymer, has shown potnetial an an antifungal preservative. Chitosan and its derivatives are known to form a semi-permeable film (Averbach, B. L., Film-forming capability of chitosan, in Proc. 1st Int. Conf. Chitin and Chitosan. Muzzareli and Pariser, eds. MIT, Cambridge, Mass. 1978. p. 199), to be inhibitory to a number of pathogenic fungi (Allan and Hadwiger, Exp. Mycol. 1979. vol. 3, p. 285) and to activate a number of biological processes in plant tissues, including the stimulation of chitinases, the accumulation of phytoalexins, the synthesis of proteinase inhibitors, and increased lignification (Pearce et al., Physiol. Plant Pathol. 1982, vol. 20, p. 119; Mauch et al., Plant Physiol. 1988. vol. 76, p. 607; El Ghaouth et al., Potential use of chitosan in postharvest preservation of fruits and vegetables, in Advances in Chitin and Chitosan. Brines et al., eds. Elsevier Applied Sci., London. 1992. p. 440; El Ghaouth et al., Phys. and Mol. Plant Pathol. 1994. vol. 44, pp. 417-422). The polycationic nature of chitosan is believed to provide the basis for its physico-chemical and biological functionality. When applied as a coating, chitosan controlled decay and delayed ripening of strawberry, bell pepper, tomato and cucumber by acting as a selective barrier to gas diffusion (El Ghaouth et al., in Advances in Chitin and Chitosan. 1992, supra). The control of decay by chitosan is believed to originate, in part, from its antifungal property. Indeed, in vitro studies showed that chitosan not only inhibited the radial growth of major postharvest pathogens, but also induced severe morphological alterations in Rhizopus stolonifer and Botrytis cinerea, as well as increased cellular leakage in both fungi, presumably by interfering with fungal plasma membranes (El Ghaouth et al., Mycol. Res. 1992. vol. 96, p. 769; El Ghaouth et al., Exp. Mycol. 1992. vol. 16. p. 173). Although the biological activity of chitosan is well-documented, the mechanisms that underlie its ability to function as both a fungal inhibitor and an elicitor of plant defense reactions remains unclear.

Bioactive coating for harvested commodities

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture


An implant comprising an electric power consuming device electrically coupled to an electric power source including an anode, a cathode and at least one potential probe which is independent of the anode and the cathode. By providing at least one potential probe which is independent of the anode and the cathode, implants can be monitored and controlled to avoid process which can damage the electrodes and shorten the service life of the electrodes and the service life of the implant itself.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an implant including an electric power consuming device connected to an electric power source with an anode and a cathode. This invention also relates to such an implant which consumes electric power itself and/or which is coupled to a separate, implanted device which consumes electric power.
2. Description of Related Art
In currently available implants which require an electric power source for operation, for example, cardiac pacemakers, hearing aids, stimulation devices and the like, either primary cells or secondary cells are used as the electric power source. A drop in the efficiency of the electric power source which endangers implant operation can be prevented by replacing or recharging the cell before the expected service life of the electric power source expires. However, because any replacement of the electric power source requires surgery on the implant wearer, achieving a long service life of the electric power source is very important and is of the highest priority in the field of implant technology.
In order to be able to predict the efficiency of the electric power source provided in the implant, whether it be a primary or secondary source, and to also prevent processes that damage the individual electrodes which can occur especially in charging processes of an electric power source made as a secondary cell, the electrodes should be monitored with respect to certain characteristics such as current and voltage.
In an implant equipped with a conventional electric power source, the electrodes of the electric power source cannot be observed and monitored independently from the other electrode. Rather, the characteristics of current and voltage which can be measured outside the power source, are always referenced to the entire combination of the electrodes provided in the electric power source. When these characteristics are measured, they are generally dependent on the fact that these electrodes have predictable properties during discharge, at rest and optionally, during charging. However, this measurement can be adulterated by simultaneous processes which polarize the electrodes differently. Thus, this measurement allows conclusions regarding the instantaneous state of the electric power source only under current conditions and only with accurate knowledge of the simultaneous processes under the boundary conditions prevailing at the time.
For example, when charging a secondary electrochemical cell, the equilibrium potentials of the two active electrodes are shifted to more negative (negative electrode) and more positive (positive electrode) potentials due to the existing internal resistances. The internal resistances are thus composed of ohmic and non-ohmic portions. The ohmic portions generally relate to contact and electrolytic resistors. The non-ohmic portions are dictated by the electrode composition and geometry and the electrochemical processes which take place on the electrodes.
Overall, there is a very complex network of resistive, capacitive and inductive components which can no longer be broken down especially when there is loading, i.e. when the electric power source supplies the implant with electrical energy. Therefore, a simple current/voltage measurement cannot provide the basis for concluding which of the electrodes involved behaves as desired and which does not.
Only by extensive experience with a given system under clearly defined boundary conditions (for example, "discharging at C/2 rate to an end discharge voltage of 1.5 V"; "charging at C/10 rate for 14 h") can one skilled in the art assess whether the electric power source being tested is "good" or "bad" from simply measuring current and voltage values. In addition, even if the discharging behavior is known for a certain current load with a certain cut off criterion for a given electric power source, one skilled in the art still cannot exactly predict the behavior of the electric power source under different conditions, for example, at 1/10 or 1/100 of the current load at the known boundary conditions. At best, one skilled in the art can only give an estimate.

Implex Aktiengesellschaft Hearing Technology


The float valve of the invention comprises: a case 11, float 15, valve 16 capable of closing a efflux channel 18 of air A, and ball 17 for supporting a motion of closing the float 15. A through-hole 13a for communicating air provided on the side wall 13 of the case is open at a position, the level of which is the same as that of a fuel level LF in the fuel tank in the case of appropriately filling up the fuel tank with fuel. A float body 15a of the float 15 is disposed on a plate portion 12a on the bottom wall 12 of the case at a position higher than a through-hole 13a on the side wall 13 of the case. Thereby, air can be positively discharged from the fuel tank until the fuel level reaches a position at which the fuel tank is filled up with fuel in the case of refueling, so that fuel can be smoothly fed into the fuel tank.

Conventionally, this type of float valve is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-185850 and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-39061, and the structure of the float valve is shown in FIG. 1.
The float valve V0 includes: a cylindrical case 1 having a bottom; float 4 accommodated in the case 1; valve 5 disposed at an upper portion of the float 4, being capable of closing an air efflux channel 7; and compression coil spring 6 disposed between the float 4 and a bottom wall 2 of the case 1. In this structure, the case 1 is fixed onto an upper wall 9 of the fuel tank 8.
On the bottom and side walls 2, 3 of the case 1, there are provided through-holes 2a, 3a for allowing fuel F and air A to flow into the case 1.
The coil spring 6 is used for supporting the float 4 so that the air efflux channel 7 can be closed by the float when a vehicle is inclined or overturned. For example, when the vehicle is overturned, the air efflux channel 7 is placed below the float 4. In this case, a spring force of the spring 6 is determined so that the total force of a mass of the float 4 and a pushing force of the spring 6 can be higher than a buoyancy of the float 4. Of course, the spring force of the spring 6 is determined in the following manner: Before the level of fuel F is raised under the condition that the vehicle is in an appropriate posture, the float 4 is not lifted up by the spring 6 to close the air efflux channel 7, but the total force of the buoyancy of the float 4 and the pushing force of the spring 6 becomes higher than the mass of the float 4 when the float 4 is dipped in fuel 4.
Due to the foregoing, in this type float valve V0, when the level of fuel F in the fuel tank 8 is raised, fuel F flows into the case 1 through the through-holes 2a, 3a, so that the float 4 is raised. Accordingly, when valve 5 closes the air efflux channel 7 fuel F will be prevented from flowing to the outside of tank 8. In this connection, after air has been vented through the air efflux channel 7, it is sent to a canister not shown in the drawing.
However, when fuel F is fed to the fuel tank 8 during refueling, a large amount of fuel F is fed in a short period of time. Therefore, the following problems may be encountered in the conventional float valve V0.
In the case of refueling, air A may suddenly flow into the case 1 through the through-holes 2a, 3a, so that air A flows into case 1 and out 8 the air efflux channel 7 at high speed. Accordingly, such flow may raise the float 4. Under the above condition, fuel F flows into the case 1 through the throughhole 2a on the bottom wall 2 of the case 1, and the float 4 is raised by the buoyancy of fuel F. Then, before the level of fuel F is reached to a position LF which corresponds to a fuel level at which the float 4 is disposed at an appropriate valve closing position, the valve 5 closes the air efflux channel 7 by the high speed air flow action. This valve closing motion tends to occur when buoyancy is activated on the float 4 by fuel F because a downward force of the float 4 is reduced at this time. In this case, the downward force of the float 4 is a value obtained when the buoyancy of the float 4 and the pushing force of the spring are subtracted from the mass of the float 4.
Due to the above valve closing motion, air to be discharged outside the fuel tank 8 is stored in the fuel tank. Therefore, the fuel level in the fuel tank 8 on the fuel feeding side is raised, so that an automatic stopping mechanism of the fuel nozzle, by which fuel is fed into the fuel tank 8, is operated and the fuel feeding operation is stopped. In this way, problems are caused during refueling.


A medical imaging and therapy device is provided that may include any of a number of features. One feature of the device is that it can deliver Lithotripsy therapy to a patient, so as to fractionate urinary stones. Another feature of the device is that it can deliver Histotripsy therapy to a patient, so as to erode urinary stones. In some embodiments, the medical imaging and therapy device is configured to target and track urinary stones in the patient during therapy. Methods associated with use of the medical imaging and therapy device are also covered.

Histotripsy and Lithotripsy are non-invasive tissue ablation modalities that focus pulsed ultrasound from outside the body to a target tissue inside the body. Histotripsy mechanically damages tissue through cavitation of microbubbles, and Lithotripsy is typically used to fragment urinary stones with acoustic shockwaves.
Histotripsy is the mechanical disruption via acoustic cavitation of a target tissue volume or tissue embedded inclusion as part of a surgical or other therapeutic procedure. Histotripsy works best when a whole set of acoustic and transducer scan parameters controlling the spatial extent of periodic cavitation events are within a rather narrow range. Small changes in any of the parameters can result in discontinuation of the ongoing process.
Histotripsy requires high peak intensity acoustic pulses which in turn require large surface area focused transducers. These transducers are often very similar to the transducers used for Lithotripsy and often operate in the same frequency range. The primary difference is in how the devices are driven electrically.
As shown by FIGS. 1A-1B, Histotripsy pulses comprise (usually) small number of cycles of a sinusoidal driving voltage whereas Lithotripsy is (most usually) driven by a single high voltage pulse with the transducer responding at its natural frequencies. Even though the Lithotripsy pulse is only one cycle, its negative pressure phase length is equal to or greater than the entire length of the Histotripsy pulse, lasting tens of microseconds. This negative pressure phase allows generation and continual growth of the bubbles, resulting in bubbles of sizes up to 1 mm. The Lithotripsy pulses use the mechanical stress produced by a shockwave and these 1 mm bubbles to fracture the stones into smaller pieces.
In comparison, each negative and positive cycle of a Histotripsy pulse grows and collapses the bubbles, and the next cycle repeats the same process. The maximal sizes of bubbles reach approximately tens to hundreds of microns. These micron size bubbles interact with a tissue surface to mechanically damage tissue.
In addition, Histotripsy delivers hundreds to thousands of pulses per second, i.e., 100-1 kHz pulse repetition frequency. Lithotripsy only works well within a narrow range of pulse repetition frequency (usually 0.5-2 Hz, which is the current limit in the United States and in Europe, however higher limits up to 4-5 Hz are contemplated). Studies show that the efficacy and efficiency of Lithotripsy decreases significantly when the pulse repetition frequency is increased to 10-100 Hz. The reduced efficiency is likely due to the increased number of mm size bubbles blocking the shock waves and other energy from reaching the stone.
Prior art treatment of nephrolithiasis (urinary stones) included early generation hydroelectric spark gap Lithotripters, such as the Donier HM3, which targeted a large treatment area, covering a sizeable portion of the kidney. For this reason, treatment success rates were high without the need for precise image guidance, yet substantial damage to the kidney tissue within the large focal volume also occurred. Subsequent Lithotripter development was focused on reducing renal injury by decreasing the focal volume. Some of the current third generation Lithotripters use piezoelectric (PZT) transducers, such as the Richard Wolf Piezolith 3000. The PZT transducer focused ultrasound in a small treatment region. Fluoroscope and ultrasound imaging can be utilized to target the urinary stones prior to and during treatment. By virtue of the smaller focus, the newer generation Lithotripters have reduced collateral tissue damage, but at the expense of success rates. Inaccuracies of targeting and respiratory motion of the kidneys decrease the fraction of pulses that directly impact the targeted stone.
Histotripsy also uses focused PZT transducers but has a different driving system. It uses ultrasound imaging to target the focused ultrasound to the stone and monitor the treatment in real time. The bubble clouds generated by Histotripsy show as a temporally changing hyperechoic zone on ultrasound images. The real-time guidance makes it possible to track the stone movement and adjust the focus position, thus further reducing possible collateral tissue damage. As described earlier, stone fragments produced by lithotripter vary from small granules less than 1.0 mm diameter to macroscopic fragments with diameters significantly greater than 1 mm (as shown in FIG. 2A), while Histotripsy erodes stones into fine particles smaller than 100 μm (as shown in FIG. 2B). Table 1 lists the Histotripsy and Lithotripsy parameters for comparison.
TABLE 1Histotripsy and Lithotripsy ParametersParametersHistotripsyLithotripsyEnergy SourceShort ultrasoundShort ultrasoundpulsespulsesImage GuidanceUltrasoundFluoroscopy,UltrasoundPeak negative pressure~8-40MPa~10-25MPaPeak positive pressure~30-200MPa~50-200MPaPulse Length3-20cycles1cycleDuty Cycle≦5%<0.1%Pulse Repetition Frequency≦5kHz≦2Hz
Shockwave Lithotripsy is favorable in that it is a short (˜30 minute) outpatient procedure that requires only IV sedation in the vast majority of patients. Post-operative pain generally resolves within 1-2 days. Ureteroscopy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy generally require general anesthesia. Although ureteroscopy is an outpatient procedure, patients often suffer with pain and discomfort from a ureteral stent for 4-7 days after treatment. Disadvantages of Lithotripsy include a stone free rate of ˜65% percent 4 weeks after treatment (compared with 90-95% stone free rate in patients having percutaneous and ureteroscopic procedures) and the necessity and occasionally discomfort of passing stone fragments following treatment. Furthermore, urinary stones fragmented using shockwave Lithotripsy can remain up to several mm in size and include sharp or jagged edges that make them difficult and painful to pass through the urinary tract.

Ultrasound lithotripsy and histotripsy for using controlled bubble cloud cavitation in fractionating urinary stones

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN


A file management method and a file system are applied to the field of data processing technologies. The file system monitors input/output (IO) access information for operating a file, then determines an IO access mode of the file, determines a corresponding file management policy according to the IO access mode, and finally, when the obtained file management policy is inconsistent with a current management manner of the file, adjusts, according to the determined file management policy, the current management manner of the file, for example, a storage medium and a file management granularity, so as to dynamically adjust the storage medium and the file management granularity of the file according to the IO access mode of the file.

With the application of an NAND flash and the emergence of a new storage medium, such as a Phase change memory (PCM), different mediums have different read and write characteristics. This requires a file system to use management methods of different granularities to manage files stored in storage mediums, so as to improve performance. For example, if a coarse granularity is used for management, a storage overhead of metadata and a time delay of searching for a metadata index can be reduced; if a fine granularity is used for management, valid access to data can be ensured, bandwidth is not wasted, and data migration is reduced.
In the prior art, a file system identifies a file type according to a file name or information embedded in a file, and allocates a storage medium of a different granularity to the file. After the file type is determined, a management mode of the file is also determined, which is relatively fixed.


An ice cream cone holder and display apparatus is formed from a conventional two-piece paper cup. The bottom portion of the cup is specially made to include an arcuate flap through which the ice cream cone is extended to support the cone on a counter. The arcuate flap is formed by an interrupted circular cut substantially centrally located in the bottom portion of the cup. One interruption is of a greater size than the other interruptions and functions as a hinge for the arcuate flap.

In serving ice cream cones and the like in fast food establishments numerous types of foods are dispensed and the efficiency with which they are served is critical with respect to maintaining a flow of foods to the customers without undue delay.
The serving of ice cream cones in fast food establishments, particularly of the conventional elongated conical cones rather than truncated self-supporting ice cream cones is most difficult because there has been no practical way heretofore to support the cones on trays or on countertops. Thus, the sale of conventional ones has required hand-holding by and transferring from the hand of a vendor to the hand of a customer such that a substantial time delay is experienced in serving ice cream cones to a large group of customers in conjunction with many other foods ordered by those customers.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a novel and facile means for supporting conical ice cream cones on a countertop or customer's tray in a rapid and fool-proof manner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel ice cream cone support comprised of a modified two-piece paper cup which has been modified in a manner compatible with the normal manufacturing process for such a cup.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel support for ice cream cones and the like which is both sanitary and decorative and which can bear the logo of the establishment serving the ice cream cones.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel ice cream cone supporting structure which is disposable and can be provided at a cost on the order of that for a conventional two-piece paper cup.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more fully apparent with reference to the following specification and drawings which relate to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Two-piece paper cup for holding ice cream cones and the like


A liquefied gas pump includes a piston and a cylinder which form a pump chamber into which a liquefied gas entrance path and a liquefied gas discharge path open. Relative upward and downward motion between the piston and cylinder provides a repetition of alternating suction and discharge stroke. Liquefied gas is sucked into the pump chamber through the entrance path during the suction strokes, and is discharged out of the pump chamber through the discharge path during the discharge strokes. A separate bubble discharge path opens into said pump chamber at a location in the bottom of an upward recess formed in the top portion of the pump chamber. The bottom of the recess is located above the location where the opening of the liquefied gas discharge path is formed.

Like pumps for general use, a liquefied gas pump also includes a pump chamber. The pump chamber is formed by a cylinder and a piston, and liquefied gas entrance and discharge ports open into it. The pump chamber is formed by a cylinder and a piston. Relative motion between the piston and the cylinder provides repetition of alternate suction and discharge of liquefied gas through the entrance port into the pump chamber and through the discharge port out of the pump chamber, respectively.
Due to reduction in pressure in the pump chamber during the suction stroke or due to cavitation caused by friction heat generated at surfaces of the piston and the cylinder which slide relative to each other, bubbles of the gas may be generated in the liquefied gas. Such bubbles return to liquid when the pressure of the liquefied gas during the discharge stroke exceeds the saturated vapor pressure of the gas. When the bubbles return to liquid, strong shocks and vibrations could be generated and, at the same time, the metal surfaces of the piston and the cylinder could be eroded.
A pump which can transfer such bubbles out of a pump chamber is shown in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,519. In the pump of this patent, bubbles are driven out through the liquefied gas entrance port during suction strokes.
In this pump, the entrance port functions also as a bubble discharge port. It is considered that since bubbles must be discharged through the liquefied gas entrance port against the flow of the liquefied gas, the amount of bubbles which can be discharged out of the pump chamber is relatively small. In particular, since liquefied gas has high viscosity, the fluidity of bubbles is low so that all of them cannot be efficiently discharged.
An object of the present invention is to provide a liquefied gas pump which can drive out bubbles generated in a pump chamber due to cavitation.


A secure removable card has electrical connections for communication therewith. The card comprises a first integrated circuit die, with the first die including a processor. The card has a second integrated circuit die, with the second die including a non-volatile memory for storing a secret key, and a controller for controlling the operation of the non-volatile memory. A bus connects the first die with the second die. The processor can generate a key pair, having a public key portion and a private key portion upon power up, and transfers the public key portion across the bus to the second die. The controller can receive the public key and encrypt the secret key with the public key to generate a first encrypted key, and can transfer the first encrypted key across the bus to the first die. The processor can receive the first encrypted key and can decrypt the first encrypted key to recover the secret key, and can encrypt data with the secret key for communicating along the electrical connections external to the card.

Mobile wireless communication devices, such as cell phones are well known in the art. Typically, a cell phone has a removable card (called "SIM card") which consists of a processor with RAM, ROM or EEPROM or Flash memory, I/O pads, and security monitoring circuit all mounted on a removable card. The non-volatile memory in the SIM card is to store information required to access the mobile operator's network. Thus, the card may store information such as telephone number, access code, number of minutes, calling plan etc.
A network of interconnected computer networks ("Internet") is also well known in the art. The Internet can be accessed by computers having a wired connection, or through a wireless network.
With the increase in speed in mobile networks, such as the 3G network, users of mobile wireless devices desire to access the Internet via their mobile wireless communication devices.
Thus, increasingly, the SIM card may be used to store secure information such as passwords, financial data etc. used to access the Internet or during a session on the Internet.
Therefore, there is increasing demand for higher capacity SIM cards that include a higher performance processor and larger amount of non-volatile memory. However, since the technology to manufacture high performance processors may not be compatible or optimal for manufacturing of memory devices or memory controller devices, integrated on the same die, there is a need to fab these devices on separate dies and to integrate the dies into a multichip module. Hence it is desirable to provide a mechanism whereby these types of information are secure even if the removable card falls into the wrong hands.

Secure removable card having a plurality of integrated circuit dies


This invention provides a method and apparatus for making certain measurements across a splice of a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber, then calculating the actual decibel attenuation across the splice for optical signals transmitted through the fibers during actual use. The method of this invention involves measuring the optical power P.sub.2 in the second fiber with the fiber ends separated longitudinally a certain distance, then measuring the optical power P.sub.1 in the second fiber with the fiber ends positioned close together for effecting the splice. The attenuation is calculated from the formula EQU dB=10 log(P.sub.1 /RP.sub.2). where R is a predetermined constant for the fibers being spliced.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods and apparatus for determining the actual decibel attenuation across an optical fiber splice. This invention enables the craftsman splicing the optical fibers in the field to determine at the time the splice is made whether the splice has acceptable attenuation for actual use.
2. Introduction to the Invention
The most widely used optical fibers comprise a glass core, a glass cladding which surrounds the core and a buffer which surrounds the cladding and is composed of a relatively soft polymeric material. Where reference is made in this specification to an "optical fiber," it is to be understood that the fiber referred to is one comprising a glass core, a glass or plastic cladding and a buffer. The buffer protects the cladding and the core and allows the fiber to be bent into and maintained in a bend of substantially smaller bend radius than would otherwise be possible. The buffer may be surrounded by a jacket. Optical signals are conventionally fed into optical fibers by directing them axially at the exposed fiber end. It is also known to feed an optical signal into a fiber through the side of the cladding or buffer. The buffer of the fiber is retained. The light is launched through the buffer and cladding and then into the core of the fiber.
It is often desirable to bring two optical fibers into precise axial alignment, so that a signal can be passed from one fiber to the other with minimum of loss. It is generally desirable to join the fibers together into a permanent joint, called a splice. An optical fiber may be spliced to another optical fiber either by fusing the fibers together or by adhering them together with an index-matching adhesive, i.e., an adhesive whose refractive index is chosen so that signal loss is minimized. Alternatively, the splice can be made reversable by joining the fibers together with a thermoplastic index-matching material which can be heated to allow the fibers to be inserted and aligned within the material, cooled to solidify, and form the splice then can be heated to remove the fibers again. The index-matching adhesives referred to above are generally curable adhesives which are cured chemically or with ultra-violet light. This invention can be used in all these methods of splicing optical fibers as well as in mechanical methods of splicing optical fibers.
The known methods for splicing optical fibers suffer from various disadvantages. In the field, optical fibers are frequently furnished in two kilometer lengths which are then spliced together to form a continual optical fiber of the required length. Using end launch light to optimize the splice is impractical because the light must be launched in the end of the first fiber at least two kilometers away from the splice and the light must be read at the other end of the second fiber at least two kilometers in the opposite direction. The person performing the alignment of the fibers and effecting the splice must be in communication with and respond to directions from the other persons at the ends of the first and second fibers. An OTDR (optical time domain reflectometer) can also be used to determine a splice loss, but OTDR requires one person at the light launch/light read site at the end of the fiber and another person to make the splice and requires communication between these persons usually at least one or two kilometers apart.
A more practical splicing method has been developed and is described in copending application U.S. Ser. No. 437,053 filed Oct. 27, 1982, which is a continuation-in-part of copending application U.S. Ser. No. 370,321 filed Apr. 21, 1982, (now abandoned) which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 258,079 filed Apr. 27, 1982, now abandoned. The disclosures and drawings of these copending cases are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. The method and apparatus of the present invention is particularly applicable to the disclosure in said copending cases. In said copending cases, light is side launched into the first fiber near the splice and detected through a side exit from the second fiber, also near the splice. The person performing the splice controls the light launch, reads the detector and can manually or automatically optimize the amount of light passing through the splice before the adhesive is cured. This method is very effective for obtaining the best splice for a given pair of fibers and given adhesive. However, method of said copending cases does not provide a way for determining what the actual or absolute attenuation or loss across the final splice will be.
It is important to be able to determine the actual or absolute loss of each splice at the time it is made. Until now, the determination of the actual loss across a splice was through the end launch and end read method or through use of an OTDR. These methods are impractical in many applications because it involves detecting a signal at least a kilometer from the splice, comparing the signal to the light launched into the fiber at least one kilometer in the other direction from the splice, and communicating the results to the person performing the splice. If the splice has excessive loss, it must be removed and the splice re-done.


This crowd monitoring system (MS) is provided with: a storage unit in which a plurality of images of a crowd including moving bodies are stored; a feature-value extraction unit which extracts a feature of each image; a number of persons input image selection unit which takes into account the distribution of the features, and selects, from among the images, a sample image for inputting the number of persons among the moving bodies; the number of persons input reception unit which displays, on a display unit, an input screen for inputting the number of persons among the moving bodies in the sample image, and receives an input of the number of persons among the moving bodies in the sample image; and a feature total number function generation unit which generates a function indicating the relationship between the features and the total number among the moving bodies.

As social circumstances are changing, such as deterioration of public security, there is a growing need for grasping a congestion degree of a crowd from video of a surveillance camera to secure safety or relieve congestion. In video of a surveillance camera installed at a place where the height is restricted, such as an inside of a building, the installation height or the depression angle is limited, and the congestion degree needs to be grasped based on the assumption that persons are overlapped with each other in the screen. In this case, the number of persons cannot be counted one by one, and a method in which the congestion degree is calculated based on the relation between a feature in an image, such as the number of corners or an edge amount in the image, and the number of persons, is used as disclosed in PTL 1.
PTL 1 discloses that an approximate number of persons can be estimated from the number of corners as information related to the congestion degree, and congestion degree calculation unit holds a table associating the number of corners with the estimated number of persons to obtain the congestion degree.
PTL 2 discloses a method for measuring an escalator carrying load which includes steps of capturing a moving image from a camera, periodically sampling a still image from an input image, extracting a region to be measured from a cut-out still image, measuring an area of an image indicating a person in a photographed image, obtaining a regression coefficient from the area of the image indicating the person and the number of persons counted by a user from the same still image, and obtaining an area of an image indicating a person from each of a plurality of images periodically sampled, adding the areas of the images indicating of the person in each of the images, and calculating a total escalator carrying load based on the added area value and the regression coefficient.

Crowd monitoring system and crowd monitoring method


The invention relates to a method for power level control of a display device and an apparatus for carrying out the method. Classically, a power level mode defining a subfield organization to be used for subfield coding is selected as a function of the average power level of the picture to be displayed for keeping constant the power consumption of the display device. According to the invention, it is proposed to select the power level mode as a function of the input frame frequency in such a way as to have as little as possible deviations from nominal peak white and full white values at the same time that an overloading of the panel power supply is prevented. More particularly, the number of sustain pulses within the video frame and selected by the power level mode is modified as a function of the input frame frequency.

Today, the Plasma technology makes possible to achieve flat colour panel of large size (out of the CRT limitations) and with very limited depth without any viewing angle constraints. Like CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) technology, PDP is a technology that generates its own light. In the same way, both technologies use a power management (or brightness regulation) circuit which allows a higher peak white brightness value than a full white value.
The CRT screens use a so called ABL (for Average Beam-current Limiter) circuit, which is implemented by analog means usually in the video controller, and which decreases video gain as a function of average luminance usually measured over an RC stage.
The plasma display panels use a so called APL (for Average Power Level) control circuit that generates less or more sustain pulses as a function of the average power level of the displayed picture. The APL control starts from the reflection that for larger peak white luminance values in plasma displays more sustain pulses are necessarily required. On the other hand, more sustain pulses correspond also to a higher power consumption of the PDP. Thus the solution is a control method which generates more or less sustain pulses as a function of the average picture power, i.e. it switches between different modes with different power levels. Such an APL control circuit is described in the international patent application WO 00/46782. For pictures having relatively low picture power, i.e. a lot of pixels with relatively low luminance value, a mode will be selected which uses a high number of sustain pulses to create the different video levels because the overall power consumption will be limited due to a great amount of pixels with low luminance value. For pictures having relatively high picture power, i. e. a lot of pixels with relatively high luminance value, a mode will be selected which uses a low number of sustain pulses to create the different video levels because the overall power consumption will be high due to a great amount of pixels with high luminance value. Thus, a plurality of power level modes can be defined for a good management of the power consumption.
The APL control is implemented as follows: first the average video level of the input signal after de-gamma is computed. This value is a good estimation of the total luminance power required for reproducing the input picture. Secondly, by means of a look-up table, the total number of sustain pulses that can be generated for the input picture to keep the power consumption in an authorized range is determined and a corresponding subfield organization is simultaneously selected. As described in the international patent application WO 00/46782, the sub-field organizations can vary in respect to one or more of the following characteristics:                the number of sustain pulses;        the number of sub-fields;        the sub-field positioning.
This solution is optimized for a given frame frequency. Indeed, the input frame frequency is usually constant but it can change if the panel is connected to a non-standard video source, for instance a video cassette recorder in trick mode. It is the same when the panel is connected to a computer. For some graphic cards, the frequency can deviate considerably from the nominal frequency. So it makes difficult to track a range of frame frequencies, without undesired effects like overloading the power supply, or reducing the panel peak white and full white values.

Method and apparatus for power level control in a display device