A bone anchor, orthopaedic device and orthopaedic system are described. A bone anchor for use in an orthopaedic procedure which comprises a bone fixation portion provided with a plurality of fixation openings, the fixation openings each being adapted to receive a fixation device for fixing the bone fixation portion to a bone of a patient, and a device attachment portion provided with a first attachment opening and a second attachment opening, the first attachment opening and the second attachment opening being connected to each other by a solid stabilizing portion and being adapted to receive an attachment device for attaching the device attachment portion to an orthopaedic device.

The invention relates to a bone anchor, an orthopaedic device and an orthopaedic system for use in an orthopaedic procedure, in particular an osteotomy procedure.
An osteotomy is a surgical operation whereby a bone is cut, for example, to shorten or lengthen the bone, to change its alignment or to remove a diseased part of the bone. After cutting the bone, typically bone anchors are attached to bone regions on both sides of the cut which serve to connect an orthopaedic device to the bone regions. Orthopaedic devices which can be used in an osteotomy procedure include fixation devices for stabilizing the cut bone regions, reduction devices for gradually shortening a distance between the cut bone regions, distraction devices for gradually lengthening a distance between the cut bone regions, and devices for adjusting the relative orientation of the cut bone regions.
A distraction device, which, by means of two bone plates, is attachable to a bone to be treated, is known for example from DE 298 13 087 U1. The bone plates each comprise a plurality of openings adapted to receive suitable bone screws for fastening the bone plates to bone. In addition, a further opening provided in each of the bone plates serves to receive a fastening screw for fastening the bone plate to a fixed retainer and a moveable retainer of a distractor housing, respectively.

Bone anchor, orthopaedic device and orthopaedic system


The invention relates to an improved backplane communication system. In one embodiment this is accomplished by a central data processing card including at least one master central card and a plurality of slave central card, wherein each master central card and the slave central card having a first SerDes (serializer-deserializer), a first clock and a first faster local clock, a line card including a second SerDes (serializer-deserializer), a clock selection module and a second faster local clock and a serial communication channel coupling the central data processing card and the line card, wherein the master central card uses the first faster local clock to transmits the data at a rate higher than actually required, wherein the transmitted data includes a stuff data to adjust to the link data rate between the central data processing card and line card.

A backplane system is a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) that connects several connectors or circuit components in parallel to each other. A backplane signaling system is generally a high-speed communication signaling system wherein each component communicates to other components at a very high speed. A typical backplane signaling system comprises a central/main card that runs on a single master clock source, various line cards and modules etcetera. The line card may be defined as a modular electronic circuit on the printed circuit board.
Conventional system as shown in FIG. 1, where the line card 120 and the central/main card set 110 communicate with each other. The central card set 110 typically comprises of a master card 140 and a slave card 150. The master and the slave card may communicate to the line card simultaneously. If the one of the central cards and the line card are not working at the same frequency, the communication may not be proper because there is no room for temporary frequency shift. If the temporary frequency shift is applied, it may result in data loss. Therefore, a single master clock 160 may be used by all the modules and/or line cards to transmit and receive data. High speed communication between the modules may require high quality precision clock. Further, the clock signal used in the communication is required to be clean or cleaned at the receiving end. The clean clock signal may be defined as distributing clock signal properly in the communication and the cleaning of the clock signal may be defined as recovering the clock signal properly at the receiving end. However, the cleaning process of the clock signal is not economical.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have an improved and effective backplane signaling system is required that can obviate the above-mentioned problems.


There is provided a high strength steel plate with high manganese having excellent burring workability, which is used for structural members, bumper reinforcing materials and impact absorbing materials of automobiles, etc. The high strength steel plate includes, by weight: C: 0.2 to 1.0%, Mn: 10 to 25%, Al: 0.3 to 3.0%, S: 0.05% or less, P: 0.05% or less, and the balance of Fe and inevitable impurities, wherein the chemical elements satisfactorily have a grain size of 18 μm or more. The high strength steel plate can be useful to facilitate formation of automobile parts since it has excellent physical properties such as elongation and hole expansibility as well as strength.

Bumper reinforcing materials or indoor impact absorbing materials are directly associated with the safety of passengers in vehicle collisions, and therefore the ultra high strength hot rolled steel plates having a tensile strength of 780 MPa or more have been widely used as the reinforcing/absorbing materials. Also, the reinforcing/absorbing materials should have high elongation as well as high tensile strength, and its excellent hole expansibility is required to improve formability of a flange unit or a part coupling unit.
For the purpose of coping with regulation for increasingly serious environmental pollution problems, high strength steel has been increasingly used in high strength parts to improve fuel efficiency, and therefore there has been an increasing attempt to commercialize a high strength steel having a tensile strength of 780 MPa or more.
Representative examples of the high strength steel used for automobiles include a multi-phase steel, dual-phase (DP) steel, a transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) steel and a twin induced plasticity (TWIP) steel.
In general, a method for manufacturing a plate sheet is divided into a re-heating process for re-employing segregated components of manufactured slabs, a hot rolling process for rolling the slabs into plates of a final thickness, and a cooling process for cooling/winding the hot-rolled plate at room temperature. Here, the slabs taken out from a heating furnace are rolled in an austenite zone, and austenite is then transformed into martensite at a lower finish cooling temperature than a martensite start (Ms) temperature in the cooling process. At this time, the resultant steel is referred to as a dual-phase steel.
The dual-phase steel has an increasing strength with the increase in the ratio of martensite over the entire structure, and also has an increasing ductility with the increases in the ratio of ferrite. In this case, when the ratio of martensite is increased to enhance its strength, the ratio of ferrite is relatively decreased, which leads to the deteriorated ductility. And, the dual-phase steel has a problem that its cooling rate should be increased to form martensite at low temperature.
As described in the method, the austenite is formed in the rolling process, and the ferrite, the martensite, some of the bainite and a mixed martensite/austenite phase are formed at room temperature by controlling the cooling rate, the finish cooling temperature and so on in the cooling process. The resultant steel that improves strength and ductility of the transformation induced plasticity steel is a multi-phase steel.
The multi-phase steel does not have a yield ratio characteristic caused by the martensite transformation, and therefore the multi-phase steel has been widely used in a variety of application fields since it has excellent weldability due to the use of a relatively low amount of added alloy elements, and also has high yield strength although its formability is rather unfavorable because of the high yield strength.
Also, after the austenite, the austenite or the ferrite dual phase is formed in the rolling process, and then heat-treated in the bainite transformation temperature range by controlling the cooling rate and the finish cooling temperature in the cooling process, the transformation induced plasticity steel may be manufactured when the condensed austenite remains metastable at room temperature in addition to the bainite transformation. Amongst the currently commercially available steels, the transformation induced plasticity steel has the most excellent strength and elongation balance (strength*elongation).
Considering the steels that are under the commercial use stage, the twin induced plasticity steel has the most excellent strength*elongation balance. The twin induced plasticity steel is a steel whose strain hardening property is improved, thereby suppress necking and improve elongation, by adjusting components such as manganese, carbon and aluminum to obtain a stable austenite single phase and using dislocation and twin systems as the transformation apparatus during the phase transformation.
However, when the martensite is subject to the strain hardening process, boundaries of soft matrix phases and hard martensite phases are sufficient to form vacancies during the phase transformation or processing process, and therefore its strength vs. elongation is excellent but its hole expansibility is poor.
The transformation induced plasticity steel has a low burring workability since vacancies are also formed in boundaries of transformation induced martensite and soft matrix phase during the phase transformation. The twin induced plasticity steel has the same or similar level of hole expansibility, compared to the ultra high strength steel (dual-phase steel, transformation induced plasticity steel, etc.) of the same strength, which is considered to be associated with the high strain hardening rate caused by the twin.

High strength steel plate with high manganese having excellent burring workability


A fuel-conveying incineration grate has grate beams (1) for extending in a longitudinal direction obliquely downward in the longitudinal direction. The grate beams (1) have first surfaces (4) on first sides of the grate beams (1) stepped downwardly in said direction for receiving fuel, opposite surfaces on opposite sides of the grate beams (1), and lateral surfaces (3) sealingly closely adjacent to each other across widths of the grate beams (1) substantially along full lengths of the grate beams (1) in the longitudinal direction. The grate beams (1)relatively reciprocate in the longitudinal direction for conveyting the fuel thereon. At least two longitudinally extending ducts (6, 7) are in thermal communication with the opposite sides of the grate beams (1) for a heat-transmission medium. Connecting points (12, 13) at least at one end of the grate beams (1) provide for flow of the heat-transmission medium at least one of towards and away form the ducts (6, 7). Primary-air openings (5) supply of primary air from the opposite surfaces through the grate beams (1) and spaced from the lateral surfaces (3) to the first surfaces (4) for combustion of the fuel conveyed on the first surfaces (4).

In principle, incineration grates of the kind referred to above are well-known and are normally used with two or more sections mutually overlapping, the uppermost section functioning as an infeed grate apportioning the fuel into the incinerating plant from a fuel shaft above the upper part of the grate, whilst the function of combustion per se is served by the lower section or sections, the lowermost section also discharging the solid products of combustion, such as ashes and slags, to suitable removal devices.
In a grate of this kind disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,704 and having two sections, adjacent grate beams are reciprocated longitudinally in opposite phase, and the stepped grate surface is formed by a number of grate elements placed edge-to-edge.
In another grate of the kind referred to, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,469, every other grate beam is reciprocable longitudinally, while the remaining grate beams are stationary. In this grate, the grate surface is formed by a number of grate blocks composed of grate rods, each block comprising two steps of the stepped surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,240,590 describes a fluid cooled grate beam comprising two longitudinally extending ducts for the cooling medium provided immediately below the grate surface of each grate beam and in heat transmitting contact with said surface and the lateral surfaces of the grate beam, as well as connecting points at one end of the grate beam for the flow of cooling medium towards and away from said ducts. However, thee grate beams are not placed sealingly close to each other along the lateral surfaces. On the contrary, the grate beams are provided with primary air openings along the lateral surfaces. This will result in a tendency to move material on the grate in between the grate beams which will lead to increased wear on the lateral surfaces of the grate beams.
FR-A-739,654 describes another fluid cooled grate beam comprising flat lateral surfaces but these surfaces are placed with spaces between them.
In incinerating plants for waste material, especially the infeed grate, i.e. the uppermost grate section in the plant, is subject to extremely inhomogeneous heat influences; this is due to its function and position in the plant as well as variations in the calorific value of the waste material being fed in by this grate, because the processes taking place on the infeed grate comprise both a drying of the waste material and an initial gasification and ignition of the latter, and the manner, in which all this proceeds and hence the heating of the grate, depends to a high degree of the (net) calorific value of the waste material, i.e. especially its moisture content.
In previously known incineration grates, such as those disclosed in the above-mentioned US patent specifications, these conditions have made it difficult to achieve an effective seal between the adjacent, relatively reciprocable grate beams, more particularly between their lateral surfaces; this is caused by the temperature differences along the grate beams creating differences in their degrees of thermal expansion. An insufficient seal between adjacent lateral surfaces partly results in a greater quantity of ashes and uncombusted waste falling through the grate, this obviously being highly undesirable in consideration of the desire to achieve a sterilization and combustion of the waste material, partly an unintended distribution of the primary air, passing in an uncontrolled fashion up through the gaps between adjacent lateral surfaces.
In order to achieve a better sealing function, incineration grates of the kind referred to initially normally comprise facilities for pressing the grate beams in each section together in the lateral direction, this also making it possible to accommodate attrition on the lateral surfaces of the grate beams. This attrition, being--of course--due to the relative movements of the grate beams, will, because of their material properties, be a minimum at a relatively low temperature.

Incineration grate with ducts for conveying a heat transmission medium


One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that performs event notification in a distributed computing system. During operation, the system receives an event that was generated at a node in the distributed computing system, wherein the event includes a set of name/value pairs associated with the event. Next, the system compares the event against a set of client event registrations to determine a set of clients to be notified of the event, wherein each client event registration identifies a client and a target set of name/value pairs, wherein the client is to be notified of the event if the target set of name/value pairs matches a subset of the set of name/value pairs associated with the event. Finally, the system sends a notification of the event to the set of clients to be notified of the event.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the design of distributed computing systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus that uses an inverse mapping structure for subset determination to facilitate event notification in a distributed computing system.
2. Related Art
Distributed computing systems presently make it possible to develop distributed applications that can harness the computational power of multiple computing nodes in performing a computational task. This can greatly increase the speed with which the computational task can be performed. However, it is often hard to coordinate computational activities between application components running on different computing nodes within the distributed computing system.
In order to operate properly, distributed applications must somehow keep track of the state of application components in order to coordinate interactions between the application components. This can involve periodically exchanging "heartbeat" messages or other information between application components to keep track of which application components are functioning properly.
Some distributed operating systems presently keep track of this type of information for purposes of coordinating interactions between operating system components running on different computing nodes. However, these distributed operating systems only use this information in performing specific operating system functions. They do not make the information available to distributed applications or other clients.
Hence, in many situations, a distributed application has to keep track of this information on its own. Note that the additional work involved in keeping track of this information is largely wasted because the distributed operating system already keeps track of the information. Moreover, the task of keeping track of this information generates additional network traffic, which can impede communications between nodes in the distributed computing system.
Hence, what is needed is a method and an apparatus that enables a distributed application to be notified of events that occur on different computing nodes within a distributed computing system without requiring the distributed application to perform the event monitoring operations.
One problem in performing event notification is to rapidly determine which clients are to be notified of an incoming event. The naive approach is to compare the incoming event against each of the client registrations, wherein a given client registration identifies specific events that an associated client has registered to be notified of. Note that this may require an incoming event to be compared against every client registration in the system, which can potentially be very slow.
Hence what is needed is a method and an apparatus for rapidly determine which clients are to be notified of a specific incoming event.

Facilitating event notification through use of an inverse mapping structure for subset determination


A semiconductor light emitting element that outputs emitted light having a predetermined emitted light peak wavelength λ includes: at least a substrate; a lower distributed Bragg reflector layer provided on the substrate; and a light emitting layer provided on the lower distributed Bragg reflector layer. At least one phase changing layer having a thickness of mλ/2n (wherein n is the refractive index of the phase changing layer, and m is an integer 1 or greater) is provided within the lower distributed Bragg reflector layer.

1. Technical Field
The present invention is related to a surface emitting type semiconductor light emitting element equipped with a distributed Bragg reflector and an active layer which are sequentially grown on a semiconductor substrate.
2. Background Art
There are semiconductor light emitting elements, such as light emitting diodes (LED's) and semiconductor lasers (LD's: Laser Diodes) which are configured with DBR's (Distributed Bragg Reflectors) in order to improve the light emitting efficiency thereof (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6(1994)-196681, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-070929, etc.). In a semiconductor light emitting element of the surface emitting type, DBR's provided as layers above and below a light emitting layer generally contribute to increases in light emitting efficiency by increasing the reflectance of a specific wavelength as structures that increase resonance. DBR's are constituted by multiple layered films, in which layers having a relatively high refractive index (high refractive index layers) and layers having a relatively low refractive index (low refractive index layers) are alternately laminated. The wavelength which is reflected by a DBR is extremely sensitive to the thicknesses of the films that constitute the DBR. Accordingly, the light emitting efficiency of a semiconductor light emitting element equipped with a DBR depends greatly on the change in emitted light intensity (light emitting efficiency) when the light emitting wavelength shifts. That is, the increase in light emitting efficiency obtained by a DBR and the degree of change in the light emitting efficiency due to shifts in wavelengths are in a trade off relationship.
Meanwhile, it is known that the light emitting spectra of semiconductor light emitting elements change greatly due to changes in ambient temperature, and that the light emission wavelengths shift toward the longer wavelength side as temperatures become higher. For example, a wavelength shift of approximately 10 nm toward the long wavelength side occurs in GaAs—AlAs LED's when the temperature of a utilization environment rises approximately 40° C. For this reason, there is a problem that the light emission intensity of semiconductor light emitting elements equipped with DBR's varies greatly due to changes in ambient temperature.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 2009-070929 and 2003-332615 propose methods for solving this problem of variation in light emitting efficiency caused by changes in ambient temperature.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-070929 discloses an element configuration in which a plurality of multiple layer film reflecting layers that respectively reflect light having longer wavelengths and light having shorter wavelengths than the light spectrum generated by an active layer under the active layer, to effectively cause the light spectrum to become a wide band light spectrum, thereby reducing the influence of wavelength shift caused by changes in ambient temperature.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-332615 discloses an element configuration in which a notch filter constituted by a first multiple layer film layer, a second multiple layer film layer, and a spacer layer provided between these two layers is provided, to reduce the influence of wavelength shift caused by changes in ambient temperature.
Meanwhile, exposure devices, in which multiple semiconductor light emitting elements are arranged one dimensionally or two dimensionally, are employed as exposure heads for printers and scanners. Uniformity of light intensity among the arranged plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements is required in such arrayed exposure devices. Here, the expression "light intensity" refers to the intensity of light which is integrated across the light emitting wavelength band of the light emitting elements.
The light intensities emitted by individual semiconductor light emitting elements among a plurality of light emitting elements which are employed in an exposure device also change due to wavelength shifts caused by changes in ambient temperature. Further, a phenomenon that the manner in which the light intensity changes is different for each element has been observed. For this reason, there is a problem that uniformity of light intensities cannot be maintained among a plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements which are employed in an exposure device.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-219220 proposes a light emitting device that suppresses changes in light intensity of light emitting elements due to temperature changes, by providing a reflecting layer beneath an active layer, and a surface having recesses and protrusions at a plurality of distances from the reflecting layer above the active layer.


An apparatus for monitoring the closing of a window by an electric motor, particularly a window pane of a motor vehicle, has a sender and a receiver for electro-magnetic transmissions and at least one light-deflecting mechanism which guides electro-magnetic emissions, or waves, from the sender to the receiver. The apparatus can be used in conjunction with devices for stopping or reversing motion of the window pane if during the closing thereof the transmission intensity received at the receiver changes, the light-deflecting mechanism being arranged along at least portions of an upper edge of a window opening.

This invention relates to an apparatus for monitoring a closing process of a window pane, particularly a motor vehicle window pane, of a type having a sender and a receiver for electro-magnetic transmissions, having at least one light-deflecting mechanism which aids in transmitting electro-magnetic emissions from the sender to the receiver and with which operation of the window pane stops or is reversed if a transmission intensity received at the receiver changes during the closing process.
Such apparatus are known from the prior art and are used to prevent jamming or squeezing of body members or objects during the closing of a window that is driven by an electric motor.
In German patent document DE-PS 31 07 847, for example, an apparatus is suggested having a light conductor mounted along a closing, or upper, edge of a window frame which conducts light rays from a sender to a receiver. If the light conductor, which is constructed as a lightconducting fiber bundle, is squeezed, because, for example, an object is jammed between the window and the window frame, a change in the light intensity occurs at the receiver, thereby causing the motion of the window to stop or be reversed.
In another embodiment described in DE 31 07 847, the light conductor is constructed as a squeezable, plastic tube having a reflective coating on the inside.
Both embodiments have the disadvantage that manufacturing a monitoring apparatus of the described type requires a relatively cost-intensive and complicated light conductor.
It is even more disadvantageous that the light conductor has to be deformed for the monitoring apparatus to respond so that a response occurs only after an object or a body part has already been squeezed with a certain pressure.
Although a squeezing or jamming pressure required for activation of the monitoring apparatus is not very high, it causes an unpleasant sensation. A fright, or panic, reaction may also be possible. Squeezing may even result in injury, if, for example, body parts of children are involved.
It is an object of the invention to provide a monitoring apparatus which is particularly uncomplicated and cost-effectively constructed and which provides an influencing of a window drive without jamming or squeezing something.

Apparatus for monitoring the closing of a window by an electric motor, particularly a window of a motor vehicle


The present invention relates generally to a method of extracting cobalt and other impurity metals from a concentrated nickel sulphate solution by a solvent extraction process whereby a cationic solvent extractant is separately pre-equilibrated with a portion of a purified nickel sulphate solution in such a manner that it is loaded with nickel without precipitating insoluble nickel double salts. The nickel loaded extracted is then transferred to an impure cobalt nickel solution where the cobalt and certain other impurity metals exchange with nickel leaving a purified concentrated nickel sulphate solution suitable for hydrogen reduction or electrowinning. The cobalt loaded extractant is stripped with dilute sulphuric acid before being recycled while an aqueous cobalt stripped solution is further processed to recover cobalt.

FIG. 1 is a flowsheet of a known method of extracting cobalt from a nickel sulphate solution with a direct addition of ammonia to a cobalt solvent extraction phase. A problem with this method is that the concentrated nickel sulphate solution with the direct addition of ammonia results in the formation of insoluble nickel ammonium sulphate double salts. Australian patent No. 667539 in the name of Outokumpu sets out to avoid the formation of this double salt by a two stage process involving:    i) pre-neutralisation of a cationic extractant such as CYANEX 272 to form the ammonium salt; and    ii) pre-extraction or exchange of the CYANEX 272 ammonium salt with magnesium sulphate in an aqueous solution to form a CYANEX 272 magnesium salt which is contacted with an aqueous nickel sulphate solution in a solvent extraction circuit so as to extract nickel.
The applicants International patent application No. PCT/AU98/00457 avoids the relatively expensive two stage pre-equilibration of Outokumpu by adding chemically reactive magnesia, magnesium hydroxide, or magnesium carbonate to the cationic extractant without the pre-neutralisation step. However, if magnesia or magnesium pre-equilibrated extractant is used to avoid the formation of double salts this introduces magnesium ions which contaminate the final ammonium sulphate product.

Solvent extraction of impurity metals from a valuable metal sulphate solution


A joint assembly, including a piping, comprises a joint end sleeve, a tightening ring and a nut. The ring has an external truncated-cone shaped surface and an internal cylindrical surface with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the piping, and an internal cylindrical surface with at least one annular edge to cooperate with at least one annular groove in the sleeve in such a way that an inside diameter of the annular edge is substantially equal to the outside diameter of the piping. The nut has an internal cylindrical surface with a diameter slightly larger than the outside diameter of the piping and is disposed opposite a cylindrical portion of the sleeve when the nut is installed. The smaller outside diameter end of the tightening ring is adjacent the internal cylindrical surface of the nut when the nut is installed. An internal truncated-cone shaped surface of the nut has a larger diameter end a size slightly larger than a smaller outside diameter end of the ring.

The U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,423 of A. Combeau consists of a fast assembly for flexible pipings which, unlike the present invention, a butt does not take place between the nut (6) and the threaded element (5) of the patent, in such a way that the nut risks to be subjected to hazardous tensions if it is excessively tightened by the installer. Also, the lack of a butt on the nut may result in a variable tightening of the piping, which is subject at the installer's discretion and care, with the resulting risks of leakage in the event that the tightening gets loosened or taking the risk that nut be damaged as a consequence of an excessive tightening. On the contrary, the joint of the present invention has butting means for axial displacement, so that the nut cannot be tightened against the piping beyond a displacement predetermined by manufacturer.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,678 ('678 patent) of M. Mittersteiner (the same inventor who is one of the co-inventors of the present invention) shows a self-threading joining. Unlike the present invention, in the '678 patent, it is not possible to get a joining in a quick way, because the nut threads must be continuous and extend themselves by more than one turn to be able to form the thread in the piping. On the contrary, in most of the embodiments of the present invention, the nut can have a discontinuous threading that is threaded with the joint end sleeve, with the purpose of achieving a full tightening in a fraction of a turn.

Joint assembly for flexible and semi-rigid pipings


In a display apparatus, a text code input section outputs externally-supplied text code information to a font conversion section and a voice synthesizer section. The font conversion section converts the input text code into a corresponding font, and transmits the font to a display drive section via a video signal input section, and the display drive section causes a display section to display the font. Meanwhile, the voice synthesizer section converts the input text code into corresponding voice data, and transmits the voice data to a voice device where the voice data is outputted. With this structure, superior convenience is ensured for a display apparatus which serves only as an individual displaying apparatus and relies on an external device (server) for the major functions of the system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display apparatus for displaying text or images based on text code information constituted of text codes or video signals, particularly to a client display apparatus operating under an external host apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A display apparatus is normally used for displaying text based on text code information or for displaying an image based on a video signal. A conventional display apparatus generally also includes functions of major image processing by which the various processings required for displaying text or images according to text code information/video signal are performed.
Further, display apparatuses are often mounted to other kind of apparatuses. For example, Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Jitsukaisho 62-201850/1987 (published on Dec. 23, 1987)) discloses a document processing device which displays text information supplied from a keyboard in a display section, and also outputs the text information as voice message by converting the text information into sound information. Further, Document 2 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Tokukaihei 02-165324/1990 (published on Jun. 26, 1990)) discloses a document reader device which interprets document data and displays the data in a display section as an image and also outputs the same data as voice information. Further, Document 3 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Tokukaihei 04-24885/1992 (published on Jan. 28, 1992)) discloses a reading processor device which takes out a text portion from an image and converts the text portion into a text code, which code is then converted into voice information by a voice synthesizer section, so as to output the text information as voice information.
The apparatuses disclosed in Documents 1 through 3 are all capable of outputting voice with their built-in image processing functions which carry out a process for converting text information into voice information.
Meanwhile, a small, light-weighted and thin display apparatus has been available in the market recently, which often serves as a mobile apparatus with a function of capturing an image from an external apparatus. Further, there is a demand for downsizing such a mobile apparatus into a card-size apparatus almost as small as a general credit card, name card etc. Prior to the present invention, the applicant of the present invention suggested in Document 4 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Tokukai 2003-244784 (published on Aug. 29, 2003)) a card-sized display apparatus with voice output function. The apparatus produces sound by vibration of substrate constituting the display element, based on a voice signal supplied from an external apparatus. The display apparatus thus realizes a speaker function without increasing the apparatus size.
With the recent development of network infrastructure or various services, a recent demand for a display apparatus is not only mobility but also a wider range of application and a wider communication area, which can be achieved by relying on an external host device (server) for the most functions of the system. In this case the display apparatus is called a client or a thin client, and simply serves as a displaying device. With this arrangement, the display apparatus does not necessarily have to have a built-in function for general image processing.
The described invention of the same applicant for realizing a card-sized display apparatus with voice output function was made in view of this objective. Such a structure contributes to create a display apparatus with great mobility.
Then, the next object to be achieved is provision of various functions to such a display apparatus serving as a client device. The present invention is made in view of this object.

Display apparatus for displaying text or images and outputting sounds based on text code information


To provide an interlayer-connected, multi-layer flexible printed circuit board having high bonding reliability and most suitable for micropatterning the circuit layers in the device; and to provide a high-productivity method for fabricating the device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible printed circuit board with various SMT (surface mount technology) chips mounted on the surface thereof, in particular, to such a multi-layer flexible printed circuit board of high bonding reliability and to a method for fabricating it.
2. Description of the Related Art
The recent tendency in the art toward down-sized, lightweight and multi-function electronic appliances brings about further increase in the circuit density of the flexible printed circuit board (hereinafter this may be abbreviated to FPC) to be used in such appliances. There is a limit of micropatterning technology to the increase in the circuit density of FPC. Accordingly, multi-layer FPC is now specifically noticed, which comprises multiple circuit layers laminated and in which the multiple circuit layers are three-dimensionally interconnected through insulating layers that are interconnectably disposed between them, to thereby increase the circuit density of the thus-constructed multi-layer FPC.
Heretofore, multi-layer FPC is fabricated by forming through-holes in an insulating layer of polyimide film and plating the sidewall face of the through-holes with copper to thereby three-dimensionally interconnect the circuit layers on both faces of the insulating layer (for example, see JP-A 5-175636 (page 2, FIG. 2)). The interlayer connecting method is referred to as a plated through-hole method, and it is most popular for interconnection in multi-layer FPC. The fabrication method comprises two significant steps: one is for electroless-plating the wall face of insulating through-holes to make them conductive, and the other is for electrolytic-plating it with a thick layer of copper. One characteristic advantage of the method is that, since the thermal expansion coefficient of the copper plate film inside the through-holes is nearly the same as that of the insulating layer with the through-holes formed therein, the bonding reliability to heat of the devices fabricated is good.
However, the thick plating with copper shall increase not only the thickness of the copper plate film inside the through-holes but also the thickness of the copper foil to be a circuit layer, therefore making it difficult to etch the foil for micropatterning to give the intended circuit layer. There are still other problems in that the process of the method is long and the productivity thereof is low.
To solve the problems with the interconnection technology, another method is proposed, which comprises printing the inner wall face of through-holes with a solder paste and fusing and solidifying the paste thereon (for example, see JP-A 7-176847 (pages 2-4, FIG. 2)). The method is characterized in that its process is simple as compared with the plated through-hole method mentioned above and therefore its productivity is high, and, in addition, since the circuit layers are interconnected after they are formed, the process of the method does not have any influence on the thickness of the copper foil and therefore does not interfere with the micropatterning of the circuit layers.
In the method, however, the thermal expansion coefficient of solder is larger than that of the insulating layer, and when heated, the solder in the through-holes may expand more than the insulating layer and there may be a risk that the bonding interface between the circuit layer on the insulating layer and the solder may peel off. To that effect, the soldering method is problematic in that the bonding reliability to heat of the devices fabricated therein is not good.
As mentioned above, the plated through-hole method in the related art for interlayer connection in multi-layer FPC is still problematic in point of the micropatterning of the circuit layers and of the productivity, though the bonding reliability of the devices fabricated therein is good. On the other hand, the soldering method is also problematic in point of the bonding reliability of the devices fabricated thereon, though it solves the problems with the former method in point of the micropatterning of the circuit layers and of the productivity.
Accordingly, in the art of interlayer connection in multi-layer FPC, a method of fabricating multi-layer FPC is desired that satisfies both good bonding reliability and good micropatterning of circuit layers and enables good productivity.

Multi-layer printed circuit board, and method for fabricating the same

Abstract: A multi-layer flexible printed circuit board, wherein a conductor is filled in the through-holes formed in the insulating layer in the direction of the thickness thereof so as to electrically interconnect the circuit layers formed on both faces of the insulating layer, and wherein the conductor contains inside it, a copper-core solder ball having a copper ball as a core thereof.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A mechanism for measuring the running time of an internal combustion engine includes a numerical display of the engine running hours, such that the owner of the engine can better determine the appropriate time for changing the engine lubrication oil. A chronometer is controlled by a switch responding sensitively to engine temperature or vibration, so that the chronometer is actuated only while the engine is working. The mechanism is incorporated into the handle of an oil dipstick, which enables the engine owner to check the chronometer at the same time as he/she is checking the engine oil level.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to combustion engines, and particularly to a mechanism mountable on an engine for indicating when it is necessary to change the engine lubrication oil. The invention is applicable to various engines, including gas or diesel engines used in automobiles trucks, motor cycles and electric generators.
2. Prior Developments
Combustion engine life can be prolonged by periodically changing the engine lubrication oil. In many engine installations there is no convenient mechanism for knowing when to change the oil. In the case of automotive engines, usually the frequency between oil changes is measured in miles driven, e.g. five thousand miles in a typical situation. This system requires that the owner maintain a record of the odometer reading at a given oil change in order that he/she will know when to make next oil change. However, it is possible for the owner to misplace the record or otherwise forget the mileage at the last oil change. If the oil is inadvertently not changed at the desired frequency (e.g. every five thousand miles) the engine may tend to wear out prematurely.
Another problem associated with using the vehicle odometer reading as an indicator for the next anticipated oil change is the fact that the odometer reading may not accurately reflect the actual engine running time. For example, if the automotive vehicle is run primarily in urban areas the engine may be running at idle much of the time, e.g. when the vehicle is moving in stop-and-go traffic; in this case the odometer reading may be misleading. Also, if the driver tends to warm-up the engine for long periods of time prior to highway driving, the odometer reading will not fully reflect the engine running time. On the other hand, if most of the driving is done on super highways at elevated speeds the transmission may be in overdrive, in which case the odometer reading may give an excessively high indication of engine running time, or the odometer is not functioning, which frequently occurs in old cars.

Mechanism for indicating when to change engine oil


A driving circuit of a liquid crystal display device includes a substrate, at least two driver integrated circuit (IC) chips located on the substrate, and an impedance device electrically connected between the two driver IC chips for reducing a difference between respective input voltages being input into the two driver IC chips.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving circuit of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and more particularly, to a driving circuit capable of reducing a difference between respective input voltages being input into driver integrated circuit (IC) chips.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A thin film transistor display, such as a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD), utilizes many thin film transistors, in conjunction with other elements such as capacitors and bonding pads, arranged in a matrix as switches for driving liquid crystal molecules to produce brilliant images. The advantages of the TFT-LCD over a conventional CRT monitor include better portability, lower power consumption, and lower radiation. Therefore, the TFT-LCD is widely used in various portable products, such as notebooks, personal data assistants (PDA), electronic toys, etc. Gradually, the TFT-LCD is even replacing the CRT monitor in desktop computers.
Generally speaking, a TFT-LCD includes an upper substrate having a plurality of color filters, a lower substrate, and a plurality of liquid crystal molecules filled between the upper substrate and the lower substrate. Additionally, a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of signal lines perpendicular to the scanning lines are formed on the lower substrate. At least one thin film transistor, used as a switch device of a pixel, is formed at an intersection of each of the scanning lines and each of the signal lines.
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a liquid crystal display panel. As shown in FIG. 1, a liquid crystal display panel 10 comprises a substrate 12 and an X-board 14. The X-board 14 is used for outputting signals into the substrate 12, for making the liquid crystal display panel 10 display an image. Moreover, the liquid crystal display panel 10 further comprises a plurality of tape carrier packages (TCP) 16 that are used for electrically connecting the X-board 14 and the substrate 12. Each of tape carrier packages 16 packages a driver integrated circuit (IC) chip (not shown) thereon.
The substrate 12 comprises a plurality of scanning lines S1-Sm, and a plurality of signal lines D1-Dn perpendicular to the scanning lines S1-Sm. A plurality of pixels (not shown) are therefore defined in an active region 18 by the scanning lines S1-Sm and the signal lines D1-Dn. Additionally, the substrate 12 further comprises an outer lead bonding (OLB) region 20, and a driving circuit 22 positioned in the outer lead bonding region 20. The driving circuit 22 includes driver IC chips 22a, 22b, and 22c that are used for outputting switching or addressing signals into the scanning lines S1-Sm. The above-mentioned driver IC chips packaged in the tape carrier packages 16 are used for outputting image signals into the signal lines D1-Dn.
Moreover, the driver IC chips 22a, 22b, 22c are directly formed on the substrate 12 by use of the chip-on-glass (COG) technology. The driving circuit 22 further comprises a plurality of conductive wires 24 for electrically connecting the driver IC chips 22a, 22b, and 22c. For reducing a production cost, the conductive wires 24 are directly formed on the substrate 12, which is so-called wiring on array (WOA) technology. Thereafter, please refer to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is an equivalent circuit of the driving circuit shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, an equivalent circuit 30 comprises the driver IC chips 22a, 22b, 22c, and resistors 32a, 32b. The resistor 32a connects the driver IC chips 22a and 22b, and corresponds to the conductive wires 24 located between the driver IC chips 22a and 22b as shown in FIG. 1. Similarly, the resistor 32b is connected between the driver IC chips 22b and 22c, and corresponds to the conductive wires 24 located between the driver IC chips 22b and 22c as shown in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, when the liquid crystal display panel 10 displays an image, a voltage pulse of a controlling signal 28 is output from the X-board 14, and then, the voltage pulse is sequentially inputted into the driver IC chips 22a, 22b, 22c through the tape carrier packages 16 and the conductive wires 24. Finally, switching or addressing signals are outputted from the driver IC chips 22a, 22b, 22c, and are inputted to the scanning lines S1-Sm. However, due to the extremely large electrical resistance of the conductive wires 24, a voltage drop on each of the conductive wires 24 is significant. Therefore, when the voltage pulse of the controlling signal 28 is sequentially transmitted to the driver IC chips 22a, 22b and 22c, the respective input voltages being input into the driver IC chips 22a, 22b and 22c are quite different. That is, the respective input voltages being input into the driver IC chips 22a, 22b and 22c vary with the positions of the driver IC chips 22a, 22b and 22c. In order to reduce the electrical resistance of the conductive wires 24, manufacturers currently usually increase a width or a thickness of the conductive wire 24.
Additionally, an insulation layer is formed between each of the scanning lines S1-Sm and each of the signal lines D1-Dn, and further, the scanning lines S1-Sm and the signal lines D1-Dn are made of conductive materials. Accordingly, a parasitic capacitor is formed at an overlapping region 26 of each of the scanning lines S1-Sm and each of the signal lines D1-Dn. As the voltage pulse input into each of the signal lines D1-Dn is changed, the voltage variations on the signal lines D1-Dn will be coupled to the scanning lines S1-Sm through the parasitic capacitors at the overlapping regions 26, thus producing a glitch to disturb the controlling signal 28. That is, due to the parasitic capacitors at the overlapping regions 26, the voltage variations on the signal lines D1-Dn will make the controlling signal 28 distort. Therein, the responding current (I) of the controlling signal 28 versus time (t) comprises both of direct current (DC) and alternative current (AC), as shown in FIG. 3. Unfortunately, the AC part of the responding current causes the respective input voltages being input into the driver IC chips 22a, 22b and 22c to be different. This causes the liquid crystal display panel 10 to display an image having band mura, and reduces a displaying quality of the liquid crystal display panel 10.

Driving circuit of a liquid crystal display device


Transport apparatus for small sized hardware items includes a fluidized bed with a sloping gas permeable base (6) at the inlet end of the bed. Gas feed chambers (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) are located on the lowerside of the base (6) and are sealed from one another in a gas tight manner. Powder columns (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) of different heights extend upwardly above the base (6). Gas at different pressures is supplied through the gas feed chambers (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) into the powder columns forming a uniform fluidized bed (2). The base slopes downwardly and has step-like transitions adjacent intersections of the chambers.

The present invention is directed to a transport or conveying apparatus for small hardware items in a fluidized bed where an inclined gas-permeable base covers a plurality of gas supply chambers located on the lower side of the base.
Apparatus for the continuous heat treatment of granular material by a gas, in a sloping fluidized bed containing several gas supply chambers, has a material guiding flap at the inlet side and a baffle wall adjustable in height at the outlet side, as well as actuation means for regulating the gas supply, and is disclosed in DE-AS 21 01 143. In this apparatus a constant output is achieved using guidance and actuation means and a constant outlet temperature of the granules is attained by a constant gas temperature.
The gas inlet apertures of each gas feed or supply chamber are variable in cross-section by means of a perforated plate and an associated perforated slide.
The mechanical cross-sectional changes of the gap inlet apertures have disadvantageous effects. Based on the type of granular material used and on the temperature of the fluidized bed, disturbances can occur in the regulation means. Such disturbances can be caused by jamming of parts due to different heat expansions, by mechanical damage due to wear, or by contamination of the moving parts. Accurate adjustment of the cross-section of the gas inlet or feed apertures is no longer possible.

Fluidized bed transport apparatus for coating small hardware items


Disclosed herein is a paint composition comprising a carboxyl group containing resin comprising two or more carboxyl groups per molecule, having an acid number of from 100 to 300 mgKOH/g and a weight average molecular weight of from 2,000 to 30,000, obtained by the copolymerization of a carboxyl group containing radically polymerizable monomer and another radically polymerizable monomer, wherein the carboxyl group containing resin comprises 5 to 50 weight percent of structural units based on a lactone compound, based on resin solids; an epoxy group containing resin, comprising two or more epoxy groups per molecule; an ultraviolet absorber; and a light stabilizer having a pKb value of at least 9; wherein the molar ratio of the carboxyl groups of the carboxyl group containing resin to the epoxy groups of the epoxy group containing resin is 3:1 to 1:3.

A demand has arisen in the automobile painting field in recent years for providing paint films with top-coat paints which have a high level of weather resistance, acid resistance and an excellent appearance, and which have storage stability which is adequate for withstanding use with circulation.
Methods involving the inclusion of ultraviolet absorbers and light stabilizers in the paint film are generally used to improve weather resistance, and in terms of the base concealing properties there is little shrinkage on hardening with the addition reaction hardening systems where no eliminated material is produced and the base concealing properties are excellent, and in terms of the acid resistance techniques involving the use of acid/epoxy crosslinking and hydroxyl group/isocyanate crosslinking are known, but with hydroxyl group/isocyanate crosslinking the reactivity at low temperatures is very high and it is impossible to make use of a one-liquid type paint. Furthermore, crosslinking using a blocked isocyanate is also known, but in this case the blocking groups are eliminated at the time of the reaction and the shrinkage on hardening is considerable and adequate base concealing properties are not obtained. Furthermore, in the case of acid/epoxy crosslinking as well the storage stability at low temperature is poor and its use in a one-liquid type paint is limited.
Paint compositions comprising acrylic copolymer obtained by copolymerizing a lactone-modified carboxyl group containing monomer, an epoxy group containing acrylic copolymer and an amino resin have been reported as a technique in which acid/epoxy crosslinking is used (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Laid Open H5-171103). However, here again adequate storage stability as a one-liquid type paint is not obtained since an amino resin is used in these paint compositions.
Moreover, paint compositions comprising acrylic poly-carboxylic acid, polyepoxide and antioxidant (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Laid Open H9-104803) and paint compositions comprising acrylic polycarboxylic acid resin which contains structural units based on a carboxyl group containing low-lactone-modified hydroxy(meth)acrylate and a polyepoxide (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Laid Open 2002-167426) are known, but in these cases again adequate storage stability as a one-liquid type paint is not obtained because the acid/epoxy reactivity is not suppressed.
[Patent Citation 1]
    Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Laid Open H5-171103[Patent Citation 2]    Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Laid Open H9-104803[Patent Citation 3]    Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Laid Open 2002-167426

Paint compositions, method of paint finishing and painted objects


A method of recovering palatable potable storable water from a process for concentrating an extracted juice, the method including the steps of: providing the extracted juice; concentrating the extracted juice to form a concentrated juice stream and a concentrator waste stream, wherein the concentrator waste stream is not palatable, potable or storable; and purifying the concentrator waste stream to provide palatable potable storable water including the step of passing the concentrator waste stream through activated carbon.

Fruit juices contain about 85 wt %, or more, water, with the remaining composed of volatile organic compounds, organic acids, aroma, flavour, sugars and fibre, as well as many other constituents in trace quantities. The extraction of juice from fruit or vegetable is a common industrial activity. The extracted juice is typically concentrated to form a concentrated juice using one or more of several commercial processes, some more efficient than others.
The process of concentrating the extracted juice to form a concentrated juice also forms a concentrator waste stream. The composition of this concentrator waste stream varies and is contingent on the efficiency of the concentration process, and may have the characteristic smell and/or taste of the fruit or vegetable or sugar cane juice from which it originated. That is, a less than 100% efficient concentration process (where all non-water constituents are desirably retained with the concentrated juice) results in a concentrator waste stream that is predominantly water but which also contains some source fruit or vegetable or sugar cane constituents. Typical carry over constituents include aroma and other volatiles, organic acids, and sugars; the exact composition contingent on the separation process used. In practice, 100% efficiency of the concentration process is not achieved.
Due to the organic contaminants, this concentrator waste stream is susceptible to fouling due to oxidation and microbial contamination. Thus, if later use of the concentrator waste stream is desired it is necessary to add preservatives. For instance, the concentrator waste stream may be used in the wine industry if preserved through acidification and sulphur dioxide addition, but even this only offers a short term storage solution. Most typically, the concentrator waste stream is discarded as waste water.
WO94/19967 relates to the use of the concentrator waste stream as potable water. In this document it is stated that it is desirable to provide a process for providing pure water which can be distributed to the consumer. However, the only such process referred to in the document is a particular process for concentrating extracted juice, namely a four stage evaporation system, and the process for providing pure water is merely the condensation of steam from this evaporation system. Pasteurisation, micro-filtration, and/or carbonation are optional post-processing steps.
WO2009/155675 describes processes to recover water in the context of commercial sugar production and ethanol production and is not directed to processes for recovering water from a process stream having a relatively high concentration of sugar.
US2005/308793 describes processes for treating an oil shale and is not relevant to the field of the present invention.
US2010100090 and US2005/0274675 are directed to process for producing a product from water that is already potable. These processes are therefore unsuitable for treating a water that is not potable, not suitable or is not palatable.
It is desirable to provide a process for recovering potable storable water from a concentrator waste stream formed in a process of concentrating an extracted juice, particularly in instances where the concentrator waste stream is not already potable storable water upon formation.
The discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles and the like in this Background section is included in this specification solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not suggested or represented that any or all of these matters formed part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.


A support apparatus for receiving and supporting stacked tiers of bottles, particularly wine bottles. The support apparatus is (a) located below a first tier of layers of wine bottles, (b) placed between tiers of bottles, in case of multiple layers of bottles, and (c) secured above a top tier of layers of bottles, all to provide a stacked and secured arrangement of bottles that is suited for storage or transport. The support apparatus is preferably formed from a resinous plastic, polymeric material, such as PET. A multiple of the bottle supports combine to support a multiple layers of bottles in a tiered array. The bottle supports are manufactured in thin, nestable configurations, and are stored with a small, compact nested stack height.

Bottles containing liquids, and in particular wine bottles, present a challenge to packers and shippers. Often today, bottles are shipped in cartons, with cardboard dividers between bottles to keep them from moving around and breaking against one another. Previously, wooden crates were often provided with appropriate retainers to constrain movement of the base of bottles, such as found in old soft drink cases designs. In other fields of endeavor, such as in the shipment of light bulbs or in the shipment of bottled water, various stacking supports have typically been employed.
Various materials and structures have been suggested, attempted, or actually used for receiving bottles and holding them for staking in horizontal layers. Some disclosures have suggested the use of a support and spacing member for bottles, formed from expanded polystyrene foam. However, certain characteristics of polystyrene foam make it less than ideal for use in bottle supports. This is because expanded polystyrene is rather rigid, relatively brittle, and thus has a minimum of structural flexibility. Additionally, polystyrene foam bottle cradle supports do not typically compactly nest together and thus storage of cradle supports manufactured of polystyrene or similar plastic materials usually takes up considerable space.
One alternative to polystyrene foam bottle cradles has been the development and use of bottle cradles made from papier-mâché. Unfortunately, in many circumstances, papier-mâché is inadequate for bottle cradles. For example, the strength of papier-mâché supports rapidly degrades when they get wet. Consequently, papier-mâché bottle cradles must be protected from the weather, and cannot be used in some humid environments. Such weather protection is especially difficult during transport, and requires that such bottle cradles be shipped within a fully enclosed container or trailer. Further, even though bottle cradles manufactured from papier-mâché have improved stackability over foam type supports, the papier-mâché bottle cradles must be of substantial thickness to support the weight of glass bottles and their contents, especially if many layers are desired.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there still remains a need for an improved bottle cradle design which can be manufactured utilizing a material that would reduce the storage space requirements of bottle cradles, so as to free up warehouse space. And, there remains a need for a strong, weather-proof, preferably recyclable material which can be utilized in the production of compactly stackable bottle cradles.
In the various figures, it should be noted that the use of subscripts still generally refers to the structure so named without the subscript, but such subscripts are merely used for convenience in identifying similar structures in either uniformly stacked or back-to-back pairs of bottle supports, to distinguish similar structures in bottle supports formed and/or used together.
The foregoing figures, being merely exemplary, contain various elements that may be present or omitted from actual implementations depending upon the circumstances. An attempt has been made to draw the figures in a way that illustrates at least those elements that are significant for an understanding of the various embodiments and aspects of the invention. However, various other elements of the bottle supports providing bottle cradles are also shown and briefly described to enable the reader to understand how various features, including optional or alternate features, may be utilized in order to provide a compact, efficiently nestable, reliable material structure for a bottle cradle stacking support.


A microprocessor includes a programmable instruction trap that can be used to deimplement instructions that lead to erroneous results. Upon discovery of a logic design defect, a microprocessor manufacturer can distribute an updated exception handler and a patch for a boot sequence. Upon power up, the boot sequence programs instructions to be deimplemented into a trap list. Each received instruction (issued by an application program, for example) not matching any listed instruction is executed in due course. When it matches a listed deimplemented instruction, the received instruction is trapped: it is not executed but is stored in a dedicated register. An exception handler is called that can examine the trapped instruction and substitute a suitable routine. If the trapped instruction is conditionally deimplemented and the problematic conditions do not pertain, the exception handler can reissue the instruction after temporarily deactivating the trapping function. Once the exception handler is done, the interrupted application program can resume.

The present invention relates to microprocessor systems and, more particularly, to a system and method for preventing execution of selected implemented instructions on a microprocessor. A major objective of the present invention is to provide for effective utilization of a defectively designed microprocessor.
Much of modern progress is associated with advances in computer performance. Recent computers typically use one or more microprocessors to execute desired operations. Each microprocessor design is characterized by the set of "implemented" instructions it can recognize and execute. The instructions have a respective instruction format.
In many cases, the format can provide for "unimplemented" instructions that the microprocessor is not designed to execute. These unimplemented instructions are of two types: 1) defined but omitted; and 2) undefined (or "reserved"). Many processors are members of processor families that can include more and less sophisticated versions; some instructions that are implemented (and thus defined) on the more sophisticated versions are omitted on the less sophisticated versions. For example, floating-point instructions are defined but omitted on versions of microprocessors with nonfunctional floating-point units (Intel 486SX, Motorola 68LC040). "Undefined" instructions are not defined for any processor, but remain "reserved" for processors yet to be designed.
Microprocessors typically include some means for handling unimplemented instructions. For example, upon detection of an unimplemented instruction in a running application program, a microprocessor can access a software exception handler. The handler can retrieve the unimplemented instruction from memory and determine a suitable course of action. (For example, a floating-point operation can be executed in software if the microprocessor does not have a floating-point unit.) The exception handler can also store as much of the microprocessor's state as necessary for proper restoration before the interrupted application program resumes.
Because they are so widely used, in critical as well as non-critical applications, microprocessor designs are exhaustively tested. However, as integrated circuit density has grown exponentially, so has the number of implemented logic functions. Design testing, using both simulation and prototypes, has also developed to permit more sophisticated confirmation of logic designs. However, the ability to implement functions in an integrated circuit is expanding faster than the ability to test the designs. Accordingly, it has become inevitable that a popular microprocessor would appear with a significant logic design error.
The inevitable became the actual in 1994 when a user identified a design defect in the Pentium processor from Intel Corporation. In some cases, a floating-point divide instruction yielded an erroneous result. As more complex processors are designed, such logic design defects can be expected to recur. Given that they are inevitable, the challenge becomes how to handle them once they are discovered.
Intel tried several approaches to addressing the Pentium defect. The first approach was to keep the defect secret while they worked on a redesign. While economical from a manufacturer's standpoint, this approach has proved unpopular with users that had to discard months of work due to uncertainties in the computations relied upon that arose once the defect was disclosed. The second approach was to offer a limited exchange only for those users who could demonstrate that the defect would affect them. This limited exchange approach was also unpopular because it placed a burden of proof on users, and threatened to leave other good faith purchasers to rely on a processor known to be defective.
A more popular approach was an open exchange of a defective processor with a corrected version of the processor. However, this is potentially a very costly solution as two processors are shipped for the price of one. The economics of the exchange can be much worse where the updated processor turns out to have subsequently discovered defects that require a further exchange.
There are also software-based solutions. For example, a software monitor program can examine an instruction stream in real time to detect for problematic instructions. This approach is problematic because the instructions of the monitor must be executed for each program instruction, exacting a substantial performance penalty even for programs that do not use the problematic instructions. In addition, there is a significant potential for incompatiability with available software.
The performance penalty could be eliminated largely by recompiling programs to eliminate the offending instruction. The recompiling could be done "off-line". Intel provided such a solution involving multiplying dividends and divisors by 15/16. If this recompiling is to be performed by the user, it would be extremely difficult without program source code; in general, a user would not have access to source code for commercially available programs. The software manufacturers could perform the recompiling, but then there is the cost and difficulty of reaching the consumers with the recompiled program. In some cases, recompiling might violate a software license agreement. Moreover, a performance penalty would be suffered (relative to the unrecompiled program) when the processor was upgraded or the program transferred to another computer system with a different but related processor.
What is needed is a better approach to dealing with logic design defects in installed microprocessors. This approach should preserve user expectations for the processor as well as the financial expectations of the manufacturer and distributors. Recompiling should not be required; performance penalties and compatibility problems should be minimized.

Microprocessor with programmable instruction trap for deimplementing instructions


Supports for Fischer-Tropsch catalysts are formed by forming a particulate material from titania, alumina and optionally silica. A cobalt compound is incorporated into the particulate material which then is calcined to convert at least part of the alumina to cobalt aluminate.

The Fischer-Tropsch process was developed in the 1920's as a way of producing hydrocarbons from synthesis gas, i.e., hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Initially, the process was centered on producing gasoline range hydrocarbons as automotive fuels. Today, however, the Fischer-Tropsch process is increasingly viewed as a method for preparing heavier hydrocarbons such as diesel fuels, and more preferably waxy molecules for conversion to clean, efficient lubricants. Thus, the importance of catalysts for producing higher boiling hydrocarbons, i.e. a product slate containing a higher carbon number distribution, is ever increasing. A measure of the carbon number distribution is the Schulz-Flory alpha value, which represents the probability of making the next higher carbon number from a given carbon number. The Schulz-Flory distribution is expressed mathematically by the Schulz-Flory equation:Wi=(1−α)2iαi−1 Where i represents carbon number, α is the Schulz-Flory distribution factor which represents the ratio of the rate of chain propagation to the rate of chain propagation plus the rate of chain termination, and Wi represents the weight fraction of product of carbon number i. Alpha numbers above about 0.9 are, in general, representative of wax producing processes and the higher the alpha number—as it approaches 1.0—the more selective the process is for producing wax molecules.
The catalysts usually employed in the Fischer-Tropsch process are iron and cobalt; ruthenium has the requisite catalytic activity for use in the process but is expensive and is in relatively short supply. Promoters, like rhenium, zirconium, manganese, and the like, are commonly used, especially with cobalt, to improve various aspects of catalytic performance.
These catalysts are typically supported on a particulate material composed primarily of alumina or titania.
Experience has shown that the operating conditions for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, especially when conducted in a slurry phase, has led to a weakening of the catalysts and the formation of excessive fines in the reaction mixture. Consequently, efforts have been made to develop improved catalysts.
For example in WO 99/42214 there is disclosed modifying an alumina, titania or magnesia support with a compound selected from compounds of Si, Zr, Cu, Mn, Ba, Co, Zn, Ni or La. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,814 an improved support is disclosed which comprises primarily titania in which there is incorporated a binder of silica and alumina.
One object of the present invention is to provide further improved, novel titania supports.
Another object is to provide catalysts supported on such improved titania supports and to use them in the conversion of synthesis gas to achieve high selectivities with low methane formation.

Preparation of titania and cobalt aluminate catalyst supports and their use in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company


A short-range wireless radio communications system is provided that can carry data, voice, or data and voice traffic simultaneously. The band is divided into a plurality of channels or hops, and a burst composed of either voice information, data information, or a combination of data and voice information is transmitted during one of the hops. The system operates preferably in a simplex mode, but full duplex operation can also be employed. The present system can also be operated in a cellular, TDMA system. A multiple time slot method is employed whereby one time slot can carry data and another time slot can carry voice information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of wireless communications and, in particular, to a short-range wireless radio communications system in which at least one station can communicate with at least one other station, or simultaneously with two or more other stations, and each station can handle voice and data traffic simultaneously.
2. History of the Related Art
Military and civilian (e.g., police) forces that engage routinely in mobile operations make heavy use of radio communications between personnel and vehicles. Radio transceivers typically used for this purpose are known as "simplex" or "press-to-talk" radios. For example, in a typical mobile radio communications operating environment, a party in one vehicle may need to communicate simultaneously (and independently) with two or more parties who are on foot or in other vehicles. Mobile system operators accomplish this feat by installing a separate radio in the first vehicle for each of the other parties with whom simultaneous, but independent communications will be maintained. However, operating multiple radios in a vehicle typically causes the problem known as "co-site interference," which can occur when a radio in the vehicle is transmitting one message and another radio in the vehicle is receiving a second message. Consequently, the transmitted signal overpowers or interferes with the signal being received. Currently, this problem of co-site interference is resolved by designing technically complex and expensive equipment that can compensate for the substantial interference caused by the co-located radios.
A number of conventional communications systems use Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) for transmitting and receiving. TDMA was first developed for use in communications satellite systems, which had to support voice and data communication links between a single space-borne satellite and a large number of geographically separated earth terminals or ground stations. Prior satellite communications systems had used a relatively complicated transmission technique known as Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA). A problem encountered with FDMA was that the output power of the earth terminals' transmitters had to be dynamically controlled relative to each other. Specifically, the transmit power of each of the earth terminals had to be independently controlled to ensure that the energy passing through the satellite channel was fairly divided. However, the TDMA transmission techniques that have been developed (and are still being used) solved this energy division problem, by ensuring that the signal from only one earth terminal would pass through the satellite channel at any point in time.
Cellular radio telephone systems are typically operated using TDMA. For example, the so-called "Pan European Cellular System" uses TDMA to allow up to eight portable or mobile telephones to communicate simultaneously with the same base station. These telephones are duplex transceivers that transmit and receive in different frequency bands, and use time division in both bands. Each portable telephone is allocated a specific time slot in the receive band, and also a time slot in the transmit band which is offset by a fixed amount of time from the receive band. Consequently, by allocating the time slots appropriately, the mobile telephones operating in the system can transmit and receive at different points in time and thereby minimize the problem of co-site interference.
An example of the conventional use of TDMA is in the British Army's "Ptarmigan" communications system. The Ptarmigan system includes a base station and a plurality of mobile stations known as Single Channel Radio Access (SCRA) stations. The Ptarmigan system time-multiplexes the base station's transmissions. The base station broadcasts information to several of the SCRA stations, but each SCRA station is designed to select the specific information in the received signal that is intended for it. However, the SCRA stations transmit using frequency division, which avoids a requirement for the base station to time-synchronize the signals received from the SCRA stations.
As a related technical matter, the operations of transferring data (e.g., data records and files, databases, etc.) and transmitting voice information have long been considered two, separate operations. However, with the advent of such new technologies as "telematics" and "multimedia" communications, the telecommunications, computing, data and voice functions have now been integrated. For example, data and voice traffic are currently being transferred between a broad range of "terminal" types, such as telephones, radios, computers, network work stations, etc.
In the field of wireline communications, there has been a recognized need for an efficient method of simultaneously transmitting data and voice traffic. In fact, numerous attempts have been made to create a prominent standard for a combined data/voice communications protocol. One such attempt culminated in the development of the Digital Simultaneous Voice Data (DSVD) System and also a standard protocol. Nevertheless, many other proprietary, combined data/voice systems have also been developed and commercialized in the wireline communications field.
Similarly, in the field of wireless communications, there is a recognized need for a combined data/voice communications protocol. For example, while voice and computer processing operations have been successfully merged in single terminals, the terminal equipment being used has become mobile. Mobile telephones and radios, and portable computers (laptops, notebooks, etc.) have made the telecommunications and information processing technologies highly portable and thereby accentuated the need for a wireless, combined data/voice communications protocol.
A related problem is that voice and data transmission functions have different, and often contradictory, technical and functional requirements. For example, data transmissions are typically required to be error-free. Nevertheless, since the integrity of the data is much more important than the timeliness of its reception, data transmissions can tolerate substantial and variable time delays. Consequently, the existing data protocols employ re-transmission schemes, whereby the data is transmitted and re-transmitted again and again, until it is received error-free at the destination.
Conversely, voice transmissions cannot tolerate long delays, but they can tolerate a moderate amount of errors (at least until the errors become perceptible to a listener). Consequently, because of the different tolerances that data and voice transmissions have to transmission errors, different schemes will have to be used to detect and correct these errors.
Currently, studies are being conducted to determine whether (and how) data and voice traffic can be combined and transmitted simultaneously over wide-area mobile networks, such as the European Global System for Mobile Telecommunications ("GSM") and North American Digital Advanced Mobile Phone System ("D-AMPS") cellular networks. These and other existing cellular networks can support either a data link or a voice link but not both of those links at the same time.
Studies have also been conducted to determine whether local area mobile networks can carry both data and voice traffic simultaneously over relatively short ranges, but the results of these studies have not been promising. For example, wireless local area networks (WLANs) have been optimized to carry high data rate transmissions between a large number of users. Consequently, these networks do not function as well to carry voice transmissions.
Three commercially attractive frequency bands for short-range wireless communications are known as the Industrial Scientific Medical (ISM) bands. In the United States, the ISM bands are defined (by the Federal Communications Commission or FCC) at 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz and 5.7 GHz, and a license is not required to operate within these bands. Throughout the world, a license is not required to operate in the 2.4 GHz ISM band. Therefore, it will be possible to manufacture a broad range of short-range, wireless radio communications products that can be operated in these frequency bands without a license.
However, there are certain rules that ISM band users must follow. In the United States, these rules are set forth in Part 15 of the FCC's Rules, and in Europe, by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) in document number ETS 300 328. Unfortunately, since no operator license is required, many types of equipment are in operation that radiate signals in the ISM bands. So, signal interference from such equipment as remote telephones, baby monitors, microwave ovens, etc. can be encountered in these bands. In fact, the specific amount of interference that may be encountered is unknown, but it can be extremely hostile to radio communications. Therefore, in order to design a radio communications system that can carry data and voice traffic in the ISM bands will require careful consideration of the link protocol.

Short-range radio communications system and method of use


A lamp socket is adapted for receiving a fluorescent lamp of the type which has a pair of parallel contact pins extending axially from opposite ends thereof. The lamp is adapted to be moved at a right angle to its longitudinal axis into the socket. A socket housing has a pair of generally parallel slots for receiving the contact pins as the pins are moved into the slots in a direction generally perpendicular to the axes of the pins. A pair of terminals are mounted in the socket housing respectively exposed in the slots for engagement by the contact pins. A lever is pivotally mounted on the socket housing and includes blocking portions aligned with the slots. The lever is pivotable between a first position wherein the blocking portions are removed from the slots to allow movement of the contact pins into the slots and a second position wherein the blocking portions block the slots to prevent movement of the contact pins out of the slots. The terminals include spring portions for biasing the lever toward its second position. The lever includes notches for receiving the contact pins in a preliminary position preparatory to moving the pins fully into the slots.

A common lamp socket is designed for receiving the type of fluorescent lamp which has two axially extending bayonet contact pins at each end thereof. These pins are equally spaced from the axis of the lamp and lie on a diameter thereof. The most common type of fluorescent lamp with this construction is the rapid start fluorescent lamp which has a filament in each end and requires two end connections at opposite ends of the lamp.
Generally, there are two systems for mounting fluorescent lamps in the sockets of electrical fixtures. In one system, the lamp is moved longitudinally to insert the bayonet contact pins axially into holes or slots in the lamp sockets. In other words, the bayonet pins are inserted into the holes or slots in a direction parallel to the axes of the pins. A problem with such systems is that the fixtures must be excessively long to accommodate this axial movement. In fact, the lamp socket at one end of the fluorescent lamp in such systems often includes an extended, spring-loaded receptacle portion to accommodate axial movement of the lamp.
A second system is designed such that the fluorescent lamp is adapted to be moved at a right angle to the axis of the lamp to cause the bayonet contact pins at opposite ends of the lamp to enter grooves or channels formed in the lamp socket. The lamp then is twisted or rotated about its longitudinal axis to lock the lamp in the socket. A problem with this second system is that it is difficult to manually determine the amount of rotation required to fully seat and lock the lamp in position. Oftentimes excessive force is used to ensure that the lamp has been fully rotated and damage or breakage is caused with the pins, the socket terminals or other adjacent components. In other instances, a user may be overly cautious and fail to rotate the lamp sufficiently to establish a positive and reliable connection in the socket.
The present invention is directed to solving these problems in a lamp socket for fluorescent lamps which are adapted to be moved into the socket at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the lamp.


A mother substrate and a display panel including the mother substrate are disclosed. The mother substrate includes: an input pad located on an edge of the mother substrate; and a sub-substrate. A switch array and one or more signal lines connected to the switch array are arranged in a display area of the sub-substrate. One end of the signal line lead out a first test portion, and another end of the signal line is connected to the input pad and lead out a second test portion. The first test portion and the second test portion are located on different conductive layers and are insulated from each other. Partial orthographic overlapping of the first test portion is overlapped with partial orthographic overlapping of the second test portion in the non-display area.

A process for fabricating a display panel includes multiple processing steps, such as steps of fabricating a mother substrate, plastic frame coating, liquid crystal dropping (ODF), alignment assembling, UV light alignment, cutting, attaching a polarizer, and bonding. After completing the fabrication of the mother substrate, test signals will be input to signal lines in the mother substrate for testing, so as to determine whether a current tape-out is normal. If it is normal, next process is performed. If it is abnormal, next process is not performed. Therefore, it is possible to avoid wasting time and cost due to subsequent fabricating processes being performed after an abnormality occurs. During the UV light alignment, it is also necessary to input electrical signals to the signal lines in the mother substrate so that liquid crystal molecules can be deflected to a certain angle. In the actual fabricating process, in order to simplify a portion design, the portion that transmits the signals to the signal lines in a photo-alignment step shares a test portion used in the step of testing the mother substrate. When testing the mother substrate, if the same signal line is connected to multiple test signals at the same time, it is difficult to detect whether the signal line is disconnected. Therefore, the same signal line generally only connects to one test signal during the test. That is, the test is performed by a single test pad. During the photo-alignment process, in order to ensure a better uniformity of the signal on the signal lines, it is generally necessary to connect the electrical signals at both ends of the same signal line, respectively. That is, it is necessary to connect two electrical signals. In this case, in order to take into account both the test for the mother substrate and the photo-alignment process, it is necessary to ensure that paths of the electrical signals connected to both ends of the signal line are independent of each other. Therefore, two independent pads are generally provided. When testing the mother substrate, only one of the two independent pads is used to input a single test signal to the same signal line, so as to ensure that the abnormal of the disconnected signal line can be detected. When performing the photo-alignment, two pads are used to input two electrical signals to the same signal line at the same time, so as to ensure that the signal on the signal line has a better uniformity.

Beihai HKC Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


A telephone jack includes a first pair of contact wires for connection to a subscriber premises line and a second pair of contact wires for connection to an incoming telephone company line, a pair of bridging members are mounted for insertion in the jack and into engagement with the first and second pairs of contact wires to interconnect the subscriber premises line and the incoming telephone company line and are for being withdrawn from the jack and from engagement with the first and second pairs of contact wires to disconnect the subscriber premises line from the incoming telephone company line to provide a demarcation point therebetween.

This invention relates generally to new and improved apparatus for interconnecting a subscriber premises line and an incoming telephone company line and for disconnecting the subscriber premises line from the incoming telephone company line to provide a demarcation point therebetween to facilitate determination of whether a fault exists on the subscriber premises line or the incoming telephone company line. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved subscriber line module of the types illustrated in FIGS. 19-20 and 21-24 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,209, entitled INDIVIDUAL SUBSCRIBER LINE MODULE, patented Dec. 18, 1990, Thomas J. Collins et al. inventors, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention; this patent is hereby incorporated herein by reference as if fully reproduced herein and this patent is referred to hereinafter as "The '209 Patent." As disclosed in detail in The '209 Patent, individual subscriber line module 91A illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20 of The '209 Patent and individual subscriber line module 91B illustrated in FIGS. 21-24 of The '209 Patent, provide a demarcation point between a subscriber premises line and an incoming telephone company line to facilitate determination of whether a fault exists on the subscriber premises line or the incoming telephone company line, provide security to a telephone subscriber's terminals and jack by denying others except telephone company personnel access thereto upon the security cover of the module being fastened and locked over the subscriber terminals and jack, and prevent a subscriber from being exposed to potential telephone ringing voltage shock hazard at the subscriber wiring terminals upon telephone ringing voltage being applied to the incoming telephone company line while the subscriber is connecting or disconnecting the subscriber premises line to and from the subscriber terminals. The improved subscriber line module of the present invention provides these same functions but does so with patentably distinct structure and in an improved manner.
As taught in detail in The '209 Patent, the subscriber line module A illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20 of The '209 Patent and the subscriber line module 91B illustrated in FIGS. 21-24 of The '209 Patent are for being mounted, removably, to the bottom 20 of telephone network interface apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 3 of The '209 Patent and in more detail in FIG. 10 of The '209 Patent. Accordingly, it will be understood that as used in the following specification and the appended claims, the expression "telephone network interface apparatus" is used to mean telephone network interface apparatus of the type shown and described in The '209 Patent and indicated by general numerical designation 10. Still further, the new and improved subscriber line module of the present invention is also for being mounted, removably, to such telephone network interface apparatus.

Apparatus for connecting and disconnecting subscriber premises line and incoming telephone company line