According to one embodiment, a discharge lamp includes a light-emitting part including a discharge space therein in which a metal halide and a gas are sealed, and a pair of electrodes which protrude toward an inside of the discharge space and are arranged to face each other while separated by a specified distance. Power consumption at a time of stable lighting is 20 W or more and 30 W or less. When a pressure of the gas sealed in the discharge space is X (atm), and a distance between a center axis of the electrodes and a surface of the metal halide is m (mm), a following expression is satisfied: 0.085≦m/X≦0.12.

In recent years, a discharge lamp which does not use mercury and has low power consumption is requested from the viewpoint of environment. However, when mercury is not used and power consumption is low, there is a fear that the discharge becomes unstable or brightness becomes insufficient.
In this case, if the pressure of an inert gas sealed in the discharge space of a light-emitting part of the discharge lamp is increased, the brightness of the discharge lamp can be improved.
Besides, if the size of the light-emitting part is decreased, the brightness of the discharge lamp can be improved.
However, if the pressure of the inert gas sealed in the discharge space of the light-emitting part is increased, although the required brightness can be secured, a new problem arises that the arcuate discharge becomes liable to be deflected up and down by mechanical vibration.
When the arcuate discharge becomes liable to be deflected up and down by the mechanical vibration, there is a fear that flicker occurs in luminous intensity distribution, or a metal halide sealed in the discharge space is flung up and emission color changes.
Besides, if the size of the light-emitting part is decreased, since the distance between the arcuate discharge deflected downward and the metal halide becomes short, the emission color becomes more liable to change.
Then, the development of a discharge lamp is desired which can secure required brightness even at low power consumption (for example, power consumption at the time of stable lighting is 20 W or more and 30 W or less), and the deflection of discharge can be suppressed.

Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation


A charge mode operation circuit dedicated to detect the correlation between analog input signal and digital code, and for realizing by "RAKE method" the path diversity reception from the correlation data obtained using the same. The circuit utilizes an analog shift register using at least one charge transfer device for transferring a charge signal packet, a plurality of charge signal generation units, arranged along the analog shift register and provided, respectively, with substantially uniform voltage charge conversion characteristic controlled by a common input sign; and a routing mechanism for selectively transferring output charge packets generated by the plurality of charge signal generation units in given directions according to digital bit signal provided separately.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a matched filter acting in charge domain which can be used for a communication apparatus, a signal processing equipment or the like.
2. Prior Art
As the result of digital technology development, CMDA (Code Division Multiple Access) communication or other digital modulation methods are becoming popular rapidly; however the function required to the system is attaining such a high level that it can be hardly realized with conventional methods using digital processing in respect of system size or power consumption and this problem has became already evident in power supply limited applications such as portable terminals.
As an approach for solving these problems, new methods introducing analog processing such as Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 6-164320 are being developed, sloughing off ineffective power consumption inherent to conventional digital signal processing.
However, one can hardly affirm that these methods allow to realize a large-scale analog shift register corresponding to future enlargement of modulation code, or to establish so far a technology which would be able to correspond for a long term to commercialization constrictions such as further reduction of power consumption.
The present invention intends to compose a charge mode operation circuit dedicated to detect the correlation between analog input signal and digital code using charge transfer devices such as CCD of which technology is already established, famous for its low power consumption, and moreover, to propose a charge mode operation circuit composition for realizing by "RAKE method" the path diversity reception from the correlation data obtained using the same.


Strings, such as Web pages or other documents, are fingerprinted in order to detect substantially similar strings, so as to avoid processing duplicate strings. At the same time determine a computerized method estimates the probability that a collision among fingerprints of dissimilar strings. As fingerprints are generated for strings presented for processing, when the fingerprint of a string is determined not to be identical to any fingerprint in a set of stored fingerprints, the new fingerprint is masked and the unmasked portion of the fingerprint is compared with a corresponding portion of the fingerprints in the stored set. Information is recorded regarding the number of matching masked fingerprints.

It is common to use "fingerprints" to identify data records such as bit strings and character strings. A fingerprint is generated when, for example, a polynomial or hash function is applied to a data record to produce a relatively small bit string which is strongly dependent on the content of the record.
With a good fingerprinting scheme, data records having different content will most likely produce different fingerprints. As an advantage, fingerprints provide a way for identifying data records without any sort of central management, i.e., the identification arises purely from the content of the records themselves. Simple fingerprinting schemes are based on the probabilistic assumption that there is some level of randomness in the input data records.
More sophisticated schemes, such as Rabin fingerprints and strong universal hashing, do not assume anything about the input. In generally, an arbitrary set of bit strings records is first chosen for fingerprinting, and second, a function is randomly selected from some family of fingerprinting functions. Then, the selected function is applied to the set of target bit strings. See, M. Rabin, "Probabilistic Algorithms in Finite Fields," SIAM Journal of Computing, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 273-280, 1980, and Carter et al., "Universal Classes of Hash Functions, JCSS 18 pp. 143-154, 1979. In practice, the assumption is violated to some extent because usually the function is chosen first at a time when the set of bit strings records is still unknown.
Fingerprints can be used in a variety of applications, see A. Broder, "Some applications of Rabin's fingerprinting method," Sequences II, Methods of Communications, Security, and Computer Science, pp. 143-152, Springer-Verlag, 1993. For example, fingerprints can be used to identify World-Wide-Web (WEB) pages for "Web" search engines. For instance, the AltaVista search engine from Digital Equipment Corporation uses fingerprints to identify the millions of Web pages for which it maintains a comprehensive full-word index. Thus, when a page is located at a "new" Universal Resource Location (URL), a determination can be made, by comparing fingerprints of the content, whether or not the page has been previously indexed. Because a large proportion of Web pages are duplicates, this check can save considerable amount of storage space.
However, there is a small probabilistic chance that different data records produce identical fingerprint. This is called a collision. Obviously, increasing the number of bits used for a fingerprint decreases the probability that a collision will occur. However, increasing the number of bits in a fingerprint increases the time required to generate the fingerprint and the amount of memory required to store the fingerprint. It always is possible to directly compare the records themselves, but for large records this also would be computationally expensive.
In order to deal with the possibility of collisions, two fingerprints can be maintained. If two data records have identical first fingerprints, then a comparison can be made on second fingerprints generated for the records using a different fingerprinting function. However, adding a second fingerprint substantially increases storage requirements. For example, for the AltaVista search engine, a second eight byte fingerprint would require an additional 800 MB of memory, increasing the cost of the system considerably.
In order to better evaluate fingerprinting techniques, it is desired to estimate the probability of collisions of fingerprints.

Method for estimating the probability of collisions of fingerprints


Toggling functional critical path timing sensors measure delays in toggling functional critical paths that are replicas of actual critical paths or representations of worst-case delay paths. A Toggle flip-flop or Linear-Feedback-Shift Register (LFSR) drives high-transition-density test patterns to the toggling functional critical paths. When a toggling functional critical path's delay fails to meet set-up timing requirement to a next register, the toggling functional critical path timing sensors signal a controller to increase VDD. When no failures occur over a period of time, the controller decreases VDD. A margin delay buffer adds a delay to the toggling functional critical path before being clocked into an early capture flip-flop. A reference register receives the test pattern without the delay of the toggling functional critical path, and an exclusive-OR (XOR) gate compares outputs of reference and early capture flip-flops to generate timing failure signals to the controller.

Semiconductor devices are specified (spec'ed) to operate within certain parameters, such as a maximum power draw and a maximum clock frequency. While semiconductor manufacturing processes are very precise, process variations do occur. Although the manufacturing process may target a typical device, sometimes process variations produce slower chips or faster chips. As device sizes shrink, larger relative variations may occur.
Chips may be tested to determine their power draw and speed, and these chips may be sorted into slow-chip bins, fast-chip bins, and typical-chip bins. The faster chips may be sold as faster speed grades, while the slower chips may be sold for slower speed grades. Unfortunately, such process skews are not always reproducible or planned but may occur randomly, making for logistical difficulties. Therefore all process skews are often lumped together. The slowest expected process skews determine the specified speed of the device, while the fastest expected process skews determine the specified maximum power dissipation.
FIG. 1 is a graph showing how process variations affect device specifications. The slowest process skew (SS) has the lowest power and the lowest performance or speed. A typical process (TT) has a better power and performance product. The fastest process skew (FF) has the highest performance and speed, but also consumes the most power.
All three process skews—slow, typical, and fast, share the same device specifications when no grade sorting is performed. Devices produced with the slowest process determine the speed specs such as the maximum clock frequency, or the minimum clock-to-output delay times. However, the fast devices consume more power than do the slower devices, so power specs are determined by devices manufactured by the fast process skews. The power-supply voltage VDD is usually fixed.
The performance and power specs are determined by the worst-case devices over the expected process skews. Slow devices set the speed specs and fast devices set the power specs. This is not optimal, since fast devices are spec'ed slower than they can actually operate, and slow devices actually draw less power than spec'ed.
Specialized sensors may be added to chips to facilitate at-speed testing. Dummy bit lines have been added to RAM arrays to adjust bit-line sensing circuits. An oscillator or a canary circuit may be added to track process variations. However, the actual circuit may be much more complex than an oscillator, resulting in tracking errors. For logic chips, a dummy path and an on-chip timing sensor may be added. The timing sensor can report its results to a tester or even to an on-chip controller that can adjust operating conditions, such as to slow down or stop a clock to reduce power consumption.
Actual critical paths may be used during normal chip operation to detect timing failures. However, there may be few transitions during long periods of time of normal chip operation. Some critical paths may not transition for many seconds or minutes, and some may not transition at all for very long periods of time. Sensing timing failures cannot occur without transitions that pass through the critical paths.
Test modes may also be used to test critical paths. However, the test modes may have significant overhead. Test data may need to be scanned in serially to a long chain of registers, then the critical path tested, and then results serially scanned out of a long chain of registers before the results are available. Again, a long delay occurs before sensor results may be used to adjust operating conditions. This time lag is undesirable.
What is desired is to ensure that many transitions occur in a critical path to allow for sensing of timing failures. It is desired to replicate critical paths and apply test patterns to these critical paths to ensure a high transition density. It is desired to use the sensing results to adjust VDD to compensate for the actual temperature, process, and voltage conditions of the replicated critical path. It is also desired to use both replicated critical paths and representational critical paths.

Circuitry and method for timing speculation via toggling functional critical paths


A device is provided for applying pressure on a vaginal wall of a female subject, said device being configured for insertion into a vaginal cavity of said female subject. The device includes a first deformable element, a second deformable element and a transmission element. The first deformable element has a resting-state and at least one deformed state and is configured for undergoing deformation in response to an inner body pressure. When in the resting state, the first deformable element is configured to anchor the device inside the vaginal cavity. The second deformable element has a resting-state and at least one deformed state, and is configured for undergoing deformation to apply a second pressure on the vaginal wall, such second pressure being operable to narrow a urethral portion the female subject. The transmission element has a first end connected to the first deformable element and a second end connected to the second deformable element, and is configured for converting the deformation of the first deformable element to a deformation of the second deformable element, and for returning the first and second deformable elements to their respective resting states.

Urinary incontinence (UI), the involuntary loss of urine, is estimated to affect approximately one in three adult women. Due to such factors as pregnancy and childbirth, menopause, and the structure of the female urinary tract, UI is twice as prevalent in women as in men. UI can also arise from such causes as neurologic injury, birth defects, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and due to physical problems associated with aging and overweight. UI can run the gamut from slightly bothersome to completely debilitating: some women suffering from UI lose a few drops of urine during activities such as running or coughing, while others may feel a strong, sudden urge to urinate just before losing a large amount of urine. For some women suffering from UI, the risk of public embarrassment can keep them from enjoying activities with family and friends.
Stress urinary incontinence (SUI), also known as effort incontinence, is typified by loss of small amounts of urine associated with movements that increase the intra-abdominal pressure, thereby increasing the pressure on the bladder. If the support provided to the urethra by the fascia of the pelvis is insufficient, the two main mechanisms that cause SUI are weakening of connective tissue (fascia) and sphincter dysfunction. In these cases SUI typically occurs at times of increased intra-abdominal pressure, for example, during movements such as coughing, laughing, sneezing, and exercise that increase the intra-abdominal pressure. Such increased intra-abdominal pressure causes the pressure on the urinary bladder to increase, but due to the insufficient urethra support the urethral pressure remains unchanged, which allows urine to pass through the urethra.
While SUI is not an inevitable consequence of aging, SUI is more common in older women than in younger women. This is because striated muscle fibers and the firmness of the endopelvic fascia decrease with age, thereby decreasing the effectiveness of the sphincteric and support systems.
A problem that may be parallel to or independent of UI is recurring urinary tract infection (UTI). UTI is frequently caused by the entrance of infectious microorganisms such as bacteria or yeast into the urinary tract. These microorganisms then traverse or partially traverse the urinary tract and lead to infection. This problem is especially acute in women who suffer from UI, since compression (closure) of their urethras is compromised.
A vaginal female incontinence device including an annular ring-shaped inflatable body is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,894 to Enhorning. This incontinence device includes two projections configured to support the tissue of the vaginal wall, lateral and adjacent each side of the upper urethra, such that the tissue therebetween be sideways stretched to offer counter pressure to sudden increases in intra-abdominal pressure. This ring-shaped device can only be placed inside the vagina in a specific orientation, which thus requires a certain degree of proficiency for inserting it and probably also frequent refitting to place the urethra along the midline of the device between the two projections. Additionally, this device is not configured to apply direct pressure on the vaginal tissue under the urethra. It therefore understood that the placement of this annular ring-shaped device requires a practitioner, and doubtfully if a user can place it correctly inside the vagina without such assistance, and if such ring-shaped design and dimensions can provide comfort and convenience in use.


The present invention provides a method of determining a transmission time interval length to be used for communications between a user equipment device and a base station in response to a new service request, wherein the transmission time interval length is selected dependent on a timing advance value to be used by the user equipment device for communication with the base station.

In cellular mobile communication systems typically the uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) of mobile devices (user equipment, UEs) are time aligned. The timing alignment refers to transmission and reception at the base station, BS. That is, signals that are considered to be transmitted in the same slot in downlink direction are transmitted simultaneously by the base station; whereas signals that are transmitted in the same slot in uplink direction are transmitted by the UEs with an individual timing advance that results in simultaneous reception at the base station.
The timing advance (TA) is setup and maintained between UE and base station (BS) through timing measurements in the BS and explicit signalling to the UE in the Medium Access Control protocol (MAC). This is described, for example, in a mobile communications standards document 3GPP TS 25.321.
At initial access, i.e. when there is no relative timing information available in the UE or BS, the UE performs an initial random access procedure by transmitting a RACH preamble exactly at a downlink frame boundary. The BS measures the offset between the downlink sub frame border and the sub frame border of the received signal, calculates the TA value and sends the TA value back to the UE to adjust the timing for any further transmission.
In consecutive UL transmission events the base station may measure the timing again and adjust the TA if necessary. Details of how the 6-bit timing advance command is used to either advance or delay a UE's uplink transmission timing can be found in section 4.2.3 of 3GPP TS 36.213. Whenever a TA information is received the UE starts a timer and once the timer expires the UE considers the timing to be un-aligned and starts with the random access procedure for next transmission.
A transmission time interval (TTI) is an interval of time for transmission of one layer 2 data unit (PDU). The TTI comprises the group of blocks of resources for the transmission to which the same coding and modulation is applied. It is also the shortest period over which a bit error rate (BER) can be estimated. Consequently, in wireless communication systems with link adaptation techniques it is generally beneficial to have a short TTI in order to be able to quickly adapt to the changing conditions of the radio link.
In LTE the TTI length is fixed to 1 ms. In UMTS and HSPA it is 2 ms, 10 ms (or 20 ms, 40 ms, 80 ms for some channels), and fixed for a given channel.
For a next generation (5G) radio interface, a much shorter and flexible TTI length is envisaged together with a coexistence of different TTI length values for different users or different channels within the same frequency band (or, within the same time/frequency resource lattice). Figures of ⅕ to 1/10 of the LTE TTI length, i.e. 0.1 ms to 0.2 ms TTI can be expected.
As all the data bits within one TTI are coded and transmitted together, any forwarding of data has to wait for decoding of all the bits. Further, any feedback mechanism that relies on the decoding result (successful/not successful), e.g. for error correction mechanisms like HARQ, will have to wait for the decoding. Thus, for reducing transmission latency in the data path a shorter TTI is beneficial to allow faster feedback and forwarding of data.
On the other hand, there are drawbacks with shortening the TTI. With a shorter TTI the symbol length will also be reduced (to fit the symbols in the TTI). However, in order to overcome inter-symbol interference, especially in OFDM-based systems like LTE, a cyclic prefix (or postfix, CP) is needed. The length of the CP depends on the maximum expected delay spread of multi-path links, i.e. the CP cannot easily be reduced with a reduced TTI.
Another drawback with shortening the TTI is basically constant amount of control information that is transmitted within every TTI, e.g. to schedule DL-TTI resources (indicate to whom the TTI belongs), schedule the UL and provide other necessary control information. The amount of control information is mostly on a per-TTI basis and not per-bit so that the same amount of control overhead has to be carried within the TTI.
Thus, reducing the TTI length while keeping the CP length and amount of control information reduces the data per TTI but keeps the order of overhead unchanged, i.e. the ratio of useful data to overhead is reduced. This ratio is a key parameter for efficient transmission systems and thus it cannot be ignored.
US 2014/0321440 A1 describes a mobile cellular communication system that defines at least two different TTI length for transmission of data. A dynamic selection is described where individual dynamic selection is performed for a plurality of mobile devices within a cell, i.e. different mobile device can have different TTI settings.
Examples are gives in which the TTI can be shorter, where transmission conditions are good (e.g., a UE is close to a BS, there is little interference), and longer, where transmission conditions are poor (e.g., a UE is located at the NodeB cell edge, there is substantial interference).
Nothing in US 2014/0321440 describes a TTI selection based on an actual distance between UE and BS, e.g. measured by the timing advance. Even when mentioning different TTIs to be selected for near-BS UEs and UEs at the cell edge, this is only a description of different receive characteristics (or in the language of the document. a different link budget), but not an actual distance given by a propagation delay and measured using the timing alignment procedure and its outcome.
US 2014/0185441 A1 describes a system for changing the TTI length (e.g. from 2 ms to 10 ms or vice versa) based on resource occupation to achieve balance between the quality of service (QoS) of the user and the cell capacity. Only the load and available resources are taken into account, neither the distance between UE and BS nor the timing advance value are mentioned to be used.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,515,579 describes a system to dynamically select one of two TTI, e.g. 2 ms and 10 ms. The communications system is configured such that the mobile device uses the 2 ms TTI during periods of time in which a higher quality radio channel environment exists and the 10 ms TTI during periods of time in which a lower quality radio channel condition exists.
US 2015/0016431 A1 describes a method for determining a TTI length in which a UE transmits a request for a particular TTI, with the request being processed in the base station. US 2012/0039182 describes varying a TTI length according to a cyclic prefix configuration with cyclic prefix configuration information being transmitted by a UE. Document R1-160937 from 3GPP Meeting TSG RAN WG1 #84 describes TTI shortening to reduce latency. E. Lähetkangas et al. in IEEE ICC '14 in a paper entitled "Achieving low latency and energy consumption by 5G TDD mode optimization" describe scheduling latency in a 5G mobile communications system and the use of a shorter cyclic prefix and guard period leading to shorter frames.


A conductive composition comprises a poly(arylene ether), a polyamide, a conductive additive, and an impact modifier, wherein the composition demonstrates less than or equal to 0.0150 grams of composition buildup on the die face per minute of running time per meter of die opening perimeter after extruding the composition at a steady state for five minutes.

Poly(arylene ether) resins have been blended with polyamide resins to provide compositions having a wide variety of beneficial properties such as heat resistance, chemical resistance, impact strength, hydrolytic stability and dimensional stability.
These beneficial properties are desirable in a wide variety of applications and the shapes and sizes of the parts required for these applications vary widely. As a result there are a variety of forming or molding methods employed such as injection molding, compression molding and extrusion. Each forming method requires a different set of physical characteristics for the polymer being formed. For example, materials that are preferable for use in high shear forming processes such as injection molding are usually designed to have relatively low melt viscosities (high melt volume rate (MVR)) at shear rates greater than 1000 s−1 in order to allow adequate mold cavity filling without excessive pressures. Alternatively, materials that are more preferred for use in low shear forming processes such as profile extrusion are usually designed to have relatively high melt viscosities (low MVR) at shear rates less than 1000 s−1. This is because profile extrusion requires that the material be forced through a shaped die (a profile) and maintain the extruded shape until cooled. The extruded shape can be further manipulated while the polymer blend is still warm through the use of shaping tools and the shaped profile must retain its shape after manipulation. A material with high melt viscosity is better able to maintain the shape until cooling is completed. A blend which is suitable for high shear processes such as injection molding may not be suitable for low shear processes such as blow molding, sheet extrusion and profile extrusion.
In some applications it is desirable that the extruded shape be electrostatically paintable which requires use of a conductive material. Unfortunately the inclusion of electrically conductive additives in high melt viscosity blends can be problematic, particularly in a multi phase polymer blends such as a poly(arylene ether)/polyamide blend.


Embodiments are directed towards the visualization of machine data received from computing clusters. Embodiments may enable improved analysis of computing cluster performance, error detection, troubleshooting, error prediction, or the like. Individual cluster nodes may generate machine data that includes information and data regarding the operation and status of the cluster node. The machine data is received from each cluster node for indexing by one or more indexing applications. The indexed machine data including the complete data set may be stored in one or more index stores. A visualization application enables a user to select one or more analysis lenses that may be used to generate visualizations of the machine data. The visualization application employs the analysis lens to produce visualizations of the computing cluster machine data.

Cluster based computing continues to become more common as the need for processing large data sets increases. Additionally, computing clusters may be employed to provide the computing resources for popular network and cloud-based applications, such as, search engines, social networks, online media, or the like. For many common applications the number of nodes comprising clusters may increase as the size of the data sets and the number of simultaneous users increase.
In some cases, computing clusters may comprise hundreds of heterogeneous nodes, including, data nodes, various control nodes, load balancers, or the like. Also, computing clusters may be distributed across multiple physical locations. The large number of nodes, node heterogeneity, and node de-centralization contribute to system complexity which may increase the difficulty of monitoring and/or troubleshooting computing clusters.
Receiving log files and other machine data generated by cluster nodes comprising computing clusters may overwhelm standard monitoring and troubleshooting techniques. The machine data generated by cluster nodes comprising computing clusters may result in large unwieldy datasets that are difficult to search, monitor, or review. Furthermore, even if errors and failures are detected using standard practices such as log files, the complexity of computing cluster systems coupled with the large amount of machine data may make the discovery of the causes of failures and subsequent troubleshooting difficult. Thus, it is in the consideration of at least these issues that the following subject matter is directed.

Predicting system behavior using machine data


A synchronizer clutch assembly includes a clutch hub which is axially movably mounted on a shaft, a gear which is axially spaced from the hub and which is journally mounted on the shaft and rotatable independent thereof, one of the hub or the gear having a conical friction surface formed thereon, and a synchronizer ring positioned between the hub and the gear. The synchronizer ring is coupled to the hub or the gear for rotation therewith and has a complementary conical friction surface formed thereon which is engageable with the conical friction surface on the hub or the gear. The synchronizer ring is composed of a plurality of separate arcuate segments arranged in a ring, which are movable between a first expanded configuration and a second, contracted configuration.

The present invention relates to automotive transmissions and more particularly to synchronizer clutches for controlling changes in transmission gearing.
Synchronizer clutch assemblies are used to facilitate the smooth engagement of meshing teeth during changes of gears in a transmission. A typical assembly includes a hub positioned between two gears of different pitch diameter, the hub having a central opening in which are formed a plurality of teeth for drivingly mounting the hub on a drive shaft. A clutch sleeve with internal clutch teeth is mounted for axial sliding movement on the hub, and each gear also carries corresponding external sleeve teeth which are engageable by the inner teeth of the sleeve in order to create a drive path from the shaft, through the hub and sleeve to the gear. Each gear also carries an external cone clutch surface which is engageable by a complementary internal cone clutch surface formed on a synchronizer ring disposed between the hub and each gear. Upon movement of the sleeve towards a gear, the associated synchronizer rings are first engaged and caused to move axially towards the gear so as to bring its internal cone surface into engagement with the external surface formed on the gear. The resulting frictional engagement ensures that the speeds of the hub and gear are synchronized before the sleeve is slide further into engagement with the sleeve teeth of the gear, thereby ensuring smooth engagement. Examples of such synchronizers are shown in European Patent no. 0756098, U.S. Pat. No. 2,221,900 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,366,208.
These conventional synchronizers have the disadvantage, however, that if the cone surfaces on the gear and the synchronizer ring are formed with taper angles that are too small, that is, which are shallower than the friction angles determined by the material dependent frictional μ factors, then cone jam occurs, in which the frictional forces between the synchronizer ring and the gear are so great as to prevent disengagement of the two parts and hence jam the transmission in gear.


An electronic percussion pad includes a pad layer and a holding layer that holds this pad layer from a back surface thereof, in which the pad layer is formed of polyurethane foam laminated on a front surface of the holding layer. This pad layer is directly bonded to the holding layer by allowing a polyurethane foam composition, which is supplied to one surface of the holding layer, to foam and be cured.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic percussion pad and a method of manufacturing an electronic percussion pad.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-170452, filed on Aug. 20, 2013, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
As an electronic percussion pad, a drum pad used in an electronic percussion, which detects a strike on a striking surface with a sensor and generates an electronic sound close to a sound of a natural percussion instrument, is known. As such a drum pad, there is one known including: a rubber pad layer that includes a striking surface on a front surface thereof; a metal holding layer that holds the pad layer from a back surface thereof; and a sensor that is disposed on a back surface of the holding layer (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2003-295864 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2010-262167).
In this drum pad, when the striking surface of the pad layer is struck, the pad layer vibrates, and this vibration is transmitted to the sensor through the holding layer. The sensor detects this vibration, and an electronic sound is generated based on a strike detection signal output from the sensor.
However, in the above-described drum pad of the related art, an adhesive layer is disposed between the pad layer and the holding layer such that the pad layer and the holding layer are bonded to each other by an adhesive. In order to bond the rubber pad layer and the metal holding layer to each other with a sufficient strength, a special adhesive is necessary, and it takes sufficient time to bond the rubber pad layer and the metal holding layer to each other.
In the drum pad disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2010-262167, a surface of the pad layer to which the holding layer is bonded is formed as a composite layer to improve the bond strength of the adhesive layer between the pad layer and the holding layer. In order to manufacture this drum pad, a process of forming the composite layer is necessary.
In addition, in the drum pad of the related art, vibration of the pad layer generated by a strike is transmitted to the holding layer through the adhesive layer and the composite layer and then is transmitted to the sensor disposed on the back surface of the holding layer. Accordingly, the detection time of the sensor is delayed by the time during which the vibration is transmitted to the adhesive layer and the like.

Electronic percussion pad and method of manufacturing electronic percussion pad


The portable and autonomous desalination system is an autonomous reverse osmosis (RO) desalination system utilizing power from a combination of electricity generation and storage sources that include a photovoltaic (PV) unit, a vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) unit, and an electricity storage unit. Electric power from PV, VAWT or storage units or a combination of these units is provided, depending upon the availability of sunlight or wind, or for night operation for water desalination using the reverse-osmosis process. The unit is portable, environmentally friendly, self-sufficient and self-sustaining in terms of supplying the electricity and fresh drinking water needs of the typical household. Multiple PV-VAWT-RO desalination units are combined together to provide fresh, clean water and electricity for communities of various sizes. A small-size, straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine runs at very low wind speeds for urban operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to desalination units, and more specifically to using photovoltaic cells and wind electric power generators to power a reverse osmosis desalination unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Although the use of wind energy for electricity, solar energy for distillation or desalination, or a combination thereof has been attempted in the related art, the use of the present combination of wind using a vertical-axis wind turbine, solar energy using photovoltaic cells and a desalination unit based on reverse osmosis process to provide portability, and increased efficiency and effectiveness is believed to be non existent in the literature.
Thus, a portable and autonomous desalination system solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

Portable and autonomous desalination system

King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals


A serial flash-memory chip has a serial-bus interface to an external controller. A flash-memory block in the serial flash-memory chip can be read by the external controller sending a read-request packet over the serial bus to the serial flash-memory chip, which reads the flash memory and sends the data back in a data-payload field in a completion packet. Data in a write-request packet is written to the flash memory, and a message packet sent back over the serial bus. The serial bus can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Express bus with bi-directional pairs of differential lines. Packets have modified-PCI-Express headers that define the packet type and data-payload length. Vendor-defined packets can send flash commands such as reset, erase, or responses after operations such as program or erase. A serial engine and microcontroller or state machine are on the serial flash-memory chip.

This invention relates to flash-memory chips, and more particularly to a serial-bus interface to a flash memory chip.
Flash memory has gained wide acceptance for its non-volatile storage, which is ideal for portable devices that may lose power, since the data is not lost when stored in the flash memory. Flash memories are constructed from electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) cells.
Rather than use a randomly-addressable scheme such as is common with dynamic-random-access memory (DRAM), many flash memories use a block-based addressing where a command and an address are sent over the data bus and then a block of data is read or written.
Since the data bus is also use to send commands and addresses, fewer pins are needed on the flash-memory chip, reducing cost. Thus flash memory is often used as a mass-storage device rather than a randomly-addressable device.
Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) has become a popular standard interface for connecting peripherals to a host such as a personal computer (PC). Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), Personal-Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) and PCI-Express are other bus and card standards. USB-based flash-memory storage devices or "drives" have been developed to transport data from one host to another, replacing floppy disks. While large external flash drives may be used, smaller USB flash drives known as key-chain or key drives have been a rapidly growing market.
A USB flash-memory device such as a key drive can be constructed from a microcontroller, a flash-memory controller or interface, and one or more flash-memory chips.
A serial interface on the microcontroller connects to the USB bus to the host, and data from the serial interface is transferred through the microcontroller to the flash controller and then written to the flash-memory chips.
FIG. 1 shows a prior-art interface to a flash-memory chip. Flash-memory chip 12 has 8-bit I/O bus 14 that connects to controller 10. Controller 10 could be a microcontroller in a flash drive or a flash-memory card. Address, data, and commands are sent over 8-bit I/O bus 14 to flash-memory chip 12 using time-multiplexing. Eight bits of address, data, or command information can be transferred in parallel at a time over 8-bit I/O bus 14.
Several control signals on control bus 16 are used to coordinate transfer of address, data, and commands over 8-bit I/O bus 14. For example, an address-strobe signal can indicate when address signals can be latched into flash-memory chip 12, and a data strobe can indicate when data from flash-memory chip 12 can be latched by controller 10.
Although 8-bit I/O bus 14 is much more compact than if separate address and data buses were used, for some applications even the 8-bit bus is less than ideal. When the pins needed by 8-bit I/O bus 14 and flash-memory chip 12 are counted, as many as 16 signal pins are used for the interface to flash-memory chip 12. Several power and ground pins may be needed, so the total pin count of flash-memory chip 12 is over 20 pins. Also, these 20 pins need to be added to controller 10, increasing its pin count.
While chips with 20 or 30 pins are acceptable for many applications, some applications are more sensitive and could benefit by a further reduced pin count. For example, small devices such as flash-memory cards and flash drives are very small and benefit from further reductions in the pin counts, since a reduced pin count can reduce chip package sizes of both flash-memory chip 12 and controller 10, and can reduce the wiring needed and the size of a printed-circuit board (PCB) that flash-memory chip 12 and controller 10 are mounted on.
The parent application disclosed a USB single-chip flash device. The single-chip device included a microcontroller and a flash memory block. The pin count of the single-chip device was reduced since a USB serial interface was used to access the single-chip device and its flash memory.
What is desired is to reduce the pin count of a flash-memory chip by using a serial interface rather than a parallel interface. A serial interface to a flash-memory chip is desirable. A serial interface using packets to access a flash-memory chip is desirable. It is desired to modify a standardized serial interface for use with a flash-memory chip. A specialized serial interface to a flash-memory chip that is based on a standard serial-bus interface is desirable.

Serial interface to flash-memory chip using PCI-express-like packets and packed data for partial-page writes


An inflatable tent construction 10 including an upper wall unit 12 and a lower wall unit 13 having a plurality of vertically aligned inflatable tubular chambers 33 and 40 wherein the lower wall unit 12 is operatively connected to a floor unit 11 and provided with a plurality of tent opening units 14. A plurality of inflatable circular rings 20, 32 and 33 encircle the periphery of the floor unit 11, the lower wall unit 13, and the upper wall unit 12, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of inflatable structures in general, and in particular to an inflatable tent constructions.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,840,919; 4,109,681; 4,197,681; and 4,271,642, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse inflatable wall tent constructions.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, relatively rigid, and extremely structurally sound inflatable wall tent construction.
As anyone who has spent any extensive time camping is all too well aware, usually the most burdensome chore associated with this pastime is the act of pitching or setting up the tent at the beginning of the trip and the act of breaking down the tent at the end of the trip.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need for a new and improved type of inflatable tent construction that employs concentric rings of different sized inflatable chambers to form a rigid and stable generally hemi-spherical tent wall construction and the provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention.


The method of manufacturing a preform having a supporting core by effecting successive passes with a plasma torch while material is being supplied, and by effecting at least one glazing step with the plasma torch and without material being supplied includes:. a) a first glazing step effected at slow speed from a first end of the preform to the second end thereof; PA1 b) pre-separation of the preform adjacent to the first end, thereby reducing its diameter to substantially that of the supporting core; PA1 c) a second glazing step effected from the first end to the second end of the preform; and PA1 d) complete separation of the preform at the place of pre-separation.

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an optical fiber preform in an installation for manufacturing or building up preforms having supporting cores. Such an installation includes rotation means having a horizontal axis of rotation and two mounting points between which the supporting core of the preform to be manufactured or built up is mounted, plasma-torch and material-supply means disposed radially relative to said supporting core and mounted to move in axial translation relative to and parallel to the supporting core so as to make said preform around said supporting core. The preform is manufactured or built up by effecting successive passes with the plasma torch while material is being supplied.
During the above step, a portion of the feed material that has not attached to the preform generates soot. In known manner, such installations are equipped with suction hoods which suck up the soot so as to prevent it from being deposited on the preform.
The manufacturing or building-up step is followed by a separation step in which the preform is cut transversely at one of its ends so that it can be removed from the installation.
During the separation step, the temperature of the separation zone of the preform is raised by means of the plasma torch or by means of a blow torch so as to make the separation zone ductile, and then the ductile separation zone is drawn until the preform is actually separated from its end-piece.
Apart from the soot generated by the material that has not attached to the preform, during the manufacturing or building-up step and during the separation step, the peripheral surface of the preform is heated by the plasma torch to a temperature such that the material making up the preform evaporates and condenses in the vicinity of said surface. The material evaporates, and then cools as it rises and condenses, thereby forming soot that falls back onto the preform.
Thus, during the last pass of the manufacturing or building-up step, soot is generated which, once deposited on the preform, significantly reduces the quality of the surface state of the preform. This results in an increase in roughness, and affects the transparency of the preform.
Likewise, during the separation step, heating the separation zone gives rise to soot deposition in the vicinity of the separation zone.
In order to remedy these drawbacks, an additional step is performed, whereby the preform is consolidated by means of a blow torch. This additional step significantly lengthens the preform manufacturing time because, in order to perform the additional step, the preform must have cooled sufficiently for it to be possible for an operator to consolidate the surface with a blow torch. Any reduction in cooling time considerably increases the risks of accident for the operator. However, locally re-heating a cooled preform during the surface consolidation step can have major consequences on the preform in the re-heated zone. In particular, cracks can occur. Therefore, a compromise must be struck between quality and safety because of the human presence during the vitrification stage.
In a method described in the Applicant's Document FR-A-2 730 505, after the plasma torch passes with material being supplied have been effected, and/or after the preform has been separated, at least one glazing step in which at least one glazing pass is effected automatically and without cooling the preform, which pass is effected with a plasma torch and without material being supplied so as consolidate deposits comprising condensation soot.
Such glazing, or heat polishing, makes it possible to eliminate imperfections (such as improperly melted grains).
In order to prevent soot from being re-deposited during such glazing (re-deposition of silica might pollute the fiber-drawing oven), a high glazing speed, approximately in the range 80 mm/min to 90 mm/min, should ideally be used. But such a glazing speed would give rise to unacceptable stresses in the preform, because the temperature in the preform would not be high enough to relax the stresses. Such a high speed would thus give rise to high risks of cracking or breaking, thereby reducing the life-span of the fiber.
Glazing is therefore generally performed at a mean speed of 40 mm/min, that speed being a compromise between the various requirements.
Unfortunately, although it is generally satisfactory, that prior art method still carries risks of re-deposition, in particular while the preform is being separated.

Method of separating and glazing an optical fiber preform


A speech recognition apparatus includes a feature extraction section, and a recognition section. The feature extraction section extracts the feature vectors of input speech. The feature extraction section includes at least a pitch intensity extraction section. The pitch intensity extraction section extracts the intensities of the fundamental frequency components of the input speech. The recognition section performs speech recognition by using the feature vectors from the feature extraction section.

The present invention relates to a speech recognition apparatus and, more particularly, to a speech recognition technique using the intensity information of fundamental frequency components.
In speech recognition techniques, the most popular scheme is a scheme of converting input speech into a feature vector by analyzing the waveform of input speech within an analysis window (frame), which moves at predetermined time intervals, for a short period of time, and handling the entire input speech as a time series signal representing the feature vector, thereby performing matching. Various analysis schemes for this feature vector have bee proposed. Although not all of them can be described here, they include cepstrum analysis, spectrum analysis, power analysis, and the like.
A conventional scheme of using fundamental frequency (to be referred to as "pitch" hereinafter) information as part of a feature vector has been used to improve the speech recognition performance. This scheme has an arrangement like the one shown in FIG. 4. More specifically, a feature extraction section 41 converts input speech into feature vectors (e.g., a cepstrum or the like) which have been used for general speech recognition. A pitch extraction section 42 converts the input speech into pitch frequencies or the time derivatives thereof, which are output as feature vectors for recognition to a recognition section 43, together with the feature vectors output from the feature extraction section 41. The recognition section 43 performs matching between the feature vectors output from the feature extraction section 41 and the pitch extraction section 42 and the standard patterns analyzed by the same feature vector configuration in advance, and outputs the most likelihood vector as the recognition result.
A speech recognition apparatus of this type is designed to avoid vowel/consonant (voiced sound/unvoiced sound) segmentation errors in matching by including pitch information as part of a feature vector, thereby realizing high performance. Vowels of speech are generated when the vocal tract is driven by a pulse-like sound source generated by opening/closing of the glottis. The vowels therefore have clear periodic structures and are observed as pitches.
In contrast to this, consonants (especially unvoiced consonants) are generated by an aperiodic sound source other than the glottis. The consonants do not therefore have clear periodic structure, and no clear pitches are observed. For these reasons, errors in matching between vowel and consonant portions can be reduced by using pitch information.
It is another purpose of a speech recognition apparatus of a type to identify the pitch pattern of a tonal language such as Chinese. However, since this purpose differs from the objects of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
In a conventional speech recognition apparatus using pitch information, frequency information about pitches is directly used or used as the time derivatives of frequency information. When frequency information about pitches is directly used, the information greatly varies among individuals as well as sex. In addition, the frequency information obtained from a given individual is easily influenced by his/her physical condition and a psychological factor, and hence is unstable. That is, such information disturbs the speech recognition apparatus and cannot be an effective parameter. Since this information greatly varies among individuals, in particular, the information is a feature vector unsuited for a parameter for unspecific speaker speech recognition.
In a speech recognition apparatus using the time derivatives of pitch frequency information, such information greatly varies among individuals and areas. For example, even the same contents of an utterance greatly vary in pitch among dialects and the like. This tendency directly reflects in the time derivatives of pitch frequency information. This information therefore becomes a parameter that greatly varies among individuals and areas. That is, this parameter is not useful for unspecific speaker speech recognition.

Speaker-independent speech recognition using vowel/consonant segmentation based on pitch intensity values


A trailer assembly includes a body having a plurality of sidewalls for defining a cavity therebetween. Selected sidewalls are pivotally coupled to the body and selectively adaptable between loading and unloading positions and another sidewall defines a substantially planar bottom surface of the body. The body further includes a hitch section protruding forwardly therefrom. The assembly includes a rigid platform including a plurality of wheels connected thereto. Mechanisms are included for pivoting the body between sloped and horizontal positions and for separating a plurality of loads stored within the cavity respectively. The separating mechanism is removably positional within the cavity and slidably adjustable along a longitudinal length of the body. A manually retractable tarpaulin is laterally registered along a width of the body and adjoins a front end portion of the body for protecting exposed material and equipment during transit.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a material/equipment handling assembly and, more particularly, to a material/equipment handling assembly for transporting materials, equipment and the like between remote locations.
2. Prior Art
In the lawn mowing and construction industries, debris often accumulates at the worksite that hinders other tasks to be performed at the worksite. These industries, furthermore, require the use of a variety of equipment to perform various tasks properly. As such, the use of one or more trailers is often employed to carry equipment and materials, and to collect debris.
The collection of leaves, grass clippings and other organic debris from lawn mowers into either fabric collector bags, or into rigid containers of metal or plastic, is well known. In order to keep the air stream and its attendant debris moving, means must be provided for venting the high-velocity air.
In vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers which employ collector bags, this is commonly done by using a bag of porous weave which permits the air to perfuse through the fabric. However, as the bag fills up, the pores become clogged with debris which substantially blocks the air flow and greatly reduces the vacuum effect, sometimes reducing it to near zero. In addition, when such fabric bags become clogged, they are subjected to high internal pressure from the blower air stream. If the blower is very powerful, the bag can rip apart at the seams.
Furthermore, there is no known example in the prior art of knowledge, that allows a trailer equipped with a vacuum device to simultaneously carry other materials and equipment therein. Thus, an individual usually has need of two or more trailers in order to transport their equipment, materials and collected debris. It would also be advantageous to have an equipment and materials trailer having adjustable compartments so that a user may selectively adjust the size of each compartment as their need requires.
Accordingly, a need remains for a material/equipment handling assembly in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing an assembly that is easy to use, versatile, adaptable, effective, and durable. Such an assembly can haul mowers, small tractors, and related equipment, while also holding other materials like mulch or gravel. The separate front and rear compartments can also be used to conveniently carry two different types of materials simultaneously without their intermixing. The vacuum/blower unit can collect large volumes of leaves, litter, grass clippings and other debris quickly and effortlessly.


The present invention provides a vitreous silica crucible which can restrain deterioration of crystallinity of a silicon ingot in multi-pulling. Provided is a vitreous silica crucible for pulling a silicon single crystal, the crucible has a wall having, from an inner surface toward an outer surface of the crucible, a synthetic vitreous silica layer, a natural vitreous silica layer, an impurity-containing vitreous silica layer and a natural vitreous silica layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vitreous silica crucible and a method of manufacturing a silicon ingot.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, silicon single crystal is manufactured by melting high-purity polycrystalline silicon in a vitreous silica crucible to obtain silicon melt, dipping an end of a seed crystal to the silicon melt, and pulling the seed crystal while rotating it.
A vitreous silica crucible is a crucible made of vitreous silica, and, in general, has two-layer structure of an inner layer of a synthetic vitreous silica layer (hereinafter, referred to as "synthetic layer"), and an outer layer of a natural vitreous silica layer (hereinafter, referred to as "natural layer"). The synthetic layer is a vitreous silica layer formed by fusing and solidifying chemically synthesized amorphous or crystalline silica (silicon oxide) powder, and the natural layer is a vitreous silica layer formed by fusing and solidifying silica powder obtained from natural mineral whose main component is a-quartz. The synthetic layer has very high purity, and thus it is possible to reduce the amount of impurities mixed in the silicon melt by providing the synthetic layer as the inner layer. The natural layer has high strength, and thus it is possible to enhance strength of the crucible by providing the natural layer as the outer layer.
The melting point of silicon is 1410 deg. C., and thus the temperature of silicon melt is kept at a temperature higher than 1410 deg. C. At such temperature, a vitreous silica crucible reacts with silicon melt, and the thickness of the crucible wall gradually decreases. When the thickness of the crucible wall decreases, the strength of the crucible is lowered. This leads to problems such as buckling and sidewall lowering of the crucible.
In order to solve such problems, there is known a technique to provide a layer, between the natural layer and the synthetic layer, for promoting crystallization of vitreous silica (e,g, JP Patent 3798907). When such a layer is provided and the crucible is heated for a long time, crystallization of the synthetic layer, which is in contact with silicon melt, is promoted, and eventually the entire portion of the inner layer of the crucible is crystallized. Crystalline silica has higher strength per unit thickness than vitreous silica, and, in addition, has lower reactivity with silicon melt than vitreous silica. Therefore, the crystallization enhances strength per unit thickness and suppresses reduction of the wall thickness of the crucible.
Furthermore, there is known a technique to provide a layer, on the outside of the crucible, to promote crystallization. When such a layer is provided, the outer layer of the crucible is crystallized and the crucible strength is improved (e.g. JP-A-2000-247778).
By use of any of these techniques, the crucible strength is improved, and thus problems such as buckling and sidewall lowering of the crucible can be solved to some extent.


Thermal stresses normally associated with brazing are alleviated by a low temperature brazing technique of the present invention. A low-temperature brazing paste, preferably suitable to be melted at temperatures of no greater than 200.degree. C. (e.g., 100-200.degree. C.), containing nanoscale (.ltoreq.100 nanometer) size particles of gold, cadmium, copper, zinc, tin, lead, silver, silicon, chromium, cobalt, antimony, bismuth, aluminum, iron, magnesium, nitrogen, carbon, boron, and alloys and composites of these materials, is applied as a bead or as a powder spray at the junction of two components desired to be joined together. Energy from a source such as a laser beam (for example a CO.sub.2 laser, an Nd-Yag laser or an excimer laser), flame, arc, plasma, or the like, is "walked" along the brazing material. The energy beam is sufficient to cause melting and re-crystallization of the nanoscale-particle-containing brazing paste. In an exemplary application of the process, blades (vanes) are brazed to the housing and/or to the shroud of an automatic transmission impeller assembly, preferably using the low-temperature brazing paste containing nanoscale (.ltoreq.100 nanometer) size particles of gold, cadmium, copper and/or zinc, or other suitable nanoscale brazing materials.

It is generally well known to assemble components together by mechanical means such as tabs and slots. For example, a conventional automotive automatic transmission torque converter includes a turbine assembly that comprises an outer shell (or bowl, or housing) component having slots, an inner shroud component having slots, and a plurality of vane components (blade impellers) having tabs that fit into the slots of and between the shell and shroud components. Such mechanical means for assembling the vanes to the shell and shroud components results in leaks (e.g., of automatic transmission fluid) around the vanes, which reduces the efficiency of the torque converter, and which consequently diminishes (attenuates) the fuel efficiency of the automobile.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,180,043, 4,813,522 and 4,765,167 are incorporated by reference herein as representative of the state of the art in assembling components such as the aforementioned automatic transmission components together by mechanical means.
As used herein, the term "joining" includes processes involving heat and/or fusing, such as brazing, welding, bonding and soldering.
Brazing is a well known technique of joining components (e.g., two articles) to one another and generally involves melting a brazing material at temperatures of approximately 1000.degree. C. (one thousand degrees Celsius). The brazing material may be the same as or different in composition from than the material of the joined components. The use of such high temperatures can cause undesirable distortion, annealing, or the like of one or both of the components being joined (e.g., brazed) together.


A recording tape cartridge is provided that includes a leader pin attached, directly or through a leader tape, to an end portion of a recording tape, and includes flange portions formed at both ends thereof, an opening formed at a case, and from which the leader pin is pulled out; holding portions formed at an upper case and a lower case respectively, and holding respectively the flange portions of the leader pin in the vicinity of the opening; an overhang portion formed at at least one of the holding portions, and overlaping with the flange portion at an inner surface side thereof when the leader pin is held at the holding portions; and an elastic deformable engaging portion formed at at least one of the holding portions to urge the flange portion in an axial direction of the leader pin when the leader pin is held at the holding portions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording tape cartridge including a case for accommodating therein a single piece of a reel wound by a recording tape such as a magnetic tape that is mainly used as a recording reproduction medium in a computer or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a recording tape cartridge has been already known in which a recording tape such as a magnetic tape that is used as a data recording reproduction medium in a computer or the like is wound around a reel, and a single piece of the reel is accommodated in a case that is formed by an upper case and a lower case. To the leading end of the recording tape is secured a leader member that is pulled out by a pullout member of a driving apparatus. An example of the leader member includes a leader pin. The leader pin is formed in a substantially dumbbell shape, has flange portions at both ends of a main body portion of the leader pin, to which the recording tape is secured directly or through a leader tape.
The flange portions of the leader pin are accommodated into concaved holding portions that are formed at an upper case and a lower case near an opening of the case. The leader pin is held, with the height direction of the case being as an axial direction, by the flange portions being pressed by springs or the like. Therefore, when an impact due to a fall or the like is applied to the vicinity of the opening of the case, and the upper case and the lower case are flexed and deformed, separating away from each other (conducting a so-called "deformation of the opening of the case"), it is feared that the flange portions are off-positioned from the holding portions, and the leader pin is inclined and/or removed from the holding portions.
When such a phenomenon occurs, the pullout member of the driving apparatus may unsuccessfully chuck with the leader pin, resulting in a system error. Accordingly, a recording tape cartridge has conventionally been proposed in which the removal of the flange portions from the holding portions can be prevented by forming at the holding portions under-cut grooves with which the flange portions of the leader pin are engaged, i.e., concaved grooves into which the flange portions are entered (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2001-148179, for example).
However, in such a recording tape cartridge, an urging member such as a spring, which presses the flange portions of the leader pin, is provided, thus there is a problem of increasing cost of manufacturing and assembling of the urging member. Further, a recording tape cartridge is proposed in which an outer surface of the flange portion is urged by an urging member such as a spring to press the leader pin in an axial direction (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 11-250619, for example). The same problem applies in this case. Further, with such a structure, the aforementioned deformation of the opening of the case cannot be prevented at the time when an impact is applied to the vicinity of the opening due to a fall or the like thereby causing a problem that the flange portions of the leader pin may be off-positioned from the holding portions.
A recording tape cartridge has conventionally been proposed that engaging portions having spring characteristics are formed integrally with an upper case and a lower case, and by pressing with the engaging portions, a leader block is pressed in a height direction of the case (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2003-242741). However, in the leader block, it is difficult to apply a structure that undercut grooves (concaved grooves) are formed and pressing is performed. Accordingly, also in the case of this recording tape cartridge, when an impact is applied to the vicinity of the opening due to a fall or the like, the aforementioned deformation of the opening of the case cannot be prevented, and a problem is caused that the leader block may be off-positioned from the holding portion.


The abstract concerns an expeller with six pump tubes positioned round the circumference of a circle. A weak refrigerant solution is conveyed through the tube by rising vapor bubbles. Heating is by means of sich flame tubes. To improve heat transfer, the pump tubes are welded to the flame tube. The pump tubes lead into an exhaust-gas flue and are located inside this flue. The hot exhaust gases can therefore transfer heat to the weak refrigerant solution.

1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to an expeller with a gas-bubble pump for a diffusion absorption plant.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
Diffusion absorption plants, i.e. absorption plants with a pressure equalizing auxiliary gas are known since a long time as small refrigeration plants for use in domestic refrigerators. These absorption refrigeration apparatuses have been decisively improved regarding their efficiency, such an apparatus is e.g. extensively described in the Swiss patent no. 475 527. The improvement of the efficiency has been reached substantially by the expeller disclosed therein. If the expeller is equipped with a gas-bubble pump such as is also the case of the plant of the mentioned patent, no moving parts such as e.g. motor driven solution pumps are necessary. The diffusion absorption plants used in domestic refrigerators display, however, a relatively low output. Therefore, they are not suitable for large plants, e.g. for an air conditioning or for use as heat pumps in heating plants.
In diffusion absorption plants of a large output it is also necessary to convey a large quantity of heat to the expeller. The gas-bubble pump must be designed such that it can pump the liquid to a considerable height in order to provide the solution turnover with the necessary driving force. The attempt to simply increase the expellers with gas-bubble pumps for diffusion absorption plants of a large output used in domestic refrigerators must fail since the pump tube of the gas-bubble pump is not allowed to exceed a certain diameter because otherwise the slip between the gas bubbles and the liquid to be conveyed is too large and only quite small pumping heights are reached. It must be noted, additionally, that the gas-bubble pump is not only able to function in the operating state but handles also the quite critical starting process during the start-up.


A light-emitting diode package structure including a chip carrier portion, a light-emitting diode chip, and a package material is provided. The light-emitting diode chip is disposed on the chip carrier portion of the package. The package material is filled in the chip carrier portion and covers the light-emitting diode chip. The package material includes a matrix material, a plurality of first powder particles, and a plurality of second powder particles. The first powder particles and the second powder particles are distributed in the matrix material. Each first powder particle is a wavelength conversion material. Each second powder particle has a shell-like structure.

Powder particles can provide a variety of functions by controlling the particle size or changing the material thereof. Moreover, powder particles have the characteristic of easy processing, and therefore the applications of powder particles are quite extensive. For instance, common goods such as paint, cosmetic, and detergent all achieve the desired effect with powder particles. Moreover, in the field of electronic products, the application of powder particles is even more extensive. Using a light-emitting diode package structure as an example, the wavelength conversion material used in the light-emitting diode package structure is powder particles.
Specifically, the fabrication method of the light-emitting diode package structure generally includes first disposing a light-emitting diode chip on a dock or a chip carrier portion, and then forming a wavelength conversion layer on the light-emitting diode chip with a method of mold glue injection on the dock. In particular, the wavelength conversion layer mainly uses a colloid material as a carrier to carry the wavelength conversion material of the powder particles so as to facilitate the glue injection step. However, in the glue injection step, the wavelength conversion material of the powder particles is subsided in the colloid material due to gravitational force, such that the wavelength conversion material has a concentration gradient distribution in a direction perpendicular to the light-emitting surface of the chip. As a result, the color temperature of the light-emitting diode package structure cannot be precisely controlled. Similarly, in other applications, the subsidence effect of the powder particles in the matrix material often causes the product to fail to meet desired specifications.

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A process of making a foldable, portable bookstand on which readers may place their reading material. When folded, the bookstand appears to be a single oblong piece. When unfolded, the side view of the bookstand resembles the letter xe2x80x9cXxe2x80x9d. The bookstand is made from two top pieces and two bottom pieces. The spine of a book may be placed along a space between top pieces. The bookstand is made by providing two bottom pieces having tapered extensions and two top pieces having tapered extensions and adjoining the extensions of corresponding bottom and top pieces, preferably with dowels. The advantage of the present invention is that the bookstand may be simply and economically made of four separate pieces using dowels, yet maintain the appearance of a product which has been carved from a single piece of material.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a foldable portable bookstand which is made by attaching four pieces of material together so as to form two identical oblong sections which interlock with each other. The resulting two sections may be folded together for easy transport and storage or may be unfolded to form a bookstand having a side view resembling the letter xe2x80x9cXxe2x80x9d.
2. Description of the Related Art
From ancient times, it has been known to prepare foldable, portable bookstands with a side view resembling the letter xe2x80x9cXxe2x80x9d. These bookstands, known as rahels, historically have been used to protect holy books from being placed on the ground or floor. From the beginning of their manufacture until the present invention a bookstand of this type has been made of a single piece of wood which was cut and carved to have the desired qualities and appearance. This process is manual labor intensive and is not adapted to placing affordable bookstands on the market.
The present invention allows for the production of large quantities of bookstands of beauty and strength at prices which are affordable to the ordinary consumer. The present invention is directed to the manufacture of foldable, portable bookstands from four pieces of material as opposed to a single piece of material as has been done in the prior art.
To accomplish the manufacture of a bookstand according to the present invention, four pieces of material are cut, designed and finished so as to form two bottom pieces and two top pieces. Two bottom pieces are arranged in the way they will be in the final product. Next, the two top pieces are connected to the two bottom pieces by dowels to form a final interlocking assemblage having a first top and bottom combination interlocked with a second top and bottom combination. The final interlocking assemblage may be folded in such a manner as to take up little space for ease in transporting. When desired, the final interlocking assemblage may be unfolded to create a bookstand having a side view resembling the letter xe2x80x9cXxe2x80x9d.

Process for making foldable, portable bookstand


A buttocks seat is supported by a post tiltably affixed at a lower end to an upper face of a base. The post is also axially rotatable relative to the base, and threadably engaged with an underside of the seat for supporting the seat on the post, the seat squarely facing upright when the post is vertical. A hand wheel is affixed to the post for rotating the post relative to the seat and the base for selectively raising or lowering the seat relative to the base. A resilient bias urges the post to be vertical unless a seated user flexes his or her lumbar with sufficient force to overcome the bias. Preferably the post is tiltable over a conical range and the bias comprises a resiliently compressible, cylindrical ring coaxial with the post, and extending between and abutting the base and the underside of the seat.

This invention relates in general to the field of resilient, tiltable, seating apparatuses, and more particularly to a resilient, tiltable, seating apparatus for incorporation in a chair, the apparatus promotes and assists vertebrae flexing and muscle exercise in the lumbar region of a user's spine.
The thoracic portion of the human spinal column is protected and strengthened by the rib cage and the large dorsal and pectoral muscles. Unfortunately, the lumbar region is not as ruggedly supported, having for support only the abdominal muscles, and small, short muscles which connect and interconnect the spinous and transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae and the sacral vertebra. For convenience, this myriad of small interconnecting muscles are hereafter referred to as the "lumbar cage." It appears that the lumbar cage evolved over the millennia. During this time humans generally had a short life span, spending long hours each day engaged in physical activity. But the structure of the lumbar cage is not well suited for the longer life span of modern humans, whose lifestyle is much more sedentary, even requiring relative inactivity during long periods, both while at work and at home. This weaker region (lumbar) of the load-bearing muscular-skeletal structure of the human anatomy is the source of most lower back pain and is also a major factor in back pain associated with structural defects such as scoliosis, a lateral curvature of the spine, spinal stenosis or lumbar disc syndrome.
The strength of a muscle depends upon the amount of work it is required to perform over time. Since muscles can only contract, they are worked by causing them to contract or flex. To flex a bodily joint, certain muscles (flexor muscles) are contracted while opposing muscles (extensor muscles) are relaxed so they can be extended. To straighten the joint, the reverse happens: the extensor muscles contract and the flexor muscles relax. Extensor and flexor muscles of the lumbar cage provide the necessary movement of the lumbar vertebrae, allowing them to be extended and flexed to accommodate the body's activity. These, as well as other muscles in the lumbar cage, are worked by contraction and extension to cause movement of a part or parts of the body, allowing the body to change position and, even while the body is relatively inactive, to maintain position and balance.
Reduced activity, which may result from age, a sedentary job, illness, trauma, or simply a lack of sufficient motivation to exercise, limits the flexion and extension of the lumbar cage, causing these muscles to weaken and atrophy to the point that the load-bearing capacity of the lumbar region becomes more and more limited. The weakening process is progressive and cyclical. As atrophy sets in from reduced muscle activity, the lumbar cage weakens. Eventually, torque or overload beyond the tolerance level of the weakened lumbar cage will either tear the fibers in one of the lumbar cage's muscles or cause a vertebral disc to slip out of alignment. This results in back pain and, in severe cases, disabling spasms. The spasms are caused not by the damaged muscle, but rather by the surrounding muscles as an involuntary defense mechanism to prevent damage to the spinal column. The pain results in even less activity and, therefore, further atrophy of the lumbar cage.
To defend against any muscular pain the body involuntarily uses other muscles to produce the required body movement, a process called substitution. A body with lower back pain naturally adopts a posture and gait, such as splayed feet, a shuffling movement with no working of the hamstrings, which minimizes the movement of the vertebrae. With this reduced activity caused by substitution, the lumbar region becomes weaker, less flexible and vulnerable to further muscle strain and disc displacement. Generally, along with deterioration in the strength and flexibility of the lumbar cage caused by a less active lifestyle, posture is also negatively affected. Having a weakened lumbar cage tends to promote a bowed back and slumped shoulders when seated for long periods at a desk or in front of a computer.
Most people with lower back pain either cannot or will not exercise the lumbar cage adequately to produce the muscle strength necessary to eliminate the problem. Physical therapy for pain is, at best, for a limited time during the therapy session, and therefore is limited in effectiveness. This invention provides an easy, inexpensive and very convenient way for such people to exercise their lumbar cage whenever they are seated, at home or on the job. Its use enhances the tone of the lumbar cage. It enables a seated person to actively exercise the lumbar cage while promoting better posture.
Another major factor in maintaining an over all healthy lower back is avoiding idiopathic (degenerative disc) low back pain. Disc degeneration is irreversible structural alteration in the disc which can be caused by many factors, and results in the reduction in height, loss of hydrated flexibility, one of the forms of herniation, or spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal annulus). Since the intervertebral discs are avascular, that is, they are without blood carrying capillaries, the pumping action from physical activity is the only means of promoting the exchange of fluids for improved nutrition of the cells, for cell replacement, and for removing metabolic by-products. Inactivity of the lumbar spine, caused by a sedentary life style or by the process of muscular substitution to prevent pain, can only accelerate the degenerative process within the discs. This invention produces the essential pumping action, repetitively and constantly during use, and amplifies and intensifies the pumping action so as to prevent, arrest, or decelerate the degenerative process.
Other advantages and attributes of this invention will be readily discernable upon a reading of the text hereinafter.


A recording part including an ink cartridge is inclined with respect to a horizontal mounting plane to incline the path of a recording sheet with respect to the vertical direction. A footer mark is recorded with an ink ejected from some ejection orifices situated on the upstream side of such an ink cartridge, i.e. from the upper ejection orifices thereof. As a result, the presence or absence of ink within the ink cartridge can be detected promptly, and whether the recording of image data has been performed normally can be judged automatically. A discharge action for the recording medium can be facilitated by utilizing its own weight.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus, an image forming apparatus, an information processing apparatus, and recorded materials obtained by recording using these apparatuses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
(1) So far the following methods of detecting the presence or absence of ink in a recording head (hereinafter referred to as the head) have been proposed in recording devices of the ink jet type, for example, recording devices using the head for ejecting ink by causing a change in condition to the ink by use of thermal energy. One of the methods is to have a means for detecting the temperature of the head, use the temperature detection means in detecting the difference between the temperature before the heater of the head is heated and the temperature after the heater of the head is heated, judge the ink to be present if the temperature difference is smaller than the predetermined value, or judge the ink to be absent if the temperature difference is greater than the predetermined value. This method is based on the fact that the heat capacity of the head becomes large in the presence of the ink, and becomes small in the absence of the ink. Another method comprises providing a pressure sensor in the passage for feeding ink, and judging ink to be present if the value of the pressure sensor is greater than the predetermined value, and ink to be absent if the value of the pressure sensor is lower than the predetermined value. Other methods under consideration rely on the weight of the ink cartridge, the electrical resistance or electrical capacity of the ink, or the transmission of light beams through an optical sensor. These methods make it possible to judge ink to be present in the ink cartridge of the head or ink to be supplied to the head.
(2) That surface of the head which constitutes the ink ejection orifice, namely the ejection surface, is normally vertical, and that portion of the recording sheet which is to be recorded by the head is also vertical. Thus, the recording sheet portion after recording is discharged vertically.
The conventional example (1), however, has the following drawbacks:
Originally, the weakness of the recording device of the ink jet type lies in the clogging of the nozzle due to the drying of the ink or the formation of air bubbles in the nozzle, leading to a failure in ink ejection. This phenomenon may occur from the beginning of recording or during recording.
To overcome this weakness, various countermeasures have been worked out, and perfect measures that permit recovery actions in case of clogging have been proposed. However, complete measures capable of preventing clogging have yet to be established.
As a result, even if the ink presence or absence detection means judges ink to be present, there may be cases in which recording is not done once clogging has happened.
If a recording device of the ink jet type is used as one for facsimile, the following trouble may happen: When data is received based on the judgment of ink presence, a recording action is performed, and a confirmation of reception completed is made to the transmitter, no images are recorded on the recording sheet or images are not recorded halfway in the page, once clogging has occurred. In such cases, fatal troubles arise in which the transmitter believes communication to have been completed normally and the contents of the original to have been transmitted, whereas the receiver has not received normal recordings.
In short, the conventional methods are not enough to detect completely whether the reception and recording of information via the facsimile apparatus have been performed normally.
With the conventional example (2), when the recording medium after recording is discharged vertically, it is not definitely known whether it will fall on the discharge tray side or on the opposite side. If it has fallen on the opposite side, the operator has to bring it onto the discharge tray side, which is quite tiresome. It is possible to provide a conveyor path to make the recording medium after recording fall on the discharge tray side. The providing the conveyor path, however, makes the device become complicated and scaled up. In this case, further, it is fear that the recording medium just after recording is curved to touch the ink ejection orifice. Furthermore, there is fear to stain non-recording region of the recording medium with un-dried ink due to the contact between a device such as rollers for conveying the recording medium in the conveyor path and the recording medium just after recording which has the un-dried ink on its surface. These are troublesome.

Ink jet recording apparatus with an inclined ink ejection surface


This invention relates to a directly compressible enzyme powder produced by mixing a liquid enzyme preparation with a suitable carrier, using the principle of wet granulation, whereby the step of freeze drying and spray-drying is avoided. The resulting enzyme powder has extraordinary good compression qualities and may directly be tabletted.

In the art of tablet technology tablets are often made from a spray-dried powder containing an active component which after spray-drying and prior to tabletting is mixed with one or more components (for example flow-aids) needed for tabletting to take place. Flow-aids are added in order to make the powder for tabletting free-flowing. Free-flowing means that the powder may be poured through a hopper without caking or sticking to the side walls. An example of a typical flow-aid is fumed silicon dioxide.
By using this traditional method the spray-dried powder is normally very dusty and difficult to handle, so there are safety problems by handling them if the active component has an allergy potential. Often this very dusty powder also has to be handled in more than one operation: First the spray-dried powder is mixed with flow-aids as described above, and then a granulation may be needed in order to give the powder the right strength for tabletting.
To overcome these difficulties much effort has been put into developing directly compressible powders which are non-dusting and free-flowing, for instance by spray-drying an emulsion containing a vitamin, a carbohydrate and a gelatin (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,889).
Tablets containing enzymes such as amylases, proteases, lipases, invertases, papain, trypsin, pepsin, pancreatin, etc. have been described long ago (see for instance U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,642). They are made by the conventional methods of converting a freeze-dried or spray-dried powder into tablets.


A method facilitating searching of data containing protected date information includes generating one or more randomly escalating dateID values for each date during a time period and storing such generated dateID values in a lookup table together with an encrypted, associated date value. Such generated dateID values can be stored in a datasource in place of protected dates in order to safeguard protected health information. In one or more preferred implementations, a de-identified date is stored in the lookup table in association with a dateID, and utilized for searching operations.

The present invention generally relates to securing protected data, such as protected health information.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) characterizes data that may identify an individual as protected health information (PHI). Dates such as a birthdate or a patient encounter date represent PHI and must be secured when stored, e.g. in a database. Storing data in a noncompliant (e.g. unsecured) manner could result in sizable penalty fees.
One common approach to securing PHI data is encryption. Encrypted data is generally recognized as secured when it can, for example, only be deciphered using complex mathematical algorithms and a predetermined key.
While encrypting PHI data satisfies HIPAA regulations, this approach, and in particular the eventually required decryption, can significantly impact system performance. The most significant impact occurs when encrypted data is required for a search or sort routine. The degraded results generally occur because a database system cannot leverage indexes of encrypted fields. As a result, the system must decrypt each record as it performs a full table scan, e.g. the system must decrypt and review every record, which is typically an extremely time consuming process.
Needs exists for improvement in securing protected data. These and other needs are addressed by one or more aspects of the present invention.


A fiber optic pressure catheter includes a light source, an optical fiber coupled to receive light from the light source and a sensor head that is optically coupled to the optical fiber. The sensor head has a housing defining a chamber coupled to an end of the optical fiber opposite the light source. The housing has an opening which is enclosed by a membrane. The membrane is responsive to pressure differentials between the chamber and outside the sensor head. A resilient ribbon is coupled within the chamber and has a first end fixedly coupled to a support. The ribbon has a second end that is movable in front of the optical fiber. The ribbon is mounted so that the middle portion of the ribbon touches the membrane and is biased by the membrane in response to various pressure differentials. Thus, various amounts of light are reflected back into the optical fiber based on the amount of pressure at the membrane. A detection system is optically coupled to the optical fiber which determines the pressure at the sensor head from the contrast of spectral fringes of light created by an optical coating on the end of the optical fiber and the light reflecting from the ribbon.

The present invention relates generally to a pressure sensor and, more specifically, to a fiber optic pressure sensor having a relatively small diameter so that the pressure sensor is suitable for insertion into the human body particularly in patients such as children having narrow arteries.
After open heart surgery, the blood pressure of the patient must be monitored for several days, typically 72 hours, after surgery. It is necessary to monitor both the diastolic and systolic blood pressure inside the patient's heart chambers to monitor for possible clogging of the arteries. After brain surgery, continuous monitoring of brain fluid pressure is also required. For children in particular, monitoring fluid pressures in the brain and in their arteries may be impossible using conventional pressure sensors since conventional pressure sensors have a relatively large diameter and would constrict the flow of the fluid being measured.
Electronic pressure catheters exist that may be used to measure the fluid pressures in a human body. For example, Millar's 2 French diameter unit which has a relatively small diameter is very expensive. Other less expensive electronic catheters such as Millar's 9 French is 3 mm in diameter.
Other devices employ remote measuring in which pressure tubing and flush devices are required. Remote measurement requires the high cost of surgery and discomfort to the patient. Other known pressure sensors include fiber optic devices. Fiber optics have the ability to bend easily and conform to the blood vessels while they can be manufactured out of bio-compatible materials. Known fiber optic pressure catheters use small moving mechanical parts. Commonly, the mechanical part is a optically reflective membrane. The membrane forms a mirror with respect to the light emitted from the end of the optical fiber. The membrane is stressed and deformed as a function of the pressure differential applied to it. As the deformation of the membrane continues, the amount of light reflected back into the fiber is a function of the applied pressure.
One problem with such sensors however, is that the membranes must be precision mounted in the sensor head. Because these membranes are on the order of one micron thick with a diameter of about 700 microns, it is very difficult to mount them in the sensor head without introducing significant mechanical hysteresis and without creating a tendency to buckle. Although some of the hysteresis effect may be corrected by software, production yield is very low. Therefore, such units are restrictively high in price which limit its applications. Even so, the smallest known sensor has a relatively large diameter and cannot be used for children and infants.