Techniques are described for configuration of a multi-chassis router for managing periodic communications between the multi-chassis router and other network devices. The multi-chassis router selectively processes data received from a network by determine whether the data: (1) indicates an operational state of a network device in association with a routing protocol, or (2) conveys routing information for the routing protocol. Data conveying routing information are processed by a master routing component of the multi-chassis router, while data indicating an operational state of a network device are processed by one or more slave routing components of the multi-chassis router. The techniques also allow the multi-chassis router to allocate responsibility for managing periodic communications for the set of routing protocols among a plurality of hierarchically arranged cooperative routing components within the multi-chassis router, such as switch card chassis, line card chassis, or interface cards within each line card chassis.

A computer network is a collection of interconnected computing devices that can exchange data and share resources. In a packet-based network, the computing devices communicate data by dividing the data into small blocks called packets, which are individually routed across the network from a source device to a destination device. The destination device extracts the data from the packets and assembles the data into its original form. Dividing the data into packets enables the source device to resend only those individual packets that may be lost during transmission.
Certain devices, referred to as routers, maintain tables of routing information that describe routes through the network. A "route" can generally be defined as a path between two locations on the network. Upon receiving an incoming data packet, the router examines destination information within the packet to identify the destination for the packet. Based on the destination, the router forwards the packet in accordance with the routing table. A router uses interface cards (IFCs) for receiving and sending data packets via network links. These IFCs are installed in ports known as interfaces and are configured using interface configurations.
One way to meet increasing bandwidth needs is to use multi-chassis routers. A multi-chassis-router is a router in which multiple routing nodes are physically coupled and configured to operate as a single routing node. One example of a multi-chassis router includes multiple line card chassis (LCCs), which include one or more IFCs for sending and receiving packets, and a central switch card chassis (SCC), which provides top-down management of the LCCs. This type of multi-chassis router is often referred to as a single-headed multi-chassis router, i.e., a routing system in which all routing computations are done on a single routing engine that is designated as the master of the routing system. To peer routers on the network, the multi-chassis router appears as a single routing node. Because multi-chassis routers combine resources of multiple routing devices, multi-chassis routers have much higher bandwidth capabilities than standalone routers. For example, the use of multi-chassis routers can simplify and improve routing on a service provider network by consolidating routing functions onto fewer routers.
In order to maintain an accurate representation of a network, routers typically send periodic packets to each other to communicate the state of the device. These periodic packets are sometimes referred to as "keepalives" or "hellos." For example, a first router may send a packet to a second router every five seconds to verify that the router is still operational. The first router may require the second router to respond in a certain amount of time. When a response packet is not received in the allotted time frame, the first router expecting the message may conclude a failure has occurred, such as failure of the second router or failure of the link connecting the two routers. Consequently, the first router may update its routing information to exclude that particular link, and may issue a number of update messages to neighboring routers indicating the link failure.
However, a number of non-failure conditions may prevent the second router from responding to the first router within the required periodic response time. For example, the computing resources of the second router may be consumed due to heavy network traffic loads. In other words, with the increased amount of network traffic on the Internet, for example, many conventional routers have become so busy performing other functions, such as route resolution, that the response time to periodic packets is not sufficient. Furthermore, the increased complexity of current routers has increased the number of processes concurrently executing on the router, each of which require computing resources. In addition, there has been continual demand to shorten the allowable time to respond to such periodic messages in order to accelerate the detection of failure conditions.

Distributed solution for managing periodic communications in a multi-chassis routing system


A golf club is disclosed that can be used with a structure of a golf club head that has a space between the front striking face and the back piece of the club head. The front face and the back piece are attached to each other at the heel edge and the toe edge. This new club head can replace the presently used perimeter weighting with this new heel and toe weighting. This new club head is able to strike a golf ball more accurately and with more control. With rotation of the shaft on the club head, the golf club can become a four way device whereby the front face, the back face, the heel edge or the toe edge may be used to strike a golf ball. With a rotatable shaft that is moveable on the golf club head at the heel edge, at the toe edge or at the central part of the back piece, the golf club can become a four way device for a left hander or a right hander. The front face, the heel edge, the toe edge or the back face can be used to strike a golf ball. An adjustable length or telescopic shaft allows more control and accuracy to strike a golf ball.

Almost all of the golf clubs made today have a club head where the front striking face and the back piece are one solid unit. The front face of the club head is usually somewhat flat and wide while the back piece of the club head has some form of perimeter weighting whereby the central portion of the back piece will be recessed in some manner from heel to toe and from top to bottom. The present day shaft of the golf club is usually situated at the heel end of the golf club and fixed in that position for normal addressing of the golf club for the front face. Some putters will place the shaft in a fixed position at the central part of an extended back piece with the club head as a solid unit.
This invention relates to a vastly improved system whereby a golfer places a completely rotatable shaft at the heel end, at the toe end or at the central part of the back piece of the club head. The back piece may be extended or be parallel with the front face for ball striking capability. This new club head will differ from the present day club head by having a space between the front face and the back piece of the club head. This will provide a more balanced striking ability to the front face by having the back piece of the club head contribute more mass and stability in a uniform manner to the front face than present day golf clubs do. The golfer may also adjust the shaft for length whereby the golf club has a longer shaft or a shorter shaft.


An arrangement designed for radio phones for integrating a mechanical structure of the antenna head of the phone. The mechanical structures of an antenna and a speaker of the radio phone are integrated so that a given planar component radiates both radio waves and sound waves. The radiator component (310) comprises a layer (315, 316) of a material, a shape of which can be controlled by means of a voltage. The sound waves, i.e. fluctuation of the air pressure are thus generated by causing the thickness or position of the layer to fluctuate according to the control voltage. The antenna head of the radio phone becomes more compact than in the prior art, and it takes up less space because the antenna and the speaker utilize same structural elements.

As mobile phones are becoming smaller, all arrangements that help reduce their size are recommendable. As regards antennas, an advantageous solution is a PIFA type (planar inverted F-antenna) structure. It is effective with respect to its size, and it does not create a protruding part in the phone. In an ordinary mobile phone structure, there is provided a speaker at the same end with the antenna, according to FIG. 1. Figure shows a mobile phone MS including a circuit board 105, the top surface whereof is coated with a conductive layer. The conductive layer forms, among others, the ground plane of the antenna. A PIFA type antenna comprises a radiating plane 101 that is somewhat higher than the ground plane. Beside the radiating plane, there is a speaker capsule 102, from which the sound is led to apertures provided in the mobile phone shell.

Arrangement for integrating a radio phone structure


There is provided an implanted pacemaker having a system and method for determining a measure of the circadian rhythm of a patient and adjusting the pacemaker nighttime setting of lower rate limit to correspond to the determined circadian rhythm. In a preferred embodiment, the circadian rhythm is determined by examining daily variations in QT interval. In a first QT embodiment of the invention, when QT interval becomes longer than a parameter QT.sub.-- sleep, which represents a value associated with patient nighttime, the LRL is dropped to a night value and maintained at such value for a predetermined duration. In another embodiment, the start of night LRL is determined as a function of when QT interval becomes longer than a sleep value for a predetermined elapsed time, and LRL is changed back to a day value when QT interval drops back down to a shorter value than the sleep value and stays there for an elapsed period of time. In yet another algorithm in accordance with this invention, the sleep value of QT interval is adapted so that the night period when QT interval is longer than the sleep value more closely corresponds to desired time of sleep, and the start of night LRL and the start of Day LRL are shifted to correspond to the detected night period. Additionally, other pacing parameters such as the escape interval hysteresis value may be varied based on determinations of the circadian rhythm.

Current generation rate responsive implantable pacemakers generally use a programmable, but fixed lower rate limit (LRL). As the term indicates, the lower rate limit establishes a low limit to the pacing rate for a rate responsive pacemaker, to ensure that the pacing rate does not drop to an undesirable brady level. It is desirable to enable a lower pacing rate during nighttime than during daytime, for physiological reasons; during the night, patient metabolism drops and a lower rate is more natural and physiological. Further, as is well known, provision of a lower rate at night means few delivered pacing pulses over an extended period of time, and thus a substantial savings in battery energy. Some current pacemakers provide for automatic drop of LRL at night. Such automatic rate drop at night can be provided simply by an internal clock, or by a detected parameter which indicates low patient activity or metabolism, from which the pacemaker can conclude nighttime.
A problem inherent in the usual form of rate drop at night is that the pacemaker does not follow the patient's circadian variation. Circadian variations may occur due to changes in the individual's state of health or general constitution, as well as summer/winter time transitions and travel to different time zones. For whatever the reason the circadian variations, it is desirable that the pacemaker be able to track and adjust to these variations and changing sleep patterns. Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a pacemaker which is able to continuously sense one or more biological parameters which accurately reflect the patient's circadian variation, and continually adapt the timing for switching between daytime LRL and nighttime LRL to best follow the circadian variations. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, use is made of the observation that daily variations in QT interval (QT) are an accurate reflection of circadian variations. At nighttime, the value of QT rises toward a daily maximum, and recognition of this enables a determination of patient nighttime suitable for lowering LRL.

Pacemaker with automatic lower rate limit drop


A motor drive apparatus includes a comparison circuit comparing voltages of 3-phase coil terminals and the voltage of a neutral point terminal of a 3-phase brushless motor to determine which voltage is higher/lower, a zero ampere current detection circuit detecting, based on the comparison result by the comparison circuit, that the coil current of a position detection phase becomes 0 A, a position detection circuit detecting a zero cross point of the voltage of the position detection phase based on the comparison result by the comparison circuit after the coil current becomes 0 A. Therefore, the zero cross point can be accurately detected without introducing a mask period.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor drive apparatus, and particularly to a motor drive apparatus driving a 3-phase brushless motor without using a Hall sensor.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, a motor drive apparatus which drives a 3-phase brushless motor without using a Hall sensor is known. In this motor drive apparatus, as the rotor rotates, its position is detected using not a Hall sensor but an induced voltage generated in a coil of a stator by the rotation of the rotor. Based on the detection result, 3-phase PWM voltages 120° out of phase with each other are applied to 3-phase coils (for example, see Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-047280).
More specifically, in such a motor drive apparatus, the current supply to a coil of a position detection phase is timed, as prescribed, to be interrupted, and a zero cross point of a coil terminal voltage of the position detection phase is detected after a lapse of a certain mask period. Based on the detection result, the 3-phase PWM voltages are then applied to the 3-phase coils. Although the coil current should be 0 A in order to detect the zero cross point of the coil terminal voltage, the coil current cannot immediately become 0 A even if the current supply to the coil is interrupted. Therefore, the certain mask period must be introduced.
On the other hand, when the 3-phase brushless motor is driven quietly without decreasing its rotation efficiency, an electrical angle of each phase when current conducts should be brought from 120° close to 180°. This causes the possible length of the mask period to be shortened. In addition, an increase in the coil constant of the motor causes the attenuation of the coil current to be slowed down. Therefore, the coil current cannot become 0 A by the time of the detection of the zero cross point. In this case, the zero cross point cannot be accurately detected, so that it becomes difficult to control the motor.

Motor drive apparatus driving 3-phase brushless motor without using hall sensor


A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and apparatus for providing a communications service in a communications network are disclosed. For example, the method monitors a conference call, detects a triggering event during the conference call registered for a particular user, wherein the particular user is not a participant in the conference call, and notifies the particular user of the triggering event.

Social media is a growing field. Social media allows users to share experiences with friends and other users. However, most of the social media is associated with websites. For example, many websites cater to the social media phenomenon, such as for example, Facebook®, Twitter®, LinkedIn® and the like. Currently, there are no social media platforms for telephony.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for providing ambient social telephony


An absorbent feminine care article (20) having a longitudinal direction (22), a lateral direction (24), first and second longitudinally opposed end portions (72, 72a), and an intermediate portion (76) located between the end portions. The article (20) comprises an absorbent body structure (30) sandwiched between a cover (26) and a baffle (28). In a particular aspect, the absorbent structure (30) can include one or more distinctively configured embossment regions (34), and the embossment regions can be distributed along the intermediate portion (76) of the article.

Absorbent products intended to absorb discharged body fluids are well known in the art. Such absorbent products generally comprise a fibrous mass or other absorbent body which can absorb and hold the body fluids. Similarly, it is well known that, feminine care articles have been employed to absorb and hold liquids, such as urine and/or menses. The absorbent articles have included various systems of liquid-handling layers, such as intake layers, distribution layers, retention layers and the like. Additionally, the absorbent articles have included patterns of embossments distributed on the bodyside surface of the article to provide a hinging action, or to inhibit or direct a desired flow of liquids. Other arrangements of the absorbent articles have included wing portions which can help to hold the article in place at a selected location in a wearer's undergarment. Various fasteners have been employed to secure the wing portions in a desired configuration during ordinary use. The fasteners have included adhesive fasteners as well as mechanical fasteners, and the mechanical fasteners have included conventional, hook-and-loop fasteners.
Conventional absorbent systems, however, have not provided desired combinations of comfort, rapid intake of liquid, low surface staining, low leakage and surface dryness. When such conventional absorbent systems have been constructed to include embossments, the embossments have not been sufficiently effective during ordinary use, and the liquid-handling properties of the article have been less than desired. As a result, there has been a continued need for improved embossed absorbent systems that provide more secure levels of liquid intake and storage, along with increased levels of confidence to the wearer.

Nonlinear, undulating perimeter embossing in an absorbent article


The present invention is a universal anatomical dental carrier for carrying a component of an anatomical dental restorative system which typically includes impression copings, healing caps, temporary and anatomic abutments, and screw bolts. The universal anatomical dental carrier comprises an elongated handle, a ring-shaped holder for press-fitting a generally cylindrical shaped portion of the anatomical dental restorative component, and a double-angled portion interconnecting the elongated handle and the ring-shaped holder to have the ring-shaped holder situated below and extended away from the elongated handle. The ring-shaped holder may incorporate an antifrictionally supported rotatable inner ring for press-fitting the generally cylindrical shaped portion of the anatomical dental restorative component, and the double-angled portion may incorporate a swivel joint for making the ring-shaped holder rotatable to any desired angle.

1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to the field of medical instruments used in intraoral tooth prosthodontics restorations. More particularly the present invention relates to the field of dental tools for carrying various components of anatomical dental restorative systems used in intraoral tooth prosthodontics restorations.
2. Description of The Prior Art
Anatomical dental restorative systems are widely used in intraoral tooth prosthodontics restorations. The most often used components of a complete anatomical dental restorative system include implant fixtures, healing cap assemblies, impression coping assemblies, temporary and anatomic abutment assemblies, and screw bolts. Generally, a tooth prosthodontics restoration involves the following procedures.
The implant fixture is first installed into a socket prepared in the alveolus of the jawbone where a tooth has been extracted or otherwise lost. A cover screw is then used for sealing the top screw hole of the implant during the time the jaw bone is growing about the implant. After osseointegration of the implant, the gingiva is reopened and the cover screw is removed and replaced by a healing cap, which provides a predetermined contour to the re-healing gingival tissue.
After the re-opened gingival tissue has healed about the healing cap, the healing cap is removed so that an impression of the implant fixture and the surrounding gingival tissue can be made. The exposed end of the implant fixture typically has a hexagonal interface for defining the orientation of the attachment of a tooth analogue. The impression coping is attached to the implant fixture to make the impression for transferring to a working cast the natural dentition as well as both the exact position and the exact rotational alignment of the hexagonal interface of the implant fixture. Once the impression is made, it is removed from the patient's oral cavity and the impression coping is also removed. The impression coping is then attached to an analogue of the implant fixture and inserted back to the impression, and dental stone or die material is poured in to make the working cast for constructing the tooth analogue.
The temporary abutment can be fixed onto the implant fixture for supporting the tooth analogue, so the tooth analogue can be further finely finished to fit the actual contours of the patient's oral cavity. Finally, once everything is satisfactory, the completed tooth analogue can be permanently attached to the implant fixture by the anatomic abutment, and the intraoral tooth prosthodontics restoration is completed.
However, in intraoral tooth restoration operations, it is often very difficult to maneuver the various components of the anatomic dental implant system by hand. There are two main reasons for this difficulty. First, the sizes of the dental implant components, including impression copings, healing caps, temporary and anatomic abutments, and screw bolts, are very small. The overall length and maximum diameter of a typical dental implant component are both less than one centimeter. The small configurations of the dental implant components make them hard to handle. Second, the internal space of a patient's oral cavity is very limited, and frequently the location of the tooth restoration is hard to reach through the patient's mouth. The narrow space and limited access of the patients' oral cavity again makes it very difficult to handle the various dental components during an intraoral tooth restoration operation.
The small configuration of the anatomical dental restorative components and the limited access to the patients' oral cavities also make it easy to have an anatomical dental restorative component lost in a patient's oral cavity when the dentist tries to maneuver it within the patient's oral cavity, particularly when the tooth prosthodontics restoration is performed at a location adjacent the back of the patient's mouth.
It is therefore very desirable to have a carrying tool for intraoral tooth restoration operations, which tool can be used to maneuver a small anatomical dental restorative component inside a patient's oral cavity. There is no satisfactory tool which is specially designed to be used for this purpose.

Universal carrier for carrying various anatomical dental restorative components


In one aspect the present invention provides methods for assessing a physiological state of a mammalian retina in vivo, the methods of this aspect of the invention each include the steps of: (a) irradiating a portion of a mammalian retina, in vivo, with light having a wavelength in the range of from 600 nm to 1000 nm at an intensity sufficient to stimulate two-photon-induced fluorescence in the retina; and (b) assessing a physiological state of the retina by analyzing the fluorescence.

As shown in FIG. 1, human eye 100 is generally spherical and includes a tough outer layer, called the sclera 102, to which muscles (not shown) are attached which control the rotation of eye 100 within the eye socket. Beneath sclera 102 is a choroid layer 104, and beneath choroid layer 104 is a retina 106 which includes specialized photosensitive cells (rods and cones) that contain the visual pigment rhodopsin. Light enters eye 100 through a pupil 108 and is focussed onto retina 106 by a lens 110. An optic nerve 112 connects eye 100 to the brain.
Cone cells within the retina provide visual acuity and color vision, while rod cells are adapted for vision in dim light. Within rod and cone cells light sensitive molecules are located in a multilayered membrane structure. Within the multilayered membrane structure of rod cells, a linear polyene, 11-cis-retinal, is bound to a lysyl NH2 group of the membrane protein opsin via a Schiff's base. Within the multilayered membrane structure of cone cells, 11-cis-retinal is bound to membrane proteins that are similar to opsin. Light causes isomerization of 11-cis-retinal around the C(11)-C(12) double bond to form all-trans-retinal. This isomerization reaction triggers electrical changes in retina 106 which generate nerve impulses that are transmitted to the brain, via optic nerve 112, which interprets the nerve impulses to produce the sensation of sight.
The all-trans-retinal that is released from opsin, or other visual protein, is reduced to form all-trans-retinol (vitamin A) which is transported from the rod or cone cells into cells of the adjacent retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) where the all-trans-retinol is regenerated to 11-cis-retinal through a series of chemical reactions called the retinoid cycle. FIG. 2 shows a diagram of the retinoid cycle as it is presently understood. In brief, all-trans-retinol is esterified with fatty acids in a reaction catalyzed by lecithin:retinol acyltransferase (LRAT). All-trans-retinyl esters (referred to as retinyl esters) have been suggested to be the substrate for a putative isomerohydrolase in the RPE (Rando, R. R., "Membrane Phospholipids as an Energy Source in the Operation of the Visual Cycle," Biochemistry 30:595-602, 1991) and for a retinyl ester hydrolase (REH) that produces all-trans-retinol, a substrate for the putative isomerase that converts all-trans-retinol to 11-cis-retinol which is then oxidized to form 11-cis-retinal. 11-cis-retinal is exported to the photoreceptors where it recombines with opsins to form 11-cis-retinylidene-opsins.
Defects in the retinoid cycle may lead to blinding disorders, for example, retinitis pigmentosa or macular degeneration. Among these, the inherited early onset dystrophies are collectively called Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). LCA is a group of genetically heterogeneous diseases that involves, among others, mutations in the LRAT and RPE65 genes.
There is a continuing need for methods and devices that permit measurement of the levels of chemical components of the retinoid cycle, and changes in the levels of chemical components of the retinoid cycle, which can be used to assess the health of a mammalian retina, or can be used to assess a particular physiological state of a mammalian retina, or can be used to investigate, characterize, diagnose and/or treat a disorder of the mammalian retina.

Methods for assessing a physiological state of a mammalian retina


An expense registration system capable of communicating with a management server that manages expenses individually for each matter includes a transmission unit configured to transmit a uniform resource locator (URL) for displaying a confirmation screen of fax reception when a document is received by fax, a response unit configured to send, if a request for the confirmation screen is received via the URL transmitted by the transmission unit, the confirmation screen as a response to the request, a reception unit configured to receive information used for managing expenses for fax reception, the information being input by a user via the confirmation screen, and a registration unit configured to register, by using the information received by the reception unit, expenses incurred in the fax reception in the management server.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to an expense registration system for registering expenses related to a document received by fax (facsimile).
2. Description of the Related Art
In most patent firms or law firms (hereinafter referred to as the firms), expenses incurred in work done for clients may be charged to the clients. In this case, charges are often made in units of matters (cases) requested from the clients. In this case, the matters include, for example, a contract matter related to closing a contract between one company and the other and a lawsuit matter related to a lawsuit in which one company is a plaintiff or a defendant.
The firm makes a charge in units of matters, so that the firm separately manages expenses in units of matters. In this case, the expenses include, for example, personnel expenses incurred in work, the cost of paper consumed by copying or printing, communication costs for fax transmission and reception, and others.
In managing the expenses in units of matters, a problem is caused in that it is laborious to register expenses related to fax reception in particular. Until now, in registering expenses related to fax reception, a user has needed to calculate a reception cost from the number of pages of the received fax documents, identify that the received fax documents relate to which matter, and calculate personnel expenses required for these works.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-160531 discusses a system for notifying a user of reception a fax document. Automatically filing a document received by fax and registering the document on a document management server have also been known. However, a method for reducing labor for registering expenses related to fax reception has not been known, which still requires the user to do laborious work for registering expenses related to fax reception.

Expense registration system for registering expenses related to document received by fax


A manganese alloy sputtering target characterized in that oxygen is 1000 ppm or less, sulfur is 200 ppm or less and a forged texture is provided, and a method for producing a forged manganese alloy target stably by eliminating the drawbacks of manganese alloy that it is susceptible to cracking and has a low rupture strength. A manganese alloy sputtering target which can form a thin film exhibiting high characteristics and high corrosion resistance while suppressing generation of nodules or particles is thereby obtained.

The present invention relates to a low-oxygen, low-sulfur, large-diameter (shape) manganese alloy sputtering target and the manufacturing method thereof, and in particular, to a manganese alloy sputtering target capable of forming a thin film exhibiting high characteristics and high corrosion resistance while suppressing the generation of nodules and particles.
A magnetic recording device such as a computer hard drive has been miniaturized by leaps and bounds in recent years, and the recording density is on the verge of achieving several 10 Gb/in2. Thus, as the reproducing head, a conventional conductive head has reached its limit, and an anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) head is now being used.
And, this anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) head grew rapidly on a global scale pursuant to the expansion of the personal computer market and so on, and now a high-density giant magnetoresistive (GMR) head is being put into practical use.
In light of the above, manganese alloy of manganese and elements of the platinum group or the like have been used recently as an antiferromagnetic film of a spin valve film used in the GMR head, and expeditious research and development is being conducted for the further improvement of efficiency. Moreover, this antiferromagnetic film is not only used in GMR, but is used in TMR as well, and may also be used in MRAM and the like.
Upon manufacturing the likes of a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) head, for example, the respective layers structuring the head is deposited with the sputtering method.
In general, a target used in sputtering is manufactured with a hot pressing method of sintering powder, a powder metallurgy method such as the HIP method, or a melting method. When manufacturing a manganese alloy target composed from manganese and elements of the platinum group or the like from the foregoing powder metallurgy method, there is an advantage in that the shape yield is favorable and the rupture strength is high.
Nevertheless, in the case of this powder metallurgy method, there are problems in that the specific surface area of the raw material power is large, the amount of oxygen adsorbed is considerably large and, since the amount of oxygen and other impurity elements getting mixed into the manufacturing process of the target increases, the density is low. The existence of oxygen as described above will deteriorate the magnetic property of the film, and this is clearly undesirable.
Formation of the film with the sputtering method is conducted by physically colliding a positive ion such as Ar ion to the target established in the cathode, discharging the materials structuring the target with such collision energy, and laminating films having a composition approximately the same as the target material on the opposing anode side substrate.
Coating with the sputtering method is characterized in that a thin film of an Angstrom level to a thick film of several ten μm can be formed with a stable deposition speed by adjusting the processing time and power supply or the like.
Nevertheless, a particular problem in the case of forming the foregoing film is the density of the sputtering target and the generation of nodules during the sputtering operation.
A manganese alloy target is manufactured by sintering mixed powder in which manganese powder and power of elements of the platinum group or the like are mixed at a prescribed ratio, but since the powders originally have different elemental compositions, variations arise in the particle size of the powder, and there is a problem in that a dense sintered body is difficult to obtain.
In addition, since the film layers are becoming even more miniaturized and dense, the films themselves are also being thinly miniaturized, and, if the formed films are not even, the quality tends to deteriorate. Therefore, it is important to reduce the pores while unifying the elements of the target.
Moreover, when nodules increase on the erosion face of the target, this will induce irregular sputtering, and, in some cases, there may be a problem of a short circuit occurring as a result of abnormal electrical discharge or the formation of a cluster (clumped) film. Simultaneously, enlarged particles begin to float within the sputtering chamber, and a problem arises in that these particles similarly re-adhere on the substrate and cause protrusions on the thin film.
In light of the above, although it was necessary to obtain a high-density sintered target where the elements are even, there is a problem with those obtained with the powder metallurgy method in that the deterioration in density was inevitable, and the generation of nodules and particles could not be avoided.
Meanwhile, with the melting method, adsorption of oxygen and the like arising in powder metallurgy would not occur, and there is a feature in that the density of the target is higher in comparison to a sintered body. Nevertheless, although the Mn alloy target obtained with the melting method has superior characteristics, there is a problem in that it is susceptible to cracking and has low rupture strength in comparison to a sintered body.
Therefore, a proposal has been made for increasing the rupture strength by using a soluble casting while maintaining the brittleness or making the cast structure a Dendritic structure (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-26861). Nevertheless, a cast structure possesses anisotropy, and, even if the rupture strength could be improved by making it a Dendritic structure, it is highly likely that such anisotropy would be reflected in the sputtering deposition and defects would thereby arise in the evenness thereof.
Furthermore, although the sintering method is preferable from the perspective of manufacturing costs and raw material yield, a proposal has also been made for employing a material obtained with the melting method upon performing plastic forming thereto (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-160332). Nevertheless, in this case, it is uncertain as to what kind of plastic forming is employed, or the degree of performing such plastic forming, and there are proposals that are merely armchair theories.
As a matter of fact, the foregoing manganese alloy target that is susceptible to cracking and has a low rupture strength is not able to overcome the problems described above unless a specific proposal is provided for resolving the brittleness.

Manganese alloy sputtering target and method for producing the same


A differential apparatus has a differential casing, a pinion gear, a pair of side gears engaged with the pinion gear, and a cone clutch for limiting a differential movement between the side gears. In this differential apparatus, the cone clutch is constructed by a female side cone portion formed in an inner circumference of the differential casing, and a male side cone portion formed in an outer circumference of the pair of side gears. The female side cone portion is formed in the shape of a tapered face in which a conical generating line is a straight line. The male side cone portion is formed in the shape of a tapered face having a predetermined curvature and a generating line projecting to the female side cone portion. Thus, no sliding portion is offset to a small diameter portion even when thrust applied to the cone clutch is increased, thereby improving durability of the cone clutch.

The present invention relates to a differential limiting mechanism of a differential apparatus used in a vehicle.
For example, the differential limiting mechanism of a conventional differential apparatus is described in Japanese published (KOKOKU) Patent No. 39-29513.
This differential limiting mechanism includes a cone clutch. The cone clutch is constructed by a pair of female side cone portions and male side cone portions corresponding to the female side cone portions. Each of the female side cone portions is a tapered face formed in the shape of a truncated cone in an inner wall of a differential casing. Each of the male side cone portions is a tapered face formed in an outer circumference of a clutch body arranged behind a side gear and rotated integrally with the side gear. Taper angles of the female and male side cone portions are in conformity with each other, and the female and male side cone portions come in face contact with each other.
The cone clutch is pressed by biasing force of a spring mechanism at any time and is pressed by thrust applied to each side gear at an operating time of the differential apparatus. When a difference in driving resistance is caused between left-hand and right-hand output shafts, a difference in rotation is caused between the female and male side cone portions. Therefore, sliding friction is generated in the cone clutch so that a differential rotation of both the output shafts is limited by this frictional force.

Differential limiting mechanism of differential apparatus


In various embodiments, a request is received for a claim that is responsive to an interrogatory, where the interrogatory uses values of items of interest regarding a subject user to produce the claim. Based on the request, it is determined that one or more permissions, included in one or more digitally signed transactions of one or more transaction blocks on one or more copies of a blockchain maintained at least in part by nodes of a distributed ledger system, represents the subject user granting a receiving entity with a right to receive claims that are responsive to interrogatories that use the values to produce the claims. Based on the determining, the receiving entity is granted access to the claim.

Different entities often employ information, or data, regarding other entities (e.g., users) for various applications, such as software and services tailored to the entities. Lack of a particular type of information for an application or the use of low quality information (e.g., inaccurate, outdated, or invalid) can result in the application making erroneous or unreliable determinations. Some entities may be better adapted to collect certain types of entity information than others, such that the quality of the information available for applications varies across the entities. For example, for an individual's age, one entity may rely on a birth certificate to verify the individual's age, whereas another may rely solely on user input, and still another entity may infer the individuals age based on user interactions with a website.
An entity (e.g., user) is typically best positioned to provide accurate information regarding the entity. However, due to factors such as privacy and security concerns, entities often refrain from providing the information, or provide inaccurate information to bypass information requests. Typically, once a user shares information (e.g., the user's age) with another entity, the data is out of the user's control. The receiving entity may maintain the information in a user profile to use for various purposes, even after the user wishes to sever ties with the entity. Further, entity information regarding the same entity typically remains siloed amongst entities with each maintaining its own user profile. A security breach to any one entity system allows for unauthorized access to personal information. Further, a user may wish to provide data from one entity to another entity so the new entity can use the user's data. However, the entity may refuse to share the data or there may be incompatibilities between entity systems.

Entity-sovereign data wallets using distributed ledger technology


The present invention relates to the field of medical devices, and more specifically to a radiolucent surgical handle system which utilizes properties of silicone and channel geometry to create a more responsive and stable medical instrument. Channel geometry is utilized to stabilize the outer silicone gripping layer, thus preventing axial, planar, lateral or angular movement of the silicone gripping layer under conditions of torque force during a surgical operation.

X-ray imaging is used during orthopedic surgery and other medical procedures to guide surgeons in real time, and also to verify completed procedures while the patient is still on the operating table. Surgeons use specialized medical tools to complete their work, and at times these tools cannot be removed from the field of x-rays. Typical tools have stainless steel or other metal in the handles that can block x-rays and thus affect surgical outcomes. It is desirable to have tools with handles that are radiolucent so they do not block x-rays.
Radiolucent materials are known in the art. Silicone is a highly effective material for surgical handles because it is lightweight and provides a sure grip, and it is also radiolucent. However, silicone must be supported by a strong inner frame structure, usually comprised of a material that is not radiolucent such as stainless steel.
Attempts have been made to design inner skeletal frame structures for surgical tool handles using radiolucent materials. For example, U.S. Patent Application No. 2007/0290399 A1 (Easter) discloses a surgical tool handle with an outer silicone gripping layer and a radiolucent inner skeletal support structure which directs the flow of silicone though channels in the frame to form spines with overlapping edges that serve as interlocking components.
It is known in the art that surgical tools must be stable and must avoid the problem of lateral movement of the silicone over the inner skeletal frame. Attempts in the art to manufacture radiolucent tool handles have focused on design of inner skeletal frames.
It is desirable have a design which maximizes the stability of a torque resistant radiolucent handle which optimizes and varies the geometry of the inner skeletal frame of the tool to prevent the composite layers from slipping against each other and achieves the strength of metal tools.


A method for evaluating a quiescent current, the method includes: measuring, when a module is at a first mode, a first voltage drop on a first resistor that is coupled between a supply pin of an integrated circuit that comprises the module and a first test pin of the integrated circuit; assessing, when the module is at a second mode, a second voltage drop on a second resistor that is coupled between the supply pin and a second test pin of the integrated circuit; and evaluating a quiescent current of the module in response to the first and second voltage drops; wherein expected values of quiescent current of the module differ from one mode to the other; and wherein a resistance of the first resistor differs from the resistance of the second resistor.

Wikipedia defines Iddq testing as a method for testing CMOS integrated circuits for the presence of manufacturing faults. This testing relies on measuring the supply current (Idd) in the quiescent state (when the circuit is not switching). The current consumed in the state is commonly called Iddq for Idd (quiescent) and hence the name.
Iddq testing uses the principle that in a correctly operating quiescent CMOS digital circuit, there is no static current path between the power supply and ground, except for a small amount of leakage. Many common semiconductor manufacturing faults will cause the current to increase by orders of magnitude, which can be easily detected. This has the advantage of checking the chip for many possible faults with one measurement. Another advantage is that it may catch faults that are not found by conventional stuck-at fault test vectors.
Iddq testing is somewhat more complex than just measuring the supply current. If a line is shorted to Vdd, for example, it will still draw no extra current if the gate driving the signal is attempting to set it to '1'. However, a different vector set that attempts to set the signal to 0 will show a large increase in quiescent current, signalling a bad part. Typical Iddq test vector sets may have 20 or so vectors.
Many modern integrated circuits apply aggressive power saving techniques. One well known power saving technique involves placing a module of the integrated circuit in a so-called low power mode. This can involve shutting down the entire module or shutting down major portions of the module.
The quiescent current of a module that operates in a low power mode can be very small. The measurement of such a quiescent current can be very problematic and subject to various noises.
The quiescent current of a shut down module can be much smaller than the quiescent current of the same module when operating in a non-low power mode. The quiescent current of the former can be less than one percent of the latter.
Iddq tests are relatively time consuming, particularly when using external testers that are not aware of the operational mode of the module.

Integrated circuit and a method for measuring a quiescent current of a module


The circuit arrangement has a mains connection, a mains switch with two switching contacts, a demagnetization coil and a switch-mode power supply, which contains a driver circuit for producing a control voltage for the switching transistor of the switch-mode power supply. A first switching contact of the mains switch is arranged between the mains connection and the demagnetization coil in order to switch the demagnetization coil on and off, and the second switching contact is connected to a supply or control voltage for the driver circuit, in order to switch off the switch-mode power supply. In consequence, a power factor coil can be used between the mains connection and the switch-mode power supply for power factor correction, without the mains switch being loaded by the inductance of the power factor coil.

Switch-mode power supplies produce a heavily pulsed load on the electrical power supply system, which leads to harmonic currents in electrical power supply systems. This load occurs in the region of the voltage maxima of the sinusoidal mains voltage, at which voltage maxima an energy-storage capacitor for the switch-mode power supply is recharged. Appliances having a relatively high power consumption, such as televisions with relatively large picture tubes, now therefore have to comply with specific regulations relating to harmonic currents. The harmonic load on the electrical power supply system caused by an appliance can in this case be stated as a so-called power factor.
Widely differing circuit concepts are known for improving the power factor, for example from DE-A-196 10 762, EP-A-0 700 145 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,986,898. These contain a second current path with a coil between the mains rectifier and the primary winding of the transformer, with the inductance of this coil acting like a current pump, which is controlled by a switching transistor in the switch-mode power supply and in consequence broadens the pulsed current flow of the switching-mode power supply.
A further possible way to improve the power factor of a switch-mode power supply is to use a coil in the input area of the switch-mode power supply. This coil is also referred to as a 50 Hz coil, a mains frequency coil or a power factor coil. In order to avoid confusion with other coils, the description therefore always uses the expression power factor coil for this coil.
However, this power factor coil has the disadvantage that the current flow in the power factor coil is interrupted suddenly when the mains switch is operated in order to switch off the appliance. The energy which is stored in the coil must be dissipated, however. Since the open mains switch represents the highest impedance in the circuit, a very high voltage is therefore developed across the switching contacts of the mains switch, and causes an arc. This causes the mains switch to age more quickly, and the switch represents a safety risk since, in the worst case, it becomes a potential fire source.
Other mains switches, in which the switching contacts open at a slow rate, are likewise at risk. In this case, although the voltage across the contacts is not very high, an arc is nevertheless produced, however, and burns until the end of the corresponding power supply system half-cycle. In this case as well, a large amount of energy is lost in the switch, which leads to rapid aging.

Circuit arrangement with power factor correction, as well as a corresponding appliance


Methods and systems for designing optimized fluidic channel networks for performing different analytical operations, which include the steps of selecting a driving force, identifying at least a first reaction parameter, and designing the channel network by determining channel lengths and cross-sectional dimensions that are optimized for the reaction requirements in view of the selected driving force. Preferred methods are used to design integrated microscale fluidic systems.

Microfluidic devices have gained interest as a potential avenue for increasing throughput, accuracy and automatability of chemical, biochemical and biological analyses while reducing instrument and reagent costs, space requirements, and the like. Typically, such systems employ integrated channel networks disposed in solid substrates. Analytical reagents are transported through the conduits, mixed, diluted, separated and analyzed. In their simplest forms, such channel networks merely require a network of conduits connecting the various reagent and or sample sources, as well as a material transport system for moving the various reagents through those conduits in a controlled fashion. Specifically, all that is required for basic, rudimentary function are sources of reagents, a fluid connection between those sources, a means for controllably moving those reagents together via that fluid connection, and a detection or analysis system for analyzing those reagents.
While the design and operation of many microfluidic devices and systems can appear elegant in its simplicity, in order to maximize their benefit, these devices and systems should be optimized for the particular analytical operation for which they are intended. Specifically, mere fabrication of interconnected channels into a substrate may provide one with an ability to perform a desired operation, e.g., reaction or separation. However, that operation is more than likely to be running under sub-optimal conditions. In particular, most channel network design to date in microfluidics has simply focused upon getting a reagent from a first location to a second location without analyzing and/or optimizing for how that transport is carried out.
As can be seen from the foregoing, there exists a profound need for methods for designing microfluidic channel networks, which methods optimize for the analytical operation that is to be carried out. The present invention meets these and a variety of other needs.
In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method of designing a channel network for a microfluidic device for performing a given analysis. The method comprises selecting a driving force for moving fluid materials through said microfluidic device. At least one reaction is identified for the given analysis. A channel network is designed that performs the given analysis using the driving force. The channel network comprises at least first, second and third channel segments. The second and third channel segments intersect and are in fluid communication with the first channel segment. The designing comprises providing first, second and third lengths for the first, second and third channel segments, respectively, and at least a first cross-sectional dimension for each of the first, second and third channel segments. The first, second and third lengths and at least one cross-sectional dimension are substantially optimized for the at least one reaction requirement.
A further aspect of the present invention is a method of designing a channel network for a microfluidic device for performing a given analysis. At least first, second and third parameters of said analysis are identified. A driving force is selected for moving fluid reagents through the channel network for performing the analysis. A channel network is then designed for use with the driving force to perform the given analysis while operating within the first, second, and third parameters.
Another aspect of the present invention is a computer implemented process for designing channel networks for performing a desired analytical operation. A selected driving force is input into a computer to be used in performing the analytical operation of at least one reaction requirement. The computer comprises appropriate programming for calculating first, second and third lengths for first, second and third interconnected channel segments, and at least one cross-sectional dimension of the first, second and third channel segments. The first, second and third lengths and the at least one cross-sectional dimension are substantially optimized for the at least one reaction requirement in performing the analytical operation.

Methods and software for designing microfluidic devices


In an embodiment, a processor includes at least one core and power management logic. The power management logic is to receive temperature data from a plurality of dies within a package that includes the processor, and determine a smallest temperature control margin of a plurality of temperature control margins. Each temperature control margin is to be determined based on a respective thermal control temperature associated with the die and also based on respective temperature data associated with the die. The power management logic is also to generate a thermal report that is to include the smallest temperature control margin, and to store the thermal report. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Advances in semiconductor processing and logic design have permitted an increase in the amount of logic that may be present on integrated circuit devices. As a result, computer system configurations have evolved from a single integrated circuit to a system that may involve multiple hardware threads, multiple cores, multiple devices, and/or complete systems on individual integrated circuits. Additionally, as the density and performance of integrated circuits has grown, the power requirements for computing systems (from embedded systems to servers) have also escalated. Furthermore, software inefficiencies, and its requirements of hardware, have also caused an increase in computing device energy consumption. In fact, some studies indicate that computing devices consume a sizeable percentage of the entire electricity supply for a country, such as the United States of America. As a result, there is a vital need for energy efficiency and conservation associated with integrated circuits. These needs will increase as servers, desktop computers, notebooks, Ultrabooks™ tablets, mobile phones, processors, embedded systems, etc. become even more prevalent (from inclusion in the typical computer, automobiles, and televisions to biotechnology).

Apparatus and method to provide a thermal parameter report for a multi-chip package


The present invention relates to shearing apparatus, and method of operating the same. The apparatus may include a plurality of spring clamping members positioned longitudinally along a first die shoe, the clamping members positioned in raised stepped sequence from a centerline perpendicular to longitudinal sides of the die shoe to sequentially contact with the sheet material. The shearing apparatus may include a die assembly having linear bearings and guide rails for guiding movement of the die shoe, and gas springs which return the die shoe to the open position. The shearing apparatus provides straight cuts with a maximum cut-edge tolerance of 0.0015 inch. The shearing apparatus may include a second die shoe having an angled blade to allow a higher shear to break ratio.

In general, shearing systems consist of a shear assembly having an upper and lower frame, and a slide plate. A die assembly with upper and lower shoes is positioned within the shear assembly. Each of the shoes includes a clamp arrangement and blade arrangement. Sheet material such as sheet metal to be cut is placed in a gap between the upper and lower shoes and is positioned with guide apparatus. Hydraulic cylinders are used to drive the slide downward against the upper shoe, depressing it. As the upper shoe is depressed in a downward stroke, first an upper clamp contacts the sheet metal and presses it against a lower clamp. As the upper shoe continues its downward stroke, the sheet is sheared by an upper blade sliding past lower blades.
One problem with conventional shearing systems is that often the sheet is clamped with a bend or a wave in it. This causes the sheet to be sheared while it is not perfectly flat. Accordingly, when the sheet springs back to its pre-clamped state, the sheet has a cut-edge which is not as straight as was intended.
Another problem with conventional shearing systems is that sheet metal may be only partially sheared. In other words, the cut-edge of the sheet may have a rough and pitted area resulting from splitting or breaking rather than from the shearing action of the blades. The rough and pitted area may be difficult to weld to another sheet.
Another problem with conventional shearing systems is that the guide for upward movement of the upper shoe works against the guide for downward movement of the upper shoe. Accordingly, the guides incur increased wear.
It would be desirable to have a shearing system that would clamp the sheet without trapping waves or bends so that a straight cut would be achieved. It would also be desirable to have a blade arrangement that would maximize the actual shearing of the metal sheet with minimal breakage of the cut-edge.
It would also be desirable to have a die assembly guide arrangement which would provide a smooth transition between the open and closed position of the die assembly and reduce wear on the guides.

Apparatus and method for shearing material


A spreader component for use with a dragline excavator. Two dumpblocks are connected to the component in a spaced apart manner. The spreader component may include an in-use upper coupling arrangement for enabling coupling of the component to a hoist link of the dragline, at least first and second spaced apart in-use anterior coupling arrangements each for enabling coupling of the component to a respective dump block, and at least first and second spaced apart in-use lateral coupling arrangements each for enabling coupling of the component to a respective lift chain for a bucket of the excavator. An elongate connector may connect each lift chain to a respective lateral coupling arrangement in use.

Large capacity mining draglines employ multiple dump blocks (or pulleys) to support and control the dragline bucket. For example, known mining draglines employ two dump blocks. The dump blocks are supported by a so-called "upper rigging" system. The configuration of the upper rigging system and the method in which the dump blocks are supported varies, even within mining-class dragline excavators.
Minimizing the mass of the upper rigging system permits a greater mass of overburden to be carried in the dragline bucket for a particular dragline structure. Furthermore, reducing the vertical dimension of the upper rigging system permits lifting of the bucket to a higher discharge position.
Because of the enormous forces and loads that a dragline bucket is subjected to and carries, the upper rigging system attempts to equalize the tension in each hoist rope, whilst still providing necessary degrees of freedom, so as to minimize component wear as the dragline operates in its intended manner.
The above references to the background art do not constitute an admission that such art forms a part of the common and/or general knowledge of a person of ordinary skill in the art. The above references are also not intended to limit the application of the spreader component disclosed herein.

Spreader component for a dragline excavator


The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a lithium secondary battery, the method including injecting a composition for a gel polymer electrolyte into a lithium secondary battery case having an electrode assembly including a metal electrode current collector and then sealing the same, placing the lithium secondary battery case inside a fixing member having an electromagnetic field generation means, and heating the metal electrode current collector using the electromagnetic field generation means, to heat-cure the composition for a gel polymer electrolyte.

Recently, as the demand for portable electronic products such as laptops, video cameras, and portable phones has been rapidly increased and the development of electric vehicles, storage batteries for storing energy, robots, satellites, and the like has been in earnest, research on high performance secondary batteries capable of repetitive charging and discharging is actively being conducted. Currently, commercially available secondary batteries include nickel cadmium batteries, nickel hydrogen batteries, nickel zinc batteries, lithium secondary batteries, and the like. Among the above, lithium secondary batteries have little memory effect compared with nickel-based secondary batteries, and thus, are freely charged and discharged, have a very low self-discharge rate and a high energy density.
In a typical secondary battery, a liquid electrolyte, particularly, an ionic conductive organic liquid electrolyte in which a salt is dissolved in a non-aqueous organic solvent has been mainly used.
However, when a liquid electrolyte is used as described above, there are significant possibilities in that an electrode material is degenerated and an organic solvent is volatilized. In addition, there are safety issues such as combustion due to the temperature rise in a battery itself and the surroundings thereof. In particular, a lithium secondary battery has a problem in that the thickness of a battery is increased, during charging/discharging, due to the generation of gas inside the battery caused by the decomposition of a carbonate organic solvent and/or a side reaction between the organic solvent and an electrode. As a result, the deterioration in the performance and safety of the battery is inevitable.
On the other hand, a gel polymer electrolyte is excellent in electrochemical safety, and due to adhesion inherent in the gel, the adhesion between an electrode and the electrolyte is improved so that a thin-film battery may be manufactured. Therefore, a gel polymer electrolyte has been applied to various lithium secondary batteries in recent years.
Typical methods for forming a gel polymer electrolyte include solution casting, hot melting, in-situ cross-linking, and the like. Solution casting is a method in which a composition for an electrolyte is cast and then dried to be prepared in a film form, and there is a limitation in that a high boiling point solvent should be used in order to prevent an organic solvent from being volatilized during the drying process. Hot melting is a method in which a composition for an electrolyte in which a polymer is melted at a high temperature is film-cast and then cooled at room temperature, and there is a problem in an organic solvent having a low boiling point cannot be used since the polymer should be melted at a high temperature.
In-situ cross-linking is a method in which a composition for a gel polymer electrolyte including a polymer precursor capable of cross-linking such as an oligomer is injected into a battery case having an electrode assembly and then cured. In general, in order to heat-cure a composition for a gel polymer electrolyte, a method in which light or heat is applied directly to the outside of a case is used.
However, when a curing process is performed using a light emitting means or a heat generation means located near the outer side of the case, there is a problem in that a composition for a gel polymer electrolyte is not uniformly cured.
Accordingly, when manufacturing a liquid-injection-type lithium secondary battery, there is a need to develop a method for manufacturing a lithium secondary battery with improved battery capacity properties, lifespan properties, and safety by uniformly heat-curing a composition for a gel polymer electrolyte to reduce the interface resistance of the battery.
(Patent Document 1) Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-130453

Method of manufacturing lithium secondary battery with gel polymer electrolyte


An ignition timing measuring and display device of an internal combustion engine (1) having a magneto (A) includes a reference RPM signal pulse detector (2) for detecting a reference RPM signal pulse of the internal combustion engine (1) and an ignition noise pulse detector (4) for detecting ignition noise of an electromagnetic wave generated in the vicinity of an ignition plug (3) when ignition is carried out in the internal combustion engine (1) and calculates ignition timing generated by the magneto (A) based on the signal pulse and the ignition noise pulse and displays it. Since the ignition timing of the internal combustion engine can be easily monitored, maintenance can be carried out to the internal combustion engine and an ignition device to realize a necessary operating performance of the internal combustion engine.

A performance of an internal combustion engine having a magneto for a work machine such as a chain saw, a grass mover, and the like depends on how combustion is achieved under environmental conditions.
Accordingly, to achieve an output of a predetermined level, better fuel consumption, and reduction of exhausted substances, it is preferable to derive a particular engine performance by adjusting, for example, an air/fuel ratio to a value apart from a theoretical air/fuel ratio. Further, when it is possible to find ignition timing at a rotation angle of a crank before a piston reaches an upper dead point of a compression stroke, ordinary users can carry out maintenance for reducing the fuel consumption and the exhausted substances and enhancing the engine output.

Ignition timing measuring and display device of internal combustion engine


A small elliptic high pass filter is incorporated into a low noise block downconverter (LNB) to reject image frequencies in a 12 GHz Direct home satellite television Broadcasting System (DBS). A waveguide transition with separate electric probes receives Ku-band satellite signals and transmits the signals to low noise amplifiers (LNAs), a power combiner, an elliptic high pass filter, and a HEMT MMIC receiver. Within the HEMT MMIC receiver, the signal is passed through an RF amplifier stage. A mixer mixes the signal from the RF amplifier stage with a local oscillator signal to produce an intermediate frequency (IF). An IF amplifier stage amplifies the IF signal which is further processed by a television decoder box. Due to the unique response of the elliptic high pass filter, the elliptic high pass filter provides a superior image rejection with lower insertion loss for the LNB, and therefore provides improved television reception quality.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to electronic filters and more particularly to low noise block downconverters.
2. Discussion
Low noise block downconverters are used throughout a variety of electronic system designs to receive communication signals. Typical applications of low noise block downconverters include but are not limited to Very Small Aperture satellite Terminals (VSAT), portable satellite telephone communications terminals, point-to-point terrestrial digital radio data links, point-to-multi-point television and data broadcast transmission systems, and Direct home satellite television Broadcast Systems (DBS).
Direct home satellite television Broadcasting Systems (DBS) provide a relatively new class of television services which allows households to receive television programming directly from satellites via small satellite dishes. The size of the satellite dishes for the DBS is much smaller than its predecessors. DBS satellite dishes range from 18 inches to 3 feet in diameter, whereas predecessors typically were as large as 8 to 12 feet in diameter. The DBS satellite dishes are not moveable but instead are aimed at one position in the sky. Since the signals are digitally compressed, approximately 200 channels can currently be received by a single DBS satellite dish. The DBS satellite dish because of its smaller size can be bolted directly to the top of a home. A communications line allows the satellite dish to send processed satellite signals to a decoder box which is located inside the house.
With competition for providing DBS services to customers increasing due to their popularity, the need exists to provide a better quality signal to customers' television sets in order to continually meet customers' expectations. Also to be more commercially competitive, manufacturing costs for DBS components such as low noise block downconverters need to be minimized.
Low noise block downconverters (LNBs) are part of the 12 GHz DBS services home receiving system. Previous LNB approaches used either edge coupled or interdigitated band pass filters (BPFs). However, both of these types of band pass filters have disadvantages with respect to size, manufacturing cost, and LNB noise figure. Noise figure is the primary measurement of LNB system sensitivity to received signals, and an improved noise figure improves the quality of the signal received by the user.


An apparatus is adapted to be placed over an open flame source and employed as a grilling surface for cooking. The apparatus further has a flat grilling platform, a support frame, and a hoist assembly. The grilling platform is operatively suspended from the support frame by the hoist assembly such that the hoist assembly can raise and lower the grilling platform as desired. An embodiment of the apparatus provides for a fire box to facilitate construction and containment of a fire for use with the apparatus.

Whether cooked on a grill or over a campfire, food cooked outdoors just always seems to taste better than food cooked indoors. It could be the outdoor air, cooking procedures, or a hundred other variables, but one's taste buds just seem to explode. Many people who cook outdoors as part of a camping trip use a grill, which must be brought along for the trip including fuel, legs, cooking surfaces, and the like. Even those who cook on a campfire must bring a complicated stand with multiple legs that seem to collapse, and are never long enough to place food high above a fire. Another option is a complicated tripod arrangement which is difficult to set up, and then can only be used with a kettle. All of these solutions are either complicated, difficult to store, hard to transport, and/or require many solutions depending on the type of food being cooked. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which virtually any type of food can be cooked over a campfire without the disadvantages as described above. The development of the adjustable grilling platform fulfills this need.
The apparatus is used to assist with cooking over an open fire. There are two vertical supports facilitating slidable engagement with a grated cooking surface. The cooking surface is held in position by two (2) cables that are routed around pulleys disposed at a top of the apparatus. These cables then terminate at a hoist assembly, which enables selective hoisting and lowering of the cooking surface. The slidable engagement of the cooking surface with the vertical supports also provides for locking pins to hold the cooking surface at a desired height. An alternative embodiment provides for a fire box in which a fire may be constructed and contained.
Prior art in this field consists of simple posts that have cooking grates attached thereto. Some of these posts have pivoting arms connecting the cooking grate. Other prior art posts include pivoting arms with clamping apparatuses to attach pans, plates, or grates. Some prior art devices are more elaborate and consist of stands with height adjustable cooking surfaces, but these cooking surfaces are not stabilized from swinging and swaying, as is the cooking surface of the present invention. There are other prior art devices that have stabilized adjustable cooking surfaces, but these are height adjustable by telescoping support legs. With these telescoping legs, it proves difficult to adjust the cooking surface when food is placed thereupon and when there is a fire beneath the device. Furthermore, this type of adjustment means impedes the ability to perform large scale cooking because it does not lend itself to easy height adjustment with heavy items.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a stable and sturdy cooking surface for cooking foods over an open fire.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a height adjustment mechanism for the cooking surface to accommodate fires of variable height and differing cooking temperatures dictated by certain cooking recipes.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a cooking surface with a stand that is modular and easily disassembled for easy transport and set up
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a cooking surface that is stabilized such that it neither swings when bumped nor sways in the wind.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a cooking surface that is adjustable without disrupting the food placed thereupon, thereby evenly and smoothly hoisting and lowering the cooking surface.
It is a further objective of the present invention to enable hoisting and lowering the cooking surface with a fire occurring beneath the device and while the food is being cooked.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a height adjustable cooking surface that facilitates heavy duty cooking of large meals while not detracting from portability and ease of use.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a fire box as a means to construct and contain an open fire, if desired.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a plurality of skewers to enable broiling of meat impaled thereupon.


A blind pin fixing is provided comprising a headed pin having a series of radial grooves in that part of its stem beneath the head and a flanged body with a first circular flange and a deformable body portion projecting therefrom and arranged for the reception of the head of said headed pin so that in operation the deformable body portion is inserted through a hole in a workpiece and the fastener set by drawing the pin from the side of the flange remote from the deformable body portion so that the deformable body portion is collapsed round the hole and the collar and metal flow into the grooves locks the pin to the flanged body, the deformable body portion being of square section and formed with axial slots extending fully to the end remote from the flange so that it is divided into a plurality of, preferably four, legs which facilitate collapsing when the fastener is set. Preferably, a second circular flange is provided, spaced from the deformable body portion, that space between the two flanges providing accommodation for a component to be secured by the blind pin fixing.

The present invention relates to a fastening device known as a blind pin fixing, being a two-part fastener assembly comprising a body assembled onto a grooved pin. The body features a deformable blind side portion and at the operator side a raised collar integral with the body capable of being locked onto the grooved pin. The workpiece to be secured being retained between the blind side of the body and the head of the grooved pin. The fastener is inserted from one side of the workpiece and the fastener set by pulling on the pin so that the collar on the operator side is locked to the pin by metal flow into the grooves in the pin and the pin broken at a weaker section adjacent the collar. Such a fastener is described in GB 629 098.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a blind pin fixing which can be attached to a sheet such for example a body panel for a car and provide a firm location for a push-on, slotted component.


The invention is directed to a system and method of applying a coating of lubricant material to the surface of a sheet metal blank in a controlled manner such that some areas of the blank have uniform thickness of lubricant while other areas have no lubricant at all or have a variable amount (progressively increasing or decreasing) of lubricant. This is achieved through the use of a mask template that comprises an overspray fence and at least one contact element. The lubricated coated sheet metal blank is utile for superplastic forming to produce specialized complex shaped parts. The invention advantageously lessens the possibility of skid or slip lines appearing in the finished product as well as lessens the likely build-up of lubricant in forming dies—easing maintenance requirements.

Superplastic metallic alloys, such as for instance certain fine grain alloys of aluminum, magnesium, stainless steel and titanium, are relatively ductile and can undergo substantial tensile deformation in the presence of low shaping forces. Such materials are capable of being stretched and formed at suitable forming temperatures over a forming tool or into a die cavity to make complex shaped parts, e.g., automotive body parts, or the like. This process is often referred to as superplastic forming.
In superplastic forming, a sheet metal blank is positioned with one side lying close to the hot forming surface of a heated forming tool in a press. The metal sheet is often preheated to its forming temperature, and gripped at peripheral edges between complementary opposing dies. A pressurized fluid, such as air, is applied to the other side of the metal sheet, thereby forcing and stretching the metal sheet into conformance with the forming surface of one die while maintaining a target strain rate for deforming the sheet throughout the forming cycle. The opposing die provides an air chamber on the pressurized side of the metal sheet. The superplasticity of the material enables forming of complex components that normally cannot be formed by conventional room temperature metal forming processes. For instance, use of the superplastic forming process enables forming a workpiece with a deep cavity or with a cavity formed over very small radii. Further, superplastic forming often permits the manufacture of large single parts that cannot be made by other processes such as sheet metal stamping. A single part formed using superplastic forming can sometimes replace an assembly of several parts made from non-superplastic forming materials and processes.
In production operations, heated sheet metal workpieces are repeatedly placed on the press, formed on the heated tool, and removed. Sliding contact between the deforming metal workpiece and the forming tool often leads to problems associated with friction and adhesion. Typically, lubricants are used in this process to ease material flow over the forming surfaces of the forming tool. The lubricants also act as a release aid to prevent parts from sticking to the tool surfaces. Known lubricant technology includes a boron nitride, water-based slurry with a binder system to promote adhesion of the boron nitride to the metal sheet, and graphite slurries. Of course, both the boron nitride slurry and the graphite slurry have several drawbacks. First, the solid lubricant, e.g. boron nitride, tends to build up quickly in the die, resulting in maintenance down time for cleaning. If not removed regularly, this buildup can collect and harden in the die resulting in a defect on a freshly formed part. Further, the use of solid lubricants can lead to defects in the finished part, such as for instance skid lines or slip lines, as a result of the metal sheet slipping over sharp features on the forming tool.
It would be beneficial to provide a system and method for applying a coating of a lubricant material to a surface of a sheet metal blank, which overcome at least some of the above-mentioned limitations of the prior art.


An interferometer for measuring the flatness, variation of thickness and parallelism of large, thin transparent wafers held vertically and undistorted by gravitational forces. A sodium lamp provides monochromatic light that is diffusely reflected off a background screen towards the wafer. A reference flat surface is positioned sufficiently closely to the wafer that an interference fringe pattern is formed that is a measure of the air gap between the reference flat surface and the surface of the wafer being measured. The background screen is angled so that the fringe pattern, which is localized at the air gap can be viewed at an angle to a normal to the wafer. The background screen has trapezoidal markings that, when viewed at the angle required to see the fringes, appear as a grid. This allows counting of the number of fringes visible within a fixed distance to characterize the surface flatness.

Large diameter (up to 300 mm), thin (0.5 mm and less) transparent wafers are becoming increasingly important in modem semiconductor and biomedical device processing and manufacture. Moreover, these large, thin, transparent wafers require surfaces that are flat to similar tolerances as those found in polished silicon wafers traditionally used in semiconductor processing and manufacture, i.e., the wafer surface must be flat to better than a tenth of the wavelength of visible light. Such surface flatness is traditionally characterized as flat to λ/10, where the wavelength λ is approximately 0.5 μm. This degree of surface flatness may be measured using an interferometer. This is a well known type of instrument in which a surface is compared with a reference surface by observing the patterns of interference fringes when the surfaces are brought in close proximity, either virtually or in reality, under appropriate illumination. These fringes are formed as wave fronts of light reflected from each surface constructively and destructively interfere with each other, enabling measurements of differences in separation of a fraction a wavelength.
FIG. 1 shows a traditional industrial interferometer 10, referred to as a Newton Interferometer, that is widely used to interferometrically test large optical components such as telescope mirrors. The operation of a Newton Interferometer is described in detail, for instance, on pages 1-18 of "Optical Shop Testing", second edition, edited by Daniel Malacara and published in 1992 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. of Hoboken, N.J., the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
A Newton Interferometer uses an essentially monochromatic light source 12, such as a low-pressure sodium vapor lamp emitting yellow light at 589 nm. This is passed through a diffuser 14 and a beam-splitter 18 to illuminate the optical surface to be tested 22 that is in close proximity to a reference flat 20. Because sodium has a coherence length on the order of millimeters, an observer 24 looking at the surface to be tested 22 via its reflection of the semi-reflecting surface 18 will see a series of light and dark fringes. These fringes are interference fringes. A light fringe is caused by constructive interference in which the optical path difference between a ray reflected from the surface to be tested 22 and a ray reflected from the reference surface 20 is an integer number of the wavelength of the illuminating light. A dark fringe is caused by destructive interference in which the path difference is a half a wavelength of the illuminating light, or an integer multiple thereof. It can be shown that the location of a light fringe at a first point and an adjacent dark fringe at a second point indicates a difference in separation between the reference surface 20 and the surface being tested 22 of λ/4, or 147.5 nm at the two points.
The problem of using a Newton Interferometer for testing large thin wafers is that such wafers deform under gravity when oriented horizontally. In order to test a 300 mm wafer, a reference flat of larger diameter having a surface flatness of λ/20 would be required. The problem, however, is that if a 0.5 mm thick wafer that has a curved surface is placed on top of such a reference flat, it would simply bend and conform to the surface. So all large thin wafers tested in a Newton Interferometer would have distortions due to gravity and may even appear to have flat surfaces, even though they may have local curvatures and other deformities.
While many other interferometers are known, none is well suited to the task of easily and cheaply measuring the flatness of a large diameter (up to 300 mm), thin (0.5 mm and less) transparent wafer to the accuracies required.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,744,522 describes an interferometer for measuring the thickness profile of thin transparent substrates. This patent describes a method in which a selected location on the object is chosen, and an interference pattern is obtained at a first wave-length. This pattern is used to obtain a first estimate of optical thickness. The procedure is repeated at the same location using a second wavelength to obtain a second estimate of the optical thickness. A third estimate of the optical thickness is then calculated by combining the first and second estimates. This process allows the various errors inherent in the measurements, including the effects of multiple reflections from both surfaces of the sample, to be reduced. The process is lengthy and complicated, and this patent serves to emphasize the problem of making thickness profile measurements on thin transparent samples.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,217 describes an interferometer used for testing optical surfaces and the stress and strain within a thin specimen. It is an example of the application of polarized waves using λ/4 plates. The use of polarized light for the measurement and the need to extract the results from experimental data make this approach too complicated for high-volume measurements of large components.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,925 describes a method for aligning an interferometer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,972,850 describes an apparatus and method for measuring the shape of the optical surface using interferometer. Both the light reflected by the reference surface and the light reflected by the surface to be measured are made to interfere. This method is intended for curved surface measurements, and the procedure is complicated.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,015 describes an inspection apparatus directed to biomedical analysis. The apparatus includes an optical interferometer, a phase modulator and a photo detector. The spectrum of the electrical signal contains information about an illuminated sample. This equipment is expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,986,759 describes an optical interferometer with two optical outputs that produces two linearly independent signals, allowing high quality measurements to be made. This equipment is, however, expensive and complex to operate.
The review of patents demonstrates that it is desirable to provide an interferometer system that is capable of measuring precisely and efficiently the flatness of thin, transparent wafers with large diameters and the profile of wafer surfaces to satisfy modern industrial needs.

Interferometers for the measurement of large diameter thin wafers


A wireless communication device using a verification protocol for verifying the identification of the wireless device by a wireless network control station in the presence of eavesdroppers is disclosed. Upon receiving a call request from a wireless device claiming a particular identity, the wireless network control station sends a mask consisting of binary digits in a random order. The wireless device is expected to respond to this mask with a reply that is consistent with both the password contained in the device and the mask. Specifically, the bits of both the password and the mask are "ANDed" and the result transmitted to the wireless network control station as the reply.

Wireless mobile communication devices such as wireless phones have become increasingly popular and common. Wireless personal communication systems (PCS) are emerging. These devices give the user the flexibility to initiate telephone calls from other than fixed locations. However, as a result of this mobility and flexibility it is more difficult for the service provider, the telephone company, to positively identify the caller so as to properly bill for the call. Unlike a conventional phone, wireless devices are not permanently located, and thus are not easily identified by a drop at the end of a telephone line. Rather, wireless devices must make known their identity at call start-up for the call to proceed.
In performing this identification process it is clear that an identification code and/or password must be provided by the caller to a wireless network control station which verifies the identity of the caller and connects the caller to the public telephone network. The identification code must be transmitted by the wireless device by radio means and is thus inherently insecure. A third party, knowing the frequency of the wireless transmission can intercept the transmission and learn the identification code of the caller. This permits the eavesdropper to determine the identity of the caller and the identification code of the device, allowing him to later commit telephone fraud by electronically impersonating the identity of that caller.
In one approach to securing the process of identification of the wireless device, a public key cryptosystem has been utilized. Using a public key encryption method, verification procedures can be designed such that wireless network control stations are not required to access databases to look up passwords, and an unlimited number of eavesdropped authentications will not be sufficient to impersonate a wireless device. However, such methods require substantial computation in order to operate.
It is thus desirable to provide a means and apparatus for transmitting an identification code by a wireless device caller to a wireless network control station, providing verification threat which is not susceptible to discovery by a third party and is not computationally substantial.

Wireless device for verifying identification


A programmable digital radio is configured to perform navigation functions. A receiver in the programmable digital radio receives analog signals from a navigation unit and digitizes the analog signals to produce digital navigation signals. The digital navigation signals are processed digitally and valid navigation information is determined. Processing includes generation of baseband signals including in-phase signals and quadrature signals, AM demodulation, filtering, decimating, demultiplexing, discrete fourier transformation, and function processing according to a selected function. The selected functions may include Localizer, Marker Beacon and Glideslope.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a digitally programmable radio including a receiver and a transmitter that can be digitally reconfigured to operate over a broad radio band and with different signal formats and, more particularly, to a system that provides dynamically programmable and configurable channels using digital channel components to maximize reconfiguration flexibility for use in navigation systems such as Instrument Landing Systems (ILS). Although ILS is normally referred to in this application, other navigation systems are also similar and may be easily developed by one skilled in the art.
2. Description of the Background Art
Many commercial and military applications require multiple communication, navigation, and identification (CNI) or telemetry radio frequency (RF) functions to be performed at a single location. The conventional method for servicing multiple CNI functions is to use independent radio frequency (RF) receivers, each covering a specific portion of the RF band corresponding to a specific CNI function.
Various applications require greater than 10 different types of CNI radios. At one extreme, communication, navigation and identification (CNI) multi-radio suites are comprised of an independent and different type radio channels for each radio functional thread. At the other extreme, integrated programmable radio systems, now in development, cross-couple various elements of multiple channels, which results in a highly complex system of tightly coupled resources.
Both approaches, including hybrids of the two approaches, have advantages as well as major disadvantages. For example, when redundancy is required the independent channel systems must have separate and complete backup radios for all important critical systems, such as instrument landing systems (ILS), which can be very costly. Further, size and weight of the system precludes implementation of multiple CNI functions in many manpack and vehicular applications. The cross-coupled systems are extremely difficult to maintain because fault isolation is difficult due to the complexity of signal distribution and switching; discourage addition of new or modified functions due to a high cost of system redesign and recertification.
A programmable common digital radio is needed which provides an integrated solution for many different types of multi-function CNI suites provided in a small size, with a light weight at a low cost, without the disadvantages suffered by other architectures as described above.

Digitally programmable radio modules for navigation systems