A connector includes a cage that has two side walls, a top cover and a rear wall that are combined to form a hollow enclosure. The enclosure is separated into two module-receiving bays by at least one spacer with a top and bottom wall that extends between the sidewalls to form a central portion between a top and bottom bay, the central portion acting as an air passage between a front face and the sides of the connectors. Air openings are formed in the sidewalls of the cage assembly and they communicate with the central portion. The bottom wall of the spacer is provided with a large opening that extends a substantial distance of module-receiving bay and provides an air flow path from the air openings to the bottom module-receiving bay. An insert with apertures in communication with the central portion can be positioned.

The present invention relates generally to high speed pluggable connectors, and more particularly, to shielded, pluggable connectors with improved cooling capabilities.
Moore's Law, which is more properly termed an observation, is based on the understanding that in the field of integrated circuits, the complexity (or number of circuits) will double every two years. The fact that this observation has held true since about 1965 has had a remarkable impact on the world as we know it. Computation speeds that were in the realm of science fiction have become a reality. Moore's Law, as it is known, continues and while there appear to be fundamental physical limits to how small an integrated circuit can be made, other technologies may provide substitutes that allow the effect (the doubling of performance every two years) to continue for the foreseeable future.
One consequence of the increase in performance is that data needs to be transmitted at increasing rates. Data transmission rates that were unthinkable just a few years ago are a current reality and faster data transmission speeds are being planned into next generation products. For example, current data transmission rates that are used in the telecommunications industry are 12 to 15 Gbps (gigabits/second) and rates of 25 to 30 Gbps are already on the horizon. The increase (or desire for an increase) in data transmission rates affects the entire data infrastructure. For example, as part of their computer network companies will often employ servers and routers (which may be referred to as data-handling devices) so that computers in the company can communicate and access data in a desirable manner. These data-handling devices can be connected together by cable assemblies which utilize two plug connectors terminated to a length of cable. The plug connectors often take the form of electronic, pluggable modules that are inserted into an opening in the data-handling devices so as to mate with and engage an opposing mating connector. Within the data-handling devices, connectors are mounted to a circuit board and a cage typically surrounds the connector. The cage defines a hollow enclosure that envelops the component connector and within the enclosure, a module-receiving channel or bay is defined so that a module can be inserted into the channel. In operation, this allows the two data-handling devices to communicate with each other at high data rates.
The shielding provided by the cage is used to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) that may be emitted, for example, from other nearby connectors. Because of the high frequencies used to transmit the date, it is desirable to make the cage continuous so that no openings are provided to allow for high-frequency signals to enter and affect the intended signals moving through the connectors. However, with the increase in shielding comes a resultant poor airflow over the module. This lack of air-flow can create problems because at higher data rates the amount of energy passing through the connector increases and the increased energy increases the amount of heat that the connector has to dissipate. While the use of a heat sink has helped address this heat dissipation issue, one configuration that has been difficult to address is a stacked connector configuration is used. While air can be directed over the top of a stacked connector (the top of which can readily include a heat sink with fins to help dissipate heat), the lower connector is effectively sandwiched between an insulating circuit board and a heat generating module, making cooling particularly challenging. A known solution to this type of problem has been to mount the connectors belly to belly with heat sinks on opposite sides of the cages. As can be appreciated, however, this creates problems in plugging in modules because some modules will need to be turned upside down and it can be difficult to tell which way to turn the module when a person is facing a number of rows of such connectors. Furthermore, the split orientation of the connectors limits the interface with the circuit board that supports the connectors. Therefore, improvements in connector designs that could accommodate high heat loads would be appreciated.

Connector assembly with improved cooling capability


A seat belt cover comprising a flat tubular member through which a seat belt of a motor vehicle is passed to be covered therewith, wherein, the flat tubular member has i) a slit-shaped opening provided at its lower end and having a width larger than the width of a through-tongue and ii) a slit-shaped opening provided at its upper end and having a width which is enough to pass the seat belt but not enough to pass the through-tongue. Also disclosed is a seat belt cover provided with a pocket for, e.g., a cellular phone on the outside. The former seat belt cover can prevent the friction of a seat belt with clothes to keep the shoulder or breast of a coat or jacket from becoming shiny and wearing. The latter seat belt cover enables, e.g., safety driving in talking over the cellular phone during the driving of a motor vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a seat belt cover of a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Seat belts of motor vehicles hold drivers and passengers firmly to seats in collisions of the motor vehicles to prevent the drivers and passengers from colliding against steering wheels, instrument panels, windshields and so forth by inertia, so as to be kept from being injured or be less injured, and are obliged to be fastened in driving.
However, especially when a driver operates a motor vehicle, the driver moves his or her body up and down, back and forth, and right and left, when a seat belt the driver uses will be wound up or off according to the driver's movement. Hence, because of friction of the seat belt with clothes, parts coming into contact with the seat belt, in particular, parts on the shoulder or breast of a coat or jacket may become shiny and wear.
To prevent this, the part of a seat belt which comes into contact with, in particular, the shoulder or breast of clothes is covered with a seat belt cover. Conventionally, this seat belt cover is fitted to the seat belt merely in the shape of a flat tube. Hence, when the seat belt is unused and it is wound up on a retractor, and if the upper end of the seat belt cover stops at the mouth of a slip guide its through-tongue is still pulled and hence the seat belt cover becomes loose in bellows or the through-tongue stops without reaching the preset position. As the result, the seat belt is not just received into its holder at the preset position when it is unused, also damaging the beauty.
In addition, in recent years, cellular phones inclusive of PHS are in wide use. Talking over the phone with someone during the driving of a motor vehicle compels one-handed driving or brings about careless driving, and may cause a traffic accident.


Provided is a liquid ejecting apparatus including a first temperature sensor for detecting ink temperature and a second temperature sensor for detecting ambient temperature of a liquid ejecting head, in which a controller for controlling discharge of the ink generates a driving signal including a discharge voltage which is used for, based on a temperature detected by the first temperature sensor, discharging ink droplets through nozzle openings and a fine-oscillation voltage which is used for finely oscillating meniscuses of the ink without discharging the ink droplets and corresponds to the discharge voltage. Furthermore, the controller sets a coefficient in accordance with a temperature difference between the ink temperature and the ambient temperature and controls an energy level of the fine oscillation by applying the fine-oscillation voltage, based on the coefficient. In addition, the controller causes the discharge voltage to be applied to a pressure generation unit corresponding to the nozzle openings through which the ink droplets are discharged and causes the fine-oscillation voltage to be applied to a pressure generation unit corresponding to the nozzle openings through which the ink droplets are not discharged.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus. Particularly, the invention is effective when applied to a case where, in addition to a discharge voltage used for discharging ink droplets, a fine-oscillation voltage used for causing fine oscillation without discharging ink droplets is applied to heat liquid in a pressure generation chamber which corresponds to non-discharging nozzles.
2. Related Art
An ink-jet type recording head (also referred to as a recording head, hereinafter) in which ink droplets are discharged through a plurality of nozzle openings by using pressure owing to displacement of a piezoelectric element has been known as a representative example of a liquid ejecting head, for example. Also, an ink-jet type recording apparatus equipped with the ink-jet type recording head described above has been known as an example of the liquid ejecting apparatus.
In the case of a recording head applied to the ink-jet type recording apparatus described above, there is a tendency that the temperature of the ink in a pressure generation chamber corresponding to non-discharging nozzles, out of the plurality of the nozzle openings forming nozzle arrays, through which the ink droplets are not discharged is lower than the temperature of the ink in a pressure generation chamber corresponding to discharging nozzles through which the ink droplets are discharged. The reason for this is that the ink in the pressure generation chamber corresponding to the discharging nozzles is replaced and is subjected to heat-exchange due to heat energy converted from part of oscillation energy which is generated by driving of a pressure generation unit.
When the ink temperature varies as described above, a discharge property of the ink discharged through each nozzle opening, particularly, a weight variation of the discharged ink, is caused due to a viscosity variation of the ink, for example.
In recent years, high-quality and high-resolution have been required for a recorded matter. With the trend toward high-quality and high-resolution, a method in which, in addition to a driving signal used for discharging ink droplets, a fine-oscillation signal is applied to the pressure generation unit corresponding to non-discharging nozzles such that meniscuses are finely oscillated without discharging the ink, and thus heat is generated has been proposed.
In many cases of the fine-oscillation signal supply methods of the related art, a waveform of the fine-oscillation signal is determined such that as much energy as some percentage of the energy induced by a discharge driving signal is applied under consideration of the discharge driving signal. Accordingly, the fine-oscillation signal is not always appropriately generated, and thus it is difficult to say that a fine-oscillation driving signal is appropriate to any operation condition of the recording head.
Examples of patent literature in which the ink temperature difference between the non-discharging nozzles and the discharging nozzles is reduced by applying fine oscillation include Japanese Patent No. 3418185 and No. 3674248.
However, in the case of technology disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3418185 and No. 3674248, a problem that the ink temperature is greatly affected by ambient temperature and this is particularly remarkable in the non-discharging nozzles is not sufficiently considered. In other words, in the case of the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3418185 and No. 3674248, the fine-oscillation signal is difficult to be optimized, with respect to the discharge driving signal while sufficiently considering the ambient temperature and the ink temperature, to allow the ink temperature of the non-discharging nozzles to be always matched to the ink temperature of the discharging nozzles as much as possible.
This problem is not limited to the ink-jet type recording head discharging ink but common to a liquid ejecting head discharging other liquids.


An outer ring shaft portion which is extended integrally from an end face of an outer ring of a constant velocity joint is fittingly inserted into an inside hole in a hub shaft of a wheel hub, so that the wheel hub and the constant velocity joint are coupled to each other. Internal splines and external splines are formed on an inner circumferential surface of the inside hole in the hub shaft and an outer circumferential surface of the outer ring shaft portion in such a manner as to mesh with each other. Side face splines are formed on end face of the hub shaft and an end face of the outer ring of the constant velocity joint. The wheel hub and the constant velocity joint are connected together in such a manner that torque can be transmitted therebetween.

This type of wheel supporting system is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1.
In this wheel supporting system, as is shown in FIG. 22, a double row angular ball bearing 120 as a rolling bearing which includes an inner ring 121, an outer ring 130 and balls (rolling elements) 141, 142 is assembled to an outer circumferential surface of a hub shaft 113 of a wheel hub 110.
On the other hand, on an outer ring 160 of a constant velocity joint 150 to which an end portion of a drive shaft 151 is coupled, an outer ring shaft 163 is extended integrally from an end face 162 of an outer ring shaft 161 thereof.
In addition, internal splines 114 are formed on an inner circumferential surface of an inside hole in the hub shaft 113 of the wheel hub 110, and external splines 164 are formed on an outer circumferential surface of the outer ring shaft portion 163 in such a manner as to mesh with the internal splines 114.
In addition, the outer ring shaft portion 163 is fittingly inserted into the inside hole in the hub shaft 113 of the wheel hub 110 while the internal and external splines 114, 164 are being caused to mesh with each other, and by a fastening nut 166 being fastened on to a male thread portion 165 which is caused to project from a distal end of the outer ring shaft portion 163, the wheel hub 110 and the constant velocity joint are connected together in such a manner that torque can be transmitted therebetween.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2002-114004


An apparatus for storing data based on physical accessibility of storage devices is disclosed. One embodiment of an apparatus includes a processor and a memory. The memory that stores code executable by the processor to acquire information related to physical accessibility for a plurality of data storage devices, each data storage device operably connected to a computing device. The code is further executable by the processor to classify the physical accessibility for each of the plurality of data storage devices based on the acquired information. Also, the code is executable by the processor to store data on a data storage device of the plurality of data storage devices based on the classified physical accessibility for the data storage device and sensitivity of the data. Further, data with a higher sensitivity is stored on a data storage device classified with a lower accessibility than data with a lower sensitivity.

In computing systems, data is stored on data storage devices. In certain systems, some data storage devices may be hot-swappable, front accessible, or otherwise easily accessible. Due to the ease of accessing certain data storage devices, there is a risk that the data storage devices may be stolen in an effort to acquire personal and private information.

Storing data based on the physical accessibility of data storage devices

LENOVO Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) PTE. LTD


A method and system remotely manage a Mobile Equipment (ME). All the different service provider DM servers interconnected with each other to perform data recovery and locking operations in the ME. The DM servers of multiple service providers collaborate and provide interoperable services to the connected mobile equipments.

Mobile equipment (ME) is popular with everybody irrespective of any socioeconomic background. Today the mobile equipment does not merely serve communication purpose but with advanced processors and better memory management is becoming a pocket-able private information database which contains various user data and enterprise related data. The ME can contain confidential information and organizational secrets.
During some accidental data deletion, software or hardware malfunction results in loss of data which is an unfavorable situation for the user. Moreover, if the ME is lost or stolen, there is a risk of data being compromised either maliciously or by accident. In such situations recovering lost data as well as locking ME is critical. The user of ME expects data recovery and device locking to be done as fast as possible. The user may intend to recover the data by contacting the service provider of the ME and the service provider will recover the data from the ME. Also, if the user intends to lock the lost ME, the user will contact the service provider to lock the ME. Moreover remote ME locking function can be accomplished by a service provider, only for those ME's which are registered with that particular service provider.
OMA is the leading industry forum for developing market-driven, interoperable mobile service enablers. Open Mobile Alliance Device Management (OMA DM) is a device management specification. By conforming to OMA DM, users, wireless operators, service providers, and corporate information management departments can eliminate the complication of various proprietary protocols. Device management pertains to configurations, provisioning client applications, and detecting problems of remote devices from servers. The service provider has the DM servers to recover and lock the ME if the ME was stolen or lost.
Due to above mentioned reasons, the existing system fails to recover data or lock the ME which is registered with a different service provider. There is a need for a system which can remotely recover data and lock ME irrespective of the service provider to which the ME is attached.

Device management method, server and system and mobile equipment


A maintenance signal transmission system incorporates a transmitting station, a receiving station, a main line which connects the transmitting station and the receiving station, and a backup line which connects the transmitting station and the receiving station. The transmitting station at least includes a switch for selectively connecting to one of the main line and the backup line to transmit a main signal and a maintenance signal to the receiving station using the selected line. The receiving station at least includes an adder for adding maintenance signals which are received from both the main line and the backup line. The main and backup lines may or may not take mutually different routes.

The present invention generally relates to maintenance signal transmission systems, and more particularly to a system for transmitting a maintenance signal by switching a maintenance signal transmission line in a transmission system.
There are transmission systems having a backup line in addition to a main line. In most cases, the main and backup lines coexist in the same optical fiber cable, and this arrangement is sufficient for the purposes of coping with a failure of a communication unit. However, when the optical fiber cable breaks, both the main and backup lines fail and it is impossible to overcome the failure by switching the line from the main line to the backup line. For this reason, there is the so-called route diversity method which provides the main line and the backup line in different routes, that is, different optical fiber cables.
On the other hand, a maintenance signal such as a supervisory/order wire signal is required to make the necessary maintenance of the transmission system. The maintenance signal is inserted into or dropped from a main signal as overhead and is transmitted between stations via a main transmission line. Hence, if the transmission line is switched due to a failure, it is also necessary to switch the transmission line which is used to transfer the maintenance signal. The present invention relates to such a system for switching the maintenance signal transmission line.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional transmission system in which a main line ML and a backup line BL coexist within a single optical fiber cable OFC. This type of optical fiber cable OFC includes 12 optical fibers, for example, and a part is used as the backup lines. For example, one optical fiber is used as a transmitting backup line for transmission and another optical fiber is used as a receiving backup line for reception. In FIG. 1, it is assumed that a terminal 1 is used as the transmitting station and a terminal 2 is used as the receiving station, and that a repeater 3 is provided between the terminals 1 and 2.
FIG. 2 shows a case where a maintenance signal, and particularly a telephone signal OW for maintenance, is transmitted in the transmission system shown in FIG. 1. At the transmitting station, the signal OW is split by a hybrid unit H and is transmitted to both the main line ML and the backup line BL. At the receiving station, the signal OW is received by switching a switch SW to become connected to the main line ML. If the main line ML fails, the signal OW is received by switching the switch SW to become connected to the backup line BL.
When the transmission system has the main and backup lines ML and BL provided within the same optical fiber cable, both the main and backup lines ML and BL fail if the optical fiber cable fails and this failure cannot be cured unless the optical fiber cable is repaired. But when the transmission system employs the route diversity method and the main and backup lines ML and BL are provided within mutually different optical fiber cables, the transmission system becomes as shown in FIG. 3. In other words, the main line ML and the backup line BL both connect the two terminals 1 and 2, but through different routes.
In FIG. 3, the main line ML and the backup line BL both connect the two terminals 1 and 2. However, because the routes taken by the main and backup lines ML and BL are different, the number of repeaters REP in the route, the length of the route and the like are not necessarily the same for the main and backup lines ML and BL.
Suppose that a failure occurs at a point "X" on the main line ML in FIG. 3 and the line being used is switched from the main line ML to the backup line BL. In this case, if the system shown in FIG. 2 is employed, a signal OW1 is transmitted to both the main and backup lines ML and BL from the terminal 1. But since the connection is switched from the main line ML to the backup line BL at the terminal 2, only the signal OW1 transmitted via the backup line BL is received by the terminal 2. The transmission of the maintenance signal between the terminals 1 and 2 is ensured by this system, however, the signal OW at a repeater REP.sub.1 of the main line ML causes a problem.
In other words, even if a failure occurs in a line, a transmission path for the maintenance signal between a repeater of this line and a terminal which is connected to this line must be maintained. In FIG. 3, the transmission path between the repeater REP.sub.1 and the terminal 2 is normal even though the failure exists at the point "X", and the transmission of the maintenance signal between the repeater REP.sub.1 and the terminal 2 must be maintained. However, since the switching is made at the terminal 2 to switch the connection from the main line ML to the backup line BL in response to the generation of the failure at the point "X", no transmission of the maintenance signal is possible between the repeater REP.sub.1 and the terminal 2.
In order to overcome the above described problem, it is conceivable to add the signals received from the main and backup lines ML and BL by an adder ADD as shown in FIG. 4 instead of switching the connection as shown in FIG. 2. According to this conceivable system, the maintenance signal can be transmitted between the repeater REP.sub.1 and the terminal 2 even if a failure occurs on the main line ML, as long as the transmission path between the repeater REP.sub.1 and the terminal 2 is normal. However, a problem occurs when transmitting the maintenance signal between the terminals 1 and 2 when no failure exists. In other words, the routes taken by the main and backup lines ML and BL are mutually different when the route diversity method is employed, and the transmission delay via the main and backup lines ML and BL inevitably differ even if the signal is simultaneously split at the transmitting station. As a result, when no failure exists on the main and backup lines ML and BL, signals which are the same but have mutually different phases are added in the adder ADD at the receiving station, thereby generating beat or cancelling of voice. Therefore, it becomes impossible to make a normal communication.
Accordingly, when the main and backup lines are provided and the route diversity method is employed, a problem occurs when a failure occurs on the main line and the line being used is switched from the main line to the backup line at the receiving station. The problem is that, since the receiving station is switched and connected to the backup line, no communication can be made between a repeater on the main line and the receiving station even if the transmission path between this repeater and the receiving station is normal. In other words, since the transmission path between the repeater and the receiving station is normal, a signal such as the alarm indication signal (AIS) is transmitted to this transmission path, but the receiving station cannot receive this signal.
On the other hand, if the signals received via the main and backup lines are added at the receiving station in order to overcome the above described problem, a normal communication cannot be made when no failure exists on the main and backup lines because of the inevitable difference between the transmission delays of the signals transmitted via the main and backup lines.


A method of transmitting data allows flow control information to be transmitted with the user data over a synchronous bus. A channel is defined, identifying the source and at least one sink, and this includes the definition of a transport profile, indicating a flow control requirement for the data. Data is then transmitted from the source over the bus in at least one data time slot (30) and, if indicated by the transport profile, flow control information is also transmitted from the source over the bus in at least one flow control time slot (20) associated with the data time slot.

In many situations, it is necessary or desirable to transfer data between two or more integrated circuits, or chips. For example, many electronic products are relatively complex, and include multiple integrated circuits, and it is necessary for these to be able to communicate with each other.
The Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) Alliance is an organization that is working to define specifications for interfaces to mobile application processors. It is proposed that an inter-chip or inter-integrated circuit bus should be provided for the transfer of digital audio and low speed data. The proposed bus is based on the principle of time division multiple access (TDMA). The proposed bus operates in a synchronous way and comprises a clock line and a data line.
Synchronous TDMA busses are known, but these typically do not provide a flexible scheme for flow-controlled data transmission. For instance AC'97 ("Audio Codec '97, Revision 2.3 Revision 1.0", Intel, April 2002) provides a very basic method for a pulled data model (Sample on Demand) but does not allow UART emulation for instance. The S/PDIF interface (Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format, also IEC 958 type II, which is part of the IEC-60958 standard) and the McBSP interface of Texas Instruments do not provide flow control mechanisms.

Flow control mechanisms on synchronous serial TDMA bus


The present invention disclosed herein is a high voltage generator circuit. The high voltage generator circuit includes a charge pump and a pump clock signal generator. The pump clock signal is gated to the charge pump when the high voltage is below a target voltage. After the high voltage reaches the target voltage, the high voltage cyclically falls below the target voltage. After the high voltage reaches the target voltage, a pump clock generator block circuit limits the transmission of the pump clock signal so that only N clock signals are gate to the charge pump each cycle, where N is the number one or greater.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to semiconductor integration circuit devices, and more particularly, to semiconductor voltage generator circuits.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor memory devices can, in general, be characterized as either volatile or non-volatile. In volatile memory devices, information can be stored in two ways. First, in devices, such static random access memory (SRAM), information is stored by setting the logical state of a bi-stable flip-flop. Second, in devices, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), information is stored by charging a capacitor. In either case, the data is stored and can be read out as long as power is applied; however, the data is lost when the power is turned off.
Non-volatile semiconductor memory devices are capable of storing the data, even with the power turned off. MROM, PROM, EPROM, and EEPROM are examples of such devices. In non-volatile memory devices, data storage may be permanent or re-programmable, depending upon the technology used. Non-volatile memories are frequently used for program and microcode storage in a wide variety of applications such as in avionics, telecommunications, and consumer electronics. Devices such as Non-Volatile SRAM (nvSRAM) combine a single-chip volatile memory and a non-volatile memory. Such devices are sometimes used in systems that require a fast, re-programmable non-volatile memory. In addition, dozens of special memory architectures have evolved which contain additional logic to optimize performance for application-specific tacks.
In non-volatile semiconductor memory devices, since MROM, PROM, and EPROM it is relatively difficult for users to renew memory contents. On the other hand, an EEPROM is electrically erasable and readable. Hence, an EEPROM memory is frequently used in applications that require continuous renewal.
Flash EPROM (hereinafter referred to as "Flash Memory") is suitable for applications such as for use as a large capacity subsidiary memory device. The reason for this is that the flash memory has a higher integration compared to conventional EEPROM memory. NAND-type flash memories have an even higher integration than NOR flash memories.
In flash memories, if memory cells are programmed once, the programmed memory cell must be erased in order to store new data. That is, flash memories do not support an over-write function. Various methods for programming and erasing flash memories are disclosed in various patents such as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,270 entitled in "METHOD FOR PROGRAMMING A NON-VOLATILE MEMORY DEVICE WITH PROGRAM DISTURB CONTROL", U.S. Pat. No. 6,335,881 entitled in "METHOD FOR PROGRAMMING A FLASH MEMORY DEVICE, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,370,062 entitled in "NAND-TYPE FLASH MEMORY DEVICE AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME".
In order to erase or program memory cells in some non-volatile memory devices, a higher voltage than the power voltage is required (hereinafter referred to as "a high voltage"). An exemplary high voltage generator circuit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,309 entitled in "AUTO-PROGRAM CIRCUIT IN A NON-VOLATILE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE".
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a prior art high voltage generator circuit. The prior art high voltage generator circuit 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a charge pump 11, a voltage divider 12, a comparator 13, an oscillator 14, and a clock driver 15. The high voltage Vpgm generated by the charge pump 11 is divided by voltage divider 12. The divided voltage Vdvd is compared with a reference voltage by the comparator 13. The oscillation signal OSC from the oscillator 14 is provided to the charge pump 11 by circuit 15, based on the result of the comparison.
The charge pump 11 generates the voltage Vpgm in response to a clock signal CLK from the clock driver 15. However, the transmission of the CLK to the charge pump 11 is turned on and off according to the result of a comparison between the divided voltage and the reference voltage.
In a control mode, the clock signal CLK is generated until the high voltage Vpgm reaches a target level Vt. Then the charge pump 11 is turned off. There is a delay in turning off the charge pump due to the response speed (time) of the comparator 13. Such a delay is generally inevitable in a high voltage generator circuit employing feedback control methods such as those shown in FIG. 1.
Due to the delay in turning off the clock signal CLK, a ripple phenomenon occurs. That is, the high voltage is not maintained regularly. The reason that the irregular ripple occurs is that the clock signal CLK is not regularly provided to the charge pump 11. This is illustrated in FIG. 2. After the high voltage Vpgm reaches the target voltage Vt, the clock signal CLK is only periodically provided to the charge pump 11. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, a ripple of the high voltage Vpgm occurs. In a non-volatile memory device that includes a high voltage generator circuit such as that described above, due to irregular ripples, the threshold voltage profile becomes wide. This is undesirable.

High voltage generator circuit with ripple stabilization function


A three-dimensional image-generating device is an inspection system incorporating three components: a radiation source, a modulating unit, and a radiation detector. All three components of the inspection system may be stationary. The radiation source irradiates an external inspected object with mono-energetic gamma rays. The modulating unit, used in conjunction with the unique energy-angle characteristics of the Compton scattering process, by encoding the gamma rays, enables the identification of the spatial origin of single-scattered gamma fluxes as they pass through the inspected object enroute to the detector. The radiation detector and the computerized processor identify gamma fluxes scattered from various locations within the inspected object. The three-dimensional distribution of scattering locations within the inspected object that produce the detected single-scattered gamma fluxes and their intensity is converted to a three-dimensional mass distribution as an image within the inspected object.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems and methods employing the encoding of scattered gamma fluxes for determining three-dimensional density distributions within an object or body to identify the presence of contraband within the object, or to identify internal characteristics within the object or body, or to detect medical abnormalities in a human body.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a recognized and growing need for improved capability to "see" inside closed boundaries of objects and for accurate measurement of their internal characteristics. For instance, inspection devices are needed to examine baggage and containers to enhance security and search for contraband at airports, government facilities, public buildings, and other possible targets of terrorism. Inspection devices can be installed at check points to scan baggage and other types of containers so that their contents can be characterized and inspected for contraband such as explosives, weapons, drugs and other illicit substances. Non-invasive inspection devices have also become an important tool for on-line monitoring of characteristics of materials undergoing industrial processing within tanks and pipes.
In the medical field, inspection devices, especially non-invasive devices, provide many life-saving benefits. They are used by physicians and medical personnel to assist with the diagnosis and treatment of medical abnormalities in a human body and to mitigate the need for expensive and risky surgical procedures.
Imaging inspection systems have evolved from simple X-ray imaging systems providing two-dimensional images, to more sophisticated automated systems capable of three-dimensional imaging. Such current devices and techniques include Computer Assisted Tomography (CAT), Positron-Electron Emission Tomography (PET), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). However, these conventional devices and techniques generally rely on multiple sources and/or complex arrays of detectors, and require a relative scanning motion between the inspected object and the principal system components. Such operating conditions result in significant complexity, size, cost, inspection time, and radiation exposure. A need exists for faster baggage-screening devices having good imaging capabilities to detect and identify contraband; detection machines are needed that search and accurately detect a wider range of contraband including nonmetal weapons explosives and components of weapons of mass destruction; further, a need exists for cheaper and smaller inspection devices.

Non-invasive stationary system for three-dimensional imaging of density fields using periodic flux modulation of compton-scattered gammas


A method and system for automatically configuring a boot process of a network computer initially connected within a network comprising at least one server. A request is broadcast from a network computer to a network for an available server, upon a first initiation of the network computer within the network. Responses from the broadcast are gathered which indicate whether a server is available. A selected boot program is then executed from among multiple boot programs available in the network computer. The selected boot program and the identity of an available server are stored as boot process configuration settings in a nonvolatile storage of the network computer, in response to successful execution of the boot program, such that a subsequent boot process of a network computer is automatically configured.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a method and system for data processing and, in particular, to a method and system for automatically configuring the boot process of a network computer. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for automatically configuring the boot program and server utilized in the boot process of a network computer upon first initiation of the network computer within a network such that for subsequent initiations of the network computer within the network a particular boot program and server are already selected.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical data processing system, for example a general-purpose computer, consists of a central processing unit (CPU), memory components, and a number of device controllers that are typically connected through a system of buses that provides access to all shared memory. Each device controller is devoted to control of a specific type of device (e.g. disk drives, audio devices, and video displays). The CPU and device controllers can execute concurrently, competing for memory cycles. To ensure orderly access to the shared memory, a memory controller is typically provided whose function is to synchronize access to the memory. a computer to start running, for instance upon power up or reboot, an initial program in necessary. This initial program, or bootstrap program, is typically simple. Preferably, the bootstrap program initializes all aspects of the data processing system, from CPU registers to device controllers to memory contents. The bootstrap program must know how to load an operating system and to start execution of the operating system. To load the operating system, the bootstrap program typically locates an operating system kernel, loaded into memory, and jumps to an initial address provided by the operating system kernel. Typically, the operating system is loaded into random-access memory (RAM) within the data processing system. Once loaded and initialized, the operating system controls the execution of programs and may provide services such as resource allocation, scheduling, input/output control, and data management. The operating system also determines the graphical user interface (GUI) provided for displaying data.
In most data processing systems, the bootstrap program is stored in two places. First, part of the bootstrap program may be stored in read-only memory (ROM). ROM is an ideal memory location because the ROM does not require initialization and is always available. However, the part of the bootstrap program stored in ROM is not configurable. Therefore, the configurable aspects of the bootstrap program are preferably stored at a fixed memory location available to the data processing system. The ROM contains instructions to access the part of the bootstrap program stored at a fixed memory location and loads the data into main memory. The location of an operating system kernel is preferably a configurable aspect of the bootstrap program whereby a data processing system is not limited to storage of operating system software at a fixed location.
In the evolution of network computers, the operating system kernel may be located in a server accessible within a network. Preferably, the bootstrap program is located within the fixed memory of the network computer, however, the operating system software is loaded from the server to the RAM of the network computer. In this manner, to update the operating system software, only the server software is updated. All other network computers accessing the server will receive the updated version during the boot process.
With the evolution of networks, multiple operating systems have been developed for storage on servers within the network. Bootstrap programs for loading each of the multiple operating systems have also been developed. Therefore, it is typical for a network computer to be factory loaded with multiple bootstrap programs available for configuration.
While factory loading of multiple bootstrap programs onto network computers provides for diversity of operating systems, configuration of the boot process of each network computer when initiated onto a network is required to direct the bootstrap program to the correct operating system kernel on a server and to set the correct bootstrap program for loading the operating system.
However, it would be desirable for a network computer, upon initiation to a network, to automatically configure the network computer""s boot process from the operating systems available on the network. Further, it would be desirable in cases where the user prefers a particular operating system to reduce the user steps necessary to configure a network computer for that operating system.
In view of the foregoing, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and system for data processing.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved method and system for automatically configuring the boot process of a network computer.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and system for automatically configuring the boot program and server utilized in the boot process of a network computer upon first initiation of the network computer within a network such that for subsequent initiations of the network computer within the network a particular boot program and server are already selected.
In accordance with the method and system of the present invention, a request is broadcast from a network computer to a network for an available server, upon a first initiation of the network computer within the network. Responses from the broadcast are gathered which indicate whether a server is available. A selected boot program is then executed from among multiple boot programs available in the network computer, in response to gathering a response indicating an available server, where the selected boot program correlates with an operating system of the available server. The selected boot program and the identity of the available server are stored as boot process configuration settings in a nonvolatile storage of the network computer, in response to successful execution of the boot program, such that a boot process of a network computer is automatically configured upon a first initiation thereof such that for subsequent initiations of the network computer within the network a boot program and particular server are already selected for the boot process of the network computer.
All objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.

Method and system for automatically configuring the boot process of a computer having multiple bootstrap programs within a network computer system

International Business Machines Corporation


In the method wherein a resist pattern is miniaturized effectively by applying a fine pattern forming material, the fine pattern forming material used for providing with a cured coated layer pattern, wherein development defects are reduced by water development is offered, wherein the fine pattern forming material comprises a water-soluble resin, a water-soluble crosslinking agent and water or a mixed solution consisting of water and a water-soluble organic solvent, and further comprises an amine compound.

In various fields including manufacturing a semiconductor device such as LSI, forming a liquid crystal display face such as LCD panels, and manufacturing circuit substrates for a thermal head and so on, a formation of resist patterns on substrates is conducted for a formation of fine elements or for fine processing. Formation of these resist patterns employs a so-called photolithographic method which involves a light exposure of a photosensitive resin composition by a selective irradiation with actinic rays such as ultraviolet rays, deep ultraviolet rays, an excimer laser, X-rays or electron beams and a subsequent development treatment thereof. In this photolithographic method, a positive- or negative-working photosensitive resin composition is used to form resist patterns.
As semiconductor devices and so on have been highly integrated in recent years, a line width of a wire and a gap between separated wires required in these manufacturing processes come to be further finer, and in coping therewith, light-exposure devices utilizing a short-wavelength light source such as g-line, i-line, an excimer laser and so on are used, and a phase-shift mask and so on are also used in light exposure. In the conventional photolithographic technology using light exposure, however, a formation of fine resist patterns exceeding the limit of wavelength is difficult and the light-exposure devices for short wavelength and the devices using a phase-shift mask are expensive. Accordingly, methods wherein resist patterns are formed from a known positive- or negative-working photosensitive resin composition by a known pattern-forming device without using the expensive devices and the formed resist patterns are effectively made fine have been extensively studied. As one method of making resist patterns fine effectively, there is proposed a method of forming fine resist patterns below the limit of resolution effectively as follows. That is, patterns are formed from a known photosensitive resin composition such as a chemically amplified photoresist by a conventional method, a coated layer comprising a fine pattern forming material containing a water-soluble resin is applied onto the formed resist patterns, the resist is heated and/or exposed to light to permit an acid formed in the resist or an acid present in the resist diffusing into the coated layer, and by this diffused acid, the coated layer in the vicinity of the resist is crosslinked and cured. Thereafter the non-crosslinked coated layer is removed to thicken the resist patterns. As a result, the width of a gap between a resist pattern and a resist pattern is decreased, the resist patterns are made fine by reducing the separation size of the resist patterns or the size of a hole opening, and the fine resist patterns with the limit of resolution or less are effectively formed (see, for example, JP 5-241348 A, JP 6-250379 A, JP 10-73927 A, and JP 11-204399 A).
At present, upon effectively forming a fine resist pattern having a size of a resolution limit or less after a coated layer is formed by applying a fine pattern forming material on a resist pattern, a heating and/or an exposure to light treatment is carried out and a development is made, in order to remove the above uncrosslinked layer a developer for exclusive use (see JP2002-49161A, for example) or a developer comprising a mixed solution of water and a water-soluble organic solvent is being applied. This is because of incomplete removal of uncrosslinked area of the coated layer by a development only with water due to poor solubility of a fine pattern forming material so far known in water, generating a residue of dissolution to cause a lot of development defects. Because of this, a fine pattern formation by a development only by water is difficult from the view point of development defects at present.
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
Accordingly an objective of the present invention is to offer a fine pattern forming material, wherein the problems in the past are improved, that is a solubility in water of an uncrosslinked coated layer is raised, a development only by water can be carried out, less development defects are brought by the development only by water and no practical problems are caused.
And other objective of the present invention is to offer a fine pattern forming method, whereby a resist pattern can be formed, wherein less development defects are brought by a development only by water and no practical problems are caused in the method wherein a coated layer is formed on a resist pattern by applying the fine pattern forming material on the resist pattern, a crosslinked layer is formed in the vicinity of the resist pattern by diffusing an acid generated by heating, etc. into the coated layer to form a crosslinked layer in the vicinity of the resist pattern and an uncrosslinked layer is removed by a development.
Measures to Solve the Problems
As a result of eager studies and examinations, the present inventors found that in the fine pattern forming material comprising a water-soluble resin, a water-soluble crosslinking agent and water or mixed solvent of water and a water-soluble organic solvent, the fine pattern forming material comes to be developable by water by incorporating an amine compound into the fine pattern forming material and then the above theme can be solved, the theme can be more accurately solved by applying particular materials as a water-soluble resin, a water-soluble crosslinking agent and an amine compound, and further the above theme can be solved more accurately by selection of the amine compound and a coatability of the fine pattern forming material can be raised by incorporating a surfactant to reach to the present invention.
It means that the present invention relates to the fine pattern forming material which is characterized in comprising a water-soluble resin, a water-soluble crosslinking agent and water or a mixed solvent of water and a water-soluble organic solvent and that the above-described fine pattern forming material comprises an amine compound which is at least one selected from the group consisting of a primary amine compound consisting of hydrazine, urea, amino acid, a glucosamine derivative, a polyallylamine derivative, an amino group of which is at least one selected from the group consisting of an alkyloxycarbonyl group, an aryloxycarbonyl group and an alkylcarbonyl group and is partially protected in the above fine pattern forming material, and a quaternary amine compound thereof consisting of dimethyl ammonium salt, trimethyl ammonium salt, tetramethyl ammonium salt, dimethyl ethyl benzyl ammonium salt or N-methylpyridinium salt of the above primary amine compounds and that pH value of the above fine pattern forming material exceeds 7.0.
And also the present invention relates to a fine pattern forming material, wherein the water-soluble resin is at least one selected from the group consisting of a polyvinylalcohol derivative, a polyvinylpyrrolidone derivative and a polyacrylic acid derivative, the water-soluble crosslinking agent is at least one selected from the group consisting of a melamine derivative and a urea derivative.
Further the present invention relates to the fine pattern forming material, wherein the amine compound described before is a polyallylamine derivative and the molecular weight thereof is 1,000 to 10,000 in any one of the above fine pattern forming materials.
And also the present invention relates to a fine pattern forming material, further containing a surfactant in any one of the above fine pattern forming material.
And also the present invention relates to a fine pattern forming material, wherein the surfactant is at least one selected from the group consisting of an anionic surfactant consisting of alkylsulfonate, alkylbenzene sulfonic acid and alkylbenzenesulfonate, a cationic surfactant consisting of laurylpyridinium chloride and laurylmethylammonium chloride, a nonionic surfactant consisting of polyoxyethylene octylether, polyoxyethylene laurylether and polyoxyethylene acetylenic glycolether in the above fine pattern forming material.
And the present invention also relates to a fine pattern forming method which is characterized in comprising a resist pattern forming step comprising a photoresist on a substrate, a step wherein a coating layer is formed by applying any of the before-described fine pattern forming material, a step wherein the area neighboring to a resist pattern is crosslinked and/or cured by heating the before-described resist pattern and the before-described coated layer and by a diffusion of an acid from the resist pattern and a step wherein the before-described coated layer is developed by water after heating.
Effects of the invention
In the present invention, a water-soluble fine pattern forming material can be obtained by incorporating an amine compound into the fine pattern forming material. By using this water-soluble fine pattern forming material, a coated layer is formed on a resist pattern generating an acid by heating, etc., the coated layer in the vicinity of the resist pattern is crosslinked or cured by heating, is developed and the number of development defects are also reduced by water development to be able to form a pattern without problems in a practical use. And also by further incorporating a surfactant into the fine pattern forming material, the fine pattern forming material wherein a minimum coating amount is reduced and a pattern forming method using the same can be offered. By the fine pattern forming material of the present invention and the fine pattern forming method applying this fine pattern forming material, in a fine processing for manufacturing electronic parts such as a semiconductor, etc. or a three-dimensional fine structured article, a pattern having a size of a limit resolution of an exposure to light or less can be formed in accordance with a design rule as designed in high accuracy, high-through-put and inexpensively.

Material for forming fine pattern and method for forming fine pattern using the same


A polish composition for metallic surfaces containing a polish and abrasive alumina nanoparticles in a water in oil emulsion composition composed of surfactants, suspending agents, and aluminum oxide particles of high purity of 200 nanometers or less having a median particle diameter of 0.24 microns together with an aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent producing a polish having cleaning properties and an enhanced high glossed surface from a single application.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a non-abrasive wheel polish designed to provide a smooth surface creating a deeper shine and longer lasting protection than conventional cleaners/polishes by utilizing nanometer sized polishing agent(s) in combination with conventional polishing agents. It is a water in oil emulsion containing cleaning and polishing agents including high purity aluminum oxide particles of preferably 20 micrometers or less that cleans and provides a high gloss and scratch free performance on metallic surfaces with corrosion resistance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are numerous polish products available on the market to protect and polish the metallic body surfaces of an automobile and also various different ways of applying the same. The most recommended procedure is to wash and dry the metallic surface, apply the protective finish to the clean dry surface, and then buff the surface. The applied polish remains as a protective finish throughout several subsequent washes but it is a time consuming labor intensive procedure.
A quick polish job is obtainable in an automatic or semi-automatic car-wash where a detergent is applied to the surface of the vehicle under high water pressure and/or using a water and detergent solution together with strips of absorbent material or sponges to remove the dirt. As part of the car-wash liquid polish may be sprayed onto the vehicle and allowed to drip dry or be dried using an air blower. The polish compositions used by professional car washes that are applied while the automobile metallized surface is wet are immediately subjected to a blow dry step and is are generally not buffed. Neither of the latter two polish procedures provides long lasting satisfactory results.
Conventional commercial polishes typically contain a detergent dispersed in water or dissolved in a solvent, often together with abrasives for dry application to a metallized surface of a automobile. The polish dries and is removed with hand or mechanical buffing machines requiring considerable labor and time.
Polishing compounds, especially those defined as cleaner polishes are generally formulated with abrasive materials such as aluminum oxide of larger than 0.20 micrometer particle size. When polishing a car's metallic surface, the cleaner polishes remove contaminants; however, the application and removal of some typically leaves a clean but dull surface. At least a second step of polishing is required with a polishing compound which typically incorporates a high percentage of natural or synthetic components and an abrasive material in order to achieve a clean coat of polish having a high gloss appearance.

Cleaning and polishing composition for metallic surfaces

Ashland Licensing and Intellectual Property, LLC (ALIP)


An improved system in an endless track unit of an all-terrain vehicle. A track is driven with a drive wheel that has sprocket disks drivingly engaging the track with more than two teeth from those disks drivingly engaging the track at any given time. The track is trained around the drive wheel and a plurality of undriven guide wheels. A damper wheel may sit downstream of the drive wheel between the drive wheel and the first guide wheel and supports the underside of the track. A preferred embodiment has a sprocket disk with thirteen cogs that have a generally tear-shaped cross section forming teeth of the sprocket, more than two of which drivingly engage a stretch-resistant track at any given time. The track a continuous belt formed of molded rubber with stretch-resistant chords imbedded therein. A replaceable journal liner secured within an axle journal assembly, an improved guide wheel spindle that has a shoulder forming a bearing liner, and ice scrapers positioned on the inside of the track for removing built-up debris may also be installed to further improve operation of the endless track unit.

Endless track-driven vehicles are commonly used off-road in difficult terrain and under difficult terrain conditions such as in mud, snow, sand and tundra. For example, tracked vehicles are used in snow country for grooming ski slopes and snowmobile trails, for transporting skiers to back country slopes, for ski resort maintenance work, for snow and mountain rescue and for utility company maintenance work.
Tracked vehicles are generally of two types. Most tracked vehicles are of the two-track type, in which a pair of endless track units, one on each of the opposite sides of the vehicle, support and drive the vehicle. The other type is the four-track, in which four separately driven and independently suspended track units, two in front and two in the rear, support and drive the vehicle.
Four-track vehicles have certain advantages over two-track vehicles under extreme conditions such as on steep slopes and in very rough terrain because of the flexible independent suspension of the four-track units and the constant power available to all four-track units, even while turning. Unlike a two-track vehicle, which relies on the differential speed of the two tracks for turning, the four-track vehicle steers much like a wheeled vehicle. Its endless track units can be physically turned for steering.
Despite the advantages of four-track vehicles over two-track vehicles under extreme terrain conditions, the nature of four-track vehicles is such that there are several inherent problems with the existing designs.
First, there is an inherent problem in transmitting power to the tracks of the four track units. This problem arises because each track must be driven by a single drive wheel having a sprocket with teeth for drivingly engaging the track. The drive wheel receives power from the vehicle engine through a drive train that includes two differentials and four axle assemblies. The nature of the drive train and required vehicle ground clearance dictates that the drive wheel of each track unit be located at the apex of a generally triangular track configuration. All other track-supporting wheels of each track unit are idlers, i.e., undriven guide wheels. These guide wheels are spaced apart along the base of the triangular track unit from end to end thereof.
Ideally, the track that is trained about the drive wheel and guide wheels should be absolutely taut and, therefore, incapable of movement from its pitch line in a direction normal to the direction of the track run, i.e., the path of travel of the track about the drive sprocket and guide wheels. However, the known drive wheels often contribute to the track deviating from this ideal path.
Known drive wheels drivingly engage the track with two of fewer sprocket teeth. For example, the inventions in U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,099 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,616, issued Jan. 22, 1974 and Dec. 31, 1974, respectively, disclose using a seven tooth drive wheel; however, as best shown in FIG. 4 of each of those references, only two teeth ever drivingly engage the drive saddles of the track at any given time. With this limited interaction between the drive wheel and track, several problems arise.
For example, the known interaction of the track with the drive wheel on four track vehicles subjects the track to wide variations in applied forces as the track travels around its generally triangular-shaped track run. As a section of the track approaches the drive wheel at the apex of the generally triangular-shaped track run, it is pulled forward by a sprocket tooth, placing that section of the track in tension. Then, as the track travels over the apex, the sprocket tooth pushes that section of the track, rapidly placing it in compression. Because only a small section of the track is in contact with the drive wheel at any given time and the entire driving force is transferred from the engine to the track through this limited contact, the forces acting on the track at that point as well as those one or two sprocket teeth are not only variable, but extremely large.
This combination of large and rapidly varying forces applied to the track as it travels about the apex contributes to premature wear of the track and sprocket teeth and the propulsion related components, increase the amount of slack present in the track, and significantly decrease the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Slack is also at its greatest at the downstream side of the single drive wheel, where the track is being pushed by the sprocket teeth rather than pulled.
Similarly, because of the limited number of teeth driving the track and the resultant large forces transferred to the track though and the increased slack associated with the premature wear of the track, when each tooth of the drive sprocket drivingly engages a portion of the track, there is a tendency for the sprocket tooth to drive the track downwardly about the sprocket, past the track's pitch line and out of the optimal track run. When this occurs, eventually the frictional engagement between each sprocket tooth and a corresponding portion of the track is overcome, and the engaged portion of the track suddenly releases itself from the engaged sprocket teeth and rebounds or "bounces" back toward and past the normal track run. This so-called "track bounce" sets up heavy track vibrations which are transmitted back through other track unit components to the vehicle chassis and body. Not only can track bounce be noisy, it can also make for an uncomfortable ride for the vehicle operator and any passengers, can limit the speed at which the vehicle may operate effectively, and can cause further premature wearing of parts, particularly in the track and other components of the track unit.
In extreme cases, track bounce can cause the track to skip a tooth of the drive sprocket in a phenomenon known as "track jump." When track jump occurs, there is a loss of power to the track, and this in turn may lead to a loss of vehicle control. The four-track vehicle shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,099 would be especially subject to track bounce.
Second, known methods of positioning the idler wheels relative to the drive wheel create premature wear of the components involved. These methods consist of securing the idler wheels to spindles which are secured to a frame. The frame is then pivotally secured to a journal assembly on the drive wheel axle. The existing journal assemblies have a steel outer journal tube, rigidly secured to the frame, and a steel inner journal tube, operably secured to and supporting the drive sprocket wheel axle. The outer journal tube rotates about the inner journal tube permitting the frame to pivot about the axle. However, the steel rubbing against steel associated with this movement causes these journal tubes to abrade and leads to premature wear of these components, which are costly and difficult to replace.
Third, similarly, known methods of securing the idler wheels to their spindles results in excessive maintenance of the spindles. The known spindle is of a constant diameter along its length and secured to the frame at one end. The idler wheel is secured at the other end of the spindle by a nut with the wheel secured between bearing assemblies containing a seal ring, a seal and a bearing, one on each side of the wheel. In light of the dirt, sand, and snow in which the vehicle operates, this known design typically requires the idler wheels to be greased after approximately every eight hours of operation.
Fourth, in light of the environment in which four-track vehicles typically operate, it is common for ice, sand, mud or other debris to build up around the frame, including on top of the journal assembly. If this build-up goes unchecked, it can grow large and hard enough to disrupt the operation of the track about its path. In extreme cases, this built-up debris can derail the track from the vehicle.
Fifth, known four tracked vehicles typically leave a large and disruptive footprint in their path caused by the metal traction bars of the track becoming imbedded in the terrain and overturning the soil as the vehicle advances. Moreover, the large gaps in the known tracks, needed to permit the teeth of known drive wheels to properly engage the track, result in the track having a decreased surface area in contact with the ground. This smaller surface area combined with the weight of the vehicle permits the track to become deeply imbedded into the terrain during operation of the vehicle, and it thereby increases the damage to the terrain when the track is rapidly removed from the terrain as the vehicle passes by. As a result, even though a four-tracked vehicle may function efficiently in a wide variety of terrains, such a disruptive footprint often precludes these known vehicles from operating in environmentally sensitive and protected wildlife areas.
Following the introduction of four-track vehicles, various attempts were made to solve the first of these problems, namely attempting to reduce the likelihood of the track deviating from its ideal path. More specifically, these attempted solutions were aimed at preventing track bounce and track jump. However, these solutions were limited to implementing various support devices aimed at guiding and supporting the track along its ideal path. For example, shortly after the introduction of the vehicle shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,099, so-called "slides" or "sliders" were installed in each track unit along the track run in the gaps between the drive sprocket and the endmost guide wheels. This alleviated the problem of track bounce and its consequential vibration somewhat, but not completely. The track bounce that still occurred slapped against the slider causing a loud noise and vibration which increased wear of the track.
In the mid-1980's, the sliders were replaced by damper wheels. A damper wheel was positioned on each of the opposite sides of the drive sprocket, in the gaps between the drive sprocket and the endmost guide wheels, with the upper peripheries of the damper wheels close to the track run. While the damper wheels eliminated the damaging track wear caused by the sliders and relieved track bounce somewhat, they did not eliminate track bounce and its attendant problems altogether. The damper wheels could not be positioned sufficiently close to the drive sprocket to eliminate substantial gaps between the damper wheels and sprocket wheel. As a result, the drive sprocket teeth would not disengage the track from the sprocket teeth before the teeth pulled the track downwardly out of the track run. Therefore, track bounce continued to occur when the sprocket teeth finally released the track in the gap on the downstream side of the drive sprocket. This gap could not be closed because of the conflict that would occur between the drive sprocket and the damper wheel axles. As a result, track bounce and its consequences continued to be a problem, even with damper wheels, in four-track vehicles.
More recently, a bridge member spanning between the damper wheels and the drive sprocket wheel has been added so that the uppermost surface of the bridge member and the upper periphery of the damper wheel actually define the track run in the vicinity of the apex of the generally triangular run. This bridge attempts to eliminate track bounce and track jump by forcing the track along the proper pitch line about the apex in spite of any sprocket teeth that may remain drivingly engaged with the track as it passes that point. While the bridge works effectively and is a significant improvement over prior designs, it also requires the addition of significant hardware to the existing design. Moreover, the bridge, like all the other proposed improvements to the four-tracked vehicles, does not address the other four problems with the known designs.

Endless track unit for four-tracked vehicles


Nonwoven fabric has a plurality of groove portions continuously formed along a predetermined direction, and a plurality of raised ridge portions formed continuously along the groove portions, each adjacent to the groove portions. The basis weight is the least, and the content percentage of laterally-oriented fibers is high, and the content percentage of longitudinally-oriented fibers is low at the groove portions of the nonwoven fabric. Sides at the raised ridge portions are formed so that their basis weight is the greatest, and the content percentage of the fiber oriented toward a longitudinal direction is high.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to nonwoven fabric.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, nonwoven fabrics are used in a wide range of fields from hygienic products, such as baby diapers or feminine care articles (sanitary napkins) to cleaning products, such as wipers, or medical products, such as masks. Such nonwoven fabric is used in many different fields, but when actually used in products of each of those fields, it is necessary that the nonwoven fabric is manufactured with the properties and structures appropriate for their intended use.
Nonwoven fabric is manufactured by forming a fibrous layer (fiber web) using a dry method or a wet method, and then bonding the fibers that compose the fibrous layer together using a chemical bonding method or a thermal bonding method. There is a method of bonding the fibers, that compose the fibrous layer, in which a plurality of needles are repeatedly inserted into the fibrous layer, and there is a method wherein physical force, such as a blowing a race, is externally applied to the fibrous layer.
However, these methods only entangle the fibers and do not adjust the orientation or the arrangement of the fibers in the fibrous layer, or the shape of the fibrous layer. In other words, the fiber beds manufactured using these methods are simply sheet-shaped nonwoven fabric.
Also, if a predetermined liquid of excreta is applied to a nonwoven fiber used as a surface sheet of an absorbent material, for example, nonwoven fabric having an uneven surface are preferred to maintain or improve the feeling against the skin. For example, Japanese Patent No. 3587831 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) discloses nonwoven fabric formed with an uneven surface by heat contraction of a predetermined layer by laminating and thermally bonding a plurality of fibrous layers composed of fibers having different heat contraction characteristics, and a manufacturing method of the same.
These nonwoven fabrics are integrated when forming the uneven layer by laminating a plurality of fibrous layers and thermally bonding each fibrous layer. The result is high-density fibers, with low liquid-penetrability in many of the thermally-bonded areas. In addition, the areas can also sometimes be turned into a film. If the thermally bonded area turns into a film, it is even more difficult for the liquid to penetrate downward quickly.
Here, a second fibrous layer composed of non-heat-shrinkable fibers is laminated to a single side or both sides of a first fibrous layer including heat-shrunk heat-shrinkable fibers, the first fibrous layer and the second fibrous layer being integrated by a plurality of thermal bonding portions for the nonwoven fabric disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the thermal bonding portions, a plurality of convex portions is formed with the second fibrous layer projected by the heat shrinking of the first fibrous layer.
In other words, as shown by the nonwoven fabric and nonwoven fabric manufacturing method as described in Patent Document 1, conventionally, to form the fiber web into concave and convex portions, a plurality of fibrous layers having different properties is necessary. Therefore, the manufacturing processes are complicated. Also, if the first fibrous layer and the second fibrous layer are pulled apart during the heat shrinking process, the convex portions cannot be formed at the second fibrous layer, so it is necessary to securely bond the plurality of thermal-bonding portions of the first and the second fibrous layers. Therefore, fiber density at the thermally bonded portions is higher, and in some cases, the fibers are turned to film. This causes the problem of a thermally bonded area not being able to quickly pass a predetermined liquid of excreta, and the like. The present invention solves the aforementioned problems.


A beverage extracting device is provided that includes an extracting part including an installing space in which a beverage capsule is installed; an opening and closing part connected to the extracting part, for opening or sealing the installing space; a link part connected to at least one from among the extracting part and the opening and closing part; and a perforating part for moving reciprocally according to the movement of the link part so as to perforate the beverage capsule.

A beverage extracting device is a device for extracting a beverage such as coffee, green tea, or the like to provide the beverage to a user.
To this end, a beverage extracting device may use a beverage capsule in which beverage powder such as coffee, green tea, or the like is stored.
In a beverage extracting device using a beverage capsule, hot water at a predetermined pressure is supplied from a hot water source to a beverage capsule, and thus, the hot water at a predetermined pressure is mixed with the beverage powder.
In addition, as described above, when the hot water at a predetermined pressure is mixed with the beverage powder, a beverage is produced. In other words, a beverage can be extracted from a beverage capsule.
As described above, a beverage is extracted from a beverage extracting device to be provided to a user.
Generally, in a beverage extracting device, a beverage capsule is perforated using a separate punching member, or the like. In this case, after a beverage capsule is perforated by a punching member, the beverage capsule remains located inside the beverage extracting device. Therefore, a problem, in which it is difficult to discharge a beverage extracted from the beverage capsule through a perforated hole, may occur.
Therefore, a problem in which beverage powder is highly compressed inside a beverage capsule and a beverage extraction function is significantly reduced may also occur.

Beverage extracting device and water purifier including same


A multiple-chamber, multiple-stage reciprocal pump for compressing air through a series of up-strokes and down-strokes. The pump includes an upper reciprocal portion and a fixed portion. The fixed portion further includes a base housing with an ambient air inlet cavity and a compressed air outlet cavity formed therein. It further includes an outlet valve body fixed to the base housing with an outlet valve pneumatically coupled to direct high-pressure compressed air into the outlet cavity. The outlet valve body also has an inlet port pneumatically coupled to the inlet cavity, and there are plural cylinders coupled to the outlet valve body, which slideably and sealably engaged with the upper reciprocal portion, thereby enabling the series of up-strokes and down-strokes to compress air.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to air pumps. More specifically, the present invention relates to hand-operated, multi-chambered, multi-stage, high-pressure, reciprocating air pumps.
2. Description of the Related Art
Simple hand operated reciprocal air pumps, such as bicycle tire pumps, have been available for many decades. A cylinder and piston within the pump provide a single-action compression system that generally dawns in ambient air on the up-stroke and then compresses the air on the down-stroke. Check valves are employed on the inlet and compressed air outlet of the pump, such that a series of reciprocal stokes can be employed to gradually build up the air pressure at the outlet, which may be connected to a pneumatic tire, a storage tank, or other air receiving container. The compression ratio of the pump limits the maximum pressure that can be developed, which is approach asymptotically. The maximum compression ratio is dictated by the displacement ratio between the volume of the fully open cylinder on the upstroke and the fully closed cylinder on the down-stroke. More efficient versions of such pumps may be configured to compress air on both the up-stroke and the down-stroke. Such pumps are single stage pumps and typically can yield 125 psi, perhaps 250 psi in a high performance design.
There are applications which require much higher operating pressure, such as compressed air tanks used for regulated breathing, air tools, and other applications. One application where high pressure air is required is with high performance air rifles. Such rifles rival performance of light caliber firearms, and may yield muzzle velocities approaching 1200 fps. In order to achieve such velocities, an air reserve tank is coupled to the rifle that provides air pressure in the 2000 psi to 3600 psi range. Air rifle users employ manually operated reciprocal air pumps to fill such tanks. However, the high pressures needed cannot be achieved with a single stage reciprocal pump. Multi-stage pumps are needed to achieve these pressure levels. Multi-stage reciprocal air pumps are known, which can achieve compressed air outlet pressures in excess of 2000 psi. Multi-stage multi-chamber pumps generally employ plural concentric cylinders divided into plural chambers using seals of various types and pistons, with successively smaller displacement volumes that enable the inlet air to be compressed to high levels through multiple stages of compression.
As the level of compression of the outlet air rises, so too does the number of mechanical and operation issues in the design and operation of the pump. While a simple bicycle pump can function without lubrication in the presence of dust and moisture, and suffice with leather flaps for a check valves, high pressure pumps will develop a number of operational problems, and have a greatly reduced useful life in the same environment. Even considering just the ideal gas law, those skilled in the art will appreciated the highly elevated temperature rise between the inlet ambient air and the compressed outlet air in a high pressure reciprocal pump. Heat, with that addition of dust, particulate or moisture, greatly challenges the design process. Design factors quickly become critical as the target outlet pressure increases. Such design problems can be partially overcome using higher quality materials, higher performance lubricants, and tighter design specifications, however, it must be appreciated that such refinements come at increased production costs. Consumers of such pumps may be unwilling to pay the additional cost of such refinements. Thus it can be appreciated that there is a need in the art for a high pressure, multiple-stage, multiple chamber reciprocal air pump that can achieve high pressure, have an adequately long useful life, yet be provided at a competitive price point so as to be desirable to consumers.

High pressure, multiple-stage air pump with valve body inlet port arrangement


The present invention provides a method and apparatus for a trusted service provider (TSP) which assists with the secure exchange of data across the public switched telephone network. Communications are routed via a TSP, which uses cryptographic techniques to conceal the identities (e.g., telephone numbers) of the call initiator and call recipient, thereby preventing traffic analysis attacks. The TSP also performs cryptographic handshakes with the call initiator and call recipient to authenticate callers. The TSP further provides cryptographic keying material which communicants may use to help protect communications and to directly authenticate and identify each other. Although the TSP is trusted to negotiate the connection and is involved in the process, the communicants can perform their own key agreement and authentication for protecting data routed via the TSP.

Nearly every modern industry and profession requires the rapid delivery of a variety of types of communications. In many instances, an additional requirement is that the documents be maintained confidential during the delivery process. A still further complication is the ability of the recipient to verify the authenticity of the received document.
To respond to such requirements, the entire courier industry has been developed. Thus, a courier service arranges to pick up an original document from the sender and to deliver it, as promptly as possible within the charging structure, to a recipient. Because the document is maintained in a sealed envelope, confidential communications are frequently entrusted to such courier services. Since the documents can bear original signatures, their authenticity is generally presumed.
However, the operation of a courier service is labor intensive and the cost structure of the industry reflects its dependence on extensive manual effort. In addition, the responsiveness of the industry is generally dependent on the sender and recipient both being in either dose proximity or near a major airport. Thus, a recipient located in a remote portion of a foreign country may encounter significant delays in receiving a communication by courier simply because delivery requires extensive manual handling of the communication.
In addition, while a document delivered by courier is generally presumed to be maintained confidential, in fact it is apparent the confidentiality of the communication may be compromised with exceptional ease. As a result, some industries have taken to using specialized couriers which offer particular assurances of confidentiality.
Still further, the reliability of a courier service is equally limited, since it depends upon each link in a potentially extensive chain operating with substantial success. While such success occurs in the great majority of cases, there are numerous instances where increased reliability would be greatly desirable.
While modem telecommunications offers a response to some of the concerns about couriers, existing systems have generally proven inadequate to provide a suitable replacement for courier services. Thus, while a telephone call offers immediacy and access virtually to the farthest reaches of the globe, conventional telephone communications are not especially secure and do not provide communication of documents.
Fax machines, including fax machines with provision for confidential faxing, likewise suffer from numerous limitations, which include in most instances a lack of data encryption and substantial manual involvement in ensuring that the document is properly entered into the fax machine. Fax modems incorporated into personal computers offer some improvement on the document-loading scheme, but offer little or no encryption of the data, and typically do not verify destination. The result is little security for potentially quite valuable communications.
As a result, there has been a need for a secure communications technique which offers reliable high speed access to virtually anywhere a telephone or other network connection exists, while at the same time offering a high degree of confidentiality and security to the communications.
The security of data sent over telecommunications networks, including telephone networks, is important for many computer applications and systems. With a large network or a network that involves access via a public utility such as the telephone company, it is impractical to assure the physical security of the communications channel. Even with a single location, the size and configuration of most networks (e.g., wires, fiber optic cables, switching hardware, etc.) make it expensive or impossible to assure that communications are not being monitored.
An ideal data communications system would be easy to operate, inexpensive, reliable, widely available, fast, and secure. Existing networks, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN), may be used to obtain some of these characteristics. In particular, the PSTN is relatively inexpensive, widely available, and reliable. The PSTN can be used to exchange digital data with reasonable speed (e.g., 28.8 kilobits per second using a modem implementing the V.34 protocol defined in International Telecommunications Union, "Recommendation V.34—A modem operating at data signaling rates of up to 28800 bit/s for use on the general switched telephone network and on leased point-to-point 2-wire telephone-type circuits," September 1994.) Higher speed modems, such as those operating at 33.6 or 56 kilobits per second, ISDN lines operating at up to 128 k-bits, or ADSL lines operating at even higher rates offer improved performance through the PSTN.
However, the PSTN is often not sufficiently secure for exchanging sensitive information. Specifically, communications may be monitored by tapping a telephone line or by recording a call at the telephone switch. Additional privacy protection is thus desirable.
Some kinds of protection may be added by users of the network to protect their own communications. For example, encryption may be used to ensure that eavesdroppers cannot determine the content of communications. Encryption algorithms, including the Data Encryption Standard (DES), are well known in the background art and may be used in scrambling and security systems to protect the privacy of data. (DES is defined in National Bureau of Standards, NBS FIPS PUB 46-1, "Data Encryption Standard," U.S. Department of Commerce, January 1988.)
End users can also use cryptography to protect their data exchanges against accidental or malicious modification. (Such tampering can occur even if data is encrypted, since changes made to the ciphertext data stream will generally result in changes to the Plaintext data produced by the decryption process.) To protect against tampering, keyed MAC functions such as HMAC are often used. (HMAC is defined in M. Bellare, R. Canetti, and H. Krawczyk, "Keying Hash Functions for Message Authentication," Advances in Cryptology—Crypto '96 Proceedings, Springer-Verlag, 1996, pp. 1-15.) Alternatively, data may be digitally signed, for example using the RSA algorithm of U.S. Pat. No. 4,405,829 to Rivest et al. or using the Digital Signature Standard (National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST FIPS PUB 186, "Digital Signature Standard," U.S. Department of Commerce, May 1994). Protocols and techniques usable by communicants to encrypt data and to protect data against tampering are well known in the background art. For example, the SSL protocol, used widely to protect transactions on the world wide web and in other applications, combines asymmetric (public-key) cryptography, symmetric (secret-key) cryptography, and MACs to securely select which cryptographic algorithms to use, authenticate communicants, negotiate shared keys, encrypt and decrypt data for privacy, and protect data against modification.
Encrypting modems (and other network interfaces) which use DES and other encryption algorithms to protect communications sent over the public switched telephone network (and other communications systems) are also known. Secure modems using encryption algorithms such as DES are commercially available, and modems running more sophisticated cryptographic protocols (such as SSL) are also known. Such modems can, if used properly, provide users with good cryptographic assurance of data privacy and integrity.
However, such encrypting modems cannot solve many applications' security and business requirements, and consequently they have failed to gain widespread acceptance in the marketplace. For example, existing encrypting modems used over the PSTN cannot protect the identities of communicating parties. In many cases it is as important to conceal from eavesdroppers the identities of the communicants as it is to protect the actual content of their communication. This problem cannot be solved by an end-user device since, for example, an eavesdropper can identify the recipient of a modem connection simply by observing the telephone number dialed by the party originating the call (e.g., by monitoring the DTMF tones generated by the transmitting telephone or modem). Other networking protocols suffer from the same limitation that eavesdroppers can determine at least identity of the intended recipient of data, even if the data is encrypted. Although Internet-based systems for protecting users' anonymity are known (e.g., remailers for PGP-encrypted e-mail and anonymizers for world wide web communications), the techniques they employ do not work with public switched telephone networks, and companies generally do not wish to send their private communications over the Internet.
A second problem with systems known in the background art is that the cost of the development and manufacture of the secure modem hardware and software must be recovered when users purchase the equipment. Since no after-purchase revenue is available to device manufacturers and vendors, customers are forced to make a substantial initial investment, often of several hundred dollars per user, to purchase the hardware and/or software. Many potential customers, such as companies with a large number of users who would all need to be equipped with the hardware, are deterred by this initial cost and ultimately end up using cheaper, less secure systems.
There has therefore been a long felt need for a data communications system which is easy to use, reliable, fast, secure and economical for transmitting confidential or sensitive information expeditiously even to remote points.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for secure communications


A device for storing or packing loose objects comprising a plurality of container elements, each having bottom wall, upstanding side and end walls, and an open upper side, which elements are connected to one another by hinge joints arranged between the side edges of the bottom walls thereof to form a continuous row of elements having a first end and a second end and said elements are so shaped and dimensioned that this row of elements, from its extended position and starting from said first end can be spirally rolled-up into a block of prismatic form in which the open upper element sides are closed-off by wall portions of other elements lying inwardly thereof in said block and engaging said open sides. Abutment means on adjacent elements are provided abutting each other in the extended position and preventing further unrolling of the row of elements.

The invention relates to a device for storing or packing loose objects. More particularly, the invention relates to a storing or packing device of the kind comprising a plurality of substantially rigid container elements including a bottom wall having substantially parallel side edges, and end walls and side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said end walls and side walls of said elements having upper edges defining an element upper side, and hinge means hingedly interconnecting said plurality of container elements so as to form a unitary continuous row of said elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,846 issued to Meyering et al. discloses one such multiple-compartment storing or packing device. The device is provided with a row of hingedly interconnected container elements having a first end and a second end and said element row being moveable between a first extended open position in which said container elements rest on their bottom walls with said element upper sides turned upwardly, and a second, rolled-up closed position in which said element row, starting from said first end thereof, has been spirally rolled up from said first position to form a substantially closed block of prismatic shape comprising polygonal convolutions. In said block, each element, except for said first element, with side turned upwards said first element, is in abutting relation to the adjacent element hingedly connected thereto. In said block each of said majority of elements of varying widths has its said upper side matingly engaged and covered by at least one pre-determined wall portion of corresponding size of at least one element situated radially inwardly thereof.
The container elements of the Meyering et al. storing device are sequentially positioned in the prismatic block. When one desires access to an element it is obligatory to unroll the prismatic block at least until the desired element is exposed. However, in the unrolled first extended open position the container elements should rest on their bottom walls to avoid that the row of elements collapses downwardly. It is not possible to maintain the row in a horizontally extended position without supporting the individual elements. Use of the known device without aid of a supporting surface, such as the floor or a table-top, therefore is extremely awkward.


A device may receive a content distribution network (CDN) routing table from a topology manager; receive a request, from a device in either of a redirect CDN or a domain name system (DNS), to identify a target CDN for sending content to a user device; perform a lookup in the CDN routing table, based on information provided by the device and CDN selection policies, to select the target CDN; obtain an identifier corresponding to the target CDN as a result of performing the lookup; and provide the identifier to the device.

When a request for content arrives at a server, the server can respond slowly for many reasons. For example, the server may be busy processing hundreds or thousands of similar requests. The network bandwidth may not be large enough to handle traffic beyond a certain threshold; or the server may be located, logically or physically, far from the client.