To improve reliability by preventing separation of a sheet material attached on a flexible printed circuit, provided is a flexible printed circuit including a printed board body and a reinforcing board. A leaked portion of an adhesive agent is formed to leak in an outward direction relative to an end surface of the reinforcing board. The leaked portion adheres to part of the end surface of the reinforcing board to be continuous from a lower end of the end surface to form an inclined surface tapered in the outward direction. The leaked portion is formed such that a portion thereof that covers the end surface has an adhesion height hA, as measured from an adhesive surface of the reinforcing board, of greater than 0% and not greater than 80% of the thickness H1 of the reinforcing board.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible printed circuit composed of a flexible insulating film and a circuit formed thereon and a method of manufacturing the same, and particularly to a flexible printed circuit with an improved reliability obtained from prevention of separation of a sheet material attached on the flexible printed circuit and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, printed circuit boards and methods of manufacturing the same have been known for improving the reliability of flexible printed circuits (FPC) (e.g., see JP2005-268416A (pp. 3-6, FIGS. 1-3)). A printed circuit board is composed of a circuit board on which a circuit pattern is formed, and a coverlay film having an opening and attached on a surface of the circuit board.
A projection is formed on the surface of a portion of the circuit pattern to which the opening is aligned, and an adhesive agent of the coverlay film is prevented by the projection from flowing into the opening. Also known are a releasing film and a method for manufacturing a circuit board (e.g., see JP2007-98816A (pp. 4-12, FIGS. 1-3)).
The releasing film is used when a circuit board is manufactured using a core base board having a convex circuit of an average height of A μm, and comprises a first layer to a third layer layered in this order. This film is designed such that when the first layer and the circuit are contact-pressed at a pressure of 4 MPa and a temperature lower than a melting point of a polyester resin by 50° C., A/B×100 is equal to 70% or greater, where B is an average height in μm at which the first layer is intruded into the gap of the adjacent convex circuit. According to this document, this can prevent leakage of the adhesive agent, etc.
Meanwhile, flexible printed circuits still suffer from a problem that a sheet material 200 attached on a board body 100 comes off therefrom, as shown in FIG. 9. The cause of this problem is considered to be as follows. That is, an adhesive agent 300 located between a board surface 100a of the board body 100 and an adhesive surface 200a of the sheet material 200 leaks from the side of an end surface 200b of the sheet material 200 onto the board surface 100a in a tapered shape.
Then, when a stress or the like is applied to an edge 200c of the end surface 200b of the sheet material 200 that is closer to the board body 100, a crack 301 forms in the leaked adhesive agent 300. The adhesive agent 300 breaks from this crack 301 and the sheet material 200 gets peeled from the board body 100.
Accordingly, there is a demand for a measure against leakage of an adhesive agent caused in the printed circuit board disclosed in JP2005-268416A and in the releasing film disclosed in JP2007-98816A, and for a measure for more effectively preventing separation of a sheet material from a flexible printed circuit to improve reliability.
To solve the problem of the conventional techniques described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a flexible printed circuit and a method of manufacturing the same which can improve reliability by preventing separation of a sheet material attached on a flexible printed circuit.

Flexible printed circuit and method of manufacturing same


An image pickup device includes a color separation prism composed of prism members and which separates light into color components, solid-state image sensors fixed to the prism members, respectively, image sensor boards on which the solid-state image sensors are mounted, respectively, an image control board to which image pickup signals generated by the image sensor boards, respectively, are inputted, and a flexible board which is connected to the image control board. The flexible board includes a signal transmission layer connected to each of the image sensor boards and which contains transmission paths for transmitting the image pickup signals to the image control board, and a heat radiating layer formed of a high heat conductivity material which is connected to each of the solid-state image sensors and fixed to the signal transmission layer via an insulating layer to transfer heat generated in the solid-state image sensors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image pickup devices, such as television cameras and video cameras, equipped with solid-state image sensors.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, there have been developed, and now in widespread use, 3CCD color cameras (hereinafter, referred to as 3CCD cameras) as image pickup devices using three solid-state image sensors. The structure of such a conventional 3CCD camera is explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an image pickup block 10 in a conventional 3CCD camera. As shown in FIG. 1, the image pickup block 10 includes a color separation prism for separating incident light, which has come up through an unshown image pickup lens of the 3CCD camera, into specified color components, a plurality of solid-state image sensors, and image sensor boards on which the solid-state image sensors are mounted, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 1, the color separation prism is made up of three prism members 1r, 1g, 1b, which are bonded together in close contact with one another. The color separation prism constructed like this is a three color separation prism 1 for separating incident light into three color components. Bonded interfaces on the prism members 1r, 1g, 1b serve as dichroic mirrors 4, 5. On light-outgoing surfaces of the three prism members 1r, 1g, 1b, solid-state image sensors 2r, 2g, 2b are fixed individually with adhesive.
Referring to FIG. 1, a light beam 7 incident on the three color separation prism 1 is separated by the dichroic mirrors 4, 5 into three color components, i.e. light beams 6a, 6b, 6c of three primary colors of light, and the resultant light beams are received by their corresponding solid-state image sensors 2r, 2g, 2b, respectively. Out of the light beams separated into the three primary colors and reflected by the dichroic mirrors 4, 5, the light beams 6a, 6b are totally reflected again within the prism members 1g, 1b, respectively, thereby being received by the solid-state image sensors 2g, 2b as light beams that form not a mirror image (reflected image) but a non-mirror image. Image pickup signal processing against the individual light beams received by the solid-state image sensors 2g, 2b, 2r, respectively, is performed by the image sensor boards 3r, 3g, 3b, respectively, so that a color television signal in which the image pickup signals are composited is obtained.
For the conventional 3CCD camera having such a structure described above, there is a need for achieving high-accuracy superimposition of three-color subject images. Poor accuracy of superimposition, i.e. poor accuracy of registration, would lead to occurrence of color differences or moire false signals, resulting in a subtly deteriorated image. Accordingly, in order to prevent any deterioration of registration accuracy, there is a need for reducing external-force loads applied to the respective solid-state image sensors 2r, 2g, 2b.
Further, if used under a high-temperature environment, a solid-state image sensor would incur image quality deterioration due to white scratches, life reduction and so on, and therefore needs to be used at a specified temperature or lower. Particularly in recent years, in image pickup devices typified by 3CCD cameras on which solid-state image sensors are mounted, there is a tendency that the ambient temperature of the solid-state image sensors (i.e., internal temperature within the device casing) increases more and more with increasing power consumption that can be attributed to light, thin, short and small dimensions and more multiple and higher functions of the device, making it indispensable to provide a means for cooling the solid-state image sensors.
Therefore, in conventional image pickup devices, there have been proposed various heat radiating structures for efficiently cooling solid-state image sensors while reducing the external-force loads applied to the solid-state image sensors (see, e.g., Document 1: JP H1-295575 A, Document 2: JP 2002-247594 A, and Document 3: JP 2001-308569 A).
First, Document 1 discloses a heat radiating structure in which a thermoelectric cooling device mounted on a heat transfer member by screws is placed so as to be in contact with the back face of each solid-state image sensor. In such a heat radiating structure, since deformations due to thermal expansion and thermal contraction of each member can be absorbed by backlashes of the screws, forces due to the thermal deformations can be prevented from being applied from the cooling device to the solid-state image sensor.
Also, Document 2 proposes a heat radiating structure in which a thermoelectric cooling device fixed to a heat conducting plate is so placed as to be put into close contact with the back faces of the solid-state image sensors with proper force by utilizing the elasticity of the heat conducting plate. In such a heat radiating structure, since the cooling device can be put into close contact with the back faces of the solid-state image sensors by utilizing the elasticity of the heat conducting plate, there can be realized an efficient heat radiation.
Document 3 proposes a heat radiating structure using no thermoelectric cooling device in which one end of a metallic component is inserted between the back face of a solid-state image sensor and the image sensor board while the other end of the metallic component is fixed to a metal frame so that heat transferred from the solid-state image sensor to the metallic component is allowed to escape to the metallic component.


A puffer type circuit breaker comprising a compression chamber closed by a pressure wall of a semi-moving piston, a first mechanism for preventing the piston from moving during a first portion of the opening displacement of the moving contact assembly, and a second mechanism for axially displacing the piston together with the moving contact assembly during the second portion of the same displacement. The piston includes a cylindrical guide portion secured to the wall. The first mechanism comprises an abutment member disposed between the end of the guide portion of the piston and a fixed retaining part, said abutment member being retractable. The second mechanism comprises an arrangement for retracting the abutment member, and acting at the end of the first displacement portion.

Such a circuit breaker is described in patent document FR-A-2 696 274 filed on Sep. 29, 1992, by the Applicant.
According to that document, the first means for preventing the piston from moving are constituted by a spring disposed between the drive member and the piston, and by a fixed retaining member which co-operates with the piston, and the second means for displacing the piston axially are constituted by a drive member secured to the moving contact assembly, which member drives an abutment secured to the piston during the second portion of the displacement of the moving contact assembly, said abutment being disposed on the path of the drive member.
In such a circuit breaker, it turns out that the spring must be dimensioned to withstand the particularly high pressure that is exerted on the piston and that obtains within the compression chamber. Such a spring is expensive.
In addition, its force has repercussions throughout the drive and control system of the circuit breaker, which must be designed and dimensioned accordingly.
Finally, depending on the specific dimensions of the circuit breaker and on the maximum pressure that appears in the compression chamber, it is necessary to install a spring that delivers a particular force. The spring must therefore be matched and selected as a function of the type of circuit breaker.

Circuit breaker having semi-moving piston


A personal use plow for pushing, but not limited to, snow and slush from ones driveway by most passenger automobiles and/or ATV's that is attached using a unique strapping and cog bracing system. The plow is made of injected molded structural foam plastic and comes in 5 separate panels that can be easily assembled into a solid plow blade. This material is lightweight and allows for easy transportation, storage, and use. When assembled, the plow can be used either in the front or back of the vehicle. The plow attaches to the vehicle by a special hook, designed as part of this patent, which attaches to the hood, trunk, or luggage rack of the vehicle. All parts for the functionality of the plow are contained on the plow itself, so there are no brackets or hitches required to be attached to the bumpers or vehicle.

This invention relates to a lightweight plow that can be attached to the front of a motor vehicle such as an automobile or small truck or an ATV, for use in removing snow from a residential driveway. It may also be used for occasional moving of other materials such as sand or gravel. There are many commonly used methods of removing snow from residential driveways; snow shovels, snow blowers, and heavy hydraulically operated snow plows mounted on the front of trucks. The deficiencies of the snow shovel are that it requires heavy lifting and/or pushing of snow in back breaking fashion in multiple, small quantities. Snow blowers can be quite expensive, require trips to the gas station for fuel, may have persistent starting problems, and may be inefficient due to wind conditions. Both shoveling and snow blowers require the user to be out in the cold elements and require them to be in relatively good health as to avoid stress on their hearts. The snow plows attached to trucks require enormous investment in both the vehicle and the plow. The plows are usually made of steel which will rust over time, and require substantial storage space. The hydraulics used to operate the plows require substantial maintenance. Finally, the majority of home owners do not have there own truck and snow plow, but must hire someone to clear their drive. This may result in the drive not being cleared as soon as the homeowner would prefer.
While not commonly used, arrangements have been disclosed in the past for attaching a plow to a passenger vehicle. Many such arrangements required welding or bolting plow support structures to the frame or other metal structures, such as metal bumpers, of the automobile. The following patents disclose arrangements for propelling plows by an automobile which do not require the bolting, clamping or welding of metal structures to the automobile:
U.S. Patent No.Date of PatentInventorU.S. Pat. No. 3,448,534Jun. 10, 1969Pipes et alU.S. Pat. No. 4,944,104Jul. 31, 1990KowalczykU.S. Pat. No. 5,136,795Aug. 11, 1992RosenbergU.S. Pat. No. 5,207,010May 4, 1993GrossmanU.S. Pat. No. 6,516,544Feb. 11, 2003Matisz et al
The Pipes et al patent sets forth a snowplow for a vehicle which attached to a vehicle by a pair of universal bumper hitch assembly 64 each of which includes a rod 66 extending from the bumper to the rear of the mold bars 16. Thus, the snowplow arrangement of the Pipes et al patent is not usable with current automobiles that do not have bumpers. Similarly, the snow plow assembly of the Rosenberg patent is attached to the bumper of an automobile. The Kowalczyk patent reveals a snow plow blade which is supported on the vertical portions of two L-shaped Members, with the horizontal portions being attached to the automobile by suction cups. The Grossman patent sets forth a snow plow which is formed by folding sheets of planar material, and attaching the formed snow plow to an automobile with straps, Velcro strips, screw, bolts, adhesives, or any other suitable material. The Matisz et al patent shows a snow plow consisting of two blade wing sections, each of which has an integrally formed bumper column which engages the bumper of a vehicle. Each of the two blade wing sections are secured to the vehicle by a strap.


A dehydrated acidified milk product is made by preparing an aqueous composition containing milk protein and having a dry matter content of from 10% to 40% by weight. The aqueous composition is inoculated with a strain of L. helveticus which exclusively forms lactic acid L(+) and a strain of S. thermophilus and fermented to obtain a fermented composition having a pH of from 4 to 5. The fermented composition is dried to obtain the dehydrated acidified product.

This invention relates to a process for the production of a dehydrated acidified milk and to the milk obtained by this process.
It is known that an acidified milk, such as a yogurt, for example in the form of a gel or beverage, can have a beneficial effect on the health.
In this connection, French patent No. 2 506 129 (EVOG) recalls the fact that, in the traditional combinations of microorganisms used to make yogurt, Lactobacillus bulgaricus is distinguished in particular by the formation of flavour, rapid acidification and the formation of lactic acid D(-) while Streptococcus thermophilus is distinguished in particular by the formation of a consistent gel, slow acidification and the formation of lactic acid L(+). To produce an analogous consistent gel, this patent proposes the Bifidobacterium longum strain DSM 2054, which is distinguished by the formation of lactic acid L(+) and which was selected for its exceptional acidifying power.
British Patent Specification No. 1,512,890 (YAKULT HONSHA K.K.) describes the production of an acidified milk beverage by fermentation with a combination of a strain of Lactobacillus helveticus capable of rapidly producing lactic acid and a strain of Lactobacillus casei which produces very little acid, the strains being selected so that their combination results in rapid acidification without producing any diacetyl or other secondary product which would provide the end product with an undesirable flavour.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,220 (Smiley) recalls that Lactobacillus helveticus, more particularly L. helveticus subspecies jugurti, is traditionally used in the production of hard cheeses. This US patent proposes a process for the production of a culture of such a microorganism of which the acidifying power remains particularly stable.

Preparation of dehydration acidified milk product


A method and apparatus for controlling a DRAM refresh rate. In one embodiment, a computer system includes a memory subsystem having a memory controller and one or more DRAM (dynamic random access memory) devices. The memory controller is configured to periodically initiate a refresh cycle to the one or more DRAM devices. The memory controller is also configured to monitor the temperature of the one or more DRAM devices. If the temperature exceeds a preset threshold, the memory controller is configured to increase the rate at which the periodic refresh cycle is performed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to memory for computers and digital systems, and more particularly, dynamic random access memory (DRAM).
2. Description of the Related Art
To meet ever-increasing performance demands, the amount and density of memory in computer systems is continually increasing along with the demand for faster processors and other performance-enhancing advancements. As a result of the increasing memory demands, power consumption by memory subsystems has increased correspondingly. Increased power consumption has led to increased heat generation by memory subsystems, and thus leads to memory devices operating at a higher temperature.
The higher temperature at which some memory devices are required to operate may impact their performance and reliability. In particular, higher temperatures may impact the data reliability of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices. Information is stored in a DRAM in individual cells, which are essentially capacitors, storing information as an electrical charge. DRAM cells typically encounter what is known as leakage current, which causes the amount of electrical charge stored in the cell to decrease. If the amount of charge decreases enough, information stored in the cell may be compromised. Memory subsystems utilizing DRAM devices periodically provide a refresh cycle to restore the charge in the individual DRAM cells. However, higher operating temperatures tend to increase the amount of leakage current, and therefore the rate at which memory cells lose their charge. If the temperature is high enough, the periodic refresh cycles may be unable to ensure data integrity in the DRAM devices.
One method to counter the problems resulting from higher operating temperatures is to throttle memory access. A memory controller may limit access to DRAM memory devices when the temperature has exceeded a certain threshold. However, this may significantly reduce memory bandwidth, since the amount of time required for the DRAM devices to cool to a temperature below the threshold may consume a large number of memory cycles. This reduction of memory bandwidth can have a severe impact on computer system performance.


A method for composing electronic data is provided. The method includes creating a document map (56) having a common data format. A driver map (58) of processor operating commands is also created for reading the data in a data file (16) having an original data format. The driver map (58) is then used to convert the data file (16) into a new data file (24) having the common data format in accordance with the document map (56).

Businesses, schools, hospitals, and other organizations often need to exchange electronic data. Nevertheless, the data processing systems at different organizations typically use different data formats, which are developed for specialized purposes. For example, a first data format may include a name record having a 20 character last name field followed by a 15 character first name field, while a second data format may include a name record having an 18 character first name field followed by an 18 character last name field.
A first organization, such as a bank, may program its data processing equipment to use the first data format, while a second organization, such as a printing company, may program its data processing equipment to use the second data format. If the bank transfers its records to the printing company without any intermediate processing, the printing company data processing equipment will read the first 18 characters of the 20 character bank last name field as the first name field. In order for the bank to transfer electronic data to the printing company, a common data format must be chosen by the bank and the printing company. This common format may be the same as the bank's format or the printing company's format, but both organizations must program their data processing systems to read and write data that will be transferred between the two organizations in the common format.
Electronic data interchange (EDI) generally refers to the process of transmitting and receiving data in a predetermined digital format. This process has been standardized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ANSI Standard ASC X.12 Version 3 release 6 is the latest standard promulgated by the ANSI Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) for EDI. Although this standard may constantly change, the standard remains a uniform EDI format for use by organizations involved in EDI.
The ANSI Standard organizes EDI hierarchically into five levels. These are the interchange control structure, the functional group structure, the document type or "transaction set," the "segment," and the "element." Each transaction set may include one or more segments, some of which are required and others which are optional. Likewise, each segment may include one or more required and optional elements.
In essence, the ANSI EDI Standard is a set of general rules for creating and interpreting electronic documents based upon the transaction set, segments, and elements specified in the ANSI Standard. Organizations can then program data processing equipment to recognize the appropriate transaction sets, segments, and elements in EDI information.
Although transaction sets, segments, and elements have been defined in the ANSI EDI Standard, many segments and their associated elements for a particular transaction set are optional. Therefore, two different organizations may have the same transaction set or document, but may also have different segments and elements for that transaction set. Furthermore, the variations in segments in a transaction set may complicate the processing of the data associated with the transaction set. Optional segments and segment variations essentially result in a large number of potential formats for any given EDI transaction set. This situation may complicate the processing of EDI information between two organizations.
The data processing equipment for processing the many data formats must be set up or programmed to handle each new common data format prior to receiving or generating data in the new format. Existing software tools for generating the data processing commands for receiving and composing data in new common data formats are time-consuming to use because they may require frequent referral to the cumbersome ANSI Standard when writing the data processing software. In addition, existing software tools may not be capable of generating data processing commands for receiving and transmitting EDI document formats that deviate from ANSI Standard formats.
Co-pending application "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE INFORMATION," Ser. No. 08/646,656, commonly owned and assigned with the present application, presents a method for generating processor operating commands for controlling a processor to receive data in a common data format and to convert that data into a data format of the receiving organization. Nevertheless, a system and method are required for generating data processing commands that cause a processor to compose a data file having a new common data format from a data file having the transmitting organization's original data format.

Method and system for composing electronic data interchange information


Disclosed is a catalyst system for the production of ethylene co-polymers by co-polymerisation of ethylene with further polymerisable monomers in the presence of a peroxide catalyst. The catalyst system contains components (A) and (B), component (A) being at least one organo-aluminium compound of the general formula AlR.sub.3, in which R is an alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, aralkyl or cycloalkyl radical, and component (B) is at least one organic peroxide.

The present invention is concerned with a process for the production of ethylene co-polymers under elevated pressure with the use of a peroxide catalyst, as well as with a catalyst for carrying out this process.
Processes for the polymerisation of ethylenically-unsaturated monomers under elevated pressure and elevated temperature in the presence of a peroxide catalyst are known.
DE-A-3322329 describes a process for the production of polyethylene by the polymerisation of ethylene and a co-polymerisable monomer in the presence of a catalyst of a transition metal derivative and an organo-aluminium derivative in which an organic peroxide is added to the polymerisation product at the outlet from the reaction zone in order thereby to deactivate the residual catalyst.
JP-B-79031039 describes the (co)polymerisation of aliphatic .alpha.-olefins with the use of a catalyst system which consists of a trialkylaluminium, an electron donor and a peroxide.
D. Yatsu et al., American Chemical Society, Division of Polymer Chemistry, Polymer Reprints, Vol. 16, No. 1, April 1975, pages 373 to 378 described the co-polymerisation of ethylene and vinyl acetate in the presence of a three-component catalyst system of triethyl aluminium, a Lewis base and a peroxide.
NL-A-268 250 describes a low pressure co-polymerisation of olefins containing 2 to 4 carbon atoms with a vinyl ester. The process is carried out at a pressure of <70 ats and at a temperature of -80 to +60.degree. C. As catalyst, there is used a mixture of peroxide and an organo-aluminium compound.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an economic process for the co-polymerisation of ethylene with further polymerisable monomers in the presence of a peroxide catalyst at high pressures and a high temperature with which an improvement of the polymer yield per unit weight of peroxide used can be achieved.

Process for the production of ethylene co-polymers


Security components of managed computers are configured using inoculation data. Inoculation data can be retrieved from an inoculation data provider. The inoculation data provider analyzes unauthorized software applications to develop inoculation data. The inoculation data configures the security component to deny access to resources to unauthorized software applications. Inoculation data can be embedded into a script, which is distributed via a management protocol to one or more managed computers from a management computer. Resources can include files, storage paths, memory, registry keys, processor priority, services, dynamic link libraries, archives, browser cookies, and/or ActiveX controls, Java applets, or classes thereof.

The present invention relates to the field of computer security, and more particularly, to protecting computers against the installation or execution of unauthorized software. Unauthorized software applications can include self-propagating software applications, such as computer viruses, trojans, and worms; software intended to commercially exploit users, such as spyware or adware; malicious software or malware; surveillance applications such keyloggers, screen capturing programs, and web tracking programs; and software intended to conceal its own existence and/or the existence of other applications, such as rootkits; as well as any other type of software application, script, macro, or other executable instructions intended to operate on a computer system without the permission of the computer user and/or a system administrator.
One approach to protecting against the execution of unauthorized software on a computer is to scan the computer periodically for the presence of such software, in memory and on disk. If unauthorized software is found, the software can be removed. There are several problems with this approach. Performing the scan can take a significant amount of system resources (e.g., CPU cycles, disk accesses), even when done in the background. This leads some users to avoid the procedure. Yet to have maximum effect, the scan should be performed frequently. Furthermore, the scan only detects unauthorized software that is already present on the computer. Therefore, unauthorized software may have already caused inconvenience or damage by the time it is detected and removed.
A different approach is to prevent unauthorized software from installing on the computer in the first place. This approach uses security features provided by the operating system. A system administrator can create and deploy software restrictions that prevent unauthorized software from installing, executing, or accessing computer resources.
Existing solutions using this approach require system administrators to gather information about unauthorized software, and to use this information to create software restrictions that protect against the software. Previously, the process used to create and update software restrictions requires the system administrators to manually input information about the unauthorized software. This manual process is inefficient and time-consuming. In some cases, the system administrator must actually have a copy of the software application to create an effective software restriction that blocks this software application. Thus, system administrators are often reacting to unauthorized software applications (and repairing the damage wrought by these applications), rather than preventing them from being executed in the first place. Moreover, the creators of unauthorized software may change these software applications frequently to produce many variants to bypass detection and previous software restrictions. As a result, existing approaches require system administrators to be constantly creating and updating software restrictions to protect against each variant.
It is therefore desirable for a system and method to automatically generate inoculation data to implement software restrictions that prevent authorized software applications from executing and/or accessing system resources. It is further desirable that the system and method to readily deploy inoculation data to managed computer systems to facilitate software restrictions in response to new or frequently changed unauthorized software applications. It is further desirable that the system and method disable countermeasures and defensive mechanisms of unauthorized software applications to facilitate their removal. It is also desirable for the system and method to implement preventative software restrictions against unauthorized software applications prior to any appearance of the applications on any managed computers.

Automating software security restrictions on system resources


A lubricating oil composition for transmissions having improved fuel saving properties, excellent metal fatigue prevention properties, and heat resistance containing: a lubricating base oil containing (A) a mineral base oil having a 100° C. kinematic viscosity of 1.5 mm2/s or higher and 3.5 mm2/s or lower, a pour point of −25° C. or lower, a viscosity index of 105 or greater, a % CP of 85 or greater, a % CN of 2 or greater and 20 or less and a % CA of 3 or less and (B) a monoester-based base oil having a 100° C. kinematic viscosity of 2 to 10 mm2/s; (C) a phosphorus acid ester; and (D) a boronated ashless dispersant, the ratio of the mass percent of boron to the mass percent of phosphorus in the composition (B/P) being from 0.07 to 0.42, and the composition having a 100° C. kinematic viscosity of 2.5 to 4.0 mm2/s is described.

Conventionally, lubricating oils used for automatic transmissions, manual transmissions or internal combustion engines have been required to be enhanced in various durability-related properties such as thermal oxidation stability, anti-wear properties, anti-fatigue properties or the like and to be improved in viscosity temperature characteristics so as to improve the fuel saving properties and in low temperature viscosity characteristics such as reduction in low temperature viscosity and improvement in low temperature fluidity. In order to improve these properties, a lubricating oil has been used, whose base oil is appropriately blended with various additives such as an antioxidant, a detergent dispersant, an antiwear agent, a friction modifier, a seal swelling agents, a viscosity index improver, an anti-foaming agents, a colorant and the like.
Recent transmissions and engines have been demanded to be fuel efficient, small and light and be increased in power output. Transmissions have been sought to be improved in power transmission capability in connection with the increased power output of the engines with which the transmissions are used in combination. Lubricating oils to be used for such transmissions have been, therefore, demanded to maintain high lubricity and to possess properties to prevent the wear or fatigue of surfaces of bearings and gears while reduced in the product viscosity and base oil viscosity as well as anti-seizure properties. Generally, in order to improve the fuel saving properties of a lubricating oil, a technique has been employed, wherein the viscosity temperature characteristics are improved by reducing the base oil viscosity and increasing the amount of a viscosity index improver. However, the reduction in the base oil viscosity degrades the anti-fatigue properties. Therefore, the development of a lubricating oil has been eagerly desired, which can achieve not only good fuel saving properties but also anti-wear/anti-seizure properties and anti-fatigue properties.
Under these circumstances, it has been known to use a base oil with good low temperature properties or a base oil with a high viscosity in combination, or to blend a phosphorus- or sulfur-based extreme pressure additive in a suitable amount in order to improve not only the fuel saving properties but also the low temperature viscosity characteristics and anti-fatigue properties (see, for example, patent documents 1 to 3 below).
However, the techniques disclosed in these patent documents are not sufficient to improve the viscosity temperature characteristics, and low temperature properties as well as anti-fatigue properties and anti-seizure properties. A lubricating oil composition has been, therefore, demanded to be developed, which has all of these properties and characteristics but having no problem in other properties.

Lubricating oil composition for transmissions


Blind mate mechanisms that are capable of simultaneously making multiple connections in a single motion are disclosed. Such mechanisms may be useful for applications where two or more of structural, electrical, and/or fluid couplings could be made manually or robotically at the same time using the mechanism. The mechanism may include a removable side and a fixed side.

Modules, tools, or other types of hardware may need to be connected by a robot or manually to accomplish assembly or servicing tasks. When working in harsh environments such as space, robots should be enabled to make these kinds of connections without human intervention. However, reliable robot-friendly mechanisms that allow structural, electrical, and/or fluid connections to be made are not conventionally available. Indeed, connections in space are typically made by astronauts. Also, a mechanism that allows humans to make simultaneous connections is not provided. Accordingly, an improved mechanism may be beneficial.

United States of America as represented by the Administrator of NASA


The system and method providing enhanced security ballot image records of the present invention includes an enhanced security ballot image tabulator and an enhanced security ballot image audit station. The tabulator processes each ballot of a plurality of ballots to be tabulated to provide an enhanced security ballot image record having diachronically and synchronically coordinated enhanced security ballot image files, each for another ballot of the plurality of ballots to be tabulated. The enhanced security ballot image record may be broadcast upon completion of tabulation and/or simulcast real time during tabulation or otherwise provided such as on a secure media upon completion of tabulation to the public or other parties interested in the tabulation of cast votes. The enhanced security audit station receives the enhanced security ballot image record and analyzes it to selectively identify out-of-bounds diachronic and/or synchronic security parameters. Any identified ballots may then be reviewed by election officials or other interested parties for validity and authentication purposes. The tabulator may be used to also produce images of the voter sign-in sheets, for the purpose of analytic correlation with the enhanced security files of the enhanced security ballot image record and their tabulation.

Liberty in its free expression in votes cast is the presupposition that makes democratic political process possible in both the public and private electoral spheres. The confidence of the electorate depends on both the impartiality and the accuracy of the vote count. Factions may arise with significant interests that may be perceived to be at odds with the popular will. The less the cast ballots can be tampered with, the more the votes cast result will be seen as impartial and the greater the confidence the electorate will have in the results of any given election.
Representative of the heretofore known voting systems utilizing ballot images are U.S. Pat. No. 8,913,787 issued Dec. 16, 2014 to Hoover et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 8,864,026 issued Oct. 21, 2014 to Coomer el al., each incorporated herein by reference. The ballot images of Coomer are provided with unique ballot identification indicia, polling station identification indicia and poll worker identification indicia for ballot image verification and authentication in the event of an audit. In Hoover, the ballot images include an election official area which may be used by election officials to validate each particular ballot such as by signing the ballot by placing initials in an area provided therefor on the corresponding ballot.
In close or contested elections, it may become necessary to produce and audit the ballot images to verify the authenticity of the ballots that were cast in tangible form such as paper ballots. However, the audit security of the heretofore known voting systems utilizing ballot images has been subject to compromise due to the unavailability of voting records from loss or corruption; due to ballot insertions and/or ballot tampering; and/or due to suspicion that the intent of the electorate has not been honored.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method providing enhanced security ballot image records


In a font applying device on a client side in a computer system composed of the client and a server, an obfuscated font storing section stores an obfuscated font in which a character different from a character identified by the server based on a character code and having the same width of the character identified by the server is mapped to the character code. An obfuscated document receiving section receives an obfuscated document obtained by obfuscating document data as a result of converting the character code to a character code to which a character identified by the server based on the character code in the document data is mapped in the obfuscated font. A deobfuscation processing section identifies the character mapped in the obfuscated font to a character code included in the obfuscated document, and a display control section controls the display of the character.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for having a server hold obfuscated data. The present invention particularly relates to an apparatus and method for having a server hold obfuscated data obtained by obfuscating data as a result of converting a character code included in the data.
Recently, online storage services for renting a storage space of a server to receive and hold user data in trust via the Internet have been widely used. Such online storage services are provided on the premise that the service provider is trustworthy and spreading belief is that there is no problem if data is held intact on the server. Therefore, techniques for protecting data held on a server on the faith of the server side have been proposed in the past. Known literature discloses a technique for holding text with various contents posted on a web page to provide the text readable only on an URL that designates encrypted text and makes the encrypted text indecipherable on the other URLs.
On the other hand, in an online storage service using a SaaS (Software as a Service) based application, a service provider may be untrusted. In such a case, when data held on a server contains confidential information such as business secrets and personal information, there arises a problem that these pieces of information leak out to the service provider. Therefore, techniques for preventing confidential information held on the server from leaking out to the service provider are also proposed.

Mapping a glyph to character code in obfuscated data

International Business Machines Corporation


A method of operation in a non-volatile memory system for deferring, in accordance with a determination to reduce power consumption by the non-volatile memory system, execution of commands in a command queue corresponding to a distinct set of non-volatile memory devices during a respective wait period. In some implementations, the respective wait period for a first distinct set of non-volatile memory devices in at least two distinct sets is at least partially non-overlapping with the respective wait period for a second distinct set of non-volatile memory devices in the at least two distinct sets.

Semiconductor storage devices are commonly used for storing and managing data for electronic devices. A typical non-volatile data storage device stores data as an electrical value in the memory cells of flash memory, where flash memory controllers are generally tasked with managing data transactions across multiple memory channels of the storage.
Data transactions in data storage devices are generally carried out by executions of flash commands. To facilitate this process, flash memory controllers are often constructed with command queues that help optimize command executions across multiple memory channels. Commands executed in parallel across multiple memory channels, however, can result in spikes in power consumption.

Throttling command execution in non-volatile memory systems based on power usage


In order to make it possible to grow up a light emitting device easily on a substrate made of a Si material system while production of an anti-phase domain can be prevented and a sufficiently high luminous efficiency can be obtained, the light emitting device is configured as a device which includes a substrate (1) formed from a Si material system, a Si1-x-yGexCy (0<x≦1, 0≦y≦0.005) layer (2) and quantum dots (3) made of a direct transition type compound semiconductor. The quantum dots (3) are included in the Si1-x-yGexCy (0<x≦1, 0≦y≦0.005) layer (2) formed on the substrate (1).

In recent years, in order to implement an optical interconnection between chips or an optoelectronic integrated circuit (OEIC), a light emitting device which can be grown up directly on a silicon (Si) substrate is demanded.
To this end, various methods have been attempted such as, for example, (1) a method wherein a rare earth element compound is doped as the luminescence center into Si, (2) another method wherein a group III-V compound semiconductor light emitting device which exhibits a high luminous efficiency is directly grown up on a Si substrate, and (3) a further method wherein a group III-V compound semiconductor light emitting device which exhibits a high luminous efficiency is formed on a GaAs substrate and then this is stuck to a Si substrate.
For example, Non-Patent Document 1 is known as a technique regarding an optical characteristic of InAs quantum dots in Si. Further, since, if it is tried to directly grow up a compound semiconductor on a Si substrate, then an anti-phase domain is produced, there is a technique that a buffer layer made of SrTiO3 (STO) or the like is inserted between Si and a compound semiconductor in a high-frequency device such as, for example, aMESFET (refer to Non-Patent Document 2).
Non-Patent Document 1: Heitz et al. "Optical properties of InAs quantum dots in a Simatrix" APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, Vol. 74, No. 12, 22 Mar. 1999, p. 1701
Non-Patent Document 2: Eisenbeiser et al. "GaAs MESFETs Fabricated on Si Substrates Using a SrTiO3 Buffer Layer" IEEE ELECTRON DEVICE LETTERS, VOL. 23, NO. 6, June 2002, p. 300.

Light emitting device and semiconductor device


A semiconductor light-emitting device has, in place of a traditional separate cladding layer and contact structure, a non-epitaxial contact and waveguide layer. The non-epitaxial contact and waveguide layer is formed of a conductive material and such that it has a recess therein and over the injection region. Air filling the region together with appropriate choice of material for the non-epitaxial contact and waveguide layer creates desired lateral waveguiding. Metallic silver in one choice for this material. The recess may also be filled with a low-loss material having a refractive index higher than that of the material forming the non-epitaxial contact and waveguide layer. Transparent conductive oxides (e.g., indium tin oxide (ITO), zinc oxide (ZnO), etc.), appropriate metal (e.g., gold), or a composite comprising a conductive oxide and a metal, provide low absorption in the UV and near-IR wavelengths of interest, and are thus good candidate materials for within the recess.

The present disclosure is related to solid state laser devices, and more specifically to ridge waveguide semiconductor lasers.
Modern semiconductor lasers, such as that shown in FIG. 5, are typically a series of layers comprising: a lower contact 102, a substrate and lower cladding 104, a lower waveguide layer 106, an active layer 108, an upper waveguide layer 110, an upper cladding layer 112, and an upper contact 114 which is separated in part from the upper cladding layer 112 by patterned insulator 116. Lateral end faces (in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane of the active layer 108) are formed to have semi-reflective mirror-like surfaces. Light is generated within the active layer, which is reflected between the semi-reflective mirrored end faces to ultimately produce a coherent laser output L which exits through at least one of the end faces.
In order to confine the light within the optical cavity of the structure so that stimulated emission can take place, the materials of the cladding layers 104, 112 are chosen to have an index of refraction which is lower than the index of refraction of the materials forming waveguide layers 106, 110 and active layer 108. Thus, the interfaces of the waveguide layers and the cladding layers are essentially mirrors, confining the light to the active layer. This is referred to as transverse confinement, since it confines the light in a direction transverse to the optical axis, i.e., the axis of the light beam ultimately emitted by the structure.
To confine the light within the structure in a lateral direction, i.e., within the plane of the active layer but still perpendicular to the optical axis of the device, a relative lowering of the refractive index (index guiding) at the lateral boundaries of the semiconductor laser structure may be provided. The lowering of the refractive index can be achieved either by etching the outer part of the semiconductor layers or by inducing an index change of the outer semiconductor material (e.g., implantation-induced disorder of quantum wells).
In one class of semiconductor light-emitting devices, referred to as ridge waveguide lasers, the lateral dimensions of parts of the upper layers 110, 112, and 114 are limited, either physically or functionally, for example by way of patterning and etching. Additionally, an underlayer, such as patterned underlying insulator 116 with a lower refractive index than semiconductor layers 106-112 may be used to confine the electrical injection to the so defined portion of the semiconductor structure. In certain embodiments such as shown in FIG. 5, when viewed in cross section this appears as a ridge (or stripe) 118 of width w running parallel to the optical axis. In the plane of the active region, light generation is thereby confined in what is referred to as the injection region by index guiding (i.e., the refractive index of the injection region, e.g. below the upper contact ridge 118, is larger than in adjacent regions below underlying insulator layer 116).
Recently, various non-epitaxial, conductive materials have been explored for use as the upper cladding layer. The problems being addressed by these non-traditional, conductive materials include that certain combinations of semiconductor waveguide layer materials 110 and cladding layer materials 112 have relatively low refractive index differences, are difficult to grow epitaxially upon each other without adversely affecting active layer quality and device performance, and/or are difficult to make electrically conductive. Silver, in particular, has been suggested as a material of interest for the upper cladding layer. See, for example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/237,106, filed Sep. 24, 2008, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Conductive materials in general contribute to losses in semiconductor lasers by way of free carrier absorption mechanisms. In order to minimize such losses the penetration of the optical wave into a conductive cladding layer must be minimized. Therefore, the refractive index difference between the conductive cladding layer material and the waveguide material 110 needs to be as large as possible, e.g., a very low real part of the refractive index of the cladding layer is required. Known conductive materials having a very low real part of the refractive index in the visible spectrum (or portions thereof) of are for example silver (Ag), gold (Au), and aluminum (Al).
One problem still to be addressed is use of the non-epitaxial conductive cladding layer without an intervening reflective layer so that it may act as both a lateral waveguide and ohmic contact. The real portion of the refractive index of silver, for example, is lower than that of most other materials and in particular lower than that of air and other commonly used insulating materials (SiO2, Si3N4 etc.) in the ultraviolet (UV) to near-infrared (IR) spectral range. However, lateral mode guiding occurs at the location of the laterally highest effective refractive index, which would not be below the contact structure in the case of a uniform non-epitaxial conductive cladding layer. The effective refractive index is given by the weighted sum of the refractive indices of all constituent materials including air. The relative contributions to the effective refractive index are defined by the penetration depth of the light into each material as seen from the semiconductor laser structure. Since the same applies to the effective absorption in the contact layers, the absorption of any material involved must be low at the wavelength of interest.
A non-epitaxially, conductive cladding layer with refractive index lower than air and other insulating materials formed to have a traditional ridged structure cannot, therefore, provide adequate optical confinement over the injection region. Thus, there is a need in the art for a technique to provide a silver cladding layer with an increased index of refraction so that it may function both as a refractive index waveguide and as an ohmic contact for edge-emitting laser diodes and similar devices, with minimal specialized processing requirements.

Semiconductor laser with integrated contact and waveguide


A method of processing and passivating an implanted workpiece is disclosed, wherein, after passivation, the fugitive emissions of the workpiece are reduced to acceptably low levels. This may be especially beneficial when phosphorus, arsine, germane or another toxic species is the dopant being implanted into the workpiece. In one embodiment, a sputtering process is performed after the implantation process. This sputtering process is used to sputter the dopant at the surface of the workpiece, effectively lowering the dopant concentration at the top surface of the workpiece. In another embodiment, a chemical etching process is performed to lower the dopant concentration at the top surface. After this sputtering or chemical etching process, a traditional passivation process can be performed.

Semiconductor workpieces are often implanted with dopant species to create a desired conductivity. Implantation is an effective method of doping surfaces of a workpiece to form a semiconductor device.
Ions of the desired species are accelerated toward the workpiece and are implanted into the workpiece. The desired species may be atoms of molecules that contains the desired element, including Group III elements, such as boron aluminum and gallium; Group IV elements, such as carbon, silicon and germanium; and Group V elements, such as phosphorus and arsenic.
At times, the implanted species may migrate to the surface of the workpiece and diffuse out of the workpiece. This outgassing tends to reduce the concentration of the species in the workpiece.
In certain scenarios, these processed workpieces are placed in an enclosed container, such as a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP), for an extended period of time. Thus, any outgassing that occurs will be trapped within the FOUP and will accumulate over time. If the species is toxic, safety procedures are implemented to control the fugitive emissions.
Recently, government limits regarding fugitive emissions have been made stricter. For example, the Association Advancing Occupational and Environmental Health (ACGIH) recently reduced the threshold limit value (TLV) for phosphine from 300 ppm to only 50 ppm. Limits for other toxic gasses has also been reduced. The Environmental Protection Agency defines fugitive emissions as "those emissions which could not reasonably pass through a stack, chimney, vent, or other functionally-equivalent opening". Thus, outgassing from processed workpieces qualifies as fugitive emissions.
With this tightening of the limits on fugitive emissions, it would be beneficial to have methods of treating a workpiece that reduce the fugitive emissions to an acceptably low level. Further, it would be advantageous if this process was not time consuming or expensive.


A simultaneous failure occurrence degree calculation section calculates a simultaneous failure occurrence degree a value of which becomes smaller with an increase in a difference between numeric values indicative of manufacture date information on a computer which performs a process on the basis of a duplication combination management program. A combination pattern generation section then combines two of a plurality of storage apparatus and generates a plurality of combination patterns. A simultaneous failure occurrence degree adding section then calculates a total of simultaneous failure occurrence degrees corresponding to combinations of storage apparatus for each of the plurality of combination patterns. A duplication combination pattern determination section then determines that a combination pattern for which the total of simultaneous failure occurrence degrees is the smallest is a duplication combination pattern.

Mirroring may be performed in a storage system for which high reliability is needed. A mirroring technique is used so that data duplication will be performed between two hard disk drives. Even if a failure occurs in one hard disk drive, data can be read out from the other hard disk drive by performing mirroring. This prevents the data from being lost (from not being restored).
However, even if data duplication is performed, the following problem arises. If failures occur simultaneously in the two hard disk drives between which data duplication is performed, then the data is lost. Failures rarely occur simultaneously in the two hard disk drives from different causes. It is assumed that failures occur simultaneously in the two hard disk drives. In many cases, the failures are caused by a problem which arises at the time of manufacturing the two hard disk drives.
Accordingly, the following method is proposed. In order to realize data redundancy, a magnetic storage device and a semiconductor memory device are used for forming a mirroring pair. By realizing data redundancy by the use of storage apparatus of different types, simultaneous failures from the same cause can be prevented (see, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-260008).
By the way, if mirroring is performed between storage apparatus of different types, data access speed depends on a lower-performance storage apparatus. As a result, efficiency in data access falls. For example, it is assumed that mirroring is performed between a magnetic hard disk drive and a semiconductor memory device. Data stored on the semiconductor memory device can be accessed at a high speed. However, data access cannot be completed until access to data stored on the magnetic hard disk drive is completed. That is to say, the data access performance of the semiconductor memory device is not demonstrated and its capability is not utilized effectively.
To form a mirroring pair by the use of two storage apparatus which are equal in performance is fundamental in performing mirroring while utilizing the capability of each storage apparatus effectively. Therefore, each ordinary redundant array of independent disks (RAID) system having a mirroring function includes the same model of a plurality of hard disk drives manufactured by the same enterprise. The same model of hard disk drives are equal in data access performance and their performance can be demonstrated sufficiently.
However, the same failures may occur in industrial products, such as hard disk drives, manufactured as a specific lot at a factory. Usually such failures are referred to as lot failures. Such lot failures occur not only in hard disk drives but also in all the other storage apparatus including semiconductor memory devices. If lot failures occur in storage apparatus manufactured as a specific lot at a factory and mirroring is performed between two storage apparatus included in the lot, then there is a very high probability that the two storage apparatus will break down simultaneously.

Duplication combination management program, duplication combination management apparatus, and duplication combination management method


The multi-level load balancing system receives requests for resources provided by any of a plurality of resource nodes. The multi-level load balancing system receives a first result from a first load balancing module that orders each of the plurality of nodes that are available to service the request based on a first algorithm. The multi-level load balancing system then receives a second result from a second load balancing module that orders each of the plurality of nodes that are available to service the request based on a second algorithm. The multi-level load balancing system combines the first result and the second result to form a third result that is uses to select one of the plurality of resources nodes to service the request.

A standard resource management scenario is illustrated in FIG. 1. A client computer 101 requires the use of a resource that is provided by a group of servers 119A-119C. The required resource can be available on any subset of the group of servers 119A-C. In the illustrated example, the servers are application servers 119A-C that provide a particular application or group of applications to a requesting client.
Access to the servers 119A-C is controlled by a load balancing server 105. The load balancing server 105 receives a resource request 103 from a client computer 101 and determines which of the available servers 119A-C will service the request. The load balancing server 105 relies on one of a group of available load balancing modules to make the selection of the server to service the request 103. Selection of the load balancing module is performed by or based on a configuration module 107. The connections to the servers are managed by a connection pool module 117.
The load balancing modules can include a round robin module 109, business module 111, data transfer module 113, and response time module 115. Each module uses a separate algorithm for selecting a server. The round robin module 109 uses a round robin selection scheme. The business module 111 selects the least busy server. The data transfer module 113 selects the server with the lowest data transfer load. The response time module 115 selects the server with the best response time.
The configuration module 107 selects a single load balancing module and executes it to select a server to handle a request. The configuration module 107 is configured by a system administrator. The configuration module 107 is a simple data structure that calls or indicates the load balancing module that is currently configured for use by the administrator. After the selected load balancing module executes and selects a server, a connection for the selected server is obtained from the connection pool 117 and the request is serviced by the selected server through the connection.


An article comprising an instruction stored on a storage medium. The instruction includes opcode field storing an opcode signal and an operand field storing an operand signal. The operand is compressed prior to being stored in the operand field.

Program instructions control the operation of modern microprocessors. Typically, each program instruction includes a specification of the operation to be performed, the type of operands to be manipulated, and the location of these operands. A typical instruction comprises one to several programming elements. The arrangement of these programming elements is referred to as an instruction format. There are various instruction formats to implement different functionalities for any number of different microprocessors and within a single microprocessor there may be various instruction formats based on the number and type of programming elements used to comprise each instruction.
One example microprocessor, the Intel Pentium®. Pro microprocessor, recognizes various programming elements including, for example, opcodes, immediate operands, register specifiers, memory operands, scale/index/base (SIB) registers, prefixes, displacement and addressing-mode specifiers. These programming elements, either alone or in combination with other programming elements, perform a specified function when included in an instruction. For example, a register specifier specifies either a source register operand and/or a destination register operand. An example instruction comprised of (MOV A, B) is used to move a value from a source register operand (B) to a destination register operand (A).
In the above example, the programming element specifying the move function (MOV), is the opcode. The opcode specifies the operation performed by the instruction. An opcode is typically contained in each instruction, although it is not a requirement. Opcodes can specify numerous operations including, for example, moving, adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing and storing. Some operations may have several different opcodes, each specifying a different variant of the operation, for example, an exclusive or (XOR) and a logical or (OR). Thus, by combining an opcode and one or more of the other programming elements, a complete instruction can be formed.
The processor does not understand symbolic instructions such as the example above, MOV A, B, but rather understands only bits or a series of bits. An assembler or compiler converts the symbolic instructions, usually generated using a higher level language such as the C programming language, into a long series of bits, termed binary code or machine language. In certain microprocessors, for example complex instruction set computer (CISC) processors, the instruction is further converted to a more basic unit termed a micro-op in order to be executed.
One of the programming elements listed above is an immediate operand. The immediate operand is a value included at the time of programming and is part of the program code. Unlike the example above, where the source register is the address of the value to be moved, an immediate operand is the actual value on which the operation specified by the opcode is to be performed. For example, a symbolic instruction of (MOV A, 512) is used to move the value 512 to a destination register operand (A).
A typical instruction or micro-op includes a fixed number of bits, regardless of the information to be stored in each instruction. FIG. 1 shows the format of an example instruction 100 in a conventional instruction format. The instruction includes an opcode field 101 and an immediate operand field 102. In this particular instruction format the opcode field 101 has a bit length of X and the immediate operand field 102 has a bit length of Y. The fixed number of bits allocated to each instruction may be determined by the maximum number of bits employed for each of the above listed programming elements. For example, the maximum number of bits for the opcode is known because the number of operations specified by the opcode is fixed. For example, if 6 bits are designated for the opcode field 101, there can be a maximum of 2.sup.6 or 64 operations specified by the opcode, and each of these operations will be represented by a unique combination of the 6 bits. The fixed length of the bits (Y) allocated to the immediate operand field 102 is normally equal to the size of the maximum immediate operand that will occur in any instruction. For example, if the maximum immediate operand is 32 bits in length, each instruction will have a fixed length of 32 bits assigned for the immediate operand, regardless of whether 32 bits are employed for that particular instruction. Thus, each and every instruction formatted in the above described instruction format will have 6 bits allocated to the opcode field 101 and 32 bits allocated to the immediate operand field 102, regardless of whether these bits are employed to express the function to be performed by the instruction.
The above described instruction or micro-op that includes an opcode and an immediate operand works reasonably well and is an efficient use of allocated bits when the immediate operand is its maximum size. However, in the case of the average instruction, there will be no immediate operand or the immediate operand will employ less bits than the number of allocated bits. In this average case, the bits assigned to the immediate operand are wasted because the remainder of the allocated bits are unused. This was not a problem in previous implementations because the processor was only holding a few instructions or micro-ops at any given time, however modern processors can hold thousands of instructions or micro-ops causing the space employed by these instructions to become substantial.

System and method for storing immediate data


A method and system of generating prospective ability data is provided. Availability for at least one future temporal block is estimated, responsive to receiving an availability request, by applying availability rules to temporal block data associated with the at least one future temporal block, the temporal block data stored in a database.

It is commonplace for users of PBXs and other communication systems to be directed to voice mail when they attempt to reach a potential collaborator. However, this is not entirely appropriate for situations in which the parties need to directly talk to each other. The calling party can leave a message requesting to be called back but there is no assurance that the called party will listen to the voice mail in a timely manner or that the calling party will be available when the called party makes the requested return call. The familiar game of 'telephone tag' is created in this way.
Telephone tag is but a symptom of a larger problem. Social science research has indicated that informal interaction is an essential element of workplace life to provide for both innovation and efficiency. Telephone tag is then a symptom of impaired interaction that indicates that electronic communication services can be improved. To this end, the telecommunications industry has been developing presence and availability technology to provide for the necessary element of causal awareness. These allow users to share their current availability with potential collaborators. However knowledge of current availability is not useful when called party is not available and the parties need to communicate with each other.

Method for generating prospective availability data


A ring oscillator has a first logic circuit forming a first loop. The ring oscillator also has a second logic circuit forming a second loop, such that phase interpolation occurs at a node common to the first and second loops. The phase interpolation results in an output signal with a high frequency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ring oscillator and associated method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Circuits that require internal clocks may use a clock generator to generate periodic signals that may be used as the clock. Alternatively, the clock generator may produce periodic signals that are converted to slower clocks, using a counter or other means to divide the frequency. In yet another application, the clock generator may be used as a phase-locked loop for a clock generator for a memory device.
For example, dynamic memories require refresh signals to ensure that leakage in the memory cells does not cause the memory cells to lose their data. A clock generator may be used to generate a periodic refresh signal. In some examples, the periodic signal is fed to a counter, and after a predetermined number of counts, the counter may output a refresh signal.
One circuit that may be used to generate the periodic signal is a ring oscillator. Examples of these types of oscillators can be found in exemplary U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,763, issued on Aug. 8, 2000, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,250,914, issued Oct. 5, 1993. Generally, these approaches involve a single loop circuit of an odd-number of inverters. As the output signal is fed back to the inputs of the loop, the output signal is inverted, resulting in a signal that varies between a high and a low signal. This causes a periodic signal with a well-defined and stable cycle. The period of the output signal may be decreased, therefore increasing the frequency, by increasing the power in magnitude. This provides for an adjustable frequency.
In another approach, is found in S. J. Lee, "A Novel High-Speed Ring Oscillator for Multiphase Clock Generation using Negative Skewed Delay Scheme," IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, February 1997, pp. 289–291. Lee uses a skewed delay scheme to employ signals of differing phases to generate a multiphase signal. However, the approach does not generate a signal that provides a much faster signal than the prior art.
As memory and other technology evolves, a faster oscillating clock signal is needed for such tasks as refresh signals, system clocks, phase-locked loops, etc. The above solutions, as well as others in the current state of the art, do not provide signals that have a high enough frequency to keep up with the emerging circuit technologies.


A fluorescent lamp characterized in that the charging tendency of a phosphor used is positioned more negative side than that of metal oxides each having a metal ion electronegativity X.sub.i of 7.0 but more positive side than that of metal oxides each having a metal ion electronegativity X.sub.i of 11.8, that particles of the phosphor are charged positive and smaller than 3.0 .mu.C per gram when they are in contact with soda lime glass beads each having a particle size of 200-500 .mu.m, or that they are charged negative and larger than -0.5 .mu.C per gram when they are in contact with reduced iron powder having a particle size of 44-74 .mu.m.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluorescent lamp capable of reducing the occurrence of blackening, is smaller in the rate of lowering luminous flux and rapid rising of luminous flux at starting stage of lighting.
2. Description of the Related Art
The fluorescent lamp is widely used as light sources for common illuminations, office automation machines, and light-emitting elements of the giant screen color display apparatus and also as back lights for liquid crystal displays. The reason why it is so widely used in various fields resides in that the electric power supplied can be converted into radiation with extremely high efficiency.
This fluorescent lamp is arranged so that the filling gas including mercury and one or two or more rare gases are filled in a glass tube on whose inner face a fluorescent layer is coated and ,that positive column discharge is generated in the filling gas.
The positive column discharge can be usually kept generated by supplying electric energy to the filling gas between two electrodes. Mainly ultraviolet rays are generated by this discharge and most of them have wavelengths of 185 nm and 254 nm. The intensity ratio of the 185 nm light to 254 nm light is usually in a range of 0.2-0.4. These ultraviolet rays are converted into radiation which has longer wavelengths by the fluorescent layer on the inner face of the glass tube. These wavelengths depend upon the kind of phosphor particles contained in the phosphor layer and they range from those of near ultraviolet rays to those of visible rays and even those of near infrared lights. The most popular low fluorescent lamp is of the 40 W type shaped like a straight glass tube having a length of 1200 mm and an inner diameter of about 37 mm. The inner wall of this lamp is about 300 W/m.sup.2. Note that "inner wall load" is defined a consumptive power per unit area of the inner face.
The glass tube can be variously shaped like a circle, a letter U and a saddle in addition to like the straight line. As the fluorescent lamps have been made smaller and smaller in size, most of their glass tubes have been shaped in various complicated forms.
As the color rendering properties of the fluorescent lamp have been deemed as being more and more important, the three component type white-emitting fluorescent lamp in which blue, green and red emitting phosphors each having a relatively narrow band emission spectrum distribution are used has become more and more popular. In the case of this three component type fluorescent lamp, the characteristics of the green emitting phosphor is important because the luminous ratio of the green component to the white luminous flux (or output) of the lamp is the highest among the three color components. Rare-earth aluminate-silicate-phosphate phosphor, rare-earth borate-silicate-phosphate phosphor, rare-earth orthophospate phosphor, rare-earth aluminate borate phosphor and the like, each is activated by cerium and terbium, are well known as the green emitting phosphor.
As the fluorescent lamp has been made smaller and smaller in size as described above, the inner wall load of its tube increased. Some fluorescent lamps each having a relatively high inner wall load are disclosed in German Patent Disclosure 2109898 and others. However, these lamps of a relatively high inner wall load have such drawbacks that their lamp efficiency is lower, that the rate of their lowering luminous flux is higher, that the occurrence of their blackening is faster, and that the rising of their luminous flux is slower, as compared with the common mercury lamp.
Japanese Patent Disclosure Sho 54-42874 discloses a lamp wherein phosphor particles whose positive ions have the elemental electronegativity values lower than 1.4 are used to form the phosphor layer which has a low luminous flux lowering rate. However, the single measure disclosed in this reference is not enough to prevent luminous flux from being lowered and the lamp from being blackened.
Blackening of the fluorescent lamp has been considered to be caused by the following factors. Firstly the phosphor itself is deteriorated. The reasons are supposed to reside in that the color center is formed in the phosphor by vacuum ultraviolet rays produced by the positive column discharge and that the surface structure of the phosphor layer is changed by the colliding of Hg ions at the surface of the phosphor layer. Secondly, the glass tube is black ended or colored by impurities and reaction products in it. This is supposed to reside in that vaporized fragment and cathode matters, compounds caused by residues of organic binders, and/or mercury and mercury compounds contained in the filling gas adhere to the phosphor layer.
Those extents to which the lamp glass tubes are blackened are sometimes different from one another and the qualities of the lamps produced are not the same in the case of the conventional fluorescent lamp which has a relatively high inner wall load, depending upon the kinds of phosphor particles (or fluorescent matters) used even though the lamps are manufactured according to the same process and the lamps thus manufactured are the same in structure and also depending upon the manufacturing lots even though the phosphor particles used are of the same kind. Particularly in the case of the green emitting rare-earth phosphor, the blackening phenomenon is more liable to be caused by contaminations originating from the adhesion of mercury and its compounds, as compared with the red emitting phosphor. In the case of the three components type white emitting fluorescent lamp whose luminous flux depends severely on the luminous efficiency of the green emitting phosphor used, therefore, the above-mentioned drawbacks become more remarkable.
As described above, the conventional fluorescent lamp which has a relatively high inner wall load has advantages of being made small and compact in size, but it has such drawbacks that its luminous efficiency is lower, that its blackening is liable to be caused earlier, that its luminous flux lowering rate is higher, and that the rising of its luminous flux is slower. In addition, these drawbacks are not caused in the same way and it is difficult for the lamps thus produced to have the same quality.
The reason why the rising of luminous flux is slow is supposed to be caused by the mercury adsorption to the phosphor. Particularly when the inner wall load of the lamp becomes high, the probability that mercury ions are re-bonded with electrons to become mercury atoms at the surface of the phosphor particles becomes high as electric current density is increased. The mercury atoms are liable to be adsorbed onto the phosphor layer when the lamp is turned off as well as when it is turned on. When it is again turned on, this mercury adsorbed is firstly desorbed. Mercury cohering to the coolest part of the lamp so then gradually vaporized and luminous flux rises with increase in the vapor pressure of the mercury in the glass tube. FIG. 1 shows the relation between relative luminous flux and lighting time in the case of the conventional fluorescent lamps, wherein a curve (A) represents the rising of luminous flux in the case of the fluorescent lamp of 40 W which has a relatively low inner tube wall load and which is shaped like a straight tube and another curve (B) that of luminous flux in the case of the fluorescent lamp in which the three component bands emitting phosphor is used and whose inner wall load is larger than 500 W/m.sup.2. In FIG. 1, a part (x) denotes the time at which mercury adsorbed on the phosphor layer is adsorbed and another part (y) the time at which mercury cohering to the coolest part of the lamp is gradually vaporized.

Fluorescent lamp with phosphor having coated phosphor particles

Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation


Bedclothes which have been modified by affixing thereto connecting means which are positioned to guide the placement of the bedclothes on the mattress. When connectors are aligned along the periphery of the mattress, the bedclothes are properly centered and positioned with the correct amount of overhang on three sides. The connectors on one article of bedclothes coact with those on the next layer to position that layer and hold the layers together as a unit. Bedclothes may be removed and replaced as a unit or singly and they may be tucked under the mattress or not as the user dictates. The method of bedmaking utilizing the bedclothes may be performed visually or tactilely.

Bedclothes have remained basically the same since as far back as memory allows. The only new development to reach marketable proportions has been the fitted or contour bottom sheet. This has made bed-making easier and helped to maintain the bed in neater array from day to day. There have been patents issued for a variety of other innovations, but none have been popularly exploited.
Pursell in U.S. Pat. No. 3,083,378 shows a contour sheet with a fastening means such as one half of a zipper attached around three sides. A blanket is constructed similarly to the contour sheet with the other half of the zipper around three sides. When in place, the blanket is fastened to the sheet by means of the zipper. The user is then securely held under the blanket and the bed never gets messed.
Carris, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,179,958, has designed bed sheets with button holes spaced along three sides. Buttons are permanently attached to the mattress and are always visible. Once the sheets are buttoned into place they remain in position and blankets placed atop the sheets will remain essentially stationary. The sheets have a series of holes spaced such that they can be used on mattresses of different sizes.
A similar design of Colburn in U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,323 uses fastener strips such as Velcro.RTM., one part of which is permanently attached to the mattress and the other part of which is attached to a mattress pad and the top and bottom sheets. The bottom layer, the mattress pad, is the shortest and each successive layer is longer on the sides such that the top sheet attaches at a point lower on the sides of the mattress. The top sheet is secured to the mattress on three sides. The sheets must be individually made for each size bed and cannot be interchanged on beds of different sizes.
Wong, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,010, has devised casings which fit over the ends of the mattress. Velcro or other fastening means are spaced along the edges of the casings. A sheet with fasteners attaches to the casings and a bedspread may be attached as well. Casings fitted to a box spring can accomodate a dust ruffle. Sheets and other bedclothes must be specially made to fit only this system and separate sets are needed for beds of different sizes.
Lysiak (U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,470) teaches a device which is placed under a mattress and has clips which grip and hold a sheet, a blanket and a comforter in place at several points around the bed. The holding strips are elastic so there is some give to the bedclothes for greater comfort of the user. The device itself is completely out of sight when properly positioned.
Cotton (U.S. Pat. No. 2,262,436) developed a blanket protector which folds over the blanket at the top and bottom edges. Tapes with snaps are stitched to the blanket on both sides. Snap receivers on the blanket protector coact with the snaps and hold the blanket protector securely in place.
Schmier, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,531, teaches the use of fastening means such as buttons firmly attached along the foot of a mattress. Sheets, blankets, comforters, and other covers are made with corresponding buttonholes. The bedclothes will remain in place during use. Fasteners, requiring additional buttonholes in the bedclothers, can also be used at the top edges of the bedclothes to hold them all together. The button holes can be spaced so as to enable the bedclothes to be used on beds of different sizes. The sheets and other bedclothes must be properly positioned before they can be fastened to the buttons and firmly secured at the bottom of the bed. The buttons attached to the mattress are in plain view.
Most of the above methods require that sheets be made specifically for that method, that they cannot be used in any other method, nor can they be used on a conventional bed not fitted or modified for one of the methods. Where buttonholes are required to be made in the bedclothes, additional steps are needed in the manufacturing process and buttonholes provide more sites for wear and tear. The bedclothes are likewise anchored to the mattress, either all around, or at least along the foot of the bed, a condition not always desired. The buttons or fasteners attached to the mattress are readily visible.

Bed making method and bedclothes to accomodate same