A valve device comprising a stator 22 having a predetermined number of coils arranged with substantially equal intervals in peripheral directions of a stator core, a rotor having a plurality of permanent magnet magnetic poles 29 at positions corresponding to the coils on an outer peripheral surface of the stator 22, a current carrying means 37 commutating a direct current supplied from a power source through the rotor 28 and applying the current to the coils of the stator 22, a shaft member located in a center of the rotor 28 and being movable in a direction of the shaft in response to rotation of the rotor 28, and a valve member 45 opening and closing by movement of the shaft member 30 for providing excellent responsiveness of valve opening and closing operations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a valve device used in a control of circulation of an exhaust gas in exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) device, which recirculates a part of the exhaust gas from an engine of an automobile to an intake system to suppress generation of an inert gas for obtaining a good rate of fuel consumption, and so on, wherein the valve device is driven by a direct current brush motor.
2. Discussion of Background
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a structure of such a valve device disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A-10-21306.
In FIG. 6, numerical reference 1 designates a motor case; numerical reference 2 designates a rotor, accommodated in the motor case 1 and supported by a slide ball 3 at a top end thereof and by a ball bearing 4 at a bottom end thereof, and wound by a coil 5; and numerical reference 6 designates a stator located in an inner wall of the motor case 1 to surround the rotor 2 and having a permanent magnet magnetic pole 7 at a position corresponding to the coil 5 of the rotor 2.
Numerical reference 8 designates a commutator attached to an upper portion of the rotor 2; numerical reference 9 designates a brush, being in contact with the commutator 8 a pressure by the spring 10, for supplying a direct current supplied via a connector terminal 11 to the commutator 8; numerical reference 12 designates a valve case coaxially connected to the motor case 1; numerical reference 13 designates a motor shaft, screwed inside the rotor and being movable in an axial direction through a guide bush in response to a rotation of the motor; numerical reference 15 designates a valve driving shaft connected to a tip of the motor shaft and movable through the guide plate; numerical reference 17 designates a valve member, fixed to a tip of the valve driving shaft 15, for opening and closing a flow passage 19 by being in contact with a sealing member 18 located inside the valve case 12.
In thus constructed conventional valve device, when the direct current supplied through the connector terminal 11 is applied to the coil 5 of the rotor 2, a direct current motor is formed in corroboration with the permanent magnet magnetic pole 7 of the stator, whereby the rotor 2 is rotated. Along with the rotation, the motor shaft 13 screwed inside the rotor 2 is rotated, whereby the motor shaft 13 moves in response to an amount of the rotation, namely, it moves downward in FIG. 6. Therefore, the valve member 17 secured to a tip of the motor shaft 13 to be separated from the sealing member 18, whereby the flow passage 19 is released.
However, because thus constructed conventional valve device opens and closes the flow passage 19 by contacting and separating the valve member 17 and the sealing member 18 through the valve driving shaft 15 connected to the motor shaft, which is screwed inside the rotor 2 to be upward and downward moved by the rotation of the rotor 2, the motor shaft 13 should be inserted in and engaged with the rotor 2, and the coil 5 should be wound around an outer periphery of the rotor 2, whereby an outer diameter of the rotor 2 is increased. Therefore, there are problems that a moment of inertia is increased, and responsiveness of valve opening and closing operations is deteriorated.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems inherent in the conventional technique and to provide a valve device having excellent responsiveness of a valve opening and closing operation by reducing inertia of a rotor.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a valve device comprising: a stator formed by arranging a predetermined number of coils in peripheral directions of a stator core with substantially equal intervals; a rotor formed by arranging a plurality of permanent magnet magnetic poles at positions respectively corresponding to the coils on an outer peripheral surface of the stator; a current carrying means commutating a direct current supplied from a power source through the rotor and applying this to each of the coils of the stator; a shaft member located in a center of the rotor and movable in a direction of the shaft in response to rotation of the rotor; and a valve member opened and closed by movement of the shaft member.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a valve device according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the current carrying means includes: a commutator monolithically formed with the permanent magnet magnetic poles by a resin in the rotor and divided into many parts to commutate the direct current supplied from the power source through a first brush; and as much as n slip rings, electrically connected to corresponding divided parts of the commutator to apply a current commutated to n phases by the commutator through a second brush to corresponding coils of the stator.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a valve device according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein the commutator is formed by dividing a center or an outer peripheral annular portion of a disk into many parts in peripheral directions, and the slip ring is formed by dividing into n parts like concentric rings on an inner peripheral side or an outer peripheral side of the commutator.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a valve device according to the first aspect or the second aspect of the present invention, wherein the current carrying means and the valve member are positioned different sides of the stator and the rotor in the direction of the shaft.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a valve device according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the stator is formed by winding coils respectively around magnetic pole teeth of the stator core, formed by laminating a magnetic material and connecting a plurality of yokes like a belt, and bending the connecting portions to be in an annular shape.


Three storage vessels 11-13 are stacked at positioned lower than a rainwater gutter 14. The rainwater gutter and the first storage vessel 11 are connected by a first supply passage 21, the second supply passage 22 connected to a lower face of the first storage vessel at one end thereof is provided with a supply valve 33 at the other end thereof. The third supply passage 23 provided with a nonreturn valve 43 is connected with a lower face of second and third storage vessels 12, 13 at one end thereof, and connected to a second supply passage at the other end thereof respectively. When the rainwaters stored in the first and second storage vessels go up in the water level up to over a predetermined water level, an overflow passage 41 leads the rainwater exceeding over the predetermined water level to the second and third storage vessels respectively. The rainwater is collected in the storage vessels in order from the first storage vessel, and the rainwater is supplied to the destination of supply from the first storage vessel.. The general service water storing equipment can be installed in a relatively narrow space, and can increase and decrease the water storage capacity relatively easily by increasing and decreasing the number of the storage vessels, and further can supply the stored rainwater to the required place as the general service water without a pump by utilizing the potential energy of the rainwater of the storage vessel.

Up to now, in order to utilize effectively a rainwater, there is started to be conducted a method of storing the rainwater in a ground storage vessel disposed on a ground or an underground storage vessel embedded under the ground, and supplying this stored rainwater to a required place as a general service water by means of a pump.
On the other hand, in order to utilize effectively the used water of the bathtub, this water is supplied to a washing machine by means of a portable pump of small size or a bucket to be utilized as a washing water for clothes.
However, according to the above mentioned method of utilizing the rainwater, there is caused a problem that it is difficult to ensure a place of arranging a storage vessel in the region in which houses are crowded as a city portion. Also, there is a disadvantage of increasing a running cost, because the stored rainwater must be supplied by using the pump.
Moreover, the above mentioned method of utilizing the used water of the bathtub, it requires a much labor, and the ratio of utilizing the used water is not sufficient yet because the water remained in the washing machine which is not utilized as the washing water is discarded.
It is therefore the first object of the present invention to provide a general service water storing equipment in which it can be arranged on relatively narrow space, a water storage capacity can be increased or decreased by increasing or decreasing the capacity of a storage vessel according to the required amount of the general service water, and the stored rainwater can be supplied to the required place as the general service water without a power source such as a pump and the like by utilizing a potential energy of the rainwater in the storage vessel.
It is therefore the second object of the present invention to provide a general service water storing equipment in which the used water of a bathtub can be supplied to the required place as the general service water by storing the used water of the bathtub in a storage vessel by a pump to utilize a potential energy of the used water in the storage vessel, thereby utilizing the used water of the bathtub effectively.


A magneto-resistive element comprises a first electrode, a magneto-resistive layer formed on the first electrode in which resistance is changed in accordance with magnetic field, and a second electrode layer formed on the magneto-resistive layer. The magneto-resistive layer has a first magnetic layer formed on the first electrode, a non-magnetic layer formed on the first magnetic layer, and a second magnetic layer formed on the non-magnetic layer. The average surface roughness of the first electrode is equal to or smaller than 0.3 nm. Since the first electrode has such the small average surface roughness, the non-magnetic layer formed on the first electrode layer is flattened, thus, current leakage is prevented. The first electrode is made of at least one of Ta, Zr, Ti, Hf, W, Mo, Y, V, Nb, Au, Ag, Pd, and Pt which has strong bond strength. Since the first electrode has strong bond strength, exfoliation of the first electrode from the layers contacting the first electrode does not occur.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magneto-resistive element and a magnetic head for data writing/reading. The present invention also relates to a data writing/reading device which writes/reads data on/from a magnetic recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
A magnet-resistive element (or a magnetic head) has been known as an element which can read high density data recorded on a magnetic material.
As disclosed in, for example, a paper titled xe2x80x9cThin Film Magnetoresistors in Memory Storage and Related Applicationsxe2x80x9d written by D. A. Thompson (IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MAGNETICS, MAG-11, no. 4, p. 1039; 1975), operation of the magneto-resistive element is based on AMR (anisotropic magnetoresistance) effect. According to the AMR effect, one component of resistance in the magneto-resistive element changes. The change degree is in proportion to a cosine (of an angle between the magnetization direction of the magneto-resistive element and the flow direction of a current in the magneto-resistive element) to the second power.
Bias magnetic field is applied to an AMR head (a magnetic head utilizing the AMR effect) in order to reduce Barkhausen noise. An antiferromagnetic material such as FeMn, NiMn, and nickel oxidew is a material which applies the bias magnetic field.
As another type of the magnetic head, a GMR (giant magnetoresistance) head which utilizing GMR effect (spin valve effect) has been known. The GMR head has a pair of ferromagnetic layers sandwiching a non-magnetic layer. According to the GMR effect, changes of resistance between the ferromagnetic layers changes. The change degree is in proportion to a cosine of an angle between the magnetization directions of the ferromagnetic layers. The GMR head is more sensitive than the AMR head. In other words, the degree of resistance changes in the GMR head caused by magnetic field is larger than that of the AMR head.
Various techniques for improving performance of the above described magnetic head (magnetic sensor) have been disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication Nos. H2-61572, H4-358310, and H4-103014, Japanese Patent No. 2701748, and the U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,061.
According to the technique disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. H2-61572, the magnetization directions of a pair of the ferromagnetic layers sandwiching a non-magnetic layer are controlled in order to improve sensitivity of the magnetic head. More precisely, the magnetization direction of one ferromagnetic layer and another magnetization direction of the other ferromagnetic layer are controlled so as to be parallel or anti-parallel in accordance with external magnetic field.
According to the technique disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. H4-358310, the magnetization directions of ferromagnetic films which are separated by a non-magnetic film are controlled in order to improve sensitivity of the magnetic head. More precisely, the magnetization direction of one ferromagnetic film and another magnetization direction of the other ferromagnetic film are controlled so as to be perpendicular to each other when no external magnetic field is applied thereto.
According to the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2701748, bias magnetic field is applied to the magnetic head in order to improve sensitivity of the magnetic head. More precisely, the disclosed magnetic head has two magnetic films, each having different coercive force, which are deposited while sandwiching a non-magnetic layer therebetween. In this technique, the direction of the applied bias magnetic field is the same as the direction of remained magnetization of the magnetic film having larger coercive force.
In a magnetic sensor disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. H4-103014, the magnetization directions of magnetic layers sandwiching a non-magnetic layer are controlled by applying bias magnetic field thereto in order to improve sensitivity of the magnetic sensor. More precisely, the applied bias magnetic field controls the magnetization direction of one magnetic layer and another magnetization direction of the other magnetic layer so as to be parallel or anti-parallel.
According to the technique disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,061, positional relationship between magnetic layers and a recording surface of a magnetic recording medium is controlled in order to read data from the high density recording medium. More precisely, the magnetic layers are formed on a Cu or AL electrode so that surfaces of the magnetic layers are perpendicular to the recording surface of the magnetic recording medium. Thus, a region of the magnetic sensor which contacts the recording surface is reduced.
In order to improve performance of the magnetic sensor, other than the above techniques, a non-magnetic layer to be formed on an electrode should be flattened, and the electrode should be strongly affixed to layers sandwiching the electrode.
FIG. 22 shows uneven thickness of a non-magnetic layer. That is, unflat non-magnetic layer is likely to cause current leakage which will reduce sensitivity of the magnetic sensor. Moreover, a current through the non-magnetic layer is likely to break thin portions of the non-magnetic layer. In other words, the unflat non-magnetic layer worsens withstand voltage characteristics of the magnetic sensor (magneto-resistive element).
If bond strength of the electrode is not strong, the electrode is exfoliated easily from the layers which sandwich the electrode. Such the magnetic sensor (magneto-resistive element) has poor reliability and yielding.
Further a data writing/reading device comprising the above magnetic sensor also has poor reliability.
None of the above described Thompson""s paper, Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication Nos. H2-61572, H4-358310, and H4-103014, Japanese Patent No. 2701748, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,061 has descriptions regarding to a method for flattening a non-magnetic layer and bond strength of an electrode.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a magneto-resistive element having improved reliability. It is another object of the present invention to provide a magneto-resistive element having a flat magneto-resistive layer. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a magneto-resistive element which has an electrode having strong bond strength. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a magnetic head and a data writing/reading device having improved reliability.
According to this invention, the magneto-resistive layer is formed on an electrode which has an average surface roughness equal to or smaller than about 0.3 nm. Thus, current leakage, breaking of the non-magnetic layer, and the like do not occur. As a result, the magneto-resistive element has excellent reliability. A second electrode is formed on the magneto-resistive layer. The magneto-resistive layer may include a non-magnetic layer. In an embodiment, the magneto-resistive layer may include at least one magnetic layer along with the non-magnetic layer. The magneto-resistive layer in one embodiment may have a pair of magnetic layers sandwiching a non-magnetic layer.
According to this invention, the non-magnetic layer formed on the first electrode is flat because the average surface roughness of the first electrode is equal to or smaller than 0.3 nm. Thus, current leakage, breaking of the non-magnetic layer, and the like do not occur. As a result, the magneto-resistive element has excellent reliability.
The electrode may be made of a material which prevents it from being exfoliated from a layer formed directly thereon.
The electrode may be made of a material including at least one of Ta, Zr, Ti, Hf, W, Mo, Y, V, Nb, Au, Ag, Pd, and Pt. In this case, the electrode may be affixed to the magneto-resistive layer with bond strength of equal to or greater than 36 Giga Pascal (Gpa).
According to a second aspect of the present invention a magnetic head is formed with the above described magneto-resistive element.
A data writing/reading device may be formed using the aforementioned magnetic head.

Magneto-resistive element and magnetic head for data writing/reading


Systems, methods, and apparatuses can protecting a secret on a device with limited memory, while still providing tamper resistance. To achieve the lower memory usage, embodiments can apply a memory-hard function MHF to the secret S to obtain a result Y, which can be used in an encoding process to obtain a code C. After applying the MHF, a prove function can generate a proof value that is used in a decoding (e.g., a verification of computation process) of the code C. The code C can include the proof value, the secret S, and the result Y, and can be sent to a decoding device that verifies the code C as part of a decoding process.

When secret data (such as secret key for encryption) is stored in "secure" memory of the devices, attackers can still tamper with the "secure" memory using fault attacks. In fault attacks, values in a memory cell are altered, and an output of a secure function (e.g., in a secure element including the secure memory) can be used to deduce the original secret data. Once the secret data is known to the attacker, she can use that to break the security of the relevant system, for example, by decrypting the ciphertexts encrypted with secret key(s), which are part of the recovered secret data. As other examples, an attacker could use the secret data in some authentication protocol to gain improper access to a resource. Such an attack might occur when a phone is stolen or malware has been introduced.
The overall effectiveness of fault attacks as a method of hardware tampering and memory leakage makes them a widely-used technique for accessing private data stored on consumer devices. For example, fault attacks can be effective against RSA or elliptic curve Diffie-Helman techniques, as may be used in transport layer security (TLS). As such, a growing number of researchers are attempting to find coding schemes that protect data against the vulnerabilities of memory to fault attacks and similar forms of hardware tampering.
Such attacks can be partially addressed by using non-malleable codes, such that the secret data is stored by encoding with a non-malleable code. Such encoding does not need a key, and is thus different from encryption. Use of a non-malleable code can allow the secure element to detect whether tampering has been done, or result in a same output. However, non-malleable codes require a decoding function to be used in the secure element. It is possible that attacker malware can include or gain access to the decoding function, as well as include an encoding function. Such malware can recover the secret data using tampering. Existing protection techniques do not address such malware, and thus leave open vulnerabilities.
Embodiments described herein address these and other problems, individually and collectively.

Tamper-resistant data encoding for mobile devices


A radio broadcast system includes a vehicle-based radio system that receives radio broadcasts via digital satellite transmission from a transmitting facility and provides two-way communication with a vehicle communications central facility. The transmitting facility broadcasts a number of different channels of programming content (music, news, etc.) along with one or more separate streams of radio advertisements. The advertisements are received by the vehicle radio system which selects and stores certain advertisements targeted to the vehicle user based on user or vehicle data. The broadcasted radio streams received by the vehicle radio system contain intermittent advertising slots and the system monitors the channel selected by the vehicle operator for markers that identify these advertising slots. Once a marker is detected, one of the stored advertisements is accessed and inserted into the advertising slot for playback as a part of the selected broadcast stream.

Historically, vehicle radio systems have been designed to receive radio broadcasts at different frequencies and within different frequency bands, with a tuner being used to select among the different frequencies and play audio content from the radio broadcast received at the selected frequency. The radio broadcasts can include a variety of different programming content including, for example, news, music, and talk shows. Commercial radio stations use advertisements interspersed throughout the programming content as a source of revenue. These radio advertisements are not specifically targeted to each of the end users; rather, they are targeted only generally, if at all, based on such things as the time of day, content of the contemporaneous programming content, and demographics of the listening audience derived from survey data. These factors are also typically used to determine how much to charge the advertisers for broadcasting the advertisement.
Traditional AM and FM radio broadcasts by a radio station cover only a limited geographic area depending on the strength of the broadcasted signal and the use of repeaters. Much of the programming content for these broadcasts is locally produced or compiled and then broadcasted only within the area covered by the particular radio station. For more widespread distribution of programming content, syndication has become more common, with the syndicated content being transmitted to various, geographically dispersed radio stations which then retransmit that syndicated program. Local advertising may be inserted within this content by the individual radio stations. Television networks provide programming content in a similar fashion, with the content containing advertising slots that can be used by the local affiliates to insert regional advertising.
More recently, other approaches that permit more localized programming and advertising have been proposed. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,163,683 to J. M. Dunn et al. which discloses a broadcast data radio system that uses cellular towers to implement a virtual radio station that is not limited by the geographic range of any single transmitting station. The system broadcasts both analog and digital programming content which can be locally stored and interleaved with broadcasted programming content. This permits the user to maintain reception of the virtual radio station's programming when crossing regional boundaries from one region to another while receiving advertising having locally-specific content.
One disadvantage of these existing approaches to radio broadcasting of programming and advertising is that they do little to improve the targeting of advertising to listeners. Another disadvantage is that they do not provide any means to confirm that the advertising has been delivered to the listener. Accordingly, it is a general object of the invention to enable customization of advertising for vehicle occupants in a manner that better targets the advertising to the listener. It is also an object of the invention to provide a system that can provide confirmation back to the advertiser that a particular advertisement has been played for the listener.

Vehicle radio system with customized advertising


An inkjet head including piezoelectric sheets each of which has an individual electrode-forming region on its front surface, and inner electrodes in its inside. Individual electrodes are arranged in the individual electrode-forming region. The inner electrodes are arranged opposite to the individual electrodes. Front surface common electrodes are provided on the front surface of the piezoelectric sheet so that the front surface common electrodes are formed as land portions disposed around the individual electrode-forming region. The front surface common electrodes are formed to extend lengthwise along outer edges of the individual electrode-forming region. One end portion of front surface common electrode in the lengthwise direction is connected to a connection terminal of a board connected to a drive circuit. The other end portion of front surface common electrode is electrically connected to a corresponding inner electrode via through-hole formed below the front surface common electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inkjet head and an inkjet printer using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been heretofore known an inkjet head of the type for driving a piezoelectric device to press ink packed in a pressure chamber adjacent to the piezoelectric device to eject ink from a nozzle connected to the pressure chamber toward a recording medium such as paper to thereby form an image on the recording medium.
For example, an inkjet head disclosed in JP-A-Hei3-150165 includes a cavity plate having columns of rhombic pressure chambers. A common electrode which is common to the pressure chambers of the cavity plate is provided on a pressure chamber side surface of the cavity plate in the inkjet head. A sheet-like piezoelectric device having individual electrodes (drive electrodes) corresponding to the pressure chambers is laminated on a surface of the cavity plate opposite to the pressure chamber side surface. The inkjet head is provided so that a drive voltage is applied between a certain individual electrode and the common electrode to displace the piezoelectric device toward the pressure chamber side to press ink in the pressure chamber to thereby eject ink from a nozzle connected to the pressure chamber.
Incidentally, in this type inkjet head, wiring from the individual and common electrodes to a drive circuit is complex because the common electrode is provided on a surface opposite to the individual electrodes. It is therefore conceived that lands separated from the individual electrodes are provided on the individual electrode side surface of the piezoelectric device so that the common electrode can be electrically connected to the lands through through-holes.
When the common electrode is connected to the lands through the through-holes in this manner, the individual and common electrodes can be electrically connected to the drive circuit without complex wiring except that a board having a wiring layer (pads) connected to the drive circuit is placed on a front surface of the piezoelectric device so that the individual electrodes and the lands are bonded to the wiring layer.
If the lands and the through-holes are provided on and in the piezoelectric device, the lands and the through-holes cause deformation unevenness of the piezoelectric device in regions in which the individual electrodes are adjacent to the lands. As a result, ink ejection characteristic varies in accordance with nozzles corresponding to the individual electrodes. If the connection routes (through-holes) for connecting the common electrode to the lands are provided as only one system in order to suppress deformation unevenness, durability/reliability of products is lowered because there is no preparatory wiring for accidents such breaking of wire.


A rotary camera for photographing a plurality of original documents on microfilm and for recording information relating to the photographed original documents together with data concerning the conditions for photographing additional necessary data. The rotary camera has an exposure roller on which images of the original documents are focused to be photographed and unidimensionally arranged light emitting elements opposed to the exposure roller. The light emitting elements are selectively energized so that the microfilm is exposed to the data-writing lights forming any desired images of the data in the form of letters, numerals or marks while moving in contact with the exposure roller. The data to be recorded is designated and is put into the control system through a keyboard. A jam-mark may be recorded on the microfilm as the data in response to an output from a jamming detector. Similarly, a lamp failure mark may be recorded when a lamp failure condition is detected by a sensor sensing insufficient illuminating of the original document being photographed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a rotary camera for photographically recording a plurality of original documents on a roll of microfilm, the microfilm is moved in. The direction reverse to the traveling direction of the original documents which are fed successively to be photographed by the rotary camera. Particularly, the invention relates to such a rotary camera having a data recording device for recording data relating to the photographed original documents and also recording an error mark if some erroneous condition is detected during the successive photographing operations. The erroneous condition automatically detected and recorded on the microfilm, according to the invention, includes jamming of the original documents and the lamp-off condition at which the light quantity illuminating the original document at the photographing position drops below a certain level. A jam mark is recorded in the former case, and a lamp-off mark is recorded in the latter case.
2. Prior Art Statement
The rotary camera has been developed and used as one type of the cameras in which microfilm is used to store photographed images. Generally in a rotary camera, the microfilm roll is intermittently moved in the direction reverse to the travelling direction of the original documents to be photographed, and the light incident on the successive original documents is reflected by the surface of each so as to pass through a slit, and is focused on the surface of the continuously moving microfilm roll so that images of the original documents are photographically recorded on the microfilm roll successively.
Together with the photographed images, it is desirable to record necessary data, such as date, time, contents or types of the original documents, and other data on the microfilm. In conventional devices, the such data has been recorded on the microfilm roll while holding the film by on a flat plate in a stationary manner and exposing the film to lights emitted from an eight-segment light emitting element. Accordingly, in order to record such data on the film, feeding of the microfilm must be stopped.
Since the microfilm roll is stopped and held while the backside of a portion of the microfilm roll is supported by a flat back-up plate, the length of the film passage route is increased and an additional space for accommodating the flat plate and eight-segment light emitting element is required. The necessity of intermittent stopping the microfilm roll also complication the driving mechanism and adds difficulty to the assembly of the total system Since a relatively large eight-segment light emitting element must be assembled in the system in opposition to the flat back-up plate, compactness of the system is hindered.
Meanwhile, although plural original documents are fed successively one after another at a constant travelling rate and at constant intervals in the normal photographing operation, jamming or other abnormal feeding of the documents often occur due to the presence of folding lines creases or other irregularities in the documents. Once jamming occurs, jammed document sheets must be rearranged in the normal condition, and photographing of the documents must be re-started from the document which is fed prior to the occurrence of the disorder causing jamming. As a result, some number of the documents fed prior to the occurrence of jamming are photographed repeatedly. However, the image in each frame on the microfilm roll is too small to identify the location of the frame at which jamming occurs or to find the repeatedly photographed images of the same document by visually observing the developed microfilm.
Accompanying the occurrence of jamming, the photographed image sequence is somehow disturbed. For example, the length of a certain frame is increased or an abnormally long blank space is left between adjacent frames. However, by only inspecting the developed film visually, it is difficult to to ascertain the true cause of such a disturbance. For instance, even if a long blank space is left at a certain location, it is difficult to judge whether the blank space indicates the termination of a normal sequential photographing operation or jamming or other malfunction.
Another malfunction which might occur during the successive photographing operation is a lamp failure condition at which the lamp illuminating the document surface is damaged, for example, by breakdown of the filament of the lamp. When the a lamp failure condition occurs, the film continues to be moved, as though normal photographing operation is continued, without being exposed to the image-bearing light. Once the camera has been in the lamp failure condition, the broken lamp must be exchanged and the photographing operation must be repeated to photograph the documents fed after the occurrence of the lamp failure condition. In such a case, some of the documents might be repeatedly photographed in the preceding and subsequent operation cycles. However, since the photographed images are too small to be inspected. Visually, it is difficult to identify the particular document which has been photographed occurrence during the lamp failure condition and to ascertain the repeatedly photographed images.
When the lamp-off condition occurs, some blank space appears on the microfilm. However, it is difficult to judge the true cause for such a blank space by only visually inspecting the developed film. For instance, even if a long blank space is left at a certain location, it is difficult to judge whether the blank space indicates the termination of normal sequential photographing operation or indicates the occurrence of the lamp failure condition.

Rotary camera having data recording device


The invention relates to an alarm valve station (1), in particular a wet alarm valve station, of a fire extinguishing system (100), having an alarm valve (3) with an extinguishing fluid inlet (5) and an extinguishing fluid outlet (7), wherein the alarm valve (3) has a closing body that can be moved back and forth between a blocking state and a release state, wherein the fluid inlet chamber and the fluid outlet chamber are separated from one another in the blocking state and communicate with one another fluidically in the release state, an alarm triggering device (9) for triggering a fire alarm, which is connected with the alarm valve (3), and a delay container (11a, 11b) in order to delay triggering of the fire alarm, wherein the alarm valve (3) is fluidically connected with a fluid inlet (13) of the delay container, and a fluid outlet (15a-15c) of the delay container (11a, 11b) is fluidically connected with the alarm triggering device (9). The invention proposes that the delay container (11a, 11b) have several fluid inlets (13) and/or several fluid outlets (15a-15c).

Alarm valve stations of fire extinguishing systems are used to trigger a fire alarm. To this end, known alarm valve stations routinely determine the fluidic flow of the extinguishing fluid between the extinguishing fluid inlet, which is usually fluidically connected with an extinguishing fluid supply, and the extinguishing fluid outlet, which is usually fluidically connected with a sprinkler arrangement via a fluid line system.
In the event of a fire, the sprinkler nozzles of the sprinkler arrangement open, thereby causing a drop in the pressure level in the line system of the sprinkler arrangement, and thus also at the extinguishing fluid outlet of the alarm valve. The pressure drop results in a pressure difference forming between the extinguishing fluid inlet and extinguishing fluid outlet of the alarm valve. Once a specific pressure difference has been reached, the closing body, which is arranged in the alarm valve and closed with the alarm valve in the idle state, opens.
At the same time that the closing body between the extinguishing fluid inlet and extinguishing fluid outlet opens, the extinguishing fluid inflow from inside of the alarm valve is released, for example in a stub line, which usually is referred to as an alarm line. The stub line is (nearly) fluid-free and unpressurized in the idle state of the closing body. In addition, the stub line is fluidically connected with a pressure sensor, which detects the pressure change in the stub line caused by the inflowing extinguishing fluid. The pressure sensor is part of an alarm triggering device.
The supply of extinguishing fluid is subject to temporarily arising pressure fluctuations, for example owing to water hammers in the supply network. These pressure fluctuations can result in the stub line, which is fluidically connected with the pressure sensor, being briefly pressurized by extinguishing fluid. To prevent pressure fluctuations in the extinguishing fluid supply from triggering a fire alarm, a hydraulic delay container is routinely placed upstream from the pressure sensor. As a result of the delay container, a pressure interpreted as an event for generating an alarm signal only builds at the pressure sensor if a large enough amount of extinguishing fluid flows into the alarm line or delay container, and a corresponding pressure builds at the pressure sensor. This prevents temporarily arising pressure fluctuations in the extinguishing fluid supply from leading to an inadvertent triggering of a fire alarm.
In several alarm valve stations, the fluid outlet of known delay containers is fluidically connected with several separate components, for example with several different or identical pressure sensors and/or with alarm systems like alarm bells. To this end, the delay container is connected with branch lines, which distribute the extinguishing fluid pressure or extinguishing fluid flow present at the delay container. For this purpose, use is usually made of various fittings, such as T-shaped or Y-shaped line branches arranged at the fluid outlet of the delay container. This produces a high assembly and maintenance outlay on the one hand, while on the other this type of line arrangement leads to an increased risk of a leak, and hence of a functional impairment or even a functional failure.
The object underlying the invention is to provide the capacity to fluidically connect the delay container of an alarm valve station (outlet side) with several separate components, while lowering the assembly and maintenance outlay and/or risk of leakage by comparison to known solutions, and arranging the delay container inside of the alarm valve station so as to economize on space.
The object is achieved with an alarm valve station of the kind mentioned at the outset, wherein the delay container has several fluid inlets and/or several fluid outlets.
The invention makes use of the knowledge that the fluid flow or pressure need not necessarily be divided outside of the delay container by a suitable line arrangement. Dividing the fluid flow with the delay container eliminates the need for a downstream line arrangement for dividing the fluid flow. This reduces the assembly and maintenance outlay, as well as the risk of a leak, and in particular also significantly reduces the space required.
The extinguishing fluid inlet of the alarm valve is preferably set up to be fluidically connected with an extinguishing fluid supply. Alternatively or additionally, the extinguishing fluid outlet of the alarm valve is set up to be fluidically connected with a sprinkler arrangement. Further preferred is a delay container having two, three or four fluid inlets and/or two, three or four fluid outlets.
The alarm valve station according to the invention is advantageously further developed so as to connect one fluid outlet or several or all of the several fluid outlets of the delay container with one or several respective alarm triggering devices. According to the invention, the alarm triggering device is understood as the functional unit that comprises the acquisition of an event requiring the generation of the alarm signal, e.g., the sufficient rise in pressure in the delay container, as well as means for generating the alarm signal. At least one alarm triggering device preferably consists of a pressure sensor, which is set up to detect a pressure change and convert it into an electrical signal. The pressure sensor is preferably designed as a pressure switch.
The pressure sensor is preferably connected with a fire detector and/or extinguishing control panel in a signal-conducting manner. The fire detector and extinguishing control panel preferably processes the signal received from the pressure sensor, so as to control alarm systems, such as one or several electrically operated alarm horns or one or several hydraulically operated alarm bells, and/or to transmit alarm messages to permanently manned locations and the fire department. The fire detector and/or extinguishing control panel preferably continuously monitors the fire extinguishing system in which the alarm valve station according to the invention is used. In particular, the fire detector and/or extinguishing control panel communicates with hazard management systems and, by way of web interfaces, with internet-ready devices.
In another preferred embodiment of the alarm valve station according to the invention, the pressure sensor is alternatively or additionally connected with an electrically operated alarm system in a signal-conducting manner. The electrically operated alarm system preferably consists of an alarm horn.
In another preferred embodiment of the alarm valve station according to the invention, at least one alarm triggering device has a hydraulically operated alarm system. The hydraulically operated alarm system preferably has a hydraulic alarm bell. The alarm bell serves to sound an alarm in the immediate environment.
In an especially preferred embodiment of the alarm valve station according to the invention, several fluid outlets are arranged on a first side of the delay container, and at least one fluid inlet is arranged on a second, opposing side of the delay container. Because several fluid outlets are arranged on the first side of the delay container, and at least one fluid inlet is arranged on the second, opposing side of the delay container, the extinguishing fluid can be introduced into the delay container via the at least one fluid inlet on the second side of the delay container. After the delay container is completely or essentially completely filled with extinguishing fluid, extinguishing fluid flows through the several fluid outlets on the first side of the delay container and out of the delay container, or the pressure being built up by the fluid streaming into the delay container continues to the fluid outlets. As a result of the opposing arrangement of the at least one fluid inlet and the several fluid outlets, the entire or essentially the entire volume of the delay container is thus utilized, so that a maximum delay is achieved. A fluid outlet is preferably arranged on the second side of the delay container in addition to the fluid inlet. The additional fluid outlet on the second side of the delay container allows the delay container to be emptied, for example. The delay container is preferably emptied continuously, but with a slow evacuation rate. This ensures that an evacuation process will take place after a complete or partial filling of the delay container, so that the entire volume of the delay container is available during subsequent filling for delaying the hydraulic signal. It is further preferred that the delay container be aligned in such a way that the second side of the delay container, and hence the at least one fluid inlet and the additional fluid outlet, are arranged under the interior of the delay container, so that evacuation can take place through the additional fluid outlet on the second side of the delay container through exposure to gravity, without using a fluid conveying device.
In a preferred further development of the alarm valve station according to the invention, the at least one fluid inlet on the second side of the delay container is not aligned flush with any of the several fluid outlets on the first side of the delay container. The extinguishing fluid streaming into the delay container through the at least one fluid inlet routinely has a pressure level that leads to the formation of an extinguishing fluid jet, in particular when the delay container first starts being filled. The risk of a flush alignment of the at least one fluid inlet relative to one of the several fluid outlets is that, even though the delay container has not yet been completely or essentially completely filled with extinguishing fluid, extinguishing fluid already flows out via the extinguishing fluid jet through the fluid outlet aligned flush with the fluid inlet, and the pressure sensor generates an alarm signal without a delay or with too short a delay.
In an advantageous embodiment of the alarm valve station according to the invention, the delay container has a longitudinal axis that extends from the first side to the second side of the delay container. A fluid inlet or several or all fluid inlets are spaced apart from the longitudinal axis. Alternatively or additionally, a fluid outlet or several or all fluid outlets of the delay container are spaced apart from the longitudinal axis. At least sections of the delay container are preferably designed rotationally symmetrical around a central axis, wherein the longitudinal axis corresponds to the central axis. By being spaced apart from the longitudinal axis, the respective fluid inlet or the respective fluid outlet is arranged on the side of the delay container. Each fluid inlet and fluid outlet can be fluidically connected with a pipe section or some other component by means of a suitable coupling means, for example a pipe fitting. Despite a plurality of fluid inlets and/or fluid outlets, the lateral arrangement of the respective fluid inlets and respective fluid outlets allows this coupling. As a whole, the delay container can in this way be integrated into the alarm valve station in a space-saving manner.
The alarm valve station according to the invention is advantageously further developed in such a way as to give the delay container a multipart design. The multipart design of the delay container makes it easier to manufacture the delay container on the one hand, and increases the adaptability of the delay container on the other. Furthermore, the delay container is easier to assemble and maintain.
In an especially preferred embodiment of the alarm valve station according to the invention, the delay container has a first container part and a second container part that can be detached, preferably reversibly and nondestructively detached, from the first container part. The two separate and detachable container parts further increase the universality of the delay container.
Further preferred is an alarm valve station according to the invention in which the first container part and second container part each have a flange section, wherein the flange sections of the first container part and second container part are designed to be mutually connected. The respective flange section is preferably integrally designed with the respective container part. It is further preferred that the flange section of the first container part and flange section of the second container part be designed as a continuous flange section. The flange section of the first container part and flange section of the second container part preferably extend radially outward from the interior of the respective container part.
In another preferred embodiment of the alarm valve station according to the invention, the first container part and second container part are identical. This leads to a significant reduction in production costs, for example the model costs for fabricating cast parts. In particular, the first container part of the delay container has several, preferably two, fluid outlets. In particular, the second container part of the delay container has at least one fluid inlet. The second container part of the delay container further preferably has a fluid outlet in addition to the fluid inlet.
The alarm valve station according to the invention is further advantageously further developed by virtue of the fact that the first container part and second container part can be connected with each other in various rotational angle positions. Because the first container part and second container part can be connected with each other in various rotational angle positions, the position of the fluid outlets and the at least one fluid inlet of the delay container can be altered. For example, the first container part and second container part can be connected with each other in a total of 4 different rotational angle positions, wherein                in a first rotational angle position, the first container part and second container part are not twisted, i.e., the terminals are aligned flush,        in a second rotational angle position, the first container part and second container part are twisted relative to each other by a total of 90 degrees around a central axis of the delay container,        in a third rotational angle position, the first container part and second container part are twisted relative to each other by a total of 180 degrees around a central axis of the delay container,        in a fourth rotational angle position, the first container part and second container part are twisted relative to each other by a total of 270 degrees around a central axis of the delay container.
Further preferred as well are delay containers whose first container part and whose second container part can be connected with each other in a total of two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine or ten different rotational angle positions. The first container part preferably has a number of boreholes on the flange section, and the second container part has an identical number of boreholes, wherein the number of boreholes in the respective container parts corresponds to the number of possible rotational angle positions. The first container part and second container part preferably each have a total of two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine or ten boreholes.
In a preferred embodiment of the alarm valve station according to the invention, a gasket element is arranged between the first container part and second container part, which protrudes into the interior of the delay container.
In an advantageous embodiment of the alarm valve station according to the invention, the fluid inlet or fluid inlets of the delay container each have a central axis, wherein the gasket element protrudes into the interior of the delay container in such a way that the central axis of the one fluid inlet or several fluid inlets intersects the gasket element. As a consequence, the gasket element serves as an impact element for extinguishing fluid entering into the delay container. The gasket element preferably has an elastic sealing lip, which preferably extends into the interior of the delay container.
Also preferred is an alarm valve station according to the invention in which the fluid inlet or fluid inlets of the delay container is/are aligned flush with one or several fluid outlets of the delay container. The flush alignment of the fluid inlet or fluid inlets of the delay container relative to one or several fluid outlets of the delay container is preferred in particular when the delay container has a gasket element that acts as an impact element. Even given a flush alignment of the fluid inlet or fluid inlets of the delay container relative to one or several fluid outlets of the delay container, the impact element eliminates any risk that an extinguishing fluid jet will form between a fluid inlet and fluid outlet within the delay container, and that the pressure sensor will generate an electrical signal without a delay or with too little a delay.
In an advantageous further development of the alarm valve station according to the invention, a fluid outlet of the delay container is fluidically connected with an evacuation device, which is set up to automatically empty the delay container. Alternatively or additionally, a fluid inlet of the delay container temporarily also serves as a fluid outlet. Several, in particular two fluid outlets are preferably arranged on a first side of the delay container, and a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet fluidically connected with the delay container are preferably arranged on an opposing second side of the delay container. In particular, the first container part of the delay container has several, in particular two fluid outlets, and the second container part of the delay container has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet fluidically connected with the evacuation device. A dirt trap, one or more throttles and/or stop valves are preferably arranged between the alarm valve and delay container, or between the alarm valve and alarm system.
In the standby mode of the fire extinguishing system, i.e., when no sprinkler of the fire extinguishing system is open, a check valve preferably prevents the pressure in the pipe network of the sprinkler arrangement from falling while the extinguishing fluid supply pressure is sinking. As a consequence, the operational readiness of the fire extinguishing system is upheld even given a drop in the extinguishing fluid supply pressure. Given a renewed rise in the extinguishing fluid supply pressure, the check valve also reduces the risk that water will flow into the pipe network of the sprinkler arrangement, and thereby inadvertently trigger an alarm.
The delay container is preferably made out of plastic or stainless steel.
The object underlying the invention is also achieved with a fire extinguishing system, an alarm valve station, an extinguishing fluid supply and a sprinkler arrangement. The alarm valve station of the fire extinguishing system according to the invention is designed based on one of the embodiments described above. The extinguishing fluid supply is fluidically connected with the extinguishing fluid inlet of the alarm valve. The sprinkler arrangement is fluidically connected with the extinguishing fluid outlet of the alarm valve. With respect to the advantages of the fire extinguishing system according to the invention, reference is made to the advantages of the alarm valve station according to the invention.

Alarm valve station of a fire extinguishing system, and fire extinguishing system


Described herein are pipette driven well plates for nano-liter droplet storage and methods of using same. Embodiments may include an inlet, an outlet, a bypass channel, and a fluidic trap containing a valve covered by a removable covering, in which the fluid enters the fluidic trap when the removable covering is removed. The fluid enters either the fluidic trap or the bypass channel, depending on which of the fluidic trap or bypass channel has the lower hydrodynamic resistance. Embodiments may be used by closing the valve, introducing a first fluid to fill the fluidic trap and partially fill a bypass channel, opening the valve, removing the first fluid surrounding the valve, and introducing a second fluid into the fluidic trap, in which the introducing results in a mixture of the first and second fluids.

The general state of the art relates to microfluidic processes that can create and manipulate nano-liter droplets of fluid (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,528,589 entitled "Manipulation of Microfluidic Droplets," Miller et al). Prior art involves creation of drops outside the array, using membranes as valves (see, e.g., WO2009139898, entitled "Valves And Other Flow Control In Fluidic Systems Including Microfluidic Systems," Abate et al), using pumps as valves (see, e.g., U.S. PGPUB 20050106066, entitled "Microfluidic Devices For Fluid Manipulation And Analysis," Saltsman et al.), using pressure controlled valves (see, e.g., WO2014138203, entitled "Microfluidic Devices For The Rapid And Automated Processing Of Sample Populations," Ben-Yakar et al.) to selectively merge different fluids or using electric charges (see, e.g., U.S. PGPUB 20100255556, entitled "Methods And Apparatus For Manipulation Of Fluidic Species," Hunt et al.) electro-coalescence (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 2,920,982, entitled "Method Of Electrostatically Coating By Causing Coalescence Of Coating Droplets," Miller Emery P.) or fluids that have electrical properties (see, e.g., U.S. PGPUB 20110114190, entitled "Microfluidic Droplet Generation and/or Manipulation With Electrorheological Fluid," Wen et al.). Other technologies involve the use of separation media that can selectively be induced/removed to manipulate drop species in microfluidic devices (see, e.g., WO2004103565, entitled "Device And Method For Structuring Liquids And For Dosing Reaction Liquids Into Liquid Compartments Immersed In A Separation Medium," Baier et al.).
Currently, microfluidic static droplet arrays allow drops to be stored in "hydrodynamic traps" using an immiscible phase that is typically oil (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,556,776, entitled "Microfluidic Manipulation of Fluids and Reactions," Fraden et al. and WO2012154688, entitled "Methods and Devices to Control Fluid Volumes, Reagent and Particle Concentration in Arrays of Microfluidic Drops," Bithi et al.). After these drops are stored, performing operations on selected drops in the array without effecting surrounding droplets is a complicated process involving integrating on-chip micro valves or other active valves that use deformable membranes to close/open fluidic connections to the stored droplets.
There are a number of disadvantages of the above-described current techniques. For example, current techniques to produce nano-liter drops in microfluidic devices require precise fluidic control and additional external manifolds. Likewise, the dilution mechanism of current passive methods can cause contamination of downstream traps in the array network. Additionally, current methods for diluting stored droplets achieve the same by coalescence with trapped droplet. Large volumes of dilutant are typically required to effect broad dilution ranges that are typically needed when screening bio-assays. Moreover, active methods use electrical, mechanical pressure on membranes or integrated vacuum pumps attached to the microfluidic device to manipulate their contents. These valves require multiple operations and complex logic based controls to manipulate the droplets. Further, most active methods are not compatible with pipette driven flow, this flow is typically non-precise and intermittent.

Manual or electronic pipette driven well plate for nano-liter droplet storage and methods of using same


A printing medium has means for storing electronic data. The means includes an input-output unit, a first memory, a second memory, a comparison unit, and an access controller. The second memory stores data for confirming the validity of the information printed on the printing medium. The first memory stores data for controlling access to the second memory. In particular, write access to the second memory is denied unless the accessing party also submits comparison data that compare correctly with the data stored in the first memory. This protocol prevents the facile creation of counterfeit copies.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing medium that can also store electronic data, to an image forming apparatus for printing an image on the printing medium, and to a method of printing on the printing medium, more particularly to a method that deters counterfeiting.
2. Description of the Related Art
The increasing quality of the images turned out by color copiers and other image forming apparatus has made the creation of faithful copies of printed matter a simple undertaking. There is accordingly a need for printing media equipped with effective means of preventing counterfeiting, that is, of preventing the illegal copying and use of printed matter having negotiable value, such as tickets and securities. Known means include both means for validating the image or information printed on the printing medium, and means that make the printing medium intrinsically difficult to copy. Both means may be employed simultaneously.
Known validation methods include the printing of a bar code generated from the printing data from which the printed image is generated, and the addition of predetermined information to the printing data, so that the printed image provides its own validation information. Known methods of making the printing medium difficult to copy include the addition of an optically variable mark such as a hologram to the printing medium. In a further method, disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-285203, an integrated circuit (IC) chip is embedded in the printing medium to store validation data electronically; the validation data can be read from the IC chip to verify that the document printed on the printing medium is genuine.
Printing media incorporating an IC chip are secure from counterfeiting by image forming apparatus, because an image forming apparatus cannot copy the data stored in the IC chip, but such printing media are not useful unless they provide means of read and write access to the IC chip. In the above disclosure, read access and write access are virtually unrestricted, making it impossible to protect the secrecy of the data recorded in the IC chip. A suitably equipped counterfeiter can make an accurate copy of the negotiable security, ticket, or other image printed on the printing medium, then read the data recorded in the embedded IC chip and write identical data into a similar IC chip embedded in the copy, thereby producing a counterfeit copy that is substantially indistinguishable from the genuine original.

Printing medium, image forming apparatus, and printing method


Hazard detection is simplified by converting a conditional instruction, operative to perform an operation if a condition is satisfied, into an emissary instruction operative to evaluate the condition and an unconditional base instruction operative to perform the operation. The emissary instruction is executed, while the base instruction is halted. The emissary instruction evaluates the condition and reports the condition evaluation back to the base instruction. Based on the condition evaluation, the base instruction is either launched into the pipeline for execution, or it is discarded (or a NOP, or null instruction, substituted for it). In either case, the dependencies of following instructions may be resolved.

The present invention relates generally to the field of processors and in particular to a method of conditional instruction execution via an emissary instruction for condition evaluation.
Microprocessors perform computational tasks in a wide variety of applications. High execution speed, low power consumption and small size are commonly important goals for processor designers, particularly in embedded applications such as portable electronic devices. An important consideration, however, is accuracy. Whatever architectural features are included in the processor design to improve execution speed or other metric needs also to assure the correct execution of software code.
Many modern processors employ a pipelined architecture, where sequential instructions, each having multiple execution steps, are overlapped in execution. For improved performance, the instructions should flow continuously through the pipeline. However, instructions may become stalled in the pipeline for a variety of reasons, such as data dependencies between instructions, also known as data hazards. High performance processors may employ a superscalar design, where part of the pipeline is replicated. Multiple pipelines can minimize the effect of pipeline stalls on overall system performance, as instructions awaiting a stalled pipeline may be dispatched to another pipeline for immediate execution.
To take maximum advantage of the potential performance gain offered by superscalar pipelines, high performance processors commonly support out-of-order execution. That is, instructions may be executed in other than their program order, if doing so is not precluded by inter-dependencies among the instructions. As one example of such dependencies, an instruction performing a logical or arithmetic operation that reads an operand from a register cannot execute until a prior instruction, that writes a result to that register, has calculated its result (data can be forwarded, where completed may imply the instruction has left the pipeline). These two instructions cannot be executed out of order, or an incorrect result will occur. The process of detecting dependencies among instructions is known as hazard detection. Hazard detection is commonly performed very early in the pipeline, prior to dispatching instructions into an execution pipeline.
Most instruction set architectures include conditional instructions, which are instructions that perform some operation—or not—depending on the evaluation of a condition. Condition evaluation is typically performed in an execute pipe stage, deep in the pipeline. Conditional instructions can greatly complicate hazard detection by delaying knowledge of whether the operation will be executed until deep in the pipeline. However, knowledge of whether or not the operation will affect, e.g., the contents of a register, is required early in the pipeline for hazard detection. The following example code segment illustrates this problem:
ADDr1, r7, r8add contents of r7 and r8, place sum in r1CMPr1, r12compare contents of r1 and r12 (set code or flagto reflect the result of the comparison)ADDEQr1, r8, r9if the previous compare was equal, add contentsof r8 and r9 and place sum in r1. Otherwise,r1 is not changedADDNEr1, r3, r4if the previous compare was not equal, addcontents of r3 and r4 and place sum in r1.Otherwise, r1 is not changedANDr10, r6, r1logical AND the contents of r6 to the contentsof r1, place the result in r10
The final AND instruction has an r1 dependency on the ADDNE instruction. That is, the ADDNE must calculate its result prior to the AND executing, so that the data written into r1 by the ADDNE will be available to the AND. However, the ADDNE is a conditional instruction, and may not execute the ADD operation. In this case, the true dependency of the AND instruction is on the ADDEQ instruction. In the foregoing example (depicting a common software construct), exactly one of the ADDEQ and ADDNE instructions will execute, since the conditions EQ (equal) and NE (not equal) are mutually exclusive and exhaustive. However, in general, since the ADDEQ instruction is conditional, the AND may actually have a dependency on an earlier instruction, in this case the initial ADD. Additionally, if a prior conditional instruction does not execute, a following instruction may have no dependency at all.
The contingent dependencies presented by conditional instructions, and in particular the possible multi-level contingent dependencies, greatly complicate the task of accurate hazard detection, which is necessary for accurately conducting out-of-order program execution.

Conditional instruction execution via emissary instruction for condition evaluation


A liquid crystal display module, includes: a light guide plate having a side surface, a rear surface and a top surface opposite to the rear surface; a reflective sheet having a front side on the rear surface of the light guide plate for reflecting light into the light guide plate and also having a rear side opposite to the front side; a lead connected to a light emitting diode lamp adjacent to the light guide plate; and a bottom frame surrounding the side surface of the light guide plate and covering edges of a rear surface of the light guide plate such that a center of the rear side of the reflective sheet is exposed in an opening of the bottom frame, wherein the lead passes through the opening in the bottom frame such that an end of the lead is disposed outside of the bottom frame.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and more particularly, to a liquid crystal display module (LCDM) having a simple structure.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The liquid crystal display module (LCDM) is widely used as a display device for a notebook personal computer (NTPC). The LCDM includes a liquid crystal panel and a driving circuit unit for driving the liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel includes a first substrate and a second substrate and a layer liquid crystal material interposed therebetween. The liquid crystal material is divided into cells arranged in a matrix. Switching elements for controlling signals applied to the liquid crystal cells are formed on one of the first and second substrates.
The liquid crystal panel does not have a light source therein. Thus, the LCDM requires a light source that projects light into the liquid crystal panel. The light source for the LCDM can be a backlight unit that includes a lamp.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the related art LCDM. As shown in FIG. 1, the LCDM includes a liquid crystal panel 1, a main frame 5, a top frame 12, and a bottom frame 14. The liquid crystal panel 1 includes first and second substrates (not shown) facing each other with a layer of liquid crystal material (not shown) therebetween. First and second polarization plates 42 and 44 are attached onto outer surfaces of the first and second substrates, respectively. A switching element, such as a thin film transistor (TFT), is formed on the first substrate. The top frame 12 covers edges of the liquid crystal panel 1 and sides of the main frame 5 such that the top frame 12 can support and protect the edges of the liquid crystal panel 1 and the sides of the main frame 5. The main frame 5 is combined with the top frame 12 by an affixing element, such as a screw.
Generally, the main frame 5 is fabricated using a mold. However, to provide television or monitor with high brightness, the main frame 5 is formed of a metallic material, such as aluminum (Al), having an excellent heat resistant property. The liquid crystal panel 1 is disposed on the main frame 5. The bottom frame 14 covers back edges of the main frame 5, so that the bottom frame 14 is combined with the main frame 5, the top frame 12 and a backlight unit to form a module.
A backlight unit of the LCDM includes a light emitting diode (LED) lamp 32 as a light source, a light guide plate 34 that disperses the dot light source of the LED lamp 32 into planar light, a reflective sheet 36 disposed under the light guide plate 34 and an optical sheet, including a prism sheet 24 and a diffusion sheet 22, stacked on the light guide plate 34. The LED lamp 32 is disposed at a side of the light guide plate 34. The light from the LED lamp 32 is projected into the side of the light guide plate 34 and reflected by the reflective sheet 36 to be changed into planar light. Then, the planar light is projected into the liquid crystal panel 1. The backlight unit may further include a lamp housing (not shown) surrounding the LED lamp 32 to increase a light efficiency. The lamp housing is formed of a material having a high optical reflectance.
The light guide plate 34 having a predetermined thickness includes an inclined rear surface and a flat front surface. The reflective sheet 36 reflects the light provided thereon from the rear surface of the light guide plate 34 back into the light guide plate 34 such that light projects from the front surface. As a result, light loss is reduced due to the reflective sheet 36.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the related art LED lamp array. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a rear side of the related art LCDM. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 with FIG. 1, a plurality of LED lamps 32 are arranged on a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) 31. The FPCB 31 with the LED lamps can be referred to as the LED lamp array 30. The FPCB 31 is located on an inner side surface of the bottom frame 14 and extends onto an outer side by passing through a hole H in the side surface of the bottom frame 14. An exterior circuit connection part 33 is formed at an end of the FPCB 31. More specifically, the exterior circuit connection part 33 passes through the hole H and is connected to an exterior circuit connection part 33, such as a backlight unit controlling circuit (not shown), for applying control signal or operating power to the LEDs 32.
Unfortunately, when a position of the exterior circuit connection part 33 in the LED lamp array 30 is changed, a position of the hole H also has to be changed. However, since changes to the mold for fabricating the bottom frame 14 is required for changes in the position of the exterior circuit connection part 33, production costs increase. Moreover, production time increases when such changes are implemented.


An olefin hydration process and reactor are provided, where an integrated membrane selectively removes alcohol product from the reactor, thereby allowing for increased yields.

The hydration of olefins to alcohols in general, and specifically the hydration of butenes to butanols, is commercially important reactions as the alcohol products find several important industrial applications. Hydration reactions are normally acid catalyzed reactions. Because olefins generally have very low solubility in water, relatively strong acids are often required to achieve the desired kinetics for the reaction. The use of strong acids, however, is typically sought to be avoided as the acids can be highly corrosive to the reactor and associated equipment and the processes for acid re-concentration and aqueous waste treatment can be energy demanding.
One preferred technology for hydrations includes the use of thermally stable solid catalysts. Cationic exchange resins and zeolite are important solid catalysts for olefin hydration because it eliminates the use of strong aqueous acids. Cationic exchange resins are known to offer substantial reaction rates in both polar and non-polar media. The use of sulfonated polystyrene resins cross-linked with divinyl benzene as catalysts for the hydration of olefins, such as propylene or butene, has been generally described in the literature (see for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,984 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,477,380; and references cited therein). While the cationic exchange resins offer several desired advantages, such as ease in separation, and providing non-corrosive environment, the corresponding conversion rates are low. The corresponding olefin rate with solid catalyst (such as the cationic exchange resin) is quite low, typically reported as less than 10% olefin converted by a single pass. Therefore, the need exists to develop a new solid catalyst process that overcomes the equilibrium limitations described above and provides a significantly increased olefin conversion.

Olefin hydration process with an integrated membrane reactor


An artificial flower includes a ribbon folded to form a descending spiral such that a folded edge of the ribbon faces the outer edge of the ribbon. The descending spiral formed from the ribbon engages with a stem and is wound about the stem such that the folded edge is approximately even with the upper end of the stem. The folded edge simulates flower petals. A method for making an artificial flower is also described.

This invention relates to an artificial ornamental flower and a method of making an artificial ornamental flower and, more particularly, relates to an artificial flower of the type formed by folding a ribbon to simulate flower petals.
It is possible to form artificial flowers simulating a wide variety of flower types, usually by wrapping colored ribbons around simulated stems in substantially the shape of the actual flower. Artificial flowers make attractive gifts and can be provided with scents to even more closely simulate the actual flower. Artificial flowers are also useful in situations where real flowers are, for whatever reason, unavailable, or for persons with allergies to real flowers.
It is popular to decorate artificial flowers with a variety of ornaments. During holiday seasons, artificial flowers are often decorated with miniature symbols of the holiday, such as Leprechauns during St. Patrick's Day, Santa Clauses during Christmas, and so on. Further, because the flowers are constructed from colored ribbon, the flowers can be constructed with ribbon colored in colors that bring to mind the particular holiday.
When it is desired to decorate certain artificial flower types, however, the flexibility of the flower makes it difficult to position ornaments on the flower without causing the flower to sag. Further, most methods for constructing artificial flowers simply involve twisting a piece of ribbon around a wire. Such methods do not generally securely engage the ribbon and the wire and do not create a sufficiently realistic effect. Further, it is not generally possible to alter an assembly process to create artificial flowers that simulate flowers in different stages of bloom, or is it generally possible to manipulate an already assembled flower such that is is able to simulate flowers in different stages of bloom.

Artificial ornamental flower and method for making an artificial ornamental flower


A back-shielded welding method according to the present invention includes communicating a front surface-side and a back surface-side of two welding base materials (2, 3) with each other in the welding base materials (2, 3) that abut against each other; forming notched portions (21, 22) in abutting edge portions (15, 16) of two welding base materials (2, 3) in such a manner that a slit-shaped gas supply opening (17) is formed to extend along a forming direction of a welding bead; forming the gas supply opening (17) with the notched portions (21, 22) by abutting the abutting edge portions (15, 16) of the welding base materials (2, 3) against each other and temporarily fixing the abutting edge portions (15, 16); and forming the welding bead while supplying an inert gas via the gas supply opening (17), and blocking the gas supply opening (17) by the welding bead.

In a product such as a steam turbine rotor that is assembled by welding a plurality of components, a so-called back bead welding, in which a welding bead is formed to be melted into a back surface-side of a welding base material, is performed to improve welding strength of the product. At this time, the welding is performed by supplying an inert gas such as argon or helium from a back surface-side and a front surface-side of a welded connection portion to replace air with the inert gas and thus, the welding bead is not in contact with oxygen. As a result, welding defects are prevented from occurring, and joint performance resulting from oxidation of the welding bead is prevented from deteriorating. The welding that is performed in this way while supplying the inert gas from the back side of the welded connection portion is referred to as a back-shielded welding.
For example, as described in PTL 1, when a steam turbine rotor has a structure in which an inspection hole is provided in a region proximate to a welded portion, the back-shielded welding can be performed by using the inspection hole. However, in a steam turbine rotor without an inspection hole, since a hollow portion on a back surface-side of welding base materials is sealed, the back-shielded welding cannot be performed as it is. For this reason, a method is adopted in which abutting edge portions of the welding base materials are abutted against each other and are temporarily fixed, a round gas supply hole is punctured through an abutting portion, a tube is inserted into the gas supply hole, welding is performed while injecting an inert gas via the gas supply hole, and finally the gas supply hole is blocked by the welding bead.
For example, in a structure to which it is difficult to apply the back-shielded welding, PTL 2 discloses a welding method in which a back receiving portion is formed in abutting edge portions of welding base materials to cover a back side of a welded connection portion, welding is performed in such a manner that the back receiving portion is melted and thus, the welding is performed in a state where the back is not shielded.
PTL 3 discloses a welding method in which even though a back is not shielded, compositions of the welding base materials are adjusted in such a manner that a welding bead does not excessively oxidize and thus, defects in a welded connection portion are prevented from occurring.

Back-shielded welding method and welded structure using the same


An integrated circuit interconnect is fabricated by using a mask to form a via in an insulating layer for a conductive plug. After the plug is formed in the via, a thin (e.g., <100 nm) isolation layer is deposited over the resulting structure. An opening is created in the isolation layer by using the same mask at a different radiation exposure level to make the opening more narrow than the underlying plug. A conductive line is then formed which makes electrical contact with the plug through the opening in the isolation layer. By vertically separating and electrically isolating the conductive plug from adjacent conductive lines, the isolation layer advantageously reduces the likelihood of an undesired electrical short occurring between the conductive plug and a nearby conductive line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to interconnects used in integrated circuits. More specifically, the present invention relates to multi-layer interconnects having an isolation layer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Integrated circuit designers often desire to increase the density of elements within an integrated circuit by reducing the size of the individual elements and reducing the separation distance between neighboring elements. One challenge faced by integrated circuit designers attempting to achieve this goal is that, as individual circuit elements become smaller and are formed closer together, it can become more difficult to form interconnects between the elements without creating electrical shorts within the circuit.
Generally speaking, interconnects are integrated circuit structures that can be used to electrically connect conductive circuit elements in a wide variety of circuits. For example, interconnects can be used in a memory device, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), to electrically connect circuit elements formed at different layers within the memory device.

Multi-layer interconnect with isolation layer


A magnetic memory includes a plurality of memory cells and a data identification circuit. Each of the memory cells includes: a first bias node to which a first voltage is applied in data reading, the first voltage being a positive voltage; a second bias node to which a second voltage is applied in the data reading, the second voltage being a negative voltage having substantially the same absolute value as the first voltage; a connection node; a first spin device element connected between the first bias node and the connection node; and a second spin device element connected between the connection node and the second bias node. The first and second spin device elements operate differentially. The data identification circuit identifies data stored in each of the memory cells based on a polarity of a voltage generated on the connection node.

Magnetic memories are devices storing a data as the direction of a spontaneous magnetization (hereinafter, simply referred to as "magnetization") of a magnetic layer. Extensive research and development activities have been conducted for magnetic memories, since they are expected as non-volatile memories with high speed operation, large capacity and reduced power consumption. Most typically, a magnetic memory is configured to achieve data reading by using a magnetoresistance effect, such as a tunnel magnetoresistance effect (TMR effect) and a giant magnetoresistance effect (GMR). An element including two magnetic layers and a spacer layer disposed therebetween (hereinafter, referred to as "spin device element") exhibits a resistance depending on the relative direction of the magnetizations of the two magnetic layers due to the magnetoresistance effect. Most typically, a spin device element is placed into the "low resistance" state when the magnetizations of the two magnetic layers are directed in "parallel" and placed into the "high resistance" state when the magnetizations of the two magnetic layers are directed in "antiparallel". In a magnetic memory which incorporates a spin device element in each memory cell, data stored in each memory cell can be identified from the signal level of a voltage or current signal generated so as to depend on the resistance value of the spin device element.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an exemplary read operation of a magnetic memory. Discussed below is the case in which a spin device element is used as a memory cell 101 and the memory cell 101 can take two states: the "high resistance" state of a resistance value RHigh and the "low resistance" state of a resistance value RLow, where RHigh>RLow.
Most typically, a read current Isense is fed to the memory cell 101 when data reading from the memory cell 101 is performed. When the read current Isense flows through the memory cell 101, a read voltage Vmemory is generated across the memory cell 101. The read voltage Vmemory, which depends on the state of the memory cell 101, that is, the resistance value of the memory cell 101, can be used as a read signal obtained from the memory cell 101. It is possible to identify the data stored in the memory cell 101 by comparing the read voltage Vmemory generated across the memory cell 101 with a predetermined reference voltage Vref, for example, with a sense amplifier 102 and providing a value as the "OUTPUT" shown in FIG. 1. In detail, the data stored in the memory cell 101 can be identified by comparing the read voltage Vmemory with a reference voltage Vref adjusted between voltages Vhigh and VLow, where VHigh (=RHigh·Isense) is an expected value of the read voltage Vmemory for the high resistance state and VLow (=RLow·Isense) is an expected value of the read voltage Vmemory for the low resistance state. In the case when the "high resistance" state is associated with data "0" and the "low resistance" state is associated with data "1", for example, the data stored in the memory cell 101 can be identified as data "0" if the read voltage Vmemory is higher than the reference voltage Vref and as data "1" if the read voltage Vmemory is lower than the reference voltage Vref.
In the above-described read operation, the effective signal window for data identification based on the read signal obtained from the memory cell 101 is the difference ΔV between the voltages VHigh and VLow. The data stored in the memory cell 101 can be identified more surely, as the signal window ΔV is increased.
Although the read voltage Vmemory dependent on the data stored in the memory cell 101 is obtained by feeding a given read current Isense through the memory cell 101 in the above-described operation, a read current dependent on the data stored in the memory cell 101 may be obtained in a read operation by applying a given read voltage across the memory cell 101. In this case, the effective signal window of the read signal obtained from a memory cell 101 is the difference between a current flowing through the memory cell 101 placed into the "low resistance" state and the current flowing through the memory cell 101 placed into the "high resistance" state.
One current issue of the magnetic memory is the insufficiency in the effective signal window of the read signal obtained from the memory cell. Read signals obtained from memory cells have a distribution due to variations in the resistance value of the spin device elements (that is, the memory cells) and variations in the interconnection resistance of long interconnections. In the meantime, the signal level of a reference signal (the reference voltages Vref obtained in the operation illustrated in FIG. 1) also have a distribution due to variations in the circuitry which generates the reference signal. FIG. 2 illustrates one example of the distributions in the signal levels of the read signals and the reference signal. FIG. 2 illustrates the distributions of the reference voltage Vref, the read voltage VHigh obtained as the read voltage Vmemory when the memory cell 101 is placed in the high-resistance state, and the read voltage VLow obtained as the read voltage Vmemory when the memory cell 101 is placed in the low-resistance state. The horizontal axis of the graph illustrated in FIG. 2 corresponds to the voltage V and the horizontal axis corresponds to the frequency N. As is understood from FIG. 2, an insufficient effective signal window of the read signal undesirably causes read errors due to the overlap of the distributions of the read voltage VLow and the reference voltage Vref and the overlap of the distributions of the read voltage VHigh and the reference voltage Vref.
It is preferable to sufficiently increase the MR (magnetoresistance) ratio of a spin device element incorporated in a memory cell for achieving a sufficient signal window, because the effective signal window of the read signal obtained from the memory cell depends on the MR ratio of the spin device element. The current technology, however, does not offer an MR ratio for obtaining a sufficient signal window. It is technologically difficult to achieve an increase in the MR ratio, because it requires a remarkable breakthrough in materials used in spin device elements.
Related art documents are listed in the following. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0121066 A1 discloses the structure of a memory cell which includes four spin device elements. U.S. Pat. No. 6,424,562 B1 discloses read/write architecture for a magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM). U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0272059 A1 discloses a differential MRAM structure.

Magnetic memory cell structure with spin device elements and method of operating the same