A portable communication terminal apparatus is disclosed which can announce termination of a call in various methods with a simple configuration and allows selection of a suitable annunciation method in accordance with a utilization situation of the portable communication terminal apparatus so that an annunciation operation can be performed appropriately thereby achieve reduction of the power consumption and the noise generation. An unfolded/folded state of a body of a foldable portable telephone set is supervised by an unfolded/folded state detection section. When an annunciation operation is to be performed upon termination of a call or the like, an annunciation method determination section selects one of a plurality annunciation methods stored in a storage section in response to the unfolded/folded state of the portable telephone set. A control section controls an annunciation section to drive a vibrator, a speaker or an LED to perform an annunciation operation in accordance with the selected annunciation method.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable communication terminal apparatus such as a portable telephone set, a personal handy-phone system (PHS) or a personal digital assistant, and more particularly to annunciation of a portable communication terminal by generation of sound, emission of light, generation of vibrations or a display.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an annunciation apparatus for a foldable communication terminal apparatus is known wherein, in order to improve the foldable communication terminal apparatus in terms of the problem that much time is required for an operation to respond to a call termination annunciation operation while the foldable communication terminal apparatus is in a folded state, an annunciation operation is stopped by a simple operation of the foldable communication terminal apparatus to achieve reduction of the noise generation and the power consumption.
For example, a portable telephone set is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 203526/1995 wherein a switch for stopping call termination annunciation sound is provided at a position at which the user can depress the switch even when the portable telephone set is in a folded state so that an annunciation operation of the portable telephone set can be stopped immediately. Another portable telephone set is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2850794 wherein annunciation sound is stopped or the volume of annunciation sound is decreased only if the body of the telephone set is unfolded during a call termination annunciation operation of the telephone set. A further portable telephone set is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2944582 wherein an annunciation operation is stopped and talking can be started only if the body of the telephone set is unfolded. A still further portable telephone set is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 126061/1996 wherein two call termination annunciation methods including a ringer call termination annunciation method and a vibrator call termination annunciation method are prepared in advance and one of the call annunciation methods is used for call termination in response to a folded/unfolded state of a cover or communication control information. A radio communication system is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 228382/1996 wherein, upon termination of a call, a termination ID number is transmitted from a radio base station to a termination side PHS terminal and the PHS terminal announces the call termination by one of four methods in response to the termination ID.
In the portable telephone sets disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 203526/1995, Japanese Patent No. 2850794 and Japanese Patent No. 2944582, an annunciation operation is performed using a fixed annunciation method irrespective of a utilization situation of the portable telephone set. Therefore, in such a situation that the user can recognize an annunciation given by a little annunciation operation such as when the portable telephone set is operated in an unfolded state, an annunciation operation is performed wastefully for an unnecessarily long period of time. Although this is a mere short time, the annunciation sound makes noise to surrounding people.
On the other hand, although the portable telephone set disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 126061/1996 can detect a folded/unfolded state of the cover and allows selection of the ringer call termination annunciation method or the vibrator call termination annunciation method, since only the two limited call termination annunciation methods are used fixed, the portable telephone set has a problem in that it cannot provide various manners of call termination annunciation suitable for various modes of use.
Meanwhile, the radio communication system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 228382/1996 has a problem in that it has a complicated system configuration because a termination ID number is transmitted from a radio base station to a call termination side PHS terminal.

Portable communication terminal apparatus


Methods and computer storage media provide for the installation of potted inserts and installation validation. According to embodiments described herein, an insert is placed within an insert aperture of a panel or other structure. Potting compound is injected into a potting cavity surrounding the insert through a fill hole in the insert until potting compound overflows from another fill hole. The installation is validated by applying a force to the installed insert at a determined frequency using a mechanical impedance instrument and measuring a response frequency. The response frequency is compared to an acceptable frequency range to determine whether the insert is properly installed.

Commercial aircraft interior assembly often involves utilizing attachment inserts (hereinafter "inserts") installed within aircraft panels using a potting compound. The installed inserts are then utilized to attach adjacent panels or other structures to the panel in which the insert is installed. However, due to the laminate sandwich structure of typical panels, insert apertures drilled into the panel for the inserts are not uniform in volume. In other words, the honeycomb-like structure of the panel core creates cells, voids, and inconsistencies from one insert aperture to the next, preventing installation of the inserts using a pre-measured quantity of potting compound.
As a result, a typical insert installation involves placing a quantity of potting compound in an insert aperture prior to installing an insert. The insert is then placed into the partially filled insert aperture. Additional compound is then injected into the insert aperture containing the insert through a fill hole in the top of the insert until excess potting compound overflows from a second fill hole in the top of the insert. Finally, to ensure potting compound fully fills the insert aperture, additional potting compound is then injected into the second fill hole until excess potting compound overflows from the first fill hole. This process, while often effective, is tedious in that it requires a technician to fill a single insert aperture three times to ensure that the insert is properly installed.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the disclosure made herein is presented.

Potted insert installation and validation


A system-on-chip (100) includes a 16-bit DSP (102), a 16-bit data bus (202) coupled to the DSP, at least one 32-bit-only peripheral (110), a 32-bit data bus (212) coupled to the peripheral, and a bridge (108), including a write merge system (200), coupled between the 16-bit and 32-bit buses. A method of the write merge system includes pre-storing addresses of peripherals in a memory map structure (220 and 221), receiving 16-bit data and a write transaction from the DSP for modifying sixteen bits of a 32-bit data location of the peripheral; reading 32-bit contents of the data location of the peripheral; multiplexing the received 16-bit data with the read 32-bit contents; and writing a new 32-bit word, including the modified sixteen bits and an unmodified sixteen bits, to the data location of the peripheral, without any intervention from the DSP subsequent to receiving the write transaction.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to intrasystem connections of electrical computers, and more particularly to an interface architecture for a bus bridge between busses of different data widths.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) is the only processor of a computer system such as a System-on-Chip, the DSP must perform both control and signal processing functions. As part of its control function, a 16-bit DSP is required, at times, to perform write accesses to a 32-bit input/output device, or peripheral, that only allows 32-bit write accesses. The 16-bit DSP is coupled to the 32-bit-only peripheral by a bridge. In a conventional programming model, DSP firmware or software is required to perform two entire 16-bit write operations to the peripheral in order to correctly write control data to the 32-bit-only peripheral. Meeting this requirement disadvantageously increases software overhead and reduces the performance of the DSP when executing application code to the peripheral.
Such known conventional write accesses are accomplished by the DSP firmware or software performing the sequence of a) read, b) modify and c) write. Disadvantageously, all known methods require an N-bit DSP to perform the foregoing sequence twice, which, for a two-cycle access DSP, totals to two read cycles and two write cycles, in order to modify the data at a single 2N-bit location of a peripheral. The resulting write access to the peripheral using prior art techniques is inefficient with respect to processor task management, in that a single write access requires four (4) DSP instructions of reading or writing. Using known methods and apparatus, each occasion that the 16-bit, two-cycle access DSP writes to the 32-bit-only peripheral disadvantageously uses at least eight (8) clock cycles of the DSP.
For example, assume a computer system includes a two-cycle access 16-bit DSP and a 32-bit-only peripheral, and that it is pre-determined that a data location having DSP address "0" coincides with a low sixteen (16) bits of a 32-bit data location of the 32-bit-only peripheral and that a data location having DSP address "1" coincides with a high sixteen (16) bits of the 32-bit data location of the 32-bit-only peripheral. If the 16-bit DSP writes to the 32-bit-only peripheral in order to modify the high sixteen (16) bits of the 32-bit data location, such as at peripheral address "1", the following disadvantageously large number of operations would be needed: a) the DSP performs a 16-bit read at address "0"; however, such read data is not returned to the DSP until the bridge completes the next operation, which stalls the DSP, thereby effectively adding additional clock cycles to the at least eight (8) clock cycles of the DSP time; b) a 32-bit read from the peripheral is performed by the bridge at address "0" of the 32-bit-only peripheral; c) the DSP performs a 16-bit read at address "1"; d) within the internal registers of the DSP, the contents of the 16-bit word at address "1" is modified; e) the DSP performs a 16-bit write at address "0"; f) the DSP performs a 16-bit write at address "1"; and g) a 32-bit write at address "0" is performed by the bridge on the 32-bit-only peripheral.
In the case of the 16-bit DSP modifying sixteen (16) bits of a 32-bit register, a total of six (6) operations are needed, two (2) DSP reads, two (2) DSP writes, one (1) bridge read and one (1) bridge write. Each read operation of the DSP requires a number of clock cycles that depends upon a ratio between a speed of a clock for a DSP bus and a usually slower speed of a clock for a peripheral bus. Each write operation of the DSP is executed at the speed of the DSP bus because data is usually written to a temporary buffer on the bridge.

Performing an N-bit write access to an M×N-bit-only peripheral


Disclosed is a switch apparatus of a vehicle that includes a switch body that is connected to a connector of an electronic apparatus and includes a relay board disposed in an inner space thereof. The apparatus further includes a coupling portion disposed on a bottom of the switch body, formed by a conductor, and coupled to a fixation bracket. Additionally, an earth member includes a base formed by the conductor and is disposed in a lower part of the inner space of the switch body, and coupled on the top of the coupling portion and a clamping bar respectively extended upward at both sides of the base and coupled with an earth terminal formed on the bottom of the relay board.

(a) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a switch mounted at a location where an on/off control of a vehicle is disposed, and more particularly, to a switch apparatus for a vehicle to which a relay that applies current to a switch is coupled.
(b) Background Art
When a switch apparatus mounted on a vehicle operates as a user intends with respect to the vehicle and an operation of a predetermined level is sensed, a switch operates to perform a series of operations. When the user engages a brake pedal to stop the vehicle by using a stop lamp switch mounted on a brake as an example, the stop lamp switch mounted on the brake pedal operates, and a result, the stop lamp is turned on. However when overcurrent at a predetermined level flows in a conventional switch, a contact of the stop lamp switch is burnt.
A relay is mounted on a junction box to prevent overcurrent from flowing on the switch, and thus it may be difficult to replace parts. In particular, when overcurrent flows on the switch in a vehicle before the relay is adopted, the switch may need to be replaced on multiple occasions.
FIG. 1 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a part of a switch apparatus according to the prior art, wherein a connection line bundle acquired by binding as one a connection line 11 connected with a connector side and a connection line 20 connected to a fixation bracket side, and a connection line 13 connected to a relay side and a connection line 40 connected to an earth side of the vehicle.
In the prior art, the relay is mounted on the switch, however, the hall sensor, a magnet, and an integrated circuit (IC), and the like are required in a method of measuring a distance from the brake pedal by using the hall sensor. Thus, manufacturing costs may increase and malfunction may occur due to a sensitive sensor.
The description provided above as a related art of the present invention is just for helping understanding the background of the present invention and should not be construed as being included in the related art known by those skilled in the art.

Replaceable switch apparatus for vehicle


A hanger band is connected at one end to an electronic device having a display screen and an opposite end connected to a preexisting fixed support so that the electronic device is hung by said hanger band and assumes an upright orientation in being hung by the hanger band.

This invention comprises an accessory for electronic devices such as cell phones and tablets having a display screen which enables a user usually sitting in front of the device to watch movies, TV, etc. Such devices are not shaped so as to be able to be simply placed on a flat surface in an upright orientation and allow proper viewing of the display screen. This is unlike laptop computers which can vertically orient the display screen since hinged to the keyboard to be swung up to be in an upright position when the lap top keyboard is resting on a flat surface. The display screen of cell phones and tablets themselves are not able to be positioned upright except by manually holding the device with one hand of a person because of their flat shape. The display can also be properly viewed by putting the device in a dock which can be set on a flat surface large enough so that the dock can be rested thereon. This is a greater problem with larger tablets.
If such flat surface is not available, a person must still hold the device upright to properly view the display. However, in either case, a person soon finds that having to hold such a device for lengthy periods such as when watching a movie on a long flight gets quite tiresome.
Even if a large surface is available, most such docks are bulky and must be packed in one's carry-on luggage in order to have it on the plane.
Furthermore, unless only completely smooth air is experienced during an entire flight, sudden movements by the plane can easily topple the dock and the associated electronic device to fall to the floor and perhaps be damaged since only gravity and slight friction holds these items in position, as no attachment to the flat surface is possible. Even when a flight is smooth, the dock and cell phone are in the way on a tray and apt to get inadvertently knocked over by the passenger. In many other situations there is an absence of a suitably large surface to allow use of a dock.
Similarly, when taking photos or making videos or other works which most cell phones and tablets have the capability to do, to record a "selfie", the electronic device must be held upright and in a proper position, which also requires the electronic device to be held manually typically with the aid of a "selfie" stick. This limits the content of the photos or videos.
The hanger band described herein greatly enhances the ability to compose various photos, videos or other works since a hand holding of the electronic device such as cell phones or tablets is not required to position the same upright.
It is an object of the present invention to provide for securely supporting such an electronic device in an upright position while viewing the display which does not require any manual effort on the part of the user while viewing the display, does not require a relatively large flat surface to support the device nor need any bulky supports and is not in the way nor easily dislodged and dropped.
There are many other situations where it would be convenient to not have to hold such a device while viewing the screen, such as when in an airport waiting for a delayed flight or business meeting, etc., or using the device to take photos or videos with the electronic device.
Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a hanger band and method for supporting an electronic device of the type described in an upright orientation to eliminate the necessity of manually holding the device in order to be able to properly view a display screen, or to position an electronic device when creating photos or videos or other works.
It is still another object to provide a compact easily stowed hanger band for such an electronic device which does not require a bulky dock to be positioned upright and dislodging of the electronic device when in an upright position.

Hanger band and method for supporting an electronic device in an upright position


The present application provides a control device for controlling a switching converting module to generate an output signal of constant output current from a rectified AC power supply signal. The switching converting module comprises a primary winding for receiving the rectified AC power supply signal and a power switch coupled in series with the primary winding. The control device comprises: an AGC amplifier configured to receive a first sampling signal sampled from the rectified AC power supply signal, and to generate a reference signal of constant amplitude according to the first sampling signal; a signal comparator configured to compare the reference signal with a current sensing signal in proportion to a primary side current flowing through the primary side winding to generate a comparison signal; a signal generator configured to receive a second sampling signal sampled from the output signal, and to generate a clock signal according to the second sampling signal; and a control logic configured to generate a control signal for switching the power switch according to the comparison signal and the clock signal.

The light characteristics of Light Emitting Devices (LEDs) is generally characterized by a function of current rather than a function of voltage because a minor change in the forward voltage of the LED may cause a bigger change in the LED current. As a result, a constant voltage source driver may not ensure the brightness of the LED to be uniform, and may affect the reliability, lifetime and luminous decay of the LED as well. Therefore, the LEDs are generally driven by a constant current source.
In consideration of safety issue, many LED luminaires require the LED driver to have the isolation function, i.e. the electrical isolation between the output of the LED luminaries and the input by the power grid. In mid-low power (less than 150 W) applications, the fly-back converter is the most widely used isolating converter. The most common way of feedback is to implement the feedback control by sampling the LED output with an optical coupler. However, the optical coupler has aging issue, which may affect the stability of the circuit and weaken the electrical isolation.
On the other hand, the wide use of power electronics could cause serious pollution to the utility power grid, and therefore the reactive power draws more and more attention. To reduce the degree of harm caused by the power pollution, many countries have established corresponding standards, which require a high Power Factor (e.g. PF>0.9) when the power exceeds a specific value (e.g. 5 W). Thus, for the higher power LED drivers, the Power Factor Correction (PFC) technology is required to obtain the high PFC. The term high PFC used herein refers to PFC exceeding 0.9.
Currently, almost all the commercially available control methods are based on loop control on traditional switching power supplies. Under different schematics, the control methods vary in algorithm but have a common feature, i.e. the loop compensation is required to achieve a stable system. Furthermore, the loop compensation for different applications such as application having different power or external structures are different. Thus, these control methods are not convenient to apply. FIG. 1 shows the schematic of a conventional PFC constant current control device for the fly-back converter. The key point of the PFC constant current control device is a constant current PFC controller, which is coupled within a driving circuit for the LED load to improve the PFC and implement the constant current control.
As shown in FIG. 1, the driving circuit has a rectifying module, an input capacitor Cin, a converting module T, voltage sampling network R1 and R2 at the primary side, a rectifying diode D1 at the secondary side, an output capacitor Cout, an LED load L, and a rectifying diode D2 and voltage sampling network R3 and R4 at the auxiliary side. The constant current PFC controller has a pin for coupling an external compensation capacitor Ccomp. In different applications, the capacitance of the compensation capacitor Ccomp may be adjusted to achieve the stability of the system. Some other designs may not need the loop compensation by using specific control methods, but such specific control methods makes these designs less compatible.
Besides the difference in the loop compensation, two other ways, one-stage and two-stage control, are commercially available for achieving a constant current system of high PFC. The two-stage control is simple in design but low in efficiency, while the one-stage control is complex in design but high in efficiency.
Thus, there is a need for a control device for a switching converter without loop compensation, which is of high integration and efficiency, low cost and good universality.

Control device for use with switching converters

Zhen Zhu Wan Software Park, Xiamen Torch Hi-Tech Zone


A convection air inlet and suds control device is provided for a dishwasher. The dishwasher has a washing chamber with a bottom wall, a chimney extending through the bottom wall with opposite upper and lower ends positioned on opposite sides of the bottom wall. A chimney cap is spaced in covering relation over the upper end of the chimney. A container having an inner cup and an outer cup is mounted adjacent the bottom wall such that the inner cup surrounds the lower extension of the chimney. The outer cup includes an opening such that air may flow by convection into the outer cup, into the inner cup and upwardly through the chimney into the washing chamber so as to dry the articles in the dishwasher. In oversudsing conditions, the suds flow downwardly through the chimney for collection in the inner cup. Excess suds filling the inner cup will spill over into the outer cup. The inner cup and lower extension of the chimney cooperate to function as a valve. When liquid deriving from condensing suds in the inner cup rises to a level above the lower end of the chimney, downward flow of suds into the inner cup and upward flow of air through the chimney is prevented. As the liquid evaporates to a level below the lower end of the chimney, the flow of air and suds returns to normal.

Many dishwashers utilize a convection air system for drying the dishes, glasses, cups, utensils and the like that are washed within the washing chamber. For maximum efficiency, the air inlet for the drying system is normally located at the lowest location in the washing chamber. However, placement of the air inlet at such a location exposes the inlet to water splashing and sudsing. Suds, or foam, can be caused from combinations of food soils and detergents, or by use of a laundry or low grade dishwasher detergent. Suds in the washing chamber can accumulate to a depth of nearly one foot, and will be forced through any openings in the lower portion of the washing chamber.

Dishwasher convection air inlet and suds control device


A tire component comprising a vulcanized rubber, and from about 3 to about 85 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight rubber, of a filler dispersed within said vulcanized rubber, where the vulcanized rubber includes the vulcanized residue of a thermoplastic-elastomeric block copolymer defined by the formulaα-π-θ-ωwhere α is a hydrogen atom or a functional group, π includes an elastomeric block, θ includes a thermoplastic block, and ω includes a hydrogen atom or a functional group.

In the art of making tires, it may be desirable to employ rubber vulcanizates that demonstrate reduced hysteresis loss, i.e., less loss of mechanical energy to heat. Hysteresis loss can be attributed to polymer free ends within the cross-linked rubber network, as well as the disassociation of filler agglomerates. The degree of dispersion of filler within the vulcanizate can also be important, as increased dispersion may provide better wear resistance.
Functionalized polymers have been employed to reduce hysteresis loss and increase bound rubber. The functional group of the functionalized polymer is believed to reduce the number of polymer free ends via interaction with filler particles. Also, this interaction may reduce filler agglomeration, which may thereby reduce hysteretic losses attributable to the disassociation of filler agglomerates (i.e., Payne effect).
Conjugated diene monomers can be anionically polymerized by using alkyllithium compounds as initiators. Selection of certain alkyllithium compounds can provide a polymer product having functionality at the head of the polymer chain. A functional group can also be attached to the tail end of an anionically-polymerized polymer by terminating a living polymer with a functionalized compound.
For example, trialkyltin chlorides, such as tributyl tin chloride, have been employed to terminate the polymerization of conjugated dienes, as well as the copolymerization of conjugated dienes and vinyl aromatic monomers, to produce polymers having a trialkyltin functionality at the tail of the polymer. Likewise, lithium salts of cyclic amines, such as lithio hexamethyleneimine, have been employed to initiate the polymerization of conjugated diene monomer to produce polymers having cyclic imines at the head of the polymer. These polymers have proven to be technologically useful in the manufacture of tire treads that are characterized by improved traction, low rolling resistance, and improved wear.
While polymers that have functionalities at both their head and tail have demonstrated the ability to provide filler-reinforced vulcanizates with many advantageous properties, the ability to process these polymers can be difficult as compared to non-functional polymers. Namely, the ability to adequately mix filler particles into the rubber compound can be problematic because it can require greater mixing energy and mixing time.
Also, anionically polymerized polymers may have a tendency to flow both during drying (hot flow) and during storage (cold flow). A common solution in the prior art to control this flow is to couple the polymers. For example, these polymers have been coupled with tin tetrachloride or silicon tetrachloride. While these coupling techniques have proven to be technologically useful, further functionalization of the polymers can be difficult.
Because polymers that provide filler-reinforced vulcanizates with reduced hysteresis loss may be important in the manufacture of tires, there is a need to for alternative approaches and improvements.

Tire components including thermoplastic-elastomeric block copolymers


An unstretched first plastic foil is laminated with a longitudinally stretched second plastic foil by the application of heat and pressure. The second foil is preheated, thereupon stretched and thereafter tempered prior to being laminated with the first foil which is heated prior to lamination. The laminating step can coincide with the tempering step and immediately follows the stretching step so that the laminating step can be carried out by utilizing heat which is required for stretching of the second foil. The material of the first foil is or can be identical with the material of the second foil; in any event, the two materials are sufficiently compatible to permit bonding of the unstretched foil to the stretched foil by the application of heat and pressure alone, i.e., without resorting to an adhesive.

The invention relates to improvements in methods of and in apparatus for laminating plastic foils. The invention also relates to laminates which are obtained in accordance with the improved method and by resorting to the improved apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in methods of and in apparatus for making laminates from stretched and unstretched plastic foils.
It is already known to make laminates wherein a longitudinally (monoaxially) stretched first foil is bonded to an unstretched second foil. The thus obtained laminate exhibits highly satisfactory strength characteristics which are attributable to the presence of the stretched foil and are effective in the direction of stretch, as well as highly satisfactory strength characteristics in a direction transversely of the laminate. Moreover, the laminate exhibits a desirable pronounced rigidity. In accordance with heretofore known proposals, a laminate which consists of or includes a stretched and an unstretched foil is obtained by resorting to an adhesive as a means for bonding the foils to each other. The temperature at which the bonding step takes place must be below the crystallite melting point of the stretched foil in order to ensure that the beneficial results of stretching at a temperature below such point are not lost in the course of the bonding operation with an adhesive.
A drawback of the just outlined conventional methods is that the adhesive contributes significantly to the cost of making the laminate. In addition, recycling of the laminate presents problems due to the presence of adhesive therein.
Attempts to overcome the drawbacks of a laminate wherein a stretched foil is bonded to an unstretched foil by means of an adhesive include extrusion of a second foil directly against one side of an unstretched foil. However, the resulting laminate does not exhibit the characteristics of a laminate which contains a stretched foil and an unstretched foil. If a layer of plastic material is extruded directly against a stretched foil, the extruding operation must be carried out at a temperature which is too high so that the part of the laminate which includes the stretched foil no longer exhibits the advantages of a stretched foil.
The article by Breitbach et al. on pages 356-368 of "Kunststoffe" (Volume 61, 1971, H. 5) describes the advantages of laminates which consist of plastic foils. The authors discuss lamination with adhesive, so-called wax lamination and so-called hot lamination. The article does not propose to make laminates which consist of or contain stretched and unstretched plastic foils.
Published European patent application No. 0 122 495 of Koebisu et al. discloses a laminated film of an olefin polymer. The product of Koebisu et al. comprises a biaxially oriented polypropylene film and at least one olefin polymer film which is laminated to at least one surface of the biaxially oriented film. The inventors propose to bond the films with an adhesive or to resort to coextrusion.
Published European patent application No. 0 052 262 of Stegmeier et al. discloses a biaxially stretched polypropylene foil at least one side of which is coated with a layer of polyethylene. The application of the polyethylene layer or layers involves coextrusion, hot lamination or fusion coating.
German Auslegeschrift No. 1 294 005 of Kahn et al. proposes that lamination of foils be followed by stretching of the resulting laminate.
German Auslegeschrift No. 28 15 855 of Buzio et al. discloses a laminate consisting of a biaxially oriented polypropylene foil and a non-oriented polypropylene foil. The two foils are bonded to each other by a layer of adhesive.

Method of making laminates from polyethylene foils and the like


An exemplary method for making a lens array having many lenses includes the follow steps. A light pervious substrate including a supporting surface is firstly provided. Secondly, a molten molding material is applied on the supporting surface. Thirdly, a pressing mold including many molding parts is provided, each molding part including a molding cavity for molding the lens. Fourthly, the pressing mold is pressed on the molten molding material. Fifthly, the molten molding material is half-cured, thereby forming a half-cured molding material. Sixthly, the half-cured molding material is pressed by the pressing mold. Seventhly, the half-cured molding material is fully cured to form each lens in each molding cavity. Finally, the pressing mold is removed from the light pervious substrate to form the lens array.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to lens arrays, and particularly to a method for molding a lens array using a pressing mold.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional method for molding a lens array typically includes the following steps. Firstly, a light pervious substrate is provided. Secondly, a pressing mold having a plurality of spaced concave molding cavities is provided. Thirdly, a thermosetting material is applied on a surface of the light pervious substrate. Fourthly, the thermosetting material is pressed by the pressing mold with the molding cavities facing the thermosetting material, thereby filling the molding cavities with the thermosetting material. Fifthly, the thermosetting material is fully cured. Finally, the pressing mold is removed from the light pervious substrate, thus the lens array, including the light pervious substrate and a plurality of convex lenses formed on the surface of the light pervious substrate, is formed.
However, when cured, the thermosetting material shrinks, and usually the shrinkage percentage of the thermosetting material is about 6 percent. Therefore, curvature of the lenses may not be identical with the designed curvatures of the molding cavities. The production quality of the convex lenses is thus sub-standard.
Therefore, what is needed is a new method of molding a lens array which can overcome the limitations described.


Data migration from an existing NAS to a new NAS and processing of access from a client are executed in parallel. A migration destination NAS inherits the host name and IP address of a migration source NAS. The network environment parameters of the migration source NAS are changed to different values. The migration destination NAS causes data to migrate from a migration source storage region, in which a shared file system of the migration source NAS is mounted, to a migration destination storage region. In a case where there is an access request from the client during data migration, the migration destination NAS selects one of the storage region in correspondence to the migration status of the requested data and provides that data. Data of a “not copied” status is provided from the migration source storage region. Data of a “copied” status is provided from the migration destination storage region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a file sharing device known as a file server or NAS (Network Attached Storage) and an inter-file sharing device data migration method.
2. Description of the Related Art
File servers are used in order for data to be shared between plural computer terminals dispersed on a network. As an early file server, a server where a file sharing protocol such as CIFS (Common Internet File System) or NFS (Network File System) is disposed in a versatile OS (Operating System) is known. As an improved file server, an NAS where a dedicated OS specializing in file sharing services is used to support plural file sharing protocols (CIFS, NFS, DAFS (Direct Access File System), etc.) is known.
The number of files to be shared and the number of clients using shared files have been increasing each year, and individual file sizes also continue to increase. In order to accommodate the increased demand for file sharing services, storage devices and communication lines are being strengthened and technology is switching over to high-performance file servers.
Several methods of causing data to migrate from old file servers to new file servers are known. A first method is a method that temporarily suspends file access from a client and occupies the migration source file server (old file server) and the migration destination file server (new file server) to carry out data copying between both file servers. A second method is a method that backs up data retained in the migration source file server and causes the migration destination file server to restore the backup data.
A third method that causes data to migrate without stopping the file sharing service is also known (JP-A-2000-173279). In this third method, when access is made by a client during data migration and data to which access has been requested is data that has already been copied to the migration destination file server, the data is provided from the migration destination file server to the client. Alternatively, when the data to which access has been requested is data that has not yet been copied to the migration destination file server, the data is provided from the migration destination file server to the client once the data has been copied from the migration source file server to the migration destination file server.
In the first method, the client cannot use the file sharing service until data migration is completed, because the migration source file server and the migration destination file server are occupied during the data migration. In a case where the amount of migration target data is relatively small, it is possible to resume the file sharing service for a short period. However, as the amount of data increases, the stopped time of the file sharing service increases.
In the second method, the file sharing service can be continued using the migration source file server while the backup data is being restored in the migration destination file server. However, when the client updates the data during restoration, a difference arises between the latest data of the migration source file server and the backup data. Thus, for example, an access log during restoration is kept and, after restoration is completed, the storage content of the migration destination file server is updated to the latest state on the basis of the access log. In this case, after restoration is completed, labor for synchronizing the storage contents between the migration destination file server and the migration source file server becomes necessary, and this takes time. As another method, providing a file sharing service in a read-only mode during restoration is also conceivable. However, this is not very convenient because the client can only read the data.
In the third method, the file sharing service can be provided to the client even during data migration. However, in the third method, in a case where the client requests access to data that has not yet been copied to the migration destination file server, the data is copied from the migration source file server to the migration destination file server and provided from the migration destination file server to the client. In other words, in the third method, the responsiveness of the service drops because the data to which access has been requested by the client is provided to the client after it is first copied to the migration destination file server. Also, in the third method, the configuration becomes complicated and costs also rise because it is necessary to dispose a data migration-dedicated interface in both of the migration source file server and the migration destination file server.

File sharing device and inter-file sharing device data migration method


An adaptor for connecting brake pipe, brake cylinder, emergency and auxiliary reservoir ports on a standard pipe bracket to an electropneumatic control valve. The adaptor also includes threaded post to mount the electropneumatic valve to the adaptor and fastener apertures to receive fasteners to mount the adaptor to the pipe bracket.

The present invention relates generally to electropneumatic ("EP") brake control valves and more specifically, to an adaptor for connecting a retrofit unit to convert a pneumatic brake control valve to electropneumatic brake control valve.
Electropneumatic brake control valves are well known in the passenger railroad art and the mass transit railroad art. Because the trains are short and are not involved generally in a mix and match at an interchange of different equipment, the ability to provide pneumatic and electrical control throughout the train has been readily available in the passenger and the mass transit systems. In freight trains, the trains may involve as much as 100 cars stretching over one mile or more. The individual cars may lay idle in harsh environments for up to a year without use. Also, because of the long distance they travel, the cars are continuously moved from one consist to another as it travels to its destination. Thus, the use of electropneumatic-pneumatic valves in the freight trains has been very limited.
The major use of electropneumatic valves in freight trains have been at the locomotive. This is where electric power is available and the electrical interconnection is easy to achieve. Also, by the use of radio waves, the simultaneous braking at various positions along the train using slave locomotives with electropneumatic valves has also been used on freight trains. Recently, the American Association of Railroads ("AAR") has undertaken a massive study to determine an appropriate regime of incorporating electropneumatic valves on each of the cars of a freight train.
Various overlay systems have been proposed for use with control valves for freight trains. One is shown by U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,988 to Shank. This is an overlay system wherein an adaptor is inserted to the service portion of a standard pneumatic brake control valve and electrically operates pneumatic valves to pneumatically control a standard brake control valve. The overlay is inserted between the service portion and its accelerated release valve portion. It is a pilot adaptor wherein the electropneumatic portion provides pneumatic signals to the control valve to operate in its normal matter. The only direct connection of the electropneumatic portion and the brake cylinder is for graduated release wherein the brake cylinder can be connected to exhaust through the electropneumatic valve.
Another overlay system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,974 to Klink. This system also includes an electronic module and electropneumatic valves connected to a standard freight control valve. A pneumatic interface with transducers is provided between the service portion and the pipe bracket of a standard pneumatic brake control valve.
Another recent overlay system for a freight brake control valve is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,129 to Troiani et al. The two previously discussed patents to Shank and Klink provided adaptors or overlay to the service portion of the control valve or at the interface between the service portion and the pipe bracket so as not to change the connection of the train fluid system to the pipe bracket. Troiani et al. provides their overlay at the connection of the pneumatic system to the pipe bracket. The electropneumatic valve system is connected to the emergency reservoir and between the retainer port of the pipe bracket and the retainer.
A train inspection apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,199 to Browne et al. A pneumatic interface is provided between the emergency portion and the pipe bracket. This interface not only monitors the condition of the brake valve but also allows electropneumatic operation or an overlay of the pneumatic operation of the pneumatic brake valve. As with Shank and Klink, Brown et al. does not require modification of the connection of the fluid systems to the pipe bracket.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an adaptor for an electropneumatic retrofit unit which can be mated with the service/emergency portion interface of a pipe bracket.
These and other objects are achieved by an adaptor for connecting an electropneumatic control valve to a brake control valve having at least a pipe bracket with interface ports at a first and second face for mating with a service portion and an emergency brake portion when interconnected to the pipe bracket at a respective face.
The adaptor has a first interface for interfacing with a first face of the pipe bracket and a second interface for interfacing with a first face of the electropneumatic valve. The adaptor also includes a brake pipe passage connecting the brake pipe ports at its first and second interfaces, which mate with brake pipe interface ports of the pipe bracket and brake pipe ports of the electropneumatic valve. A brake cylinder passage in the adaptor connects brake cylinder ports at the first and second interfaces, which mate with the brake cylinder interface of the pipe bracket and the brake cylinder port of the electropneumatic valve. A reservoir passage in the adaptor connects reservoir ports at first and second interfaces which mate with emergency and auxiliary reservoir interface ports of the pipe bracket and a reservoir port of the electropneumatic valve.
Fasteners extend from the second interface of the adaptor and align with apertures of the electropneumatic valve. Fastener apertures extend between the first and second interfaces of the adaptor and align with apertures of the pipe bracket for receiving a fastener. Thus, the adaptor is mounted to the pipe bracket and the electropneumatic valve is mounted to the adaptor.
The first and second faces of the pipe bracket are either on opposite sides or on the same side of the pipe bracket, depending on the style of the pipe bracket. When the pipe bracket includes two brake pipe interface ports and the electropneumatic valve includes two brake pipe ports, the adaptor includes two brake pipe passages each connecting brake pipe ports at its first and second interfaces. When the pipe bracket includes two brake cylinder interface ports, the adaptor includes two brake cylinder ports on its first interface and the brake cylinder passage connects the two cylinder ports on its first interface to a single brake cylinder port on the second interface. Where necessary, a recess in the edge of the adaptor extends between the interfaces for receiving a portion of the electropneumatic valve which extends beyond the first face of the electropneumatic valve. In one embodiment, the adaptor was designed for the service brake portion interface and the extended portion of the electropneumatic valve is a manual relief valve.


A four-cycle engine for an outboard motor includes an upwardly extending breather chamber which communicates with a projecting portion provided at a lower part of a crankcase and with an induction system via a PCV passage for returning a blow-by gas to intake manifolds. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to remove oil components from the blow-by gas within the PCV passage and hence to return the substantially oil-free blow-by gas to the intake manifolds.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a four-cycle engine for an outboard motor and, more particularly, to an engine structure suitable for separation of oil in a PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) passage of a blow-by gas returning structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
An outboard motor employing a PCV system has been proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI-5-214921.
The proposed outboard motor has a crankcase and an intake tube communicating therewith through a hose so as to introduce a fresh air into the crankcase. In the outboard motor, a blow-by gas is supplied from a breather chamber provided sidewardly of a cylinder head to intake manifolds.
Since the cylinder head includes therein many lubricated parts such as cams, camshafts and valve rocker arms to which a lubricating oil is supplied, a large amount of oil mist is contained therein. Such an arrangement is not suitable for separating an oil from a blow-by gas within the breather chamber.
Apart from the related art described above, there is also proposed an outboard engine having a breather chamber disposed below a carburetor provided alongside the engine. However, since the breather chamber is positioned below the carburetor, the height of the breather chamber is restricted from extending vertically from an opening into which a blow-by gas flows. It is therefore difficult to obtain a breather chamber having a configuration suitable for separating an oil from a blow-by gas sufficiently, thereby requiring other breather chambers and an oil returning passage for returning an oil from the breather chamber to an oil pan. Thus, the engine is complicated in construction to thereby increase the number of parts thereof and hence the number of assembling steps, leading to increased coats of production.


A method for monitoring a gas leakage rate from a hermetically sealed device, such as a hermetically sealed data storage device with an interior helium atmosphere. In some embodiments, a diffusion rate of inert gas from a hermetically sealed first device is monitored until steady state diffusion is reached, and a standard time constant for the first device is identified. Next, the diffusion rate is monitored for a second sealed device for a portion of the time required for the first device to achieve steady state diffusion, and the time required for the second device to reach steady state diffusion using the standard time constant is calculated.

Hermetically sealed devices are used in a variety of applications. Such devices hermetically seal an interior atmosphere within a housing, so that the interior atmosphere is maintained separate from the exterior environment. The interior atmosphere may constitute an inert gas atmosphere, such as helium.
In the manufacturing of data storage devices such as computer hard disc drives with internal inert gas atmospheres, it is often desirable to subject such devices to testing for leakage rates. One possible inert gas for such applications is helium. The upper limit of permissible leakage rate for such devices can be relatively small, such as on the order of 10−8 cc/sec or less. Detection of such small leakage rates can require the use of sensitive gas measuring equipment, such as a mass spectrometer based gas leak detector.
During testing, the inert gas that leaks from the device is normally caused to be collected in a spectrometer tube that is operated at a high vacuum. In practice, the device may be placed in a vacuum tight canister that is connected to the spectrometer, with the canister and spectrometer tube subjected to vacuum evacuation during the test procedure. Since the interior of the device retains helium at approximately 1 atmosphere, subjecting it to a high vacuum during the leak test and placing significant mechanical loads on the device can provide a baseline measure of seal performance.
Testing loads under such conditions are different from, and larger than, those imposed on the device during actual use. Furthermore, it is possible for the testing loads to damage the device, possibly causing temporary, misleading changes in the leak rate.
Attempts have been made to design testing equipment for helium leakage in which the devices are subjected to ambient atmospheric pressure environment. The device is positioned in an airtight inner canister, the walls of which are made of a polymer that is permeable to the helium contained inside the device housing. The inner canister is then placed in another canister that is subjected to a high vacuum, and the leak test is conducted using a gas detector instrument. Helium leaking from the device gradually raises the helium concentration in the airtight inner canister, and the helium gradually permeates through the polymer walls into the evacuated leak detector. In time, the helium concentration in the inner canister and the permeation rate through the container walls, will reach a steady state condition. At steady state, the helium permeation rate through the container walls is equal to the device leakage rate, and the test is concluded.
This approach has major drawbacks. The time required to reach steady state conditions can take an extremely long time, often measured in weeks or months. Also, the helium permeable airtight inner canister must be mechanically strong as it is exposed to a 1 atmosphere pressure differential. Generally, this means that the inner canister may need to be cylindrically or spherically shaped, and have relatively thick walls, typically several millimeters. Further, there is a relatively large volume of air surrounding the device, and since it is difficult for helium to permeate through the thick canister wall, it takes an excessively long time for sufficient helium to leak from the device into the relatively large air volume about the device and then permeate through the thick wall of the outer canister.
There is a need for an inert gas leak tester that does not require that a hermetically sealed electronic device be subjected to a high vacuum, and which is capable of detecting extremely small leakage rates. Further, the leak tester would provide the testing results within the short time requirements of production manufacturing.

Monitoring gas leakage rates from hermetically sealed devices


A vehicle headrest cover for covering a vehicle headrest having a display mounted therein includes a material designed to correspond with the shape and dimensions of the vehicle headrest and fit over the vehicle headrest for covering the vehicle headrest. The material has a cut-out in a face thereof which corresponds to the position of the display and also includes a zipper mechanism located on the material of the headrest cover which allows the material of the vehicle headrest cover to be zipped up to cover the vehicle headrest with the vehicle headrest cover or unzipped for removing the headrest cover from the vehicle headrest.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates a vehicle headrest cover, and more particularly to a vehicle headrest cover for use with a vehicle headrest having a video entertainment system with display mounted therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
As society becomes more mobile and therefore spends a greater amount of time traveling and away from home, the demand for electronic appliances and devices for use outside of the home environment is increasing. For example, video screens have been mounted in the headrests of vehicles, facilitating video entertainment on the road. These video screens mounted in the vehicle headrests are particularly useful for entertaining young children on long trips.
However, there may be certain difficulties associated with providing a vehicle headrest having video screens mounted therein. For one, as the appearance (e.g. interior color and texture) of vehicles differs from one to the next, a manufacturer or retailer may be required to stock several types of vehicle headrests having a video screen mounted therein in order to provide video vehicle headrests which conform to the appearance (e.g. color scheme) of a variety of different types of vehicles. As a result, by having to stock several different vehicle headrests, the manufacturing costs may become significantly high.
Moreover, if the owner of a vehicle wishes to change the look, for example, the color or texture, of his or her vehicle headrest having the video display mounted therein, he or she may be required to replace the entire headrest with another video vehicle headrest to obtain the color, texture and/or design that he or she desires. This can be a costly process which may likely require the assistance of a professional for installing the substitute vehicle headrest.
Thus, there is a need for a relatively low cost effective way of manufacturing vehicle video headrests which conform to the appearance (e.g. color scheme and texture) of a wide variety of different types of vehicles. There is also a need for a relatively low cost product which may be used to modify or alter the appearance of a vehicle video headrest without having to replace the headrest with another one and also which does not require professional installation.


Given a target schema in which instances have been mapped from a source schema, an inverse schema mapping system generates an instance of a target relation for each of a plurality of target relations in the target schema, chases the target relation using a schema mapping to generate a plurality of target relations for the source schema, and then generates an inverse schema mapping, if one exists, that maps the instances of the target schema to the instances of the source schema.

Many modern applications such as data warehousing, global information systems, and electronic commerce require accessing a data source that stores data arranged in a source schema, and then using that data at a target that requires the data to be arranged in a target data schema. For example, product data that is stored in one schema for optimal storage efficiency may have to be accessed and reformatted into another schema for Web commerce.
Data exchange is the problem of materializing an instance that adheres to a target schema, given an instance of a source schema and a schema mapping that specifies the relationship between the source and the target. A schema mapping is a specification that describes how data structured under one schema (a source schema) is to be transformed into data structured under a different schema (the target schema). Schema mappings are ubiquitous in information integration systems.
The application of schema mapping arises often when data is transferred between independent applications that do not have the same data format. Conventional approaches exist for mapping data from a source schema to a target schema. Because of the extensive use of schema mappings, it has become important to develop a framework for managing schema mappings and other metadata.
Although conventional schema mapping frameworks have proven to be useful, it would be desirable to present additional improvements. Conventional frameworks lack an inverse operator; i.e., an inverse schema mapping. Developing an inverse schema mapping is not straightforward. A schema mapping is not simply a function that maps an instance of a source schema to an instance of a target schema. Rather, for each source instance, the schema mapping may associate many target instances. Furthermore, for each target instance, there may be many corresponding source instances.
Having mapped data from a source schema to a target schema, in many applications an inverse mapping is useful. For example, data may be migrated from one application (a source application) to another application (a target application) using schema mapping. The user may decide to slop using the target application if, for example, the developer stops supporting the target application, the user determines the target application is not providing desired functionality, etc. In this example, an inverse mapping is useful for rolling back data to the source application. An inverse schema mapping can accomplish this data "roll back". A user may further decide in the process of mapping a source schema to a target schema to "roll back" one step of the schema transformation. No method currently exists for generating an inverse schema mapping.
What is therefore needed is a system, a computer program product, and an associated method for performing an inverse schema mapping. The need for such a solution has heretofore remained unsatisfied.

System and method of performing an inverse schema mapping

International Business Machines Corporation


A reference generator circuit generates a reference signal for use by a regulator in generating operational power for circuits and devices. A start-up circuit includes a self-biased voltage reference and a differential amplifier configured to generate a start-up signal to induce current flow in response to the voltage independent reference during the start-up phase of the circuit and cease inducing the current flow following the start-up phase of the circuit. The reference signal is generated by receiving a supply voltage and inducing current flow into a node of a bandgap reference circuit during a start-up phase of the bandgap reference circuit and ceasing inducing the current flow following the start-up phase of the bandgap reference circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to reference circuits and, in particular, to bandgap reference circuits that provide reference signals of substantially constant voltage levels.
2. State of the Art
Many electrical devices have a reference circuit for generating a reference signal for internal use that is based or derived from an external source. The external source is often a supply voltage with the generated reference signal being representative of either a reference current or a reference voltage. The reference circuit is usually designed such that the reference signal maintains a constant level over variations in the supply voltage, over a range of temperatures, and over manufacturing process variations.
One form of a reference circuit is known as a bandgap reference circuit. Bandgap reference circuits are well known in the art of analog integrated circuit (IC) design for generating a reference voltage equal to the electron bandgap level of silicon devices, which is approximately 1.2 volts. Bandgap reference circuits generally provide precise reference signals.
A conventional bandgap reference circuit utilizes bipolar transistors to provide the bandgap function. When complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices are implemented, the bandgap reference circuit generally utilizes parasitic bipolar transistors. A conventional bandgap circuit relies on the difference of the base-emitter junction voltages to provide a linear temperature correction voltage which is proportional to the absolute temperature (PTAT). Additionally, the base-emitter junction voltage VBE is proportional to the negative coefficient of temperature (i.e., the VBE measurement is used to track and correct changes in the reference circuit caused by temperature variations). The combination of these two effects results in the bandgap reference signal exhibiting a near-zero temperature coefficient which allows devices that utilize a bandgap reference circuit to operate with a reference signal that exhibits high accuracy.
Conventional bandgap reference circuits are known to have two stable operating states only one of which is entered when an external supply source is applied to the reference circuit during a power up condition. The first operating state corresponds to a desired operating state wherein the reference circuit supplies or generates the desired reference signal. The second operating state corresponds to an undesired state of the circuit in which the referenced circuit remains in a shutdown or inoperative condition wherein no reference signal is generated. One shortcoming of conventional bandgap reference circuits is that once the circuit enters the undesired state, the circuit tends to remain locked-up in the undesired state for an indeterminate period of time before transitioning in response to significant external stimulus, if transitioning is at all possible, to the desired operating state.
One approach for avoiding start up problems associated with bandgap reference circuits is to incorporate a start-up circuit that ensures that the bandgap reference circuit initializes to the desired operating state. One shortcoming with conventional start-up circuits is that they have been designed for responding to external source or supply voltage levels greater than approximately 1.5 volts. In many conventional electrical devices, such a supply voltage level is available and therefore sufficient such that conventional start-up circuits utilized in bandgap reference circuit designs are adequate. However, in devices where a reduced supply voltage is preferable, generating a reference signal using conventional higher supply voltage circuits becomes difficult. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a reference circuit that overcomes these and other drawbacks of the prior art. More specifically, it would be desirable to provide a reference circuit that can operate at power supply voltage ranges below 1.5 volts.

Reference circuit with start-up control, generator, device, system and method including same


A display system comprises a cathode ray tube (10) including an electron gun (12) for producing a modulated beam of electrons and a mechanism (14, 15) for focusing the beam of electrons and scanning it along a strip (17) of phosphor to produce a linear display. An optical scanning mechanism comprising a vibrating first mirror (26) and a second mirror (30) mounted parallel to the first mirror (26) between which an image of the linear display may be reflected several times, is provided to enable viewing of successive images of the linear display in axially aligned juxtaposed relationship, to produce a two dimensional display.

The present invention relates to display devices and in particular, to display devices which will produce high resolution displays.
The modern cathode ray tube television receiver with normal sized screen, provides a clear, sharp, bright and flicker-free picture. However, particularly with colour televisions, it is not possible to scale the display down smaller than about five inches, without unacceptable loss of resolution. This problem arises from the cathode ray tube design, in which three guns direct electron beams at an array of triads of phosphor dots (red, green and blue) which are deposited on the inside of the cathode ray tube screen. A shadow mask in the form of a fine mesh or grid is required to ensure that each beam only falls upon and excites the corresponding coloured dot of each triad. There is a limit to the degree to which this system may be reduced in size and hence the only way to reduce the size of the picture beyond that limit is to reduce the number of triads and consequently the resolution.


A method of fabricating a remote control assembly having a conduit (12) movably supporting a core element (14) with an end fitting (16) disposed on the conduit (12) for mechanical engagement with a ferrule (18) and a slug (20) disposed on the core element (14). The method comprises the steps of selecting a ferrule (18) for supporting the conduit (12) on a support structure (22) from a plurality of ferrule (18) configurations and snapping the ferrule (18) into mechanical connection with the end fitting (16) while inserting the core element (14) through the conduit (12) and ferrule (18). A terminal member (38, 138, 238), having a slug pocket (40) therein and a connector for connection to a control member, is selected from a plurality of terminal member (38, 138, 238) configurations and it is placed on the core element (14) with the slug (20) in the slug pocket (40). A collar (42) is placed over the slug pocket (40) as the collar (42) is mechanically connected to the terminal member (38, 138, 238) to cover the slug pocket (40) and retain the slug (20) in the slug pocket (40). The selection may be of a ferrule (18) having a first outside guide tube (28) and a collar (42) having a first inside guide tube (48) for telescoping relationship with the first outside guide tube (28) or, sequentially may be of a collar (42) with a second outside guide tube (50) and placing a second inside guide tube (52) to extend from the end fitting (16) for telescoping relationship with the second outside guide tube (50).

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a motion transmitting remote control assembly of the type for transmitting motion in a curved path by a flexible motion transmitting core element movably supported in a conduit which is supported by a support structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such remote control assemblies are widely used in the automotive industry for accelerators, vents, mirrors, hoods, cruise controls, etc. typically each control assembly is manufactured for a dedicated purpose and is only suitable for that dedicated installation. This requires the shipment and inventory of a large number of large and varied assemblies. There is a need, therefore, to standardize such control assemblies.

Remote control assembly having universal components


Technology is disclosed for facilitating generation and processing of a customized promotion based on a set of factors. In some embodiments, the disclosed technology enables a particular merchant to incentivize customer business (e.g., increase customer traffic to a physical merchant location) by offering a customized promotion for placement in a receipt of a transaction with another merchant. The customized promotion, which decreases incrementally in value over time, is generated specifically for a product and/or service offered by the particular merchant. The product and/or service associated with the promotion correlates to a set of factors, including, among others, the customer's spending trend, thereby increasing the likelihood that the customer would redeem the promotion with the particular merchant in a second transaction. In some embodiments, a portion of the payment in the second transaction is distributed to the other merchant, thereby enabling both merchants to benefit from the placement of the promotion.

In order to increase customer volume and business, many merchants generally offer discounted products or services by distributing promotion materials to customers to incentivize future visits (e.g., paper advertisements in the form of coupons on a receipt). However, such promotion practice may not be optimal as a customer, who has just made a purchase with a merchant, may not have any incentive to visit that merchant again within an immediate time period, and hence may likely lose and/or forget about the promotion materials.
Additionally, conventional promotion practice is limited to a merchant's own inventory of products and/or services, and does not enable a merchant to take advantage of cross-selling. Cross-selling is the practice of selling complementary products and/or services provided by one merchant to a customer of another merchant, thereby enabling multiple merchants to benefit in an increase in customer business. However, cross-selling requires a burdensome establishment and management of relationships between the multiple merchants. Further, promotion materials provided by any one merchant in a cross-selling relationship are typically created based on that merchant's limited knowledge of a customer's purchase history. Such promotion materials are likely ineffective in incentivizing future visits between multiple merchants.

Geographically targeted, time-based promotions


An LED package includes a substrate with a front surface and a back surface spaced apart from each other in a thickness direction of the substrate. First and second wirings are formed on the substrate. An LED chip is mounted on the front surface of the substrate and electrically connected to the first and second wirings. A sealing resin, such as silicone, covers the LED chip. The substrate is made up of glass cloths laminated in the thickness direction and an impregnated resin, such as acrylic resin, impregnated in the glass cloths.

JP-A-2010-67862 discloses an example of an LED package (or packaged LED). The conventional LED package includes a resin container having an upwardly open recess, a pair of leads arranged in the resin container such that portions of the leads are exposed at the bottom of the recess, and an LED chip (semiconductor light-emitting element) mounted on one of the leads. The LED chip is electrically connected to the leads via wires, respectively. The recess is filled with sealing resin to cover the LED chip. The sealing resin is a transparent resin (e.g., silicone) containing phosphor powder.
The above configuration of the sealing resin improves the durability of the resin against light emitted from the LED chip thanks to a decrease in benzene rings per unit volume of the sealing resin. Accordingly, the amount of luminous flux emitted from the LED package is stabilized over a long period of time. In recent years, in response to the need for size reduction of an LED package, a thin substrate made of a resin may be used in place of the resin container disclosed in JP-A-2010-67862, and an LED chip is mounted on the resin substrate. In an LED package including such a resin substrate and a sealing resin of the above-noted configuration, the amount of luminous flux entering the resin substrate will increase as the durability of the sealing resin improves, which leads to deterioration of the resin substrate. Unfavorably, as the deterioration of the resin substrate progresses, the amount of luminous flux emitted from the LED package is reduced.


A binding strap for use in a soft boot snowboard binding is provided, the binding strap including a flexible, unitary binding member having an ankle section connected to a toe section by a midsection. The binding strap may be configured and dimensioned to preferably provide a rider with easy entry and exit from the strap. In addition, the shape and flexible nature of the binding makes it comfortable to use, while also allowing it to perform well by securely engaging the rider""s boot to the snowboard. The unitary construction allows the binding strap to move in an integrated manner, while the surface area of the binding strap reduces pressure points by distributing pressure exerted by the binding over a relatively large surface area of the boot, and hence foot, of the rider.

The present application relates to a binding strap for use in a soft boot snowboard binding.
In the sport of snowboarding, bindings are utilized to secure a rider""s boot, and hence foot, to the snowboard. A plate binding having adjustable bails is used with a hard shell by snowboard riders whose style is adapted to xe2x80x9ccarvingxe2x80x9d or higher speed riding which requires fluid movement from edge-to-edge, thereby xe2x80x9ccarvingxe2x80x9d deep into the snow. A soft boot binding includes two, or three straps for securing a soft snowboard boot favored by snowboard riders who xe2x80x9cfreeridexe2x80x9d or perform xe2x80x9cfreestylexe2x80x9d (trick-oriented) snowboarding. Regardless of the snowboarding styles, there are three basic requirements snowboard riders look for in their binding: performance, comfort and convenience. A binding system should securely attach the boot of the rider to the board, allow the rider to comfortably maneuver the board by weight shifts, twisting and turning of the lower and upper body, and be easy to secure and adjust especially when inserting and releasing the rider""s boot.
Conventional soft boot bindings come in either a two or three strap arrangement comprising an ankle strap, a toe strap and, in the three strap arrangement, a shin strap. The ankle strap may include an oblong strap member which has a first end with a number of holes to adjustably attach the strap to the sidewall of the baseplate by a nut and bolt combination which is received through the appropriate hole adjacent the instep of the boot. The second end of the ankle strap typically includes a ratchet buckle, such as the Slap Ratchet(trademark) buckle available from Burton Snowboards of Burlington Vt., which matingly engages a toothed or serrated strap mounted to the sidewall of the baseplate adjacent the outer side of the boot. The Slap Ratchet buckle and serrated strap allow for incremental adjustment once the ankle strap is secured around the boot. Likewise, the toe strap also typically includes an oblong strap member which has a first end with a number of holes to adjustably attach the strap to the sidewall of the baseplate by a nut and bolt combination which is received through the appropriate hole adjacent the xe2x80x9cbigxe2x80x9d toe of the rider. The second end of the toe strap also typically includes a clip, such as a Leverage Toe Clip(trademark) available from Burton Snowboards, which mates with a serrated strap mounted to the sidewall of the baseplate adjacent the xe2x80x9clittlexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cpinkiexe2x80x9d toe of the foot for incremental adjustment of the toe strap. The shin strap, when utilized, is typically mounted at a first end to the high-back portion of the binding by a fastener, such as a nut and bolt combination, and includes a ratchet buckle which matingly engages a toothed or serrated strap mounted to the sidewall high-back, adjacent the outer shin. Such soft boot bindings are available from Burton Snowboards, of Burlington, Vt., and include for example, the X2, Custom Freestyle, Freestyle, Freestyle XS, System, Lo-Back and Contact models.
A second type of soft boot binding, available from Flow, is a rear entry, one piece binding strap. The binding utilizes a single, symmetrical strap which encloses substantially the entire top region of the foot between the toe and the ankle area and is typically utilized with a high-back binding system. The one piece strap is attached at the toe and ankle area by a pair of ratchet buckles, each buckle being matingly engaged to a serrated strap.
While prior art soft boot bindings have proven to be effective, there is continued development in the field to provide a varied assortment of bindings which provide the rider with performance, comfort and convenience. The binding described in the present application is directed to one such binding offering performance, comfort and convenience to the rider.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a binding strap for use in a soft boot snowboard binding, the binding strap includes a flexible, unitary binding member having an ankle section connected to a toe section by a midsection. The binding strap is configured and dimensioned to preferably provide a rider with easy entry and exit from the strap. In addition, the shape and flexible nature of the binding makes it comfortable to use, while also allowing it to perform well by securely engaging the rider""s boot to the snowboard. The unitary construction allows the binding strap to move in an integrated manner, while the surface area of the binding strap reduces pressure points by distributing pressure exerted by the binding over a relatively large surface area of the boot, and hence foot, of the rider.
In one embodiment the unitary binding member may be asymmetrical in construction and may further include an inwardly sloping outer edge from the ankle section towards the toe section. The unitary binding member may also include an inner edge defining a variable medial opening for moving the ankle section and toe section relative to each other.
In another embodiment the midsection may have a reduced width relative to the ankle section and toe section, and the binding strap may have a contoured shape in an unstressed configuration.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a binding member for use in a soft boot snowboard binding which is comfortable to use while performing well for a variety of riders.
It is another object of the invention to provide a unitary binding member which provides a rider with ease of entry and exit of the rider""s boot from engagement with the binding strap.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a binding member which distributes pressure exerted by the binding member over the surface area of the boot to reduce the number of pressure points.

Adjustable binding strap for securing a snowboarding boot to a baseplate


A method of enhancing the appearance of a body area having wrinkles, blemishes or excess mass or having been disfigured by an injury such as a burn. A cosmetic mask having a specially sculpted body contacting surface adapted to treat a subject's distinctive bodily characteristics is formed by first forming a negative impression of the subject's targeted body area; filling the impression with a hardening material; when the hardening material has hardened, separating the impression from the hardening material, the hardening material being in the form of a mold reflecting a positive image of the body area; sculpting the mold to achieve a desired body contacting surface; and forming a mask from the mold. After the mask is formed it is applied to the body area for a time sufficient to enhance the appearance of the body area.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a method of enhancing the appearance of a body area having wrinkles, blemishes or excess mass or having been disfigured by an injury such as a burn. The invention encompasses a method of manufacturing a cosmetic mask having a specially sculpted body contacting surface adapted to treat a subject's distinctive bodily characteristics and the use of such a mask in connection with enhancing the appearance of such a body area.
2. Background
As a person ages, the skin, especially about the face and neck, loses the ability to respond as it once did and is prone to wrinkle, droop or otherwise lose its tautness. This condition may be exacerbated over time by sun exposure. Unwanted mass also may appear due to changes in metabolism and weight gain. These changes sometimes cause the person to feel inadequate or unattractive. In addition, injuries, especially burns, can cause unsightly disfigurations.
A variety of masks have heretofore been proposed for use on the body, particularly the face, to achieve a number of objectives, medical and cosmetic, examples of which are disclosed in the following United States patents:
(i) U.S. Pat. No. D113,429, issued to L. Mehl on Feb. 12, 1939, discloses a beauty mask. The mask extends down about the neck, and has ties. PA1 (ii) U.S. Pat. No. 165,955, issued to H. Rowley on Jul. 27, 1875, shows a mask for medical purposes. The mask is a flexible rubber mask and permits medical preparations to be held on the skin underlying the mask. PA1 (iii) U.S. Pat. No. 891,653, issued to V. Von Alperburg on Jun. 23, 1908, discloses a skin preserving covering. The covering has three layers, the inner trio comprising material from a Chinese palm tree, the outer layer comprising a reinforced textile layer. The intermediate layer has a "medicament" for preserving skin. PA1 (iv) U.S. Pat. No. 1,099,967, issued to A. Cochrane on Jun. 16, 1914 shows a combined chin truss and ear compress. PA1 (v) U.S. Pat. No. 1,110,772 issued to M. Gunderman on Sep. 15, 1914, discloses an appliance for removing facial defects. The appliance has a forehead band and a chin supporter. PA1 (vi) U.S. Pat. No. 1,113,732 issued to C. Archibald on Oct. 13, 1914, shows a facial supporter. The supporter is made from a non-yielding material. PA1 (vii) U.S. Pat. No. 1,247,222 issued to Z. Cauffman on Nov. 20, 1917, discloses a chin supporter. The supporter is made from a loosely woven textile material. PA1 (viii) U.S. Pat. No. 1,693,452 issued to C. McCune on Nov. 27, 1928, shows a mask for facial treatments. The mask is made from silk. PA1 (ix) U.S. Pat. No. 1,810,486 issued to R. Lancaster on Jun. 16, 1931 , discloses a rubber mask. The mask is said to be useful in face reducing, complexion bleaching, and treatment of skin blemishes. PA1 (x) U.S. Pat. No. 1,938,554 issued to G. Ager on Dec. 5, 1933, shows a face lifting and treating method and device. This device and method are intended to draw different parts of the face to their original status. PA1 (xi) U.S. Pat. No. 2,671,446 issued to A. Mann on Mar. 9, 1954 discloses a beauty mask. The mask is worn for the eradication of wrinkles, for reshaping facial muscles, and for general treatment and improvement of the skin as by removal of blemishes. The mask includes a liner, and before use facial creams, lotions, and the like are applied to the skin-contacting face of the liner. PA1 (xii) U.S. Pat. No. 2,923,291 issued to T. Lagoma on Feb. 2, 1960, shows a mask. The mask is used to correct wrinkles and other facial disfigurations. PA1 (xiii) U.S. Pat. No. 3,529,601 issued to J. Kirkland on Sep. 22, 1970, discloses a therapeutic bandage. The bandage is an elastic material impermeable to air, and the bandage is wrapped about a portion of the body. The bandage is used for weight reduction. PA1 (xiv) U.S. Pat. No. 3,805,782 issued to W. Welch on Apr. 23, 1974, shows a protective beauty mask. The mask protects facial skin and muscle tissue from pressure and distortion during sleep. PA1 (xv) U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,837 issued to M. Emiro on Oct. 3, 1978, discloses a monopiece face mask for beauty treatment. The mask is formed from a stretchable material and covers the head. PA1 (xvi) U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,690 issued to Bouyssi et al. on Mar. 7, 1989, shows a protective skull cap for the skull. The cap is formed from first talking an impression of the skull, and then layering three layers of non-flexible material over the impression to form the skull cap. PA1 (xvii) U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,700 issued to V. Smith on Jan. 11, 1994, discloses a facial bandage. The facial bandage is used as a dressing for compression and/or support of facial features for medical treatment.
None of the above described patents, however, offers a method of manufacturing a cosmetic mask having a specially sculpted body contacting surface adapted to treat a subject's distinctive bodily characteristics.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a method of making a cosmetic mask, including a facial mask, that allows for the accurate manufacture of a personalized, specially sculpted mask which will reduce wrinkles, blemishes and unwanted mass as desired.
Additionally, it is an object of the invention to provide a mask to effect cosmetic benefits to damaged body parts of victims of injury, such as burn victims. The invention may be utilized for various body parts, including a victim's back, chest, and appendages.

Method of enhancing the appearance of a body area and for manufacturing a mask for use in such method


A Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone includes a radio circuit to communicate with a current access point (AP) and other APs of a wireless communication network and a memory to store a scan table. The scan table includes information about candidate APs of the wireless communication network. The information is obtained from probe response transmissions received by the radio circuit from the respective candidate APs after transmission of probe requests from the VoIP telephone. The VoIP telephone further includes a controller which is operable to initiate a roaming process when communication between the VoIP telephone and the current AP degrades. The controller includes several applications, including an application to select a best candidate AP from the scan table, to terminate a voice call with the current AP and to resume the voice call through the radio circuit with the best candidate AP without disrupting the voice call.

The present invention relates generally to radio communication devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a roaming design for a Voice Over Internet Protocol handset and a related system.
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) systems have been developed to permit network access for portable devices. Communication is carried out using radio waves or another wireless medium. One conventional system permits radio communication between two stations in the network according to an air interface standard known as IEEE 802.11, promulgated by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. The standard defines frequencies, modulation and data encoding for two-way communication over a radio channel. A computer such as a portable or laptop computer equipped with a suitable radio circuit can receive and transmit signals in communication with a remote radio. The remote radio may be portable as well or may be fixed.
For network access by portable devices, the network includes one or more Access Points (APs). An AP is typically fixed at a location and provides access to a wire line network. An AP serves as a base station for wireless enabled portable or fixed devices to communicate with. Such devices that communicate with an AP are referred to as client stations. The set of all stations that can communicate with each other is referred to as a basic service set (BSS). Every BSS is defined by an identification (ID) called the BSSID. The BSSID is the media access control (MAC) address in the network of the access point which serves the BSS. An extended service set (ESS) is a set of connected BSSs. APs in an ESS are connected by a distribution system. Each ESS has an ID called the SSID which is a 32-byte character string.
WLAN systems have proven to be commercially successful for providing convenient, portable network access for data devices. Users have convenient access to remotely stored data over the WLAN. When the WLAN has access to the Internet, the local user may also access all the resources of the Internet. Data communication is relatively fast and very reliable.
However, many situations require not just data communication but voice communication instead or as well. For example, a business or other enterprise may have facilities which are spread over several floors in a building or over several buildings on a campus. It is desirable for individuals to move around the building or campus and take data and voice communication with them.
At present, many users with WLAN access for data communication must use a wire line telephone for voice communication. This limits the user's mobility as the user must remain in the location of a wire line telephone. Alternatively, the user can obtain another radiotelephone device such as a cellular telephone to place and receive calls using the cellular system. However, this arrangement has several drawbacks. First, cellular coverage may be unreliable, especially inside buildings, so that a call may be dropped or unable to be completed. Further, cellular service is relatively expensive, being billed on a per-minute basis. Especially for small or medium-size companies or individuals needing voice communication services, these problems limit the value of current voice communication solutions.
Telephones using Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are known which can communicate with a WLAN. However, such devices are limited to the radio communication range of the AP. This distance may be as small as 10 meters. While this provides some user mobility, full mobility around, for example, a building or campus would be preferred.

Roaming method and apparatus for VOIP handset


A method for forming, by epitaxy, a heteroatomic single-crystal semiconductor layer on a single-crystal semiconductor wafer, the crystal lattices of the layer and of the wafer being different, including forming, before the epitaxy, in the wafer surface, at least one ring of discontinuities around a useful region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the epitaxial growth of hetero-atomic single-crystal layers. The present invention more specifically relates to the forming of such layers on a semiconductor material of different crystallographic parameters.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The forming of silicon-germanium layers, SiGe, on a single-crystal silicon substrate will be considered hereafter as an example, and the case where a very thin strained silicon layer is desired to be formed on the SiGe layer will more specifically be considered.
In a given crystallographic system, in which the elementary lattice has a determined dimension, the electronic characteristics, and especially the mobility of the carriers (electrons/holes), are determined. It has been shown that it could be desirable to modify the lattice parameters to optimize the electronic characteristics. In particular, in the case of silicon, it has been shown that, if the dimension of the elementary lattice was increased (the value of the lattice parameter), this would enable forming of elementary components, of which a critical dimension (for example, the channel length or the base thickness) could be reduced.
To obtain silicon with an increased elementary lattice (strained silicon), it has been provided to form a silicon layer on a crystal layer having a lattice larger than the normal lattice of single-crystal silicon. In particular, it has been provided to deposit a very thin layer (a few atomic thicknesses, for example, from 5 to 20 nm) of silicon on a silicon-germanium layer of selected composition to have a determined lattice parameter.
FIG. 1 is a partial simplified cross-section view illustrating the forming, on a single-crystal silicon substrate 1, of a silicon-germanium layer 2 which will be called the "pseudo-substrate" and of a silicon layer 3. Upon epitaxial deposition of pseudo-substrate 2, the latter grows, on a few first atomic thicknesses, with a same lattice parameter a1 as that of substrate 1. Then, the presence of germanium causes a progressive deformation of the crystal lattice, the lattice parameter of which varies from value a1 to a value a2. Final value a2 depends on the proportion of introduced germanium, possibly increasing along the deposition. Upon subsequent epitaxial deposition of silicon layer 3, said layer starts its growth with a strained lattice parameter equal to underlying parameter a2. Electronic components may then be formed so that at least one of their portions, for example, a MOS transistor channel region or a bipolar transistor base area, is formed in layer 3.
It is thus desired to obtain a defect-free layer 3. "Defect-free" here means comprising a surface density of defects on the order of that of standard silicon substrates, of approximately 1/cm2. The defects of layer 3 are mainly the consequence of the defects of pseudo-substrate 2. Now, current methods of epitaxial forming of silicon-germanium on silicon result in SiGe layers exhibiting too high a defect density, over 104/cm2.