A bonding connector includes a metal cable (1) and end-pieces (2) surrounded by an assembly of conductive filaments (10) and includes a flexible protective cover (15). Each cable end includes an end piece (2). A portion of the assembly of conductive filaments (10) is housed and retained in the housing portion of a lug (6). The lug (6) includes an ear-piece (7). Electrical continuity between the assembly of conductive filaments (10) and each lug (6) is provided by soldering brazing within the housing of the lug (6). An internal cover (5) can be interposed between the cable (1) and the assembly of conductive filaments (10). A cladding sleeve (18) protects the mechanical and electrical connections provided in each lug (6).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to improvements to bonding conductors, for making connections providing electrical continuity between mechanical parts, particularly in the aeronautical field, and in particular for the purpose of improving the safety of aircraft in flight in stormy conditions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In aeronautics, it is known to use conductors called "bonding" conductors in order to make, between mechanical parts connected to each other by articulations or links which totally or partially isolate them electrically, links or connections providing electrical continuity between those mechanical parts in order to guarantee their protection from attacks due to lightning currents or to accumulations of electrostatic charges.
Such bonding conductors are used for example between the various members of a rotor head of a rotary-wing aircraft in order to provide electrical continuity between its members and to carry, when the case arises, lightning currents from the impact zones, or the accumulated electrostatic charges, to an outlet point which is in electrical continuity with the structure of the rotary-wing aircraft. In particular, such a bonding conductor can connect each blade of a rotor with the hub of the rotor or, when each blade is connected to the hub by a connecting member, of the type called a bush because its central part is substantially tubular, which is itself connected to the hub by retaining and articulation means in particular comprising an electrically conductive strap attached to the hub, the bonding conductor can be attached, by one of its ends, to this strap, in electrical continuity with the hub and, by its other end, to the bush, in the vicinity of the means by which the corresponding blade is mounted, possibly in a pivoting manner, on this bush.
In these applications, a bonding conductor is subjected to large centrifugal tensile forces due to the rotation of the rotor, alternating flexion and torsional forces due to the alternating movements which it carries out in order to follow the angular deflections in pitch, flapping and drag of the blades with respect to the hub, and repellent forces of magnetic origin, resulting from antagonistic components of the current vector flowing through the bonding conductor when it forms a loop and when it is traversed by a lightning current, these repellent forces becoming greater as the intensity of the current increases and as the radius of curvature of the conductor becomes more pronounced.
In such applications, the use of bonding conductors consisting of a flexible steel cable core surrounded by a braid of electrically conductive wires which is itself covered by a synthetic protective cover, the ends of such conductors being crimped inside conductive connecting lugs, has proved to be unsatisfactory in particular because of the poor mechanical strength of the crimping of the cable surrounded by the braid inside the lugs, when subjected to the effect of the said forces due to centrifugal tension, flexion and torsion and repulsion.
In order to overcome this disadvantage, FR-A-2 679 074 proposes a bonding conductor in which the mechanical strength functions and the electrical functions are partially separated.
In order to constitute a flexible connection device intended to be attached such that each one of its two ends is attached to the respective one of two external elements, and to be subjected, on the one hand, to mechanical movements and stresses due to displacements, possibly relative ones, of the external elements and, on the other hand, to the passages of electrical currents and of electrostatic discharges between the external elements, the bonding conductor according to FR-A-2 679 074 is of the type comprising:
an electrically conductive flexible metal cable, each of whose two ends is attached to the respective one of two electrically conductive metal end-pieces, such that the cable and the end-pieces provide the essential part of the mechanical strength of the bonding conductor between its attachment ends and allow the possible passing of a portion of an electrical current or of an electrostatic discharge, PA1 two electrically conductive metal lugs of high mechanical strength, each one comprising, on the one hand, a part having a housing whose shape is adapted for receiving and retaining an end-piece and the corresponding end of the cable, in such a way as to ensure the transmission of longitudinal forces between the said lug and the said cable, and, on the other hand, a part for attachment to one of the external elements in order to provide simultaneously the mechanical continuity and the electrical continuity of the bonding conductor with the said external element, PA1 at least one assembly of electrically conductive filaments, around the said cable and in electrical continuity with the said lugs and providing the major portion of the electrical connection between the said lugs, and PA1 flexible means of protecting the conductive filaments.
In FR-A-2 679 074, the assembly of conductive filaments is arranged as a braid of metal filaments, and the flexible means of protection are an external protective cover disposed around the braid.
But, furthermore, in order to provide good mechanical strength and good electrical continuity to the connection between each lug, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, an end-piece, the corresponding end of the cable and the braid, the latter does not extend as far as covering the ends of the cable and the end-pieces crimped on these ends, and it is not engaged in the lugs, but, on the contrary, surrounds the housing portion of each lug, whilst itself being surrounded, at the level of this part, with a cylindrical metal ring, which is itself covered by the external protective cover which is disposed around the braid. At each end of the flexible cable, the assembly of this end, the corresponding end-piece, the corresponding lug, the conductive braid and the corresponding ring is joined together by crimping the ring around the braid and the housing part of the lug, or, as a variant, by soldering or brazing using an added metal in the melted state, for example tin, which is poured into the housing part of the lug and around the latter, into the ring and into the portion of the braid disposed inside the ring between the latter and the lug, such that the added metal provides the connection between the previously mentioned various elements of this assembly.
In use it has proved that such a construction does not have sufficient reliability. This disadvantage is related in particular to the possible slipping of the protective external cover with respect to the lugs, to the fatigue fracture of the conductive braid at the level of the junction between the flexible cable and the end of the housing part of the lugs, to the degradation of the flexible metal cable where it emerges from each lug and to the degradation of the conductive braid during the operation of crimping the ring, when the mechanical and electrical connections between the braid and each lug are provided by crimping the corresponding ring.
In general, the disadvantages of this known construction arise because the stresses due to functioning (under the effect of flexion and/or torsional forces, centrifugal forces in flight and repellent forces of magnetic origin in the case of lightning strike), and the stresses due to the crimping, where applicable, are concentrated in the same section of the bonding conductor.

Bonding conductor for electrical connections between mechanical parts


A method includes detecting interaction with a user interface element corresponding to an app on a touch screen and displaying a different version of the user interface element responsive to the detected interaction.

Widgets for devices with displays, such as mobile devices, provide a user interface construct that allows a user to interact with an application without launching the entire application. In many devices, home screen widgets are usually small and difficult to interact with. Home screen widgets compete for screen space with other app icons and widgets. Current widgets launch to different app features based on a portion of the widget selected by a user. However, selecting a portion of the widget may also launch into the entire app, obscuring other app icons and widgets.

Display of different versions of user interface element


An outside mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror housing; an accessory part; a temporary fixing unit that temporarily fixes the accessory part to the mirror housing; and a permanent fixing unit that permanently fixes the accessory part to the mirror housing. The temporary fixing unit includes a first guide positioning part provided in the mirror housing and a second guide positioning part provided in the accessory part. The first and the second guide positioning parts perform a positioning of the accessory part with a first guide in a first direction and a second guide in a second direction. The first direction and the second direction are substantially perpendicular to a direction of setting the accessory part to the mirror housing, respectively, and substantially perpendicular to each other.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle outside mirror assembly that includes an accessory part such as an illuminator and an imaging unit.
2) Description of the Related Art
As this type of vehicle outside mirror assembly, there is, for example, a technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-337606 (hereinafter, "related technology"), which is explained below. Reference signs inside parentheses below correspond to those in the related technology. A base portion (81) of a lamp unit (8) is inserted into an opening portion (101) of a cover body (10) and is joined to the back surface of a housing body (11) with a clip (85). An irradiating portion (82) of the lamp unit (8) is fitted into the opening portion (101) of the cover body (10) by connection force of the clip (85).
However, the related technology has no guide positioning unit used to fix the lamp unit (8) to the housing body (11) and the cover body (10). Therefore, some problem remains on the fixture of the lamp unit (8) thereto.


According to one embodiment, a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device, comprising: forming a first nitride semiconductor layer on a substrate using a first temperature; decreasing a substrate temperature to a second temperature lower than the first temperature, after the forming the first nitride semiconductor layer; forming a second nitride semiconductor layer on the first nitride semiconductor layer using the second temperature; increasing the substrate temperature to a third temperature higher than the first temperature, after the forming the second nitride semiconductor layer; and forming a third nitride semiconductor layer on the second nitride semiconductor layer using the third temperature.

Electronic devices using a nitride semiconductor are used for high-speed electronic devices and power devices. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) being semiconductor light emitting elements using a nitride semiconductor are used for display devices and lighting.
Formation of such nitride semiconductor elements on a silicon (Si) substrate with excellent mass productivity may easily cause faults or cracks due to differences in lattice constant or thermal expansion coefficient between a nitride semiconductor and silicon (Si). A technique is required to prepare nitride semiconductor crystals of high quality.

Manufacturing method of semiconductor device that includes forming plural nitride semiconductor layers of identical material


A table representing a color gamut for a device for use in a color management system where colors are represented in a color appearance space comprises data representing a collection of hue slices through a boundary surface of the color gamut. The collection of hue slices comprises entries for vertex point hue slices obtained at each vertex point on the boundary surface of the color gamut, and entries obtained for additional hue slices between adjoining vertex point hue slices, where a number of the additional hue slices is determined such that there is no more than a specified angular difference between each hue slice. Each hue slice is represented by a hue value and a collection of hue slice points each containing a lightness value and a chroma value. The hue slice points of each hue slice are ordered in the table based on an angular altitude of each point, the angular altitude of each point being determined between a lightness axis of the color gamut and a vector projected from a midpoint of the lightness axis to the hue slice point.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to generation of a hue slice table for use in gamut mapping, and extraction of a hue slice from the generated table. In more detail, the present invention generates a hue slice table by obtaining hue slices at each vertex point on a boundary surface of a device's color gamut and then generating additional hue slices between the vertex point hue slices to fill-in the table. In generating each hue slice, the invention utilizes a point ordering technique that results in a more accurate representation of each slice. Once the table is generated, the invention provides a unique linear interpolation extraction technique to obtain a hue slice from the table if a hue slice at a requested hue angle does not already exist in the table.
2. Description of the Related Art
Gamut mapping relates to image reproduction from one imaging device to another, such as reproducing an image displayed on a color monitor as a printed image printed by a color printer. To reproduce the image, the color gamut (a range of producible colors) of a source device (such as the color monitor) needs to be mapped to the color gamut of a destination device (such as the printer).
Colors in a color management system are represented in a color appearance space (e.g., CIECAM). For gamut mapping, colors are mapped to appearance space Jch. There are generally two representations of this space: Cartesian (Jab), wherein "a" corresponds to red-green and "b" corresponds to blue-yellow, and cylindrical (Jch), where "h" represents an angular position around the "J" axis and "c" (chroma) represents a Euclidean distance from the "J" axis. The "J" axis represents lightness in both spaces. The foregoing has been described in detail by the CIE (Commission Internationale de l'Écairage/International Commission on Illumination).
Generally, although not always, the color gamut of the source device may be larger than the color gamut of the destination device. Thus, although some portions of each color gamut overlap one another, other portions of the larger gamut are outside that of the smaller gamut. Therefore, colors in the larger gamut that fall outside the smaller gamut need to be compressed so that these out-of-gamut colors can be reproduced by the destination device. As such, it is often necessary to map colors between two devices that have different sized gamuts. For example, it may be necessary to map colors from a color monitor that uses a large color space, such as Adobe RGB color space, to a printer that uses a subtractive colorant space, such as CMYK.
Various techniques have been utilized in performing gamut mapping so as to reproduce colors as accurately as possible. Some conventional techniques utilize a hue slice look-up table in a lightness (J), chroma (c), hue (h) coordinate system. A hue-slice look-up table generally contains hue slices that are formed by the intersection of a plane though the lightness axis and the gamut surface at various hue angles (ranging from 0 to 360 degrees, where angles near 30 degrees appear reddish, angles near 210 degrees appear greenish, etc.) In this technique, hue slices are taken through the gamut at a predetermined fixed number of hue angles so as to attempt to approximate the full surface boundary via individual hue slices. If a hue slice other than one of the predetermined number of hue slices is to be extracted from the table, it is obtained by interpolation between the predetermined slices. As can readily be understood, when the number of hue slices contained in the table increases, the accuracy of the representation of the gamut boundary also increases, as does the accuracy of values obtained by interpolation. Thus, it is preferable to populate the hue slice table with a sufficient number of hue slices so as to obtain the best possible accuracy in the gamut representation.
One conventional method of generating a hue slice look-up table divides a device's gamut into a fixed number of segments. For example, the gamut may be divided into 16 equally-spaced three-dimensional hue sectors about a lightness (J) axis (similar to cutting a sphere into 16 equal sectors), and each sector is divided into 16 segments. Thus, the gamut is divided into 256 (16×16) separate segments. In generating the hue slice table, each segment is analyzed to find a point of maximum chroma within the segment. Once the maximum chroma point is found within the segment, a hue slice is obtained at the hue of the maximum chroma point and the obtained hue slice is inserted into the table. The same process is performed for each segment with the resulting hue slice being inserted into the table. Thus, the foregoing conventional technique generates a hue slice look-up table with a fixed size and with a fixed number of elements.
The foregoing technique does, however, suffer from some problems. One problem is that, since only a maximum chroma point is obtained for each segment, other chroma points of interest (e.g., other chroma points on the boundary surface) within the segment can be missed. Thus, when it is necessary to use interpolation to map a point that falls between hue slices in the table, the interpolated result may not be a very accurate representation of the boundary surface. Accordingly, what is needed is a way to generate a hue slice table that can capture more chroma points of interest so that the hue slices in the table form a more accurate representation of the gamut boundary surface.
Another aspect of the invention lies in ordering of hue slice points when the points are inserted into the hue slice look-up table. Conventionally, once hue slice points for a hue slice are determined, they are placed in the look-up table in either ascending or descending order based on lightness values. However, in some instances, the darkest point that falls on the lightness axis in a hue slice may not actually be the darkest point in the hue slice. As a result, sorting the hue slice points by lightness values would result in an erroneous representation of the gamut boundary since the darkest point would be out of order relative to the darkest point on the lightness axis. Thus, what is needed is a better way to order hue slice points so they will accurately represent the gamut boundary surface, regardless of their lightness values.

Generation of hue slice table for gamut mapping


A light source array includes a first group of light sources having laser elements and a second group of light sources having laser elements. A first laser driver drives the laser elements and a second laser driver drives the laser elements. The first group of light sources and the second group of light sources execute multiple exposure. For example, the second group of light sources executes a first exposure and the first group of light sources executes a second exposure. In other words, the first group of light sources and the second group of light sources are driven by the first laser driver and the second laser driver, respectively, so as to expose the same position.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image forming apparatuses driven by optical scanning apparatuses that scan using multiple beams of light emitted from multiple light sources driven by multiple ICs.
Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-173412 proposes an exposure apparatus (optical scanning apparatus) capable of simultaneously driving a total of eight lasers by using two laser control apparatuses (drivers) that are each capable of controlling four lasers. According to this optical scanning apparatus, eight primary scanning lines can be drawn simultaneously by the eight lasers, and thus the image forming apparatus can achieve higher speeds.
Meanwhile, a driver IC manufactured by integrating driving circuits can be used as a shared component in a high-speed printer, which uses the eight lasers, and a mid-speed printer, which uses four lasers. Using the same component among printers having different grades enables more of the same driver ICs to be manufactured, which leads to a reduction in costs.
However, even if multiple driver ICs that are identical components are used, scanning unevenness (exposure unevenness) can arise due to increases and decreases in the temperatures of the respective driver ICs. In other words, if the driver ICs used to form multiple primary scanning lines arranged in a secondary scanning direction (a rotation direction of the photosensitive member) are different, the exposure amounts of the primary scanning lines will vary depending on the driver ICs that are used. Specifically, different image data supplied to the multiple driver ICs, and the total level of current output for driving the lasers will also differ, resulting in different amounts of heat being produced by the respective driver ICs. In image forming apparatuses provided with optical scanning apparatuses, exposure unevenness leads to unevenness in the darkness, and this phenomenon can be particularly marked in images where there is a combination of horizontal stripes and halftones.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-329429 does disclose finding a driving current that achieves a constant light emission amount, taking into consideration the influence of temperature among multiple light-emitting elements provided in a surface emitting laser. However, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-329429 does not focus on differences in amounts of heat produced among multiple driving ICs.

Image forming apparatus employing optical scanning apparatus that scans using multiple beams of light emitted from multiple light sources driven by multiple driving ICs


A semiconductor electric power conversion device includes a converter unit and an inverter unit, each having a group of parallel capacitors and multiple switching elements. Subdivided positive conductive connections associated with the converter unit and divided positive conductive connections associated with the inverter unit are formed at a positive side conductor connected to capacitors; while divided negative conductive connections associated with the converter unit and divided negative-polarity conductive connections associated with the inverter unit are formed at a negative polarity side conductor, connected to capacitors. The positive and negative polarity conductors have a multilayer structure with a dielectric plate interposed therebetween. Converter positive and negative polarity conductors are formed into a multilayer structure with the dielectric plate sandwiched between them, and inverter positive and negative polarity conductors are formed into a multilayer structure with the dielectric plate sandwiched therebetween.

The present invention relates in general to semiconductor devices for electric power conversion using semiconductor switching elements and, in more particular, to a technique for suppressing occurrence of rapid potential variation or xe2x80x9cjump-upxe2x80x9d of voltages during switching operations while reducing the device in size or dimension.
In recent years, electric power conversion devices employing high-speed semiconductor switching elements typically including insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTS) have been used in a wide variety of technical fields. As the capacity increases, the power converter devices are in many cases configured from a converter and more than one smoothing capacitor plus an inverter rather than a mere rectifier circuit in order to let electrical power xe2x80x9creincarnatexe2x80x9d to the power supply.
As one example of such approach, the circuit configuration of a three-phase power converter apparatus such as a variable frequency power supply is shown in FIG. 3. In brief, a converter 3 and an inverter 4 are connected together via a group of smoothing capacitors 1. The converter 3 is generally constituted from IGBT modules 311-323 and conductors 331-363 for connection therebetween.
In addition, the IGBT modules 311-323 are each formed of a switching element (here, IGBT) and a diode operatively associated therewith. The positive polarity-side conductors 331-333 are connected through a common conductor 21a to a conductor 21 for connecting capacitorsxe2x80x94 positive polarities together via a common conductor 37. Similarly the negative polarity-side conductors 341-343 are connected through a common conductor 22a to a conductor 22 for connecting the capacitors"" negative polarities together via a common conductor 38. As in the converter 3, the inverter 4 is similarly constituted from IGBT modules 411-423 and conductors 431-463, wherein positive polarity-side conductors 431-433 are connected through a common conductor 21b to a conductor 21 for connecting the capacitors"" positive polarities together via a common conductor 47. Similarly negative polarity-side conductors 441-443 are connected via a common conductor 22b to a conductor 22 for connecting the capacitors"" negative polarities together by a common conductor 48. Although not specifically shown in the drawing, an alternate current (AC) power supply part is connected to the converter 3 via AC conductors 361-363 whereas a load, such as a motor, is coupled to the inverter 4 via AC conductors 461-463.
In the power converter device thus arranged, a voltage can potentially jump up in turn-off events due to an energy being accumulated upon power-up or electrization to the lead wire inductance of circuitry. If this xe2x80x9cjump-upxe2x80x9d voltage potentially goes beyond the inherent withstanding or breakdown voltage level of switching elements, then the elements might lead to destruction; thus, an attempt is made to suppress such voltage jump-up by connecting a snubber circuit, although not shown in FIG. 3. Unfortunately the use of such snubber circuit serves as a bar to achievement of the device downsizing; thus, it is important to suppress or minimize the lead wire inductance of the circuit. In order to suppress such circuit lead wire inductance, a variety of approaches have been employed until today including, but not limited to, a technique for using a multilayer conductor structure with reverse-direction currents opposing each other.
One example is disclosed in Japanese Application Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 08-19245, wherein the lead wire inductance is reduced by arranging a group of semiconductor switching elements and a capacitor group so that all of them are arranged by a multilayered conductor.
However, in cases where the power converter device further increases in size resulting in a likewise increase in parallel array number of capacitors and/or an increase in dimensions of switching elements, the multilayer conductor per se is made larger in size, which leads to difficulties in the manufacture of such multilayer conductor while at the same time increasing workloads for connection to respective terminals during conductor connection processes, resulting in unwanted increases in production costs.
The prior art electric power conversion device made up from a plurality of semiconductor switching elements and a plurality of capacitors in the way stated above is encountered with a problem that unwanted increases in costs in conductor manufacturing parts assembly processes occur due to inductance reduction for suppression of a rapidly potentially varying or xe2x80x9cjump-upxe2x80x9d voltage in accordance with an increase in capacity of the power conversion device.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor electric power conversion device preferably adapted to achieve inductance reduction by use of conductors of simplified structure to thereby suppress any possible jump-up voltages.
To attain the foregoing object the instant invention provides an improved semiconductor electric power conversion device including a converter unit and an inverter unit each having a group of parallel-connected capacitors and a plurality of positive polarity side switching elements being connected to a positive polarity terminal of the capacitor group plus a plurality of negative polarity side switching elements as connected to a negative polarity terminal of the capacitor group, wherein the device comprises a first connection section for connecting together a first conductor being connected to the positive terminal of the capacitor group and a second conductor as connected to the positive polarity of the positive polarity side switching elements making up the inverter and a second connection section for connecting thereto a third conductor as connected to the positive polarity of the positive polarity side switching elements making up the inverter, and a third connection section for connecting together a fourth conductor being connected to the negative terminal of the capacitor group and a fifth conductor as connected to the negative polarity of the negative polarity side switching elements making up the converter and a fourth connection section for connecting thereto a sixth conductor as connected to the negative polarity of the negative polarity side switching elements constituting the inverter, and wherein the first conductor and the fourth conductor are formed to have a multilayer structure while letting the second conductor and fifth conductor be formed into a multilayer structure with the third conductor and sixth conductor being formed into a multilayer structure.
It should be noted here that respective capacitors making up the capacitor group are on the same plane while disposing the first connection section and the third connection section on the same side with respect to an infinite plane containing therein a line segment coupling together at least two terminals of the terminals of the capacitor group and being at right angles to the aforesaid plane and also disposing the second connection section and the fourth connection section be disposed at the opposite side thereto, wherein the first to fourth connection sections have a plurality of subdivided connection conductors with the first connection section and the third connection section being disposed in close proximity to each other in the state that these are electrically isolated from each other and also with the second connection section and fourth connection section being disposed adjacent to each other in the state that these are electrically isolated from each other.
In addition, respective capacitors making up the capacitor group are all the same in shape and are disposed in the same direction.
Additionally, the subdivided connection conductors of the first to fourth connection sections are all the same in width.
Additionally the connection conductors of the first connection section and the second connection section are subdivided into the same number of portions whereas the connection sections of the third connection section and the fourth connection section are divided into the same number of portions.
Additionally a total number of the subdivided connection conductors of the first connection section and the third connection section is greater than the number of the parallel-connected capacitors in the capacitor group.
Additionally a plurality of single-phase units are connected for constitution of a multiple-phase electric power conversion unit.

Semiconductor electric power conversion device


A method for the production of a portable data carrier having an integrated circuit and a contact field galvanically connected to the integrated circuit. In an area defined by the contact field, the portable data carrier is shaped and the contact field is embodied such that a direct contacting of the contact field by a contacting component embodied in accordance with the USB standard is possible. The portable data carrier in its final form is produced in chip card technology. Alternatively, an element is produced in chip card technology, which element features the integrated circuit and the contact filed, and data and/or program code required for the operation of the portable data carrier are loaded into the integrated circuit. Subsequently the element is permanently connected to a carrier.

A. Field
The invention relates to a method for producing a portable data carrier. Furthermore the invention relates to a semifinished product for the production of a portable data carrier and a portable data carrier.
B. Related Art
In many applications of portable data carriers, these data carriers carry out a communication with an electric device. In view of the strong increase of electric devices having a USB interface also the number of portable data carriers with USB interface is increasing. USB stands for universal serial bus and refers to a communication standard with which comparatively high data transfer rates can be achieved. For the establishment of a data connection between the portable data carrier and the electric device the portable data carrier is plugged into a USB jack of the electric device. In order to permit this, an area of the portable data carrier is embodied as a USB plug whose geometry and contact assignment are matched to the USB jack. A portable data carrier thus embodied is typically also referred to as USB token and can for example be used as a storage element or as a security tool.
USB tokens are as a rule produced by means of circuit boards which bear USB contacts on one side and have a memory chip on the other side. However, this type of production is relatively elaborate.
An alternative production method is known from WO 03/027946. There a method for the production of an electronic key is disclosed, which key has a module with an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit is connected to contact surfaces of the module which are embodied in such a way that they can be contacted directly by a USB jack. The module is produced in chip card technology. In order to achieve outer dimensions compatible to a USB jack the overall surface or parts of the module are provided with further material or inserted in an adapter.
It is the problem of the invention to embody a portable data carrier with as little effort and expenditure as possible in such a way that it can be contacted directly by a contacting element embodied in accordance with the USB standard.

Method for the production of a portable data support


A system and method for accelerating authentication of software in a gaming machine. The machine includes at least one storage media for storing software that controls a function of the machine, a processor for executing the software, and validation circuitry for at least partially authenticating the software. The validation circuitry is coupled to both the processor and the storage media.

As a regulatory requirement in virtually all jurisdictions that allow gaming, it is necessary to have a technique to authenticate that the software installed in a gaming machine is tested and approved. In the past, gaming manufacturers have generally used EPROM-based hardware platforms to store program code. As a result, a number of software authentication techniques have been accepted as standards throughout the gaming industry. Depending upon the preferences of the local regulatory agency, these techniques generally include either a Kobetron signature or a hash function based on the data stored in the EPROM device.
Authentication of software programs basically occurs using two different methods in the field, again determined by the local regulatory agency. In one method, each EPROM is authenticated by a gaming agent prior to being installed in a gaming machine that is to be brought up for play. The EPROMs may be shipped directly to the gaming agency for authentication prior to the install date of the machine, or may be authenticated on the casino floor as the software is being installed in the machine. In another method, authentication is conducted on a spot-check basis. A gaming agent periodically visits a casino and picks machines selectively or at random to remove the software components for authentication.
Jurisdictional requirements require that storage media containing code or data to be authenticated at power-up, continuously or at a periodic rate, or upon occurrence of events such as the opening of the main door of the gaming device. Such storage media may consist of erasable programmable read-only memory devices (EPROMs), CompactFlash storage cards, hard disc drives, CD drives, etc. Authentication of a storage media is performed by the gaming device's central processing unit (CPU). Typically, one or more hash values for all or part of the data located on the media has been generated. This hash value is usually generated using authentication algorithms such as SHA-1 or MD5. The hash is then encrypted using an algorithm such as the digital signature algorithm (DSA) to form a signature that is usually stored on the media. Additionally, to provide even more security, some or all of the data on the media may be encrypted either prior to the generation of the signature or after the generation of the signature using methods such as private key bulk encryption which includes algorithms such as the data encryption standard (DES), Triple-DES (3DES), or the advanced encryption standard (AES). In order to authenticate the data stored on the media, the CPU must decrypt any encrypted data and must regenerate the hash values and compare them to the stored values. Authentication by the CPU may take several minutes due to increasing complexity of the gaming device's software and thus the storage size of the media. Thus, some system and/or method for speeding up the authentication process would be greatly beneficial.

Gaming machine having hardware-accelerated software authentication


A mode selection amplifier circuit has multiple differential amplifier circuits coupled to receive input signals A, B and C. Each differential amplifier circuit is selectively operable for generating a signal output representative of an output mode with the output mode of each differential amplifier circuit selected from one of algebraic combinations of the signal inputs A−C, B−C, A−B and (A+B)/2−C. The mode selection amplifier circuit is usable in a signal acquisition probe for providing various signal output modes to a measurement test instrument.

The present invention relates generally to amplifier circuits and more particularly to a mode selection amplifier circuit usable in a signal acquisition probe.
Signal acquisition probes acquire various types of electrical signals from a device under test. Generally, electrical signals may be divided into single ended signals and differential signals. The single ended signal is carried on a signal conductor that has an associated reference, generally electrical ground. The differential signal is carried on a pair of signal conductors with the differential signal having two electrical signal components.
Single ended and differential voltage signal acquisition probes are manufactured to measure the respective single ended and differential signals. The voltage single ended signal acquisition probe has a probing tip for contacting a test point on a device under test carrying the single ended signal. A ground contact or lead extends from the signal acquisition probe for connecting to a ground reference associated with the signal ended signal. For single ended active voltage probes, the probing tip is electrically coupled to buffer amplifier via an attenuator circuit. The buffer amplifier isolates the signal from loading by the probe cable and provides a controlled impedance output. The output of the buffer amplifier is coupled to a probe signal cable which generally has a 50 ohm impedance characteristic. The other end of the cable is coupled to a measurement test instrument, such as an oscilloscope or the like, via a probe control box for displaying a representation of the signal on a display device of the oscilloscope.
The differential voltage signal acquisition probe has dual probing tips for contacting test points on the device under test carrying the differential signal. The dual probing tips are coupled to inputs of a differential amplifier via a dual attenuator circuit. The differential amplifier generates an output that is proportional to the differential signal. The output of the differential amplifier is coupled to a probe signal cable which generally has a 50 ohm characteristic impedance. The other end of the cable is coupled to measurement test instrument, such as an oscilloscope or the like, via a probe control box for displaying a representation of the difference of the signal components of the differential signal on a display device of the oscilloscope.
The differential signal has common mode components that are measured with two single ended voltage signal acquisition probes. The probing tip of one of the single ended voltage signal acquisition probe is coupled to one of the signal components of the differential signal and the probing tip of the other single ended voltage signal acquisition probe is coupled to the other signal component of the differential signal. Each signal acquisition probe is coupled to separate signal input channels of the oscilloscope where the oscilloscope sums the signal components and divides the summed result by 2 to generate a common mode signal result. The common mode signal result is displayed on the display device of the oscilloscope.
Measuring the common mode voltage of a differential signal using two single ended signal acquisition probes has a number of drawbacks. Gain or delay mismatches between the probes can cause inaccuracies in the common mode measurement. To reduce these delays, the probes need to be deskewed so as to align the signal from one probe with the other. This requires the use of a deskew fixture and algorithms within the measurement test instrument for aligning the signals from the deskew fixture. Any internal delays in the instrument that have not been calibrated out of the signal channels will affect the common mode measurement.
What is needed is an amplifier circuit within the signal acquisition probe that permits the selection of various measurement modes. The amplifier circuit should be able to receive voltage signals that are referenced to a reference source, such as electrical ground, and differential voltage signals and generate various signal output modes that include differential and common mode signal outputs as well as voltage signals referenced to a reference source. The amplifier circuit should be usable in a signal acquisition probe configurable as both a single ended and a differential signal acquisition probe.

Mode selection amplifier circuit usable in a signal acquisition probe


A method of performing root cause identification for a failure on an integrated circuit with a logic built-in self-test (LBIST) system and an LBIST system to perform root cause identification are described. The system includes one or more channel scan paths, each of the one or more macros associated with each of the one or more channel scan paths being executed during a test cycle, and a processor to initiate one or more of the test cycles via an LBIST controller, identify a failing test cycle among the one or more of the test cycles, identify a failing channel scan path among the one or more channel scan paths for the failing cycle, identify the one or more macros associated with the failing channel scan path, and iteratively check each of the one or more macros associated with the failing channel scan path to perform the root cause identification.

The present invention relates to logic-built-in-self-test (LBIST) of macros, and more specifically, to an LBIST diagnostic method for root cause identification.
A macro in an integrated circuit, for example, is an instruction sequence that implements a logic circuit (e.g., AND gate) when executed. LBIST includes hardware elements, software elements, or a combination of the two built into an integrated circuit (IC) to allow self-tests of the macros. The LBIST may use an architecture that is referred to as self-test using MISR and parallel SRSG (STUMPS) architecture, where MISR refers to a multiple input signature register, and SRSG refers to a shift register sequence generator. The STUMPS architecture includes different channel scan paths (referred to as "channels" or "STUMPS channels") that are each formed between a pseudo-random pattern generator (PRPG) (e.g., a linear feedback shift register (LFSR)) and the MISR, which is a state machine. Generally in a test (in a scan mode), an LBIST controller loads the multiple channel scan paths (STUMPS channels) with respective test patterns, and the IC is operated for one or more clock cycles. That is, the STUMPS channels apply the pseudo-random test data to the system logic or the macros from the PRPG. The operation changes the states at nodes of the circuit, and the state changes affect what is stored in one or more scan channel registers in the MISR. When the IC is returned to scan mode, the data in the MISR is shifted out and evaluated by comparing the obtained data with expected data.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Logic-built-in-self-test diagnostic method for root cause identification

International Business Machines Corporation


A process for the preparation of d,l-menthol by catalytic hydrogenation of aromatic or partly hydrogenated cyclic compounds which have the carbon skeleton of menthol having at least one double bond and are substituted by oxygen in the 3-position relative to the methyl group, with simultaneous rearrangement of optically active or inactive stereoisomers of menthol at elevated temperature and under pressure is described. The hydrogenation, which is to be carried out continuously, is carried out on a fixed bed catalyst which comprises, as active constituents, palladium, ruthenium or rhodium or a mixture of these elements, and comprises alkali metal hydroxides and/or alkali metal sulphates as promoters; the support for this catalyst is doped with a rare earth metal and manganese.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a continuous process for the preparation of d,l-menthol in the presence of a fixed bed catalyst which comprises palladium, ruthenium or rhodium or a mixture of these elements as active constituents, and furthermore comprises promoters, and the support of which is doped with a rare earth metal and manganese.
The d,l-menthol prepared can be employed either in the racemic form or, after resolution of the racemate, in the form of its l - or d-antipode in the perfumes, flavourings and medicaments industry.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to prepare d,l-menthol by discontinuous catalytic hydrogenation of thymol and other compounds which have the carbon skeleton of menthol having at least one double bond in the 4-position and are substituted by oxygen. The preparation of d,l-menthol by racemisation and/or rearrangement of d-menthol and the optically active or inactive stereoisomers of menthol is likewise known and can be carried out, for example, by heating these compounds with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst. A crude product which comprises d,l-menthol, d,l-neomenthol, d,l-isomenthol and d,l-neoisomenthol in a ratio of about 6:3:1:0.2 parts by weight, corresponding to equilibrium being established, is in general obtained here in all cases, regardless of the starting material both in the catalytic hydrogenation and in the racemisation, as a result of the epimerisation which takes place during such processes. In addition to the abovementioned stereoisomers, however, by-products such as menthone and isomenthone, and furthermore methenone and hydrocarbons, such as menthenes and menthanes are additionally formed. The formation of these by-products, which can be reduced and/or rearranged to give d,l-menthol only with difficulty, if at all, causes the considerable disadvantages of processes of the prior art of the type described; for example, about 5% of hydrocarbons which cannot be reused are obtained in the process described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,843,636.
The disadvantages described are of particular significance if attempts are made to carry out these processes, which are described only for the discontinuous procedure, continuously by separating off the d,l-menthol from the product stream by means of physical separation processes and circulating the by-products. In this procedure, these undesirable by-products become concentrated in the circulating stream very quickly such that a continuous procedure based on this process is uneconomical. It is known from German Auslegeschrift 23 14 813 that d,l-menthol can be prepared by catalytic hydrogenation of compounds which have the carbon skeleton of menthol having at least one double bond and are substituted by oxygen in the 3-position relative to the methyl group, and/or by rearrangement of optically active or inactive stereoisomers of menthol at elevated temperature and under pressure if the hydrogenation is carried out continuously using a cobalt catalyst, arranged in a fixed bed, having a manganese content of 10 to 40% by weight, based on the total amount of cobalt and manganese, the amount of hydrogen per mol of starting material being at least 10 times the amount required for hydrogenation of a benzene nucleus; this reaction is carried out in the temperature range from 170.degree. to 220.degree. C. and under a pressure of at least 25 bar. A cobalt catalyst having a content of 15 to 30, in particular 20 to 25% by weight of manganese is preferably used.
However, the use of the cobalt/manganese catalyst according to German Auslegeschrift 23 14 813 mentioned is industrially expensive and pollutes the environment. Moreover, the German Auslegeschrift mentioned contains no information on the mechanical stability and life of this catalyst, and this information is of decisive importance for industrial production of d,l-menthol.

Process for the preparation of d,1-menthol


Subterranean oilfield sensor systems and methods are provided. The subterranean oilfield sensor systems and methods facilitate downhole monitoring and high data transmission rates with power provided to at least one downhole device by a light source at the surface. In one embodiment, a system includes uphole light source, a downhole sensor, a photonic power converter at the downhole sensor, an optical fiber extending between the uphole light source and the photonic power converter, and downhole sensor electronics powered by the photonic power converter. The photonic power converter is contained in a high temperature resistant package. For example, the high temperature resistant package and photonic power converter may operate at temperatures of greater than approximately 100° C.

Logging and monitoring boreholes has been done for many years to enhance and observe recovery of oil and gas deposits. In the logging of boreholes, one method of making measurements underground includes attaching one or more tools to a wireline connected to a surface system. The tools are then lowered into a borehole by the wireline and drawn back to the surface ("logged") through the borehole while taking measurements. The wireline is usually an electrical conducting cable with limited data transmission capability. Similarly, permanent monitoring systems are established with permanent sensors that are also generally attached to an electrical cable.
Demands for higher data transmission rates for wireline logging tools and permanent monitoring systems is growing rapidly because of higher resolution sensors, faster logging speeds, and additional tools available for a single wireline string. Although current electronic telemetry systems have evolved, increasing the data transmission rates from about 500 kbps (kilobits per second) to 2 Mbps (megabits per second) over the last decade, data transmission rates for electronic telemetry systems are lagging behind the capabilities of the higher resolution sensors. In fact, for some combinations of acoustic/imagining tools used with traditional logging tools, the desired data transmission rate is more than 4 Mbps.
One technology that has been investigated for increased data transmission rates is optical communication. Optical transmission rates can be significantly higher than electronic transmission rates. However, even if fiber optic cables are used for data transmission, the issue of powering the sensors and electronics remains. The downhole sensors and/or electronics require electrical power.
Some sensors of a permanent system are often deployed with a monitoring tool that extends downhole and is integrally attached to the borehole casing. The attachment is typically accomplished with a mechanical surface force clamping device and the sensors are typically housed in a side passageway or lateral extending section associated with the sensor housing or production tubing which is laterally displaced from the primary flow passageway through the production tubing. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,848, issued Jul. 3, 2001 to Reimers et al. The permanent deployment monitoring tooling such as that taught in Reimers et al. cannot typically be retrieved or removed without destroying the wellbore rendering the tool and sensors unusable for future borehole seismic operations.
Many monitoring tools for permanently deploying seismic sensor arrays downhole are single level monitoring tools. However, due to the complex subsurface formation and strata and the various levels of the multiple production zones and reservoirs, multilevel monitoring tools are also required to monitor various levels simultaneously. The monitoring tool that deploys the sensor arrays will typically include a plurality of sensor housings or shuttles where each shuttle contains at least one sensor. While a plurality of shuttles is desirable, an excessive number of shuttles can result in an overly complex tool that is very large and difficult to deploy. The total number of shuttles is typically eventually limited by the general power consumption requirements of the downhole sensor, telemetry and clamping system. In general, a tool based on the general tool architecture as outlined above can quickly become large and complex when trying to increase the number of shuttles, resulting in a system that is both expensive and difficult to deploy. Due to system cost and high lost-in-hole risks, it can be impractical to deploy such a system permanently in a well. The number of shuttles is also limited due to power consumption requirements, costs and difficulty of deployment. Known borehole tools, including those utilizing fiber optic sensors, designed for permanently deploying sensor arrays typically include a surface force clamp attachment means for attaching the sensor arrays to the borehole casing. This type of attachment means results in a monitoring tool that is not retractable or reusable at a different site. A borehole sensing apparatus that is not easily removably deployed into a borehole and which cannot be retrieved and reused in other boreholes is a problem that exists.
Similarly, in the area of borehole logging, the number of transmitters and receivers and the distance between transmitters and receivers has been increasing to improve the ability to detect formation characteristics in the undisturbed formation farther from the borehole. One method to get deeper penetration is to increase the distance between source and receivers, such that the receivers are detecting signals that are returned from further distances in the borehole. A problem with increasing the distance between sources and receivers is that increasing tool size and length can result in increasing difficulties in deployment, longer periods of time required for logging, longer down-time for the well, and higher costs. There is a need for expanding the distance between acoustic sources and receivers, or utilizing additional receivers without increasing tool size.
The use of a magnetic clamping device as a method of attachment can also optionally be utilized to attach the sensors. However, the ability to magnetically clamp and unclamp the sensor downhole or at the well head does not resolve all retrieval problems because many times the tool, specifically the weight or main electronics cartridge, gets stuck downhole. Magnetic clamping alone will not address the issue of the stuck tool.

Methods and apparatus for photonic power conversion downhole


An 85 kDa antigen from Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae has been cloned, sequenced and expressed. The antigen is common to diverse strains, serogroups and serotypes of N. meningitidis, and also to N. gonorrhoeae, N. polysaccharia and N. lactamica. The protein sequences of N. meningitidis (serogroups A and B) and N. gonorrhoeae are highly homologous.

Neisseria meningitidis is a non-motile, Gram-negative diplococcus human pathogen. It colonises the pharynx, causing meningitis and, occasionally, septicaemia in the absence of meningitis. It is closely related to N. gonorrhoeae, although one feature that clearly differentiates meningococcus from gonococcus is the presence of a polysaccharide capsule that is present in all pathogenic meningococci.
N. meningitidis causes both endemic and epidemic disease. In the United States the attack rate is 0.6-1 per 100,000 persons per year, and it can be much greater during outbreaks [Lieberman et al. (1996) JAMA 275(19):1499-1503; Schuchat et al (1997) N Engl J Med 337(14):970-976]. In developing countries, endemic disease rates are much higher and during epidemics incidence rates can reach 500 cases per 100,000 persons per year. Mortality is extremely high, at 10-20% in the United States, and much higher in developing countries. Following the introduction of the conjugate vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae, N. meningitidis is the major cause of bacterial meningitis at all ages in the United States [Schuchat et al (1997) supra].
Based on the organism's capsular polysaccharide, 12 serogroups of N. meningitidis have been identified. The meningococcal vaccine currently in use is a tetravalent polysaccharide vaccine composed of serogroups A, C, Y and W135. Following the success of the vaccination against H. influenzae, however, conjugate vaccines against serogroups A and C have been developed Meningococcus B remains a problem, however. This serotype currently is responsible for approximately 50% of total meningitis in the United States, Europe, and South America. The polysaccharide approach cannot be used because the menB capsular polysaccharide is a polymer of α(2-8)-linked N-acetyl neuraminic acid that is also present in mammalian tissue. This results in tolerance to the antigen; indeed, if a response were elicited, it would be anti-self, and therefore undesirable. In order to avoid induction of autoimmunity and to induce a protective immune response, the capsular polysaccharide has, for instance, been chemically modified substituting the N-acetyl groups with N-propionyl groups, leaving the specific antigenicity unaltered [Romero & Outschoorn (1994) Clin Microbiol Rev 7(4):559-575].
Alternative approaches to menB vaccines have used complex mixtures of outer membrane proteins (OMPs), containing either the OMPs alone, or OMPs enriched in porins, or deleted of the class 4 OMPs that are believed to induce antibodies that block bactericidal activity. These vaccines are poorly characterised and are only effective against homologous strains. To overcome antigenic variability, multivalent vaccines containing up to nine different porins have been constructed [e.g. Poolman J T (1992) Infect. Agents Dis. 4:13-28]. Additional proteins to be used in outer membrane vaccines have been the opa and opc proteins, but none of these approaches have been able to overcome the antigenic variability [e.g. Ala'Aldeen & Borriello (1996) Vaccine 14(1):49-53]. The Norwegian National Institute of Public Health vaccine, however, is safe, elicits strain-specific immunity in children and adults, and is efficacious in preventing disease in adolescents [Fredriksen et al. (1991) NIPH Ann 14(2):67-80 & 107-123].
These vaccines are, however, poorly characterised, and the molecular basis for their efficacy and protection has not been dissected. It is an object of the present invention to define antigenic components of vaccines, to characterise them in order to allow better defined vaccines to be produced (e.g. acellular sub-unit vaccines), and to broaden the Neisseria strains against which immunity is elicited.


A method of packaging image sensors using an optical grade adhesive and cover plate over the image sensor.

Small conventional solid-state image sensors are mounted on an insertion probe and are used in medical applications. In such arrangements frequently the image sensor is formed in a ceramic package body and then the ceramic package body is secured to a lead frame by an adhesive. (See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,630 issued Mar. 24, 1992 to Ogiu et al.)
In these arrangements it is very difficult to package image sensors for use in medical applications by conventional means and obtain a small, minimally invasive size needed for best performance. The sidewalls of the traditional ceramic package body often add to the overall dimensions of the final product.


A networked system having a plurality of workstations and a peripheral device, the peripheral device having a printing function, memory for storing a plurality of private print-ready jobs and input means for manually inputting information into the peripheral device. The peripheral device is also capable of accepting a private print job together with a PIN from a given workstation, placing the private print job into a queue of print jobs, converting the private print job into a private print-ready job, storing the private print-ready job in memory, and notifying the given workstation when the private job is print-ready. At any time thereafter, the peripheral device may accept a manually input PIN from a user physically present at the peripheral device, compare the PIN accepted from the given workstation with the PIN accepted from the physically present user and, if the PIN accepted from the given workstation corresponds to the PIN accepted from the physically present user, it selects the private print-ready job as the next job to be printed, and prints the print-ready job.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a networked device having printing capabilities and, more particularly, to providing a secure, efficient private print function to such a networked device.
2. Description of Related Art
Networked systems in which a number of users operating individual workstations share resources such as a file server, printer and multifunction peripheral are well known. Where such systems are in use, individual workstations may be at some distance from the peripheral devices such as printers, which output paper copies. Thus, an individual may not be present when the job that he or she submitted is printed. Even an individual who is stationed near such a device may not be aware of his or her job being printed. Jobs will normally queue up and be printed in the order in which they are submitted to the device. In situations where many users share a device, or jobs are large or slow (due, for example, to being graphical or using a bit-mapped font) there may be a considerable time delay between submitting a job and it being printed.
Thus, it will often be the case that a given print job is removed and subject to scrutiny by a person other than the one who submitted the job for printing. There are times when this can cause severe problems. For example, confidential personnel records concerning benefits and pay information may be printed out. If an unauthorized person obtains access to such information, employee morale can be seriously affected. As another example, in large law firms, there may be a need to isolate certain attorneys from information concerning specific clients who may represent conflicts of interest for that particular attorney. Allowing an attorney who is supposed to be isolated by such a "Chinese Wall" access to print jobs relating to such a client may represent a severe ethical violation, having serious repercussions for both client and firm.
There have been some systems disclosed which attempt to deal with this situation.
One such system, exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,342,034 and 5,358,238 to Mandel et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,544 to Mandel, involves a standard "mailboxing unit", which is either a universal modular device or a stand-alone unit. Print jobs are directed and sorted to one of a number of mailbox bins within the mailboxing unit. The bins may by assigned to different users at different times, and some of them may be electronically locked, needing a user access code. Private mail can be directed to these electronically lockable bins, together with a user access code associated with a current private print job. The mailboxing unit is bulky, however, and can only handle a fixed number of private print jobs at any given time. Furthermore the size of any private job is limited by the size of the largest locked mailbox and the ability of the printer to combine mailboxes. Problems can also arise if a user forgets the access number that he or she associated with the job. When this happens not only will the user not be able to retrieve his or her copy, but the private mailbox will be rendered unusable by other private print jobs until such time as someone is able to override the `lock` on the mailbox. Additionally, since the system provides no incentive for a user to pick up a job promptly, there will inevitably those who neglect to pick up their private jobs, rendering even fewer private bins available to other users.
In another system, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,571 to Notermans et al, a workstation user can associate a code with his or her print job. The printer then stores the print job without subjecting it to any further processing, placing it in a queue with other print jobs. The printer informs the workstation user when the job is ready for printing. If the user does not respond within a predetermined time to the message that his or her job is ready, then the print job is placed once again at the end of the queue of print jobs. If the user does respond from his or her workstation, then he or she is given a predetermined time to physically access the printer and enter the associated code. Presumably no jobs are being printed while the printer awaits these responses, and thus the printer experiences idle or down time, lessening its productivity.
With this system, the user must be ready to respond rapidly in order to maintain the position of his or her print job at the head of the queue ofjobs to be printed. Furthermore, since the print job will not be started without an acknowledgment from the sending workstation, if the user goes elsewhere after submitting the print job, he or she is constrained to return to the workstation before obtaining the print job (and will not be able to obtain the print job at all if the workstation fails in the interim). At the same time, if the user responds at the workstation, but does not respond quickly enough at the printer, he or she will be forced to wait at the printer until his or her job reaches the head of the queue once again. This wait decreases the user's productivity. Furthermore, the user will not know when he or she enters his or her PIN manually at the printer whether there is a queue or how long that queue is. If the user finds that he or she is waiting what seems to be an excessive time, the user may depart, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. If this happens, the job will no longer maintain the status of a private print job, since it is now destined to be printed whether or not the person who submitted it returns to the printer.
Furthermore, since the jobs are stored in coded form, the user will have to wait at the printer for the job to be converted to graphical output.
In addition, since the user need input only the PIN and not his or her identity, once at the printer it is possible, although highly unlikely, that the print jobs of two different people using the same PIN could be confused.
It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a facility for workstation users on a network to have private jobs printed in an efficient manner.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a facility for workstation users on a network to have private jobs printed where the user need not respond, within a predetermined time, to a job being ready, .
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a facility for workstation users on a network to have private jobs printed, where each job is printed with minimal delay once the user manually inputs identifying information into the printer.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a facility for workstation users on a network to have private jobs printed where multiple jobs may be printed without the user having to input information at the printer for each job.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a facility for workstation users on a network to have private jobs printed, where the printer continues printing other jobs while waiting for the user to manually input a PIN number for printing of a private print job.

Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc.


A detachable and foldable visor is provided for use on a lap-top or portable computer monitor. The visor has a central panel and two side panels adapted to extend across the top and the sides of the monitor. Multiple score lines are provided between the central panel and side panels to facilitate using the visor on monitors of different widths. Mounting tabs are connected to or on the side panels which cooperate with a rubber band or other flexible retainer to exert a tensile force holding the visor onto the monitor. The visor is foldable into a compact and flat position in which it can be easily carried in the same case as the lap-top or portable computer.

The present invention relates to a detachable visor for use on a lap-top or portable computer monitor. More particularly, the invention provides a detachable visor which can be folded into a compact package and carried easily with a lap-top computer, and which can be readily mounted onto the lap-top computer monitor to reduce glare, facilitate outdoor use of the monitor and to provide privacy.
It is known in the prior art to provide a shield which fits over the cabinet of a cathode ray tube monitor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,324 dated Dec. 30, 1986 provides one type of shield having a plurality of thin strips lying side-by-side held in alignment by a flexible material and covering the top and both sides of the monitor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,444,465 dated Apr. 24, 1984 provides an adjustable shield which fits over the cabinet of a computer monitor to reduce glare on the screen and to provide security.
With the ever increasing popularity of lap-top computers, there is a need for an easily portable and detachable shield or visor for use on those portable devices The prior art devices referred to above are intended for relatively long term use on the monitor and are not readily detachable or foldable into a compact and easily carried configuration.
According to the present invention, a visor for use on a lap-top computer monitor is provided having a closed or folded position in which it is essentially flat and easily carried with the lap-top computer In its open position, it is readily mounted onto the monitor of the lap-top computer and effectively reduces glare, facilitates outdoor use of the monitor and provides privacy or security relative to material displayed on the monitor.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a visor for use on a portable or lap-top computer monitor which can be easily carried with the computer and which can be readily mounted onto the lap-top monitor and readily returned to its closed or folded position.
Another object of the invention is to provide a lightweight portable and detachable visor or shield for portable computer monitors.

Detachable visor for lap-top computer monitor


An endotracheal tube splitter and a method for removing an endotracheal tube are disclosed. The endotracheal tube splitter includes a handle portion, a cutting edge for cutting the endotracheal tube as it is withdrawn from a patient, and a support member for preventing the cutting edge from turning to either side and for maintaining the cutting edge at least a minimum desired distance from the face of the patient. The endotracheal tube splitter allows the more rapid replacement of the endotracheal tube, and allows a bronchoscope to be used as the guide for placing the tube.

The present invention relates to a device and method for removing and replacing an endotracheal tube, and in particular to an endotracheal tube splitter for facilitating the replacement of endotracheal tubes.
The use of endotracheal tubes to facilitate mechanical respiration or ventilation in certain hospital and nursing home patients with various respiratory problems is well known to those skilled in the art. The tube is usually passed through the patient's mouth or nose so that a bottom end of the tube fits snugly in the patient's trachea, while a top end remains extending out of the patient's mouth or nose. In this position, the endotracheal tube enables the patient to be mechanically ventilated or to breath freely, uninterrupted by the respiratory disorder or other limitations.
For a variety of reasons, such as the prevention of infections or the failure of a cuff disposed along the tube, the endotracheal tube must be replaced periodically. Prior to the present invention, this was done by sliding one end of an elongate guide down the endotracheal tube and gently sliding the endotracheal tube out of the patient and over an opposing end of the guide. The replacement endotracheal tube was then slid onto the guide, and then down the guide until it lodged in the proper place in the trachea. A guide for replacing the endotracheal tube in this manner is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,122.
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, this approach has several limitations. First, time is of the essence when replacing the endotracheal tube, as removal and replacement of the tube causes disturbances to the patient's ability to breath. Taking the old endotracheal tube off the guide and threading on the new endotracheal tube adds time to the procedure. Second, such an approach inhibits the use of a bronchoscope during the procedure, instead relying on a simple guide. If a bronchoscope were to be used in accordance with the teachings of the prior art, the limitations of the endotracheal tube would require that the end of the bronchoscope outside of the patient must have an ending which is no bigger than the inner diameter of the endotracheal tube, or an end which is detachable.
In accordance with the present invention, it has been found that splitting the endotracheal tube as it is withdrawn from the patient's mouth provides a superior method for replacing the tube. First, the time to replace the endotracheal tube is reduced by splitting the tube as it is withdrawn so that the replacement tube can be prethreaded over the bronchoscope. Second, the splitting of the tube allows a bronchoscope to be used to view the trachea of the patient as the tube is being withdrawn and as the replacement tube is positioned in the trachea.
The use of a cutting device to remove a tube is not new. For several years the thin tubes used for introducing catheters have been cut as they are withdrawn from the patient. However, there are several important differences between using a cutting device to remove a catheter introducer and an endotracheal tube. First, when cutting an introducer, time is generally not of the essence. The introducer may be withdrawn at any comfortable rate. Second, in most catheter arrangements, the opposing end of the catheter is well placed in the body and slight jerks on the catheter line will not displace the catheter. Third, the introducer tubing is generally soft and flexible.
In contrast, when removing a endotracheal tube, time is of the essence. Typically, the tube must be removed and replaced within about 30 seconds. Additionally, the endotracheal tube must be removed very carefully in that a sudden jerk will often displace the end of the bronchoscope from the trachea into the patient's esophagus. Furthermore, the endotracheal tube is relatively rigid and typically much more difficult to cut than is the tubing of the introducer.
An additional concern with the catheter introducer cutting devices of the prior art is that many have a relatively exposed blade. Because of the introduction location of most catheters, significant protection around the blade is not needed. Even if a slip does occur, the cutter will only cause a small cut to the skin of the patient. In contrast, the use of such a cutter to split an endotracheal tube would be extremely dangerous adjacent the face, as a slip could result in cutting the patient's lip, nose, or worse, putting out the patient's eye.
Thus, there is a substantial need for a endotracheal tube splitter which safely and efficiently splits an endotracheal tube as it is removed from a patient so that a replacement tube may be quickly positioned in the trachea.


A method of adjusting a sampling condition to generate a sampling clock in an analog to digital converter includes performing an analog to digital conversion on an analog input signal to thereby produce a digital sampled signal having a plurality of samples; calculating a difference value between two adjacent samples in the digital sampled signal; comparing the difference value with a threshold; adding the difference value into a sum of differences value if the difference value is greater than the threshold; and generating the sampling clock for the analog to digital converter according to the sum of differences value.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to analog-to-digital converters, and more particularly, to adjusting a sampling condition of an analog-to-digital converter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Choosing a sampling condition for an analog to digital converter (ADC) is a very important operation and generally speaking includes, but is not limited to, adjusting the phase and/or the frequency of a sampling clock for the ADC. There are a wide variety of applications that require methods for adjusting the sampling condition of an ADC. For example, in a liquid crystal display (LCD), a received analog input signal is normally coupled to an ADC to convert the received analog input signal into a digital sampled signal. However, reductions in sampling quality will likely result due to a non-optimal ADC sampling condition. Because of this, LCDs normally also include an automatic phase setting function and/or an automatic clock setting function to automatically adjust the sampling condition of the ADC.
Taking the automatic phase setting function as an example, the sampling condition for the ADC is formed according to different sampling phases. In this way, the ADC converts an analog signal into a digital signal utilizing different sampling phases, and calculates a characteristic value for the digital signals obtained for each of the different sampling phases according to a particular algorithm. For example, a sum of differences (SOD) value can be calculated for the digital signal according to a particular algorithm. By means of comparing the calculated characteristic values, a preferred sampling phase can be chosen. Afterwards the ADC performs sampling operations according to the preferred sampling phase.
However, the sampling condition adjusting method according to the SOD value does not necessarily provide adequate information to choose an optimal sampling condition. For example, if the range of change of the input signal is very small for most of the time that each SOD value is being calculated, the difference between different SOD values obtained for the different sampling conditions will not be significant, and this results in difficulty choosing which is the optimal sampling condition.

Method of adjusting sampling condition of analog to digital converter and apparatus thereof


Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for providing efficient implementations for pattern recognition. Embodiments of the disclosed technology use local binary comparisons and random projection in place of conventional convolution operations. Some embodiments of the disclosed technology provide an important means to improve memory and speed efficiency that is particularly suited for small footprint devices and hardware accelerators. Other embodiments compare a binary pattern to one or more portions of an input image to determine a plurality of binary results, and generate an estimate of the feature based on the plurality of binary results. Yet other embodiments generate an final image, comprising a final estimate of the feature, by randomly selecting one or more portions from each of a plurality of initial images, wherein each of the plurality of initial images comprises an initial estimate of the feature.

Convolutional neural networks (CNN) have created a notable impact on machine learning and computer vision. Modern CNN architectures such as AlexNet, VGG, GoogLetNet, and ResNet have greatly propelled the use of deep learning techniques into a wide range of computer vision applications. These gains have benefited from continuing advances in computing and storage capabilities of modern computing machines.

Local binary pattern networks methods and systems

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA


A power generating device includes a first casing, a magnetic component, a second casing, an induction coil, and a first piezoelectric device. The first casing and the second casing engage with each other to form a space, and the magnetic component is fixed on the first casing and configured in the space. The induction coil is fixed on the second casing and configured in the space, and it is positioned outside the contour of the magnetic component. The first piezoelectric is configured between the magnetic component and the first casing. When an external force acts on the first casing and the second casing, the first casing and the second casing move relatively to each other so that the induction coil generates an induced current by sensing a magnetic flux variation, and the first piezoelectric component generates a first charge by absorbing the pressure between the magnetic component and the second casing.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a power generating device, and more particularly, to the power generating device which is capable of generating electricity energy by electromagnetic induction and piezoelectric unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various products having practicability as well as energy saving function appear on marketplace with the trend of environment protection. The products generating electricity energy by simple motions achieve the energy saving function and interest to usage. For example, the flash lights generating electricity energy by hand pressing and the bicycles transforming mechanical energy to electricity energy are practical products with electricity energy generating ability.
On the other hand, the traffic accidents may happen easily on the pedestrian if he walks in the night or in a somber environment. Therefore, the pedestrian often needs to wear reflective or lighting accessory to increase the identification rate in the night. The lighting accessory containing thin battery can be carried by the pedestrian to increase the identification rate. However, the thin battery includes mercury and it may make environment pollution. Besides, the thin battery may have leakage, damp, or damage problems if the lighting accessory is not applied enough waterproof mechanism.
As described above, if the lighting accessory can generate electricity energy by simple motions and the structure of the lighting accessory is simple enough to avoid high-specification waterproof mechanism, the mercury battery can be removed from the light accessory so that the light accessory can be worn all day to improve the traffic safety of the pedestrian. Therefore, the above-mentioned lighting accessory is highly practical and becomes an important research subject.


A cannula for providing respiratory therapy to a patient includes a first nasal prong having a proximal end attached to a cannula body and a distal end for insertion into a nare of the patient. The first nasal prong defines a lumen for a flow of breathing gas from a source of breathing gas to the nare of the patient, and the first nasal prong has a variable geometry such that a cross-sectional area of the lumen at the distal end of the first nasal prong varies with a flow rate of the breathing gas. Varying the cross-sectional area of the first nasal prong lumen with the flow rate of the breathing gas enables the first nasal prong to maintain a high velocity flow to the nare for effective flushing of the patient's airway.

A single prong cannula can be used to provide respiratory therapy in a comfortable manner. The single prong cannula can also efficiently flush the airways through the non-obstructed nare. However, the flow velocity provided by the single prong cannula must be maintained at a high enough level to adequately flush the nasopharyngeal dead space to eject CO2 from the patient's breathing passages and prevent re-inhalation of CO2. Providing breathing gas at a low volumetric flow rate may be desirable for patient comfort, as a low flow rate will have reduced noise, or may be necessary in non-hospital settings where high flow rate breathing gas is not readily available. As the volumetric flow rate is decreased, however, the velocity of the gas provided to the patient through a conventional nasal prong is also decreased, lowering the ability of the breathing gas to flush the airways of the patient.
In terms of respiratory fluid dynamics, the volumetric flow rate of a breathing gas is proportional to the velocity of the gas and the area of the passageway through which the gas flows. When a cannula is sized properly for its maximum flow rate the opening at the nare must be sized large enough to maintain a reasonable pressure drop and not generate too high a velocity of gas flow so as to be dangerous or unpleasant to the patient. But when the cannula is operated at lower volumetric flow rates the velocity falls and can cause suboptimal flush to the upper airway. Traditionally, this dependence of the flow velocity on the flow rate of the gas dictates a required flow rate, or can be overcome by changing a size of the cannula used by the patient, which can be costly and confusing to the patient or clinician.
Variation in volumetric flow rate can be unpredictable and variable, depending on the facility and the patients. Accordingly, there is a necessity for development of a single prong cannula that can be utilized to provide a breathing gas to a patient at a constant velocity even when the breathing gas is provided at various gas flow rates.


An apparatus and method for dispensing thermally conductive paste into the blind holes of a cold plate, and the insertion of pistons into those blind holes and in engagement with and to be coated by the thermal paste is described. The thermal paste is extruded from a carrier plate into the blind holes by the pistons to form the finished assembly of the cold plate under conditions of a vacuum to eliminate entrapped air or gases, which either would expand when the cold plate assembly was positioned within a vacuum chamber of a thermally conductive module or would impede heat transfer between the piston and the cold plate.

Cold plates are used for cooling electrical components in large scale electrical devices such as computers. The cold plate typically is cooled or chilled by a flow of refrigerant, either chilled water or a super-cooled gas or liquid.
Cold plates typically are engaged in surface-to-surface contact with a planar surface of an electronic module or an electronic chip and thus serve as a heat sink for the thermal energy generated within the electronic component. The electronic devices are contained within a low level vacuum container; and accordingly, conduction is the only significant form of cooling for the electronic components. The removal of the atmosphere from the interior of the vacuum container or thermally conductive module eliminates the possibility of convection, and the resulting overheating would cause the electronic components to malfunction prior to an adequate radiant cooling temperature being obtained. Accordingly, with no convection cooling, the electronic components must be conductively engaged with a cooled heat sink. In order to assure adequate surface-to-surface contact as well as an efficient conduction path for the heat from the electronic components to the cold plate, pistons are inserted into blind holes of the cold plate such that the pistons may be urged to engage the electronic component to provide an enhanced conductive path to the cold plate. The cold plate is provided with a plurality of blind holes into which the pistons may be fitted. In order to overcome the thermal conduction resistance of the interface between the pistons and the cold plate, it has become customary to utilize a thermal paste which has a high conductivity and which will engage both the piston surfaces and the cold plate surfaces. Thereby, the thermal barrier between the cold plate and the piston is reduced, if not eliminated.
When pistons are inserted into blind holes in the cold plate together with the thermal paste, air typically is trapped within the blind hole together with the thermal paste. This creation of uneven thermal conduction from the piston to the cold plate, caused by the entrapped air, at least partially defeats the thermal conductivity of the paste layer.
Further, the inclusion of air within the assembled pistons and cold plate assembly creates further problems when the thermal conduction module is fully assembled and then evacuated. The trapped air bubbles will expand and create pressure against the piston in excess of that designed for the assembly; with leakage over time, the air will degrade the quality of the vacuum within the thermal conduction module, possibly to the point where the module will no longer function properly. Additionally, the expansion of the air bubble will increase forces by the piston onto the electronic module or chip; if large enough, these forces might damage the electronics.

Apparatus and process for dispensing thermal paste into a thermal conduction module cold plate

International Business Machines Corporation


A polyelectrolyte film is provided, the polyelectrolyte film comprises an interpenetrating network of a net positively charged polymer and a net negatively charged polymer, wherein the net positively charged polymer, the net negatively charged polymer, or both contain polymer repeat units with at least two fluorine atoms.

This invention relates generally to ultrathin polymeric membranes. More specifically, the invention relates to hydrophobic fluorinated polyelectrolyte multilayer films and methods for using them.
Hydrophobic, or water-repelling, coatings are known to be useful for many applications. Fluorinated materials are known for their hydrophobicity. Thus, fluorinated hydrocarbons have been applied as surface treatment to fabric, yarn, upholstery, garments, and carpets to impart water- and stain-repellency to these materials. Well known fluorinated materials include Scotchguard™ Protector (3M Company) and Teflon™ Advanced (DuPont Inc.) carpet protector. Many water-repellant fluorinated materials are anionic perfluorinated small molecules which may be rubbed off surfaces to which they are applied, and which have caused concerns regarding environmental and health effects (in particular, perfluorooctanesulfonates). There is a need for a persistent fluorinated coating which has mechanical integrity, such as a thin polymer film.
The term "perfluorinated" as applied to polymers generally refers to polymers comprising repeat units that bear a plurality of fluorine groups (at least two). Unfortunately, fluorinated polymers are hard to process into thin films, as many are insoluble and/or infusible. Thus, coatings of perfluorinated polymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, or Teflon™) are produced by coating an article with PTFE powder then heat-treating to sinter and bind the particles together. Alternatively, a fluorinated polymer film is prepared on a surface by microwave, plasma, or reactive gas deposition of fluorinated monomer. There is a need for materials and methods to produce thin highly fluorinated polymer coatings on surfaces under ambient conditions.
Polyelectrolytes are macromolecules comprising a plurality of charged repeat units. Amorphous complexes may be formed by contacting solutions of polyelectrolytes bearing opposite charges. The driving force for association, or complexation, of polyelectrolytes is multiple ion pairing between oppositely charged repeat units on different molecules.
Recently, thin films of polyelectrolyte complexes have been prepared using polyelectrolytes which are alternately deposited on a substrate or substratum. See Decher and Schlenoff, Eds., Multilayer Thin Films—Sequential Assembly of Nanocomposite Materials, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim (2003); Decher, Science, 277, 1232 (1997). Decher and Hong (U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,111) disclose a method for a buildup of multilayers by alternating dipping, i.e., cycling a substrate between two reservoirs containing aqueous solutions of polyelectrolytes of opposite charge, with an optional rinse step in polymer-free solution following each immersion. Each cycle adds a layer of polymer via ion pairing forces to the oppositely-charged surface and reverses the surface charge thereby priming the film for the addition of the next layer. Films prepared in this manner tend to be uniform, follow the contours and irregularities of the substrate, and are typically between about 10 nm and about 10,000 nm thick. The thickness of a film depends on many factors, including the number of layers deposited, the ionic strength of the solutions, the types of polymers, the deposition time, the solution pH, the temperature, and the solvent used. Although studies have shown that the substantial interpenetration of the individual polymer layers results in little composition variation over the thickness of a film, such polymer thin films are, nevertheless, referred to as polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMUs).

Hydrophobic fluorinated polyelectrolyte complex films and associated methods

Florida State University Research Foundation


A computer storing an operating system therein and including a first case, a second case, a driving mechanism and a starting unit is provided. The driving mechanism is connected between the first case and the second case. The starting unit is disposed at the first case, electrically connected to the driving mechanism, and used to start the operating system. When the starting unit starts the operating system, the driving mechanism drives a relative movement between the first case and the second case to enhance heat dissipation efficiency of the computer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer, especially a computer having better heat dissipation efficiency.
2. Description of Related Art
The current age is an age of information multimedia. Various personal computers (PCs), such as desktop PCs or notebook PCs, have gradually become indispensable tools in daily lives and jobs of people. Desktop PCs have advantages of easy expansion, convenient repairing and low price, so they become more popular than ever.
Backs of cases of bodies of desktop PCs usually comprise a plurality of heat dissipating holes, and heat generated when electronic devices in the cases perform calculations may be dissipated outside the cases through the heat dissipating holes. However, as calculation speeds of desktop computers gradually increase, the above said traditional heat dissipating method cannot satisfy heat dissipating efficiency requirement of desktop PCs.