A real time clock that operates an oscillator within a predetermined range by employing a constant current source. The remaining real time clock logic can be operated at a voltage that is relative to the constant current. Power consumption of the oscillator can be controlled by limiting the current from the constant current source. The outputs of the oscillator can be input into a signal detector. A clocking signal can be produced by the signal detector based on the oscillator signals. The current provided by the first current source is limited to provide low power operation of the oscillator. Optionally, the signal detector can employ a differential amplifier. The differential amplifier receives the oscillator outputs, and provides a clocking signal based on the oscillator outputs.

The present invention relates generally to circuits for providing clocking signals and more specifically to techniques for improving the power consumption of a real time clock.
Crystal oscillators are often used to provide a clock signal to a data processing application. For many devices, the crystal oscillator is powered all of the time. Typically, when crystal oscillators are used in a real time clock application, lithium batteries are often used to provide power. Lithium batteries can have a life span of many years when the oscillator dissipates only a minimal amount of power.
However, reducing power consumption for contemporary high speed Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) devices, such as CMOS devices at 0.13 micro-meters or less, can be difficult. These high performance devices typically use lower circuit threshold transistors, which can have considerable leakage currents. Another problem with these devices is that their power supply voltages can vary. For example, typical 0.13 micro-meter CMOS device uses a 1.5 Volt power supply, and a 90 nano-meter CMOS device usually uses a 1.2 volt power supply, while the typical lithium battery supplies 3V. Thus, a real time clock that dissipates a minimal amount of power is desirable. Furthermore, it is desirable that the real time clock can be implemented using high performance CMOS devices.

Using hysteresis to generate a low power clock

Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc.


Methods and systems are provided for a spark plug of an internal combustion engine. In one example, a spark plug includes a housing section having a first groove and an opposing, second groove. A tool including a first protrusion and second protrusion may couple with the first and second grooves of the spark plug in order to drive the spark plug to either of only two coupled positions with a cylinder head.

Spark plugs may be coupled to a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine to ignite a compressed air and fuel charge within engine cylinders. Spark plugs often include a central electrode and a ground electrode configured to produce spark to ignite the air and fuel charge. The spark plugs often include threads adapted to engage with counterpart threads of the cylinder head, with the cylinder head capping the cylinders. The orientation of the electrodes within the cylinders may vary depending on an amount of engagement of the threads of the spark plugs with the threads of the cylinder head. It is often desirable to control a position of the electrodes in order to adjust air and fuel charge combustion parameters.
One example approach is shown by Lykowski in U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,161. Therein, a spark plug is disclosed having a splined section for installation of the spark plug. The splined section includes at least one spline having an outer surface and a corresponding castellation recessed from the outer surface.
However, the inventors herein have recognized potential issues with such systems. As one example, it may be difficult to determine a position of the spark plug within the cylinder head during conditions in which the spark plug is seated deeply within a passage of the cylinder head. As a result, the position of the electrodes of the spark plug after coupling the spark plug to the cylinder head may not correspond to a desired position to achieve a desired engine operating performance.
In one example, the issues described above may be addressed by a spark plug, comprising: a housing section having a plurality of planar surfaces arranged annularly around a central axis of the spark plug, including a first planar surface arranged opposite a second planar surface, and coupled to a threaded section of the spark plug; and only two grooves in the housing section, including a first groove in the first planar surface and a second groove in the second planar surface. In this way, the first groove and second groove may indicate a position of a ground electrode of the spark plug within a combustion chamber of an engine.
As one example, the second groove may be radially aligned with a base of the ground electrode of the spark plug, and the first groove may be positioned radially opposite to the second groove. The first and second groove may be shaped to engage with first and second protrusions of a tool configured to couple with the spark plug, and the tool may be driven to adjust the position of the spark plug within the combustion chamber to either of only two opposing positions. While the spark plug is in either of the two opposing positions, engine performance may be increased.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.


A heat dissipation device adapted for removing heat from LED modules of an LED lamp includes a plurality of heat sinks, a plurality of fin sets and a plurality of heat pipes extending through the fin sets and thermally connecting the heat sinks and the fin sets together. The heat sinks each have a base plate with a bottom surface which is kept in contact with corresponding LED modules and a plurality of fins arranged on a top surface of the base plate. Each of the fin sets consists of a plurality of flakes and defines a plurality of air passages between the flakes. Air can flow through the heat dissipation device from a place thereunder to a place thereabove via the air passages between the flakes of the fin sets.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat dissipation device, and more particularly to a heat dissipation device which is used for dissipating heat more efficiently from LED modules of an LED lamp and has a low cost.
2. Description of Related Art
As an energy-efficient light, an LED lamp has a trend of substituting the fluorescent lamp for indoor and outdoor lighting purpose; in order to increase the overall lighting brightness, a plurality of LEDs is often incorporated into a signal lamp, in which how to efficiently dissipate heat generated by the LEDs becomes a challenge.
Some of the LED lamps directly utilize heat dissipating structures that are used for cooling electronic components, e.g. CPUs, video graphic cards and hard disk drivers received in a computer. For example, a type of heat sink comprises a base plate and a plurality of fins extending upwardly from a top surface of the base plate. A bottom face of the base plate of such a heat sink is thermally connected with the electronic component. Thus, heat generated by the electronic component is conducted to the fins via the base plate, and dispersed to the surrounding environment from the fins.
Such a heat sink may be competent for the electronic component mounted in the computer, since the bottom face of the base plate is large enough for sufficiently contacting a single heat source such as the electronic component. However, when such a heat sink is used in the LED lamp which has a plurality of LEDs acting as the light source and accordingly having a plurality of heat sources (each LED functioning as an individual heat source), the base plate has to be made broad enough to cover and simultaneously contact with all of the LEDs. As a result, the heat sink should be large in size and heavy in weight and uses lot of material in manufacturing it. Additionally, the heat sink also cannot satisfy a high heat dissipating efficiency needed for the LED lamp since an airflow cannot flow through the base plate to take the heat dissipated from the fins to the ambient air.
What is needed, therefore, is a heat dissipation device for an LED lamp which can overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages.

Fu Zhun Precision Industry (Shen Zhen) Co., Ltd.


An image display device has a light source; a power supply section that supplies power to a light source; a cooling fan that cools the light source; a input section; and a control section that controls the cooling fan and the power supply section. If a first lighting mode in which a power value supplied to the light source is a first setting value is designated through the input section, the control section causes the power supply section to supply power that corresponds to the first setting value to the light source and causes the cooling fan to operate.

An image display device such as a liquid crystal display or a projector is provided with a high pressure mercury lamp or the like as a light source. A high pressure mercury lamp is structured such that mercury or gas is confined in a glass tube. Thus, if the temperature of the lamp excessively rises, the glass tube will explode. To prevent such a situation, image display devices that use a high pressure mercury lamp as a light source are generally provided with a cooling fan that cools the light source.
Patent Literature 1 describes a projector that has a light source; a temperature measurement means that measures the temperature in the neighborhood of the light source; a cooling fan that cools the light source; and a control section that controls voltage supplied to the cooling fan based on the temperature measured by the temperature measurement means.
The foregoing projector controls voltage supplied to the cooling fan such that the number of rotations of the cooling fan that has been set according to the measured value of the temperature is maintained.
Recent projectors that have a high pressure mercury lamp or the like as a light source are provided with an energy saving mode that the user can select so as to decrease the brightness of an image. Energy saving modes include a low power lighting mode that allows power supplied to the lamp to be decreased to around several tens of percent of the maximum power.
The foregoing low power lighting mode may be manually set up if the user does not need a high brightness image. Alternatively, when an image that the user does not watch is generated, for example, a lens shutter or the like causes a projected image to become a black image, a blue screen is displayed after an external image signal has not been input for a predetermined time, or an AV mute function is activated so as to temporarily stop displaying an image and outputting sound, the low power lighting mode may be set up along with such an image.
When the temperature of the light source in the high brightness image display state is compared with that in the low brightness image display state, it is natural that the temperature of the light source in the low brightness image display state is lower than the temperature in the high brightness image display state. In addition, since these temperatures are constant to some extent, it can be contemplated that the number of rotations of the cooling fan may be controlled based on the selected lighting mode without it being necessary to provide a temperature measurement means as described in Patent Literature 1.

Image display device and light source cooling method


A vapor phase growth apparatus of an embodiment includes: a reaction chamber; a gas supply path connected to an organic metal supply source at a first connection, the gas supply path being connected to a carrier gas supply source, the gas supply path supplies a process gas including organic metal and a carrier gas into the reaction chamber; a gas discharge path connected to the organic metal supply source at a second connection, the gas discharge path discharges the process gas to the outside of the apparatus; a first mass flow controller and a first adjustment device provided at the gas supply path; a second adjustment device provided at the gas discharge path; and a shortcut path connecting the gas supply path to the gas discharge path. One of the first and the second adjustment device is a back pressure regulator, and the other is a mass flow controller.

As a method of forming a high-quality semiconductor film, there is known an epitaxial growth technique of growing a single-crystal film on a substrate such as a wafer by the vapor phase growth. In a vapor phase growth apparatus that uses the epitaxial growth technique, a wafer is placed on a support portion inside a reaction chamber that is maintained in a normal pressure state or a reduced pressure state. Then, a process gas such as a source gas used as a raw material for forming a film is supplied from, for example, a shower plate (or a shower head) at the upper portion of the reaction chamber to a wafer surface while the wafer is heated. Thus, a thermal reaction of the source gas occurs on the surface of the wafer, and hence an epitaxial single-crystal film is formed on the surface of the wafer.
In recent years, a semiconductor device using GaN (gallium nitride) has been gaining attention as a material of a light emitting device or a power device. As the epitaxial growth technique that forms a GaN-based semiconductor, a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) is known. In the metal organic chemical vapor deposition, for example, organic metal such as trimethylgallium (TMG), trimethylindium (TMI), and trimethylaluminum (TMA) or ammonia (NH3) is used as the source gas.
In the MOCVD, in order to form a uniform film on the wafer surface, the amount of the organic metal in the source gas needs to be stabilized. JP-A 2002-313731 discloses a configuration in which the pressure inside a source gas supply path is maintained in a constant range and a uniform film is formed on a wafer surface.

Vapor phase growth apparatus and vapor phase growth method


An autonomous dock system for a vehicle, comprises a control system with instructions comprising steps for receiving a request to implement an autonomous dock routine. A vehicle speed and clutch position are calculated. A clutch position controller is commanded to maintain the calculated clutch position. An actual torque amount is iteratively detected as transferred across the clutch. A vehicle speed-control mechanism is commanded to maintain the calculated vehicle speed, and the actual vehicle speed is iteratively detected. When comparing the commanded vehicle speed to the detected actual vehicle speed indicates that the detected actual vehicle speed is below a speed threshold, and when the actual torque amount transferred across the clutch exceeds a torque threshold, the control system commands an increase in vehicle speed.

Typical truck & trailer backing scenario includes approaching a loading dock for loading and unloading a trailer. The operator must judge the distance the trailer is to the loading dock and carefully "touch" the trailer to the loading dock to avoid damage to either the dock or the trailer. However, operators are efficiency driven, and approaching the loading dock quickly and then bumping into the dock is a normal practice in the field. Hard bumps eventually fatigue metal and concrete components of the trailer or loading dock, resulting in bending or breaking. This trailer to loading dock impact is controlled by the driver.
Similarly, issues arise when coupling a 5th wheel based tractor to a kingpin trailer. It has been practice to back the tractor's 5th wheel underneath the trailer and gently push the kingpin into the 5th wheel locking mechanism. This task is successful when both tractor and trailer gently "click" together without slamming into the kingpin. Slamming damages the latching mechanism or the kingpin itself. However, gently "clicking" consistently provides high quality tractor—trailer coupling. Conversely, when decoupling a trailer, a smooth and steady procedure is highly desirable, one without torque transients or accelerations.
A part of vehicle operation involves positioning a vehicle at least close to a target, or better yet, "firming touching" the target, such as a docking dock. The problem has at least two parts:                a) In order to avoid contacting the object too harshly, the vehicle would have to move very slowly until initial contact was made. However, the positioning maneuver may be starting from 5 or more meters away, which means that the operation will take an unacceptable amount of time.        b) To resolve the time issue, it is possible to move quickly. A new problem emerges, where vehicle to loading dock contact is abrupt, causing at least driver dissatisfaction, possibly up to vehicle or loading dock damage.
The issue to solve is getting the vehicle to the target position without taking "too much time" or contacting it "harshly enough" to cause operator dissatisfaction or loss of quality of the function.


A color laser printer of the invention identifies each object image to be printed as a color image or a monochromatic image. When the object image to be printed is identified as a color image, the control procedure of the invention rotates a developer unit with multiple color toner cartridges to sequentially move positions of the respective color toner cartridges to a development position and forms respective color toner images on a photoreceptor. When the object image to be printed is identified as a monochromatic image, on the other hand, the control procedure fixes a specific toner cartridge filled with black toner to the development position and forms a black toner image on the photoreceptor. A counter counts up consecutive monochromatic printing operations. After a preset number of the consecutive monochromatic printing operations in the fixed state of the developer unit, the developer unit is rotated to return and fix the specific toner cartridge filled with black toner to the development position for monochromatic printing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing device and a corresponding printing method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A known printing device has multiple toner cartridges that are arranged about a rotating shaft and are filled with toners of multiple colors used for color printing. This printing device exposes a charged photoreceptor to form electrostatic latent images for respective color components and rotates the rotating shaft to sequentially move the positions of the multiple toner cartridges to a development position, where each color toner image is formed on a photoreceptor with a supply of corresponding color toner from one of the multiple toner cartridges located at the development position. As is known in the art, in order to make the density of each toner uniform and ensure printed images of stable quality, the toner cartridges in the printing device are rotated occasionally to agitate the toners kept therein (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. 11-184200). Monochromatic printing is typically performed with rotation of the toner cartridge as in the case of color printing.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A pruner attachment apparatus for a power tool having a body, a shoe extending from the body, and a saw blade interconnected to the body for reciprocating motion. The pruner attachment apparatus includes a mounting member, a hook member and a biasing mechanism. The mounting member is releasably attachable to the shoe. The hook member is carried by the mounting member for movement between a first position and a second position. The biasing mechanism biases the hook member to the second position.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally pertains to power tools. More particular, the present invention relates to a pruner attachment apparatus for a power tool. More specifically, but without restriction to the particular embodiment and/or use which is shown and described for purposes of illustration, the present invention relates to a pruner attachment apparatus attachable to a shoe of a reciprocating saw.
2. Discussion
Power reciprocating saws include jigsaws and other reciprocating saws generally referred to in the trade as xe2x80x9crecipxe2x80x9d saws. These saws incorporate reciprocating drive shafts for driving linear saw blades. The saw blades are driven along a predetermined path so as to provide either a rectilinear or an orbital cutting action.
Efficient cutting with a power reciprocating saw typically requires the workpiece to be secured. Otherwise, the workpiece may move relative to the saw as a result of reciprocation of the saw blade. For most applications, the workpiece can be adequately secured. However, it is not practical or perhaps possible to secure branches, smaller size tree limbs or other similarly shaped objects for cutting with a reciprocating saw.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an attachment apparatus for a power tool for cutting branches, tree limbs and the like.
It is related object of the present invention to provide a pruner attachment apparatus which can be quickly, easily and securely attached to a power tool having a reciprocating saw blade.
In one form, the present invention provides a pruner attachment apparatus for a power tool having a body, an adjustable shoe extending from the body, and a saw blade interconnected to the body for reciprocating motion. The pruner attachment apparatus includes a mounting member, a hook member and a biasing mechanism. The mounting member is attachable to the shoe. The hook member is carried by the mounting member for movement between a first position and a second position. The biasing mechanism biases the hook member to the second position.
Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from a reading of the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Pruner attachment apparatus for a power tool


A method of inhibiting the growth of a tumor cell in a mammal by administering to the mammal an autoantibody, e.g, an antinuclear autoantibody from an aged mammal, that binds to either one or both of a surface of a tumor cell and a protein released from a dead tumor cell. Also disclosed are natural and monoclonal antinuclear autoantibodies from aged mammals and a hybridoma cell line producing a monoclonal antinuclear autoantibody.

The invention relates to the use of autoantibodies for tumor therapy and prophylaxis.
Neoplasia is often caused by somatic mutations. When these mutations accumulate with age, the burden on the immune system, which controls neoplasia as one of its functions, is increased. However, despite increased cancer-related mortality rates in the aged, many aged individuals do not develop tumors. One explanation for this immunity is that certain natural antibodies play a role in humoral anti-tumor immunity (Chow et al., Int. J. Cancer, 27: 459-469, 1981). However, little is known about the antigenic specificity of such antibodies.
One type of natural antibody found in the immune system is the autoantibody. These autoantibodies have been repeatedly found in significantly higher titers in older humans and laboratory animals without overt disease than in younger controls (Whitaker, et al., Clin. Res., 14: 143, 1966; Cammarata, et al., JAMA, 199: 115-118, 1967; Siegel, et al., Immunology, 22: 457-463, 1972). Hybridomas that produce natural autoantibodies from mice of different ages have been described (Sakharova, et al., Zh. Obshch. Biol., 47: 625-630, 1986).
The occurrence of autoantibodies in the aged is believed to serve as a marker of a disregulated immune system, and these antibodies recently have been prescribed with tumor growth-enhancing properties (Ben-Yehuda, et al., Cancer Invest., 10: 525-531, 1992). In earlier studies, others have noted that elevated levels of serum autoantibodies can result in the development of autoimmune systemic diseases (Dixon, et al., Progress in Immunology, 959-995, New York: Academic Press, 1980), and that antinuclear autoantibody suppression by the immunosuppressive drug cyclophosphamide may correlate with growth of a proliferating lymphoreticular neoplasm (Walker, et al., Clin. Exp. Immunol., 24: 210-217, 1976). Hahn et al., Arthrit. Rheumat., 18: 145-152 (1975), concluded that cyclophosphamide enhanced production of neoplasms such as lymphoreticular neoplasms, carcinomas, and sarcomas.

Use of autoantibodies for tumor therapy and prophylaxis


A retort cleaning apparatus 10 (RCA 10) comprising a blow-off nozzle (12) having an air inlet port (14) and an orifice (16). An air passage extension tube (22) has an inward coupler (24), and a heat-resistant outward coupler (26) that attaches to the air inlet port (14) on the blow-off nozzle (12). An air hose (42) has an air inlet coupler (44), and an air outlet coupler (46) that attaches to the inward coupler (24) on the air passage extension tube (22). An air compressor (60) has a compressed air fastener (62) that attaches to the air inlet coupler (44) on the air hose (42). The air compressor is equipped with a power switch (64) that controls the operation of an electrical motor (66). When the power switch is closed, power from a power source (80) is applied to the motor (66) which then allows pressurized air to flow through the air hose (42), the air passage extension tube (22), and into and out of the orifice (16) on the blow-off nozzle (12).

Throughout the world, cremation is a widely used method of disposing of human remains, cremation offers benefits that are not available when burying a person, the most important being that loved ones can retain the "ashes" and therefore be close to the departed. In most modern countries there are crematories that are designed and built exclusively for the cremation of humans. A typical crematory will include a plurality of cremation ovens, or retorts as they are known. The number of retorts will depend on the size of the community which is served. A large metropolitan city will have many crematories, with each having a number of retorts, while a smaller city may only require a single crematory with a few retorts.
Regardless of how many or the manufacturer, most retorts function in a similar manner. A deceased body is placed into a "casket", which often is comprised of a cardboard box, and the body or casket are then slid into the retort by way of a front, or main, door. The actual cremation usually lasts approximately 2.5–3 hours. After the cremation has been completed, a crematory attendant will remove the cremated remains, or "ashes" and clean the retort. Depending on the wishes of the family of the deceased, the ashes are either kept by the family, buried or often dispersed into the air at a location that was special to the deceased, such as the ocean.
A typical retort will have a concrete "floor" upon which the body and casket lie during the cremation. There is a problem that occurs, though, during the removal of the remains and the cleaning of the retort. In order to accomplish the removal and cleaning, the crematory attendant will use a brush and/or rake. Unfortunately, after many uses the concrete floor becomes damaged as a result of the repeated movement of the brush or rate. Some crematories do use compressed air to remove a portion of the remains, and this method is effective. If it was possible to use a compressed air device for the majority of the removal process, the damage that is caused by the brush or rake would no longer exist.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
U.S. Pat. No.INVENTORISSUED5,661,873KaretSep. 2, 19974,288,886SieglerSep. 15, 19814,237,576StakesDec. 9, 1980
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,873 disclosed a vacuum system which provides a compact power unit that accepts and passes debris and waste from the pick up tube to the container. The system directs the major portion of exhaust air including entrained dust particles away from the user.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,886 discloses an air broom for suspension from the hand of a user while standing. The broom includes a power unit and an air impeller connected to and supporting an outward-extending hollow wand those weight and leverage are coordinated with that of the power unit and air impeller. The wand is cantilevered with its outward end adjacent the ground. The apparatus is designed to allow a sweeping action and for gathering with a suction action.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,576 discloses a blower device for sweeping light debris and clutter. The device includes a pressurized air supply source in communication with a receptacle. A standing head of pressure is developed in the receptacle which is then discharged through a nozzle in a jet of air at a substantially constant pressure.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention is related reference may be made to the remaining cited patents.
U.S. Pat. No.INVENTORISSUED6,119,294Lai, et alSep. 19, 20004,986,347Hirth, et alJan. 22, 19913,874,310FallingApr. 1, 1975


An accessory effective to pierce the seal closing the mouth of a bottle when the bottle, filled with a pourable material, is applied in inverted position to a well of a dispenser, with a shoulder of the bottle engaging a rim of the well to support the bottle in inverted position in the well. The accessory is placed in the well of a dispenser and includes a collar placeable against the rim of the well before the bottle is inserted in inverted position into the well. A piercing member is carried by the collar for piercing the bottle seal when the bottle is placed in inverted position into the collar.

The present invention relates to a dispenser accessory to facilitate loading bottled liquids, or other pourable material, in a dispenser, such as a water cooler or a beverage dispenser.
A type of water dispenser presently in common use utilizes large water bottles which when full weigh about 20 Kg. These bottles normally include a seal across the mouth of the bottle which seal is to be removed before the bottle is inserted in inverted position into a cylindrical well of the dispenser. This is usually done by first removing the seal and then quickly inverting the bottle while placing it into the dispenser well. Performing this operation without spilling water is very difficult and requires substantial strength and agility.

Dispenser accessory to facilitate loading bottles in a dispenser


The drug delivery stent assembly includes a hollow tubular wire stent which extends in a path defining a generally cylindrical envelope and which has side walls facing outwardly of the cylindrical envelope with holes therein for delivery of liquid to a site in a vessel where the stent is placed. The method for delivering a liquid solution to the interior wall surface of a vessel using the hollow tubular wire stent comprises: placing the stent on a balloon of a balloon on a wire guidewire or on a balloon catheter; inserting the stent on the balloon assembly at a desired site in a vessel; causing the balloon to expand the stent to a larger cylindrical shape; supplying liquid with a liquid supply source to the stent prior to or after placement of the stent so that liquid can be delivered from the outer holes in the stent to the site of placement of the stent in a vessel; disengaging the liquid supply source from the stent prior to or after placement of the stent in a vessel; and allowing the liquid solution to leak from the stent through the outwardly facing holes in the stent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a retrievable drug delivery stent which is made of a hollow tubular wire and which can be carried on a balloon of a balloon catheter to a site of a stenotic lesion where the stent is implanted. Subsequently, a balloon catheter can be inserted into the area of the stenotic lesion and a balloon can be positioned within the stent and by heating or cooling the stent with fluid supplied to the balloon, causing the stent to take another form, namely a retracted form. Then the stent and balloon can be removed. The hollow tubular wire stent is preferably made of a metal, such as stainless steel, tantalum or perhaps even from a nickel titanium alloy sold under the trademark Nitinol which can assume different shapes based upon the temperature of the Nitinol.TM.. The tubing has holes therein for delivering a liquid solution or drug to a stenotic lesion. The hollow tubular wire stent also can be made of a plastic material.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 C.F.R. 21211.97-1.99
Heretofore, wire stents have been proposed and one example of an undulating wire stent which extends in an undulating pattern back and forth in circular paths connected by loops to form a generally cylindrical envelope and which is adapted to be received on a balloon of a balloon catheter for insertion into a blood vessel to a site of a stenotic lesion is disclosed in the Gianturco U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,126.
Another example of a wire stent, preferably made of Nitinol.TM. that extends in an undulating manner in a helical path in a cylindrical envelope is disclosed in the Pinchuk U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,090.
A stent delivery system, which includes a sheath that is received about a balloon carrying a stent for facilitating insertion of the assembly of the sheath, stent, and balloon on a wire guidewire to a site of a stenotic lesion is disclosed in the Lau et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,548.
Further, there has been disclosed in the Silverstrini U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,456, a hydrophilic stent which can be made of hollow tubular members. The hollow walls of the tubular members have hydrophilic material therein containing a drug and are fabricated of a semi-permeable material so that liquid can pass therethrough to swell the hydrophilic material.
As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the hollow tubular stent of the present invention extends in a cylindrical envelope about a balloon and has holes therein that face outwardly of the cylindrical envelope whereby a drug can be delivered to the area of a stenotic lesion through the holes in the hollow wire tubular stent. After the stent is implanted at the site of the stenotic lesion and a fluid delivery tube is left in place connected to the stent for supplying liquid thereto, such as a liquid containing a drug, after a short period of time (a few days to a week or more), a dissolving fluid can be inserted into the liquid delivery tube for dissolving an end portion of the tube to disconnect the tube from the stent. Then, a balloon on a balloon catheter or a balloon on a wire guidewire can be reinserted into the vessel to the area of the stenotic lesion and partially inflated to assist in the withdrawal of the tubular wire stent from the area of the stenotic lesion.
The drug delivered to the area of the stenotic lesion can be of the type which dissolves plaque material forming the stenosis or can be an anti-platelet formation drug or an antithrombotic drug. Such drugs can include TPA, heparin, or urokinase, for example.

Method for delivering a liquid solution to the interior wall surface of a vessel


A sample handler includes a plurality of sealable metering tips, each of the tips, when sealed, containing a fluid volume of a test fluid and in which each of the sealed metering tips acts as an auxiliary sample supply container for use with at least one chemistry system of a clinical analyzer.

In a so-called combinational clinical analyzers a dry chemistry system and a wet chemistry system, for example, can be provided within a contained housing.
Each of the above chemistry systems are somewhat unique in terms of their operation. For example, known "dry" chemistry systems typically include a sample supply which includes a number of sample containers, a metering/transport mechanism, and an incubator having a plurality of test read stations. A quantity of sample is aspirated into a metering tip using a proboscis or probe carried by a movable metering truck along a transport rail. A quantity of sample from the tip is then metered (dispensed) onto a dry slide element which is loaded into the incubator. The slide element is incubated and optical or other reads are taken for analyte detection.
A "wet" chemistry system on the other hand, utilizes a reaction vessel such as a cuvette, into which quantities of patient sample, at least one reagent fluid, and/or other fluids are combined for conducting an assay. The assay is also incubated and tests are conducted for analyte detection. The "wet" chemistry system also includes a metering mechanism to transport patient sample fluid from the sample supply to the reaction vessel.
A number of known clinical analyzers incorporate both wet and dry chemistry systems in a single apparatus. To date, however, there has been no attempt to improve the efficiency/throughput of such devices by effectively linking the chemistry systems of a combinational clinical analyzer together.

Auxiliary sample supply for a clinical analyzer


A fixing unit includes a first heat source configured to heat a roller, and a second heat source configured to heat the roller. The maximum value of a total amount of heat generated in the second heat source is smaller than that of the first heat source. The second heat source has an amount of heat generated higher in ends of the second heat source than in a center thereof in a distribution of the amount of heat generated in the axial direction. The second heat source has a rate of the amount of heat generated in the ends of the second heat source to that in the center thereof higher than a rate of the amount of heat generated in the ends of the first heat source to that in the center thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixing unit for fixing a toner image onto a recording sheet such as paper by applying heat to the recording sheet which passes through two rollers contacting each other, and relates to an image forming apparatus having such a fixing unit. The present invention is applied to various types of image forming apparatuses, e.g., a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, and a combination machine thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatuses such as a printer and a copier, and multi-functional image forming apparatuses called combination machines or Multi Function. Peripherals (MFP) have conventionally been used. Such an image forming apparatus is provided with a fixing unit which applies heat to loose toner powder coated on a recording sheet such as paper through electrophotography to fix the same on the recording sheet.
The fixing unit includes a heated roller containing a heater therein along the axial direction of the heated roller, and a pressure roller provided to contact the heated roller for rotation. The fixing unit is so structured that paper or the like passes through a nip between the two rollers contacting each other.
There is proposed a device which has, as a heater (heat source) for heating a heated roller, two heaters differing from each other in distribution of the amount of heat generated in the length direction thereof. The two heaters are selectively used in the device (Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-118261).
To be specific, according to the device described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-118261, the two heaters of a main heater and a subordinate heater are provided. A switch temperature is stored for drive of the two rollers, and the switch temperature is compared with the temperature of a fixing roller, and depending on the comparison result, any one of the two rollers is selected and driven. Further, the method for switching between the two heaters is changed depending on whether the roller rotates or not. This reduces the maximum consumption power and falls the temperature within a predetermined range.
Meanwhile, in a fixing unit provided with a heated roller containing a single heater therein, heat escapes from the ends, in the axial direction, of the heated roller even in a standby mode in which no paper is conveyed. Thus, a tendency is seen in which temperature in the ends of the heated roller drops, in particular, in the standby mode. For this reason, immediately after the mode is changed from the standby mode to the print mode and paper feed starts, a fixing failure probably occurs due to the low temperature in the ends of the heated roller. In order to cope with this, it is necessary to, for example, set light distribution to (amount of heat generated in) the ends of the heater at a high value so as to prevent the temperature in the ends of the heated roller from dropping.
When a plurality of pieces of paper is continuously delivered in the print mode, heat of the heated roller is transferred from a part thereof corresponding to the paper width to the paper passing through the nip. As a result, the temperature of the heated roller drops. To cope with this, control (heater control) is made in such a manner that a heated time (ON time) of the heater is extended to prevent the temperature of the heated roller from dropping. In such a case, the temperature in the ends of the heated roller corresponding to outer regions beyond the paper width does not drop because no heat is transferred to the paper, and further, heat is conducted from the center of the heated roller to the outer regions. Further, the temperature in the ends of the heated roller is increased because the heated time thereof is increased.
Such a problem occurs not only in a fixing unit having a single heater, but probably in a fixing unit having a plurality of heaters corresponding to paper size as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-118261.
To be specific, in conventional fixing units, when a plurality of pieces of paper is continuously delivered in the print mode, the temperature in the ends of the roller rises greatly. In the case where silicone rubber is used in the fixing unit, Ultra-Fine Particles (UFP) having a size equal to or smaller than 100 nm tend to be generated. It is desirable to minimize the amount of generation of the UFP.


Game apparatus in which a pawl and ratchet mechanism indexes a game card to bring successive game indicia to a viewing opening, said indicia comprising intelligible indicia interspersed with unintelligible indicia, said intelligible indicia being intelligible only when viewed through a colored filter in said opening, the game being played by teams of two players, one of whom views said indicia and gives the other player clues for identifying the information in the indicia.

The present invention relates to game apparatus involving teams of two players, one of whom gives clues to the identify of a person or thing, while the other player guesses the identity, based on the clues given. Game cards bear the information, which is visible, but unintelligible, except when viewed through a window in the apparatus. The apparatus utilizes pawl and ratchet means to bring successive indicia into view through the window.


Methods for processing print jobs in rendering devices include modifying a raster operation function to have fewer variables than originally specified by the print job. Processing may also include executing the modified function and determining how many variables the function originally includes and whether such is one or more. Preferably, the modifying of the function includes determining whether a variable of the function has a black or white identity, such as a black or white ink or a black or white image, stencil or character. It may also include determining whether a destination variable remains unaltered in a to-be-painted area. Printers having stored computer executable instructions for performing the steps are also disclosed as are host devices that may direct or control the printer to perform the same.

The art of printing with rendering devices, such as laser or other printers, is relatively well known. In general, printing results by processing a print job, typically in the well known form of a printer description language (PDL), to create bitmaps that are sent to printing mechanisms to obtain hard copy outputs. Among other things, the PDL specifies a raster operation function describing how to apply pixel coloring for to-be-printed objects of the print job. Often, this function embodies a math or logic function as a Boolean expression, for example, when the PDL is of PCL language type or an algebraic expression for PDF languages. As is known, a PCL language has 256 possible logic functions while a PDF language has 16 math functions. In any raster operation function, however, sometimes the function includes a multiplicity of variables including, but not limited to, a destination variable, a to-be-printed object variable and/or an ink or coloring variable. Yet, the more variables a function has, the more processing and more memory required therefor. Accordingly, a need exists in the printing arts for achieving optimization of raster operation functions, especially for minimizing processing and memory requirements.

Optimizing raster operation functions during print job processing


A battery module including a plurality of battery cells aligned in a first direction; a heat exchange member supporting a bottom surface of each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells, the heat exchange member exchanging heat with the plurality of battery cells, wherein the heat exchange member includes a first refrigerant flow path and a second refrigerant flow path, the first refrigerant flow path is adjacent to the bottom surface of each battery cell, and the second refrigerant flow path is spaced apart from the first refrigerant flow path and below the first refrigerant flow path.

1. Field
Embodiments relate to a battery module.
2. Description of the Related Art
A high-power battery module using a non-aqueous electrolyte with high energy density has been considered. The high-power battery module may be configured as a large-capacity battery module manufactured by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series so as to be used in driving motors of devices requiring high power, e.g., electric vehicles and the like. A battery pack can be configured by electrically connecting such a plurality of battery modules to one another.


An audio system for adaptively adjusting spatial sound signal enhancement filter lengths based on estimated direct-to-reverberant ratio (DRR) values. In response to detecting sound waves, sensors in a client device, such as a headset worn by a user, generate audio signals. The audio signals are analyzed to estimate the DRR values associated with the location. A value of a spatial signal enhancement filter length is obtained based on a model. The obtained spatial signal enhancement filter length is used to generate filters for filtering audio signals and generating audio content that are to be provided to an audio system of the headset for audio playback to the user.

In an artificial reality environment, simulating sound propagation from a sound source to a listener may use knowledge about acoustic properties of the location, including the direction-to-reverberant ratio associated with the location. When sound is produced in a reverberant location, it is difficult for a sensor array to separate spatially diffuse sound waves. Spatial signal enhancement filters are useful for audio signal enhancement as these filters leverage spatial diversity in the sound waves caused by the location to generate enhanced audio signals based on the sound waves, with longer filters improving audio quality of the enhanced audio signals. However, longer filters use more power, and furthermore, they may produce limited improvement as the sound waves attenuate. Therefore, improved technologies are needed for determining suitable spatial signal enhancement filter lengths.

Controlling spatial signal enhancement filter length based on direct-to-reverberant ratio estimation


Provided is a laser bonding method which is a highly reliable laser bonding method for a thermoplastic resin and a metal, wherein the adhesiveness at an interface between a thermoplastic resin and a metal is improved to prevent peeling due to heat stress at the time of bonding. Accordingly, the method includes a step of forming an oxide layer having a higher oxygen functional group content than a bulk thermoplastic resin by subjecting at least a thermoplastic resin on the side of a bonding interface to a surface modification treatment prior to bonding, and the thermoplastic resin and a metal are bonded to each other by applying pressure and irradiating a laser in a state where the surface energy of the metal on the bonding surface side is increased to be larger than that of the thermoplastic resin having the oxide layer formed thereon.

Thermoplastic resins have excellent processability and a high degree of freedom in shape, and therefore are widely used in automobiles, electrical devices, medical and biological devices, and other general industrial applications, and are commonly used to such an extent that there is no field in which thermoplastic resins are not used and have become familiar materials. At the beginning, thermoplastic resins are used as substitutes for natural materials such as wood materials and paper, however, today, a number of specialized products which can be produced only with a plastic material have been developed. Due to this, if an optimal material or an optimal processing method can be provided for the purpose of design development, there is a possibility to produce unprecedented novel products.
In addition, due to the recent trend toward limits on carbon dioxide emissions and reduction in costs, the functions of thermoplastic resins are enhanced, and also thermoplastic resins are gradually substituted for metals. However, thermoplastic resins generally have many inferior properties to metals, for example, thermoplastic resins have a low heat-resistant temperature, a low mechanical strength, and a high thermal expansion, are easily deformed or decomposed, easily dissolve in an organic solvent, and are easily swollen by water, etc., and therefore, it is impossible to completely substitute thermoplastic resins for metals.
In particular, since the structures of recent products become complicated, designing is made by utilizing the respective advantages of thermoplastic resins and metals, and therefore, a secondary processing technique therefor becomes important. Among these, studies of methods using a laser have been increasing recently.
In PTL 1, it is described that by irradiating an acrylic resin and tin with an irregular surface which has been roughened with sandpaper with a laser in a state where the both members are in close contact with each other, the acrylic resin gets into the surface irregularities to form strong bonding.
In PTL 2, it is shown that by irradiating a molded body composed of a thermoplastic resin and a metal with a laser from the metal side in a state where both members are overlapped with each other, the molded body can be strongly bonded to the metal even if the laser light does not transmit through the molded body. It is also described that a surface treatment of the surface of the metal on the bonding surface side is effective in the improvement of the bonding strength.
In NPL 1, it is shown that by irradiating a plastic and a metal with a high-power laser in a state where both members are overlapped with each other, minute air bubbles are generated in the vicinity of the interface of the plastic, and by the effect of the pressure at the time of generating the air bubbles, the plastic and the metal can be strongly bonded to each other.


Systems and methods of reading machine-readable symbols are provided. A method of reading a machine-readable symbol includes emitting by a first source outgoing electromagnetic energy comprising wavelengths in a first portion of the electromagnetic spectrum towards a target comprising the machine-readable symbol. Incoming electromagnetic energy comprising wavelengths in a second portion of the electromagnetic spectrum reflected or emitted by the machine-readable symbol are discerned by a global shutter sensor after transmission through at least a first portion of a color filter array having a plurality of portions.

1. Field
This disclosure generally relates to readers configured to read machine-readable symbols.
2. Description of the Related Art
Machine-readable symbols are generally formed using one or more machine-readable symbol characters selected from a machine-readable symbology. One-dimensional ("1D") or linear machine-readable symbols contain information generally encoded in the spacing between leading and trailing edges of successive marks, typically formed as a series of lines and/or spaces and often colloquially referred to as "barcode symbols." Two-dimensional ("2D") machine-readable symbols contain information generally encoded in the spacing or position of polygonal patches. Two-dimensional machine readable symbols may be formed from characters selected from area code or matrix code symbologies. Two-dimensional machine readable symbols typically encode information in a higher density format than one dimensional machine readable symbols. Machine-readable symbols can be generated using virtually any media (e.g., ink, toner, etching, and the like on a solid substrate or an image formed using monochromatic or multicolor pixels on a display device, to provide just a few examples) and can be placed upon any media (e.g., paper, plastic, metal, cloth, and/or an electronic display, to provide just a few examples).
The use of machine-readable symbols to optically encode information extends back 60 years to the first U.S. patent granted in 1952 for a "bull's-eye" type machine-readable symbol intended for use in the retail grocery business (U.S. Pat. No. 2,612,994 to Woodland, et al., entitled "Classifying Apparatus and Method"). In the intervening 60 years many additional types of machine-readable symbologies have been proposed with several, such as the one dimensional Universal Product Code ("UPCs"), gaining widespread acceptance. The early data limitations of one-dimensional machine-readable symbols (e.g., barcode symbols) have been at least partially remedied through the more recent adoption of two-dimensional machine-readable symbols.
The use of machine-readable symbols has expanded well beyond the original product identification role envisioned in 1952. Today, one and two dimensional machine-readable symbols (generically "machine-readable symbols") can be found on railcars, automotive parts, driver's licenses, advertisements, shipping labels, and even on packaging. With the increasing prevalence of machine-readable symbols in everyday life, the type of media used to form the machine-readable symbol and the substrate upon which the machine-readable symbol is displayed also continue to increase. Machine-readable symbols can be visibly printed or otherwise formed using conventional inks and/or printing technologies such that the resulting machine-readable symbol is visible to humans without aid. Alternatively, machine-readable symbols can be invisibly printed using specialized inks such as infrared or ultraviolet fluorescing materials rendering the resultant machine-readable symbols invisible to an unaided human observer. While typically formed as a binary image (e.g., black and white) some symbologies display color, for example to increase data or information density of the resulting machine-readable symbols. Machine-readable symbols can also form part of a security feature, for example where the machine-readable symbols are printed in multiple colors or printed using a partially or completely invisible medium, for example an ink reflective only in the infrared electromagnetic spectrum.
Post offices around the world have adopted various machine-readable symbologies which has resulted in machine-readable symbols in a wide variety of shapes, forms, and styles. Such symbols may provide concisely printed postage, class of service, and other relevant shipping (e.g., origination and/or destination addresses), tracking and payment data directly on a face of letters, parcels, and other packages. The increasing use of diverse forms of symbologies on items in commerce has generated a need for machine-readable symbol readers capable of quickly and easily adapting to a multitude of machine-readable symbol styles and symbologies.

Systems and methods to read machine-readable symbols


Method for producing TrFE by reaction of R-113 with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst comprising palladium and at least one selected from gold, tellurium, antimony, bismuth, and arsenic, supported on an inert carrier. TrFE can be produced from R-113 and hydrogen through one-step reaction by use of the catalyst.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved method for producing trifluoroethylene (hereinafter referred to as "TrFE") by reaction of 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane (hereinafter referred to as "R-113") with hydrogen.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for producing TrFE by reaction of R-113 with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst comprising palladium and at least one selected from gold, tellurium, antimony, bismuth, and arsenic.
2. Description of the Related Art
Trifluoroethylene is a useful compound as a monomer for functional fluorine-containing polymers and as an intermediate material for biologically active compounds.
A known method for producing TrFE is a reaction of chlorotrifluoroethylene (hereinafter referred to as "CTFE") with hydrogen in the presence of palladium or platinum supported by an active carbon carrier or an alumina carrier (Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 46-2324, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 62-252736, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,802,887).
This method, which uses CTFE as a starting material, requires production of CTFE, for example by dechlorination of R-113 with zinc.
Accordingly, this method of TrFE production requires naturally two steps of reactions passing through CTFE as an intermediate, which is disadvantageous industrially.
Another method is disclosed in which TrFE is produced in one step of gas-phase reaction of R-113 with hydrogen in the presence of palladium catalyst supported by active carbon (Japanese Patent Publication Sho 43-8454).
This method is highly advantageous for industrial production of TrFE since the TrFE is produced from R-113 and hydrogen through a direct one-step reaction.
This method, however, is still unsatisfactory for industrial production of TrFE because of low catalyst activity and the short life thereof.
After comprehensive investigation to solve the above-mentioned disadvantages, the inventors of the present invention found a highly active and long-lived catalyst for production of TrFE from R-113 and hydrogen, and have accomplished the present invention.


The disclosure discloses a timing controller board, a main control board, a display device and a detection method thereof. The timing controller board outputs a second level signal transmitted by a first fixed potential signal pin to the main control board through a detection circuit when a first data signal pin outputs a first level signal; the main control board loads a second potential signal transmitted by a second fixed potential signal pin to a second data signal pin and a clock signal pin through a switching circuit upon receiving the second level signal, to cause the main control board to stop sending a data signal to the timing controller board through the second data signal pin and stop sending a clock signal to the timing controller board through the clock signal pin.

Current display devices generally employ a System on Chip (SoC) as a main control board for controlling a display panel in which a Timing Controller (Tcon) board is arranged at the same time, and the main control board and the Tcon board are connected using a bidirectional Inter-Integrated Circuit (IIC). The SoC end outputs data or a clock signal through the IIC to the Tcon end, while the Tcon end may likewise send data through the IIC to the Soc end in some cases.
With continuous development of the display technology, high-resolution high-refresh-rate display products attract more and more attention, more functions of a display device may require a larger number of chips of the Tcon board, thereby resulting in a larger number of IIC paths connected to the SoC. If the Tcon end transmits data to the IIC at the same time when the SoC end transmits data to the IIC, a mutual collision may occur. Such data collision would overwrite data on the original IIC paths to produce random data, resulting in a failure of the function of the SoC end, and in severe cases, if the random data is for address bits of the chips, there may be a risk of overwriting the chips, resulting in adverse effects.

Timing controller board, main control board, display device, and detection method thereof


A disk enclosure is provided with a plurality of HDDs, an enclosure manager that outputs control and management information of the disk enclosure, and S/P converters that are provided for the respective HDDs. Each S/P converter converts a control and management command outputted from the HDD in the form of a parallel signal into a serial signal and outputs it to the enclosure manager. Further, each S/P converter converts control and management information outputted from the enclosure manager into a parallel signal. With this configuration, merely providing a serial port in the enclosure manager and connecting the S/P converters to the enclosure manager by a serial bus can make the SES function of the ESI scheme effective for the HDDs.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a disk enclosure having large data storage capacity, and more particularly to a large capacity disk enclosure that is capable of performing management properly and easily.
2. Description of the Related Art
Information storage devices are typically required to have large storage capacity and to allow high-speed access. It is also desired that they allow stored data to be shared by users at remote places. With respect to these requirements, a data storage system 1, schematically shown in FIG. 7, is employed as an information storage system. The data storage system 1 shown in FIG. 7 includes a host system 2, one or more disk enclosures 3, and FC-AL (Fibre Channel-Arbitrated Loop) 5 connected to the host system 2. Each disk enclosure 3 includes a plurality of hard disk drives (HDDs) 6 that function as nodes of the FC-AL 5. In FIG. 7, for the sake of simplicity, only one HDD 6 is shown and the other HDDs 6 are omitted.
The data storage system 1 can realize large storage capacity by incorporating a plurality of such disk enclosures 3. Employing the FC-AL 5, the data storage system 1 can realize a high data transfer rate and thereby allows high-speed access. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a storage area network 12 can be formed by connecting, as servers 10, the host systems 2 to the disk enclosure 3 and a RAID controller 61 through a hub 8 and a switch 9. In this manner, local area networks each of which is formed by the servers 10 and terminals 13 can be separated from a storage network to and from which the servers 10 write and read data, whereby the network traffic can be made more efficient and a plurality of servers are allowed to share the storage.
As shown in FIG. 7, in the data storage system 1, each disk enclosure 3 is provided with an enclosure manager 14. For example, as schematically shown in FIG. 9, the enclosure manager 14 is connected to predetermined HDDs 6 of the disk enclosure 3 through a parallel ESI (Enclosure Service Interface) buses 15 and can communicate with the host system 2 through a controller of the HDD 6 using SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) commands, specifically, SCSI enclosure service commands (SES commands).
The enclosure manager 14 responds to a request (SES command) from the host system 2 to send internal temperature of the disk enclosure 3, failure location therein, and other control and management information to the host system 2 through the controller of the HDD 6 and the FC-AL 5, and control the disk enclosure 3 properly through internal loop control and other control for the disk enclosure 3.
However, the data storage system 1 using such disk enclosures 3 has the following problems. The data storage system 1 employs the parallel ESI bus 15 for communication of plural kinds of data between the enclosure manager 14 and the HDDs 6. Since the ESI scheme defines peer-to-peer communications, it is necessary to provide the parallel ESI bus 15 between the enclosure manager 14 and every HDD 6 to enable communications between the enclosure manager 14 and the plural HDDs 6 according to the ESI scheme. This necessitates providing many signal lines between the enclosure manager 14 and the HDDs 6, which is virtually impossible. Therefore, among the disk slots 16 (see FIG. 9) to which the HDDs 6 can be attached in the disk enclosure 3, two or three particular slots are generally defined as such disk slots 16′ that the HDD 6 attached thereto can be connected to the parallel ESI bus 15. However, in this case, if the HDDs 6 are not attached to the particular disk slots 16′, the disk enclosure 3 cannot be controlled or managed according to the ESI scheme, which makes it difficult to perform data management properly. Further, to control and manage the disk enclosure 3 properly, it is necessary to instruct a user to have the ESI-supporting disk slots 16′ always mounted with HDDs 6, which would cause inconvenience to the user.

Controlling and managing plurality of disk drives in disk enclosure having serial port wherein serial to parallel converters are connected to individual disk drives

International Business Machines Corporation


The invention comprises a series of architectures that are implemented in four phases to provide a migration path from an initial ATM service offering to a full service ATM network. The initial ATM network includes several metropolitan ATM networks that are interconnected by a core ATM network. Each metropolitan ATM network includes a service node that controls ATM network elements to deliver services. In Phase I, a business hub that is connected to the metropolitan ATM network integrates voice, data, and Internet traffic over a single ATM connection that contains permanent Virtual Connections (PVCs) to various destinations, such as other business hubs, a gateway to local and long distance networks, the Internet, a frame relay network. In Phase II, the architecture is extended to smaller business markets. Businesses are provided with the PVC-based ATM service using xDSL/ATM connections that are multiplexed at a central office and then provided to the service node over the metropolitan ATM network. A remote dial-in feature is also added. In Phase III, a work-at-home hub is provided for telecommuting. The work-at-home hub uses an xDSL/ATM connection through the central office to the service node. Phase III also includes the deployment of a session manager and provider agents that interact to interpret user requests and establish the requisite communications paths using Switched Virtual Connections (SVCs). The business can replace existing some or all PVC-based service with more efficient SVC-based service. In Phase IV, the architecture is extended to the residential market. A residential hub is provided for residential communications over an xDSL/ATM connection through the central office to the service node. An analog hub is provided for conventional telephone service through the service node.

Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to communications systems, and in particular, to communications systems that provide voice telephony service using Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM).
2. Background
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networks are being designed and deployed. ATM is the well-known communications format that is based on a 53-byte cell that includes a five-byte header identifying the virtual connection. ATM cells are designed to carry voice, video, and data traffic within the same communications system. ATM hubs, ATM metropolitan networks, and ATM core networks that transfer ATM cells are well known.
Businesses have increasing communications needs. Most large businesses transmit voice and data traffic over dedicated connections between their various business sites. These large businesses also transmit voice and data over switched connections provided by the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). In addition, these businesses have data networks, such as intranets and frame relay systems.
Residential consumers also have increasing communications needs. These consumers want more communications channels and more bandwidth per channel. The residential consumer also desires more access to media-based services. Despite these technical advances, many residential consumers will still retain their existing telephone devices and will continue to retain conventional telephone service for these devices.
Various ATM deployments are possible to serve business and residential markets, but a problem arises when determining what ATM services should be offered initially and which services added later. This problem is complicated when the various market segments are analyzed. The large business market needs different service offerings than the smaller business market. Both business markets need different service offerings than the residential market.
Deploying a full-service ATM network that serves all markets all at once would be cost prohibitive and extremely complex. A phased approach is needed that provides a migration path from initial service offerings to the full-service ATM network. During the migration, the approach should intelligently offer services that are targeted at the different market segments.
The invention overcomes the above problems by providing a series of architectures that form an incremental migration from initial ATM service offerings to a full service ATM network. The phase I architecture includes several metropolitan ATM networks that are interconnected by a core ATM network. Each metropolitan ATM network includes a service node that controls the ATM network elements that deliver the services.
In Phase I, the business hubs are connected to the metropolitan ATM network over a single ATM connection that integrates voice, data, and Internet traffic. The ATM connection contains Permanent Virtual Connections (PVCs) to various destinations, such as other business hubs, local telephone networks, long distance telephone networks, the Internet, and a frame relay network. In Phase II, the architecture is extended to the smaller business market by providing businesses with PVC-based ATM service using xDSL/ATM connections that are multiplexed at a central office and then provided to the service node over the metropolitan ATM network. In Phase III, a work-at-home hub that uses an xDSL/ATM connections is provided for telecommuting. Phase III also includes the deployment of a session manager and provider agents that interact to interpret user requests and establish the requisite communications paths using Switched Virtual Connections (SVCs). The businesses can replace some or all of their PVC-based service with more efficient SVC-based service. In Phase IV, the architecture is extended to the residential market. A residential hub is provided for residential communications over an xDSL/ATM connection through the central office to the service node. An analog hub is provided for conventional telephone service through the service node.
The first ATM architecture provides ATM PVC-based services to businesses to integrate business communications over a single ATM pipe. The first ATM architecture is comprised of networks, hubs, and Permanent Virtual Connections (PVCs). A core ATM network is connected to a first metropolitan ATM network and a second metropolitan ATM network. The first metropolitan ATM network is connected to a first business hub and a second business hub. The second metropolitan ATM network is connected to a third business hub. The business hubs interwork between ATM and the plurality of different formats, such as ethernet, T1, frame relay, internet protocol, and DS3. The first ATM architecture includes: 1) a first ATM PVC from the it first business hub to the second business hub through the first metropolitan ATM network, 2) a second ATM PVC from the first business hub to a gateway through the first metropolitan ATM network wherein the gateway interworks the second ATM PVC with a connection to a local telephone network, 3) a third ATM PVC from the first business hub to the gateway through the first metropolitan ATM network wherein the gateway interworks the third ATM PVC with a connection to a long distance telephone network, 4) a fourth ATM PVC from the first business hub to a data network through the first metropolitan ATM network and the core ATM network, and 5) a fifth ATM PVC from the first business hub to the third business hub through the first metropolitan ATM network, the core ATM network, and the second metropolitan ATM network.
The second network architecture extends the PVC-based services to the small business market and is created by adding DSL-based multiplexers and hubs. An ATM access multiplexer is connected to the first metropolitan ATM network and a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) multiplexer is connected to the ATM access multiplexer. A fourth business hub is connected to the DSL multiplexer over a DSL/ATM connection.
The third network architecture is created by adding work-at-home hubs, a session manager, and provider agents. The work-at-home hubs interwork between ATM and a plurality of different formats and are connected to the Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) multiplexer. A provider agent is added to the large business hubs, the small business hubs, the work-at-home hubs, and the PSTN gateway. The session manager interacts with the provider agents to establish SVC-based ATM connections in response to user requirements. In the third network architecture, a business will typically replace some or all of the PVCs used in previous architectures with SVC-based ATM connections because the SVC-based connections are more efficient from a bandwidth and cost perspective.
The fourth network architecture is created by adding a plurality of residential hubs that interwork between ATM and a plurality of different formats and that are each connected to the Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) multiplexer. The fourth network architecture also adds a plurality of analog hubs that interwork between ATM and conventional telephony and that are each connected to the metropolitan ATM network. A provider agent is added to each of the residential hubs and the analog hubs to interact with the session manager to establish SVC-based ATM connections in response to user requests. The fourth network architecture expands the full service ATM network to the residential market, but still provides conventional telephony for those who desire it.

Asynchronous transfer mode architecture migration


A method and computer program for testing a design of a circuit comprises providing a model of the design; providing a first property for the design, wherein the first property describes a first behavior; checking the model using the first property and an environment of the design at a reset state until an example of the first behavior occurs; providing a second property for the design, wherein the second property describes a second behavior; and checking the model using the second property and an environment of the design at a state when the example of the first behavior occurs.

The present invention relates generally to hardware verification for electronic circuit designs. More particularly, the present invention relates to model checking and bounded model checking techniques for such verification.
Recent advances in the design of application specific integrated circuits (ASIC) and system-on-chip (SoC) circuits are producing circuit designs of rapidly increasing complexity. These designs are driving the search for techniques that are capable of verifying such complex designs.
Two commonly-used verification techniques are simulation and formal verification. Simulation involves driving test vectors into a physical realization of the design and monitoring the response. However, because the number of test vectors required for complete coverage rises exponentially with the number of input bits and state bits (flip-flops) in the design, simulation can explore only a very small portion of the state space of a design. For example, a design that has only 40 input bits and 40 state bits would require billions of years of simulation time for complete coverage.
In contrast, model checking employs exhaustive mathematical techniques to prove whether a property holds true for a given design. A model checker uses a model of the design to consider all possible input combinations, and covers all possible reachable states to verify the property. This is possible due to efficient techniques such as Boolean satisfiability engines used in model checkers that allow analysis of sets of states simultaneously, and only consider the logic in the cone of influence of the property the tool is verifying. A bounded model checker, like any model checker, employs exhaustive mathematical techniques to prove whether a property holds true for a given design, but only until some certain cycle k.

Extended model checking hardware verification


A reverser for a timepiece including a first input moving part having a first receiving toothing and integral with a first transmission toothing, a second input moving part having a second receiving toothing and integral with a second transmission toothing, a first satellite cooperating with the first transmission toothing configured to rotate in a single direction, a second satellite cooperating with the second transmission toothing configured to rotate in a single direction, the satellite being freely rotatable relative to the first satellite, a satellite carrier carrying the second satellite and an output moving part integral with the satellite carrier in which the first satellite is carried by the satellite carrier.

French patent no. 1,079,576 published in 1954 relates to a self-winding device for a clockwork mechanism. In said device, a winding wheel drives an output wheel, depending on the direction of rotation thereof, in one or the other of the following ways:                either by means of a pinion which it carries and which acts as a satellite engaged with another pinion meshing with the output wheel,        or by meshing with another wheel likewise carrying a pinion which forms another satellite engaged with another pinion meshing with the output wheel.
German patent no. 952,879 published 1956 describes a freewheel clutch for a self-winding watch. This clutch comprises two input wheels driven in opposite directions by a winding wheel. Each of these input wheels is integral with a pinion around which a satellite forming a pawl which is mounted on a lower wheel can move. The two lower wheels mesh with one another and one of them is integral with an output wheel. Thus, depending on the direction of rotation of the winding wheel, the output wheel is driven:                either by a first input wheel, a first pinion, a first satellite and a first lower wheel which forms a first satellite carrier, said first lower wheel being engaged with a second lower wheel which is integral with the output wheel;        or by a second input wheel, a second pinion, a second satellite and the second lower wheel, the latter carrying the second satellite carrier and being integral with the output wheel.
In other words, in this German patent, each satellite is mounted on a lower wheel, the lower wheels serve as a satellite carrier, they mesh with one another, always rotate in opposite directions and just one, the one rotating in the rewinding direction of the spring barrel, is integral with the output wheel.


A heater is disposed in contact with a hydrogen storage unit filled with a hydrogen absorption material. The heater includes at least one combustion chamber which includes a catalyst carrier and in which a combustible gas is burned, a combustible gas burning catalyst carried on the catalyst carrier, at least one combustible gas introduction chamber adjoining the combustion chamber with its chamber wall interposed therebetween, a plurality of combustible gas inlets disposed in a dispersed manner in the chamber wall to permit the combustion chamber and the introduction chamber to communicate with each other, and a combustion gas outlet communicating with the combustion chamber. Thus, the degree of uniformity of a temperature profile is decreased.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heater for a hydrogen storage system, and particularly to a heater which is disposed in contact with a hydrogen storage unit filled with a hydrogen-absorption material and which is used to release hydrogen from the hydrogen storage unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventionally known heater includes a combustion chamber where a combustible gas is burned, a honeycomb structure serving as a catalyst carrier fitted in the combustion chamber, a combustible gas burning catalyst carried on inner peripheral surfaces of cells in the honeycomb structure, and a combustible gas inlet and a combustion gas outlet communicating with the combustion chamber (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-227101).
However, the conventionally known heater suffers from the following disadvantage: the catalyst is provided sufficiently and substantially uniformly on the entire inner peripheral surfaces; thus, most of a combustible gas flowing into each of the cells is burned at a flow-in region of the heater, and a reduced amount of the combustible gas reaches a deeper portion of the heater; as a result, the temperature in the heater is higher in the combustible gas flow-in region of the heater, and a large temperature gradient is produced in the heater; resulting in a large degree of ununiformity of a temperature profile. Under such a situation, releasing of hydrogen cannot be conducted with a good efficiency.


A piezoelectric spatial light modulator including a substrate having an array of cavities and piezoelectric cantilevers is arranged on the substrate. Each of the piezoelectric cantilevers includes a base portion on the substrate and a beam portion extending over a respective one of the cavities. Each of the piezoelectric cantilevers further includes a first electrode, a second electrode and a piezoelectric element between the electrodes. A flexible layer covers the cavities and the piezoelectric cantilevers and reflective elements are each located on the flexible layer over a respective one of the beam portions.

Current projector display systems use cathode ray tubes (CRTs) or spatial light modulators such as transmissive liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, liquid crystal on Silicon (LCoS) devices, or micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) mirror arrays. Single-panel multicolor displays that use CRTs, LCD or LCoS are not efficient due to the limited numerical aperture of the devices. Triple panel multicolor displays that use CRTs, LCD or LCoS are expensive.
MEMS-based projector display systems include display devices with a reflective segment for each pixel to redirect light incident on each reflective segment as needed for the projected image. MEMS-based displays have better contrast than the CRT, LCD, and LCoS based displays, however they are expensive because the fabrication process requires low-yield process steps in which a sacrificial layer is deposited and subsequently etched out below the reflective surface. One MEMS-based device is the Texas Instruments digital light processing chip, which uses electrostatic attraction to bend a deflectable reflecting flap to redirect incident light as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,595 of Hornbeck entitled Frame Addressed Spatial Light Modulator, issued on Oct. 7, 1986.
A market demand exists for efficient, inexpensive and high contrast projector display devices for use in color display systems.

Piezoelectrically-activated cantilevered spatial light modulator

Avago Technologies Fiber IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.


An optical fiber-based sensor is described that is suitable for operation in a gas-rich environment. The sensor comprises a chamber into which are mounted one or more segments of optical fiber, into which are inscribed a plurality of sensor gratings. Each of the plurality of sensor gratings is configured to have the same wavelength shift over time in response to a change in gas diffusion, such that gas diffusion parameters are excluded in the determination of the respective amount of change in temperature, applied strain, and gas diffusion. Also described is a fiber, and techniques for making same, comprising of cores extend through a common cladding. The cores are doped so as to create, in conjunction with the cladding, a plurality of waveguides having the same wavelength shift over time is response to a change in gas diffusion, but different wavelength shifts in response to changes in other parameters.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of fiber optics, and in particular to an improved grating-based fiber optic sensor.
Background Art
Grating-based fiber optic sensors are used in a number of different applications to measure temperature, strain, pressure, vibration, fluid level, and the like. Fiber-based sensing technology has a number of advantages over electric sensors, including, for example: small size, high sensitivity, and remote operation. In addition, fiber optic sensors do not send electrical power to the sensor location and do not conduct electricity; they are thus immune to electromagnetic interference. In grating-based fiber optic sensors, the sensing function is provided by fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), which have a wavelength response that is sensitive to a number of parameters applied to the sensor, including temperature and strain.
Typically, in an environment that is rich in certain gases, such as hydrogen or deuterium, the diffusion of these gases through a fiber optic sensor not only causes the fiber components to experience insertion losses, but also changes the fiber properties, such as the effective refractive index. These unwanted insertion losses and index changes typically lead to measurement accuracy problems, respectively, for intensity-based and wavelength-based fiber optic sensors.
To combat this gas diffusion problem, a number of possible solutions have been explored, including: designing fibers to be less susceptible to particular gases; designing sensor packages to block the gases from entering the sensor body; and providing an additional sensor for gas monitoring. However, these technologies typically have only been able to either improve the sensor performance by a relatively small amount or have thus far not been cost-effective.


A plain carbon steel shutter for a removable data storage device includes a primary coating thereon to improve its appearance, wear, durability and resistance to corrosion. In addition to the primary coating, the shutter also includes a vapor corrosion inhibitor to reduce corrosion caused by ambient moisture in the atmosphere. To increase stiffniess, the fillet radius of the bends in the shutter are increased.

Many removable data storage devices are provided with a casing to protect the data storage media in the device from contamination and physical damage. Typically, the casing includes openings therein to allow access to the data storage media contained in the removable data storage device. The removable data storage device also often includes a shutter for covering the openings when the device is not in use, thereby offering some protection to the data storage media.
One common type of removable data storage devices comprise discs of polyester resin or the like having a magnetic layer on each side thereof forming the media on which information is recorded by a magnetic head. A magnetic data storage disc with a diameter of 31/2 inches (8.9 cm) or less is known as a micro-floppy disc and will be referred to so herein. Generally, the micro-floppy disc is accommodated in a hard casing to form a removable data storage device.
The casing enclosing the media of a micro-floppy disc includes two oppositely positioned head window openings through which the media is exposed to allow the reading and writing of data on the media. To protect the data storage media when the disc is not positioned in a disc drive, a spring-biased shutter is provided that covers the head window openings. The design of the micro-floppy disc is subject to American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard x3.171-1989 and equivalents (such as ISO/IEC 9529-1:1989 and European Computer Manufacturers Association ECMA/TC 19/87/21) to allow interchangeable use of micro-floppy discs in different micro-floppy disc drives, both of which may be manufactured by many different companies. As a result, the dimensions of the shutters for such discs do not typically vary significantly between manufacturers.
Shutters are typically manufactured of stainless steel, aluminum, or plastic. Although shutters manufactured from stainless steel are particularly resistant to corrosion and possess sufficient strength to resist permanent deformation during normal use, they are typically more expensive than, for example, aluminum or plastic shutters. As a result, plastic and aluminum shutters are more prevalent.
Aluminum shutters are typically anodized to enhance their stiffness and ability to resist corrosion. Although anodizing increases the stiffness of the shutters, even anodized aluminum shutters do not have the stiffness of stainless steel shutters. In addition, the anodized aluminum shutters will permanently deform sooner, i.e., with less deflection, than a stainless steel shutter with the same thickness. The low stiffness and permanent deformation can make aluminum shutters more susceptible to becoming lodged in a disc drive if the sides of the shutter become permanently deformed. Such deformation, where the sides of the shutter are splayed outward, can make removal of the micro-floppy disc from the drive difficult (with the possibility of damage to the disc and/or disc drive during removal of the disc).
Another problem with anodized aluminum shutters is that although the anodizing increases the stiffness of the aluminum, the anodizing can crack at the bends used to form the shutter as well as at the edges of the shutter (if it is stamped from a coil of anodized aluminum). The areas where the anodizing is cracked do not exhibit the enhanced stiffniess of the anodized aluminum, but rather exhibit the lower stiffness of the underlying aluminum alone. As a result, the shutter is even more prone to permanent deformation and, in some cases, fracture along the bends formed in the aluminum shutter.
Although the use of plated steel has been discussed for shutters on micro-floppy discs, it is not typically used because of the susceptibility of plated steels to corrode at any voids in the plating, including cracks that develop when the shutters are formed, i.e., bent, to the desired shape, as well as at sheared edges. In addition, the plated steel shutters are also susceptible to scratches and other surface defects during transit and handling of the shutters as they are jostled against each other or storage trays. Although the cracks and other surface defects formed in the shutters are small, they provide the starting point for corrosion by exposing a portion of the underlying steel. In addition to degrading the aesthetic appearance of the micro-floppy disc (or other removable data storage device), the corrosion can weaken the shutter, thereby increasing the chance for permanent deformation of the shutter.

Plain carbon steel shutter for removable data storage cartridges


A Light Emitting Diode (LED) driving apparatus and a method of driving a LED backlight unit are provided. An LED driving apparatus includes: an input unit configured to receive a dimming signal, an extension unit configured to extend ON time of the inputted dimming signal, an LED driving unit configured to drive an LED array using the extended dimming signal, and a detection unit configured to detect a degradation of the LED array by measuring a forward voltage between the LED array and the LED driving unit.

1. Field
The following description generally relates to a Light Emitting Diode (LED) driving apparatus, and such as, for example, an LED driving apparatus that is capable of detecting the degradation of an LED array.
2. Description of Related Art
Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) are widely used because they are relatively thin and light-weight in comparison to many other display apparatuses. In addition, LCDs require a low driving voltage and electricity to operate in comparison to many other display apparatuses. However, because a liquid crystal panel by itself does not emit light, an LCD requires a separate backlight unit (BLU) to supply light to the liquid crystal panel.
A Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (CCFL) or a Light Emitting Diode (LED) is often used as a light source for the backlight unit of an LCD. However, CCFLs use mercury in their fluorescent lamps; thus, CCFLs impose risks of environmental pollution. Further, CCFLs have shortcomings such as slow responsiveness, low color representation, and the like. In addition, CCFLs are not suitable for an LCD that is light-weight, thin, short and/or small in size.
On the contrary, LEDs are environment-friendly in that LEDs do not use environmentally harmful materials such as mercury, and enable impulse driving. In addition, an LED backlight unit is capable of providing a good color representation because the brightness or color temperature of the LED backlight unit can be freely controlled by appropriately adjusting the luminescence of red, green, and blue light emitting diodes. Further, LEDs are also suitable for obtaining an LCD that is light, thin, short and/or small. Thus, LEDs have recently been widely used as the backlight source for LCDs, or the like.
When a plurality of LEDs are connected in series to each other in an LCD backlight that utilizes LEDs, such as when an LED array is used as the backlight source for an LCD panel, a driving circuit may be necessary to provide a constant current to the LEDs, and a DC-DC converter may be necessary to regulate electricity supplied to the LEDs.
Meanwhile, considering that an LED array sometimes fails 'open' or 'short' due to a prolonged driving of the array or due to a physical impact, a protective circuit may be necessary to detect the degradation of an LED array. For instance, an individual LED in an LED array may fail electrically 'open' or electrically 'short.' When an individual LED fails 'open,' the electric circuit is in an open state and the power supply may be cut off from other LEDs connected in series with the failed LED. In instances in which an individual LED fails 'short,' the current continues to flow through other LEDs connected in series with the failed LED.
For example, a protective circuit may detect the degradation of the LED array by measuring the forward voltage (VFB) of an LED array. However, a conventional protective circuit may erroneously determine that an LED array has degraded when actually the settling time of the constant current source is slow or when an abnormal forward voltage (VFB) is detected due to a peak current of the constant current, irrespective of whether the LED array has actually degraded.
Referring to FIG. 6, the current flows to the LED array as a dimming signal (PWM signal) is on, causing the forward voltage (VFB) to gradually decrease. However, due to a rather slow settling time of the constant current source, if the forward voltage drops as illustrated by VFB[A] in FIG. 6, the conventional protective circuit may measure the forward voltage in such a section. When the forward voltage is measured in such a section, the measured forward voltage is higher than a normal one, and as a result, the protective circuit may determine that the corresponding LED array has failed short.
Also, the conventional protective circuit sometimes measures forward voltage in the section when the forward voltage drops close to 0V due to the peak current of the constant current. However, when the forward voltage is measured in such a section, the measured voltage is lower than a normal forward voltage; as a result, the protective circuit may determine that the LED array has failed open.