A polyphase numerically controlled oscillator (PNCO) is defined to include a plurality of sub-numerically controller oscillators (SNCO's). Each SNCO is capable of receiving a clock signal at a first clock rate and an assigned phase offset signal. Each SNCO is configured to generate a digital waveform for the assigned phase offset signal. The PNCO also includes a plurality of frequency multipliers for generating a frequency multiplied representation of the digital waveform generated by each SNCO. The PNCO further includes a multiplexer configured to receive output from each of the frequency multipliers according to the first clock rate. The multiplexer is further configured to receive a select signal, wherein the select signal triggers the multiplexer at a second clock rate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to digital circuitry. More specifically, the present invention relates to frequency translation in a digital domain.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditionally, frequency translation such as frequency multiplication is performed by analog components. Analog components such as voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs) and mixers are used to approximate mathematical expressions of the multiplication process. Careful design practices must be employed to insure proper operation of the analog components in the presence of various power, voltage, and temperature conditions. In addition to normal difficulties commonly encountered in analog design, approximations inherent in the analog frequency multiplication circuitry can adversely affect a generated signal. To avoid the difficulties associated with analog circuitry, it is desirable to perform frequency translation such as frequency multiplication in a digital domain.

Polyphase numerically controlled oscillator and method for operating the same


A system for evaluating and scoring software products in which illustration engines relating to insurance products are run based on a common set of inputs. The illustration engines output a set of output metrics which are common to all illustration engines. The output metrics of products selected for comparison or evaluation are mathematically combined with each other and with the corresponding metrics of from all other illustration engines to determine a score which can be used to compare quickly and accurately the selected product against all other products in the database. The score may be determined by a weighted average in which the weights assigned to output metrics are adjustable at the user's discretion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to evaluating insurance products. More specifically, the system relates to using software and computer systems to evaluate a group of insurance products based on a common derived set of output metrics.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The financial services industry consists of industry segments such as insurance and banking. In turn, the insurance industry consists of industry segments such as life insurance, health insurance, and property and casualty insurance.
The life insurance industry includes product markets such as term life insurance, universal life insurance, variable life insurance, annuities, joint products, viatical settlements, preneed insurance, and long-term care insurance. Insurance carriers sell life insurance products through various distribution channels such as captive agents, independent agents, banks, affinity groups, and financial planners.
The present life insurance product markets for both insurance product proposals and in-force insurance products are inefficient. For insurance product proposals, the problem stems from: (1) an inadequate exchange of information between consumers and insurers during the selling process and, (2) the absence of a real-time auction market in which to price life insurance product proposals. Inefficient product markets for in-force insurance products stem from the absence of a system for measuring an insurance product's performance while that product is in-force.
An inadequate exchange of relevant and available information between consumers and insurers during the selling process is a significant source of product market inefficiency. Typically, consumers often do not receive relevant and available information necessary to make an informed purchase decision. Also, insurers frequently do not receive relevant and available information on the consumer and current market pricing necessary to tailor their proposals for optimal product performance and pricing. Such inefficient transmission of information results in product market inefficiency. Such product market inefficiency in the insurance industry adversely affects consumers and insurance companies.
Moreover, many life insurance products have complex features that consumers do not understand. Consumers' lack of insurance product knowledge opens the door to misleading sales practices such as twisting, churning, and vanishing premiums. Product "gimmickry," such as lapse basing, preys on a consumer's inability to detect its existence. Recent, widely publicized accounts of race-based underwriting indicate that market conduct problems can go undetected for years by consumers, insurance company managements, and insurance industry regulators. Insurance industry regulators have attempted to enforce market conduct standards. Insurance companies have sought to curtail sales abuses. Their efforts have not solved the problem.
Market conduct problems occur regardless of an insurance company's financial strength. Favorable financial ratings are no indication of an insurer's compliance with market conduct standards. Independent rating firms evaluate an insurer's claims paying ability. They do not rate the products sold by insurers. The life insurance industry has no product rating system that appraises a proposed insurance product's total value to the consumer.
These and other market conduct problems point to the need for a system that assists the consumer in appraising a proposed insurance product's value.
The life insurance industry is fragmented. Over a thousand insurers populate the industry, and product commoditization prevails. Product commoditization is common in fragmented industries, brings about price competition, and shrinks margins. Life insurers yearn for product differentiation.
Many insurers have high financial and counterparty credit strength ratings that are assigned by rating agencies such as Standard & Poor's, A. M. Best, Moody's and Fitch. But a high rating is no source of product differentiation. It is a prerequisite for selling insurance through certain distribution channels such as wirehouses, independent broker-dealers, and banks. Rating agencies intend for a financial strength rating to serve as a measure of an insurer's claims paying ability. Counterparty credit ratings gauge the creditworthiness of an insurer's debt securities.
The ubiquity of financial strength ratings underscores a struggle insurers face in their search for product differentiation. Rating agencies do not rate life insurance and annuity products.
For intermediaries and consumers, life insurance can be a complex and frequently confusing product. Intermediaries struggle with analyzing and comparing insurers' products and achieving credibility in their recommendations. Sound policy purchase or retention recommendations require informed evaluations of both policy value and the insurer's financial strength. Making unsupported recommendations is risky, and product complexity can make evaluating and recommending a policy difficult and subjective.
Consumers usually have no way of objectively knowing whether a policy proposal is better, worse, or about the same as other policies available in the marketplace. This can result in decisions based on no information, bad information, or even irrelevant information, such as relying on the perceived quality or the financial strength rating of the insurer offering the policy.
No system exists for embedding real-time, objective product value comparisons into the life insurance selling process. Similarly, no system for rating the value of an existing policy's expected future performance is available in the marketplace. The life insurance industry has been stuck with an inefficient way of doing business that gives up margin to product commoditization and where product complexity gets in the way of closing sales.
For these reasons, the challenges facing life insurance companies and intermediaries in selling life insurance point to an unmet need for independent life and annuity product ratings. Efficient Markets was founded to fill this unmet need.
Likewise, other financial products, including mortgages and other complex loans, for example, have costs, fees, expenses, and tax considerations beyond principal and interest rate, that vary greatly among borrowers and lenders, and are similarly difficult to evaluate precisely and objectively.

System for searching and solving for insurance products


A method of manufacturing an optical device that includes a relief structure formation layer, a first layer made of a first material having a refractive index different from that of a material of the relief structure formation layer, and a second layer made of a second material different from the first material and covering the first layer. A ratio of an amount of the second material at a position of the second region to an apparatus area of the second region is zero or smaller than a ratio of an amount of the second material at the position of the second sub-region to an apparatus area of the second sub region.

1. Field
The present invention relates to an optical technique that offers, for example, forgery prevention effect, decorative effect and/or aesthetic effect.
2. Description of the Related Art
Securities, certificates, brands, media for personal authentication, etc. are required to be difficult to forge. Thus, in some cases, an optical device excellent in forgery prevention performance is provided on such articles.
Most of the optical devices include a microstructure such as diffraction grating, hologram, lens array, etc. The microstructures are hard to analyze. Further, in order to manufacture an optical device including the microstructure, an expensive manufacturing apparatus such as electron beam writer is necessary. For these reasons, the above optical devices achieve an excellent performance in forgery prevention.
Normally, the optical devices include a relief structure formation layer with a main surface having the microstructure and a reflective layer provided thereon. In this case, the reflective layer may be formed in a pattern on a part of the main surface in order to further enhance the forgery prevention effect. For example, when the reflective layer is provided on the main surface to have contours corresponding to micro-characters, a pattern that emits diffracted light and has a shape corresponding to the micro-characters can be obtained.
As the method of forming a patterned reflective layer, for example, photolithography can be used (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). This method allows forming a patterned reflective layer with high definition.
This method requires alignment of the relief structure formation layer with respect to a mask. Simultaneously achieving a high producibility and a high positional accuracy is, however, impossible or very difficult. For example, according to this method, a displacement of 100 μm or more may be produced between the target position and the contour of the reflective layer.
On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, employed are the following methods in order to form a reflective layer with a high positional accuracy.
In the first method, prepared first is a relief structure formation layer that includes a "first region" having a relief structure with a greater depth to-width ratio and a "second region" as a flat region or a region having a relief structure with a smaller depth-to-width ratio. Subsequently, a metal reflective layer is formed on the relief structure formation layer to have a uniform surface density. Then, the stacked body thus obtained is subjected to an etching treatment.
The portion of the metal reflective layer corresponding to the "first region" is lower in etching resistance than the portion corresponding to the "second region". Therefore, the portion corresponding to the "first region" can be removed before the portion of the metal reflective layer corresponding to the "second region" is removed completely. That is, the metal reflective layer can be formed only on the "second region".
According to this method, however, the portion of the metal reflective layer corresponding to the "second region" is partially removed by the etching treatment. For this reason, there is a possibility that the portion of the metal reflective layer corresponding to the "second region" has an excessively small thickness and thus has an insufficient reflectance. Alternatively, there is a possibility that the thickness of the metal reflective layer greatly varies at the portion corresponding to the "second region". That is, according to this method, it is difficult to stably form the metal reflective layer.
In the second method, utilized is a difference between the transmittance of the portions of the above described stacked body corresponding to the "first region" and the "second region". Specifically, utilized is the fact that the stacked body has a higher transmittance at the portion corresponding to the "first region" than at the portion corresponding to the "second region".
That is, prepared first is a stacked body of a relief structure formation layer and a metal reflective layer. A photosensitive layer is formed on the metal reflective layer. Then, the stacked body is entirely irradiated with light from the relief structure formation layer's side. This makes it possible to cause a photoreaction at a higher efficiency in the portion of the photosensitive layer corresponding to the "first region". Then, either one of the regions of the photosensitive layer corresponding to the "first region" and the "second region" is removed by treating it with a suitable solvent, etc.
Then, the metal reflective layer is subjected to an etching treatment using the partially removed photosensitive layer as a mask. Thus, either of the portions of the metal reflective layer corresponding to the "first region" and the "second region" is removed.
Since the difference between the above reflectances is generally small, the photoreaction also occurs in the portion of the photosensitive layer corresponding to the "second region". Thus, it is in reality impossible or difficult to cause the above-described reaction in only one of the portions of the photosensitive layer corresponding to the "first region" and the "second region". Therefore, when using this method, it is also in fact impossible or difficult to form a metal reflective layer with a high positional accuracy.
Further, this method requires an exposure process for the photosensitive layer. Therefore, this method is disadvantageous in cost and producibility.


A system and method for facilitating the reduction or elimination of end play associated with an armature in an electric motor is disclosed. The system and method utilize an end play assembly which includes a housing having an integrally molded lock for retaining a screw in an unengaged and locked position. The end play assembly also includes a coil spring which urges the screw towards an engaged and unlocked position when the end play assembly is mounted in a housing of the electric motor. The lock includes at least one wing portion which engages a notch on the housing of the electric motor such that when the end play assembly is mounted in the motor housing, the notch forces the lock into the unlocked position which releases the screw so that the spring can urge, rotate or screw the screw to cause a screw end to be forced into engagement with the end of an armature of the electric motor. Advantageously, the end play assembly continuously and automatically adjusts for the end play to reduce or entirely eliminate any end play.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an end play eliminator used for receiving thrust of a motor shaft in a motor provided with a worm and, more particularly, an end play eliminator or assembly which continuously and automatically adjusts to eliminate end play associated with an armature of the motor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, there have been used thrust bearing devices which have taken various forms to address end play due to tolerance accumulating of assembled components. End play is a gap between the tip of an armature and a thrust surface designed to carry an axial force associated with the armature. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,161,447; 3,705,752; 4,185,214; 4,321,748; 4,690,573 and 5,169,245 all illustrate various thrust bearing devices used in the past.
However, the aforementioned devices, have various design and practical drawbacks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,245 focuses on a thrust plate to be in constant contact with a shaft of the motor using a spring. It appears that the thrust plate is in constant contact with a motor shaft, but thrust loads of the armature against the thrust plate compresses the spring which, in turn, permits the entire shaft to shift in an axial direction which in essence allows for end play.
What is needed, therefore, is a compact assembly and method which automatically and continuously reduces or entirely eliminates end play associated with an armature shaft of a motor.

Self-adjusting end play eliminator system and method


The electromagnetic radiation detector compromises at least one radiation absorption membrane transforming the absorbed energy into heat transmitted to at least one resistive thermometer having a resistance varying with temperature. Each absorption membrane is suspended above a substrate by a nanowire connected to the central area of the membrane. The nanowire comprises an electrically conducting core and an electrically conducting external layer electrically insulated from one another and respectively connected to measuring areas of said thermometer. The nanowire serves the purpose both of support for the membrane and of electrical connection between the measuring areas and a circuit arranged at the level of the substrate.

The invention relates to an electromagnetic radiation detector comprising at least one radiation absorption membrane transforming the absorbed energy into heat transmitted to at least one resistive thermometer having a resistance varying with temperature, the membrane being suspended above a substrate by support means constituting nanowire-based electrical connection means.
The invention also relates to a method for producing one such electromagnetic radiation detector.

Electromagnetic radiation detector with nanowire connection and method for producing same


A hearing aid that can reflect setting change of the hearing aid responsive to a sound environment by the user as intended, prevent the user from feeling inconvenience or displeasure caused by changing setting of the hearing aid, and enable the user to easily change the setting is provided.

There is a need for a hearing aid to improve the audibility of sound, etc., in response to distinguishing between sound and non-sound and the degree of surrounding noise, undesired sound, or reverberation and play high-clarity sound independently of the sound environment. To meet the need, there is a hearing aid including a hearing aid main body to which a volume change button and an operation mode change button are added for enabling a person wearing the hearing aid to consciously change setting in response to the use scene and the sound environment (for example, see Patent Document 1).
On the other hand, as a technique for the hearing aid user to unconsciously change setting in response to the sound environment, there is a signal processing technique of classifying various acoustic signals previously (learning phase) and automatically changing setting of amplification, etc., of an input acoustic signal in response to the sound environment using the acoustic signals classified in the learning phase (for example, see Patent Document 2).
As a method of changing setting through another device other than the hearing aid main body, as for adjustment of an acoustic parameter, there is a technique in which a mobile device is connected to a server and a hearing chart database through a network and which can adjust the sound quality of the mobile device (for example, see Patent Document 3).
Further, there is a technique in which a telephone generates a control signal of a hearing aid and converts the control signal together with a receiving signal into a sound wave and transmits the sound wave. FIG. 12 is a block diagram to show a configuration example of such a remote control hearing aid system. This remote control hearing aid system includes a telephone 10 and a hearing aid 40.
When a telephone call starts, a call detection unit 6 of the telephone 10 detects the call. When the call detection unit 6 detects the call, a control signal generation unit 5 generates a control signal. The control signal and a receiving signal are converted into an acoustic signal by an electroacoustic transducer 4 and the acoustic signal is transmitted to the hearing aid 40.
The transmitted acoustic signal is received by a sound wave reception unit 41 of the hearing aid 40 and is converted into reception signal of an electric signal. The reception signal provided by the sound wave reception unit 41 is sent through a reception switch unit 43 to a power amplification unit 44 and an analysis control unit 46. The sent reception signal is subjected to frequency analysis and is compared with a stored signal in the analysis control unit 46, whereby a control signal is generated. The control signal is sent to the power amplification unit 44 and is used to change the amplification factor of the reception signal (for example, see Patent Document 4).

Abstract: A hearing aid of the invention includes a microphone 101 configured to generate an input signal from an input sound, a signal processing unit 120 configured to process the input signal and generating an output signal, and a receiver 103 configured to play an output sound from the output signal. The signal processing unit 120 determines a time response of the input signal based on a contact sound generated when the hearing aid is contacted in a predetermined time period, and changes setting of the hearing aid based on the time response.


A removal composition and process for cleaning post-chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) contaminants and particles from a microelectronic device having said particles and contaminants thereon. The removal compositions include at least one at least one organic additive; at least one metal chelating agent; and at least one polyelectrolyte. The composition achieves highly efficacious removal of the particles and CMP contaminant material from the surface of the microelectronic device without compromising the low-k dielectric, silicon nitride, and metal containing layers such as tungsten-containing layers.

Microelectronic device wafers are used to form integrated circuits. The microelectronic device wafer includes a substrate, such as silicon, into which regions are patterned for deposition of different materials having insulative, conductive or semi-conductive properties. To obtain the correct patterning, excess material used in forming the layers on the substrate must be removed. Further, to fabricate functional and reliable circuitry, it is important to prepare a flat or planar microelectronic wafer surface prior to subsequent processing. Thus, it is necessary to remove and/or polish certain surfaces of a microelectronic device wafer.
Chemical Mechanical Polishing or Planarization ("CMP") is a process in which material is removed from a surface of a microelectronic device wafer, and the surface is polished (more specifically, planarized) by coupling a physical process such as abrasion with a chemical process such as oxidation or chelation. In its most rudimentary form, CMP involves applying slurry, e.g., a solution of an abrasive and an active chemistry, to a polishing pad that buffs the surface of a microelectronic device wafer to achieve the removal, planarization, and polishing processes. It is not desirable for the removal or polishing process to be comprised of purely physical or purely chemical action, but rather the synergistic combination of both in order to achieve fast, uniform removal. In the fabrication of integrated circuits, the CMP slurry should also be able to preferentially remove films that comprise complex layers of metals and other materials so that highly planar surfaces can be produced for subsequent photolithography, or patterning, etching and thin-film processing.
Following CMP processing, particles, residue and other contaminants may be present on the surface of the microelectronic device. Towards that end, post-CMP removal compositions have been developed to remove the post-CMP residue, particles, and contaminants.
A need remains in the art for a particle removal composition and process that effectively removes particles from a surface of a microelectronic device while not damaging the underlying materials such as silicon nitride, low-k dielectrics, and conductive metal layers, particularly tungsten-containing layers.


An object of the present invention is to provide a method for increasing the sensitivity of an immunoassay system. In order to achieve the object, the present inventors have discovered that the sensitivity of an immunoassay system can be increased by pretreating urine and thus have completed the present invention.

Measuring urinary proteins is useful for diagnosing various diseases and symptoms. When these proteins are measured, they are highly diluted in buffer and then used. However, it is difficult to detect some proteins that have recently been attracting attention because of their low concentrations in urine, if these proteins are highly diluted in a conventional manner.
An example of a substance related to renal diseases is urinary megalin. Convenient means for testing renal disorders, which comprise measuring urinary megalin, are disclosed (Patent Documents 1 and 2).
Megalin also known as Glycoprotein 330 (gp330) or Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL)-receptor relate protein 2 (LRP2) is a glycoprotein having a molecular weight of about 600 kDa, which is expressed in renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (Non-patent Documents 1 and 2).
As a result of cell culture experiments using renal proximal tubular epithelial cells, the presence of two types of megalin, membrane-bound full length megalin and Soluble-Form megalin (fragment containing the extracellular region) lacking the intracellular region, is known (Non-patent Document 3). A method for measuring urinary full length human megalin, the extracellular region thereof, and the intracellular region thereof has also been reported (Patent Document 3).
Since urinary megalin concentration is low, high-degree dilution makes the measurement of urinary megalin difficult. Urinary megalin should be measured without high-degree dilution or measured with increased sensitivity. A measurement method not involving high-degree dilution is already known (Patent Document 4), but no method that involves increasing sensitivity exists. Development of a method for increasing sensitivity and the combined use thereof with the method of Patent Document 4 make it possible to detect urinary proteins with even lower concentrations. This leads to early disease detection and thus is advantageous in terms of medical economy.

Method for increasing the sensitivity of immunoassay system through pretreatment of urine with denaturant


By dividing plural heating elements of a thermal head into plural blocks, when heating and driving by connecting drive circuit elements to the blocks, print data and control signals are fed to the drive circuit elements either parallel or in series to the drive circuit elements. In this case it is sometimes difficult to form fine circuit wirings on the insulating substrate, or buffers are needed for amplifying the signals when sequentially transferring print data among drive circuit elements. Therefore, a flexible wiring substrate is disposed near the drive circuit elements on the insulating substrate, and plural signal lines over the arranging range of the drive circuit elements, and connection lines for supplying signals to the drive circuit elements from the signal lines are formed on the wiring substrate. On the insulating substrate, connection lines of flexible wiring substrate and connection lines for connecting with the drive circuit elements are formed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermal head.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The thermal head is used as a print output device for facsimile communication apparatus, computer or the like. In such thermal head, plural heating elements are linearly disposed on an insulating substrate made of ceramics, and common electrodes and individual electrodes are connected to the heating elements. The individual electrodes are connected by a plurality each to driving circuit elements realized as integrated circuit elements, for example, and desired heating elements are selectively energized and heated, thereby producing thermal printing on thermal paper or the like. At this time, regarding the individual electrodes, plural driving circuit elements, and input lines of signals from outside to the driving circuit elements, it is sometimes necessary to compose laminate wirings by crossing the circuit wirings.
On the other hand, on the surface of the insulating substrate made of ceramics, there are many fine undulations with height difference of several microns, and for example when forming common electrodes or individual electrodes by forming aluminum or gold by sputtering, evaporation or other thin film technique, and then etching, disconnections and short circuits of these circuit wirings often occur, and it is known that the yield is inferior.
As the technique for solving such problems, the prior arts are disclosed in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-220794 and Japanese Laid-open Patent No. 60-230874 are known. The electric circuit diagram of thermal head 1 of such prior art is shown in FIG. 1. The thermal head 1 is composed of plural heating elements 2 linearly disposed on an insulating substrate made of ceramics, and common electrodes 3 and individual electrodes 4 are connected to the heating elements 2. The individual electrodes 4 are connected to output terminals 6 of driving circuit elements 5 composed as integrated circuit elements by every predetermined number. Input terminals 7a and output terminals 7b of driving circuit elements 5 are mutually and sequentially connected between adjacent driving circuit elements 5, and the data for thermal printing is sequentially transferred through each driving circuit element 5.
Plural input terminals 8a and plural output terminals 8b of the driving circuit elements 5 are the terminals for input and output of control signals, for example, latch signal, strobe signal and clock signal, and are mutually connected between adjacent driving circuit elements 5, same as the input terminals 7a and output terminals 7b.
In this conventional thermal head 1, it is designed to compose an equivalent circuit to the circuit winding crossing in each driving element 5, while avoiding laminate wiring of crossing of circuit wirings 9 on the insulating substrate not shown in the drawing. In such thermal head 1, however, it is known that the loss is large because printing data and control signals are transferred in each driving element 5. Therefore, in order to maintain the output signals of the driving circuit elements 5 at the same voltage level as the signals entered in the driving elements 5 in every control signal of print data, a buffer circuit must be disposed for each signal in each driving element 5, and it is difficult to reduce the size and simplify the structure of each driving element 5, and hence it is hard to reduce the cost.
It is also necessary to compose the transfer route of the print data and control signals within each driving element 5, and in this regard, too, the structure is increased in size and complicate.
Besides, the thermal head 1 consumes much power during use, and it is necessary to divide plural heating elements 2 by every predetermined number, and drive by time sharing in each division. In the case of such thermal head 1, when the capacity of the power source supplied is changed and changing the number of divisions, both the wiring pattern of the circuit wiring 9 on the insulating substrate, and the wiring pattern of external wiring 10 for supplying print data and control signal to this circuit wiring 9 must be modified, and it is necessary, for example, to prepare insulating substrate and external wiring 10 possessing a circuit wiring differing in wiring pattern for every type of power source capacity, which results in an increase in the number of parts and a complicated structure.


Upon reception of data via a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network), if a reception-result notification request is received from a transmitting apparatus, the state associated with the reception result as to whether or not the user of a terminal on the LAN has confirmed the data, is discriminated after completion of data reception and the disconnection of a line. Then, the discriminated information is notified by calling the transmitting apparatus. When the receiving apparatus is set to refuse notification by originating a call by itself, the information is notified in response to a call originated by the transmitting apparatus.

The present invention relates to a data communication apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving data and, more particularly, to a data communication apparatus and method for performing data communications via a private network such as a local area network (LAN) or the like, and a public network such as a telephone line or the like.
Conventionally, for example, a facsimile apparatus having two interfaces, one of which is connected to a LAN and the other is connected to a public network such as a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network), an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), or the like, is known. The facsimile apparatus performs facsimile transmission via the public network on the basis of a transmission request from a terminal on the LAN, and notifies the terminal on the LAN of data reception or distributes received data when it receives data via the public network.
However, in the conventional facsimile apparatus, the reception result information of which a transmitting facsimile apparatus is notified via the public network is information only associated with the facsimile apparatuses which have communicated with each other. That is, a reception station cannot be notified via the public network of information associated with the terminal on the LAN, e.g., information as to whether or not the apparatus can notify the terminal on the LAN of data reception or whether or not the apparatus can distribute data to the terminal.

System for handling of return receipt confirmations of processing when transferring data between the PSTN and a private network


A multi-functional exercise device that can be maneuvered between a variety of configurations for facilitating a variety of targeted exercises includes a top section, a torque manipulator adjustably attached to the top section, and an intermediate section adjustably attached to the torque manipulator. Advantageously, the torque manipulator causes greater resistance to rotational movement of the top section relative to the intermediate section when the top section is rotated, along a first rotational direction, from a rested equilibrium position to a displaced tensioned position. Advantageously, the torque manipulator causes lesser resistance to rotational movement of the top section relative to the intermediate section when the top section is rotated, along a second rotational direction, from the displaced tensioned position to the rested equilibrium position.

1. Technical Field
Exemplary embodiment(s) of the present disclosure relate to exercise devices and, more particularly, to a multi-functional and collapsible exercise device that can be assembled in a variety of configurations for facilitating a variety of targeted exercises.
2. Prior Art
Regular physical exercise is an important part of any healthy fitness routine, and also essential for maintaining and increasing an appropriate tone in one's muscular system. Taught, fit muscles provide a wide variety of both aesthetic and personal wellness benefits, helping to ensure that the bearer lives longer and enjoys life more. Achieving this muscle tautness, however, can be quite difficult for a regular person to undertake. While some muscles and muscle groups are relatively easy to isolate and effectively train, others are hard to focus on and tend to be ignored, even in most popular exercise routines.
Keeping the whole body in proper tune with itself can be both awkward and uncomfortable, and attempting to correctly work certain difficult groups of muscles without the appropriate equipment can be a surefire recipe for cramping and even injury. Good exercise equipment provides a solid frame against which the body can be worked with precision, targeting strength building to the clusters of muscle mass that need it the most, while avoiding dangerous trouble spots.
Of all the varied different groups of muscles in the body, the abdominal muscles are commonly considered the toughest to isolate and develop. Their unique position across the front of the stomach and bowels puts the abs constantly on display, making their shaping up and reformation a key fitness target of almost every personal exercise routine. Working one's abs is a serious endeavor, requiring considerable mechanical support to effectively target the majority of the exercise benefit on the ideal location of improvement. The natural impulse is to pull away to one side or the other, or to transfer some of the strain into the back, hips or legs. This type of deflecting during a workout can have serious consequences, exacerbating existing mobility conditions and occasioning the development of newer and more crippling ones. A new exercise routine, particularly one focusing on further developing such a sensitive area of the body as the abdominal cavity, should always be approved by one's personal physician before it is begun, and ideally should involve the use of specialized equipment to ensure it is being executed properly.
Accordingly, a need remains for a multi-functional and collapsible exercise device in order to overcome at least one shortcoming. The exemplary embodiment(s) satisfy such a need by providing a multi-functional and collapsible exercise device that can be assembled in a variety of configurations, is convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, versatile in its applications, and designed for facilitating a variety of targeted exercises.

Multi-functional and collapsible exercise device and associated use thereof


A multipurpose jet manifold arrangement for use in conjunction with hydro-massage spas and whirlpools. The manifold arrangement can be plumbed to both water and air from various positions so as to facilitate use at various locations in the tub. Further, it can be easily severed into separate single nozzle housings for use as a single nozzle. In a preferred manner, the manifold arrangement is molded from a plastic material.

A. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to bathing fixtures such as hydro-massage spas and whirlpools. More particularly, it relates to a multipurpose jet manifold for use with the bathing fixtures.
B. Description Of The Art
The use of single jet manifolds which introduce air and water into a hydro-massage whirlpool bath are well known. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,541. It is also known to interconnect nozzles in a manifold type arrangement from either end of the manifold such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,073 . U.S. Pat. No. 2,759,767 illustrates the connection of an inlet to a dispensing tube where the connection is made centrally.
However, the prior art does not provide single piece multipurpose jet manifolds which can be plumbed at various positions to facilitate use in a hydro-massage whirlpool at various locations. Neither does it provide one which can be easily severed into component parts in order to provide additional nozzle housings. Further, the prior art does not show such nozzle manifold constructions which can be easily manufactured through reduced cost molding technology. Thus, an improved jet manifold is desired.


Technologies are directed to active taps and distributed gain architectures in a cable network. In some embodiments, an active tap includes multiple ports, where at least one of the multiple ports can receive radio-frequency (RF) signals from a customer premises equipment (CPE) and/or can transmit RF signals to the CPE. The active tap also can include a switch module and a controller device functionally coupled to the switch module. The controller device can monitor one or several performance metrics defining respective signal attributed. The controller device also can control the operation of the tap device based on a magnitude of a performance metric. The active tap also includes a cable modem that can report magnitudes of performance metric(s) to a network device or a user device. A distributed gain architecture can include any combination of passive taps and active taps functionally coupled to a fiber node in the cable network.

A variety of service providers, such as cable providers and satellite providers, may connect user devices to one or more networks, such as cable networks and/or the Internet. A provider may provide cable and/or Internet access to customer premises via devices, such as headend devices, which may include a computer system and/or database required for provisioning of content. The headend may include a cable modem termination system (CMTS), which can send and receive cable modem signals on a cable network to provide Internet services to cable subscribers. However, the customer premises may experience issues, such as congestion, speed losses, pricing spikes, service interruptions, and the like that can degrade the user experience.
Some of those issues can be compounded by the need to amplify radio-frequency (RF) signals in wider frequency bands that may be used to provider richer services, increased connectivity bandwidth, and the like. Specifically, loss and non-linearities become more prevalent as a frequency band increases and, thus, the amplification of RF signals becomes more challenging. In addition, the equipment involved in the amplification becomes increasingly sophisticated, with ensuing added cost. While in some situations in which the amplification of signals can be avoided by deploying addition fiber optic segments in the cable network, the cost of deploying fiber optic and associated devices also can increase costs.
Therefore, improved technologies that remedy those challenges may be desired.

Active taps and distributed gain architecture in a cable network


A non-stoichiometric nanocomposite coating and method of making and using the coating. The non-stoichiometric nanocomposite coating is disposed on a base material, such as a metal or ceramic; and the nanocomposite consists essentially of a matrix of an alloy selected from the group of Cu, Ni, Pd, Pt and Re which are catalytically active for cracking of carbon bonds in oils and greases and a grain structure selected from the group of borides, carbides and nitrides.

Current engine oils and greases typically include additives to enhance lubrication properties. Such additives include, for example, the well-known additives ZDDP and MoTDC. However, these additives are very harmful to the effective operation of catalytic converters and other after treatment devices for engines using such additive-containing lubricants. The result is incomplete and ineffective operation of such devices which causes environmental pollution. Consequently, there is a substantial need to eliminate use of such additives in lubricants while still providing excellent engine operation and wear resistance and avoiding environmental pollution. Various materials have been investigated for use as possible low friction materials (i.e., those with a kinetic coefficient of friction ("CoF") less than 0.1 in boundary lubricated conditions) and ultra-low friction materials (superlubricious materials, i.e. those with a kinetic coefficient of friction less than 0.001). However, there remains a need for true ultra-low friction materials that achieve superlubricity under ambient or more feasible conditions.