Certain example embodiments relate to a highly-concurrent, predictable, fast, self-managed, in-process space for storing data that is hidden away from the garbage collector and its related pauses. More particularly, certain example embodiments relate to improved memory management techniques for computer systems that leverage an off-heap direct-memory data store that is massively scalable and highly efficient. The off-heap store may be provided in connection with a Java-based environment, and garbage collection may be completely or nearly completely avoided for the off-heap store. The off-heap store may be integrated into a tiered storage solution in certain example embodiments.

Data requirements are estimated to be growing at an annual rate of 60 percent, and this trend is driven further by cloud computing platforms, company consolidation, huge application platforms (like Facebook), etc. Server-class machines purchased this year have a minimum of 8 gigabytes (GB) of RAM and likely have 32 GB or RAM. As one example, Cisco is now selling mainstream Unified Computing System (UCS) boxes with over 380 GB of RAM. As another example, users can borrow 68.4 GB machines for $2/hour on EC2.
In a common approach, many operating systems attempt to speed up operations by caching data on a local machine, e.g., in connection with the machine's heap. "Moving" data closer to the application that executes on it can result in efficiency gains. This conventional thinking oftentimes leads to the conclusion that the cache should be as large as possible. However, applications that execute on garbage-collected runtimes face an increasing challenge to handle the ever-increasing amounts of data and leverage the fast-growing amount of RAM on modern computer systems. As is known, garbage collection is a part of automatic memory management implemented, for example, by Java. Garbage collection involves determining which objects can no longer be referenced by an application, and then reclaiming the memory used by "dead" objects (the garbage). But complexities arise in determining when, for how long, and how often, garbage collection activities are to take place, and this work directly impacts the performance and determinism of the running application.
Furthermore, an unfortunate side-effect of increasing the size of the cache for garbage-collected runtimes is that with the large heaps needed for large caches, Java-based environments slowdown at an exponential rate with much, if not all, of the slowdown being directly attributable to Java's garbage collection. A heap size of 2-4 gigabytes (GB) oftentimes is manageable, and some further amount can be considered usable if specialized modifications are made. But custom modifications may be time consuming and technically challenging. There therefore oftentimes is a practical (and oftentimes recommended) 6 GB limit to Java heaps, although slowdowns frequently occur well before this maximum is ever reached. Slowdowns can halt all or substantially all processes that are executing. For large heaps, it is not uncommon to observe a 10 second delay in which nothing happens, although minute-long delays are not unheard of. These sorts of delays can be particularly problematic for web services, mission critical applications, and/or the like.
Challenges result from the increasing garbage collection pauses or delays that occur as runtime heaps become larger and larger. These delays may be unpredictable in length and in occurrence. Thus, as the data/memory explosion is occurring, the amount of the heap a garbage-collected runtime process can effectively use has stayed largely unchanged. In other words, although the amount of space available is growing, it oftentimes is challenging to use it in an efficient and cost-effective way.
These problems manifest themselves in several ways and can be caused in several common scenarios. A first problem relates to applications running too slowly. For example, an application might not be able to keep up with the users (e.g., with 10s of GBs of data in a database, the application may be overloaded and/or too slow to service the needs of users), which may be caused by the complicated nature of queriers, the volume of those queries, and/or the like. Caching may help by moving data "closer" to the application, but too many Java garbage collection pauses may be incurred if the cache is grown too large (e.g., to approximate the 16 GB of RAM in a hypothetical system).
Another common problem relates to unpredictable latencies that can affect the application. An application might be sufficiently fast on average, but many pauses that deviate from the mean may be unacceptable to my users. Service Level Agreements (SLAs) may not be met because of the size of my heap, combined with Java garbage collection pauses.
Still another common problem relates to complicated software/hardware deployment. It may be possible to "solve" the Java garbage collection problems, e.g., by running with many Java Virtual Machines (JVMs) with heap sizes of 1-2 gigs. Data can be partitioned and/or load balancing can be performed to achieve the performance and availability desired. However, setup may be complicated to manage because so many JVMs are needed, and checks must be performed to ensure that the right data is in the right places. Thus, while 64 GB of RAM can be filled, it nonetheless may be too hard to manage and too fragile to be implemented reliably.
Currently, users are forced to select one of three options when dealing with Java applications. The base case involves a small heap JVM on a big machine. Recognizing that garbage collection pauses are a problem, garbage collection is reduced by implementing, e.g., a 4 GB JVM on a 32 GB machine. Development and operational complexity is low, but performance may suffer. A second option involves implementing a large heap of, for example, up to 31 GB in a 32 GB machine. While the intention is to move the data closer to the application, the garbage collection delays can be extremely high and very complicated to manage. Development and operational complexity also may be very high.
A third option involves stacked, small JVM heaps. For example, eight 4 GB JVMs may be implemented. This approach is oftentimes used in combination with various sharding, load balancing, and clustering techniques. Unfortunately, however, it is very complicated to manage this environment. Availability problems also can be encountered if all or most of the nodes garbage collect at the same time.
Thus, it will be appreciated that there is a need in the art for alleviating the problems faced by garbage-collected runtimes. It also will be appreciated that there is a need in the art for systems that are able to handle increasing amounts of data in a manner that makes use of the growing amount of memory (RAM or disk) in computer systems.
These example problems mentioned above were present in the very first Java release and have not been fully addressed since then. Thus, it will be appreciated that there has been a long-felt need in the art for solutions to these and/or other related problems.
It is believed that part of the reason for the long-felt need is that prior attempted solutions have tried to rely on either operating systems (OS) approaches, or programming language (PL) approaches, for solving these and related problems. The inventors of the instant application have realized, however, that what is needed is a more holistic approach that blends in elements from both of these art areas. Thus, as explained in much greater detail below, the example embodiments described herein belong to an art area that is neither OS-related nor PL-related but instead can be viewed as something above both OS and PL (or managed runtime) layers.
More specifically, it will be appreciated that it would be desirable to provide a stand-alone caching solution is capable of holding a large dataset (e.g., from 10s to 100s of GBs) in memory without impacting garbage collection. The more data that is cached, the less that the application has to go to the external data source and/or disk and, thus, the faster the application will run. In a similar vein, it would be desirable to provide fast execution that meets SLAs, and that also stays fast over time. This can be achieved by reducing the amount of fragmentation and avoiding or at least reducing slowdowns as the data is changed over time. It also would be advantageous to provide an approach that is concurrent such that, for example, it scales with CPU numbers and powers, and the number of threads, while also avoiding or reducing lock contention. The solution advantageously would be predictable. It also would be advantageous to provide an approach designed to work with the programming language and/or operating system environment (e.g., providing a 100% Java solution to work within a JVM). This may help with snap-in functionality that does not introduce a large amount of complexity. It also would be desirable to provide a restartable solution, as a big cache may otherwise take a long time to build.
Most people incorrectly think that collecting dead objects takes time, but it is the number of live objects that actually has the greatest effect on garbage collection performance. As the Java heap becomes occupied with an increasing number of live objects, full collections occur more often and will each require more time to complete. The result is an increasing number of stop-world pauses in an application, for increasing lengths of time. In general, the larger the heap, and the more occupied it becomes, the greater the latencies in the application. Certain example embodiments help to avoid large, occupied heaps typical of large data caches while also reducing garbage collection related pauses.
One aspect of certain example embodiments relates to a highly-concurrent, predictable, fast, self-managed, in-process space for storing data that is hidden away from the garbage collector and its related pauses. In certain cases, the space may be self-tuning, and may connect to frameworks in ways that require no or substantially no changes to a user's application code. In this regard, in certain example embodiments, the space may "sit behind" standard interfaces such as, for example, Map, HttpSessions, Ehcache, and/or the like.
Another aspect of certain example embodiments relates to techniques that add scale-up features (e.g., the ability to improve performance by growing an individual machine) and predictability to servers and applications in the context of, for example, a clustering technology that provides high-availability scale-out (e.g., the ability to bring multiple connected machines to bear on a problem) for applications.
An advantage of certain example embodiments relates to the ability to integrate such functionality without having to change user code, and instead by adding a line of configuration and, potentially, a provided code module for referencing an off-heap store. This may, in turn, layer in a predictable, fast, highly-concurrent, off-heap store for garbage collected runtimes, without a significant amount of required tuning. By adding in an off-heap data store in accordance with certain example embodiments, the runtime's garbage collector can focus on a small heap needed for operations (which is something runtimes are very good at), while possibly leaving the rest of the data structures to be efficiently and completely (or substantially completely) managed by the off-heap store.
Another aspect of certain example embodiments relates to the ability to shrink the heap size and grow the cache.
Still another aspect of certain example embodiments relates to the possibility of providing fast swaps to disk and quick restartability.
In Java, off-heap memory is provided by the operating system (OS) via the java.nio.buffer.ByteBuffer class. Creating and destroying "direct" ByteBuffers ordinarily fragments the OS memory and makes off-heap memory allocation slow and unpredictable. To help avoid this situation, when certain example embodiments first start executing (e.g., at construction time), direct BBs are created that take up the entire off-heap memory space. Certain example embodiments then use their own memory manager to manage the ByteBuffers. Because the ByteBuffers are never destroyed (at least not until the Java process is completely done with them), the OS memory manager is never invoked. As a result, off-heap memory allocation is faster and more predictable.
Certain example embodiments include a memory manager that enables fast and predictable allocation. For example, allocation is performed in variable-sized chunks. The required amount of memory is requested from the OS in chunks as large as possible, and bounds on the chunk sizes are specified at construction. Allocation then proceeds starting at the upper bound. On an allocation failure, the bound size is reduced, and allocations continue at the new lower value, possibly until a lower threshold is met or surpassed.
The memory manager of certain example embodiments may allocate memory from direct ByteBuffers as Pages, with each Page being sourced from a single ByteBuffer. If appropriate space is not available, then an in-use Page may be "stolen" and used for the requested allocation. Each Page allocation request may include parameters such as, for example, thief, victim, and owner. The thief parameter may indicate whether an in-use Page should be stolen (if necessary) to meet the allocation request. The victim parameter may indicate whether this Page (after being allocated) should be stolen (if necessary) to meet another allocation request. The owner parameter may indicate an owner of this Page so that the owner can be notified if the Page is later stolen. The thief parameter and the victim parameter can be Boolean (true/false, yes/no, etc.) values, or numeric values that indicate relative priority in different embodiments.
In certain example embodiments, a computer system comprising at least one processor is provided, A non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly stores data. A software application is executable by the at least one processor and programmed to make use of the data. Off-heap memory is dynamically allocated and directly managed by a memory manager, such that the off-heap memory is perceivable by the software application as being a part of local application tier memory and manageable, after initial allocation, independent of any memory managers of the computer system and any memory managers of an operating system running on the computer system. The off-heap memory is scalable up to a size of the computer system's memory, upon direction from the memory manager, to accommodate terabytes-worth of data so that that data stored in the off-heap memory is transparently providable to the software application from the off-heap memory within microseconds and without having to repeatedly access that data from the non-transitory computer readable storage medium.
In certain example embodiments, there is provided a method of managing memory of a computer system including at least one processor, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly storing data, and a software application executable by the at least one processor and programmed to make use of the data. An off-heap direct memory data storage area is dynamically allocated and directly managed, using a memory manager, such that the off-heap direct memory data storage area is perceivable by the software application as being a part of local application tier memory and manageable, after initial allocation, independent of any memory managers of the computer system and any memory managers of an operating system running on the computer system. The off-heap direct memory data storage area is scalable up to a size of the computer system's memory, upon direction from the memory manager, to accommodate terabytes-worth of data so that that data stored in the off-heap direct memory data storage area is transparently providable to the software application from the off-heap memory within microseconds and without having to repeatedly access that data from the non-transitory computer readable storage medium.
The method may operate in connection with a Java-based environment, and may further comprise: (a) attempting to allocate Java byte buffers in chunks of a preconfigured maximum size in response to a request for off-heap direct memory data storage at a predetermined maximum size; (b) repeating said attempts to allocate byte buffers until the off-heap direct memory data storage area is created at the predetermined size, or until an attempt fails, whichever comes first; (c) when an attempt to allocate byte buffers fails, reducing the preconfigured maximum size and repeating (a)-(b); (d) receiving a request for a region of the off-heap direct memory data storage area, the region having an associated size; (e) finding, via a page source, an unused slice of the off-heap direct memory data storage area; (f) returning a page indicative of the unused slice, the page being a wrapped byte buffer that includes a reference to the slice where data is to be stored and a reference to an allocator object that created the slice; (g) continuing to return pages until the off-heap direct memory data storage area is exhausted; (h) managing the returned pages from the off-heap direct memory data storage area as a single coherent logical address space storing data keys and values, with a single page in the off-heap direct memory data storage area storing a hash table with metadata information linking data keys to values; and optionally (i) expanding and contracting the hash table in response to further entries being added thereto and removed therefrom, respectively, by rehashing into a new page.
In certain example embodiments, a computer system is provided. A plurality of computer nodes are provided, and an application is executable across the plurality of computer nodes in a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) environment. Each computer node comprises at least one processor; memory management software; and an off-heap direct memory data storage area dynamically allocated and directly managed by the memory management software of the associated computer node, with the off-heap direct memory data storage area being scalable upon direction from the memory management software of the associated computer node to accommodate terabytes-worth of data so that that data stored in the off-heap direct memory data storage area is providable therefrom without having to repeatedly access that data from a non-transitory computer readable storage medium or a network storage location.
In certain example embodiments, a system is provided. An application is executable on at least one computer. A server array of independently scalable coordinated memory managers and associated data storage nodes also is provided. Each said data storage node comprises a non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly storing data usable by the application. Each said memory manager comprises: at least one processor, and off-heap memory dynamically allocated and directly managed by the memory manager. The off-heap memory is scalable upon direction from the memory manager to accommodate terabytes-worth of data so that that data stored in the off-heap memory is providable from the off-heap memory without having to repeatedly access that data from the non-transitory computer readable storage medium of the node. The at least one computer includes program logic configured to automatically initiate a request for data from the server array when required data is not present in cache on the at least one computer, the request being transparent to the application.
According to certain example embodiments, the at least one computer may include a plurality of computers and the application may be executable across the plural computers.
According to certain example embodiments, each said computer may have its own memory manager for creating and managing an off-heap direct memory storage area thereon. For instance, according to certain example embodiments, each computer may include at least one processor; memory; computer-specific memory management software; and computer-specific off-heap direct memory data storage area dynamically allocated and directly managed by the computer-specific memory management software of the associated computer, with the computer-specific off-heap direct memory data storage area being scalable upon direction from the computer-specific memory management software of the associated computer to accommodate an amount of data up to the size of the memory of the associated computer.
It also is noted that certain example embodiments relate to methods of operating the various systems, memory managers/memory management software components, etc.
These features, aspects, advantages, and example embodiments may be used separately and/or applied in various combinations to achieve yet further embodiments of this invention.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Off-heap direct-memory data stores, methods of creating and/or managing off-heap direct-memory data stores, and/or systems including off-heap direct memory data store


The present invention relates to a process for rolling a roll material through a roll stand having work rolls and support rolls and having devices for balancing and positively and negatively bending the work rolls mounted in chucks of the work rolls. The process includes setting a balancing force by moving the work rolls against the support rolls without clearance when the roll gap is open by using the piston-cylinder units for positive and negative roll bending, setting the pressure in the piston-cylinder units for negative bending so as to attain the roll gap correction needed under load to control the profile and flatness of the roll train and setting the pressure in the piston-cylinder units for balancing and positive bending higher than the amount of balancing force needed. The piston-cylinder units are controlled for exerting a roll force including the positive bending force and the negative bending force on the work rolls when the roll material is inserted in the roll gap and expands the roll gap to a desired size. The piston-cylinder units are also controlled for exerting the balancing force on the work rolls after the end of the roll material exits the roll gap.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for rolling flat material and strip in a roll stand having work rolls and support rolls and having devices for balancing the work rolls, positively bending the work rolls and negatively bending the work rolls. The devices include vertically arranged piston-cylinder units that, resting bilaterally on the roll stand, are placed from above and below against projections embodied on chucks of the work rolls and extending toward the housing window. The piston-cylinder units may, depending on their pressurization, urge the chucks of the work rolls toward or away from each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
In four-high roll stands, various adjustment elements are available to influence the roll gap and the strip profile. These adjustments include positive and negative bending devices for the work rolls. The plane of the vertical roll gap between the work rolls may be bent or curved by hydraulic cylinders in both directions via their longitudinal axes. The positive and negative bending devices allow the cross-sectional profile of the rolled material to be adjusted or changed within certain limits.
The "positive" bending is accomplished using piston-cylinder units that also serve to balance the rolls and are placed directly or indirectly in the housing window of the roll stands, for example, in hydraulic blocks. Located in these hydraulic blocks or in active connection with the support roll chucks are the piston-cylinder units for "negative" bending, with which the rolls may be bent in the sense of a convex cross-sectional contour of the roll gap.
A problem with the prior art devices is that the negative bending devices are not activateable until the material to be rolled has entered the roll gap. To pressurize the piston-cylinder units for negative work roll bending, a roll load must exist. Otherwise contact between the work rolls and support rolls is not guaranteed. This requirement that the material actually enter the roll gap before the adjustment of the negative bending results in non-standard lengths of strip at the beginning and end portions of the material to be rolled. These beginning and end portions of the material to be rolled cannot be sold and are considered lost pieces. These lost pieces detract from the profitability of the roll mill. The amount of lost strip is considerable, due to the time needed for the switching and control procedures involved with setting the negative bending device.

Process for rolling flat material and strip


Prevulcanized tread strip (1, 10) including a cap (2) and two side wings 20, 30), such that each lateral end of said wings (3, 20, 30) ends in a bead (4, 21, 31) made of elastomeric material with a substantial thickness in the region intended for connection to a tire carcass.

The present invention relates to a prevulcanized tire tread strip for retreading and, more particularly, to the profile of the edges of the tread strip. The invention also relates to a tire obtained using this tread strip.
It is known that a tire consists of a flexible carcass which is roughly in the shape of a torus open on the axis side, and of a thicker tread strip which surrounds the periphery of the carcass and provides contact between the tire and the ground. The tread strip is subjected to more rapid wear than the carcass and reconstructing the tread strip when it is worn is less expensive than replacing the tire.
This reconstruction, known as retreading in the more general case in which it applies to the tread strip alone, calls upon several types of product and method; thus, the new tread strip may be raw or prevulcanized:
in the former case, the new tread strip, which is raw, and applied to the carcass beforehand, is vulcanized in a mold similar to the one used to manufacture the new tire; PA1 in the latter case, known as "cold" retreading, the prevulcanized tread strip is applied to the carcass, with the interposition of a layer of vulcanizable binding gum; the assembly is then usually surrounded, in whole or in part, by a leakproof membrane placed under pressure inside an autoclave to vulcanize the binding gum; the purpose of this membrane is to guarantee even application of a pressure of several bars, especially in the critical region of binding between the tread strip and the carcass throughout or during some of the vulcanizing operation. PA1 flat strips allow simple, reliable and effective retreading, but exhibit a number of drawbacks: reduction in the width of the tread strip by comparison with that of the new tire, mediocre appearance and the emergence of cracks during running; PA1 strips with "flaps" are provided along the sides with tapering extensions, which are also known as "wings", intended to envelop (in full or in part) the shoulders of the tire; in this way the final appearance of the retreaded tire is improved, but these strips display a serious drawback: during running, cracks emerge in the region of connection of the tread strip to the carcass, and these cracks spread dangerously, causing detachment of the tread strip or deep breaks in the carcass; PA1 the rings allow better application to the carcass and avoid the joining-together of the two ends of the tread strip, but they require more sophisticated means of fitting and do not prevent cracks from appearing in the connection region. PA1 "prevulcanized tread strip" is understood to be a tread strip which has already undergone a vulcanizing cycle, whether this cycle led to complete or to partial vulcanization; PA1 "carcass" is understood to be a tire without the tread strip, whether this tire is a new tire or a worn tire.
The present invention relates to this latter type of retreading.
The prevulcanized tread strip may be in one of a number of forms, for example, either very long and flat or preformed transversely curved strips, which are cut to the desired length at the time of retreading, or prepared rings of a given length:
Attempts at avoiding the appearance of cracks have been made by proposing the most tapered possible tread strip wings (EP 495 048, page 6, line 14) or by distributing the tensions in the region where the tread strip connects with the carcass, for example, by cutting circumferential grooves on the exterior sides of the tread strip (JP 6/191225). This last solution has reduced the flexural rigidity of the wings and thus has made them easier to apply to the shoulders of the carcasses of tires but has not lead to any significant reduction in cracking in the critical region of connection to the carcass.
Attempts have also been made to improve the quality of the bond between the tread strip and the carcass in this critical region after it was observed that the binding gum arranged between the carcass and the tread strip could run during vulcanizing until it covered part of the exterior surface of the wing of the tread strip, which part is not prepared for adhering securely to this binding gum. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,745 proposes to grind the two edges, interior and exterior, of the wings of the tread strips in order to improve their bonding to the binding gum. This solution substantially improved the resistance to cracking of the critical region, but this problem of cracks remains and hampers the development of the cold-retreading technique, even though this technique is very attractive in other respects.

Prevulcanized tire tread strip for retreading

Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin-Michelin & Cie


Method for analyzing adducts in a fluid and/or a solid material suspected of containing the adducts by bringing the material in contact with an isothiocyanate reagent containing a fluorescent. The reagent do not have the isothiocyanate group directly bound to an unsubstituted phenyl or pentafluorophenyl group. A method for manufacturing a standard material for use in the analyzing method, a standard material obtainable by this manufacturing method. Compounds suitable for use as standard material and use of the standard material, and a container for analyzing the adducts are also disclosed. A method for analyzing hazardous substances, a kit including standard material or a compound set out above, an apparatus for performing the analyzing method, and a computer program stored on a data carrier for performing the analyzing method or the manufacturing method are also disclosed.

It has been demonstrated earlier that electrophilic compounds present in vivo can be monitored by measuring the products (adducts) of their reaction with proteins, in particular hemoglobin (Hb) (1-5). Important nucleophilic sites in proteins, e.g., hemoglobin (Hb), which are reactive under physiological conditions are the imidazole nitrogen atoms in histidine residues, sulfur atoms in cysteine and methionine residues, oxygen atoms in carboxyl groups and in hydroxyl groups in tyrosine and serine residues, and the α-nitrogen atoms in the N-terminal valine residue of all four chains of human Hb (6).
The so-called N-alkyl Edman procedure was developed for measurements of adducts (mainly low-molecular weight adducts) to N-terminal valine residues in Hb (7). This method was based on the original Edman degradation procedure (8,9) used for protein sequencing. It was observed that N-terminal valine N-alkylated with a radioactively labeled 2-hydroxyethyl moiety from ethylene oxide was released spontaneously as a phenylthiohydantoin (PTH) under the conditions (pH>7) employed for the coupling reaction between phenyl isothiocyanate (PITC) and protein. The released PTH could be separated from unmodified N-terminal valine residues, as well as from the rest of the protein by means of extraction.
This observation led to the development of the N-alkyl Edman procedure for gas chromatographic (GC)/mass spectrometric (MS) determination of Hb adducts (10). Because of its usefulness, the N-alkyl Edman method has been applied in a number of laboratories for research purposes, dose monitoring and hygienic surveillance (11-16).
A brief description of the N-alkyl Edman procedure is presented in FIG. 1. A sample of the globin (isolated from red blood cells by acid precipitation) is dissolved in formamide. Pentafluorophenyl isothiocyanate (PFPITC) is then added, together with a small amount of aqueous 1 M NaOH in order to obtain a near-neutral solution. This mixture is maintained at room temperature overnight, after which the temperature is raised to 45° C. for approximately two hours (17). The pentafluorophenylthiohydantoin (PFPTH) derivatives of the terminal N-alkylvaline residues are released in high yield by this procedure and can subsequently be isolated by extraction (liquid-liquid).
Although the N-alkyl Edman procedure has become an established method for analysis of N-substituted hemoglobin adducts, the method has its restrictions, e.g., the range of adducts that can be analyzed is limited. Small adducts, e.g., involving ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, can be quantified at the pmol/g globin level, which is sensitive enough for measurement of background adduct levels (levels without known exposure). However, adducts with a few polar groups are more difficult to analyse, due to the limitations imposed by the GC separation system prior to MS detection. Some of these limitations can be solved, e.g., by further derivatisation of the polar groups (18). However, this approach is both time-consuming and demands the development of new procedures for each specific adduct. Furthermore, adducts of high molecular weight (>500 mass units, mu) and/or thermolabile adducts are extremely difficult to analyze using the GC-MS based N-alkyl Edman procedure.
Accordingly, there is a need for more versatile and sensitive, as well as simpler methods for analyzing adducts.

Method for analyzing N-terminal protein adducts


Converter and conversion method for converting a click position of a flat panel display into a light pen simulated signal for a semiconductor manufacturing machine are provided. A converter includes a first connector, a second connector, and a controller coupled between the first connector and the second connector. The first connector is configured to obtain the click position from the flat panel display. The second connector is configured to provide the light pen simulated signal to the semiconductor manufacturing machine according to a synchronization signal from the semiconductor manufacturing machine. The controller is configured to generate the light pen simulated signal according to the click position and a mapping table of a first display resolution of the flat panel display and a second display resolution of the semiconductor manufacturing machine. The first display resolution is higher than the second display resolution.

In the semiconductor industry, semiconductor manufacturing machines are indispensable and expensive equipment for manufacturing a plurality of semiconductor devices. In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, an operator needs to control various operations of the semiconductor manufacturing machine or input data through a graphical user interface (GUI) of the semiconductor manufacturing machine.
Semiconductor manufacturing equipment suppliers may provide their own user interfaces. For example, light pens have been used for many years with cathode-ray-tube (CRT) monitors to input data to the semiconductor manufacturing machines. This type of user interface provides a means for users to enter information into the semiconductor manufacturing machine without requiring the use of a mouse, a keyboard, or another data-entry device.

Converter and conversion method for converting click position of display into light pen simulated signal for semiconductor manufacturing machine

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.


A connection terminal has a connector body having a mating end and an opposite cable receiving end; a pair of contact arms extending from the mating end; and a cable receiving member having an approximate cylindrical shape with a variable diameter, and extending from the cable receiving end.

In order to supply electrical power to electronic devices, a power supply wire is connected to a power supply terminal of the electronic devices. As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional connection terminal 200 has a wire insulation receiving region 201 for crimping an insulating layer of a cable (not shown), a substantially "F" shaped conductor receiving region 202 for crimping a conductor wire of the cable, and a contacting region 203 to be connected to the wiring terminal 204 of the electronic device.
The conductor receiving region 202 is electrically connected to the conductor of the cable by crimping or clamping the region 202 around the conductor. Due manufacture, a transition region between the conductor receiving region 202 and the contacting region 203 is made of metal sheet, and is relatively narrow, limiting the level of transmission power that can be applied.

Connection terminal and electrical connector


A synchronous semiconductor memory device having an on-die termination (ODT) circuit, and an ODT method, satisfy ODT DC and AC parameter specifications and perform an adaptive impedance matching through an external or internal control, by executing an ODT operation synchronized to an external clock. The synchronous semiconductor memory device having a data output circuit for performing a data output operation synchronously to the external clock includes the ODT circuit for generating ODT up and down signals having the same timing as data output up and down signals for the data output operation, to perform the ODT operation.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a termination of a semiconductor memory device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a synchronous semiconductor memory device having an on-die termination circuit, and an on-die termination method for a synchronous semiconductor memory device.
2. Description
Various kinds of semiconductor devices realized through an integrated circuit chip, such as CPUs, memories and gate arrays etc., are incorporated with one another in various electronic products such as personal computers, servers or workstations. A tendency toward a high-speed operation of such electronic products brings about a small swing width of an interface signal between the semiconductor devices, in order to reduce a delay time taken in a signal transfer. However, such a trend that the swing width of the signal gradually becomes small, has influence upon external noise, and further, a back-echo caused by an impedance mismatch in an interface terminal becomes critical. The impedance mismatch is generated by external noise or a variation of a power voltage, a change of an operating temperature, a change of a manufacturing process, etc. The impedance mismatch can cause a difficulty in a high-speed transmission of data and a distortion in output data. If a distorted output signal is transmitted, a set-up/hold time failure or an error in a decision of an input level, etc., may be often caused at a receiving side.
In particular, the frequency of a signal bus in electronic products employing a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) is being strikingly increased to realize a high-speed operation, and bus termination techniques are being variously researched to reduce a distortion phenomenon against a signal integrity by solving the impedance mismatching problem. As a result of this research, it is known that a system using on-die termination (ODT) is more advantageous from a viewpoint of the signal integrity than a system using a mother board termination (MBT), particularly in an electronic system having a stub bus structure.
One prior art MBT technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,886 issued on Aug. 31, 1999 to Millar. One prior art ODT technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,157,206 issued on Dec. 5, 2000 to Taylor et al.
The ODT has such a termination structure that a bus termination is performed at an input/output (I/O) port of a memory equipped with a memory module. That is, the ODT called an on-chip termination is realized by an impedance matching circuit that is employed at a position neighboring to a pad within an integrated circuit chip.
In a semiconductor memory device such as a synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) of a double data rate (DDR) type, etc., a typical ODT for performing an impedance matching is realized by connecting a resistance element having a fixed resistance value to the pad. For instance, if an optional termination circuit is designed to perform a termination operation of 60 ohms, resistance values of resistance elements (Rup,Rdn) constituting the termination circuit are each provided as 120 ohms as shown in FIG. 2.
Such an ODT circuit has only a fixed resistance value, thus has a difficulty to perform various termination operations in conformity to a change of a receiving environment. In other words, when the termination is pre-determined with a default value, an adaptive termination operation is impossible. Further, even though a self-termination circuit for controlling the ODT by itself is equipped internally, it is unnecessary for a semiconductor memory device in which the self-termination circuit is not required, and moreover it is not easy to control a termination resistance by using variable values of various modes through a signal applied from the outside. Furthermore, separate Direct Current (DC) on-die termination parameter and Alternating Current (AC) on-die termination parameter specifications are being recommended in high-speed semiconductor memory devices, thus an ODT countermeasure capable of satisfying such a recommended specification is needed.
Therefore, a high-speed semiconductor memory device requires an adaptive ODT technique capable of definitely satisfying the recommended ODT DC and AC parameter specifications and to perform a termination operation matched to a transmission/reception environment through an external or internal control, by realizing an ODT operation synchronized to an external clock.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an On-die Termination (ODT) operation synchronized to an external clock in a synchronous semiconductor memory device having an ODT circuit, satisfying ODT DC and AC parameter specifications, and performing an adaptive impedance matching through an external or internal control.
It would also be desirable to provide an ODT circuit capable of reducing its occupation area and a power consumption. Still further, it would be desirable to provide a double data rate (DDR) type synchronous semiconductor memory device capable of performing an ODT turn-on and turn-off operation in conformity with an output of data. Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a synchronous semiconductor memory device having an ODT circuit, and an ODT method for a synchronous semiconductor device.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a synchronous semiconductor memory device having a data output circuit for performing a data output operation synchronously to an external clock, includes an ODT circuit for generating ODT up and down signals with the same timing as a generation of data output up and down signals for the data output operation, to thus perform an ODT operation.
The ODT circuit includes an ODT synchronous buffer, an ODT gate and an ODT driver.
The ODT synchronous buffer receives an ODT command applied in response to a buffered clock signal that is generated by buffering an external clock, and then outputs the ODT command in response to a first clock signal delay-locked to the external clock, to thus generate a synchronous ODT command.
The ODT gate passes through and latches the synchronous ODT command in response to the first clock signal and a second clock signal that has a phase difference of a determined level from the first clock signal, to thus generate ODT up and down signals.
The ODT driver performs an ODT driving operation synchronized to the external clock, by controlling on or off operations of a pull-up resistance and a pull-down resistance in response to a state of the ODT up and down signals.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an ODT method in a synchronous semiconductor memory device having a data output circuit for performing a data output operation synchronously to an external clock, includes generating ODT up and down signals at the same timing as a generation of data output up and down signals for the data output operation; and performing an ODT operation corresponding to a state of the ODT up and down signals when an ODT command is applied, to thus control a pull-up and pull-down resistance within drivers for an ODT.
The systematic and methodic configurations of the present invention realize an ODT operation synchronized to an external clock, to satisfy an on-die termination DC and AC parameter specification and perform an adaptive impedance matching through an external or internal control.

Synchronous semiconductor memory device having on-die termination circuit and on-die termination method


A dust separating apparatus for a vacuum cleaner is provided. The dust separating apparatus comprises a first dust separating unit having a suction port, a guide member spirally, and a main filter to collect dust separated from drawn-in air, a second dust separating unit including a plurality of cyclones annularly arranged to centrifugally separate the dust from the air discharged from the first dust separating unit, and a cover unit to guide the air discharged from the first and the second dust separating units. The first dust separating unit separates the dust included in drawn-in air by rotating along the guide member and passing through the main filter the air drawn in through the suction port. The second dust separating unit rotates the air discharged from the first dust separating unit, thereby further filtering the air.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner. More particularly, the present invention relates to a dust separating apparatus mounted in a vacuum cleaner body to separate and collect dust included in drawn-in air.
2. Description of the Related Art
General vacuum cleaners comprise a dust separating apparatus which draws in dust-laden air using a suction force generated by a suction motor mounted in a cleaner body and separates dust from the drawn-in air.
Generally, after centrifugally separating the dust from the drawn-in air, the dust separating apparatus discharges clean air to the outside and collects the separated dust in a dedicated dust collecting chamber.
The dust separating apparatus comprises a cyclone body for centrifugally separating the dust, a suction path formed along a circumference of the cyclone body, and a discharge path formed on an upper portion of the cyclone body.
According to the above configuration, the dust-laden air drawn in through the suction path from a surface being cleaned is separated into clean air and dust in the cyclone body by a centrifugal force. Here, the cleaned air is discharged out through the discharge path while the dust is collected in the cyclone body.
In order to enhance dust separating efficiency, a multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus comprising a plurality of cyclones has recently been developed. For example, as disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2003-0062520, which is the prior application of the present application, a dust separating apparatus comprises a first cyclone for separating relatively rough dust and a plurality of second cyclones formed along an outer circumference of the first cyclone to separate relatively fine dust.
The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus can improve the dust separating efficiency by sequentially arranging a plurality of cyclones. However, in the multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus, an air path is formed long and a course of airflow becomes complex, thereby deteriorating an initial suction force and increasing loss of pressure. Accordingly, researches for overcoming such problems have been being activated.

Dust-separating apparatus for vacuum cleaner


Advertisers want to deliver their message in a relatively short period of time. This leads to the product name, company name and other identifying features being repeated frequently during a commercial broadcast. Transcript information can be used to detect commercials by detecting frequently occurring words in the commercials. This can also be used to identify an individual commercial from other commercials. Once the individual commercials have been identified, the transcript information corresponding to each commercial can be stored in a database to identify the commercial in subsequent broadcasts, or to provide a search mechanism for searching a particular commercial in the database.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to identifying and learning commercials during a program such as a broadcast television program, and more specifically to identifying and learning commercials during a broadcast television program using transcript information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Television viewing systems are available which automatically detect selected segments of a television signal such as commercial advertisements or undesired portions of the program. These commercial detection systems are typically used to mute the audio portion of the television broadcast when the undesired portion of the program appears, or for controlling a video player to skip the undesired portion of the program during recording or replay. Although a wide variety of techniques have been developed for detecting selected segments of television programs, none of the prior art systems monitor the transcript information (e.g., closed-captioned signal) of a television program to identify and learn the commercial portions which occur during the program. In addition, none of the prior art systems identify, segment and store individual commercials which occur during a commercial segment of the program for later use, for example, to create a library of commercials to identify corresponding commercial portions of subsequent television broadcasts.

Method of using transcript information to identify and learn commercial portions of a program


In a flat contact socket with two spring contact arms elastically touching at a distance from the free ends over part of their length, arranged on the socket body and bent back at the free ends, and with outer springs supported on the contact arms or the purposes of easy and secure insertion of the flat contact socket into the socket housing, the socket body is firmly surrounded by an outer spring body and the outer spring body is provided at the diameter wall sections with arm parts, extending over the flat sides of the contact arms and obliquely to the free ends and to one another. In addition, the free ends of the arm parts are bent back over part of their length over the free ends of the contact arms against one another and in the insertion direction and arranged to press against the free ends of the contact arms.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a flat-contact plug socket with two contact arms arranged on the body of the socket. These arms are bent back at the free end and, within the spacing of the free end, rest against each other across part of their length with resilient elasticity, as well as with outer springs supported on the contact arms.
2. The Prior Art
It is known that plug socket casings are mechanically equipped with flat-contact plug sockets. The problem arising in the course of the connecting operation is that the free ends of the flat-contact plug sockets often get hooked onto areas of the casing, causing an unfavorable result when using this device. In addition, it has been found that the probability of getting hooked increases as the sizes of plug socket casings and plug sockets become smaller. In particular, however, such getting hooked by the flat-contact plug sockets occurs as the latter are being inserted into plug socket casings when outer springs are associated with the contact arms of the flat-contact plug sockets.


A technique for broadcasting a broadcast data service together with broadcast digital television data as part of a broadcast signal, the broadcast data service comprising a plurality of data portions including data portions having digital data in non-real time. The technique comprising, during normal broadcasting, only broadcasting portions of the broadcast data service required to replace previous respective portions which have been changed and broadcasting television data of the broadcast data service as non-real time data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data broadcast system and method and, more particularly, to a method of broadcasting data services with broadcast signals and a system for selectively providing portions of the broadcast data service to the user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital television systems have become widely used for broadcast systems. The digital television systems provide digitisation and compression of the image to be broadcast with technologies such as MPEG-2 compression. The broadcast pictures are hence encoded and conveyed to the digital television receivers in the home as a digital data sequence. Digital television has a number of advantages over conventional analogue television, such as increased capacity and increased robustness to noise and interference.
Digital television systems also allow many kinds of data to be carried seamlessly within broadcasts carrying audio and visual data. Hence, many new services can be provided through the digital TV receiver to the viewer.
A popular analogue service that uses additional data carried within the broadcast transmission is the teletext service. The teletext service is carried as digital data within certain transmission lines of the vertical blanking interval (VBI) of the TV signal. The VBI is the time allowed for the raster scan to return to the top of the screen and hence this time is not used to carry any useful picture information. Some lines are set aside for teletext data and the digital data is modulated onto the broadcast TV signal.
Teletext systems broadcast a number of "pages" of data in cycles with a page being typically updated every 2 to 3 minutes. The update cycle time depends on how many pages are broadcast in the cycle, there being only a small bandwidth available for the teletext data. Upon selecting a page, the viewer has to then wait for the page to be delivered as part of the cycle—this time will be on average half the total cycle time for all the pages.
Typical teletext systems provide the latest news, sport and TV guide information and also reference information and advertising. Teletext systems are very useful for providing "headline" information such as sports results when there is no other means of obtaining the information.
A very popular use for the teletext systems is to find out the latest information for some rapidly changing event such as a sports event. Often this can be the only way the viewer can obtain this information, because sports events are often not screened live, are carried as part of a pay-per-view service or have finished such that the programmes are now carrying other content. Hence, this allows the viewer to catch up with "missed" content such as sports events or news broadcasts by other means using the data services.
A problem with previous broadcast data services is that they communicate very little information—perhaps just the score of a football match for instance. The user, although not wanting to see the whole sports event, would like a little more information than just the score—maybe to see video of the goals or near misses in the example of a football match.
However, to provide a service like this there are further problems. Simple data services such as teletext can be provided easily with a low bandwidth. Providing an enhanced data service with audio and visual data would require more bandwidth or take a lot longer to update and cycle the information.
Viewers have different interests and priorities, so what is important to one viewer is of little interest to another. Screening news "highlights" in a sequence that repeats and updates every 15 minutes is not appealing to a viewer if they have one item they would like to see and have to wait an average of 7.5 minutes to see this item.
Digital broadcast systems can provide more bandwidth for program content. However, this bandwidth is still at a premium. Using some of the bandwidth to provide broadcast data services can be considered wasteful, particularly if there is other content that could be screened at the same time to a reasonable audience. Indeed, screening live video and audio as a broadcast data service will still take up approximately 2 Mbit/s of bandwidth using MPEG-2 compression.


Aircraft exhaust systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, an integrated propulsion assembly includes a wing assembly having an upper surface and a lower surface, and a propulsion unit at least partially disposed within the wing assembly. An exhaust system is configured to conduct an exhaust flow emanating from the propulsion unit to an exhaust aperture. The exhaust aperture is positioned proximate a trailing edge of the wing assembly, and has an aspect ratio of at least five. In further embodiments, the wing assembly includes a flap member moveably coupled along a trailing edge portion of the wing assembly, and the exhaust aperture is configured to direct the exhaust flow over at least a portion of the flap member.

For some types of aircraft, including transport aircraft, high-lift capability is important, particularly for takeoff and landing requirements. Aircraft designs are typically limited to a maximum takeoff weight and an associated runway length. For a given runway length, higher lift levels permit larger aircraft weights. Equivalently, for a given aircraft weight, higher lift allows for a lower stall speed and a shorter runway. From an operational perspective, higher lift translates into access to a larger number of airports. Whether the requirement is for a higher aircraft weight or for shorter runways, superior high-lift capability is a key design objective of the aircraft manufacturers.
It is known that some types of aircraft employ wing-mounted turbofan (or turbojet) engines configured to impinge the exhaust flow from the wing-mounted engines upon portions of the wing surfaces in order to augment wing lift during low-speed operations. These high-lift (or lift-augmentation) systems may favorably impact short-field take-off and landing capabilities, and may substantially improve the economical and operational characteristics of both military and commercial aircraft. More specifically, from an operational perspective, shorter runways translate into access to a larger number of airports. In the context of military airplanes, an area of high priority is the ability to operate off remote and austere fields. Military transports with short runway capability are important for maximizing the global reach of the airlift force. With respect to commercial transports, the economical impact of high-lift systems can be substantial. For example, an increase in takeoff lift-to-drag ratio (L/D) results in an increase in payload or an increased range.
Although desirable results have been achieved using high-lift aircraft exhaust systems in accordance with the prior art, novel systems and methods that provide improved performance and reduced noise would have greater utility.

High-performance low-noise aircraft exhaust systems and methods


Copolymers are produced when a 3,4-epoxy-1-butene monomer is copolymerized with a maleimide monomer in the presence of a free radical initiator. The copolymerization involves both 1,2-propagation and 1,4-propagation of 3,4-epoxy-1-butene. Products of this invention can be cast as clear films and can also be used as reactive polymers.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,013,806; 5,071,930; 5,071,931; and 5,071,932 (issued to Blevins and Turner in 1991) disclose copolymers of 3,4-epoxy-1-butenes and maleic anhydrides. Other than the compounds and processes described in these patents, no other known reference discloses copolymers of 3,4-epoxy-1-butene with maleic anhydride or its derivatives. While the copolymers of Blevins and Turner are useful, it would be desirable to have copolymers that are more resistant to moisture and hydrolysis.

Copolymers of epoxybutadiene and maleimides


An electrical motor includes a stator housing having a toroidally shaped inner cavity. A plurality of stator electromagnets are mounted along the cavity wall in a plurality of parallel helical paths. A plurality of rotor members are rotatively mounted at fixed, spaced-apart angular positions around a ring shaft whose axis is coincident with the axis of the toroidal cavity. Each rotor member includes a plurality of permanent magnets mounted around its circumference. A linear output shaft has one end connected to the ring shaft and its other end extending out of the stator housing. By properly energizing the stator electromagnets, electromagnetic fields set up by them and the rotor magnets interact to produce torque which causes the rotor members to rotate about the ring shaft and to precess laterally causing the ring shaft, and attached linear output shaft, to rotate relative to the stator housing. The toroidal configuration of the motor provides a larger volume electromagnetic field interaction space than conventional cylindrical motors which yields higher output powers and higher torques. The motor, which also has an inherent speed reduction feature, may be operated in reverse as an electrical generator.

This invention relates generally to the field of electrical machinery. It relates more particularly to an electrical motor which utilizes a unique toroidal rotor/stator configuration providing a larger volume electromagnetic field interaction space and higher output torque than conventional cylindrical motors. The motor also has an inherent output speed reduction characteristic. It may also be operated in reverse by rotatably driving its output shaft from an external source, and thus function as an electrical generator.
Electrical motors consist of two basic machine parts--a stator, or stationary part, which typically defines a generally cylindrical internal cavity, and a rotor, or rotating part, which is also generally cylindrical in shape and which rotates about its central axis inside the stator cavity. Both the stator and the rotor typically have electromagnetic field-producing elements such as conductor windings through which electrical currents are passed. The rotor and stator are separated by a thin air gap. An output shaft is coaxially connected to the rotor so that it rotates with the rotor about the rotor axis.
In operation, a rotating electromagnetic field is set up across the tube-like air gap between the stator and rotor by energizing the windings on the stator or rotor or both with varying electrical signals. According to well-known principles of electromagnetic theory, the rotor and stator electromagnetic fields tend to line up, to minimize free potential energy, so that the center line of a north pole on one machine member (e.g. the rotor) is directly opposite the center line of a south pole on the other machine member (e.g., the stator). The tendency of the interacting fields to line up in this fashion produces the torque, or turning force, that rotates the rotor relative to the stator. The power output of the motor is proportional to the product of its torque and the rotational speed of its output shaft.
There are a wide variety of electrical motor designs, all having the same basic cylindrical rotor/stator configuration and all operating on the same basic electromagnetic principles, but each generally having different performance characteristics. For example, there are a-c motors which involve the supply of alternating electrical current to the windings of at least one of the stator and rotor. There are also d-c motors which involve the supply only of direct electrical current to the stator and/or rotor windings. A-C motors, in turn, may be synchronous, induction-type, single phase or polyphase, depending upon the particular manner in which input current signals are supplied. Similarly, d-c motors may be series-type, shunt-type or compound, depending upon the manner in which the rotor and stator windings are interconnected. Even these motor classifications often have sub-classifications. For example, a-c polyphase motors may be either Y- or .DELTA.-connected, depending upon how the windings for each phase are interconnected.
Selecting the right type of electrical motor for a given application depends to a large degree on the conditions within the mechanical equipment that the motor is intended to drive. For example, some applications require a motor speed which remains substantially constant as load varies, while others require an absolutely constant speed that is adjustable over a range. In still other applications, the torque which the motor is capable of supplying while starting, and the maximum torque which it can furnish while running, are factors of prime importance. Each of the different types of electrical motors that exist have different torque, speed and power characteristics which a user can seek to match to the particular requirements of the driven equipment application. When properly matched to the load, all of these motors generally operate at relatively high efficiencies.
Like all electromechanical devices, however, electrical motors have physical limitations which make it difficult to achieve a proper match to the driven equipment requirements in all cases. One of the most fundamental limitations in all electrical motor designs derives from the basic fact that the torque and power output of a motor are dependent upon the physical size of the electromagnetic field interaction space defined by the motor's rotor and stator. The motor designer who requires higher power output and/or higher torque with a particular type of motor generally achieves this by using a larger volume cylindrical rotor/stator configuration. In other words, the designer simply makes the motor with a larger diameter and/or longer rotor/stator. This approach is due principally to the fact that cylindrical rotors and straight, coaxially-positioned rotor output shafts have been considered axiomatic in electrical motor design since very early on in their practical development.
Similar approaches are used in the design of electrical generators, which are functionally and structurally basically the same as electrical motors except that the rotor in a generator is driven in rotation from an external source and the interacting electromagnetic fields are used to generate electricity. With electrical generators as well, higher power outputs and higher torques are conventionally achieved by using larger diameter and/or longer rotor/stator structures.


A technique includes determining at least one impulse response of a modeling and migration of at least one point scatterer in a target structure and based at least in part on the impulse response(s) and a reflection amplitude image, determining a model for at least part of the target structure.

Seismic exploration may be used in many different applications, such as applications involving surveying subterranean geologic formations for hydrocarbon deposits. In a survey, one or more seismic source(s) generate seismic waves, which propagate into the geologic formations creating pressure changes and vibrations along their way. Changes in elastic properties of the geologic formations scatter the seismic waves, changing their direction of propagation and other properties. Part of the energy emitted by the sources reaches seismic sensors, resulting in measurements that are acquired by the sensors. Some seismic sensors are sensitive to pressure changes (hydrophones), others to particle motion (e.g., geophones); and industrial surveys may deploy only one type of sensor, both hydrophones and geophones; and/or other suitable sensor types. Time-domain based seismic amplitude inversion has been used to derive an estimate of the elastic rock properties of the surveyed geologic formations.

Determining an elastic model for a geologic region


Method for coating a rectifier metal (aluminum) with alkali metal molybdenate/alkali metal silicate or alkali metal tungstenate/alkali metal silicate comprises immersing a rectifier metal (anode) and a cathodic metal in an electrolytic solution and imposing voltage potential between the two electrodes. The voltage is first raised to about 240 to about 260 volts during an oxidation stage, and thereafter to about 380-420 volts to form the desired coating.. Unique electrolytic solutions are provided for the electrodeposition method.

Aluminum and its alloys have been widely used in a variety of industrial and household applications in sheet forms or as strips, bars, rods, tubes, structural members, household appliances and utensils, hardware and a host of other articles. As mentioned in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,941,930, there are numerous other outlets for aluminum articles and its alloys for such uses as ornamental wall panels for inside or outside of various structures, restaurant furnishings, art objects and several other applications.
Because of its low density and tendency toward corrosion, it is necessary to provide aluminum articles with a suitable coating in order to impart structural strength and integrity thereto and to protect them against corrosion and environmental degradation. In the past, the metal surfaces were often painted or enameled in order to protect them against the action of the elements. However, painting and enameling do not provide the metal surfaces with satisfactory protection because they are basically organic coatings and tend to degrade at elevated temperatures. Moreover, these coatings usually adhere poorly to the metal surfaces, particularly when subjected to different temperature cycles.
In order to provide improved protection for aluminum and its alloys, the metal surfaces have been anodized using various electrolytic solutions. While anodization of aluminum affords the surface of the metal greater protection against corrosion than has hitherto been obtained by painting or enameling, still the resulting coated articles have not been entirely satisfactory because of inadequate resistance against corrosion by acids and alkalis. Moreover, the coatings imparted to the metal by known electrodeposition techniques often lack the desired degree of hardness, durability, smoothness, adherence to the metal surface and the imperviousness required to meet the ever-increasing industrial and household demands. Frequently, the coated aluminum articles have been unsatisfactory for use as decorative articles because of the poor quality or appearance of their surfaces.
There are numerous patents which deal with anodization of aluminum metal and its alloys. See, e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,440 and the patents cited therein. A review of the prior art patents illustrates the significant role of the electrolytic solution used in the anodizing process in order to provide aluminum and its alloys with the desired coatings. Thus, the nature and properties of the coatings formed on aluminum and its alloys depend, to a great extent, on the composition of the anodic bath (electrolytic solution). Other parameters such as the conditions used during the electrodeposition process also contribute to the nature and quality of the coating. These factors were recognized by the present inventor and discussed in his U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,626 and later in his aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,440.
As described in said U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,626, a rectifier metal, (e.g., aluminum) is anodized in an electrolytic solution consisting of a relatively pure potassium silicate concentrations theretofore employed. The process comprised immersing the rectifier metal (anode) in the electrolytic solution, immersing a second metal in said solution, said second metal serving as the cathode, imposing a voltage potential across the anode and cathode and causing an electric current to flow therebetween until a visible spark is discharged at the surface of the rectifier metal, increasing the voltage potential to about 300 volts and maintaining this potential at approximately the same level until the desired coating thickness is deposited on the surface of the rectifier metal. While the resulting coating exhibits more desirable qualities than the coatings obtained by the prior art anodizing methods, they still do not fulfill the stringent demands of various industrial and household requirements. In addition, the surface finish of the metal is not entirely satisfactory for decorative applications of the coated metallic article.
In his later U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,440, the present inventor describes the use of a different electrolytic solution for anodizing aluminum and its alloys. It consists essentially of an aqueous solution containing an alkali metal silicate, a peroxide, a water-soluble carboxylic group-containing organic acid and a water-soluble fluoride. Where the coated article is intended to be used for decorative purposes, a small amount of a vanadium compound is included in the electrolytic solution in order to impart color to the resulting coating. The vanadium compounds used to impart the desired color to the coatings include sodium vanadate (Na.sub.3 VO.sub.4), hypovanadate [M.sub.2 (CV.sub.4 O.sub.9 ].multidot.H.sub.2 O, e.g., sodium pyrovanadate (Na.sub.2 V.sub.2 O.sub.7) and potassium metavanadate (KVO.sub.3), and vanadium fluorides such as vanadium trifluoride (VF.sub.3 .multidot.H.sub.2), vanadium tetrafluoride (VF.sub.3) and vanadium pentafluoride (VF.sub.4).
In the method described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,440, the aluminum article serving as the anode, and another metal serving as the cathode, are immersed in the electrolytic solution and a "voltage shock" is applied between these two electrodes. This voltage shock is quickly raised to about 300 volts within 2 to 10 seconds, and thereafter the voltage is raised gradually to about 450 volts within a few minutes until the desired coating thickness is formed. The coatings produced in accordance with the method described in said patent is more uniform, homogeneous and less pervious than the coatings produced by the method described in the earlier U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,626. In the latter patent the aluminum surface is coated with a pure silicate compound, i.e., sodium silicate or potassium silicate, whereas in the former patent the coating also includes some vanadium compound.
More recently, in his pending application Ser. No. 459,552, filed Jan. 2, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,763, the present inventor describes a method of coating aluminum with vanadium oxides. Also described therein is an electrolytic bath which comprises a mixture, in water, of a major amount of an alkali metal orthovanadate and a minor amount of an alkali metal silicate. The electrolytic solution may further include an alkali metal hydroxide, and sodium peroxide or potassium peroxide, to obtain a pH of about 12 to about 13.5. The resulting coating on the metal surface is adherent, hard, smooth, uniform, durable and corrosion resistant, and is predominantly alkali metal orthovanadate.
The disclosures of said patents and said application are fully incorporated herein by reference.

Method of coating aluminum with alkali metal molybdenate-alkali metal silicate or alkali metal tungstenate-alkali metal silicate and electroyltic solutions therefor


A portable communication device and learning tool for use by speech impaired individuals or monolinguistic individuals is provided by the present invention. The device is foldable for convenient carrying and storage. A method of using the communication device and learning tool is also provided.

Aphasia is a condition in which an individual experiences an impairment or a loss of the ability to communicate by verbal speech or by writing, or has decreased ability to understand written or spoken language, due to a brain injury, illness or disease condition.
Many individuals afflicted by a brain injury, stroke, or other injury caused by external forces may suffer from aphasia. The partial or total inability to communicate through verbal speech or written language makes it difficult for professional caregivers and family members to ascertain the needs of the patient and to provide the appropriate care and assistance.
Depending upon the severity of the brain injury or disease, the ability of an individual to communicate to others may be at different levels. This is particularly important in a hospital setting or long-term care facility where there are many patients that are unable to verbally communicate with the health care providers and hospital staff, and many patients have different levels of verbal capability.
Another problem often encountered in a hospital setting relates to the treatment of patients who do not speak the language of the health care providers and hospital staff. The language barrier between the patient and the healthcare professional makes it difficult for the patient to communicate needs to the healthcare provider. Moreover, the language barrier makes it difficult for the healthcare provider to understand what the patient needs and to respond with the appropriate care.
A wide variety of augmentative and assistive communication devices have been developed for use by individuals having differing degrees of verbal communication skills.
A number of word and/or picture communication sheets, boards, and notebooks for use by individuals with limited verbal communication capabilities are commercially available from Interactive Therapeutics, Inc. (Stow, Ohio). A two-sided communication picture board is available under the trademark VISIBOARD. A four-sided picture communication board is commercially available from Interactive Therapeutics, Inc. under the trademark CRITICAL COMMUNICATOR, which includes basic care concepts and is intended to be used in a variety of patient care settings. However, none of the of the communication boards, sheets or notebooks generate a visually or audibly perceptible output in response to an input by the user.
A variety of augmentative communication devices are commercially available from Zygo Industries, Inc. (Portland, Oreg.). Hand-held, direct-selection, personal pen computer augmentative communication devices are commercially available from Zygo Industries, Inc. under the trademarks OPTIMIST and OPTIMIST II.
A number of portable, "text-to-speech" communication devices are also available from Zygo Industries, Inc. under the trademark LIGHTWRITER. The LIGHTWRITER communication devices include a keyboard and narrow display screen in the plane of the keyboard. For those individuals that do not have the motor capability to use a keyboard, scanning communication devices are also available. The LIGHTWRITER communication devices can be converted to scanning communication devices by connection a separate scanning module to the keyboard. The LIGHTWRITER communication devices, however, are limited to producing an output in response from an input received via the keyboard or by the scanning selection technique.
A foldable communication device including a keyboard, a display screen and a sound output means is available from Zygo Industries, Inc. under the trademark POLYANA II. Again, this device is limited to producing an output in response from an input received via the keyboard or by the scanning selection technique.
A number of augmentative communication devices are commercially available from Dynavox Systems, LLC (Pittsburgh, Pa.) under the trademarks DYNAVOX, DYNAMYTE and DYNAMO. These communication devices feature a dynamic touch screen display for activation by the user.
Nevertheless, there is still a need in the art for an easy to use, inexpensive, portable communication device that can be used by individuals with differing levels speech capability and motor skill capability, and for those individuals that speak only one language.


A truck tank to be carried in the bed of a pickup truck equipped with a bed-mounted hitch. The tank is profiled to fit within the wheel wells of the truck bed and to have either an arched recess formed in the bottom to accommodate the hitch when the tank is lifted into the bed or alternatively, an arched groove extending from the arched recess to the side of the tank so as to permit the tank to be slid into the truck bed.

Tanks placed on the beds of pick-up trucks have long been used to transport liquids. Such tanks can be made of a variety of materials, however, one-piece truck tanks can molded out of polyethylene, or some other type of thermoformed or rotomolded thermoplastic. Plastic tanks are increasingly popular due to their strength, lack of joints or seams to leak, ability to carry potable drinking water, low cost and corrosion-resistance.
Large capacity thermoplastic tanks all have a substantially flat bottom which engages with the truck's bed for supporting the weight of stored liquid. For example, American Tank Company of Windsor, Calif., U.S.A. manufactures flat-bottomed rectangular and dome-top pick-up truck tanks in a variety of sizes. These tanks can hold from 180 to 425 US gal.; of liquid and are rated for liquids weighing up to 12.5 lbs. per US gal.; holding from 2100 to 5000 pounds of liquid or more when full.
Pick-up trucks may also be provided with trailer hitches which, rather than mounting to the rear of the vehicle, are secured to the bed or frame of the truck approximately between the wheel wells. These bed-mounted types of hitches come in a variety of designs, including the commonly known fifth wheel hitches and goose neck hitches. While these types of hitches provide greater towing capacity, they also preclude the use of these large capacity flat-bottomed thermoplastic truck tanks without removal of the hitch. This is especially true for the fifth wheel type of hitch, which may take up most of the volume or space between the wheel wells. Goose-neck hitches typically have a ball extending 4 to 5 inches upwardly from the bed between the wheel wells, which preclude the use of the traditional large capacity flat-bottomed thermoplastic truck tanks; as they can puncture the tank.
Goose-neck hitches are an especially popular type of hitch for towing horse trailers and are therefore often installed on agricultural work trucks. As a work truck is often used alternately between towing a trailer and hauling tanks of liquid such as water, a goose-neck hitch becomes a common impediment to the installation of the tank. Typically, one must first remove the goose-neck's ball and any ancillary components so as to permit a flat-bottomed truck tank to be placed on the bed of the work truck.
Some goose-neck hitches are configured to address this issue by being able to fold under the bed, leaving a flat area. However, these folding goose-neck hitches quickly become rusted and seize up; especially when the truck bed is exposed to the elements.
One solution is to use smaller capacity tanks placed on an area of the truck bed not occupied by the hitch. For example, Diverse Plastic Tanks Inc. of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, manufactures a 72-gallon U-shaped pick-up truck tank for placement behind a fifth-wheel hitch and under the trailer. The U-shaped tank does not hold as large a capacity of liquid as do the tanks of the American Tank Company described above, simply because of the smaller dimension required to fit behind the fifth-wheel hitch.
Another solution is to use a tank which has a base foot-print small enough to fit in front of, or behind, a fifth wheel hitch, but which has an increased capacity by virtue of increased height. High profile tanks however have a higher center of gravity, preclude rear vision through the back of a truck's cab and result in decreased aerodynamics.
What is needed is a large capacity thermoplastic truck tank which can be placed on a pick-up truck's bed, whether or not a bed-mounted hitch is present, having a lower center of gravity and providing for rear vision.

Truck tank for accommodating a bed-mounted hitch


The method disclosed may be used following a prostatectomy, and may comprise inserting an instrument into the bladder lumen through incisions in the abdomen and bladder wall; using an end effector thereon to urge the bladder wall to the pelvic floor and align the openings of the bladder and urethra, and drive an anchor through the bladder wall into the pelvic floor, thereby connecting a balloon harness to the pelvic floor; inflating a balloon within the harness, which holds the bladder wall surrounding the bladder opening against the pelvic floor; maintaining the balloon in place and draining the bladder via a catheter during the time required for the tissues to effectively knit; and then deflating the balloon, disconnecting the harness, and withdrawing the instrument. The instrument may comprise one or more tubes that support an end effector comprising a positioner, an anchor driver, a harness, a balloon and a catheter.

Prostate cancer is the second most common malignancy in males after cutaneous malignancies and is the second most common cause of cancer death among men in the United States. Prostate cancer is predominantly a disease of elderly men, and the absolute number of cases is expected to increase as worldwide life expectancy increases.
The retropubic approach to prostatectomy as a treatment for prostate cancer was introduced by Millin in 1947. The operation had distinct advantages over perineal prostatectomy in that urologists were more familiar with retropubic anatomy. The retropubic approach to radical prostatectomy also offers the advantage of the ability to perform an extraperitoneal pelvic lymph node dissection for staging purposes. During the past decade, modification in the technique of radical retropubic prostatectomy and the introduction of the anatomic nerve-sparing method resulted in a dramatic decrease in the two morbidities associated with the operation that cause the most concern—incontinence and impotence.
In a radical retropubic prostatectomy, the surgeon removes all or most of the patient's prostate. Because the urethra travels through the prostate, the upper part of the urethra is removed in the surgery. In order to restore proper urinary functions, the bladder and the urethra must be reconnected.
Providing this connection is particularly difficult due to the limited working space and the small size of the urethra. The size of the urethra makes it difficult to accurately place the suture thread through the wall of the urethra. Heretofore, surgeons would execute painstaking suturing operations with tiny, fine needles to reconnect the bladder to the urethra. It has been found that the use of sutures for this purpose has caused certain problems in recovery. These problems include necrosis of the sutured tissues, stricture of the urethra that impedes the flow of fluid through it, and a urethra-bladder connection that is not fluid-tight. In addition, when suturing the urethra to the bladder the surgeon can possibly inadvertently pierce the nearby neurovascular bundle, which can cause incontinence or impotence. The suturing process itself has also been found to be cumbersome, requiring the surgeon to grasp and stretch the bladder and urethra together before making the fine sutures. Sutures may also tear the urethra, resulting in further complications.
With radical retropubic prostatectomies becoming more common, faster and simpler ways to reconnect the bladder and urethra are in demand. It would be further advantageous to provide a means for the anastomosis of the urethra and bladder that does not require the use of potentially damaging sutures.
Additionally, there are other surgical procedures requiring the connection of vessels, hollow organs and tissues defining other body lumens. While some of these structures are large, and more easily manipulated by the surgeon, tissue structures defining other body lumens are smaller and more difficult to manipulate and hold in position while joining ends thereof after, for example, a transectional operation. Accordingly, a faster and simpler way to connect vessels, hollow organs and other tissues defining body lumens would be advantageous.
Reference will now be made in detail to various alternative embodiments of the method and instrument of the invention, and various alternative components thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Method and instrument for effecting anastomosis of respective tissues defining two body lumens


Techniques for managing a TCP congestion window. Such techniques include incrementing an acknowledgement (ACK) count for non-duplicate Transmission Control Protocol ACKs received, comparing the ACK count to a congestion window factor representing the ratio of a congestion window size associated with a connection to a maximum segment size associated with the connection, and, based on the comparing, incrementing the congestion window factor.

Networks enable computers and other devices to communicate. For example, networks can carry data representing video, audio, e-mail, and so forth. Typically, data sent across a network is divided into smaller messages known as packets. By analogy, a packet is much like an envelope you drop in a mailbox. A packet typically includes "payload" and a "header". The packet's "payload" is analogous to the letter inside the envelope. The packet's "header" is much like the information written on the envelope itself. The header can include information to help network devices handle the packet appropriately.
A number of network protocols cooperate to handle the complexity of network communication. For example, a protocol known as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) provides "connection" services that enable remote applications to communicate. That is, much like picking up a telephone and assuming the phone company will make everything in-between work, TCP provides applications with simple primitives for establishing a connection (e.g., CONNECT and CLOSE) and transferring data (e.g., SEND and RECEIVE). Behind the scenes, TCP transparently handles a variety of communication issues such as data retransmission, adapting to network traffic congestion, and so forth.
To provide these services, TCP operates on packets known as segments. Generally, a TCP segment travels across a network within ("encapsulated" by) a larger packet such as an Internet Protocol (IP) datagram. The payload of a segment carries a portion of a stream of data sent across a network. A receiver can restore the original stream of data by collecting the received segments.
Potentially, segments may not arrive at their destination in their proper order, if at all. For example, different segments may travel very different paths across a network. Thus, TCP assigns a sequence number to each data byte transmitted and includes the sequence number of the first payload byte of a segment in the segment header. This enables a receiver to reassemble the bytes in the correct order. Additionally, since every byte is sequenced, each byte can be acknowledged (ACKed) to confirm successful transmission. Thus, a receiver includes an ACK number in a TCP segment header identifying the next expected sequence number, acknowledging receipt of sequence numbers less than the ACK number.

Transmission control protocol congestion window


A corn harvesting implement for a field chopping machine has a drawing-in trough, a plurality of transporting passages supported on the drawing-in trough, the transporting passages including at least two outer transporting passages which are foldable upwardly to a transporting position for obtaining a smaller transporting width and foldable outwardly to a working position. The transporting passages also include stationary transporting passages. The transporting passages are arranged so that in the working position a predetermined distance is provided between at a part of at least one of the upwardly foldable transporting passages and at least a part of a neighboring part of the stationary transporting passages. Means for increasing the distance at least before a beginning of folding the upwardly foldable passages from the working position to the transporting position is provided.

The present invention relates to a corn harvesting implement for a field chopping machine.
More particularly, it relates to a corn harvesting implement which has a plurality of transporting passages supported on a drawing-in trough which carries a transverse conveyor transporting screw, and at least two outer transporting passages are upwardly foldable for forming a smaller transportation width.
Corn harvesting implements of the above mentioned general type are known in the art. One of such corn harvesting implements is disclosed, for example, in the German patent 3,233,122. Since the width of the drawing-in trough is determined from above by the maximum transportation width prescribed in accordance with the law, in the corn harvesting implements with 8 transporting passages or with 6 transporting passages for great row distances, a considerable spreading of the outer transporting passages is produced. With a great spreading it is however impossible, due to structural and spatial reasons to fold upwardly the outer transporting passages in the above described manner since the structural elements of the not upwardly foldable transporting passages and of the upwardly foldable transporting passages collide with one another.

Corn harvesting implement for field chopping machine