Methods, systems, and apparatus for winnowing. In one aspect, a method includes loading an initial material into a winnowing system via a feed member; feeding the material into a fluidically accelerated winnowing cavity, where the initial material impacts at least one plate member to yield chaff material and processed material, and where the processed material and the chaff material circulate in the winnowing cavity; and separating the chaff material and the processed from the winnowing cavity based on density. Other aspects include yielding intermediate material, where the intermediate material reimpacts the at least one plate member until yielding chaff material and processed material, preprocessing the initial material, controlling the flow of initial material into the winnowing cavity with a feed gate, where the chaff material egresses the winnowing cavity via a chaff chute, where the chaff material collects in a collection cavity, and/or more.

This specification relates to the field of food ingredient preparation. More specifically, the present technology is in the technical field of winnowing food products, such as cacao.
Cacao beans typically are winnowed in the process of producing chocolate. A whole cacao bean typically may be approximately twelve to fifteen percent by weight chaff and the remainder typically may be the desired food material, which often fractures into pieces known as cocao nibs, or simply nibs. In conventional cacao production, cacao beans are typically dried using a number of techniques (e.g., sun drying, convection air drying, and/or conduction drying), then crushed using convention machines (e.g., hammer or roller mills), and then winnowed using conventions systems and techniques (e.g., hand separation, carpet separation, high-flow, low-RPM tunnel separators, vibratory table sieves). Modern industrial standards typically require no more than 1.5 percent chaff by weight (which equates to an approximate 90% reduction from whole beans) in cacao nibs after winnowing.
Winnowing typically is the process of separating grain, seed, or other food materials from their chaff or shells by blowing a current of air through an unseparated mixture. The lower-density chaff and/or shells travel a greater distance in the air current than the higher-density food product resulting in a separation gradient. The gradient may be then separated into discrete piles resulting in a pile substantially containing chaff, and a pile substantially containing desired materials, such as food products. While there typically may be some cross contamination, the process of winnowing has been used to prepare food material of acceptable quality for thousands of years.
The earliest form of winnowing required two individuals. Whole food would first be crushed, releasing the food material from the chaff, resulting in a loose mixture. One individual would gradually shake unseparated mixture of food material and chaff mixture out of a bowl of at some distance above the ground while a separate person fanned the falling mixture with a cloth, rug, or broad leaf. Wind could also be used to provide the airflow to separate the mixture; however, this could produce an inconsistent result. While this method has the advantage of producing separated food material using limited resources, often in remote locations, it is insufficient for commercial, industrial, or even large-scale home food production.
Early industrial food winnowers of the 19th century essentially replicated this earlier process of manual winnowing using mechanical systems in a controlled environment. A crushed mixture would be placed in hopper above a drift tunnel. The hopper would then discharge a rough stream of mixture down through drift tunnel where a current of air, often supplied by a large bladed fan, would flow from one end of the drift tunnel to the other resulting in horizontal separation of food material. This separation would often be segmented by discrete discharge chutes into a number into discrete grades, each containing different ratios and sizes of chaff and food material. While horizontal drift tunnel winnowers were generally more productive than manual winnowing, but they required relatively large volume drift tunnels in order to sufficiently separate large quantities of mixtures into commercially acceptable grades, which further required large amounts of time and labor to collect and utilize effectively.
Grated winnowers were adopted in the early 20th century to increase winnowing efficiency. Grated winnowers use multiple layers of vibrating grates with sequentially smaller mesh sizes to separate crushed mixtures into mixtures consisting of a small range in particle sizes as they travel horizontally across the grates. A calibrated updraft of air is then used to separate the chaff from the food material at the terminal end of each grate. Since the updraft air current may be specifically calibrated for each grate mesh size, grated winnowers typically are able to achieve higher yields and separation efficiencies when compared to drift tunnel winnowers. The layered design of grated winnowers also enables them to process more material per unit volume compared to drift tunnel winnowers, due to the layered geometry. Unfortunately, the layered approach also makes grated winnowers difficult to clean, due to the tight working spaces and large surface area, and the large size and environmental requirements makes then impractical for smaller spaces or uses. Further, the careful calibration and complexity of cleaning requirements limit the application of grated winnowers in batch processing varieties of food materials.
Vertical drift tubes have been developed recently for batch processing winnowers. These devices use large diameter, substantially vertical tubes with an updraft to separate mixtures according to density. However, vertical drift tubes present many of their own limitations. For example, discharge rates must be consistent must be constantly controlled, air flow must be consistent due to the requirement of the drift tubes to carefully balance of force, and the tube environment presents the inherent problem of material falling down and colliding with material climbing up the tube. Some angled drift tubes designs have been used, such as forty-five degree tube configurations, but the problems of the vertical drift tubes still exist and continue to limit substantial use of drift tube winnowers.
All current winnowers feed at a freefall or drift tube rate that material falls in gravity or slower with vertical drift tubes. Therefore there is a need for a new system and method that can batch process variable feed stock at a high volumetric processing rate in highly efficient and easy to clean manner, and result in high ratio of separation.
Conventional techniques for winnowing cocao inefficient and/or cumbersome, often requiring a large working space, great amounts of time, and an intensive amount of concentration. These conventional systems additionally are prone to clogging due to over- or under-feeding of product, chaff flow, food material collisions, and/or the like. These techniques and systems are often not easily integrated into other stages of production due to their environmental requirements and/or high maintenance and operation requirements. Further, all current winnowing systems rely on freefall or carefully calibrated drift tube for batch processing speeds, which is slow and inefficient. Therefore, what is needed therefore is a more efficient and effective winnowing system and method capable of batch processing variable feed stock at high processing rates.
The present novel technology addresses these needs.

Systems and methods for winnowing food products


The invention is directed to a method and apparatus for treating wastewater. The wastewater treatment system includes a bioreactor including activated carbon and a first biological population. The wastewater treatment system may also include a membrane bioreactor and/or a wet oxidation unit.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a bioreactor system and method for treating wastewater, and more particularly to a wastewater treatment system and method utilizing a membrane bioreactor.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Biological treatment of wastewater is widely practiced. Wastewater is commonly treated with waste activated sludge, in which biological solids are acted upon by bacteria during a sludge residence time within a treatment tank. However, biological treatment produces unwanted waste sludge which must be appropriately disposed of. Waste sludge is commonly removed from the system and sent off-site for incineration or disposal in landfills.
Moreover, any organics present in the wastewater are acted upon by the bacteria only during a hydraulic retention time within a treatment tank. Because the hydraulic retention time is generally less than the sludge residence time, organics and recalcitrant organics in particular, may not be treated or destroyed. As a result, there are certain organic compounds that can pass through a treatment process unchanged to be discharged in either an effluent or residual sludge.
Powdered activated carbon is used in enhanced biological treatment processes allowing the organics to remain within the treatment tank for the hydraulic retention time and the sludge residence time to undergo both adsorptive and biological treatments. However, because both biological growth and adsorption of organic components occurs, wasting of excess solids is required. In addition, the powdered activated carbon is lost from the treatment process with the removal of biosolids and must, therefore, be continually replaced.


A microwave system is capable of inspecting a medium, especially capable of inspecting food products transferred by a conveyer belt in real time. The microwave system includes a transmitter for transmitting continuous microwave; a receiver for receiving the microwave passing through the medium; a scanner for electrically directing a microwave beam along a linear path, especially, across the conveyer belt; a waveform extractor for extracting the informational parts of the received signal outputted by the receiver; and a cpu for analyzing the data outputted by waveform extracting means.

Medium inspection plays an important role in medical imaging, non-destructive evaluation and remote sensing. Ultrasonic based systems and X-ray based systems are widely used for material inspection. The inspection methods based on ultrasound use high frequency sound waves to detect and image features of a material. Pulsed beams of ultrasound can be produced with a transducer. Any sound that returns to the transducer gives two main measurements: amplitude of returned signal and time elapsed between emission and reception by the transducer. A common limitation of sonic systems is the poor resolution, which is caused by the low operation frequencies. X-ray system is a precise and efficient way to inspect the material. However, there are several limitations in this technology: i) the price of the X-ray system is expensive; and ii) X-ray exposure of the operators must be limited.
Similar to X-ray, microwave can "see through" the target. The technique utilizing the property has being developed very fast recently. This technique is efficient, can provide high resolution images for the target medium by making use of the reflection, scattering, diffraction and attenuation properties of electromagnetic fields. In addition, the generation and control of microwave are easier compared with X-ray, ultrasonic and other imaging technologies. Furthermore, with the development of wireless communications, the components required in the microwave system are inexpensive.

Microwave method and system for material inspection


A servo track recorded on a magnetic tape is traced by a pair of servo track reproduce heads. The output of the pair of servo track reproduce heads are subjected to a subtracting process by a subtractor. A pulse signal is provided to a stepping motor according to the output of the subtractor. The stepping motor provides a rotation in a positive direction or a negative direction according to the applied pulse. The rotation of the stepping motor is translated to a magnetic head via a moving mechanism whereby the position of the magnetic head is adjusted along the width direction of the magnetic tape to trace properly the data track on the magnetic tape. A closed-loop control system is implemented for the magnetic head to realize tracking control of high precision.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a positioning device for a magnetic head, and more particularly, to a magnetic head positioning device of a fixed head type magnetic recording/reproduction device.
2. Description of the Background Art
A magnetic head is used for recording and reproducing information to and from a magnetic recording medium. The magnetic head carries out recording and reproduction of information by performing an electric-magnetic or magnetic-electric converting operation according to the recorded information or reproduced information.
A magnetic recording/reproduction device using such a magnetic head comprises a rotary head type device having a rotating magnetic head, and a fixed head type device having the magnetic head fixed with respect to the longitudinal direction of the tape.
As shown in the fixed magnetic head type magnetic recording/reproduction device of FIG. 1, a magnetic tape 17 travels in a longitudinal direction of the tape (X direction) parallel to a fixed magnetic head 9. At the time of recording, a signal from magnetic head 9 is recorded on a track 19 parallel to the direction of travel of magnetic tape 17. At the time of reproduction, recording track 19 is traced by fixed head 9, whereby the recorded information are reproduced by fixed head (to be more exact, reproduce head) 9.
In the case a plurality of tracks are provided widthwise of magnetic tape 17, recording/reproduction is carried out by: (a) providing a plurality of magnetic heads widthwise of the tape, (b) moving one magnetic head along the direction of the width of the tape, or (c) combining the methods of (a) and (b) to position the magnetic head at a predetermined position widthwise of the tape.
In the cases of (b) and (c), a stepping motor may be used for moving magnetic head 9 widthwise of the tape. A stepping motor provides a rotation by a predetermined angle for every input pulse.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a magnetic head moving system employing a stepping motor. Referring to FIG. 2, magnetic head 9 is fixed on one main surface of a head base 10. A nut 12 abuts against the other main surface of head base 10 in a fixed manner. A lead screw 16 of stepping motor 15 is engaged to nut 12. Stepping motor 15 is fixed to a base 14. Lead screw 16 penetrates base 14. Stepping motor 15 is fixed to base 14 so that lead screw 16 is parallel to guideshafts 11a and 11b which will be described afterwards.
Guideshafts 11a and 11b parallel to each other are fixed to base 14. Guideshafts 11a and 11b penetrate respective holes provided in head base 10. Head base 10 is slidable along guideshafts 11a and 11b. Guideshafts 11a and 11b serve as guiding means for moving magnetic head 9 widthwise and parallel to magnetic tape 17 by means of head base 10.
Head base 10 is prevented from moving in a direction perpendicular to the sliding plane of the magnetic tape (the plane opposing magnetic head) by guideshafts 11a and 11b.
With the aid of pressing plate 13, nut 12 prevents the rotary motion of lead screw 16 with respect to head base 10.
Stepping motor 15 rotates lead screw 16 in response to an applied pulse. In accordance with the rotation of lead screw 16, nut 12 engaged to lead screw 16 moves. This movement of nut 12 causes the movement of head base 10 having magnetic head 9 fixed thereto in the width direction of magnetic tape 17. The amount of movement of magnetic head 9 widthwise of the tape per 1 step of stepping motor 15 is expressed by the following equation: ##EQU1## where .theta..sub.s : step angle of stepping motor 15 (deg)
P: pitch of lead screw 16
The step angle of the stepping motor 15 is very precise. By setting lead screw pitch P and step angle .theta..sub.s of the stepping motor to appropriate values corresponding to the amount of the track pitch, magnetic head 9 can move widthwise of the tape to be positioned accurately at a desired track position.
High density recording is required to increase the recording capacity in recent magnetic recording/reproduction devices. A typical method of realizing high density recording is to increase the number of tracks along the width direction of the tape. This will result in a more narrow track width and track pitch.
A flange is generally provided at the widthwise end of a magnetic tape to prevent displacement of the magnetic tape during its travel. Even the provision of such a flange cannot prevent waving during the travel of the magnetic tape, resulting in tracking offset caused by the inability of accurately tracing the appropriate track particularly at the time of reproduction.
When the error between the components in the magnetic head resting position and the error in the mounting position of the record head and the reproduce head widthwise of the track in a magnetic recording/reproduction device are accumulated, the reproduce head deviates from the track to be traced to produce tracking offset.
A guard band is provided between the tracks for preventing crosstalk between adjacent tracks encountered in tracking offset. However, the guard band has a narrow width because of the recent tendency towards narrower track widths and narrower track pitches. There is the possibility of a crosstalk signal in adjacent tracks being mixed into a reproduced signal caused by offset in tracking.
In order to prevent the above-described tracking offset, the still position of the stepping motor must be changed finely according to a position error signal, and not by rotation (or movement) at the step unit. The structure of changing minutely the still position of a stepping motor is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 62-7398.
This conventional system comprises a position error detecting circuit for obtaining the error between the target position and the current position for each predetermined sampling time interval, an integrator for integrating the detected position error during the sampling period, a digital compensating filter for obtaining a corresponding balancing point of a stepping motor (two-phase linear stepping motor) from the output of the position error detecting circuit and the output of the integrator, and a circuit for applying two-phase current to the stepping motor according to the output of the compensating filter for driving the stepping motor to a corresponding balancing point.
In this conventional system, the linear stepping motor takes advantage of an appropriate combination of an A phase current value and a B phase current value to set the balancing point position to an arbitrary position regardless of the mechanical driving pitch. The compensating filter is used to change the balancing point position according to the position error. This compensating filter requires a shift register, an adder and a multiplier for carrying out Z transformation to obtain the offset of the reference balancing point to a desired balancing point. Therefore, the structure of the device is complex and large.

Magnetic head positioning device and method


A method and a system for allowing a user device that has already been authenticated by a first communications network to gain access to a second communications network without undergoing authentication by the second communications network. The first communications network and the second communications network have a pre-established trust relationship there between. A packet is received from the user device that includes a user device public key, by the second network via the first network. A session key is sent from the second network to the user device, via the first network, when a source Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the packet falls into a range allocated to the first network. The session key is encrypted with the user device public key. The user device decrypts the session key using a private key and uses the session key thereafter to access the second network. Further a mapping is generated to correlate the identity of the user device with the session key such that usage data relate to user device is generated by the second communications network and transmitted to the first communications network, which generates accounting information indicative of user device access of the second communications network.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to networking and, more particularly, to method for transitive Authentication Authorization and Accounting (AAA) in the interworking between access networks.
2. Background of the Invention
Typically, Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) are required to access and utilize networks such as cellular networks and Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). In an environment in which a mobile terminal has multiple network access mechanisms, providing AAA interworking among these networks is of great importance. However, it is generally the case that one or more of the involved networks have a closed AAA scheme and it is difficult for one of the networks to use the AAA structure of another one of the networks and vice versa. For example, cellular networks have an AAA infrastructure that is not compatible with Internet based AAA and cannot be easily accessed through Internet protocols, even though the involved networks (including the cellular networks) have external IP connectivity.
Convention approaches for providing AAA interworking all require a special interworking function between the networks, even for AAA interworking between networks that have pre-established trust relationships amongst themselves. Using this interworking function, e.g., network B will then access network A's AAA infrastructure to authenticate a user which has already been authenticated by network A (through a closed network AAA mechanism). The conventional approaches do not take advantage of the fact that the user has already been authenticated by network A which has pre-established trust relationship with network B.
Accordingly, it would be desirable and highly advantageous to have a method for transferring the trust that is attributed to a user by one network from that network to another network, particularly without requiring any special interworking function to accomplish the same.

Transitive authentication authorization accounting in the interworking between access networks


A used wire cutting device for wire cut electric discharge machine which appropriately determines the time to replace a movable blade and a fixed blade of a cutting mechanism on the basis of not only time but also the degree of wear of each blade. The device includes a wear rate storage means for storing the wear rate per cut (1/P) of a blade of the wire cutting device depending on the diameter and material of the wire. The number of cuts performed during machining is obtained from the length of time from the start to the end of machining, and the number of actions of cutting per unit time. The number of cuts obtained is multiplied by the wear rate (1/P) for the wire used, and the resultant value is added to the last value of total wear rate R. With the value thus obtained, the last value of the total wear rate R is replaced. When the current value of the total wear rate R exceeds a predetermined wear rate, a message recommending blade (chip) replacement is sent out, and when the chip is replaced, the total wear rate R is reset to 0. Also when an alarm indicating wire cut failure is sent out, the chip is replaced and the total wear rate R is reset to 0. Further, the device is so arranged to be able to replace the wear rate (1/P) stored on the basis of data obtained by actual cutting.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a used wire cutting device for a wire cut electric discharge machine, which cuts a used wire electrode into pieces by a mechanically or magnetically moved blade and drops them into a container.
2. Description of Related Art
It is already known to provide a wire cutting device for cutting a used wire electrode into pieces by a mechanically or magnetically moved blade and dropping them into a container, on a discharge side of a wire cut electric discharge machine (see JP3-49831A or JP2982485B, for example).
Normally, when used wires are cut by a movable blade and a fixed blade, the blades become worn out and unable to cut wires in a certain time. Generally, the time to replace a blade is determined on the basis of the time for which it has been used. However, the degree of wear of a blade varies depending on the diameter and material of a wire used. Further, even if wires used are the same in diameter and material and blades used are the same in material, the life of the blades varies depending on makers. Hence, it is difficult to determine the time to replace a blade only on the basis of time.
The technique for estimating the life of a blade is known in JP2003-340684A, although it is not for a wire cutting device for wire cut electric discharge machine but for a saw blade. The technique disclosed in JP2003-340684A is intended to deal with various materials, shapes and sizes, and determines the life of a blade on the basis of many elements. Hence, the relation between the area of cut and the amount of wear is shown by a polygonal curve. Further, the amount of wear that corresponds to the life varies depending on the material and diameter. Thus, many elements are considered to determine the life.
There exists no technique of determining the time to replace a blade of a wire cutting device provided in a wire cut electric discharge machine to cut a used wire electrode into pieces and drop them into a container. By the technique of estimating the life of a saw blade disclosed in JP2003-340684A, it is difficult to determine the life or correct the life determined, since the life is determined on the basis of many elements.

Used wire cutting device for wire cut electric discharge machine


A multi-modal portal system provides an authorization prior to establishing a visual interface connection between a support user or caller and a client user or receiving party. Once the caller is authorized, the caller is permitted to drop-in such that a visual interface connection is established with the receiving party. The authorization can be based on a profile configuration that indicates whether the caller has the credentials required for the visual interface. The authorization can require that a notification be sent to a trusted user or primary contact or the caller can be associated with a profile configuration that allows for a pre-authorization without requiring the notification. Also, a schedule associated with the profile configuration can ensure a video notification of one or more scheduling parameters to the client user as well as the receipt of a video response from the client user.

Wireless in general, and Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) in particular have become ubiquitous in networking environments such that many devices that previously relied on manual readouts and displays also provide the same information over wireless technologies. This is even more important as there is a concomitant availability of software applications that run on wireless devices (such as mobile phones) that can read the data and provide useful information to the end-user, for example, via a mobile application. For example, as healthcare costs continue to increase, there is an increasing desire with aging adults to stay in place (in home) for extended care services. While there are many individual technologies to address niche problems, given the rapid rise of connectivity technologies and the use of Artificial Intelligence techniques for predictive and analytical methods, these technologies can be confusing and difficult to configure making ubiquitous adoption of a particular technology unlikely. Additionally, services and users are increasingly requiring a visual interface with each other so that a user can be monitored remotely. Thus, there is a need for a more robust, cloud-based approach that accommodates multiple-modes of sensory data to monitor and control access to the sensory data and the user while addressing security and privacy concerns associated with the sensory data including providing an on-demand visual interface between users.

Multi-modal approach to a secure and closed solution for providing scheduled notifications


A forage harvester includes a crop processing arrangement as well as a conveyor arrangement which can be selectively positioned in respective operating positions in a cutout in the duct extending between the crop chopping assembly and the blower for discharging chopped crop into a trailing container. The conveyor arrangement can be attached to the underside of the crop processing arrangement for the sake of this installation.

The present invention relates to a forage harvester having a chopper assembly and a delivery arrangement that are connected to each other by a channel that is provided with a cutout into which a crop processing arrangement or a conveyor arrangement can be selectively inserted.
A Claas Company advertising brochure, bearing the designation 8/95 (M+E) dt. 150/190.432.7, discloses a forage harvester equipped with a chopper assembly including a chopper drum that chops crop such as corn, grass, sorghum and the like and directs it through a channel to a blower that delivers the chopped crop to a delivery arrangement from where it flows to an accompanying vehicle. In addition to the blower, the channel contains a crop processing arrangement that consists of two rolls that rotate in opposite directions about parallel, with the crop being fed between and crushed by the rolls. The crop processing arrangement consists of a single unit or module and as such can selectively be either installed or removed by sliding the unit horizontally through a cutout in the channel, installation usually being done when corn or sorghum is being harvested and removal usually being done when grass is being harvested for silage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,129, granted to Dallinger on 7 Jul., 1987 also discloses a crop processing arrangement with two rolls rotating in opposite directions that are installed in a channel. Here the lower roll can be pivoted out of the channel on pivot arms and replaced by a roll carrying paddles. The roll with paddles interacts with the remaining roll that carries teeth on its outer surface in order to convey the crop to a blower. In this way jamming should be avoided when the crop processing arrangement is employed in the grass harvest. A comparable solution is also provided according to FR-B1-25 39 950, published 3 Aug. 1984.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,432, granted to Russ et al. on 29 Sep. 1987, either a crop processing arrangement or a conveyor arrangement can be selectively installed in the channel between the chopper assembly and the delivery arrangement. However, in each case, the channel is specifically configured to accommodate the particular arrangement used and accordingly, a single channel configuration is not compatible with both arrangements.
The problem underlying the invention is seen in the fact that the fine and sharp-edged teeth on the circumferential surface of the rolls employed for the processing do not have a sufficiently non-skid surface for the conveying of grass and become dull under constant operation on grass. On the other hand, removal of the crop processing arrangement can lead to the condition that the crop is not accelerated sufficiently.

Forage harvester including selectively operable crop processing and conveyor arrangements


A receiver circuit includes: a local signal generation circuit that generates a local signal; and a test signal generation circuit that generates a test signal having a frequency close to a frequency of the local signal, wherein the test signal generation circuit includes an oscillator that generates the test signal, a mixer that mixes the local signal with an output of the oscillator to generate a low-frequency signal which is a difference signal between the local signal and the output of the oscillator, a phase detector that detects a phase difference between the low-frequency signal output by the mixer and a reference signal, and a filter that extracts a low-frequency component from an output of the phase detector, and controls an oscillation frequency of the oscillator by using an output of the filter.

In wireless devices, reception characteristics are measured at any time, self-correction is performed based on the measured reception characteristics, and thus high performance and high stability are achieved with low power consumption. To do this, a test signal generation circuit that generates a test signal is provided in a receiver circuit of a wireless device, and the generated test signal is supplied to the receiver circuit. A receiver circuit having such a test signal generation circuit is referred to as a receiving built-in-self-test (BIST) circuit.
In a receiver circuit, a local signal having a frequency close to that of an incoming signal is supplied to a mixer together with the incoming signal, a baseband process is performed in the mixer, and a transmission signal component is thereby extracted. In order to inspect reception characteristics, a signal simulating an incoming signal has to be generated separately, and be input from the immediate vicinity of an antenna.
Thus, a test signal generation circuit having a configuration similar to that of a local signal generation circuit that generates a local signal is installed, and a test signal is input from the immediate vicinity of the antenna by using a coupler or the like. The test signal is received by the receiver circuit, and is subjected to a baseband process. This enables measurement of reception gain, a phase change, and so forth.
The local signal generation circuit and the test signal generation circuit are each typically constituted by a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit, and control output frequencies by changing their respective division ratios. For example, a frequency of a signal generated by a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) is divided, a phase of this frequency-divided signal is compared with a phase of a reference signal, and a comparison result is fed back. Thus, feedback is applied so that a frequency of the frequency-divided signal becomes equal to a frequency of the reference signal. When a feedback loop is stabilized, an output frequency of the VCO is stabilized.
A frequency of a test signal has to be different from a frequency of a local signal. Hence, a signal source for test signal generation is installed separately from a local signal source, and frequency dividers installed in these respective signal sources have to be controlled so that their respective division ratios differ from each other. For this reason, the test signal generation circuit results in increases in power consumption and circuit area. In particular, in a frequency divider circuit provided in the test signal generation circuit, the conversion from an output frequency to a reference frequency has to be carried out, high-speed operation is demanded, and a significantly large division ratio is also demanded. Thus, the frequency divider circuit provided in the test signal generation circuit is large in size, and also consumes a large amount of power.
The following is a reference document.
[Document 1] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-130174.


Systems and methods are disclosed for extracting a topology for an installation of a plurality of software components. The topology may be extracted from instantiating instructions for the components of the installation such as an application manifest, manifest tree, configuration scripts, source code, and the like. One of a plurality of rendering engines generates one of a plurality of representations of the topology. Status data for the components may be collected and visually represented on the graphical representation of the topology. Examples of representations include a network topology, a release pipeline graph, a service architecture, and a state machine graph. The status of the topology may be updated in realtime as status information is output by the installation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems and methods for managing an application installation and associated resources.
2. Background of the Invention
Today's applications are very complex both in terms of actual functionality and in the number of components that must interact in order to provide a computing service. Often times the same vendor may provide multiple independent software components to define a complete workflow path that is desired by a customer. Many applications often require various external resources to facilitate their operation. Often, these resources are standardized software modules or systems such as databases, web servers, and the like. The deployment of applications has also recently been facilitated by using commoditized services such as a "Platform as a Service" (PaaS) that provides the capability to provision the different artifacts of a computing platform on demand, such as an operating system, database, web server, file system, storage and network resources, where applications can be deployed. Typically the PaaS also interacts with an IaaS component to provision the virtual machines (or compute power) before the software can be deployed.
The following detailed description provides scalable and improved systems and methods for visualizing and monitoring a complex installation with multiple interdependent software components.

Automatic topology extraction and plotting with correlation to real time analytic data


There is provided a protective helmet assembly that includes a shell, a suspension band, and an adjustable headband and a crown pad. The shell is constructed from at least PARA-ARAMID to provide ballistic protection. The suspension band is attached to the shell. The adjustable headband and the crown pad collectively adjust to a shape of a head of a user while maintaining the head of the user in a non-direct-contact relationship with the shell. The adjustable headband and the crown pad each have a plurality of screw less connectors for directly securing the adjustable headband and the crown pad to the suspension band without screws.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a protective helmet assembly having a lightweight suspension system for use in military, law enforcement, and other applications requiring protection of the head against ballistic and other impacts.
2. Background of the Invention
Various forms of military helmets and the like are known in the prior art. These helmets are constructed to protect the wearer's head against injury. In addition, modern combat requires military personnel to utilize certain helmet-mounted electronic systems, for example, night vision systems and helmet mounted displays.
Various suspension systems for supporting a military helmet relative to the head of a wearer are also known in the art. Typical suspension systems of the prior art are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,897,596 and 3,994,023. In each of the suspensions shown in these patents, a rigid suspension frame is formed with an upwardly opening outer peripheral channel for receiving the lower edge of the shell of the helmet. Straps of a crown structure for receiving the top of the wearer's head are secured to the suspension frame at spaced locations there around, while pads cooperating with one another to form a peripheral headband are independently secured to the same suspension frame.
Although such suspensions satisfactorily achieve the objects of their invention, certain areas remain for improvement. The need for improved suspensions arises particularly in the case of heavier, ballistic-impact-resistant helmets and also when adding ancillary equipment to a helmet. These heavier helmets create the need for a suspension system that permits adjustment of the helmet's center of gravity relative to the wearer, as well as providing increased stability and retention of the helmet on the head. Further, the suspension system should minimize pressure points on the head that might cause discomfort. Aside from these requirements arising from the use of heavier ballistic-type helmets, it is also desirable that a suspension system accommodate a range of head sizes and allow easy servicing or replacement of components.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,073 discloses an integrated helmet system having an outer shell and an inner helmet subassembly. The inner helmet subassembly has a shell and a headband. The shell has a frame portion that extends around the head of a wearer. The headband supports the frame in an adjustable relationship to position an inner surface of a visor relative to the eyes of a wearer. Non-rear crown straps are secured at their lower ends to the frame and through and to the headband. Rear crown straps are secured at their lower ends to a shell of the inner helmet assembly. The upper ends of the non-rear and rear crown straps are stitched to form loops through which a cord is passed. The ends of the cord are tied to retain the crown strap loops over the crown pad. The adjustment of the cord length adjusts the vertical position of the headband and frame relative to the head of the wearer. However, an inner and outer helmet arrangement is neither necessary nor feasible in many circumstances.
Accordingly, it would be desirable and highly advantageous to have a protective helmet assembly with a lightweight suspension system that is especially suitable for use with heavier, ballistic-impact-resistant materials, that permits adjustment of the helmet's center of gravity relative to the wearer, that provides increased stability and retention of the helmet on the head, that minimizes pressure points on the head, that accommodates a range of head sizes, and that allows easy servicing or replacement of components.

Protective helmet assembly having lightweight suspension system


This invention provides a process to regioselectively silylcarbonylate 1-alkynes and in predominantly the Z-isomer with substantial absence of hydrosilylation by-products. The process involves reacting a 1-alkyne with an organosilane and carbon monoxide in a solvent in the presence of a catalyst. The catalyst is a carboxylate salt of a metal such as rhodium, iridium or rhenium.

Silylcarbonylation, also called silylformylation, of acetylenes (alkynes) has been studied extensively, due to its potential for forming reaction products that are useful in synthesizing novel organic molecules and pharmaceutical intermediates. For example, I. Matsuda et al, J. Amer, Chem. Soc., Vol. 111, 2332 (1989) report the silylcarbonylation of alkynes with carbon monoxide and a silane using a catalyst such as Rh.sub.4 (CO).sub.12. When the silane is a trialkylsilane, the product generally formed by way of the Matsuda et al process is in both isomeric forms, the Z-and the E-forms, and with little regioselectivity of addition. In order to get regioselectivity of addition, phenyldimethylsilane is used.
I. Ojima et al, Organometallics, Vol. 10, 38 (1991) report a similar reaction catalyzed by Rh-Co mixed metal carbonyl clusters. Depending on the nature of the silane used, the product is reported to be either a silylcarbonylated product only or a mixture of silylcarbonylated and hydrosilylated products. Trialkylsilanes generally gave a mixture of both, while phenyldimethylsilane gave the silylcarbonylated product exclusively with regioselectivity of additiG6 on and in the Z-form.
Due to the commercial significance of silylcarbonylated products, there is a continuing interest in identifying improved methods to prepare such compounds from low cost starting materials which is an object of the present invention.
It is a further object of the present invention to have such reactions yield the silylcarbonylated product, without substantial contamination by hydrosilylated product.
It is another object of this invention to form a silylcarbonylated product from alkynes substantially as one isomer (the Z- or the E- isomer) and with regioselectivity of addition, by a catalytic process wherein the catalyst enables the applicability of a wide range of silanes.


A hinge device has a first portion defined therein a channel, a lateral slot and a longitudinal slot and a second portion having an axis formed therewith and rotatably received within the channel of the first portion. The lateral slot and the longitudinal slot of the first portion are able to provide the hinge device of the invention recovery force of dual orientations according to various orientation requirement of load.

Hinge devices have been used as a connecting media between a monitor and a key board of a notebook computer for a long time. Most hinge devices do have sufficient effect to provide necessary torque between the monitor and the key board when the notebook computer is opened to display the monitor However, such a conventional hinge device suffers from a major drawback. The hinge device generally has a first connecting stem and a second connecting stem rotatable in relation to the first connecting stem. The hinge device further has at least one resilient member compressibly mounted between the first connecting stem and the second connecting stem. Due to the orientation of the hinge device is different from one another on account of the usage of the objects the hinge device being attached to, manufacturer will have to have a lot of inventory stocked in the ware house to cope with the orientation change in different situation, which often causes a waste in material, and that is crucial in the modern efficiency-conscious.
Thus, a hinge device constructed in accordance with the present invention tends to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems.


A smart phone (101) for providing a user account (102) through which a user (103) is able to operate phone (101). The phone (101) includes onboard memory module (104) for storing at least first data records (105). Phone (101) also includes a user interface (106) for receiving input from the user. A processor (107) is responsive to interface (106) receiving a first predetermined input from user (103) for initiating a first authorised session (108) to account (102), and allowing user (103) to access account (102) and discover records (105). Processor (107) is also responsive to interface (106) receiving a second predetermined input from user (103) during session (108) for controlling interface (106) to seek a third input from user (103) to indicate an identifier for a hidden second authorised session (109). Interface (106) does not reveal to user (103) the pre-existence or otherwise of session (109) or any other like session. Processor (107) is also responsive to the third input not corresponding with the identifier for not revealing to user (103) if session (109) or any such other session exists.

Any discussion of the background art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
The proliferation of computing devices to enable digital communications between people has given rise to the storage on those devices of contact details such as telephone numbers, email addresses, fax numbers, social media account details, messaging service account details, messaging service ID, a web URL, a postal address or any other type of data that defines or links a person to a location, group, organisation, affiliation, or categorisation. More recently it is also more common to additionally store further data about the people that are interacted with, such as profile photographs, online avatars, birthdays, job titles, positions and many other characterisations.
In addition, application software (or apps) operating locally on computing devices such as smart phones often store other data from the email accounts accessed with the smart phone. For example, by keeping records of interactions with contacts or other individuals in general. Such records can include temporal details of telephone calls, details and content of messages sent via SMS or over a messaging service, details of an email and the content of an email or any type of digital message being sent, received or communicated from one person to another via the relevant account. The storage of this information is not necessarily limited to those interactions with parties that are stored as contacts on the smart phone, but often for all parties with whom there is digital interaction. It is not unusual for such records to be also stored on the server side by the provider of the app, or backed-up to one or more databases of a telecommunications provider or smartphone provider. While this allows for significant utility to the user—for example, by allowing the user to access the data with multiple devices—it also increases the risk of a data breach, increases the complexity of operation, and requires greater network bandwidth to provide the desired functionality.
Given the nature of the information now held on such devices and any associated remote servers there is an increasing need for maintaining the data securely, particularly as a safeguard in the event of loss or theft of the computing device or a security breach of the backed-up data. Often the only security measure taken is to require a four digit code or the like to be entered to gain access to the device and the data held on that device. In those circumstances where additional security is required, use is made of further apps resident on the device which require a user to enter user credentials and respective passwords before access is able to be gained to the relevant data. It is also possible to have sensitive documents individually password protected. While these solutions provide some advantages, they are open to being targeted by less scrupulous individuals.
In an attempt to partially address these shortcomings there is available an app referred to as Viber™ (www.viber.com) with an instant messaging functionality that allows "secret chats". While this app provides limited protection for instant messages sent within that app, it is very narrow in its application to small amounts of text data and does not provide an effective solution for any other form of data.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved system and method for providing user accounts through which users are able to operate computing devices.

System and method for providing user accounts through which users are able to operate computing devices


A printed circuit board for avoiding producing burrs, the printed circuit board includes a packaging substrate, at least one plated through hole, at least one first conductive portion, at least one non-conductive portion, at least one second conductive portion and at least one cut section. The plated through hole is formed on the packaging substrate. The first conductive portion and the second conductive portion respectively are adjacent to two sides of a peripheral of the plated through hole and separated by the non-conductive portion. Furthermore, the cut section is arranged on the non-conductive portion, thus the packaging substrate is cut without passing through the first conductive portion, and it will not cause the burrs on the first conductive portion.

This Nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) on patent application Ser. No(s). 92127798 filed in TAWIAN on Oct. 7, 2003, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printed circuit board, and more particularly to a printed circuit board for avoiding producing cutting burrs after a cutting process.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the prior art provides a fabricating process of an infrared data association (IRDA) device 1a. The fabricating process comprises packaging a plurality of chips on a printed circuit board 10a and forming a plurality of infrared data association device 1a by cutting the printed circuit board 10a. Then, the IRDA devices 1a is attached to electronic equipment by using the SMT (surface mounting technology) for signal transmission.
Referring to FIG. 2, the prior art provides a printed circuit board 10a which comprises a substrate 11a, a plurality of plated-through holes 12a formed on the substrate 11a and bonding pads 13a electrically connected to the corresponding plated-through holes 12a for forming a packaging mounting feet. Then, the printed circuit board 10a is cut along an arranged direction of the plated-through holes 12a, and the plated through holes 12a and the bonding pads 13a are cut at the same time to form the packaging mounting feet. Furthermore, the signal transmission chips can be packaged on the substrate 11a by the packaging mounting feet and the substrate 11a is welded on a printed circuit board of electronic equipment.
However, the conventional printed circuit board still has some defects like cutting burrs. When the printed circuit board is cut, the cutting burrs will cause a short circuit on the bonding pads 13a and affect the SMT process. Espectially, when the bonding pads 13a are getting smaller and smaller according to micro electronic equipment, the cutting burrs are all the more serious. Therefore, the conventional printed circuit board has a problem in failing to eliminate burrs, thereby bringing about a waste of manpower and raising costs.

Printed circuit board for avoiding producing cutting burrs


A hydraulic servo-mechanism for an automatic transmission, including a hydraulic servo for applying a band brake to engage a band to a drum. The hydraulic servo includes a rod which is selectively positionable to an apply position for applying the band brake, a standby position in which the rod is retracted by a predetermined extent in a release direction from the apply position, and a retracted position in which the rod is further retracted in the release direction from the standby position to release the band brake.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a band brake for an automatic transmission and, more particularly, to a hydraulic servo-mechanism for engaging a brake band to a drum so as to apply the band brake.
2. Related Art
Band brakes have long been used in automatic transmissions as one mode of an engaging element for fixing a specific speed change element on a transmission case to change a gear stage. In the prior art, a hydraulic servo-mechanism for fastening the brake band of the band brake on the drum applies/releases the brake by moving its rod between two positions, i.e., an apply position and a release position. Such a hydraulic servo-mechanism is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,494.
The band brake, as arranged in the case of the automatic transmission, is held in an oil-lubricated state together with other elements in the case, so that at the brake-releasing time the oil existing in the gap between the brake band and the drum is dragged by the rotation of the drum casing a dragging loss. To reduce this loss, attempts have been made to increase the clearance between the band and the drum at the brake releasing time to such a level as to cause no dragging resistance. When this is done, however, the rod of the hydraulic servo for applying the brake has to be displaced by a large stroke at the brake applying time, resulting in a deterioration of the response for the brake application.

Hydraulic servo-mechanism for an automatic transmission


A pellicle is proposed in which the frame is composed of a detachable double structure of an inner frame and an outer frame, and the pellicle membrane is adhered only to the inner frame and the photomask-agglutination layer is laid only to the inner frame, and the outer frame is removed from the inner frame after the pellicle is agglutinated to the photomask.

In manufacturing semiconductor devices such as LSI and super-LSI or in manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel or the like, a pattern is made by irradiating a ultraviolet light to a semiconductor wafer or a glass plate for liquid crystal, but if a dust particle is sticking to a photomask used in this stage, the particle obstructs the light or refracts it, causing deformation of a transferred pattern, short-circuitry, or the like, and thus this phenomenon leads to lowering of the quality of the end products.
Thus, these works are usually performed in a clean room, but, even in a clean room, it is yet difficult to keep the photomask clean all the time; hence, in practice, the light irradiation is conducted only after a surface of the photomask is sheltered by a pellicle as a dust fender. Under such circumstances, foreign particles do not directly adhere to the surface of the photomask, but only onto the pellicle membrane, and thus by setting a photo focus on a lithography pattern on the photomask, the foreign particles on the pellicle membrane fail to transfer their shadows on the photomask and thus no longer become a problem to the image transfer performance.
In general, a pellicle is built up of a pellicle frame, which is an endless frame bar usually made of aluminum, a stainless steel, or polyethylene, and a transparent pellicle membrane usually made of cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate or a fluorine-containing polymer which transmit light well; this pellicle membrane is attached via dried solution or adhesive to one of the two annular faces (hereinafter referred to as "upper annular face"). On the other one of the two annular faces of the frame (hereinafter referred to as "lower annular face") is laid an agglutinant layer made of a polybutene resin, a polyvinyl acetate resin, an acrylic resin, a silicone resin or the like for attaching the pellicle frame to the photomask, and over this agglutinant layer is laid a releasable liner (separator) for protecting the agglutinant layer.
In general, a pellicle membrane is a thin film made of a resin, so that in order to fix it on a pellicle frame in a slack and ripple-free manner, it is necessary to stretch the pellicle membrane to an appropriate extent as it is being fixed on the frame. Therefore, in the case of a rectangular pellicle, which is generally the case, the pellicle frame after being coupled with the pellicle membrane tends to curve inwardly to some extent on account of the tension of the pellicle membrane.
This phenomenon is more conspicuous in the case of a large-sized pellicle, used for manufacturing printed circuit boards or liquid crystal display panels, for example, wherein the frame side bars are relatively long, and also in the case of a small-sized pellicle, used for manufacturing semiconductor devices, wherein the frame is made of a material having low rigidity as is required for the reasons of limitations in material kind and size.
On the other hand, the photomask is required to provide as large an area as possible to be exposed to light for higher cost performance. However, the inward sagging of the frame side bars decreases the effective area of the photomask available for light exposure, and, therefore, there have been efforts to minimize the inward sagging of the pellicle frame as much as possible for better economy to thereby meet the market's expectation.
Hence, heretofore, pellicle frames have been proposed so as to solve the problem of the pellicle frame sagging, such as is described in IP Publication 1. This pellicle frame has a pair of opposing frame side bars which are outwardly bulged in a shape of an arc in their middle parts and inwardly bulged in a shape of an arc on either side of the said outward bulging and terminate as a straight line, respectively; when the designing of this configuration is appropriately balanced, the sagging amount would be controlled to be less than a certain threshold value.


A system and method for preventing interception and decryption of information by an unauthorized party when that information is transmitted over a network is provided. A token is used to encrypt one-time password that is different for each network session, to prevent decryption thereof. The encrypted one-time password is returned to a network server for authentication by the server. The network server generates its response in a similar fashion. The server compares its response to the one-time password, to determine if they match. If they match, then the client is granted access to the network. If they responses do not match, then the client is denied access to the network by the server.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to data encryption and decryption systems and methods and, more particularly, to a system and method for preventing interception and decryption of information by an unauthorized party when that information is transmitted over a network.
2. Background Information
A computer network session is the time during which two computers in a network maintain a connection. In an interactive computer program running on the network, a network session can be considered the time during which one computer, such as a server, accepts, processes, and outputs information from another computer, such as a client. Programs designed for contacting different servers on the Internet are commonly known as "web applications" or "web browsers".
During a network session, a user, or client, accesses a remotely located computer, or server, to exchange data with the server via a computer network, such as the Internet or an Intranet, for example. During the network session the client may further exchange data with a second client via the server and may exchange data with one or more additional servers.
Frequently, confidential data is exchanged between the client and server during a network session and this data may be valuable to outside parties. Such confidential data may include personal information, financial information, and proprietary information, for example. Thus, if an unauthorized party were to obtain a client's confidential information they could use that information however they desire.
The processes of data encryption and decryption are well known for inhibiting unauthorized access to confidential data. Data encryption is the process of encoding data to prevent unauthorized access to the data, especially during transmission. Encryption of data is usually based on an encryption/decryption key, or key, that may comprise a predetermined sequence of data, that is essential for decoding the data. The encryption key is used to encrypt the data prior to transmission. The intended recipient of the data is provided with a like key for decrypting the data, to allow access to the data by the intended recipient.
One common method of data encryption/decryption is "Public Key Encryption". Public key encryption comprises an asymmetric scheme that uses a pair of keys for encryption. A public key is one of two keys in public key encryption. A user releases the public key to the public. The public uses the public key for encrypting data this is sent to the user and for decrypting the user's digital signature. A private key is the other of the two keys in public key encryption. The user keeps the private key secret and uses it to encrypt digital signatures and to decrypt received messages. A disadvantage of public key encryption is that it may be vulnerable to "Man-In-The-Middle" (MITM) attacks, since the client and server are unable to verify the identity of each other.
A Man-In-The-Middle (MITM) attack typically involves an interceptor posing as a target, which may be a sever, for example. The interceptor uses its own public key, instead of the target's public key, for asymmetric encryption. This allows the interceptor to decrypt confidential data that is intended for the target. The interceptor can then use this decrypted information to gain unauthorized access to the target's confidential information.
A known attempt to defend against MITM attacks is, to ensure that the public key is coming from its legitimate owner. To ensure that a public key is coming from its legitimate owner, an encrypted link can be created between a server, such as a web server on the Internet, and web browser software. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a security technology standard for creating encrypted links between web servers and browsers. This encrypted link attempts to ensure that data transmitted between the web server and browser remains private and integral. SSL technology requires the use of an electronic certificate, issued by a trusted Certification Authorities (CA), to be used to generate the encrypted link. The electronic certificate is an electronic document that binds some pieces of information together, such as a user's identity and their public key. The pieces of information are bound by the signature of the CA.
A trusted Certification Authority (CA) is a trusted third party responsible for issuing digital certificates and managing them throughout their lifetime. Digital certificates are electronic files containing the user's public key and specific identifying information about the user.
Digital signatures are also used to defend against MITM and other attacks. With digital signatures, a sender uses a secret key to create a unique electronic number. This unique electronic number can be read by anyone possessing the corresponding public key, which verifies that the message is truly from the sender.
Another known method of attempting unauthorized access to encrypted data is a "replay" attack. Web browsers may be vulnerable to a replay attacks, if a user's authentication tokens are captured or intercepted by an attacker. In a replay attack, an attacker directly uses authentication tokens, such as a session ID in a URL cookie, for example. For clarification, "URL" is an acronym for Uniform Resource Locator. A URL is an address for a resource on the Internet used by Web browsers to locate Internet resources. The attacker uses the authentication token to obtain or create service to a user's account, while bypassing normal user authentication, such as logging in with the appropriate username or password.
For example, an attacker discovers a URL that contains session ID information. With this information, the attacker may be able to obtain or create service to user's account contained in the session ID information, simply by pasting that URL back into the internet address widow of their web browser. The legitimate user may not need to be logged into the application at the time of the replay attack.

System and method for validating a network session


Provided are interconnects for interconnecting a set of battery cells, assemblies comprising these interconnects, methods of forming such interconnects, and methods of forming such assemblies. An interconnect includes a conductor comprising two portions electrically isolated from each other. At least one portion may include two contacts for connecting to battery cells and a fuse forming an electrical connection between these two contacts. The interconnect may also include an insulator adhered to the conductor and mechanically supporting the two portions of the conductor. The insulator may include an opening such that the fuse overlaps with this opening, and the opening does not interfere with operation of the fuse. In some embodiments, the fuse may not directly interface with any other structures. Furthermore, the interconnect may include a temporary substrate adhered to the insulator such that the insulator is disposed between the temporary substrate and the conductor.

Rechargeable batteries represent a promising technology for providing energy storage for mobile and stationary applications. In order for the market penetration of this technology to increase, the cost of battery cells and battery packs must be decreased. While the battery cells (e.g., lithium-ion cells) have traditionally been and probably still are the most expensive components in battery packs, the cost of the battery cells is expected to decrease over time with economies of scale, new materials, and design improvements. Furthermore, the performance and lifetime of the battery cells is expected to increase, leading to new high-durability applications needing robust connections and conductors. This trend will place more emphasis on the cost, performance, and reliability of other components in battery packs, such as battery interconnects, as well as efficient methods of assembling battery packs using these components.
The electrical interconnects and battery monitoring systems (BMS) in battery packs are two areas in which performance and component costs will be focused on. Many conventional battery packs are assembled using bulky metal plates with complex features. These metal plates are used for interconnecting individual battery cells in packs and to carry current among these cells and/or terminals of the packs. The plates are frequently wired to the individual cells using separate fuse or connector wires, which are designed to protect the individual cells against over-currents and thermal runaway. These fuse wires are fragile and are prone to breakage under the stress and vibration conditions typically encountered in the field. Furthermore, each plate is typically attached to the cells as a freestanding component. This individualized assembly drives up costs and the overall complexity of manufacturing the pack, which in turn negatively impacts safety and robust performance of the battery packs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An upper cover plate for an air-tight chamber and a tool for removing the upper cover plate from the chamber are introduced. The upper cover plate integrates a chamber body to form the air-tight chamber, in which the chamber body further includes a top surface for air-tightly matching with a bottom surface of the upper cover plate. The upper cover plate further includes a plurality of thread holes engageable respectively with a plurality of the tools. The present invention is characterized on that at least one of the thread holes is formed as a through thread hole connecting to the bottom surface, and that the respective tool for engaging with the through thread hole includes a portion for penetrating the through thread hole and going beyond the bottom surface. By providing the present invention, the top surface of the chamber body can be utilized as a pivotal plane for the tool to easily perform a helical lifting application upon the upper cover plate through the engaged threads, so that the air-tight state of the chamber can be easily removed.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an upper cover plate for an air-tight chamber and a tool for removing the upper cover plate, and more particularly to a plate structure and an accompanying tool which can make easier the breaking of the air-tight state of the chamber.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Air-tight chambers are widely used in precision manufacturing. For example, in an electronic or a semiconductor industry, various types of air-tight chambers have been seen in a wafer-manufacturing process or the like. Conventionally, a middle-size or a large-size air-tight chamber is usually equipped with an automatic or a labor-saving mechanism for controlling opening/closing of a heavier air-tight door structure. However, due to a consideration of cost, a small-size air-tight chamber usually applies only a simple-structured cover plate for sealing the chamber. The opening, of the cover plate, i.e. the breaking of the air-tight or vacuum state of the chamber, is generally performed by utilizing a hand tool upon the cover plate.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a schematic side view of a typical air-tight chamber, say an Applied Eudura5500 PVD chamber, is shown. In this structure, the air-tight chamber includes a chamber body 1 and an upper cover plate 2. A top surface 13 of the chamber body 1 includes a annual groove 11 for accommodating an oil seal 12. A bottom surface 22 of the upper cover plate 2 is used to air-tightly mount upon the top surface 13 of the chamber body 1. By providing a plurality of screws (not shown in the figure), the upper cover plate 2 can be fastened onto the chamber body 1. At the same time, the oil seal 12 in the annual groove 11 can then be depressed and deformed in between to form an air-tight state of the chamber.
While beginning to disassemble the upper cover plate 2 from the chamber body 1, the screws in between need to be loosen firstly. At this time, due to the sealing effect provided by the oil seal 12, the upper cover plate 2 and the chamber body 1 are actually still integrated as an air-tight chamber. By applying substantial force upon a plurality of T-shaped tools 3 (2 shown in FIG. 1) engaged with the upper cover plate 2, the upper cover plate 2 then can be removed off the chamber body 1. During the removing of the upper cover plate 2, the air-tight state of the chamber is broken as soon as the oil seal 12 miss-contacts any of the upper cover plate 2 or the chamber body 1.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a conventional T-shaped tool 3 is shown perspective. The tool 3 includes a hand bar 31 for manual forcing operation, a stem bar 32 perpendicular to the hand bar 31, and an external thread part 33 formed at a free end of the stem bar 32. Please now refer back to FIG. 1. While applying the tool 3, each tool 3 is engaged directly with a respective blind thread hole 21 on the upper cover plate 2. Then, apply a lift to each tool 3 for separating the upper cover plate 2 from the chamber body 1; thus, the air-tight state of the chamber can be broken.
In the aforesaid chamber structure, it is obvious that the thread holes for fastening the upper cover plate 2 to the chamber body 1 and the blind thread holes 21 for engaging with the T-shaped tool 3 are all located outsides to the annual groove 11. On the other hand, the air-tight interior of the chamber is formed insides to the annual groove 11. Upon such an arrangement, the air-tight state of the chamber can be established by depressing the oil seal 12 located in the annual groove 11.
Apparently, in the application of the upper cover plate 2 and the T-shaped tool 3, a substantial lifting force is required directly to break the air-tight state of the chamber. Thus, a so-called hard-pulling mechanism is formed. Nevertheless, in practice, only limited room around the chamber is available for manual lifting operation of the T-shaped tool 3. Actually, in the example of the Applied Eudura 5500 PVD chamber, the disassembly of the chamber upon breaking the air-tight state is usually so difficult that substantial labor and time are required while carrying out a periodical or an urgent maintenance.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an upper cover plate for an air-tight chamber and a tool for removing the upper cover plate from the chamber, in which a top surface of a chamber body of the air-tight chamber can be utilized as a pivotal plane for the tool to easily perform a helical lifting application upon the upper cover plate through engaged threads, and thereby the air-tight state of the chamber can be easily removed.
The upper cover plate for an air-tight chamber is introduced to integrate a chamber body for forming the air-tight chamber, in which the chamber body provides a top surface to air-tightly match with a bottom surface of the upper cover plate. The upper cover plate further includes a plurality of thread holes engageable respectively with a plurality of the tools. The present invention is characterized on that at least one of the thread holes is formed as a through thread hole connecting to the bottom surface, and that the respective tool for engaging with the through thread hole includes a portion for penetrating the through thread hole and going beyond the bottom surface.
In the present invention, at least one of the thread holes should be formed as the through thread hole for engaging with the tool of the present invention, and the rest of the thread holes can be made as the conventional blind thread holes as described above in the background section. In accordance with the present invention, all of the thread holes can be formed as the through thread holes.
In the present invention, the tool for engaging with the through thread hole includes a hand bar, a stem bar and a thread part. The hand bar is used to receive an external torque for driving the tool helically along the through thread hole. The stem bar has two ends for fixedly connecting with the hand bar and the thread part, respectively. The thread part includes exterior threads for engaging with respective interior threads of the through thread hole. By providing the present invention, while the tool is applied to the through thread hole, the torque can be applied to the hand bar for rotating the thread part feeding along the through thread hole. As long as the thread part of the tool goes beyond the through thread hole of the upper cover plate and touches with the top surface of the chamber body, the top surface can be deemed as a pivot plane for the tool to rotate about the stem bar. Thus, further rotation of the tool can generate a lifting force contributed by the sliding threads between the thread part and the through thread hole for easily elevating the upper cover plate off the chamber body. Therefore, the air-tight state of the chamber can be easily broken.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the hand bar of the tool is preferably perpendicular to the stem bar.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the thread part further includes an extended portion for playing as the portion to go beyond the bottom surface of the upper cover plate.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the extended portion of the tool can further include a friction sleeve for wrapping around the exterior of the extended portion, by which the top surface of the chamber can be prevented from being scratched upon the tool rotating thereon. Preferably, the friction sleeve can be made of a Teflon material.
All these objects are achieved by the upper plate and the tool described below.

Upper cover plate for an air-tight chamber and a tool for removing the same


A power supply circuit includes a first voltage regulator to generate a first supply voltage for a first circuit of a phase-locked loop and a second voltage regulator to generate a second supply voltage for a second circuit of the phase-locked loop. The first and second supply voltages are independently generated by the first and second voltage regulators based on the same reference signal. The first circuit may be a charge pump and the second circuit may be a voltage-controlled oscillator. Different circuits may be supplied with the independently generated supply voltages in alternative embodiments.

Phase-locked loop (PLL) circuits are in wide use in many communication and computer-based applications. While these devices have generally proved to be reliable, they do experience inaccuracies which tend to adversely affect the performance of their host circuits. These inaccuracies are attributable, in part, to noise and specifically jitter that is introduced into the PLL from power supply voltages.

Power supply circuit for a phase-locked loop


In proteomic research, it is often necessary to screen a large number of polypeptides for the presence of stable structure. Described herein are methods (referred to as MALDI MS-HX and SUPREX) for measuring the stability of proteins in a rapid, high-throughput fashion. The method employs hydrogen exchange to estimate the stability of quantities of unpurified protein extracts, using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. A method of quantitatively determining the stability of a test protein under native conditions is disclosed. The method includes the steps (a) providing a test protein; (b) contacting the protein with an exchange buffer comprising a denaturant and deuterium, the exchange buffer having a denaturant concentration; (c) contacting the test protein with a mass spectrometry matrix medium; (d) determining a change in mass of the test protein by mass spectrometry; (e) varying the denaturant concentration of the exchange buffer; (f) repeating steps (a)-(e) a desired number of times; and (g) quantitatively determining protein stability based on the change in mass of the test protein as a function of denaturant concentration, whereby the stability of a test protein under native conditions is quantitatively determined.

Natural proteins differ from most polymers in that they predominantly populate a single, ordered three-dimensional structure in solution. It has long been recognized that this ordered structure can be transformed to an approximate random chain by changes in temperature, pressure or solvent conditions (Neurath et al., (1944) Chem. Rev. 34: 157-265). The ability to induce protein unfolding, and subsequent refolding, has allowed scientists to analyze the physical chemistry of the folding reaction in vitro (Schellman, (1987) Annu. Rev. Biophys. Bio. 16: 115-37). These investigations have shed light on the kinetics and thermodynamics of conformational changes in proteins and are of biological interest for two important reasons. First, they aid in the understanding of how proteins, which start their existence in the cell in a disordered state, manage to rapidly transform into a single, folded, functional conformation. Second, they elucidate the nature of functionally significant structural fluctuations present in proteins once folding equilibrium is reached.
The function of a protein is contingent on the stability of its native conformation. Consequently, in the field of protein biochemistry, stability measurements are frequently performed to establish a polypeptide as a stably folded protein and to study the physical forces that lead to its folding (Schellman, (1987) Annu. Rev. Biophys. Bio. 16: 115-37). Stability measurements also provide important biological information; a decrease in stability can be a sign of misfolding, which in some proteins leads to disease (Dobson, (1999) Trends Biochem. Sci. 24: 329-32) while an increase in stability can be indicative of ligand binding (Schellman, (1975) Biopolymers 14: 999-1018). Despite their utility, stability measurements currently necessitate time-consuming experiments with pure protein samples. In proteomic experiments (Blackstock & Weir, (1999) Trends Biotechnol. 17: 121-27), where a large number of polypeptides often need to be analyzed, stability measurements are not practical.
Recent studies have demonstrated that hydrogen exchange coupled with electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry can qualitatively distinguish native-like proteins from unfolded polypeptides in partially purified samples (Rosenbaum et al., (1999) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 121: 9509-13) and can be used to study the kinetics and thermodynamics of folding (Miranker et al., (1996) FASEB J. 10: 93-101; Deng & Smith, (1999) Ana. Biochem. 276: 150-60). However, these studies did not disclose the quantitative analysis of native-like proteins.
Stability measurements are frequently performed to establish a polypeptide as a stably folded protein and to study the forces that lead to its folding. Conventional denaturation methods used for the analysis of protein stability have at least the following identified experimental limitations: 1) stability can only be measured under conditions where the protein is partially unfolded; 2) the energetics of localized fluctuations can not be easily measured; 3) many proteins cannot be analyzed because they aggregate during the course of denaturation; 4) stability measurements cannot be obtained in complex mixtures, extracts or living cells; 5) relatively large amounts of protein are required for analysis; and 6) denaturation experiments are time-consuming and not amenable to high-throughput analysis. These constraints drastically limit the number of biological problems that can be addressed through stability measurements.
Thermodynamic stability is an important biological property that has evolved to an optimal level to fit the functional needs of proteins. Therefore, investigating the stability of proteins is important not only because it affords information about the physical chemistry of folding, but also because it can provide important biological insights. A proper understanding of protein stability is also useful for technological purposes. The ability to rationally make proteins of high stability, low aggregation or low degradation rates will be valuable for a number of applications. For example, proteins that can resist unfolding can be used in industrial processes that require enzyme catalysis at high temperatures (Van den. Burg et al., (1998) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 95(5): 2056-60); and the ability to produce proteins with low degradation rates within the cell can help to maximize production of recombinant proteins (Kwon et al., (1996) Protein Eng. 9(12): 1197-202).
Stability measurements can also be used as probes of other biological phenomena. The most basic of these phenomena is biological activity. The ability of proteins to populate their native states is a universal requirement for function. Therefore, stability can be used as a convenient, first level assay for function. For example, libraries of polypeptide sequences can be tested for stability in order to select for sequences that fold into stable conformations and might potentially be active (Sandberg et al., (1995) Biochem. 34: 11970-78).
Changes in stability can also be used to detect binding. When a ligand binds to the native conformation of a protein, the global stability of a protein is increased (Schellman, (1975) Biopolymers 14: 999-1018; Pace & McGrath, (1980) J. Biol. Chem. 255: 3862-65; Pace & Grimsley, (1988) Biochem. 27: 3242-46). The binding constant can be measured by analyzing the extent of the stability increase. This strategy has been used to analyze the binding of ions and small molecules to a number of proteins (Pace & McGrath, (1980) J. Biol. Chem. 255: 3862-65; Pace & Grimsley, (1988) Biochem. 27: 3242-46; Schwartz, (1988) Biochem. 27: 8429-36; Brandts & Lin, (1990) Biochem. 29: 6927-40; Straume & Freire, (1992) Anal. Biochem. 203: 259-68; Graziano et al., (1996) Biochem. 35: 13386-92; Kanaya et al., (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271: 32729-36).
The linkage between stability and binding has recently been implemented as a method to detect ligand binding (U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,582 to Bowie & Pakula). This method, however, does not take advantage of the high sensitivity available from an analytical technique such as MALDI mass spectrometry, and cannot be employed at the low protein levels that MALDI mass spectrometry can detect. Moreover, proteolytic methods can require additional steps to isolate and analyze proteolytic fragments and cannot be performed in an in vivo setting. Finally, this method cannot be employed to generate quantitative measurements of protein stability.
Thus, there remains substantial room for improvement in existing methods of screening for, quantitatively determining and beneficially employing protein stability measurements. A particularly desirable method would provide for the high throughput quantitative determination of protein stability, would require only very small quantities of sample, would permit in vivo measurement of protein stability and would generate data useful for a variety of stability-based applications. Until the disclosure of the present invention set forth herein, such a method was not available in the art.

Quantitative, high-throughput screening method for protein stability


A tubular coupling comprising a first connector comprising a body defining a first passageway portion and a valve area, the valve area comprising a first volume adjacent to an end of the first passageway portion; and a second volume in fluid communication with the first volume; and a first valve disposed in the first volume of the valve area; and a second connector adapted to receive at least a portion of the first connector, the second connector comprising: a body defining a second passageway portion and a valve area, the valve area comprising: a first volume adjacent to an end of the second passageway portion; and a second volume in fluid communication with the first volume; and a second valve disposed in the first volume of the valve area.

Tubular couplings are generally used in joining fluid pathways to form a common fluid conduit. Couplings are typically disposed on terminal ends of tubulars and include connecting members which permit unification of the tubulars. After coupling the tubulars, fluid flow therethrough can be selectively maintained until such point that an operator decides to terminate flow. At such time, the operator can disconnect the coupling to move or reposition the tubulars with respect to one another or a fluid container.
Skilled artisans appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the invention.

SAINT-GOBAIN PERFORMANCE PLASTICS CORPORATION


A bellows type mechanical seal including a sealing ring and a mating ring, wherein either one of the sealing ring or the mating ring is retained in a housing and the other one is mounted on a shaft and wherein the sealing ring is supported by a bellows and the bellows has a retainer welded thereto on one of the sides for retaining the sealing ring and a collar welded on the other side to form a bellows assembly, is characterized in that the entire surface of the bellows assembly is covered by an erosion-resistant film formed by the physical vapor deposition, such as ion-plating.

Such a kind of conventional bellows type mechanical seal, when taking an example of a stationary form, is provided with a seal ring which is held by a bellows, and a mating ring which is arranged in opposition to the seal ring in a manner as to slidably contact therewith, wherein it is constructed such that the seal ring is supported by a housing, and the mating ring is supported by a rotating shaft so as to rotate together with the rotating shaft (see a first patent document).
The bellows is an integral structure in which a retainer for holding the seal ring is welded and fixed to one end of the bellows and a collar fixedly secured to the housing is welded and fixed to the other end of the bellows.
The seal ring is made of a sliding material such as carbon, and is hermetically shrink fitted or press fitted to the retainer. As a retainer material, there is used a metallic material having a low thermal expansion coefficient of about 5×10−6 1/degrees C., which is approximate to the coefficient of thermal expansion of carbon, etc., such as, for example, 42% Ni—Fe, etc. By making the coefficient of thermal expansion of the seal ring approximate to that of the retainer, a change in the shrink fit margin can be reduced even if it becomes a high temperature, so that a change in shrink fit stress can be reduced, and the flatness of the end faces of the seal can be held.
On the other hand, for the bellows, there is used a metal having a spring nature, such as Inconel 718, Inconel 625 (Inconel is a registered trademark), AM350, etc.


A method and device for removing media sheet jams within an image forming device. The position of the media sheets is monitored as the media sheets move through the image forming process. The occurrence of a media jam is detected, and the position of each media sheet within the device at the time of the jam is also detected. A message is displayed to an operator indicating the number of sheets within the device that should be removed to clear the jam. The order of media sheet removal may also be displayed to the operator.

Image forming devices move a media sheet through an extended media path. The media sheet undergoes numerous image forming operations along the path that may include initial input into the media path from an input tray or exterior input, receiving toner or ink that forms the image, fusing of the toner or ink onto the media sheet, and duplexing for image formation on a second side. Numerous media sheets may be moving along the media path simultaneously as the device processes a multi-page print request, and/or prints numerous print requests at the same time.
One or more of the media sheets may become jammed along the media path during the image formation. The image forming device is configured to stop operating upon the occurrence of a jam. The operator is required to determine where the jam occurred, and to remove the one or more media sheets located along the media path. Image formation is restarted once the sheets are removed.
It is often difficult for the operator to determine the location of the media jam. Often times the operator must open the numerous access doors and search for the sheets in the media path. This process is time consuming and frustrating. Often times, the operator is unable to locate the sheets in the media path. An operator panel on the exterior of the device may indicate a jam, but is often not useful in assisting the operator to locate and clear the jam.
Another aspect adding to the difficulty is that numerous media sheets may be involved in the jam. The operator may successfully locate and remove a first sheet, only to discover that other sheets along the media path should also be removed. The frustration is further heightened when the operator is unaware of the multi-sheet jam and has closed all the clearance doors after removing the first sheet with the expectation of restarting image formation.

Method and device for clearing media jams from an image forming device


The present invention provides an apparatus and a method of fabricating the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a substrate having a planar surface and first and second electrodes located on the planar surface. The first electrode has a top surface and a lateral surface, and the lateral surface has an edge near or in contact with the substrate. An electrode insulating layer is located on the top surface and a self-assembled layer located on the lateral surface. The second electrode is in contact with both the self-assembled layer and the electrode insulating layer.

As semiconductor devices are scaled down, the minimum feature size attainable with the use of traditional patterning techniques (e.g., about 5 nanometers), such as photolithography and e-beam lithography, are being reached. Therefore, there is increased interest in the use of alternative approaches to define device features using self-assembling layers that are generally self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). There have been attempts to fabricate closely spaced electrodes on substrates using SAMs which serve as spacers between electrodes. Attempts have also been made to use the SAMs as a channel region of a field-effect transistor (FET). Such processes, however, remain problematic because there is a low yield of functional devices, that is, devices that do not have short circuits or parasitic currents.
Accordingly, a semiconductor device having closely spaced electrodes separated by a self-assembled layer that is more resistant to short circuiting than existing semiconductor devices using SAMs electrode spacers, is needed.


During a first rotation of a photoconductor, latent electrostatic images for color correction processing patterns are formed on the photoconductor, and the latent electrostatic images are developed into the color correction processing patterns in each of four colors, and then densities of the patterns on the photoconductor are detected. During a second rotation of the photoconductor, each color of the patterns is recovered back into a developer device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming device that employs an electrophotographic method using developers of a plurality of colors and, in particular, to an image forming device that detects color densities to perform color correction process.
2. Related Art
It is known in the art for a color laser printer to detect the densities of different colors and perform color correction based on the detection results (for example, Japanese Patent-Application Publication No. 2001-201904).
A typical color laser printer uses a method known as the four-cycle printing method, wherein a multicolor image is formed on an image-support member by four rotations of a photoconductor such that a monochromatic toner image is formed at each rotation of the photoconductor, and then the multicolor image on the image support member is transferred to a recording medium. When performing the density detection for each color in this printer, the photoconductor rotates four times in the same manner as during printing. Therefore, the density detection necessitates at least four rotations of the photoconductor, which takes too long a time.
In this four-cycle printing type of color laser printer, or in a tandem-style color laser printer in which one photoconductor is provided for each color, all of the toner used during density detection is discarded, which is a waste.
These problems are not limited to color laser printers, but occur in other image forming devices also.

Image forming device that performs density detection