A developing-transferring module includes a sub frame which is detachably mounted to a main frame, a plurality of photosensitive units which are disposed inside the sub frame with a predetermined interval and includes a photosensitive body to which a developer is attached, and a intermediate transferring unit which are provided inside the sub frame disposed opposite the plurality of photosensitive units so that the developer of the photosensitive units can be primarily transferred thereto and secondarily transfers the primarily transferred developer to a record medium of the main frame.

1. Field of the Invention
A developing-transferring module and image forming apparatus having the same in accordance with the present general inventive concept relate to improving a development configuration and a transfer configuration to minimize a color alignment deviation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an image forming apparatus visualizes an image data to a record medium depending on a print signal supplied from a host. The image forming apparatus includes a record medium supplying unit loading the record medium, an image forming unit forming an image to the record medium of the record medium supplying unit, and a record medium discharging unit discharging the record medium formed with the image. In the image forming apparatus, there are a mono type visualizing the image data to the record medium in a black and white image, and a color type visualizing a color image to the record medium by a combination of four color (yellow, magenta, cyan and black) developers.
FIG. 1A is a schematic view illustrating a configuration of a conventional color type image forming apparatus 10. As illustrated therein, a conventional image forming apparatus 10 includes a record medium supplying unit (not illustrated) loading a record medium using a developing roller 22 and a photosensitive body 21, developing units 20Y, 20M, 20C and 20K of each color applying a developer to the record medium using a developing roller 22 and a photosensitive body 21, a intermediate transferring belt 41 sequentially transporting the record medium to the developing units 20Y, 20M, 20C and 20K of each color and transferring the developer to the record medium, and a light exposing unit 30 scanning light to the photosensitive body 21 to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive body 21.
An image forming method of the conventional image forming apparatus 10 is as follows. If a print signal is supplied from a host, a record medium picked up from the record medium supplying unit is transported along the intermediate transferring belt 41, and is contacted with the photosensitive body 21 of the developing unit 20 of each color. Here, a transferring roller 45 provided to a rear surface of the intermediate transferring belt 41 to correspond to the photosensitive body 21 of each color supplies a predetermined transferring voltage to transfer a developer on a surface of the photosensitive body 21 to the record medium, thereby forming an image. Here, at least two color developers are overlapped. The record medium is formed with a color image of various colors, and is discharged to the outside.
Here, if an alignment of the developer of each color applied to the record medium according to transporting of the intermediate transferring belt 41 aligns with each other, an image having a clear color is expressed as illustrated in area L of FIG. 1B. However, if the alignments of the developers of different colors do not accurately align with each other, color of an image data printed to the record medium is not clear as illustrated in area M of FIG. 1B, thereby deteriorating a print quality.
In the conventional image forming apparatus 10, each developing unit 20 is separated one another, and the intermediate transferring belt 41 is provided to be separable since the intermediate transferring belt 41 should be separated from the developing unit 20 if a record medium jam occurs on the intermediate transferring belt 41. Accordingly, a color alignment inferiority may be due to an assembling tolerance between the plurality of photosensitive bodies 21 and the intermediate transferring belt 41 in separating and coupling of the intermediate transferring belt 41, a meandering of the intermediate transferring belt 41, and a un-uniform line speed of the intermediate transferring belt 41, etc.
Also, if the temperature of the inside of the image forming apparatus 10 increases due to a long time use, a color alignment inferiority due to the un-uniform line speed because of heat deformation of a driving roller 43 of the intermediate transferring belt 41, and an angle variation of a reflecting mirror because of heat deformation of a frame of the light exposing unit 30 is caused.
To solve the color alignment inferiorities, the conventional image forming apparatus corrects the color alignment inferiorities through an auto color registration. However, if the auto color registration is executed, a separate time is necessary to provide the auto color registration after supplying of a print signal, and a print time is delayed despite printing a single record medium. Accordingly, inconvenience to a user occurs.

Developing-transferring module and image forming apparatus having the same


A new and distinct cultivar of Pericallis plant named ‘Ochkeinibu’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; and daisy-type inflorescences with dark violet blue-colored ray florets.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Pericallis plant, botanically known as Pericallis cruenta and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Ochkeinibu'.
The new Pericallis plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Gose City, Nara, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Pericallis plants with numerous attractive flowers.
The new Pericallis plant originated from an open-pollination made by the Inventor during the spring of 2009 in Gose City, Nara, Japan of a proprietary selection of Pericallis cruenta identified as code number FC20-3-005, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Pericallis cruenta as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Pericallis plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Gose City, Nara, Japan during the spring of 2010.
Asexual reproduction of the new Pericallis plant by vegetative terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Gose City, Nara, Japan since the spring of 2010 has shown that the unique features of this new Pericallis plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A practical semiconductor radiation detector capable of collecting electrons rapidly with a large volume is disclosed. A multiple layers of grid electrodes around an anode formed on a semiconductor element limits the generation of the induced charge signal for the anode to the space in the neighborhood of the anode, while at the same time making it possible to collect the electrons rapidly. As a result of limiting the space for generating the induced charge by the grid electrodes, the energy resolution is improved even for a thick semiconductor element. Also, the capability of rapidly collecting the electrons due to the high field strength generated by the grid electrodes makes a sensitive volume of the whole semiconductor and thus achieves a high radiation detection efficiency.

The present invention relates to a radiation detector and a radiation apparatus.
In recent years, the ionizing radiation has been detected mainly by use of a semiconductor element. The radiation is transformed into positive holes and electrons by the semiconductor element. A cathode and an anode are formed on the surface of the semiconductor element, and the positive holes and the electrons are detected by applying a voltage between the cathode and the anode. Specifically, an electric field is formed between the cathode and the anode, and the positive holes and the electrons are moved toward the cathode and the anode, respectively. With the movement of the positive holes and the electrons, the voltages induced in the cathode and the anode are detected.
The electrons and the positive holes have a mean life unique to the base material of the semiconductor. Especially, the positive holes tend to become extinguished within a comparatively short time. In the case where a signal is acquired in a given electrode, another electrode having a constant potential arranged around the given electrode can shield the charge induced in the signal-acquiring electrode due to the movement of the charge outside the second electrode. In view of this, a technique has been conceived in which an electrode is arranged in the neighborhood of an anode as a shield electrode impressed with a voltage intermediate the anode voltage and the cathode voltage. The shield electrode is often called a Frisch grid electrode. The structure of this electrode makes it possible to detect the positive holes comparatively efficiently even in the case where they are extinguished within a short time. This technique is described, for example, in JP-A-9-171081, JP-A-2000-121738 or JP-A-10-512372.

Radiation detector and radiation apparatus


A manufacturing method of a semiconductor structure includes at least the following steps. A patterned mask layer with a first opening is formed on a dielectric layer overlying a semiconductor substrate. A portion of the dielectric layer accessibly exposed by the first opening of the patterned mask layer is removed to form a second opening. A first protective film is formed on inner sidewalls of the dielectric layer and the patterned mask layer, where the second opening and the first protective film are formed at the same step. A second protective film is formed on the first protective film to form a protective structure covering the inner sidewalls. A portion of the semiconductor substrate accessibly exposed by the second opening is removed to form a via hole including an undercut underlying the protective structure. The via hole is trimmed and a through substrate via is formed in the via hole.

In recent years, the semiconductor industry has experienced rapid growth due to continuous improvement in integration density of various electronic components. For the most part, this improvement in integration density has come from successive reductions in minimum feature size, which allows more components to be integrated into a given area. However, there are physical limitations to an achievable density in two-dimensional (2D) integrated circuits formation. As semiconductor technologies further advance, 3D integrated circuits (3DICs) have emerged as an effective alternative to further reduce the physical size of a die. One major challenge of 3D interconnects is the formation of through-substrate vias (TSVs) which penetrate through substrates and are used to electrically inter-couple features on opposite sides of the substrates. Accordingly, there is continuous effort in developing new mechanisms of forming semiconductor structures having improved electrical performance.

Semiconductor structure and manufacturing method thereof

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A number of micromachined devices including a micromachined pump for on-chip vacuum is provided. For example, a single-chip micromachined implementation of a Knudsen pump having one or more stages and which uses the principle of thermal transpiration with no moving parts is provided. A six-mask microfabrication process to fabricate the pump using a glass substrate and silicon wafer is shown. The Knudsen pump and two integrated pressure sensors occupy an area of 1.5 mm×2 mm. Measurements show that while operating in standard laboratory conditions, this device can evacuate a cavity to 0.46 atm using 80 mW input power. High thermal isolation is obtained between a polysilicon heater of the pump and the rest of the device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to packaged micromachined devices such as vacuum micropump devices, devices having a micromachined sealed electrical interconnect and devices having a suspended micromachined bonding pad.
2. Background Art
The following references are noted herein:                [1] R. A. Miller et al., "A MEMS Radio-Frequency Ion Mobility Spectrometer for Chemical Vapor Detection," SENS. ACTUA., A91, 301 (2001).        [2] C. Wilson et al., "Silicon Micro-machining Using In-Situ DC Microplasmas," J. MICROELECTROMECH. SYST., 10(1), 50 (2001).        [3] F. Iza et al., "Influence of Operating Frequency and Coupling Coefficient on the Efficiency of Microfabricated Inductively Coupled Plasma Sources," PLASMA SOURCES SCI. TECHNOL., 11, 1 (2002).        [4] C. G. Wilson et al., "Spectral Detection of Metal Contaminants in Water Using an On-Chip Microglow Discharge," IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRON DEVICES, 49(12), 2317-2322 (2002).        [5] J. P. Hobson et al., "Review of Pumping by Thermal Molecular Pressure," J. VAC. SCI. TECHNOL., A18(4), 1758 (2000).        [6] M. Knudsen, ANNALS DER PHYSIK, 31, 205 (1910).        [7] J. P. Hobson, "Accommodation Pumping—A New Principle," J. VAC. SCI. TECHNOL., 7(2), 351 (1970).        [8] D. H. Tracey, "Thermomolecular Pumping Effect," J. PHYS. E: SCI. INSTR., 7, 533 (1974).        [9] E. P. Muntz et al., "Microscale Vacuum Pumps," THE MEMS HANDBOOK, M. Gad-el-Hak, Ed. (CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2002), Chap. 29.        [10] D. J. Turner, "A Mathematical Analysis of a Thermal Transpiration Vacuum Pump," VACUUM 16(8), 413 (1966).        [11] C. C. Wong et al., "Gas Transport by Thermal Transpiration in Micro-Channels—A Numerical Study," PROCEEDINGS ASME MEMS CONFERENCE, DSC-Vol. 66 (Anaheim, Calif., 1998), pp. 223-228.        [12] R. M. Young, "Analysis of a. Micromachine Based Vacuum Pump on a Chip Actuated by the Thermal Transpiration Effect," J. VAC. SCI. TECHNOL., B17(2), 280 (1999).        [13] S. E. Vargo et al., "Knudsen Compressor as a Micro- and Macroscale Vacuum Pump Without Moving Parts or Fluids," J. VAC. Sci. TECHNOL., A17(4), 2308 (1999).        [14] S. E. Vargo et al., "Initial Results From the First MEMS Fabricated Thermal Transpiration-Driven Vacuum Pump," RAREFIED GAS DYNAMICS: 22ND INTL. SYMP., p. 502 (2001).        [15] E. Kennard, "Kinetic Theory of Gases," (McGraw Hill, New York, 1938).        [16] S. McNamara et al., "A Fabrication Process with High Thermal Isolation and Vacuum Sealed Lead Transfer for Gas Reactors and Sampling Microsystems," PROCEEDINGS IEEE THE SIXTH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MICRO ELECTRO MECHANICAL SYSTEMS, (IEEE 2003), pp. 646-649.        [17] S. McNamara et al., "A Micromachined Knudsen Pump for On-Chip Vacuum," DIGEST OF TECHNICAL PAPERS OF THE 12TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SOLID-STATE SENSORS AND ACTUATORS, 2003, pp. 1919-1922.
Micromachined gas pumps have a variety of potential applications, ranging from actuation of gases for gas chromatography, spectroscopy [1], or microplasma manufacturing [2,3], to the pneumatic actuation of liquids for lab-on-a-chip and chemical sensing devices [4]. Conventional vacuum pumps scale down poorly due to increased surface-to-volume ratio and have reliability concerns due to the relative increase of frictional forces over inertial forces at the microscale. Thermal molecular pumps can potentially overcome these challenges. There are three types of thermal molecular pumps [5]: the Knudsen pump [6], the accommodation pump [7], and the thermomolecular pump [8]. The Knudsen pump exploits the temperature dependence of molecular flux rates through a narrow tube; the accommodation pump exploits the temperature dependence of the tangential momentum accommodation coefficient (TMAC) of gases; whereas the thermomolecular pump exploits some materials that violate the cosine scattering law when heated.
The Knudsen pump provides the highest compression ratio and, unlike the other two pumps, its performance is independent of the material and surface conditions, which can be difficult to characterize and control. A miniaturized Knudsen pump also has a high theoretical efficiency when compared to conventional vacuum pumps [9] and scales well to small dimensions because the efficiency improves as the surface-to-volume ratio increases. It offers potentially high reliability because there are no moving parts, but power consumption can be a major concern because of the elevated temperatures required.
The Knudsen pump was first reported in 1910 and since then has been reported approximately once per decade [10]. Despite its attractive features, persistent challenges that have prevented its widespread adoption include the need for sub-micron dimensions to operate at atmosphere (and consequently it was always confined to high vacuum operation over a limited pressure range) and low throughput. The past decade has witnessed greater activity, with simulation efforts [11,12] and a partially micromachined implementation achieving a best-case pressure drop of 11.5 Torr using helium [13,14].
The Knudsen Pump Theory
The principle of thermal transpiration [15], on which the Knudsen pump is based, describes the pressure-temperature relationship between two adjacent volumes of gas at different temperatures. If these two volumes of gas are separated by a channel or aperture that permits gas flow only in the free molecular regime (FIG. 1), they settle at different pressures, the ratio of which is a function of only temperature. The temperature difference does not create a pressure difference between the chambers with a channel that permits viscous flow.
The following patent references are related to the present invention: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,533,554 and 5,871,336 and published U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2001/0003572.
The following references are also noted herein:                [A] C. Zhang et al., "An Integrated Combustor-Thermoelectric Micro Power Generator," TECHNICAL DIGEST, DIGEST, TWELFTH IEEE CONF. ON SOLID-STATE SENSORS AND ACTUATORS (Transducers '01), Munich, Germany, pp. 34-37, June 2001.        [B] C. Zhang et al., "Fabrication of Thick Silicon Dioxide Layers Using DRIE, Oxidation and Trench Refill," TECHNICAL DIGEST, IEEE 2002 INT. CONF. ON MICRO ELECTRO MECHANICAL SYSTEMS, (MEMS 2002), Las Vegas, pp. 160-163, January 2002.        [C] C. M. Yu et al., "A High Performance Hand-Held Gas Chromatograph," ASME PROC. OF MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS, (MEMS), 1998, Anaheim, Calif., pp. 481-6.        [D] Y. T. Cheng et al., "Vacuum Packaging Technology Using Localized Aluminum/Silicon-to-Glass Bonding," PROC. IEEE INTL. MEMS CONF., 2001, Interlaken, Switzerland, pp. 18-21.        [E] A. V. Chavan et al., "Batch-Processed Vacuum-Sealed Capacitive Pressure Sensors," J. MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS, v. 10(4), 2001, pp. 580-588.
In recent years, there has been substantial interest in developing gas-handling Microsystems that can serve as reactors, combustors, and detectors such as mass spectrometers [A-C]. These systems, which may also integrate pumps, reservoirs, flow sensors, and pressure sensors, often operate at elevated temperatures and require high thermal isolation for energy efficiency and minimization of cross-talk. In addition, when capacitive transducers are used, a vacuum-sealed lead transfer with low parasitic capacitance is a significant asset. While there have been strong efforts on vacuum micropackaging [D] and sealed lead transfer [E], research has not been directed at simultaneously achieving high thermal isolation and sub-femtofarad parasitic capacitance.
For many transducers that operate in vacuum, the ability to create and control vacuum within an on-chip cavity promises enhanced performance, longer lifetime, and simplified packaging. While locally heated getter materials can maintain a vacuum in microcavities, as described in published U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2003/0089394, they are unsuitable for systems that continuously sample gases.

Packaged micromachined device such as a vacuum micropump, device having a micromachined sealed electrical interconnect and device having a suspended micromachined bonding pad

The Regents of the University of Michigan


A frequency modulation method is provided in which the frequency of a carrier signal is modulated on the basis of the frequency of a modulation signal, and in which the modulation signal is integrated. The carrier signal is integrated, and a differential signal is formed from the integrated modulation signal and the integrated carrier signal. The differential signal is phase-modulated in order to obtain the frequency-modulated carrier signal as the output signal.

The invention relates to a frequency modulator and to a frequency modulation method.
A frequency modulator 101 as illustrated in FIG. 8 is known from the prior art.
This frequency modulator 101, which is implemented, for example, in the RKE transmitter families TDx51xx and TDA525x as well as PMA5100 of Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, comprises a crystal oscillator 102, a phase locked loop 106 and an electronic switch S which can be opened and closed in time with a modulation signal ME that is applied to an input EM.
An input of the crystal oscillator 102 is connected to ground via the series connection of a crystal Q to a series circuit comprising two capacitors C1, C2. The switch S is arranged parallel to one of these capacitors C1, C2 (namely C1) in such a manner that it bridges the latter when the switch S is closed.
In the case of a frequency modulator 101 of this type, a frequency-modulated signal which can be tapped off at an output A and can be emitted by an antenna 107 is frequency-modulated by frequency-modulating the reference frequency of the phase locked loop 106. The reference signal for the phase locked loop (PLL) 106 is provided by the crystal oscillator 102 which is frequency-modulated by changing the series capacitance CS of the crystal Q, said series capacitance being formed by the individual capacitances C1, C2.
When the switch S is open, the series capacitance CS=C1×C2/(C1+C2) is small, with the result that the oscillator frequency is high. When the switch S is closed, the series capacitance CS=C2 is large, with the result that the oscillator frequency is low.
The disadvantage of a frequency modulator of this type is that the data rate of the modulation signal is limited on account of transient processes when closing and opening the switch S.
Only small frequency shifts Δω are possible since the oscillation frequency of a crystal can be changed only to a slight extent. Since the oscillation frequency of the crystal oscillator must be designed to be variable in the case of a frequency modulator of the type described above, this results in the crystal oscillator having an associated low frequency stability. Finally, there is no shift flexibility whatsoever. In addition, no baseband filtering is possible.
The prior art also discloses using a system having direct digital synthesis (DDS) as the frequency modulator. Frequency modulators of this type are extremely complex and have only low efficiency. Only a frequency-modulated signal having a high parasitic oscillation component can be generated using currently available systems.
So-called IQ modulators are furthermore provided in the transmission path. However, IQ modulators of this type are likewise very complex and have low efficiency.

Frequency modulator and frequency modulation method


A system for communicating with multiple vehicles or other electronic devices that share a common media access control (MAC) or other address is disclosed. Upon receiving a certificate signing request (CSR) from a connected device and determining that the device does not have a unique address, the system will generate a unique address for the device and embedding the unique addresses in a certificate, sign the certificate, and transfer the certificate to the device. Then, when the system communicates with the device, the system may use that unique address to identify the device.

In order for electronic devices to communicate with each other on a network, each device must have a unique address. For example, electronic devices that have a network interface card (NIC) or other network adapter are typically assigned a hardware address that is known as a media access control (MAC) address. A MAC address is typically hard-coded into the NIC and includes a sequence of numbers and/or letters that network devices may use to direct messages to, and identify the source of messages from, other network devices. MAC addresses may be configurable after manufacturing by a device owner.
Hardware addresses such as MAC addresses are typically assigned to, and encoded into, electronic devices at the time of manufacture. Many MAC addresses start with an organizationally unique identifier (OUI), which is a sequence of characters that identifies the manufacturer. The remaining characters of the MAC address will identify the device. For example, a network adapter manufactured by Cisco may have the MAC address 00-14-22-01-23-45, in which the first three octets/first six characters (00-14-22) make up the OUI that identifies Cisco as the manufacturer, while the final three octets/final six characters uniquely identify the device.
Once assigned, a MAC address typically does not change. This makes a MAC address useful to help direct messages from particular devices, to help identify the device from which a message is received, and to help diagnose network issues.
However, in some manufacturing scenarios, multiple devices leaving the manufacturing facility may have the same MAC address. This is common in vehicle manufacturing, in which a particular vehicle original equipment manufacturer (OEM) will assign a common MAC address to the network adapters of several or all vehicles that are of the same make and model. This can create issues for entities that manage fleets of vehicles, entities that maintain or update software in multiple vehicles, or entities that service vehicles, because multiple vehicles sharing a common MAC address may be connected to the service entity's network at the same time.
This document describes methods and systems that are directed to addressing the problems described above, and/or other issues.

Method of re-assigning address to network device


Systems, methods, and/or techniques (“tools”) are described that sort speakers in a network-enabled conference. In some cases, this sorted list of speakers indicates which speaker is dominant. With this sorted list, a participant's communication device may provide context about the speakers. In some cases a participant's communication device has a display that presents real-time video of the speakers or other visual indicia, such as each or the most dominant speaker's name, picture, title, or location. These and other context about speakers may help participants better understand discussions in network-enabled conferences.

Currently, many people communicate remotely through network-enabled conferences. Network-enabled conferences allow people to interact in groups without having to travel. But these remote conferences may be confusing because they provide less context than in-person meetings. A conference participant in London, for instance, may not know who is speaking— the company's chief technologist in Boston or a vendor from New York. And it can be even more confusing when multiple participants are speaking at once.

Sorting speakers in a network-enabled conference


A voice coil includes a stack of a plurality of layers of aligned windings held between an outer holding portion and an inner holding portion of the carriage assembly. The carriage assembly is formed integrally with the voice coil through injection molding. An outermost peripheral layer is a conductive wire wound a number of turns that falls short of the number of turns required to constitute a complete layer. A step is thereby formed between the outermost peripheral layer and a layer adjacent thereto and inner therefrom. The outer holding portion includes a reinforcement portion formed thereon to cover part of a transverse end face of the voice coil. The outermost peripheral layer opposes a force acting on the outer holding portion from top downward and the reinforcement portion opposes a force acting on the outer holding portion from bottom upward.

The present invention relates generally to a support structure for a coil mounted in a carriage of a magnetic disk drive or the like and, more particularly, to a support structure for reinforcing a thin carriage that is injection-molded integrally with a coil.
In magnetic disk drives, an actuator mounted with a voice coil is rotated to position a magnetic head to a predetermined position. The voice coil constitutes, with a voice coil magnet and voice coil yoke mounted on a base, a voice coil motor (VCM). A carriage assembly includes a carriage housing and the voice coil. The carriage housing includes a pivot hole, in which a pivot assembly is mounted, a mounting portion of a head gimbal assembly (HGA), and a holding portion of the voice coil.
In a relatively large magnetic disk drive, the voice coil is affixed with an adhesive to a carriage housing formed through casting. In this case, the carriage housing has a sufficient strength. There is therefore no chance that the carriage housing will be damaged during handling in an assembly process and that the voice coil will be mounted improperly. A carriage assembly adopted in a compact magnetic disk drive, however, includes a coil and a carriage housing that are integrally molded through injection molding of plastic. In such a carriage assembly, the injection-molded synthetic resin surrounds a periphery of the voice coil, leaving the voice coil exposed from both an upper and a lower surface.
FIGS. 1 and 5 of Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2005-93002) show a carriage that holds a voice coil. The voice coil has an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface surrounded by a liquid crystal polymer or other synthetic resin. The voice coil is thereby held by the carriage. Accordingly, an upper and a lower surface of the voice coil are exposed from the carriage.

Coil support structure and magnetic disk drive

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


A low-latency storage memory system is built from multiple memory units such as high-density random access memory. Multiple access ports provide access to memory units and send the resultant data out interface ports. The memory units communicate with the access ports through an interconnected mesh to allow any access port to access any memory unit. An address virtualization mechanism using address translators allows any access port of the memory storage system to access requested data as abstract objects without regard for the physical memory unit that the data is located in, or the absolute memory addresses within that memory unit.

The recent growth in information services and data processing industries has produced a need for increased speed and capacity of storage systems that manage and store large amounts of data. Companies (and consumers in general) spend a considerable amount of money to continually upgrade their systems with faster processors, more storage, and more memory; we see evidence of it everyday in desktop computers.
The same desire to increase speed and capacity exists in both the server and storage markets as well. For storage devices, and the storage market in general, increased capacity comes in the form of higher bit densities. Increased speed comes in the form of faster hard-disk drives supporting greater and yet greater rotational speeds to reduce data access times. Notably, this increase in speed can not continue indefinitely because hard-disk drives are electromechanical devices with mechanical limitations as well as electrical limitations.
One solution for decreasing information access times is to replace hard-disk drive devices with solid-state memory devices. Solid-state devices by their very nature are more reliable because they do not wear out from friction, lack of lubrication, and other technical deficiencies that plague devices that include moving parts.
The semiconductor industry has been working hard to increase the speed of semiconductors as well as improve their density. One example of this is the semiconductor memory chip such as RAM (Random Access Memory). Today, there are several types of RAM, including Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM), Dual Data Rate Dynamic RAM (DDRDRAM), as well as yet other types of RAM devices. The storage density of these devices has historically doubled about every 18 months, with no apparent end in sight, to the point where it is now possible to store a billion bits (i.e., one gigabit) of information in a single silicon memory chip.
In addition to increased density, there have also been improvements in the speed of semiconductor devices. For example, just a couple of years ago, RAM was capable of operating at 66 MHz. Today, a standard speed of RAM devices is 200 MHz and 266 MHz.
The storage industry has experienced similar improvements in memory density. For example, capacities of hard-disk drives have doubled every 8 to 10 months. This density improvement has been driven (at least in part) by increased processor speeds, expansion of database sizes, and an ever increasing desire to instantly access data.
Expansion of storage capacity has created some new applications such as Storage Area Networks (SAN), Network Attached Storage (NAS) and streaming media applications. A SAN is similar to a Local Area Network (LAN), except that it is typically used to attach multiple servers to multiple storage devices. It may best be described as a LAN for Storage.
SANs are quite useful in applications in which multiple servers need to access the same stored data. By connecting a group of servers to a group of storage devices, the storage and data can be shared. However, when attaching multiple servers to a shared group of storage devices, performance issues may arise due to contention for a particular storage device. For instance, if more than one server tries to access the same storage device, the storage device can communicate with only one server at any instant in time, during which other servers will need to wait. Wait times are typically minimal when there are few servers trying to access a common storage device. However, as more and more servers are added to a SAN, storage contention typically becomes increasingly problematic.
To help alleviate the contention problem as well as improve scaling and redundancy, the storage industry has implemented solutions such as RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks), disk drives with controller caching, RAID controller caching, data striping, multiple controller interfaces, etc. However, a remaining problem is that all of these solutions are still limited by the actual transfer rate and latency of the hard-disk drive itself, which is the fundamental building block of many existing storage systems.
Disk drive transfer rates limit the amount of data that can be transferred during in a given interval of time. The disk drive transfer rate is derived from the bit density on the disk platter itself as well as the rotational speed of the disk drive. As the storage capacities increase, the transfer rates also increase.
Latency, or access delay, is a measurement of time between requesting a particular segment of data and a time when the disk drive can actually transfer the requested data. A latency metric is largely derived from the seek-time of the disk-drive, which is the time it takes to position the read/write heads to the required location on the disk. While the storage density and capacity of disk drives have been increasing dramatically, the seek-time and latency have not improved at the same pace.

Data access and address translation for retrieval of data amongst multiple interconnected access nodes


An aerosol spray system for RTV silicone coating materials employs a valve gasket fabricated from a conformable synthetic resinous material that is substantially non-absorbing of moisture, assembled with components that are also moisture-free.

Room-temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone rubber compositions are in widespread use for numerous applications. The cured elastomers exhibit excellent chemical, dielectric, adhesive and physical properties, including toughness, durability and resistance to environmental effects, making them ideally suited as coating and encapsulation materials for waterproofing and other protection (e.g., against corrosion) of electric motors, power system apparatus, metal hardware and structures, oil- and gas-storage tanks, pipes and transport systems, bridges, abutments, roofs, metal barriers, etc. Unlike many other conventional materials, moreover, which are often difficult to prepare, apply, and/or maintain, RTV silicones do not require complex measuring or mixing procedures (which commonly result in products of short or indeterminate pot life), and they do not chalk, flake, peel, embrittle, or otherwise degrade (at least by most mechanisms) over long periods of time. In addition, the low Durometer values that are typically exhibited by RTV silicone rubbers permit ready mechanical penetration, and thus facilitate the use of tools for effecting the removal of coated panels and the like for purposes of maintenance and repair of protected parts and units.
RTV silicone materials normally cure through water-initiated chemical mechanisms, and therefore react and set up quickly upon exposure to ambient moisture. While this property is very advantageous in most circumstances, it also has the adverse effect of precluding, as a practical matter, the use of certain desirable application techniques. Most notably, efforts to package and dispense RTV silicone coating materials in aerosol form have heretofore been frustrated by the formation of cured deposits, on and around valve components, that clog passages and immobilize parts that have been contacted by the silicone material and that become exposed to the atmosphere (e.g., upon initial discharge or during storage, particularly under high humidity conditions); the shelf-life of such packages was no more than a few months, following initial use.


A method, a controller, and a system for processing a data packet are disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a controller, a data packet that is reported by a switch and does not match a forwarding rule; after it is determined that a type of the data packet is a broadcast data packet, generating a forwarding rule for the data packet, where the forwarding rule includes an action attribute being discarded; and sending the forwarding rule of the data packet to the switch, so that when receiving the data packet again, the switch discards the data packet according to the action attribute of the forwarding rule. In the present invention, a broadcast storm on a network can be avoided without shielding a port of a switch. Therefore, for a fully-connected network, a forwarding capability of a port and a quantity of available transmission links on the network are ensured.

Generally, a data center uses a fully-connected network structure to improve network communications efficiency. One type of fully-connected network structure may be as follows. Switches at different layers are connected in a pairwise mode, and each switch at the bottom layer is connected to a certain quantity of hosts. When a switch on a network receives a broadcast data packet, flooding needs to be performed on the broadcast data packet on all ports except a receiving port in a virtual local area network (VLAN) to which the switch belongs. However, when a loop exists on a fully-connected network, a broadcast data packet may be repeatedly broadcasted on the loop, which causes a broadcast storm.
The fully-connected network may be implemented based on a software defined network (SDN) technology. A network applying the SDN technology generally includes several network devices and a controller controlling the network devices. The core of the SDN is to separate a control plane of a network device (for example, a switch) from a data forwarding plane of the network device, where the data forwarding plane performs data forwarding based on a flow table, and the control plane provides an application programming interface (API) for the controller to perform control. On an SDN network, a routing table in a switch is empty at an initial stage. When a forwarding rule matching a received data packet cannot be found from the routing table of the switch, the switch requests a forwarding rule by reporting the data packet to a controller, forwards the data packet according to a forwarding rule delivered by the controller, and stores the forwarding rule in the routing table. Generally, the default forwarding rule delivered by the controller to the switch is broadcasting the data packet. Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an SDN-based fully-connected network architecture. In FIG. 1, each S represents a switch, and there are two layers of switches, namely, core switches and access switches; each h represents a host connected to an access switch; and a controller is connected to each switch, switches at different layers are connected in a pairwise mode, and each access switch is connected to two hosts.
To avoid a broadcast storm, in the prior art, data on a network may be broadcasted over the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP). When STP is used, a network topology is constructed for switches on the network according to a tree structure; one switch is selected from the tree structure and is used as a root bridge device; all switches form a tree starting from the root bridge device; the root bridge device sends a configuration packet on a timed basis; after a non-root bridge device receives the configuration packet, the non-root bridge device re-calculates configuration information, and forwards the configuration packet. If a switch can receive the configuration packet from more than two ports, there is more than one transmission link from the switch to the root bridge device, and a forwarding loop is formed between the switch and the root bridge device. In this case, the switch selects one port and shields other ports, so as to eliminate the forwarding loop on the network.
During the study on the prior art, the inventor discovers that because a switch needs to avoid occurrence of a broadcast storm by shielding ports, forwarding capabilities of the ports on the network are suppressed, which is equivalent to that, for a fully-connected network, a quantity of available transmission links on the network is reduced, thereby reducing a utilization rate of the transmission links on the network.

Method, controller, and system for processing data packet


A door assembly including two opposite members, at least one of which is a rotatable door, and a closing system which is provided for mounting to one of the opposite members, and where the closing system includes a holder profile, and at least one engaging member for engaging a complementary edge part on the opposite member to maintain the door in closed position. The engaging is at least partly elastically deformable to enable opening of the door in at least one direction. The closing system also includes a blocking member to prevent opening of the door in one direction or the other. The engaging and blocking members are formed by mutually exchangeable strips which are compressible and are releasably mountable to the holder profile of the closing system.

1. Technical Field
In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a closing profile provided for mounting on one of two opposite members of a door assembly, at least one of the opposite members being a rotatable door, the closing profile comprising a mounting member by means of which the closing profile is mounted to a reveal part of the one member of the door assembly and a flexible member connected to the mounting member, the flexible member being shaped for engaging a complementary edge part on the other member of the door assembly and for releasably maintaining the door in a closed position, the closing profile comprising a hollow space between the flexible member and the mounting member to enable the flexible member to deform resiliently towards the mounting member upon opening the door.
In a second aspect, the present invention relates to a door assembly comprising a door and a door frame mountable in a wall opening and a number of circumferential profiles fixable to the door and/or the door frame for optically closing gaps between the door and the wall opening, the door optionally comprising an oblong grip profile which divides the door into separate door panel segments extending on opposite sides of the grip profile.
In a third aspect, the present invention relates to a door assembly comprising two opposite members, at least one of which is a rotatable door, and a closing system which is provided for being mounted to one of the opposite members.
2. Background Art
EP-B-0645517 describes a door assembly consisting of a door sheet, jambs and jamb-linings which are to be fitted in a wall opening pertaining thereto. The door is rotatable about a pivot axis on the left or right hand side and may be a two-way door or a one-way door, i.e. a door which opens in one direction only or in both directions. The door and the jamb are provided with complementary bumper and abutment profiles. On at least one side, the bumper profile and abutment profile comprise a length-ways extending, co-operating concave recess and convex projection to retain the door in a closed position. The door is opened by exerting a pressure on the door in a way the convex projection is pulled out of the concave recess.
The profiles which are disclosed in EP-B-0645517 function well. However, practice has shown that since the concave recess snugly fits in the convex projection, the pressure which has to be exerted to open the door is very high. As a result, some users prefer to adjust the position of the door in such a way that a small gap is left between the concave recess and the convex projection. This reduces the pressure needed for opening the door, but enables light to shine through, which may be considered a disadvantage.
In case a closing system is used which releasably maintains a door in a closed position, gaps between the door and the adjacent member of the door assembly may be completely sealed. In general, sealing the gaps between the door and the adjacent member may cause two problems. A first problem is that a vacuum effect takes place in case the door is placed between two adjacent rooms with rather small dimensions. When opening the door in a certain direction, air is pulled out of one of the rooms thereby creating a vacuum. Because of this vacuum effect a higher force has to be exerted on the door to open it, which is not desired. A second problem is that no air can flow from one room to another, which may result in an unhealthy climate inside one of the rooms. In view of new regulations, a minimum amount of ventilation needs to be ensured between two adjacent rooms.
This problem may be solved by mounting a ventilation grid in the door. This ventilation grid can be seen from outside and has a negative effect on the aesthetic appearance of the door.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Door with closing profile and integrated ventilation


Balancing workload distributed between nodes in a cluster through allocations of IP addresses by determining, for each node, an imbalance metric for each possible pairing of the plurality of an IP address assignable to the node based upon the distances between the IP addresses in each pairing and selectively distributing a plurality of IP addresses between the nodes in a cluster based upon minimizing the sum of the imbalance metrics of the IP addresses for each of the nodes in the cluster resulting from the selected distribution.

In the input of work to a cluster of nodes from network client sources, the cluster, whether it be real or virtual, is seen by the requesting clients as a single machine even though it is made up of several individual computers or servers, each being a cluster node. The cluster controlling server distributes the IP addresses (i.e., the service addresses of the distributed workload) across all of the nodes in Network Node Balancing wherein input from clients are shared among a plurality or even all of the nodes. Each node may have its own copy of an application, the work of which is distributed and share a database common to the cluster. Network load balancing is particularly significant in high demand Web sites on the Internet. However, Network Workload Balancing, particularly that of the present invention, is just as applicable to NAS services (CIFS or NFS) as well as, for example, FPT, HTTP and iSCSI. Such balancing distributes the current workload as evenly as possible across all of the cluster nodes. Each of the nodes may maintain its own copy of the network site so that if one of the nodes goes inactive, its workload may be redistributed to the other nodes in the cluster. Similarly, if the workload to the cluster increases, more nodes may be added to the cluster and workload from the existing nodes redistributed to the new nodes.

Workload balancing between nodes in a cluster as required by allocations of IP addresses within a cluster

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A connecting arrangement for joining at least two components to form a structural assembly, near a wing of an aircraft, wherein at least one component is formed from a fiber composite plastic and at least one further component is formed from either a metal or a fiber composite plastic. A bushing is secured in a hole through the components. The bushing includes a first end with a collar which faces towards a lower face of the structural assembly and a second end. A zone of an upper face of the structural assembly radially surrounds the second end and includes a depression. A connecting element is installed in the bushing. This provides a smooth, aerodynamically beneficial configuration of the upper face, which can be coated, and which ensures a reliable electrical contact between the connecting element and a conductive surface of the first component.

The invention concerns a connecting arrangement for joining together at least two components to form a structural assembly, in particular in the region of a wing of an aircraft, wherein at least one component is formed from a fibre composite plastic and at least one further component is formed from a metal, or at least two components are formed from a fibre composite plastic.
Furthermore the invention concerns a method for joining together at least two components, in particular by means of a connecting arrangement, to form a structural assembly, in particular in the region of a wing of an aircraft, wherein at least one component is formed from a fibre composite plastic and at least one further component is formed from a metal, or at least two components are formed from a fibre composite plastic.
In modern aircraft construction alongside the traditional homogeneous aluminium form of construction of the primary structure the hybrid form of construction using metallic materials and fibre composite plastics is being deployed to an increasing extent. The combination of the different materials requires the deployment of a multiplicity of joining techniques and connecting elements. As fibre composite plastics carbon fibre reinforced thermosetting or thermoplastic plastics (CFRPs) are preferably deployed, while metallic components are preferably made from light metal alloys, such as, for example, titanium or aluminium alloys. Furthermore components from stainless steel alloys are also deployed.
From DE 20 2007 019 163 U1 a high-performance press fit securement device for composite material applications is of known art. In the case of this connecting element, i.e., a sleeve rivet, a sleeve with a conical widening in the head region is introduced into a hole passing through the components that are to be joined. The sleeve is then radially expanded by the insertion of the locking ring pin, (the so-called sleeve fastener), in order to achieve a secure press fit within the through hole and a durable connection of the components. By means of the sleeve the risk of a delamination in the hole reveal region of the fibre composite components that are involved is reduced.
Such sleeve rivets required a complex installation process. Lightning strike protection (LSP), which is inevitably required in the case of CFRP components by virtue of their low intrinsic electrical conductivity, in the form of conductive mesh-type surface entities (so-called copper meshes), which at the same time can serve as earth return paths, can only be attached with a reliable level of contact to metallic components with much effort using the sleeve rivets of known art. Moreover the test evidence for a level of electrical contact in accordance with the regulations can only be obtained with difficulty. Furthermore the sleeve rivets generate high procurement and installation costs. In addition with the conventional sleeve rivets aerodynamic requirements can be satisfied only with difficulty, and ensuring the integrity of the sealing of the wing tanks proves to be difficult. In addition the visual impression after painting of wing components punctuated with sleeve rivets is impaired by the sleeve.
In addition from US 2011/0182692 A1 a securing element with a sleeve and a threaded nut, together with a method for their use, are of known art. The sleeve features an essentially hollow cylindrical two-part shank, which can be secured by radial expansion in a through hole of a workpiece by means of a press fit. The shank continues into a cage-type collar, which after the radial expansion of the sleeve sits against a workpiece surface. In the collar the threaded nut is accommodated loosely, for purposes of tolerance compensation, but such that it cannot be lost. A threaded bolt is, for example, screwed into the threaded nut for purposes of attaching a further component.

Connecting arrangement and also a method


A method and conferencing system for communicating data between a plurality of nodes of the conferencing system. According to a preferred embodiment, data is formatted into a conferencing object. The formatted data is transmitted from a source node via a communications means of the conferencing system to at least one receiving node. The conferencing object comprises a content portion having at least one data element, and a descriptor portion having effectiveness information, wherein the effectiveness information describes the value of the at least one data element of the content portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to conferencing systems and methods and, in particular, to computer-implemented processes and apparatuses for providing communication of data between nodes of a conferencing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conferencing system, data is transferred between endpoints of the conferencing system. A point to point conferencing system comprises two endpoints such as personal computer (PC) systems, and multi-point conference systems comprise a plurality of endpoints and, typically, one or more multi-point conferencing units (MCUs). MCUs are also sometimes referred to as multi-point control units. Conferencing systems typically comprise a variety of conferencing elements, in addition to PCs and MCUs, such as routers and servers. Each endpoint has a processing bandwidth of a given magnitude or power, which may vary dynamically with time depending upon the processing load on the endpoint. The processing bandwidth of a particular endpoint also depends on the strength or processing ability of its microprocessor and other components.
Each endpoint is also able to receive and transmit data to various other elements of the conferencing system over a communications medium having a particular bandwidth. This communications bandwidth may also vary dynamically over time depending upon traffic on the respective communications media. Additionally, different elements within a conferencing system may be connected locally to transmission media of different types, having different communications bandwidths.
Data streams that are transferred to and from endpoints across communications media includes video data, audio data, and other data types. Various elements within a conferencing system, such as PC-based endpoints, MCUs, routers, and servers, serve as conference nodes for the conferencing system.
Thus, the endpoints and other nodes of conferencing systems have different processing and transmission bandwidths at any given point in time. For example, one endpoint's processor may at a given time be processing data and thus may be relatively heavily loaded. When the endpoint is heavily loaded, thus leaving a relatively low processing bandwidth remaining for processing of other data, it may not be able to adequately decode and process video, audio, and other data that it receives from another endpoint.
As another example, one endpoint may transmit high quality (i.e., high bandwidth) data over a transmission medium to an MCU, which is connected to several endpoints. One of these endpoints may have a weaker processor, may be heavily loaded, or may be connected to the MCU via a relatively low bandwidth communications medium. If the MCU transmits the high-quality data to all its endpoints, the weaker endpoint will not be able to receive or process the data adequately.
To address this problem, the quality of the data generated by a source endpoint may be lowered so that the slowest or "lowest common denominator" endpoint is able to process the data, but this lowers the quality for all receiving endpoints. Further, as the processing bandwidth of various endpoints dynamically changes in accordance with their respective processing loads, endpoints transmitting data into the conferencing system would need to continually monitor the processing bandwidths of other endpoints, and change the quality of the encoded data so transmitted in accordance therewith.
Similarly, the communications bandwidth associated with various endpoints of a conferencing system may vary from endpoint to endpoint. As described above, the quality of data originating from a source endpoint may have to be lowered in accordance with the potential receiving endpoint having the narrowest communications bandwidth. Such a technique lowers the quality of data delivered to other endpoints having a wide enough communications bandwidth to receive higher quality data, and may also require continual monitoring, for example by an MCU, of dynamically changing communications bandwidths of various endpoints.
Another problem faced in the prior art arises when endpoints having limited processing and communications resources have to select among several tasks which compete for the endpoint's resources. A receiving endpoint may be able to process one full quality data stream from a first endpoint or from a second endpoint, but not both high quality data streams from both first and second endpoints. One technique that may be used to address this problem involves reducing the quality of each data stream so that both may be processed and communicated with the receiving endpoint's limited resources. In certain contexts, however, it would be preferable to select, receive, and process only one of the competing data streams, rather than to receive both data streams at diminished quality. Various factors concerning the content of the data, its origin, quality, or other significance may need to be considered to select among competing data streams, but unfortunately the data streams must be received and analyzed before deciding whether to receive both data streams.
What is needed, therefore, is an apparatus, system, and method for allowing various conference elements to make more globally optimal conference configuring decisions regarding the transmission and receipt of conference data.

Media object description for self configuring conferences


The present invention has its object to provide a transparent curable composition which may be prepared as a one package formulation, and which is excellent in strength, elongation at break, weather resistance, and adhesiveness of the resultant cured product.

Room temperature curable polymers, which are in liquid phase before curing and rubber-like elastic bodies after curing, are used for adhesives, sealing materials, gaskets, and the like. As typical room temperature curable sealing materials, urethane, silicone, modified silicone, polysulfide and the like type sealing materials are known.
The sealing materials are used for various kinds of materials, e.g., glass, metals, construction materials such as stone. In the case where they are used for glass or the like transparent materials, light reaches the interface between glass and the sealing material through the grass and, if the sealing material is low in weather resistance, it is deteriorated and therefore peeling in the interface between the glass and the sealing material is caused. Therefore, the silicone type sealing material, which is excellent in weather resistance, has been used as a sealing material for glass or the like transparent materials. However, the silicon type sealing material has a problem that a silicone compound such as silicone oil bleeds out and pollutes the surroundings of the sealing material.
To solve the above-mentioned problem attributed to the silicone type sealing material, a method is proposed which uses a non-silicone type sealing material such as a modified silicone type sealing material and a polyisobutylene type sealing material having a reactive silyl group in place of the silicone type sealing material (reference to Japanese Kokai Publication Hei-10-205013). Japanese Kokai Publication Hei-10-205013 describes that the polyisobutylene type sealing material having a reactive silyl group is usable as a sealing material for glass or the like transparent materials. However, resin components of the polyisobutylene type sealing material scarcely permeate water, so that the material is difficult to be used as so-called moisture-curing one-component type sealing material.
On the other hand, although having better weather resistance than the urethane type sealing material, the modified silicone type sealing material is insufficient in long-term weather resistance. To improve weather resistance of the modified silicone type sealing material, a method using (meth)acrylic polymers having a crosslinkable silyl group in combination is disclosed (reference to Japanese Kokai Publication Sho-59-122541). The method failed to improve the weather resistance to a sufficient extent to be used for transparent materials, however.
In the case of using the room temperature curable composition for adhesives, sealing materials, gaskets, or the like application, calcium carbonate, talc, clay and/or the like are generally added mainly for the purpose of reinforcement. However, in recent years, buildings with high grade design have been constructed and, in the case where glass, acrylic boards, high-strength polycarbonates and/or the like transparent substrates are used, the sealing material is also required to have good transparency in some cases. Further, in these years, many siding housings using siding boards for the outer walls have been constructed and various colors are employed for the siding boards. The sealing materials to be used for the siding boards are those which are not so much noticeable, and it is preferable to use sealing materials with the same color as that of the siding boards. However, it is not preferred to produce and store as many types of sealing materials corresponding to those of the siding boards. If a semi-transparent sealing material is available, this, in its own, can be used to almost all of boards with various colors and make it possible to avoid vain stock of many kinds of sealing materials. Further, since being used generally for rear faces of substrates, adhesives are not required to be transparent. However, the adhesives come out and ruin the appearance in some cases, and therefore transparent adhesives are desired. To ensure the transparency, fillers mainly composed of calcium carbonate, mentioned above, cannot be used because they make the material opaque and selection of proper fillers is thus needed. In the case where the sealing material is used for glass or the like transparent materials, the interface between the sealing material and transparent material tends to be deteriorated easily by the light though the transparent material and therefore, the sealing material has to be very high in weather resistance. Further, in the case where the sealing material itself is transparent, light reaches even the inside of the sealing material, and therefore the sealing material is required to have further high weather resistance.
With respect to copolymerization products obtained by polymerization of monomers having polymerizable unsaturated bonds and/or macromonomers thereof with reactive silicone monomers and/or macromonomers thereof, in the system where the above mentioned components are soluble, by using an oil-soluble polymerization initiator, a silicone-acrylic random copolymer is disclosed which has a melt-flow rate of 2 to 30 g/10 min. at 230° C. and 3.92×105 Pa load and exhibits a luminous transmission of 90% or higher when determined by absorptiometry before and after molding of the copolymerization products (reference to Japanese Kokai Publication 2002-80548). However, this polymerization cannot realize high elongation at break, which is required for the sealing material to have.
A moisture-curable adhesive composition is disclosed which comprises a polyoxypropylene type modified silicone resin containing an acrylic polymer having a silicon-containing functional group, the curing agent thereof, a micronized hydrophobic silica, and an amino group-containing silane coupling agent (reference to Japanese Kokai Publication 2000-38560). Although this composition is excellent in transparency, the cured product obtained from the composition is insufficient in elongation at break and weather resistance.
Further, another kind of moisture-curable composition is disclosed which comprises 100 parts by weight of a mixture containing a copolymer the molecular chain of which is substantially composed of a (meth)acrylic alkyl ester monomer unit having an alkyl group of 1 to 8 carbon atoms and a (meth)acrylic alkyl ester monomer unit having an alkyl group of 10 or more carbon atoms, said copolymer having a reactive silyl group crosslinkable by hydrolysis, and an oxyalkylene polymer having a reactive silyl group crosslinkable by hydrolysis; and 2 to 300 parts by weight of a micronized hydrophobic silica of a particle size of 0.01 to 300 μm (reference to Japanese Kokai Publication Hei-11-302527). The cured product obtained from the composition is also insufficient in elongation at break and weather resistance.

Abstract: In addition, the present invention provides a curable composition which comprises 100 parts by weight of a vinyl polymer (I) the main chain of which is the product of living radical polymerization and which contains a crosslinkable silyl group, and 1 to 200 parts by weight of a micronized hydrophobic silica (II). Furthermore, the present invention also provides a curable composition which comprises 100 parts by weight of a vinyl polymer (I) the main chain of which is the product of living radical polymerization and which contains at least one crosslinkable silyl group, and 1 to 200 parts by weight of a graft copolymer (III) obtained by graft polymerization of a crosslinkable rubber-like acrylic ester polymer and a vinyl monomer.


A method includes receiving fault code data identifying one or more fault conditions detected onboard an aircraft and receiving fault context data indicating one or more conditions of the aircraft in a timeframe associated with the condition(s). The method also includes generating (based on the fault code data, the fault context data, state data indicating a current state of the aircraft, and historical maintenance data) a first checklist display including a first set of incomplete checklist items. The method further includes receiving input indicating completion of one or more checklist items of the first set of incomplete checklist items and updating the state data based on the input. The method also includes generating (based on the fault code data, the fault context data, the updated state data, and historical maintenance data) a second checklist display including a second set of incomplete checklist items.

As aircraft become more complex, it is increasingly difficult and time consuming to maintain them. Many modern aircraft include aircraft health monitoring systems to detect fault conditions and assist maintenance personnel with identifying and troubleshooting the fault condition. For example, in response to detecting a particular fault condition, an aircraft health monitoring system may generate a fault code. The fault code may be indexed to a fault isolation process in a fault isolation manual associated with the aircraft. The fault isolation process lists a series of tasks that should be performed by maintenance personnel to isolate and correct the fault condition. Different detected fault conditions are indexed to respective fault isolation procedures. Each fault isolation procedure specifies a sequence of tasks that should be performed. The sequence of tasks is ordered based on some predetermined criteria, such as how likelihood that each task will resolve the fault condition.


The developing apparatus has: a development sleeve; a supply roller; a toner hopper; a stirring member; and a partition member. The partition member and a regulating blade form a space. The supply roller supplies toner to lower part of the space. Thereby, toner present in the proximity of the development sleeve circulates smoothly. Therefore, the following situation will be prevented: 1) since same toner particles are repeatedly stressed by regulation of the regulating blade, toner particles crack; 2) cracked tiny particles of toner melt and adhere to the development sleeve; or 3) the regulating blade gets stiff due to the cracked toner adhering thereto. Further, since constant amount of toner is always collected within the space, appropriate pressure of toner is applied at the regulating position when the regulating blade takes toner into the space.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developing apparatus which is used for electrophotographic type copy machine and printer. More particularly, the present invention relates to a developing apparatus wherein both the developer to be carried onto a developer carrier supplied from a developer supply portion and the developer present in a developer tank surely circulate so that the developing apparatus can obtain appropriate pressure of developer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A known conventional developing apparatus used for electrophotographic type copy machine and printer is such that non-magnetic one-component developer not including carrier is used and the developer is supplied onto a developer carrier and forms thin layer of developer on the developer carrier before development.
An example of such a conventional developing apparatus is shown in FIG. 12. In a developing apparatus 100, a toner hopper 106 for accommodating developer is arranged at a position lower than a position where a development sleeve 103 is rotatably installed. The developing apparatus 100 has: a supply roller 104 for supplying developer, i.e., toner, to the development sleeve 103; and a stirring member 107 for stirring toner present in the toner hopper 106. A regulating blade 102 is made to press periphery of the development sleeve 103. The regulating blade 102 is provided so as to make thickness of thin layer of toner to be formed on the development sleeve 103 uniform and make toner negatively charged.
In the developing apparatus 100, the supply roller 104 supplies toner to the development sleeve 103. Next, the toner supplied to the developing sleeve 103 is regulated by the regulating blade 102, then carried onto the development sleeve 103 in a thin layer state. After that, the thin layer of toner gets electrostatic latent images on a photosensitive drum 90 developed. On the other hand, toner not carried onto the development sleeve 103 is returned to the toner hopper 106 and mixed with toner present in the toner hopper 106.
However, in the development apparatus 100, a developer supply portion for supplying developer to the development sleeve 103 can collect a little amount of toner. Since the toner hopper 106 is arranged at a position lower than the position of the development sleeve 103, toner has to be drawn up from the toner hopper 106 to supply to the development sleeve 103. Thereby, there has been a problem that pressure of toner applied to the development sleeve 103 gets low because weight of toner is too light to generate appropriate pressure. When the pressure of toner is low, the development sleeve 103 can take a little toner through the regulating blade 102 and as a result, the deterioration of toner-taking condition at the development sleeve 103 causes following deterioration on a high-density image at a large area, or the like.
Different from the developing apparatus 100, there has been a conventional developing apparatus wherein a toner hopper is arranged above a development sleeve.
Such a conventional developing apparatus does not have a following-deterioration kind problem. However, there has been a problem that the toner present at a developer supply portion and the toner present in a toner hopper do not circulate well. That is, since the toner hopper is arranged at a position higher than the position of the development sleeve, the developer supply portion is covered with toner and pressure of toner applied thereto becomes high. Thereby, the following problems have occurred to the conventional developing apparatus: same toner particles repeatedly receive stress by regulation of a regulating blade and then, the stress causes the toner particles to crack; the cracked tiny powder of toner melts and adheres to the development sleeve; or the regulating blade gets stiff because of cracked toner adhering thereto, whereby image quality deteriorates.
As described, in conventional developing apparatus, pressure of developer applied at a regulating position where a regulating member regulates developer is not constant. Thereby, there have been inconveniences: following deterioration on a high-density image occurs due to deterioration of toner-taking condition at a development sleeve when the pressure of developer is insufficient; or developer present at the regulating position adheres thereto when the pressure of developer is too high.

Developing apparatus having a regulating member


Specific polypeptides were identified as bacterial xylose isomerases that are able to provide xylose isomerase activity in yeast cells. The xylose isomerase activity can complete a xylose utilization pathway so that yeast can use xylose in fermentation, such as xylose in biomass hydrolysate.

Currently yeasts are the organism or choice for the fermentative production of ethanol. Most common is the use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in processes using hexoses obtained from grains or mash as the carbohydrate source. Use of hydrolysate prepared from cellulosic biomass as a carbohydrate source for fermentation is desirable, as this is a readily renewable resource that does not compete with the food supply. After glucose, the second most abundant sugar in cellulosic biomass is xylose, a pentose. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is not naturally capable of metabolizing xylose, but can be engineered to metabolize xylose with expression of xylose isomerase activity to convert xylose to xylulose, and additional pathway engineering.
Success in expressing heterologous bacterial xylose isomerase enzymes that are active in yeast has been limited. Some specific xylose bacterial isomerase sequences have been reported to provide xylose isomerase activity for a xylose utilization pathway in yeast. For example as U.S. Pat. No. 7,622,284 discloses a yeast cell expressing a xylose isomerase from Piromyces sp. US 2012/0184020 dislcoses eukaryotic cells expressing a xylose isomerase isolated from Ruminococcus flavefaciens. Similarly WO2011078262 disclose several xylose isomerases from each of Reticulitermes speratus and Mastotermes darwiniensis and proteins with high sequence identities to these, and their expression in eukaryotic cells. WO212009272 discloses constructs and fungal cells containing a xylose isomerase from Abiotrophia defectiva and others with sequence identity to it.
There remains a need for additional engineered yeast cells that express xylose isomerase activity for successful utilization of xylose, thereby allowing effective use of sugars obtained from cellulosic biomass during fermentation.

Bacterial xylose isomerases active in yeast cells


The present invention provides a process for preparing a saturated 6,14-dihydroxy morphinan. The process comprises contacting an unsaturated 6-O-hydrocarbyl morphinan with hydrogen peroxide and an organic acid to form an unsaturated 6-keto-14-hydroxy morphinan. The unsaturated 6-keto-14-hydroxy morphinan is contacted with a first reducing agent to form an unsaturated 6,14-dihydroxy morphinan, and the unsaturated 6,14-dihydroxy morphinan is contacted with a second reducing agent to form the saturated 6,14-dihydroxy morphinan.

Opioids, such as morphine, codeine, hydromorphone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, and oxycodone, are important analgesics. Their dihydro-reduction products, the 6-hydroxy analogs such as 6α-hydromorphol, 6α-hydrocodol, 6α-oxymorphol, and 6α-oxycodol, also have analgesic effects along with other beneficial characteristics. Recently, polymer-functionalized 6-hydroxy opioid compounds have been reported to have sustained-release and abuse-resistant properties in addition to their common opioid analgesic effects. Patient enrollment for a Phase II clinical trial of PEGylated 6α-oxycodol is currently underway.
Producing hydroxy opioid compounds, however, generally proceeds through a number of steps, where each step requires isolation of the intermediate before the next synthetic step can be performed. For example, 6α-oxycodol can be prepared by reducing oxycodone, which itself was prepared from thebaine by oxidation followed by reduction, thus requiring three isolation steps. Isolation becomes necessary for a number of reasons, including the interference of reaction byproducts with later steps, which may lower the yield or halt the reaction altogether. But, isolation of intermediates itself is an extra step that can lower the yield and efficiency of the total synthesis. Thus, there is a need to develop a high yielding one-pot process for the multiple reaction steps in order to simplify operations so that production cost and cycle time may be reduced.

Production of 6-hydroxy morphinans without the isolation of intermediates


A photonic apparatus comprises an integrated waveguide, an integrated resonator in the form of a microtoroid and a thermally reflowable film. The reflowable film comprises a first film area and a second film area. The reflowable film is one of a thin film and a stack of thin films. The first film area is thermally reflown, the microtoroid is formed in the thermally reflown first film area. The second film area is not reflown in the immediate vicinity of the microtoroid. The microtoroid is optically coupled to the integrated waveguide located on or located within one of or both of the first or second film areas. The first and second film areas are directly connected to each other. The microtoroid has an edge extending along a circumference. The microtoroid can be a non-inverted or an inverted microtoroid, wherein the second film area is inside or outside of the circumference.

Microtoroids are a form of integrated resonator that can have extremely high quality factors on the order of 100e6. The geometry and fabrication of microtoroids is taught in "Ultra-high-Q toroid microcavity on a chip" by D. K. Armani, T. J. Kippenberg, S. M. Spillane, K. K. Vahala, Nature 421, 925-928 (2003). In particular, microtoroids can be formed by thermally reflowing a material, so that the surface of the microtoroid can be shaped by surface tension and can be extremely smooth. This is the mechanism that allows such high quality factors, since scattering losses due to surface roughness are almost completely removed. High quality factors are very important for a number of applications such as optical time delay lines, narrow optical notch filters, or light generation in resonators via non-linear processes.
Microtoroids are a form of whispering gallery resonator in that they are essentially a waveguide forming a closed loop in which light can circulate. Due to the manner in which microtoroids are fabricated, they are also substantially planar, in that the height of the looped waveguide is constant relative to the chip surface and determined by the initial position of a thin film out of which the microtoroid is fabricated via a reflow process. In order to distinguish the waveguide forming the microtoroid from the waveguide to which the microtoroid is coupled to in this invention, the former is explicitly referred to as the looped waveguide in the following, while the latter is referred to as the integrated waveguide or coupled to waveguide.
An important drawback of these microtoroids is that they are extremely difficult to couple to integrated waveguides that are fabricated in the same chip than the microtoroids, i.e. to monolithically integrate them with waveguides. This is due to the fact that there is typically no mechanical connectivity between the portion of the thin film out of which the microtoroids are made by locally thermally reflowing said thin film and the remaining portions of said thin film elsewhere on the chip. For this reason, there is no mechanically supportive layer on which or in which a coupled to waveguide can be fabricated without this waveguide being trapped within the circumference of the microtoroid. The thin film out of which microtoroids are made by locally reflowing said thin film is referred to as the reflow film in the following. Monolithic fabrication of both the microtoroid and of the coupled to integrated waveguide would allow ultra precise positioning of the coupled to waveguide relative to the microtoroid, with the accuracy of lithographic feature definition, and would allow removing the high assembly costs incurred when assembling a microtoroid with a discrete fiber or waveguide, i.e. with a coupled to device that is not fabricated on the same chip.
A typical microtoroid is fabricated by starting with a thin-film out of a material that can be thermally reflown, such as a silicon dioxide film, on top of another material, such as for example a silicon substrate. A disk is first etched into the silicon dioxide thin film. The disk is than undercut by partially removing the silicon substrate from below the disk. This partial removal of the silicon is typically achieved with an isotropic etch such as is achieved by etching with gas phase XeF2. This results in a suspended disk located on top of a pedestal and attached to the rest of the chip via said pedestal. The rim of the disk is then locally reflown so that it forms a microtoroid. The reflow process is typically induced by heating with a C02 laser with a laser wavelength of 10.6 μm. The absorption coefficient of silicon dioxide is much higher than the absorption coefficient of silicon at 10.6 μm, so that the silicon dioxide film can be selectively heated relative to the silicon. Furthermore, the laser spot can be focused onto the disk, so that the silicon dioxide film can be locally heated in the vicinity of the disk. Finally, the silicon pedestal acts as a heat sink, so that the silicon dioxide heats up most at the rim of the disk, where the distance to the pedestal is the largest and the heat sinking the least efficient. This way, with the correct combination of C02 laser power, exposure time and focusing, the silicon dioxide film can be molten around the rim of the disk while remaining unmolten at the center. The silicon dioxide reflows at the rim forming an extremely smooth microtoroid with a circumference defined by the initial rim. Due to the reflow process, the looped waveguide is thicker than the reflow film out of which it is fabricated, thus forming a structure in which light can be guided.
Light is typically coupled to such a microtoroid from a tapered fiber, and the coupling coefficient between the fiber and the microtoroid tuned by adjusting the distance between the tapered fiber and the microtoroid. The tapered fiber is a suspended structure in the vicinity of the microtoroid in that it is surrounded by air.
Some attempts have been made to couple an integrated microtoroid with an on-chip waveguide. Such a structure is taught in "Silicon Microtoroidal Resonators with Integrated MEMS Tunable Coupler" by Jin Yao, David Leuenberger Ming-Chang M. Lee, and Ming C. Wu, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, Vol. 13 (2007). In this structure a freestanding Silicon Waveguide is coupled to a non-inverted Silicon microtoroid resonator. This structure is fragile due to the free-standing waveguide, is complicated to fabricated, and it remains unclear whether it can be applied to microtoroids made out of silicon dioxide for which much higher quality factors can be achieved than for silicon microtoroids. It is essentially identical to the one described in the previous paragraphs in that the microtoroid is made by reflowing a disk and in that the coupled to waveguiding element is suspended in air and held in close proximity to the microtoroid.
Other shapes of microtoroids can be fabricated with the above-described method by etching other shapes into the silicon dioxide film, such as racetracks, ovals etc. This results in microtoroid type resonators for which a cross-section, typically a substantially circular cross-section, forms a closed loop mechanically connected to a non-reflown portion of the silicon dioxide film 6 and attached to the rest of the chip via a pedestal connected to said non-reflown portion of the silicon dioxide film. This non-reflown portion connected to the pedestal is inside the circumference of the microtoroid.

Integrated microtoroids monolithically coupled with integrated waveguides


To enable clients to self-manage service issues for conferences on a bridge operated by a conference provider, there is provided a web based interface. Companies are provisioned in a client database as receiving client managed conference services instead of provider managed conference services. Users of the company or client of the Provider may log in to a web interface through a company or client specific URL and be presented with an interface that enables the user to view and perform management functions for conferences on a bridge that relate to that user only.

Audio conference providers provide a range of hardware and software, in particular audio bridges, that enables their clients to run audio conferences for multiple participants. Typically, the provider is responsible for providing support services before, during, and after the conference. However, the Provider is not always the most appropriate entity to provide these support services. For example, the client is often best placed to know which participants should be authorized to join a conference. In many clients, the knowledge already exists to provide such support services. Further, there can be privacy issues for information conveyed during conference and thus it may be preferable for a client to not have to rely on third party support. However, there is no ready mechanism for a client to manage and support their own conferences. What is required is an improved system and method for providing conference management and support.


A redundancy gateway system that can avoid short interruption of data communication caused by system switching in gateway units configured in a multiplex manner for a plurality of systems, and that can maintain the communication state prior to the system switching and avoid degradation of communication quality. A duplicate of a received packet is generated, thereby supplying the packet of the same content to a configuration of gateway units. For each packet, a common write pointer corresponding to identification information appended to the packet is generated. Each gateway unit writes the packet to its own jitter buffer in accordance with the common write pointer corresponding to each supplied packet, sequentially reads out the written packet from the jitter buffer, and generates a TDM signal. One of the gateway units is selectively switched and only the TDM signal generated by the one gateway unit is supplied to a TDM network.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a redundancy gateway system that includes plural gateway units configured in a multiplex manner for plural systems and that carries out data communications such as audio data communications and video data communication between a packet network and a TDM network such as a telephone network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a gateway unit that connects a packet network and a telephone network with each other and relays audio data has a function of encoding an audio signal received from the telephone network by an encoder, then packetizing the audio data in accordance with RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) and sending the packetized data to the packet network. Conversely, the gateway unit also has a function of decoding an audio packet received from the packet network by a decoder and then sending the decoded audio data to the telephone network. To restrain the influence of failure in the gateway unit on user's communication, the gateway unit is often has a multiple redundant configuration of duplex or more. For example, in a duplex redundant configuration in which one of two gateway units is set for an operation system and the other one is set for a standby system, if failure occurs in the operation system or if maintenance of the unit is necessary, system switching is carried out between the units in the operation system and the standby system. A method has been proposed to prevent interruption of communication in this system switching.
In the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Kokai No. 2005-57461, when switching between the operation system and the standby system is carried out, RTP/RTCP session information except for information related to the time stamp and sequence number, and connectivity information are transferred from the operation system to the standby system. Thus, the gateway unit switched to the operation system can start a decoding operation using a parameter value set for an RTP packet sent from an IP terminal as an initial value, and the operation system and the standby system can be switched without interrupting the audio.
However, the conventional technique cannot achieve the elimination of short interruption of speaking. In the disclosed method, since the time stamp value and sequence number of the RTP session information to be sent to the packet network are not taken over, occurrence of short interruption of speaking due to detection of discontinuity in the time stamp value and sequence number of the RTP packet in the receiving device cannot be avoided. Also, with respect to processing to perform audio processing of data received from the packet network and then output the audio data to the telephone network, synchronization of processing cannot be taken between the operation system and the standby system. Therefore, short interruption or duplication of speaking occurs in system switching. Moreover, since the new operation system unit starts operating with an initial state irrespective of the state of the former operation system unit, degradation of the speaking quality cannot be avoided until the new operation system restores a state equivalent to the state of the former operation system. For example, speaking may be interrupted while packets remaining in the jitter buffer of the former operation system are discarded, or a time of approximately 500 to 800 ms may be necessary in order to reach a state where echo can be properly eliminated as optimization control is reset in the echo canceller of the new operation system, and the speech during this period may not sound normal.