A system and method are provided for built-in-self test of any bits that have slipped from their appropriate positions within a frame character clock cycle. If a bit has slipped, then the built-in-self test mechanism can also implement either a clock generation stretch operation or a barrel shift operation to readjust the frame boundary output from a receiver with a 1-to-N deserializer. A pseudo-random bit sequence can be generated having the same logic value in both the receiver and transmitter, where the output of the deserializer which receives the transmitted bits is compared bit-by-bit with the receiver-generated bits as part of the built-in-self test mechanism. If a bit is determined to have been slipped, then error correction occurs with aliasing and phase jitter in mind.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electronic circuitry and, more particularly, to a communication system having a receiver that uses a built-in-self-test (BIST) circuit and method to test for and correct any cycle slip that occurs within a deserializer output of the receiver. One or more bits within a related set of bits of a serial bitstream that slip to a successive frame clock cycle are detected using two similar pseudo random bit sequences (PRBSs) received upon the receiver and generated within the receiver, and any cycle slip occurrences can be corrected by either extending the frame clock cycle or shifting the boundary between a pair of register outputs using a barrel shifter.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art or conventional by virtue of their inclusion within this section.
Communication between nodes of a communication system typically involves a serial bitstream. Examples of serial bitstream transfer protocols include Ethernet and Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), as well as numerous others. An integral part of the serialized communication between nodes is the transceiver associated with each node. A transceiver having both a receiver and a transmitter functions not only to recognize the transfer protocols, but also converts the serial bitstream to multiple bitstreams if necessary. The conversion from a relatively high bit rate serial bitstream to a set of relatively low bit rate parallel bitstreams takes place within a receiver and, more specifically, within a deserializer of the receiver.
The serializer and deserializer of the transceiver are normally found within the physical media attachment (PMA) sub-layer of the transceiver. The serializer/deserializer is responsible for supporting multiple communication protocols and allows presentation of encoding schemes to the upper layers of, for example, the Open System Interconnection (OSI) model. A useful feature of a deserializer within the physical layer PMA of the OSI model is that the deserializer can frame its output once synchronization between its serial bitstream of related bits and parallel output of related bits is achieved.
Framing is used in the normal mode to reframe data in backplane tranceivers and, as such, is an integral part of the IEEE 802.3z Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel Standards set forth in http://www.ieee.org and http://www.fibrechannel.org. Framing of serial data is, therefore, the conversion of the serial bitstream to respective frames output in parallel from the deserializer. Certain bits within the serial bitstream are related to one another and thus belong within the same frame output from the deserializer.
A typical receiver within a communication system involves both a deserializer and a clock generator. The deserializer receives a serial bitstream of data broken into related sets of bits known as characters. For example, a first character of A0-A15 will be immediately followed by a second character B0-B15. Each character is preferably output from the deserializer within a single frame. Thus, in this example, all 16 character A bits are output in parallel within a single frame cycle, followed by all 16 character B bits output in parallel in the immediately succeeding frame cycle. Thus, the serial bitstream is sampled on the input of the deserializer according to a bit clock cycle, and the parallel output from the deserializer occurs every frame clock cycle. If there are 16 bits output per frame, then the frame clock cycle is equal to 16 times the bit clock cycle.
There are numerous types of deserializers known in the industry. For example, a deserializer can be formed from shift registers. As the serial bitstream is received on the shift registers, the bit clock will shift serial bits into and through the registers, and a character or frame of related bits, is captured each time the shift registers are filled, once per frame cycle. Another type of deserializer involves a staged or pipelined deserializer. A popular pipelined deserializer is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,940 herein incorporated by reference. Each stage of the pipelined deserializer includes one or more 1-to-2 demultiplexer cells, where each stage can be clocked by successively slower clock rates produced by the clock generator.
Regardless of the type of deserializer used, a problem known as "bit shift" or "bit slip" oftentimes occurs. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,940, due to margin differences from one demultiplexer cell to another, related bits (A0-A15) may not necessarily appear within the same frame output simultaneously from the final stage of the deserializer. There can be many causes for the bit shift/slip problem, one such cause might be due to the uncertainty in the initial period of the signal input. There are many mechanisms for correcting a bit slip occurrence, such as applying control signals selectively to the control clocks forwarded to each stage of the pipelined deserializer. Other mechanisms can also come into play. Regardless of how a bit slip occurs or how it is corrected, it is important to be able to detect a bit that should be in one frame, yet appears in the succeeding frame.
It would be desirable to introduce a built-in-self-test (BIST) mechanism for detecting a bit slip/shift occurrence at the output of a deserializer. Moreover, the BIST architecture would benefit by being applicable to any type of deserializer, regardless of whether the deserializer is a pipelined deserializer, a shift register, or simply a programmable state machine, such as a programmable logic device or execution unit which receives software instructions.
The desired BIST architecture must also be applicable to any bit transfer rate, even the higher bit rates of SONET and Gigabit Ethernet. In addition, the desired BIST architecture must also implement bit slip/shift correction techniques in order to realign or resynchronize the frame boundaries even though a shift might occur within the deserializer. Any improvements in the BIST and error correction capabilities must be performed with minimal added complexity, design costs and architecture/layout size.

Built in self test system and method for detecting and correcting cycle slip within a deserializer


A plasma display system restricts peak data traffic when a shared memory is used. In the plasma display system, a control unit prohibits a moving picture decoder from accessing a shared memory while an SF reading unit is reading, from the shared memory, SF pixel data which is information about respective cells to be lit in a plurality of subfields. On the other hand, the control unit permits the moving picture decoder to access the shared memory while the SF reading unit is not reading the SF pixel data from the shared memory during a sustain discharge period.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to technologies for restricting peak data traffic during memory accesses required for generating and acquiring data for controlling light emission of a plasma display panel.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, when moving pictures are transferred or recorded onto a recording medium, compression technologies according to the MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) standards, such as the MPEG2 video standards described in Non-Patent Literature 1 below and the MPEG4AVC (Advanced Video Coding) standards described in Non-Patent Literature 2, are used. Likewise, moving picture decoders for decoding the images that have been compressed according to the standards are known.
Such a moving picture decoder decodes a variable-length coded stream of compressed images stored in a memory such as a large-capacity DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) by the following procedure. Firstly, the moving picture decoder reads the stream from the memory, and decodes the read stream to extract motion vectors as well as block data on a block-by-block basis. Secondly, the moving picture decoder refers to a reference image in the memory as specified by the motion vectors, and performs compensation processing which is a kind of a reverse of motion estimation processing. Finally, the moving picture decoder stores, in the memory, decoded images obtained from the compensation processing. A series of decoded images, decoded and stored in the memory in this way, are used as a series of reference images for decoding of subsequent compressed images and/or as a series of images to be displayed on a display screen.
However, as commonly known, the above decoding processing of moving pictures requires a large amount of data traffic for memory accesses. In such a system including a moving picture decoder and an image display, various methods, including a method of restricting peak data traffic in the entire processing and a method of using a memory system having a large data traffic capacity, are employed in order to restrict a significant increase in data traffic. Among the methods, the method of restricting the peak data traffic in the entire processing is disclosed in Patent Literature 1.
Patent Literature 1 describes a device including an audio decoder, a moving picture decoder, and an image display. The device restricts the peak data traffic, by causing the audio decoder to process a large amount of data traffic during a blanking period of the moving picture decoder and causing the audio decoder to process a small amount of data traffic during a data transfer period of the moving picture decoder (see FIG. 11). Note that in FIG. 11 an area shaded by horizontal lines represent data transfers by the moving picture decoder, and areas shaded by oblique lines represent data transfers by the audio decoder.

Integrated circuit for use in plasma display panel, access control method, and plasma display system

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


The present invention is a sanitation seat for assisting urinating and defecating outdoors. The sanitation seat has a top ring comprised of an outer rim around a vacuous region. The outer rim is comprised of at least one “T” coupler and a plurality of curved elements. A leg or legs are detachably connected to the “T” coupler or couplers. If the sanitation seat is to be attached to a tree at least nail passes through the top ring for embedding into a tree, and a tie rope, which beneficially includes a rope attachment, is used to attach the seat to a tree.

America has hundreds of thousands of square miles of outdoor resources such as deserts, scrub land, woodland and forests that are anywhere from easily accessible to extremely difficult to get to. Such outdoor resources are widely used by hikers, campers, rock climbers, bird watchers, fisherman, trail riders, hunters, loggers, prospectors, and many others. Outdoor resource environments range from flat deserts to extremely steep, snow and rock covered mountainous terrain. However, each environment offers its own challenges and pleasures to those who experience them.
Often those who make use of America's outdoor resources must do so in ways such as hiking where portability is extremely important. When hiking, carrying excess weight can dramatically slow a hiker as well as quickly tire them out. Lightweight equipment such as backpacks, sleeping bags, clothing, food, utensils, and other necessities are required.
Deciding what is necessary for a trip to the outdoors is not always easy. If you need something that you did not bring you could be in serious trouble. But, if you bring something you do not need you may end up carrying that item for days. Food, shelter, clothing, water, water purification systems, matches, a compass, and a map are acknowledged as being necessary items. However, no matter what else may happen, a person in the outdoors will eventually have to urinate and defecate.
For males urinating is seldom a problem. But for females it can be. Furthermore defecating outdoors can be uncomfortable for either sex as a suitable sanitation seat is seldom if ever available. Therefore, a light weight portable sanitation seat for urinating and defecating outdoors would be useful. Even more useful would be a light weight portable sanitation seat for urinating and defecating outdoors that is usable in desert and scrub land locations as well as tree covered woodlands and forests.


A monitor pattern for photolithography according to the invention includes a concave quadrangular sub-pattern and a scale sub-pattern. The concave quadrangular sub-pattern has a pair of equal exterior sides, a pair of equal interior sides and a right angle included between the pair of equal exterior sides and is bisected into a horizontal region and a vertical region congruent with each other along a bisector of the right angle. The scale sub-pattern is located along the pair of equal exterior sides for measuring the resolutions of the concave quadrangular sub-patterns transferred. Furthermore, a monitor pattern according to the invention can includes two symmetric concave quadrangular sub-patterns and two symmetric scale sub-patterns for the purpose of further determining whether resolution are affected by leveling.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a monitor pattern for photolithography, and in particular to a monitor pattern used for concurrently detecting resolutions thereof and determining whether the resolutions are affected by leveling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As we know, photolithography is a very important step in the entire semiconductor processing. Basically, any regions related to the structure of semiconductor devices, such as subsequently pattered and doped regions, are all previously defined by photolithography. Thus, the complexity of the semiconductor processing depends on the times of photolithography performed and the number of masks used.
To perform the photolithography, a photo-sensitive material is formed on a wafer. A parallel light coming from a light source passes through a glass-based mask and irradiates the photo-sensitive material. At the same time, a pattern on the mask is projected onto the photo-sensitive material. Next, development is performed to accomplish a pattern transfer.
In general, an aligner is used to perform photolithography based on alignment marks on wafers. However, an optical system in the aligner has a problem of astigmatism which creates an aberration, resulting in a poor pattern transfer.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an aberration caused by a problem of astigmatism on the optical system of an aligner. As shown in FIG. 1, a first image point 110 and a second image point 112 of a pattern point 106 are separately projected onto an optical axis 108 by a lens 100 due to the difference existing between a meridional focal plane 102 and a horizontal focal plane 104. Therefore, an aberration AST, which is equal to the distance between the two image points 110 and 112, is created.
Furthermore, projected image lines projected by the lens 100 must accurately maintain at a width of more than a critical dimension (CD) so as to allow the image lines to be located within a range of effective resolution.
However, if the aberration AST is increased, it causes that images projected on the meridional focal plane 102 and horizontal focal plane 104 have different resolutions, decreasing an effective depth of forces (DOF) and differing the critical dimensions of the images. So far, there are still no simple standard specifications to judge the aberration for photolithography. Frequently, a lot of complicated testing processes are required to quantitatively analyze the aberration. As a result, the photolithography cannot be efficiently monitored.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating how the thickness of a photoresist layer affects the pattern transfer in photolithography. As shown in FIG. 2, a pattern on a mask (not shown) is transferred onto a photoresist layer 122 formed on a wafer 120 by photolithography. Since the photoresist layer 122 has a certain thickness d (generally 1 xcexcm), a certain depth of focus (DOF) is required to completely and precisely project the pattern onto the photoresist layer 122 by a light wave 124. Thus, the projected pattern on the photoresist 122 can have a better resolution regardless of on the top surface 126 of the bottom surface 128 thereof.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a problem of leveling when an optical system performs an image projection. As shown in FIG. 3, the surface 300 of a wafer has a relief and curve feature where part 301 thereof is obviously out of the range of the depth of focus (DOF) (from a best focus BF to both alignment focuses AF). As a result, a required pattern projected onto a photoresist layer (not shown) formed on the wafer has a poor resolution. To overcome this problem, it is necessary to take more time and man power to frequently adjust the leveling of a used aligner thereby to obtain a precise transferred pattern by a complicated testing process.
In view of the above, an object of the invention is to provide a monitor pattern for photolithography. The monitor pattern of the invention includes to concave quadrangular sub-pattern and a scale sub-pattern. The concave quadrangular sub-pattern has a pair of equal exterior sides, a pair of equal interior sides and a right angle include between the pair of equal exterior sides and is bisected into a horizontal region and a vertical region congruent with each other along a bisector of the right angle. The scale sub-pattern is located along the pair of equal exterior sides for measuring the resolution of the concave quadrangular sub-pattern. In addition, a monitor pattern according to the invention can includes two symmetric concave quadrangular sub-patterns and two symmetric scale sub-patterns for the purpose of further determining whether or not resolutions are affected by leveling.


A light emitting assembly includes: a heat sink having a base wall and at least one mesa protruding from the base wall; and at least one light emitting package unit having at least one light emitting package bonded to the mesa so as to transfer heat generated from the light emitting package to the base wall through the mesa. A circuit board includes a substrate that is formed with at least one through-hole, and is provided with a conductive contact unit that is formed on the substrate. The heat sink is attached to the substrate such that the mesa protrudes from the base wall into and through the through-hole in the substrate so as to be bonded to the light emitting package.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a light emitting assembly, more particularly to a light emitting assembly including a light emitting package and a heat sink having a mesa protruding therefrom through a circuit board to be bonded to the light emitting package.
2. Description of the Related Art
Development of light emitting diode (LED) packages in the LED industry since 1970 to the present day can be divided into successive generations in terms of thermal resistance. The LED packages from the early generation to the latest generation include 5 mm LED package, Low Profile LED package, Low Profile with extended lead frame LED package, Heat-sink Slug LED package (see FIG. 1), and SMD (Surface Mount Device) Ceramic LED package (see FIG. 2), which have thermal resistances of 250 K/W, 125 K/W, 75 K/W, 15 K/W, and 6 K/W, respectively. Early developed LED packages have a relatively low brightness and are normally used in applications, such as indicators in personal computers, electronic devices, and the like. These LED packages have characteristics of low power consumption and low heat generation. In the indicator applications, since the heat generated by the LED packages is relatively small and since their installed quantity in a unit area is small, they are allowed to be mounted directly on a printed circuit board (which serves as a power connecting medium to permit power to be transmitted to the LED packages mounted thereon) without considering how the heat generated by the LED packages can be dissipated. However, when the LED packages are to be used in illuminating applications, such as vehicle headlights and projector lamps, they are required to be high power LED packages and to have a high density so as to achieve a high luminance and brightness, which results in high heat generation. As such, the heat generated by the high power LED packages cannot be neglected, and the heat dissipating issue becomes relatively important to the service life of the high power LED packages. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the aforementioned heat-sink slug LED package (a non-surface mountable device) normally includes a light emitting die 16 enclosed by a dome-shaped encapsulant 14, a molding material 19 molded over leadframe leads 15 of the light emitting die 16, and a heat-sink slug 17 of a thermally conductive material embedded in the molding material 19 and bonded to the light emitting die 16 for enhancing heat dissipation. U.S. Pat. No. 6,274,924 discloses a heat-sink slug LED package of this type. Referring further to FIG. 2, the aforementioned SMD ceramic LED package differs from the heat-sink slug LED package in that the former further includes a ceramic layer 18 bonded to the heat-sink slug 17 for permitting the LED package to be surface mountable and for enhancing heat dissipation. Although the LED packages of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 have an improved heat dissipation, the heat dissipation issue is still a major problem for these LED packages when used in illuminating applications, particularly for applications, such as vehicle headlights and projectors, that require a high density of the LED packages and that can provide light focusing function. Since the LED packages to be used for illuminating applications are high power LED packages, fast transfer of the heat generated by the high power LED packages to the outside environment is crucial. As such, mounting of the high power LED packages directly on the printed circuit board in a conventional manner as those of the low power LED packages is not feasible due to the thermal insulating property of the dielectric substrate of the printed circuit board, which is made from an insulating material, such as phenolic cotton paper, and which is a thermal barrier for transferring the heat from the LED packages to the outside environment. In order to solve this problem, metal core PCBs have been developed in recent years to replace the conventional printed circuit board for serving as a power connecting medium for the high power LED packages mounted thereon as well as to act as a heat sink to dissipate heat from the LED packages which the conventional printed circuit board fails to provide. Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, the metal core PCB includes an anodized aluminum substrate 11 with an anodized surface 13, an insulator layer 12 formed on the anodized surface 13 of the aluminum substrate 11, and conductive traces 112 formed on the insulator layer 12. When the LED packages of FIG. 1 are mounted on the metal core PCB, the leadframe leads 15 are bonded to the conductive traces 112, and the heat-sink slug 17 is bonded to the insulator layer 12 through a thermally conductive adhesive so as to transfer heat from the LED package to the outside environment through the aluminum substrate 11. When the LED packages of FIG. 2 are mounted on the metal core PCB, solder bumps 151 on the ceramic layer 18 are bonded to the conductive traces 112, and the ceramic layer 18 is bonded to the insulator layer 12 through a thermally conductive adhesive 113 so as to transfer heat from the LED package to the outside environment through the aluminum substrate 11. Note that since the standard requirement of the voltage resistance for a substrate on which the LED packages are to be mounted is 2.5 kV and since the voltage resistance of the anodized surface 13 of the aluminum substrate 11 is about 220 to 400V, the insulator layer 12 on the aluminum substrate 11 is required so as to meet the requirement. Although the aluminum substrate 11 has a heat conduction coefficient of 225 w/mk, the insulator layer 12 is made from an epoxy material and the heat conduction coefficient of the insulator layer 12 is relatively low. As a consequence, the heat dissipation rate of the metal core PCB is considerably and adversely affected by the presence of the insulator layer 12, and is still insufficient to permit use of the LED packages in high brightness and/or high light focusing (which means a high density of LED packages) illuminating applications. Current solutions to the heat dissipating problem of the LED packages in the illuminating applications are focused on how to improve the heat dissipation of the metal core PCB. However, the heat dissipation rate of the metal core PCB is considerably limited by the insulating layer 12.


The present invention relates to a method of registering a mobile station in a cellular mobile radio system in which areas, each including a plurality of cells, form registration areas. Each registration area (RA1, RA2, RA3, . . . ) has its own identity (X). According to the proposed method, individual location areas are defined whenever registering a given mobile station with the intention of avoiding an unnecessarily high number of registrations in border areas of the different registration areas. A location area may have the form of a list of registration areas (X1, X2, X3, . . . ), which is stored in a mobile station (MS), or may be stored in the system (HLR, MSC) and transmitted to the mobile station (MS) via a base station (BS) in a given registration area, in conjunction with registration of the mobile station in this area. A new registration is made only if the mobile station enters a service area that belongs to a registration area whose identity (X) is not found on the stored list of registration areas (X1, X2, X3, . . . ).

In a cellular mobile telephone system, the various cells of the system are often collected in so-called registration areas. A mobile station is registered initially in a certain area, the home area, and a calling subscriber, possibly from another registration area, is able to reach the mobile station as a result of the base station (BS) and the associated mobile telephone switching centre (MSC:n) having recorded in its home location register (HLR) the registration area in which the called subscriber (the mobile station) is located.
If the mobile station moves to another registration area (so-called roaming), it is important that the mobile station registers itself in the new area and that this new registration is recorded in the home location register of the mobile station. If the mobile station fails to register its new area, it will be extremely difficult for the land system (mobile telephone exchange and home location register) to page the mobile station when this station is called by a calling subscriber. On the other hand, when the new registration identity is recorded in the home location register, the land system is able to establish the registration area in which the subscriber is located, thereby enabling to page the subscriber and set-up a call connection.
It is thus of great importance that each mobile station within the system registers itself as soon as it crosses the border between two registration areas.
The registration areas must not be made too large, because of the balance that needs to be maintained between paging traffic on the one hand (i.e. the traffic created when the mobile subscribers are paged from the land system) and the number of registrations within the area on the other. Small registration areas will preferably be chosen, when the number of registrations is permitted to be high while paging traffic shall be kept low. Larger registration areas can be permitted when the opposite case applies, i.e. when paging traffic can be permitted to be high and the number of registrations shall be kept low. A balance between these two mutually conflicting requirements is made in the majority of cases in a mobile radio system.
As is known, registration is effected by a base station within the service area in which the mobile station is located transmits a global message which contains the registration identity of its own registration area. In the case of the U.S. digital system according to standard "IS-54B" for instance, this message is transmitted over the FOCC-channel (forward analog control channel) and periodically to all mobile stations within the service area. A mobile station reports that it is new in the area and thus that registration is desired, see FIG. 1. This request is normally transmitted over the RECC-channel (reverse analog control channel). Thus, if a mobile station has not stored the transmitted registration identity, it asks to be registered.
Registration creates a particular problem when a mobile station moves in the vicinity of and across the borders of one or more registration areas. A large number of registrations may be entailed by a mobile station crossing several such borders. It will be understood from the aforegoing that a given control channel capacity is used in a registration. It would be desirable to reduce the extent to which the channels of the system are used as much as possible. As before mentioned, the identification message is transmitted from a base station over the control channel FOCC periodically and cannot therefore be altered. However, the number of accesses requesting registration of mobiles over RECC and responsive acknowledgements over FOCC can be influenced when registrations, and therewith the number of subsequent updates "registration update" from the base station, are only required and effected on seldom occassions. This would result in a reduction in the control channel capacity used.
EP-A1-0,439,628, for instance, teaches an improved registration method for reducing and distributing the number of registrations to a given extent. This method is applied in systems in which a base station belongs to several location areas (=registration areas), i.e. several mutually overlapping location areas. According to this method, a list of those identities of the registration areas in the location area to which the base station belongs is transmitted periodically from the base station. These identities are compared with the identity which is stored at that time in a listening mobile station. If none of the identities received and read by the mobile coincide with the identity that is stored in the mobile station the mobile station registers in the registration area, the identity of which is first read from the transmitted list. this procedure reduces the number of registrations, since the mobile station is located in the centre of the new location area instead of at its outer border when making any new registration, i.e. a space hysteresis is generated which avoids oscillating registration.

Registration method in a cellular mobile radio system


In the present invention elvan (a ceramic material) and a plastic are mixed and formed into a fiber. The fiber is made into non woven fabric products having antibacterial properties.

The present invention relates to a synthetic textile fiber, and more particularly to a synthetic textile fiber of a ceramic substance and an organic substance produced by mixing and melting elvan and a plastic material, in which elvan is a natural mineral material which radiates infrared rays and has antibacterial properties, and the plastic material is a polyester, an acrylic material, or the like.
A fiber is made from only a plastic material, and an antibacterial agent is artificially spread on the fiber. Accordingly, a chemical fiber or non woven fabric with antibacteria HRT! properties is commonly used. The present invention relates to the production of a synthetic cotton or a non woven fabric, which is made from a synthetic textile fiber. The synthetic textile fiber is mixed with a natural material, thereby creating a synthetic cotton or the non woven fabric which has antibacterial properties and radiates infrared rays. Thus, the fiber produced by the present invention radiates infrared rays and has antibacterial properties. As a result, the fiber of the present invention differs from a conventional product in efficiency.


A semi-reflective display and a method for fabricating and assembling a semi-reflective display are presented, where the display may be comprised of visible light rectifying antenna arrays tuned to four different colors, which when forward biased may use electric power to amplify reflected colored light, and when reversed biased may generate electric power by absorbing light. TFT-tunnel diode logic may be used to control each sub-pixel.

Battery life has become a major issue in portable electronic equipment. One of the highest uses of power in such devices may be the displays. Alternative technologies such as e-ink have been developed, but they have neither the performance nor color display precision on the current LCD displays. Most of the power used in LCD displays may occur from their back lights, and yet 97% of the generated light may be absorbed by the films and filters in the display itself. Only 3% of the light actually propagates out of the display as the image seen by the viewer. It would be desirable to have a fast switching reflective display. The inventor, in U.S. patent application Ser. 13/454,155 filed Apr. 24, 2012, describes a solar array comprised of an array of visible light antennas coupled to ultra-high-speed rectifying tunnel diodes. Such an array may be a light absorbing solar array, when biased to generate electricity, and light amplifying, when biased to use electricity.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method and system for telemetry through a compressible drilling fluid during underbalanced drilling is disclosed. A reflector (110) is positioned downstream from the gas inlet (84) and causes reflected pressure waves having the same pressure polarity as incident pressure waves. A pressure sensor (92) is positioned below the reflector to sense pressure in the compressible drilling fluid. The reflector (110) can be a fixed orifice plate or an adjustable aperture. A borehole communication system is also disclosed wherein a pair of pressure sensors are positioned on either side of a flow restriction (118) located in the gas conduit leading to the gas injector. The flow restriction can be a valve used to regulate the flow rate of the gas being supplied into the drilling fluid, or it can be separate venturi or orifice plate.

It is known that the reception of acoustic telemetry signals travelling through the drilling fluid, often referred to as mud pulse telemetry, is substantially degraded if the drilling fluid inside the drillpipe contains substantial quantities of gas. Gas is often injected into the drilling fluid during underbalanced drilling (or low-head drilling in which the well is not underbalanced, but the bottom hole pressure is reduced by the addition of gas).
Although some of the difficulty in signal reception is an inevitable consequence of the attenuation of the acoustic signal in its passage up the mud column, it is also impeded by the acoustic conditions at the top of the mud column inside the surface system. This is especially true when the gas is injected into the drilling mud in the surface system, where the pressure pulses are to be detected. Because of signal attenuation and impeded acoustic conditions in the surface system, the telemetry signal can often be degraded to a point where conventional mud pulse telemetry is either impossible or impractical.
UK Patent Application GB 2 333 787 A discloses a system for mud pulse telemetry in underbalanced drilling wherein a fluid flow meter is used. The signal from the flow meter is converted into a pressure signal by a differential pressure sensor and is thereafter scaled and recorded as a pressure signal. Thus, instead of measuring the pressure, the system disclosed in GB 2 333 787 A measures the flow rate of the mud. Such systems are prone to degraded signal to noise ratios due to for example noise introduced by the mud pumps and gas introduction system.

Method and apparatus for enhanced acoustic mud pulse telemetry during underbalanced drilling


The gas turbine engine includes a casing assembly located proximate a turbine section of the gas turbine engine, and a tangential on-board injector (TOBI) having a body defining a plurality of air passages extending in a radial direction, the plurality of air passages circumferentially distributed and directing cooling air toward a turbine rotor of the turbine section of the gas turbine engine. An interference fit is provided between a face of the body and a face of a member of the casing assembly, the interference fit defining a fastener-free engagement between the bearing housing and the TOBI to prevent relative movement between the member of the casing and the TOBI.

Blades, vanes, and other components of gas turbine engines which are heated by a hot gas stream, such as turbine components for example, can be cooled by air compressed upstream within the engine and flowed to the turbine components. A tangential on-board injector (TOBI) is used for this purpose, where an inlet of the TOBI receives compressed air, typically produced by the compressor, and discharges a stream of cooling air tangentially to the rotating turbine assembly. Improvements of such TOBIs are however sought.


A labware adapter having a tubular body with upper and lower spaced apart annular collars, serving to guide the adapter into a rotor bore, while at the same time defining a fluid reservoir between the two collars and the inside wall of the rotor. The upper collar has peripheral indentations through which fluid can pass for ingress into the reservoir in the event of sample leakage from the internal portion of the adapter. The lower collar has a vent channel for allowing fluid to move past the collar, for example on insertion of the adapter into a rotor bore. The indentations, vent channel and reservoir all provide mass relief for the adapter, lowering the overall moment of inertia for the adapter, compared to one fitting into the same bore with a smooth tubular shape. The tubular body has an annular ridge above the upper annular collar defining seal glands so that a cylindrical cap can be fit over the ridge in sealed relation with the tubular body. The cap is threadless and is pressed over elastomer seals in the seal glands. Centrifugal loading of the cap onto the tubular body enhances sealing action.

Adapters are frequently used in centrifuges to reduce bore size in rotors, particularly when specimens are confined in sealed labware. Specimens which are toxic, corrosive, sensitive to the ambient environment or accurately measured are often contained in sealed cuvettes, flasks or the like to preserve specimen integrity. When there is a need to centrifuge such specimens, researchers prefer to maintain the specimens in the same container. However, often the available centrifuge rotors have bores which are too large for such sealed containers.
Although bore reduction adapters are known, labware failure is a concern because toxic or corrosive specimens which leak from the labware can infiltrate the environment of the centrifuge location. Labware failure and labware seal failure can be expected in centrifuges because as the speed of use increases, so does seal pressure. Specimens may then, by centripetal force, attack further seals and possibly escape from the centrifuge, especially where the centrifuge chamber pressure is low, i.e. below ambient, say one-quarter atmosphere and below. Some laboratories require double and even triple seals to prevent accidental contamination of the laboratory environment.
Seals for centrifuge rotors which use centrifugal force to force a cap or plug against a container are known. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,127,895 to R. Pawlovich; 5,395,001 to P. Moore; 5,361,922 to P. Moore et al.; 4,304,356 to S. Chulay et al.; 4,290,550 to S. Chulay et al.; 4,080,175 to S. Chulay et al.; and 4,076,170 to S. Chulay et al., all assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In some of these patents, deformable o-rings are used as part of the seal mechanism. Tapered surfaces, annular ridges and annular grooves are all employed, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,001 to achieve a sealed sample.
An object of the invention was to devise a rotor adapter which incorporates good seals, which provides protection in the event of labware failure, which is easy to insert into, and remove from, a rotor and which seals easily.

Self-seating self-sealing labware adapter


A hard disk drive (HDD) uses a technique for setting the initial servo track pitch for a servo system by using a secondary actuator, such as a microactuator or a milliactuator. The actuator of the HDD is positioned against a crash stop and a burst pattern is written on a hard disk while the read/write head is in a first position. A bias voltage of the secondary actuator is incrementally changed to change the position of the read/write head and a burst pattern is written for each change. The overlap is determined as a sum of the averaged amplitudes of the burst patterns that are adjacent to a selected burst pattern divided by the averaged amplitude of the selected burst pattern. The process is terminated when the determined overlap for each selected burst pattern is within a selected criterion of a target overlap value.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hard disk drives (HDDs). More particularly, the present invention relates to a technique for setting the initial servo track pitch for a Self-Servo Writing (SSW) process.
Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary hard disk drive (HDD) 100 having a magnetic read/write head (or a recording slider) 101 that includes, for example, an offset head, that is positioned over a selected track on a magnetic disk 102 using a dual-stage servo system for writing data to and/or reading data from disk 102. Data is recorded in arrays of concentric data information tracks on the surface of disk 102. While HDD 100 shows only a single magnetic disk 102, HDDs typically have a plurality of stacked, commonly rotated rigid magnetic disks.
The dual-stage servo system of HDD 100 includes an actuator 105, a voice-coil motor (VCM) 104, for coarse positioning a read/write head suspension 106, and a secondary actuator, such as a microactuator or micropositioner, for fine positioning read/write head 101 over a selected track. As used herein, a microactuator (or a micropositioner) is a small actuator that is placed between a suspension and a slider and moves the slider relative to the suspension.
FIG. 2 depicts a cross-section of an exemplary suspension and microactuator arrangement 200 that includes a suspension 201, a microactuator 205 and a slider 209. Suspension 201 includes a load beam 202, a dimple 203 and a flexure 204. Microactuator 205 includes a substrate 206, a microactuator structure 207 and at least one flexure element 208. Substrate 206 is the stationary structure of microactuator 205. Microactuator structure 207 is the movable structure of microactuator 205. Slider 209 includes a read element 210 and a write element 211 that is offset from read element 201.
Track accessing and following is typically provided by a servo system of an HDD by using magnetically written patterns, referred to as servo patterns, that are stored on at least one magnetic disk of an HDD. One common type of servo pattern arrangement that is used is referred to as a dedicated servo system in which one surface of one of the hard disks is used for storing all the servo patterns. Another common type of servo pattern arrangement that is used is referred to as a sector servo system in which a small portion of a track between each sector or between several sectors on each track on each data surface is used for storing the servo patterns. Yet another common type of servo pattern arrangement that is used is referred to as a hybrid servo system in which both dedicated and servo-sector type servo system techniques are used, thereby obtaining advantages of each respective type of servo system.
One technique that is used for writing servo patterns on the disk or disks of an HDD uses special equipment referred to as a servo writer system. A servo writer system includes, for example, a laser-measured access system for accurately positioning the heads of the servo writer system over the disks of the HDD for accurately writing the servo patterns. The HDD is clamped to a servo writer in order to maintain accurate positioning between the HDD and the servo writer. U.S. Pat. No. 6,519,107 B1 to Ehrlich et al. discloses an exemplary a technique for writing servo patterns onto a magnetic hard disk drive.
One drawback of using a servo writer system is that it must be used in a clean environment in order to reduce the probability of contamination of the HDD because the HDD is open during the servo pattern writing process. Additionally, the resonances of the HDD change when the HDD is unclamped from the servo writer. Consequently, the servo system of the HDD does not perfectly follow the servo patterns, resulting in repeatable runout that makes determination of being on-track difficult by the servo system.
Self-servo writing (SSW) techniques have been developed for reducing the drawbacks associated writing servo patterns using a servo writer. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,955 to Brown et al. relates to a self-servo writing (SSW) technique in which servo information is written on a magnetic disk starting at a first crash stop of an HDD. The head writing the servo information is moved toward the other crash stop until the detected amplitude of the just-written servo information equals a predetermined amount, at which point more servo information is written. Movement of the head and writing of the next servo pattern continues across the disk until the second crash stop is encountered. U.S. Pat. No. 6,429,989 B1 to Shultz et al. relates to an SSW technique that writes timing marks across the surface of a magnetic disk based on detecting both the passage of the timing marks and writing radial extensions to timing marks at substantially the same circumferential positions.
One aspect of an SSW process is that the initial servo track pitch is set at the beginning of the SSW process. The compliance of the Inner Diameter (ID) crash stop and a predetermined amount of VCM current are used for producing a set of equally spaced tracks in a radial direction that are used as the basis for the radial propagation across the entire surface of the disk during the next phase of the SSW process. FIG. 3 shows a flowchart 300 for an exemplary conventional initial servo track-pitch-setting technique that is performed at the beginning of a conventional SSW process. At step 301, the motor driving the magnetic disks of the HDD is driven at the desired servowriter speed. At step 302, the actuator is unlatched from the ramp and the read/write heads are loaded onto the disk surface at a controlled speed. At step 303, the actuator is biased so that the read/write head is against the ID crash stop and the actuator is made ready for the SSW process. At step 304, burst patterns are written using a predetermined VCM current for a predetermined number of tracks, such as 16 tracks. Usually, 100-200 bursts are written per one disk revolution. For example, if the track has 200 sectors (sectors 0-199), a burst in written in each of sectors 0-199. The burst write timing and the VCM current are changed for each servo track.
FIG. 4 depicts the result of the exemplary servo initial track-pitch-setting technique shown in FIG. 3 after bursts are written for 16 tracks. FIG. 4 shows 16 servo tracks of two sectors, sectors 0 and 1. The lower portion of FIG. 4 is at the ID of the disk and the upper portion is toward the OD of the disk. Bursts b0-b15 have been written in each sector 0 and 1. Disk rotation is from right to left.
After the burst pattern has been written, the head is moved toward the innermost portion of the disk at step 305 and burst b0, i.e., the burst pattern located closest to the ID of the disk, is located using the read sensor of the read/write head. At step 306, the read/write head is moved toward outer diameter using very small steps of VCM current and bursts b1 and b2 are located. At step 307, the read sensor portion of the head is positioned over the center of burst b1 so that the amplitude of burst b0 equals the amplitude of burst b2 and the amplitude of burst b1 is a maximum. At step 308, the respective amplitudes of bursts b0, b1 and b2 are measured during several disk revolutions and averaged.
At step 309, the overlap is calculated, defined as Overlap=(b0+b2)/b1, in which b0, b1 and b2 are the respective averaged amplitudes of bursts b0, b1 and b2. At step 310, the head is moved toward the OD of the disk measuring and averaging the amplitudes of each burst b2-b14 and their respectively adjacent bursts, and calculating the overlap similar to the overlap calculation defined in step 309. For each measurement in step 310, the read sensor portion of the head is positioned over the center of the burst for which the overlap measurement is being made (i.e., the center of each burst b2-b14), so that the amplitudes of the bursts that are adjacent to the burst being measures are equal and the amplitude of the burst being measured is a maximum. At step 311, the calculated overlaps are compared to a target overlap value, such as 0.9. If, at step 311, the difference between the calculated overlaps and the target overlap value is within a selected criterion, such as 2%, the flow continues to step 312 and the initial track-pitch-setting technique is terminated.
If, at step 312, the calculated overlap is not within the selected criterion of the target overlap value, then flow continues to step 313 where it is determined whether the calculated overlap is greater than the target overlap value. If, at step 313, the calculated overlap is greater than the target overlap value, flow continues to step 314 where the predetermined VCM current interval is increased an increment. Flow continues to step 315. If, at step 313, the calculated overlap is less than the target overlap value, flow continues to step 316 where the predetermined VCM current overlap is decreased an increment. Flow continues to step 315 where all previously written bursts are erased. Flow continues to step 303 with the new predetermined VCM current and the process is repeated until the calculated overlap is within the selected criterion of the target overlap value.
At the end of initial servo track setting process of FIG. 3, a set of equally spaced tracks in the radial direction (i.e., 16 tracks having a few hundreds of burst patterns) have been created. The patterns are located at inner diameter portion of the disk. A conventional SSW uses the initial track-pitch-setting technique for compensating for a head having a large read/write offset. That is, the edge of the actuator touches the ID crash stop so no servo control is necessary for placing the head at the center of each burst. The number of written tracks must be greater than 2+Read/Write offset of the head in tracks because the read/write offset of the head is much greater than the servo track pitch, as depicted in FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, a head 501 includes read element 502 and write element 503, which are separated by read/write offset 504. Bursts 505 are shown written on servo tracks 506.
The conventional initial servo-track-pitch-setting technique relies on ID crash stop compliance for providing controllable, open-loop movement of the head. That is, when the actuator is pushed against the ID crash stop, i.e., step 303 in FIG. 3, the ID crash stop is compressed and the position of the head different than if the ID crash stop were not compressed. The position of the head when the ID crash stop is compressed is related to the amount of VCM current that is used for compressing the ID crash stop. FIG. 6 is a graph depicting the relationship between crash stop force (pushing force) in terms of VCM current as a function of actuator position. The VCM current values shown in FIG. 6 are representative and can change depending on the material used for the ID crash stop, the VCM torque constant, the geometry of the ID crash stop and the actuator, and other external forces. As FIG. 6 shows, ID crash stop compression, i.e., the position of the actuator, and the applied force are not linearly related. Typically, the compression range indicated by 601 is used during an initial servo track setting process. The curve of FIG. 6 is not exactly repeatable so head position at the ID crash stop is not exactly repeatable for the same VCM current. As a result, when a conventional initial servo track setting process is repeated, the process takes a lot of time. Further, additional time is required for the position of the head to settle as the head is moved across the disk based on VCM current. Moreover, the remainder of the SSW process is performed using the final predetermined fixed VCM current so the overall processing time and positional accuracy of the servo information can be adversely affected. Accordingly, expensive materials must be used for the ID crash stop because the ID crash stop compliance characteristics are critical for the initial track-pitch-setting technique.
Consequently, what is needed is a technique for setting the initial servo track pitch that does not rely on ID crash stop compliance characteristics as a basis for setting servo track pitch.

Servo self-write disk drive with dual-stage actuator

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


A first aspect of the invention is an agricultural composition comprising nanoparticles, an agrochemical active ingredient in the nanoparticles, and optionally (but in some embodiments preferably) a carrier for the nanoparticles. In some embodiments, the nanoparticles are viral particles or capsids, particularly plant viral particles or capsids. In some embodiments, the carrier comprises an inert or biodegradable carrier (e.g., a solid carrier) to which the nanoparticles are bound or in which the nanoparticles are suspended. In some embodiments, the carrier comprises inert or biodegradable polymer fibers.

Plant parasitic nematodes are one of the world's major agricultural pests, causing in excess of $125 billion in worldwide crop damage annually. As these parasitic roundworms attack crop root systems, they feed upon crucial growth nutrients reducing crop yields. The surviving plants also are more vulnerable to secondary infections, drought, and lodging due to severely compromised root systems. The phylum Nematoda includes cosmopolitan plant parasites that impact virtually every crop plant in every agricultural setting. On some crops, such as soybean, nematodes are clearly recognized as the major pest. Nematode-infected crops with major economic losses include soybeans, potatoes, bananas, cotton, corn, citrus, strawberries, tomatoes, coffee, carrots, peppers, turf, and greenhouse ornamentals.
The majority of nematicides comprise highly toxic contact and fumigant pesticides that are either heavily restricted or eliminated entirely for use in the United States by the Environmental Protection Agency. Similar restrictions have occurred in other countries. Organophosphate and carbamate contact nematicides are non-specific neurotoxins ranking among the most dangerous pesticides for humans, birds, fish, bees, and other non-target organisms. It is clear that an innovative solution to replace the traditional method of nematode control is imperative to the protection of the world food supply chain.
In general, applications of non-fumigant nematicides require 5-8 lbs active ingredient per acre to provide effective nematode control. Large quantities of this active ingredient need to be applied to the soil because only a very minor portion ever comes in contact with the plant roots or the nematodes. In addition, non-target species are also severely impacted by this high application of toxin. Given the toxicity of these agents as noted above, such techniques have severe limitations.
Accordingly, there is a need for new compositions and methods of applying nematicides and other agricultural active agents to the treatment of plants.

Nanotechnology system for agricultural applications


A unitary guide body which includes structural elements for tape loading and unloading, particularly for use in a VCR deck, which is constructed to include as a part of the unitary guide body a pair of guide grooves for guiding a pair of slant bases acting to load a tape to a drum, a guide groove formed adjacent to one of the slant base guide grooves for guiding a tape guide roller, stoppers disposed adjacent to leading ends of the guide groove to position the slant bases and the guide roller, a drum receiving recess for slantly mounting a drum at an inclination angle of a given angle, a plurality of drum fastening holes, a shaft for an I-shaped roller, and a main slant post, which provide for an enhanced production rate of the elements forming parts of the unitary guide body while overall product quality is maintained.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tape transport and guide structure for a video cassette recorder (VCR), which transports a tape and positions a drum in a tape loading and unloading apparatus of the VCR, which transfers the tape in a cassette to bring it into and out of engagement with the drum.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a drive mechanism of a tape loading and unloading apparatus which brings a tape for a video cassette recorder(VCR) into and out of engagement with a drum is of any one of two types: a ring type utilizing two rotary rings and a cam type utilizing cams. The conventional tape loading apparatus of a VCR deck, which has the ring type drive mechanism commercially available from Gold Star Co., Ltd. in Korea, under Model NO. GS-CIP is in the form as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings, which comprises a pair of slant bases (2) each having a guide roller(1) and disposed on a guide rail(4) for movement along a pair of guide grooves(3) of the rail, V-shaped stoppers(5) functioning to stop the movement of the slant bases(2) along the guide grooves(3), thereby determining a final position of the tape, a drum base (not shown in FIG. 3 because it is located under a drum(6) slantly supporting the drum(6) at an incline of a given angle, a main slant post(7) turning round the drum, and a main slant post stopper(8) having a stopping groove (8a) for receiving the main slant post(7). In addition, a pair of support shafts (9a, 9b) defining a reference plane for a cassette are fixedly mounted on a main base of the deck, on which the drum base is disposed, at positions adjacent to the tape supply and take-up reels, respectively.
With the construction having such principal elements, as can be seen in FIG. 4 showing a tape transport system, the tape(10) is brought into engagement with the drum(6) by the movement of the guide rollers(1) mounted on the slant bases(2) from stationary positions shown in FIG. 3 to positions in FIG. 4 along the guide grooves(3) of the guide rail(4) and the movement of the main slant post(7) round the drum. In this loaded state, a picture can be recorded on the tape through the drum, or a picture previously recorded on the tape may be played back.
At this point, the turning movement of the main slant post causes the tape to be passed through the drum at a given angle which is kept in a vertically oriented posture by means of a main slant post turning mechanism as shown in FIG. 5. More specifically, when the driving force of a loading motor (not shown) is transmitted to a loading gear(11), the gear rotates a cam gear(13) through a connecting gear(12) interposed between them. At this time, since a pin(17) of a lever cam(14) is received in a curved groove (13a) formed in the cam gear(13) to be slidingly movable along the groove, the rotation of the loading gear(11) leads to counterclockwise rotation of a lower toothed end(14a) of the lever cam(14) through a series of gears comprising the loading gear(11), the connecting gear(12), the cam gear(13) and the lever cam (14), thereby resulting in clockwise rotation of a gear(16) of a post arm(15), which is engaged with the toothed end(14a). As a result, the post arm(15) is rotated from a position as indicated by the two-dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 5 to a position as indicated by the solid line, so that the main slant post (7) fixed to a free end of the post arm(15) is moved toward and received in the stopping groove(8a) of the main slant post stopper(8), thereby guiding the travel of the tape.
During the turning movement of the main slant post, a pair of the slant bases(2) movable along the guide grooves(3) are also moved from a stop position of the guide rail as shown in FIG. 3 to a position of the V-shaped stopper mounted on the drum base along a pair of the semicircular guide grooves (3) formed in the guide rail(4) by means of a loading mechanism (not shown), whereby the guide rollers(1) on the slant bases(2) bring the tape into engagement with the drum(6). The other of the V-shaped stoppers (5) functioning to stop the movement of the slant bases is not shown in FIG. 3 because it is positioned behind the drum(6).
In the cam type drive mechanism (commercially available from SONY Company in Japan, under Model No. TR-55) other than the above described ring type drive mechanism acting to load the tape by means of the rotary ring gear, the basic operation of loading and unloading the tape us substantially the same as that of the ring type. The cam type is, however, different from the ring type in that the former utilizes a cam gear and a folding lever for moving the slant bases so as to engage the tape with the drum, in place of the ring gear of the latter. In addition, the cam type drive mechanism does not carry out the turning movement of the main slant post by the post turning mechanism as described above, but utilizes a main slant post fixedly mounted at a given angle and a separate tape guide roller movable along a guide groove formed in a guide rail in order to permit the tape passed through the main slant post via the guide roller to be maintained in a vertically oriented posture.
As described above, both the ring type and cam type drive mechanisms are complex in construction, requiring a plurality of parts. More particularly, the ring type drive mechanism comprises a plurality of parts, such as the guide rail for guiding the moving slant bases, the drum base for mounting the drum, the V-shaped stoppers, the movable main slant post, the support shafts for supporting the cassette, and the main slant post turning device, all of the them being mounted on a main base, while the cam type drive mechanism comprises a plurality of parts, such as the guide rail for guiding the moving slant bases, the stoppers mounted on the guide rail, the drum base for mounting the drum, the fixedly mounted main slant post, and the tape guide roller movable on the guide rail, all of them being individually mounted on a main base. As a result, finishing and assembly errors of the respective parts may adversely affect stability of the entire tape transport system and product quality. Further, the requirement for a plurality of the elements results in complicated, tedious assembly work and lower manufacturing efficiency.

Unitary body for mounting tape transport elements


The present invention includes a first plate (14) and a second plate (15) which perform a coarse adjustment of a cylinder mirror (245) by moving the cylinder mirror (245) linearly in the substantially vertical and parallel directions with respect to an appropriate plane surface of a reflective surface (RS) of the cylinder mirror (245), and the second plate (15), a second plate opening section (15b), a setscrew (24), and a hexagon shaft (25) which perform a fine adjustment in the position of the cylinder mirror (245) by moving linearly only in the substantially parallel direction after the coarse adjustment has been completed.

In an image forming device, e.g. digital copying machine, optical printer, etc., with optical scanning and recording in a conventional electrophotographic system, used is an optical scanning arrangement in which an image carrier such as a photoconductor drum and an optical scanning unit such as an LSU (Laser Scanning Unit) and an LED (Light Emitting Diode) line head are positioned mutually in a predetermined positional relation in a frame of a main body. Also, with optical beams modulated in accordance with image data in the optical scanning unit, the image carrier surface is scanned and exposed so that images are recorded and reproduced.
In such an optical scanning arrangement, a positional relation between the image carrier and the optical scanning unit affects image quality of images to be recorded and reproduced.
Consequently, in order to adjust the mutual positional relation between the image carrier and the optical scanning unit, adopted are a method of adjusting a position for installing the optical scanning unit itself or a method of adjusting a reflection mirror positioned just in front of a scanning target such as the photoconductor drum.
Further, in case of a plurality of scanning beams, adjustment in the positional relation between the scanning target and the optical scanning unit can be arranged by a method of mounting the optical scanning unit in a case including the scanning target after adjusting a position for mounting the optical scanning unit so that the plurality of scanning beams run in parallel. Alternatively, adjustment for each optical scanning unit can be arranged in installing each optical scanning unit in the case.
The above methods have been devised to adjust a deviation of the positional relation between the scanning target and the optical scanning unit for the purpose of obtaining an excellent image quality.
Incidentally, as to a color image forming device, a so-called image forming device in tandem system, utilizing a plurality of image carries and optical scanning units having the number corresponding to the number of the image carriers, has been developed in recent years in order to increase a speed of color image formation. In the image forming device in tandem system (hereinafter referred to as "tandem apparatus"), optical scanning units have been arranged separately, and adjustment in mutual positions between the image carriers and the optical scanning units has been carried out by a method of adjusting a position for mounting the optical scanning unit.
However, in the conventional optical scanning arrangement, the optical scanning units are adjusted by each unit, resulting in a subtle deviation occurred between the optical scanning units and the scanning target after installing them in a main apparatus. Although this deviation can be adjusted by adjustment in the position of the reflection mirror as described above, it is necessary to move the reflection mirror and its supporting member together. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the position of the mirror not only in a wide area but also in multi-directions. Because of this, there is a problem of difficulty in fine adjustment.
Further, in case of the tandem apparatus which has the plurality of optical scanning units, there has been a problem of a high cost. Therefore, considered has been an optical scanning arrangement in a system in which optical deflecting means for scanning with beam are shared, and a single optical deflecting means scan with a plurality of scanning beams.
Thus, in the optical scanning arrangement in such a system that the single optical deflecting means scans with the plurality of scanning beams, an optical scanning unit has one-unit-structure. Therefore, in the previous method of adjusting the positions for mounting the optical scanning units for positional deviations of the image carriers, it is impossible to perform the positional adjustment of each optical scanning line corresponding to each image carrier. More specifically, only a method of adjusting the position of the mirror disposed in a light path between the optical deflecting means and each image carrier can adjust the positional deviation.
Therefore, in order to adjust the positional deviation which occurs after the optical scanning arrangement has been installed to the main apparatus, the movement of the mirror position is required. Also, in the method of adjusting by moving the mirror position, desired are the movement of the mirror position only in a certain direction and a small influence on images with the movement of the mirror position; especially, the influence on scanning properties is desired as small as possible.

Optical scanning arrangement and image forming device with the arrangement


The invention relates to a method for process-variable-dependent identification signal emission for a closed-loop and/or open-loop control program with cyclic sampling of process variables from a technical process. A threshold value crossing time (ts1, ts3) is determined from at least two previous samples (AT1, AT2, AT5-AT7) of a process variable (P). At this time, an identification signal can be triggered, which can call up a single-stage or multi-stage command sequence. The threshold value crossing time (ts1-ts3) can likewise be determined with the aid of a mathematical approximation function and the samples (AT1, AT2, AT5-AT7). A timing mechanism can be started in the predicted sampling cycle (A12 to A89) preceding the threshold value crossing (SD1-SD3) using a time difference (ZD1-ZD3) remaining until the threshold value crossing (SD1-SD3). The threshold value crossing time (ts1-ts3) is determined once again using a further, subsequent sample (AT1, AT2, AT5-AT7) and the approximation function, and the remaining time difference (ZD1-ZD3) of the timing mechanism is adapted once again if necessary.

Today, machines and systems are controlled by microcomputer-aided control assemblies in which process variables of the technical process, such as movement, pressure, temperature etc., are processed in an open-loop and/or closed-loop control program. The process variables are generally sampled and processed cyclically. At the sampling time, the instantaneous values of the process variables are recorded, and they are passed on for processing. In the time period between the two samples, the open-loop and/or closed-loop control program refers to the instantaneous values during processing steps.
For specific control tasks, it is necessary to generate specific identification signals for a machine or system when threshold values of a process variable are overshot or undershot. Additional comparison and circuit parts in the form of memories are provided for this purpose, in which the instantaneous value of the process variable is continuously compared with the threshold value. An identification signal is generated if the threshold value is crossed in a specific direction, or is in the region between two threshold values. One such comparison and circuit part is required for each process variable to be monitored.
The object of the invention is to provide a cost-effective and technically optimized solution for monitoring the overshooting or undershooting of process variable threshold values in a technical system in which process parameters are sampled cyclically.

Method for process-variable-dependent identification signal emission


Disclosed herein are an apparatus and method for discovering a communication entity. The apparatus for discovering a communication entity includes a list generation unit for generating a list of connection target Data Readers (DRs), a counter generation unit for generating a counter including information about a number of the connection target DRs, and a discovery message communication unit for establishing communication connections to the connection target DRs based on the list and the counter. The discovery message communication unit includes a transmission unit for transmitting a DR discovery message including data topic information or possible service quality information to each of the connection target DRs, and a reception unit for receiving a Data Writer (DW) discovery message including data topic information or possible service quality information from each of the connection target DRs.

1. Field
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for discovering a communication entity and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for discovering a communication entity, which can provide efficient and reliable communication between communication nodes requiring interaction in a complex system composed of large-scale physical nodes.
2. Description of Related Art
When communication entities that are targets to be connected are directly recognized and connection information thereof is managed upon establishing a communication connection, a communication connection needs only to be directly established based on connection information if interaction is required. However, as the number of communication entities constituting the entire application domain has rapidly increased, the number of data types to be exchanged and the number of services to be provided has also rapidly increased. Accordingly, it is difficult for individual nodes to manage such data types and services on the whole, and pieces of data and a number of services provided/requested for respective nodes may vary depending on the states of the nodes, thus making it realistically impossible for each node to previously set/manage information about counterpart communication entities to which the corresponding node is to be connected. In order to perform such a function, communication middleware has appeared, and Data Distribution Service (DDS) technology standardized by Object Management Group (OMG) has been widely used based on the field of national defense. Further, in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2008-0001144 or the like, a method of recognizing a communication entity which will request/provide the corresponding data or service at the time at which data or service is actually required and searching for connection information about the corresponding entity has been introduced. Since a method of discovering a communication entity must find connection information about a target entity in a state in which the target entity is not recognized, two types of methods are chiefly used. One is a method of requesting information related to a communication connection from unspecified communication entities constituting the entire application domain and receiving a response to the request in a multicasting/broadcasting manner. The other is a method of providing a server at the center of the domain, registering data or service information to be provided/requested by the corresponding node itself on the server, searching for the data or service information, and acquiring connection information about a counterpart communication entity have been chiefly used. As in the case of the latter, when the server is placed at the center, there is a disadvantage in that when the server is not desirably operated, it is difficult to execute the entire application. In the case of the former, distributed processing is possible, so that, even if a specific node is malfunctioning, there is little influence exerted on the entire application, but there is a disadvantage in that, when a network to connect communication entities constituting the entire application domain does not support broadcasting or multicasting, it is difficult to apply the former method.

Method and apparatus for discovering communication entity

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


This patent pertains to a platform device upon which a person, equipment or both are supported above a ground surface in which the build-up of debris and moisture is impeded. The sanitary platform system is comprised of two or more main rails having square cross-sections that are on diamond and are side-by-side with a space between the main rails; one or more standard web brackets comprised of a plate, two or more tabs and a perimeter defining an opening for receiving a main rail on diamond which are mounted in spaced-apart relation along the length of each of the main rails; two or more vertical legs supporting each of the main rails above the ground surface, and one or more deck plates welded to the tabs of the standard web bracket.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to platform devices comprising a surface element upon which a person, equipment or both are supported and more particularly, to platforms in which the build-up of debris and moisture is impeded.
2. Related Art
A platform is a raised deck above a ground surface (e.g., the floor of a building) with open space underneath the deck. The deck is raised by an understructure of horizontal beams and vertical columns. A platform is utilized as a work area and/or to support machinery (e.g., a weighing scale). It is often desirable to have a platform overlying a conveyor that transports articles.
Platforms are used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. When so used, pieces of meat, food, powders and other debris accumulate on the platform; especially, the understructure. The food and pharmaceutical industries require sanitary conditions. The platforms are put through a wash cycle which involves spraying with water or water-based cleaners. The wash cycle is not fully effective in removing debris and sanitizing the platform. Platforms are currently required by law to be Hazardous Analysis of Critical Control Point ("HACCP") compliant and Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") compliant.
The prior art teaches a platform understructure of horizontal beams made out of square tubing which are connected in a perpendicular configuration to vertical columns that are made out of square tubing. This connection is accomplished through flange plates, nuts and bolts and assembly is labor intensive.
The horizontal beams are oriented such that a top (and a bottom) flat side of the square tube is essentially parallel to the ground surface. This orientation for the horizontal beam is called "lying on flat." The horizontal beams which are lying on flat are of limited structural strength and several spaced-apart parallel horizontal beams are needed to support wider platforms or platforms bearing heavier loads. The flat surfaces of the horizontal beams which are parallel to the ground surface are collection surfaces for water and debris and are bacterial growth zones.
There is a stiffener bar extending at a 45 degree angle from a vertical column to a mating horizontal beam. The junction between the stiffener bar and vertical column forms a pocket or region called a dead corner. In this dead corner, debris and water collect and the dead corner is a bacterial growth zone. The stiffener bar is connected to beams and columns by flange plates, nuts and bolts and assembly is labor intensive.
Deck plates are welded to spacer runners affixed to the top of horizontal beams. This welding involves long running welds that span the width and/or length of the deck plate. Such long running welds cause thermal expansion of the deck plates and in turning bowing of the plates. This in turn results in areas where water pools and a bacterial growth zone.
Oftentimes, a deck plate overhangs beyond a spacer runner. In such a case, loads on the deck plate impose a cantilever. This in turn results in a bending of the deck plate to create a slide surface for debris to fall into whatever is under the platform; e.g., a conveyor carrying food or pharmaceutical product.
The platform may be provided with a guard rail at its perimeter. Like the understructure, the guard rail is made out of square tubing with horizontal tubes lying on flat and mating with vertical tubes in a perpendicular configuration. Vertical tubes that extend up to or above the top surface of a horizontal tube terminate in a flat end that is essentially parallel to the ground surface. These flat surfaces that are substantially parallel to the ground are collection surfaces for debris and water and a bacterial growth zone.
The platform system of the prior art is unsatisfactory. Assembly of the platform is labor intensive due to the large number of beams, columns and stiffener bars that need to be assembled and the utilization of nuts and bolts to secure beams, columns and stiffener bars. The long running welds to secure Deck Plates to the spacer runners causes thermal expansion and bending of the Deck Plates. This results in a depression which can collect debris and water from washing and be a growth zone for bacteria.
The sanitation of the platform system of the prior art is unsatisfactory. Small pieces of meat, food, powders and debris (collectively referred to as debris) collect on the top flat surface of the horizontal beams, in the gap between spacer runners and Deck Plates and on the horizontal tubes of the guard rail. Debris also collect in dead corners formed between a vertical column and a stiffener bar extending at a 45 degree angle from the vertical column. The wash cycle is ineffective in removing this debris and the wash cycle itself results in a collection of water (or moisture) in these same places. The debris and water are a bacterial growth zone.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a platform that resists water and debris build-up; has increased strength; is easier, quicker and less expensive to assemble; and is HACCP and FDA compliant.
The present invention satisfies these needs, as well as others, and generally overcomes the presently known deficiencies in the art.

Sanitary platform utilizing a web bracket


To provide an ultrafine particle grouting composition which is excellent in dispersibility and dispersion retainability and can be easily injected into minute spaces between particles of grounds, rock cracks, and the like. An ultrafine particle grouting composition comprising ultrafine particle cement, wherein the ultrafine particle grouting composition is at least one selected from the group consisting of the following (i) and (ii): (i) the ultrafine particle grouting composition comprises ultrafine particle cement (A) and a polycarboxylic acid dispersant (C), and the ultrafine particle cement (A) comprises blast furnace slag and gypsum, and

Cement particles-containing grouting composition are used by being injected into spaces between particles of grounds or rock cracks for water shutoff, prevention of liquefaction, improvement of soft grounds, or prevention of leakage of toxic substances. Such compositions have been widely used in foundation works in civil engineering and construction. Such compositions have been used for ground improvement (ground reinforcement) and water shutoff at the time of construction of barrage, tunnel, subway, waterworks and sewer, and the like. Slurry cement grouting compositions obtained by mixing a cement grout with water and stirring the mixture have been used as such cement grouting compositions. In this case, dispersants are used in order to enhance dispersibility of the cement particles, thereby improving performances thereof as a grouting composition. Slurries obtained by mixing a cement grout, a dispersant, and water with each other and stirring the mixture have been used. Examples of such a cement grout include Ordinary Portland cement, High early strength Portland cement, blast furnace cement, colloid cement, and ultrafine particle cement. The particle diameter of the cement grout is important for performances of the cement grouting compositions. The injectability of the composition can be improved by reducing the particle diameter, generally. The ultrafine particle cement is the most excellent in injectability and useful, among the cement grouts.
If the slurry ultrafine particle cement grouting composition is used, the dispersant is essential in order to prevent aggregation of the particles in the cement grout and thereby improve and maintain the performances of the grouting composition. Naphthalene dispersants used as a cement dispersant have been used, because the ultrafine particle cement grouting composition contains a cement component. Normal type naphthalene dispersants and retardation type naphthalene dispersants have been mainly used as such naphthalene dispersants. The normal type naphthalene dispersants have been desired to be more excellent in dispersibility. The retardation type naphthalene dispersants have been desired to be more excellent by reducing the setting retardation. In a cement dispersant field, polycarboxylic acid dispersants have been used as cement dispersants with high dispersion functions. However, for ultrafine particle cement grouting compositions, the polycarboxylic acid dispersants were inferior to naphthalene dispersants in permeability, permeability retainability, and setting characteristics. That is, advantages of the polycarboxylic acid dispersants have not been recognized conventionally even if the polycarboxylic acid dispersants used in the cement dispersant field are used for the ultrafine particle cement grouting composition.
For example, Japanese Kokai Publication No. Hei-08-319484, Japanese Kokai Publication No. Hei-08-41455, Japanese Kokai Publication No. Hei-11-116316, and Japanese Kokai Publication No. 2004-231884 disclose technologies of using a conventional polycarboxylic acid dispersant for an ultrafine particle cement grouting composition. However, in these technologies, polycarboxylic acid dispersants which are commercially available in the cement dispersant field are used. No polycarboxylic acid dispersants which can exhibit sufficient performances in the ultrafine particle cement grouting composition field, in comparison to the naphthalene dispersants, have been known. That is, the grouting compositions contain cement, but are used under the condition that a ratio of water to cement is higher than that in concrete or mortar. Further, the particle size of the cement particles contained in the compositions is largely different from that of the cement particles contained in concrete or mortar. Therefore, sufficient performances were not obtained if the technologies of the polycarboxylic acid dispersants in a conventional cement dispersant field are applied for the grouting compositions. Therefore, the ultrafine particle grouting compositions have been desired to sufficiently exhibit various characteristics needed as an ultrafine particle grouting composition, such as permeation performances, permeation retainability performances, and setting characteristics, by taking advantage of the polycarboxylic acid dispersants.
Mixtures which contains Portland cement or Portland cement clinker (hereinafter, referred to as cement clinker), blast furnace slag and gypsum and has the maximum particle diameter of about 10 to 16 μm have been used as conventional ultrafine particle cement grouts.
Japanese Patent No. 3423913 discloses, for example, ultrafine particle cement composed of particles in which an amount of particles with about 2 μm or less and the particle size are specified for improving dispersibility or reducing an apparent coarsening of the particles caused by aggregation. Such ultrafine particle cement within a specific particle size range has improved injectability in comparison with that of the conventional ultrafine particle cement. However, such cement can not be injected in some cases because of the particle diameter, depending on spaces between particles or rock cracks into which the cement is injected. Accordingly, an ultrafine particle cement grouting composition excellent in injectability and capable of corresponding to various grounds or rocks has been desired.
Ultrafine particle cements with a particle diameter smaller than necessary, for example, super ultrafine particle cements having a particle diameter smaller than that of the ultrafine particle cements have a strong aggregation function. Therefore, aggregation between the particles is found even in dry state, and a phenomenon in which an aggregation rate in a slurry is extremely high is observed. Accordingly, the particles in the slurry tend to disperse insufficiently, and the aggregation accelerates the apparent coarsening of the particles. Use of such a slurry as a grout causes reduction in injectability (for example, referring to Akira Mori, Masahito Tamura, Yasushi Aoki, "Permeability limit of ultrafine particle grout", Japan Society of Civil Engineers collected papers, No. 426/V-14, pp 237-240 (1991. 2))
Because of the above-mentioned circumstances, Japanese Kokai Publication No. Hei-03-26783 discloses a high-pressure dispersion treatment method or Japanese Kokai Publication No. 2000-70700 discloses a method of removing aggregated particles after ultrasonic treatment, in order to enhance the dispersibility of the cement particles and thereby improve the injectability. However, in these methods, particular devices are needed and the production lines are complicated, or the particles tend to be aggregated again after the dispersion treatment. Therefore, these methods have room for improvement in order to enhance the dispersion retainability and the like and thereby improve the injectability. The method of removing aggregated particles after ultrasonic treatment is also insufficient in injection efficiency because slurry which should be discarded is generated. Therefore, practical application of an ultrafine particle cement grout-containing grouting composition expected to have extremely high injectability is needed. There is room for improvement in order to improve the dispersibility or the dispersion retainability of the ultrafine particle cement grout by an industrially simple method, and to provide a composition which is advantageous also in terms of injection efficiency.

Abstract: the ultrafine particle cement (A) has 10% by volume or less of particles having a particle diameter of 16 μm or more in powder form of the cement; and (ii) the ultrafine particle grouting composition comprises ultrafine particle cement (B) and a polycarboxylic acid dispersant (D), and the ultrafine particle cement (B) comprises 2 to 25% by weight of cement clinker containing 5% by weight or less of 3CaO.Al2O3, 74 to 97% by weight of blast furnace slag, and 1 to 5% by weight of gypsum, and the ultrafine particle cement (B) has 60 to 80% by volume of particles having a particle diameter of 1 to 5 μm in powder form of the cement.


A high speed, rotary lobe gear pump assembly is provided which combines a positive displacement lobe gear pump having wipers with a centrifugal pump utilizing an impeller. The centrifugal pump feeds high pressure fluid flow directly into the lobe gear pump allowing the gear pump to rotate at high speeds without cavitation. The high speed capability of the pump assembly allows the lobe gear pump to operate without speed reduction gearing for the motor shaft.

Rotary lobe gear pumps are rotating, fixed volume, positive displacement pumps which utilize a pair of rotors each formed with a plurality of lobes. Lobe gear pumps have particular application in pumping shear-sensitive products because the rotating lobes of the rotors do not engage one another during operation. Lobe gear pumps use timing gears to eliminate contact between the rotors, which allows shear sensitive fluids to be pumped with minimal shear forces imposed on the fluids by the rotors. For fluids that do not contain large solids and that are not as shear sensitive, lobe gear pumps may utilize spring loaded wiper blades consisting of one or more wiper inserts that depressibly project outward from each rotor lobe to contact the adjacent rotor and the walls of the pump housing. The wiper blades provide increased efficiency by eliminating the clearance gaps by making a seal between the rotors and between the rotors and the walls of the pump housing.
Even with the improvement provided by the wiper blades, lobe gear pumps generally handle low viscosity liquids with diminished performance. The loading characteristics of lobe gear pumps are not as good as other positive displacement pump designs, and suction ability is low or moderate. The prior art wiper inserts and leaf springs are not durable enough for the high speed applications. These and other factors have prevented the use of lobe gear pumps in high speed fluid transfer applications. The low operating speeds of the lobe gear pump require a gear box to reduce the speed of the driving motor to a rotational speed utilizable by the lobe gear pump. This results in additional cost and a larger footprint for the pumping system. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a high speed lobe gear pump which overcomes one or more of these deficiencies.

Lobe gear pump with inducer assembly and centrifugal pump having one fluid flow path


A small boat with a sponson for preventing splashing of spray onto the deck of the boat. The small boat is provided with a hull sponson at an outer periphery of the hull in order to fit the deck constituting an upper part of a boat body to the hull constituting a lower part of the boat body. A deck sponson is provided at an outer periphery of the deck, and the deck sponson is overlaid so as to bond with the hull sponson. The extent of projection of one member of the hull sponson and the deck sponson at the front section of the boat body is larger than the extent of projection of a member of the hull sponson and the deck sponson at a second member of the boat body. As a result, when the small boat is gliding and collides with a wave, the sponson prevents spray from the wave from splashing onto the deck.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a boat provided with a sponson section at the outer periphery of the hull, and a sponson section at the outer periphery of the deck, with the respective sponson sections bonded together to form a boat body.
2. Description of Background Art
Small boats exist where a water jet pump is fitted to a rear part of a boat body, with water then being sucked in from the boat bottom as a result of an engine driving a water jet pump, and the sucked-in water then being blasted to the rear so as to cause the small boat to glide.
The small-type boat is equipped with a front hood at an upper end of the deck with a gap formed between the front hood and the deck. Air from this gap is then taken in to within the boat body, and the air that is taken in is guided through the engine (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No 2003-137188.
Here, it is necessary to ensure a gap for gathering air between the front hood and the deck, and there is the fear that sea water or water may permeate through this gap. Here, the small boat of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No 2003-137188 has a labyrinth structure for the gap between the front hood and the deck. By adopting a labyrinth structure for the gap between the front hood and the deck, it is possible to only extract air from the gap and prevent sea water and water from permeating.
FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a gliding state of a small boat of the related art. An end 101a of the boat body 101 collides with a wave 102 so as to generate spray when the small boat 100 is gliding.
The large amount of spray generated then rises along the hull 103 as shown by arrow a. It can be considered that the rising spray will pass over the hull 103 so as to splash the side of the deck 104 as shown by the arrow b.
Even in the event that the spray splashes the side of the deck 104, it is necessary to prevent the spray from permeating to within the boat body 101 using the labyrinth structure between the deck 104 and front ford 105. Because of this, even in cases where the end 101a of the boat body 101 collides with the wave 102 so as to generate spray, it is preferable that the spray created does not splash the side of the deck 104.