The subject matter relates a catheter having a helical or spiral tip defining an aspiration port for removing obstructions from blood vessels.

A thrombus, or blood clot, is the final product of the blood coagulation step in hemostasis. Thrombi can form in various parts of the human vasculature, such as in blood veins and arteries. For example, if a thrombus forms in a small artery, it may completely block the flow of blood through the artery, leading to necrosis of the tissue supplied by the blood vessel. If the thrombi become dislodged, forming emboli, they can cause serious conditions such as an ischemic stroke. Therefore, many techniques have been developed for the removal of thrombi. This procedure is commonly referred to as a thrombectomy.
A thrombectomy is typically performed using a catheter. In some instances, the catheter is outfit with an inflatable balloon attached to its tip. This is commonly referred to a Fogarty catheter. The catheter tip is passed beyond the clot, the balloon is inflated, and the thrombus is removed by withdrawing the catheter. The inflatable balloon may also be used to administer pharmacologic treatment wherein thrombolytic agents (e.g., streptokinase, urokinase, tissue plasminogen activator (TPA)) and/or anticoagulant drugs (e.g., heparin, warfarin) are administered in an effort to dissolve and prevent further growth of the clot. Possible complications of balloon thrombectomy include endothelial denudation, vessel wall injury, and intimal lesions, which can lead to another thrombosis. The vessel may also be affected by a dissection or rupture or causing cholesterol embolism from atherosclerotic plaques.
Catheter thrombectomy may also be performed using aspiration, wherein the thrombus is removed by suction, or by surgical thrombectomy, wherein the thrombus is detached by surgical removal following incision into the blood vessel by open surgery. Open surgical thrombus-removing procedures can, in many cases, be used to rapidly remove clots from the lumens of blood vessels, but such open surgical procedures are notoriously invasive, often require general anesthesia, and the use of such open surgical procedures is generally limited to blood vessels which are located in surgically accessible areas of the body. For example, many patients suffer strokes due to the lodging of blood clots in small arteries located in surgically inaccessible areas of their brains and, thus, are not candidates for open surgical treatment.
Thus, there exists a need for the development of new surgical thrombectomy catheter that is advanceable and exchangeable over pre-inserted small diameter guidewires and that is capable of safely removing thrombi or other matter from blood vessels.

Thrombectomy catheter with aspiration and guidewire lumens defining an asymmetrical taper and cutting edge with offset tip


A heat developable photosensitive material is disclosed, comprising a support having thereon at least one photosensitive silver halide emulsion layer which contains (i) at least one compound selected from among the compounds represented by formulae (I) and (III) and (ii) a dye compound represented by formula (LI): ##STR1## the definition of Y, R, R', M, T, U, n, m and for formula (I) and (III) and Y, Z and n for dye of formula (LI) are as defined in the specification.

Heat developable photosensitive materials in which silver halides are used as photosensitive components are known in this field of technology. For example, disclosures of these materials have been made on pages 242-255 of Fundamentals of Photographic Engineering, "Non-silver Salt Edition" (published by Corona, 1982), on page 40 of the April 1978 issue of Image Report, on pages 32-33 of Nebletts, Handbook of Photography and Reprography (7th Edition, published by Van Nostrand Reinhold Company), in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,152,904, 3,301,678, 3,392,020 and 3,457,075, British Patents 1,131,108 and 1,167,777, and on pages 9 to 15 of Research Disclosure (referred to hereinafter as RD) of June 1978.
Many methods have been proposed for obtaining color images by thermal development.
For example, methods in which color images are formed by bonding couplers and the oxidized forms of developing agents which have been formed by the reduction of silver halides have been disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,531,286, 3,761,270 and 4,021,240, Belgian Patent 802,519 and RD 13742.
Furthermore, methods in which positive dye images are formed by thermal development using a silver dye bleach method in which silver halides are used have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,957, RD 14433 and RD 15227.
Moreover, (1) methods in which diffusible dyes are imagewise formed or released from dye providing compounds along with the thermal development of a silver halide and in which these diffusible dyes are transferred to a dye fixing element which has a mordant by means of a solvent such as water, (2) methods in which transfer to a dye fixing element is achieved by means of a high boiling point organic solvent, (3) methods in which transfer to a dye fixing element is achieved by means of a hydrophilic thermal solvent which is incorporated into the dye fixing element, and (4) methods in which a mobile dye is subjected to thermal diffusion or sublimation and transferred to a dye receiving element, such as a support, have been proposed. With these methods it is also possible to obtain negative dye images and positive dye images with respect to the original, sometimes by changing the type of dye providing compound which is used and sometimes by changing the type of silver halide emulsion which is used (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,463,079, 4,474,867, 4,478,927, 4,507,380, 4,500,626 and 4,483,914, JP-A-58-149046, JP-A-58-149047, JP-A-59-152440, JP-A-59-154445, JP-A-59-165054, JP-A-59-180548, JP-A-59-168439, JP-A-59-174832, JP-A-59-174833, JP-A-59-174834, JP-A-59-174835, JP-A-62-65038, JP-A-61-23245, and European Patents 210,660A2 and 220,746A2 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application")).
However, heat developable photosensitive materials of the type described above are developed at high temperatures and are therefore different from normal photosensitive materials which are developed at about room temperature. Fogging (a lowering of the D.sub.max in photosensitive materials which have a positive-positive response) occurs to a marked degree and it is difficult to obtain photographs which have high image discrimination characteristics (S/N).
Hydroxytetraazaindenes and benzotriazoles, for example, are known as anti-foggants for normal photosensitive materials which are developed and processed at temperatures close to room temperature. But the initial antifoggant objective is not achieved when these compounds are used in heat developable photosensitive materials and, moreover, they result in a loss of photographic speed.
Furthermore, heat developable photosensitive materials which have improved S/N have been disclosed, for example, in JP-A-59-168442, JP-A-59-111636, JP-A-59-177550, JP-A-60-168545, JP-A-60-180199, JP-A-60-180563, JP-A-61-53633, JP-A-62-78554, JP-A-62-123456, JP-A-63-133144, JP-A-2-44336 and JP-A-2-211442, but it has not been possible to realize objective mentioned above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to realize the aforementioned objectives, a heat developable photosensitive material of the present invention comprises a support having thereon at least one photosensitive silver halide emulsion layer, wherein there is contained at least one compound selected from among the compounds represented by formulae [I], [II] and [III]. ##STR2##
In this formula, Y represents ##STR3## and R represents an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group or an aralkyl group. X represents --O--, --S-- or ##STR4## and M represents a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal atom, an ammonium group or a group which cleaves under alkaline conditions R' represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent group, and R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 each represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group.
Moreover, n represents 1 or 2, and m represents 4-n. ##STR5## In this formula, X' represents --O--, --S-- or --NH--. Y, R and M have the same meanings as the respective groups in formula [I].
In this formula, T and U each represent ##STR6## or --N.dbd., and R.sub.5 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a nitro group, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group, a carbonamido group, a sulfonamido group, a ureido group or a thioureido group.
L represents an alkylene group, an alkenylene group, an aralkylene group or an arylene group, and l represents 0 or 1.
Y, R and M have the same meanings as the respective groups in formula [I].


A cover/boot and a system of covers/boots for placement in sealed relation over a connector or pair of connectors that is or are adapted to terminate a cable or splice together a pair of cables, preferably cables that carry signals received by a receiving apparatus on a cell tower. The covers include a cable end that sealingly receives a cable therein, an elongated body that provides secure cover to a cable connector, and an end that abuts a bulkhead or sealingly engages with a second cover when used in a splicing application.

The present invention relates generally to covers for cable connectors, and more particularly to covers that protect cable connectors used on cell towers from environmental degradation.
Cell towers contain antennas, transceivers and other wireless signal receiving apparatus mounted thereon from which a cable accepts and distributes the signal to a predetermined destination. Cell towers may be free-standing or mounted to a roof, pole, or other structure. Regardless, the cell towers and components mounted thereon are open to the environment and thus susceptible to degradation from weather related corrosive effects (e.g., moisture infiltration), pollution, debris and other elements. Degradation of the components potentially leads to degradation of the signal quality being transmitted through the cables that carry the wirelessly received signals at the cell tower.
To protect the components from environmental effects, layers of tape have been used to cover and seal the components, creating what have conventionally been referred to as tape-wrap seals. The tape layers typically consist of a first layer of electrical tape, followed by a layer of butyl tape, and then followed by another layer of electrical tape. While the layering of tape does in certain instances provide for a secure seal, it is not without its drawbacks.
First, the taping requires significant time in its initial installation, and needs to be removed in order to gain access to the component when servicing the components (and then reapplied after servicing is complete). The time associated with the taping and removal thereof when servicing the components is costly. In addition, the quality of the seal is dependant on the skill of the worker that is applying the tape. As such, inconsistent application of the tape may lead to instances of ineffective sealing of components.
Second, the properties inherent in the material composition of the tape subjects the tape to size fluctuation and inconsistent adherence. If the tape contracts in colder temperatures and loses adherence strength in warmer temperatures, for example, the quality of the seal created through the tape becomes compromised in regions that experience wide temperature fluctuation. In addition, the same pollutants and other environmental factors that affect the components when unsealed may also affect the sealing quality of the tape.
In addition to taping as a sealing provision, plastic clamshell or valise type covers have been used to envelop the components. These style covers are exemplified by the plastic material composition and the closure mechanisms used to open and close them around the components. While the opening and closing of the clamshell style cover facilitates quicker installation and removal in repair situations, it too is not without its drawbacks. For instance, the plastic material becomes brittle in colder temperatures, and this reduction in ductility increases over time. As the material becomes more brittle, the closure mechanisms lose their effectiveness often breaking or otherwise not reliably performing the closure function for which they were designed. Furthermore, the clamshell style closures include seams that extend essentially the entire periphery of the cover, making the sealing function much more difficult when compared to covers that do not include such long seams between parts. As such, the clamshell style covers lose their sealing effectiveness over time and in climates that routinely experience cold temperatures.
It is a principal object and advantage of the present invention to provide a cell tower component cover that may be quickly installed and/or removed in sealing relation to components mounted on cell towers.
It is a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a cell tower component cover that maintains its sealing properties regardless of temperature fluctuations.
It is an additional object and advantage of the present invention to provide a cell tower component cover that may be used as a redundant seal in addition to pre-existing internal seals existent in connectors.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will in part be obvious, and in part appear hereinafter.


To solve a problem in that reliable detection of a performance problem caused by a configuration change needs detailed performance information, which is costly to keep and analyze, a management computer which manages a computer system having a host computer and a storage system is provided. The management computer is configured to: store performance information obtained from resources that belong to paths at first time intervals until a predetermined length of time elapses since the detection of an addition or removal of the resources to the paths; store performance information obtained from the resources that belong to the paths at second time intervals, which are longer than the first time intervals, without storing performance information obtained from the resources that belong to the paths at the first time intervals after the predetermined length of time elapses since the detection of the addition or removal of the resources to the paths.

This invention relates to performance management of a computer system which includes a storage system, and more particularly, to a method of monitoring performance of a computer system by using an agent.
Storage networks in which a plurality of computers access an integrated storage system via a network are available today. These storage networks enhance the utilization efficiency of storage systems ever increasing in scale and help reduce the management cost as well, which are making storage networks widely popular as architecture for data centers. In a storage network environment, there is a possibility that the processing loads of application systems interfere with one another in a component (e.g., a network system or a storage system) shared by a plurality of computers. The load interference could cause a performance problem (lowering of the performance of the application systems, for example) in the application systems. A computer system to which a storage network as those described above is introduced therefore needs to collect performance information on resources constituting the network in a comprehensive manner in order to monitor and adjust the performance of the application systems.
An example of a performance monitoring technique in a networked computer system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,248. According to U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,248, performance is managed by an agent arranged for each of resources which are to be monitored, and management software for uniformly managing performance information of the entire system.
Each of the agents obtains the performance information by directly communicating with the monitoring target. Specifically, the agent executes polling with respect to the monitoring target to obtain a metrics value of resources.
On the other hand, the management software collects and stores the pieces of performance information obtained by the agents, and provides the stored pieces of performance information according to a request from an administrator or the like. Accordingly, it is possible to uniformly manage operation states and performance of the resource constituting the computer system.
When the size of the uniformly managed computer system increases, the number of resources to be monitored also increases. Along with an increase in the number of resources, an amount of the performance information which the management software must obtain also increases, whereby it is necessary to process a large amount of performance information. JP 2005-157933 A discloses a method of automatically adjusting a target range from which performance information is to be obtained and an obtaining frequency based on the information obtained by the management software.

Management system selectively monitoring and storing additional performance data only when detecting addition or removal of resources


The apparatus includes a game board having an annular array of wedge-shaped segments arranged to receive disc members thereon, each of the wedge-shaped segments having association relative to a contrasting astrological "house", wherein each disc is arranged for representative indication of an associated planet, sun, and moon. Random depositing of the discs upon the game board relative to the segments arise for permitting individual interpretations of the interface of the astrological symbols in conflict relative to one another.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to astrological game structure, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved astrological game apparatus wherein the same permits individuals to randomly provide for interaction of astrological symbols relative to one another.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Astrological game apparatus is represented in the prior art by the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,379,698; 3,786,654; 4,251,930; 3,992,787; and 4,472,144.
The instant invention addresses an improvement in the prior art by providing for a game apparatus accommodating the cooperative interface and interaction of the planets, sun, and moon relative to various Zodiac signs and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A marine connector that facilitates docking of large floating objects during a sea state that produces significant relative motion between the two objects. A toggle nose is mounted on one floating object and a mating device, a toggle nose receiver, is mounted on the second floating object. The toggle nose contains a toggle mechanism that extends and retracts two opposed transverse pins having conical ends. The toggle nose receiver is provided with corresponding conical sockets to receive the ends of the pins.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally related to offshore vessels and more particularly to the connection and disconnection of large floating objects in the offshore environment during higher sea states.
2. General Background
Different types of operations in the offshore environment present the need for the connection and disconnection of large floating objects. However, accomplishing such operations presents unique and extreme engineering and operational needs.
Two floating objects in unprotected water will have significant relative motion in six degrees of freedom in the higher sea states. Means for connecting two or more floating objects can be designed to restrict relative motion of the two objects in one, or more, of the six degrees of freedom. The rotational degrees of freedom are yaw, roll, and pitch. Resisting relative yaw of the two objects produces bending in the horizontal plane, resisting relative roll produces torsion, and resisting relative pitch produces hogging and sagging. The moment produced by resisting each rotational degree of freedom must be developed by a couple produced by a pair of connectors. A couple produces its greatest resisting moment when its moment arm is greatest. Therefore, the connectors producing each couple should be spaced as far apart as possible. The translational degrees of freedom are sway, surge, and heave. Resisting relative sway of the two objects produces transverse loads on the connectors, resisting relative surge produces longitudinal load on the connectors, and resisting relative heave produces vertical load on the connectors.
The couple forces required to resist the rotational degrees of freedom are much greater than the forces required to resist the translational degrees of freedom. For large objects, the magnitude of the couple required to resist relative pitch is so great that the marine connector must be designed to release pitch. Connectors designed to resist relative roll and yaw must be placed as far outboard to port and starboard as possible, but also must be designed to release pitch. The roll and yaw connectors may also be used to resist the relative translational degrees of freedom.
FIG. 1 shows two floating objects 10 rigidly connected at the four corners, as indicated by numeral 12. Rigidly connected in this usage means that the connection is not compliant. Although the connectors are ideally located at the extremities, the couple required to prevent relative pitch will be too great for practical design.
The impinging sea state applies most of the loadings to the connected objects. Therefore, the loads applied to the connected objects and the loads induced in the connectors are primarily dynamic. In some applications, the dynamic response of the connected objects can be a problem. For instance, where several objects 10 are rigidly connected bow to stern, as shown in FIG. 3, torsion has a ratio between its first and second modes of about two. Thus, if the first torsional mode were twenty seconds, the second torsional mode would be about ten seconds. Bending in the horizontal plane has a slightly better ratio of about two point seven seconds. Thus, if the first horizontal plane bending mode were twenty-seven seconds, the second mode would be ten seconds. These ratios are too low to avoid resonance with waves in the high energy spectrum. To adequately straddle the periods of the high energy spectrum waves, a ratio between the first and second modes of about six is required. For instance, if a structure were contrived with a twenty-seven second first mode in torsion, its second torsional mode would be about four point five seconds. At this ratio, the first and second torsional modes fall above and below, respectively, the periods of the high energy spectrum waves.
If the objects are rigidly connected in the example given above, then the connectors and the structure supporting the connectors must be designed for the dynamically amplified loadings induced by the torsional and horizontal plane bending modes. The higher loadings will also make the fatigue problems worse. An optional design would be to substitute compliant connectors for the rigid connectors, thereby altering the dynamic response of the connected units favorably. A major consideration in this option is that the design load for the connector is equal to the maximum capacity of the compliant element, provided the compliant element is designed so that it never reaches the end of its stroke.
Another problem is that the two floating objects to be connected must be brought into close enough alignment for the connectors to engage. The alignment operation is called docking and must be facilitated with a docking system. If the relative motions for which the docking and connection systems are designed are exceeded then the operation will have to wait for the lower motions that will come when the seas moderate. The connectors and the structure supporting the connectors must be designed to resist the forces that are induced by the impinging sea state. If the connected objects encounter a large storm that continues to worsen, or some other emergency occurs, the objects may have to be disconnected while the connectors are resisting large loads. Therefore, the connectors must be designed with the capability to disconnect under load. Once disconnected, the floating objects will quickly develop the relative motions of two independently floating objects. Therefore, the connection and docking systems must facilitate quick separation of the two objects to prevent impact between features on the two objects.
Also, where more than one connector is used between the floating objects, the connectors must be synchronized so they all connect or disconnect simultaneously. Otherwise, damage will occur.
An example follows of the loads that are encountered when connecting floating objects. For five floating objects, each being one thousand feet long and five hundred feet wide, the magnitude of the design load for rigidly mounted connectors, port and starboard, varies from twenty thousand metric tons to about one hundred thousand metric tons. The magnitude of the design load for compliant connectors, port and starboard, ranges from five thousand metric tons to ten thousand metric tons. The connectors must be capable of releasing while these types of loads are active. The inventors are not aware of connectors that meet these requirements.


A power system including a pump drive having a first side and a second side, a motor that is operationally connected to the first side of the pump drive, an engine that is operationally connected to the second side of the pump drive, and a pump that is operationally connected to the pump drive. The preferred power system is adapted to power the item of equipment with either the motor or the engine. A method for providing power to an item of equipment by engaging the pump drive with the engine and/or the motor.

It is known to use apparatuses and methods to produce power for items of heavy equipment. Conventional apparatuses and methods, however, suffer from one or more disadvantages. For example, conventional apparatuses and methods do not easily vary the speed at which the equipment operates. Conventional apparatuses and methods also do not easily reverse the operating direction of the item of heavy equipment. Further, conventional apparatuses and methods require an onboard engine that must be running in order for the equipment to operate. Still further, conventional apparatuses and methods require undesirably large engines which are expensive and result in difficulties obtaining permits to operate. In addition, conventional apparatuses and methods are undesirably bulky and expensive to operate. Conventional apparatuses and methods are also undesirably susceptible to power loss at elevations and blockage in dusty or dirty conditions.
It would be desirable, therefore, if an apparatus and method for a power system could be provided that would easily vary the operating speed of an item of heavy equipment. It would also be desirable if such an apparatus and method for a power system could be provided that would easily reverse the operating direction of an item of heavy equipment. It would be further desirable if such an apparatus and method for a power system could be provided that would not require an onboard running engine in order for the item of heavy equipment to operate. It would be still further desirable if such an apparatus and method for a power system could be provided that would have a smaller, less expensive engine. In addition, it would be desirable if such an apparatus and method for a power system could be provided that would be less bulky and less expensive to operate. It would also be desirable if such an apparatus and method for a power system could be provided that would be less susceptible to power loss at elevations and less susceptible to blockage in dusty or dirty conditions.

Apparatus and method for a dual power system


A method of automatically generating a load/reset sequence for a display system having a spatial light modulator whose display elements that are loaded with data and reset between loads (FIG. 7). Bit-planes of data are classified according to their display times as normal, short, or reset-release (FIG. 5). Extra time of normal bit-planes is calculated (FIG. 5). The display times of normal bit-planes are adjusted by subtracting or adding extra time, such that any normal bit-plane displayed before a short or reset-release bit-plane includes sufficient extra time to allow for loading the short or reset-release bit-plane (FIG. 7). Also, reset conflicts are detected and avoided (FIGS. 7, 8, 9A and 9B).

Video display systems based on spatial light modulators (SLMs) are increasingly being used as an alternative to display systems using cathode ray tubes (CRTs). SLM systems provide high resolution displays without the bulk and power consumption of CRT systems.
Digital micro-mirror devices (DMDs) are a type of SLM, and may be used for either direct-view or projection display applications. A DMD has an array of micro-mechanical display elements, each having a tiny mirror that is individually addressable by an electronic signal. Depending on the state of its addressing signal, each mirror tilts so that it either does or does not reflect light to the image plane. The mirrors may be generally referred to as "display elements", which correspond to the pixels of the image that they generate. Generally, displaying pixel data is accomplished by loading memory cells connected to the display elements. After display element's memory cell is loaded, the display element is reset so that it tilts in the on or off position represented by the new data in the memory cell. The display elements can maintain their on or off state for controlled display times.
Other SLMs operate on similar principles, with an array of display elements that may emit or reflect light simultaneously, such that a complete image is generated by addressing display elements rather than by scanning a screen. Another example of an SLM is a liquid crystal display (LCD) having individually driven display elements.
To achieve intermediate levels of illumination, between white (on) and black (off), pulse-width modulation (PWM) techniques are used. The basic PWM scheme involves first determining the rate at which images are to be presented to the viewer. This establishes a frame rate and a corresponding frame period. For example, in a standard television system, images are transmitted at 30 frames per second, and each frame lasts for approximately 33.3 milliseconds. Then, the intensity resolution for each pixel is established. In a simple example, and assuming n bits of resolution, the frame time is divided into 2.sup.n -1 equal time slices. For a 33.3 millisecond frame period and n-bit intensity values, the time slice is 33.3/(2.sup.n -1) milliseconds.
Having established these times, for each pixel of each frame, pixel intensities are quantized, such that black is 0 time slices, the intensity level represented by the LSB is 1 time slice, and maximum brightness is 2.sup.n -1 time slices. Each pixel's quantized intensity determines its on-time during a frame period. Thus, during a frame period, each pixel with a quantized value of more than 0 is on for the number of time slices that correspond to its intensity. The viewer's eye integrates the pixel brightness so that the image appears the same as if it were generated with analog levels of light.
For addressing SLMs, PWM calls for the data to be formatted into "bit-planes," each bit-plane corresponding to a bit weight of the intensity value. Thus, if each pixel's intensity is represented by an n-bit value, each frame of data has n bit-planes. Each bit-plane has a 0 or 1 value for each display element. In the simple PWM example described in the preceding paragraphs, during a frame, each bit-plane is separately loaded and the display elements are addressed according to their associated bit-plane values. For example, the bit-plane representing the LSBs of each pixel is displayed for 1 time slice, whereas the bit-plane representing the MSBs is displayed for 2n/2 time slices. Because a time slice is only 33.3/(2.sup.n -1) milliseconds, the SLM must be capable of loading the LSB bit-plane within that time. The time for loading the LSB bit-plane is the "peak data rate."
U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,652, entitled "DMD Architecture and Timing for Use in a Pulse-Width Modulated Display System," assigned to Texas Instruments Incorporated describes pulse width modulation for addressing a DMD in a DMD-based display system. It is directed to "global reset" methods, where bit-plane data is loaded during the preceding display time of another bit-plane. To begin the display time, the display elements of the entire array are reset simultaneously.
Another method of SLM addressing is "divided reset" addressing. The display elements are divided into groups, but each display element has its own memory cell. After the memory cells of one group are loaded with their data from a bit-plane, memory cells of a next group are loaded with their data from that bit-plane. This continues until all groups have been loaded with data for the same bit-plane. This "phased" loading is followed by a phased reset so that all groups consecutively begin their display of the bit-plane. This method is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/721,862, entitled "Divided Reset for Addressing Spatial Light Modulator", assigned to Texas Instruments Incorporated.

Generating load/reset sequences for spatial light modulator


In one embodiment, bridges in a computer network maintain a per-port mapping table for each of its ports, where each mapping table maps, for each virtual connection (of more than 4K) at a respective port, i) frame encapsulation fields that uniquely identify a particular virtual connection at the respective port to ii) a particular multiple spanning tree (MST) instance. The bridges may then compute a checksum of a particular mapping table for a particular port, and share the checksum with a corresponding port interconnected with the particular port (e.g., of another bridge). Upon determining that the mapping tables at the corresponding ports match in response to the checksums matching, frames may then be forwarded between the ports based on the particular mapping table.

Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) have long been used as both an identifier of a service/traffic as well as a Broadcast Domain for flooding in Ethernet networks. Generally, VLAN identifiers (VIDs) have been limited to 4K (4096) unique numbers, although due to the increased demands of current networks, recent standards (e.g., IEEE 802.1ah) provides for greater scalability of service-identifiers (and MAC-tables,) while continuing to use traditional bridging techniques. For instance, one way the scalability problem has been addressed is by identifying a service using stacked VLAN tags and hence providing a 24-bit (12+12) identifier, or up to 16M unique numbers. The bridging of traffic in this scenario is thus performed by mapping the service identifier to a "bridge-domain" object on a given bridge, where MAC learning is performed on this "bridge-domain" and the VLAN tags are simply treated as encapsulation information. This scheme of using VLAN tags as a service identifier is contrary to the conventional meaning of a VLAN as a broadcast-domain in the layer-2 (L2) network.
In addition, redundancy links may be used for high availability reasons, and the redundant links generally benefit from loop-prevention protocols. The Multiple Spanning Tree (MST) Protocol (or MSTP) is widely used in L2 networks for loop prevention, however, MST protocol today assumes that VLANs are used as a service identifier with a network wide scope. That is, MSTP assumes that VLAN encapsulation is the same throughout the entire network, where service identifiers are typically a trunk-based identification. As such, MSTP does not directly apply to an L2 network with trunks carrying more than 4K services using double-stacked VLAN tags (or other encapsulation fields).

Multiple spanning tree extensions for trunk ports carrying more than 4K virtual services


A liquid impervious seal for extensible absorbent articles for wearing in an undergarment, such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, incontinence pads, and the like, is disclosed. The absorbent articles are typically formed from the following components: a liquid pervious topsheet, a liquid impervious backsheet joined to the topsheet, and an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet and backsheet. The components forming the absorbent article are held together by use of an extensible liquid impervious seal having a sinusoidal configuration.

Absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, pantiliners, and incontinence pads are designed to absorb and retain liquid and other discharges from the human body and to prevent body and clothing soiling. Sanitary napkins are a type of absorbent article worn by women that is normally positioned between the wearer's legs, adjacent to the perineal area of the body.
Typically, most of the disposable absorbent articles of the types mentioned above are made of materials that will not stretch. That is, the materials (and the article itself) will not stretch under the forces that the absorbent article is normally subjected to when worn.
The inability of the absorbent articles to stretch causes such articles to have a number of serious drawbacks. One of the most serious is that they are not as comfortable for the wearer as they could be. The wearer should ideally be able to notice a difference between an absorbent article that stretches to conform to the wearer's body and with the wearer's movements and an absorbent article that fails to stretch. Conventional sanitary napkins will also fail to stretch and move with the wearer's undergarments, which may cause the sanitary napkins to shift therein. Providing the sanitary napkin with stretch properties will permit the napkin to better conform to the wearer's undergarment and stay in place.
Several patent publications disclose absorbent articles having various components that are capable of stretching. Such efforts are described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,701,567 issued to Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,493 issued to Olsson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,382 issued to Easley, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,717,150, issued to Schwartz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,816 issued to Sabee, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,949 issued to Kozak, U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,464 issued to Korpman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,357 issued to Hall, U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,991 issued to Pieniak, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,070 issued to Holtman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,570 issued to Jackson, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,760 issued to Morman, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,066 issued to Korpman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,134 issued to Fahrenkrug, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,258 issued to Fahrenkrug, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,122 issued to Morman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,324 issued to Dube, U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,480 issued to Gossens, et al., and European Patent Application 0 450 541 A2 published in the name of Morris, et al.
Some of the publications listed above disclose providing absorbent articles with one or more stretchable components. More recently, various embodiments of absorbent articles, such as sanitary napkins, comprised entirely of components capable of stretching to accommodate the movements of the wearer and the wearer's undergarments have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,790 entitled "Stretchable Absorbent Articles", issued to Osborn, et al. on Mar. 18, 1997. Improved materials for use in absorbent articles have also been developed.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,801 entitled "Web Materials Exhibiting Elastic-Like Behavior", issued to Chappell, et al. on May 21, 1996, discloses web materials which exhibit an elastic-like behavior and absorbent articles embodying such materials. U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,878 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Making Stretchable Absorbent Articles", issued to Dragoo, et al. on Oct. 1, 1996, discloses a stretchable absorbent material. PCT Publication No. WO 95/20931, entitled "Absorbent Articles" published in the name of Osborn, et al. on Aug. 10, 1995 is directed to extensible absorbent articles that are provided with improved mechanisms for maintaining the articles in contact with the wearer's body. The search for improved variations of extensible absorbent articles, and absorbent cores for such absorbent articles, however, has continued.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an improved absorbent article, such as a sanitary napkin, that is capable of extending, or more preferably, one that is elastically extensible.
It is another object of this invention to provide an absorbent article, such as a sanitary napkin, that is capable of elastic extensibility in multiple directions.
It is another object of the present invention to provide extensible absorbent articles that are provided with improved mechanisms for preventing some of the problems that affect such generally highly flexible absorbent articles, such as the undesirable tendency for the end regions of the absorbent articles to fold over on the remainder of the absorbent article.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an extensible absorbent article with diagonal extensibility to accommodate the forces walking, and similar motions exert on the absorbent article when it is attached to the wearer's undergarments.
It is another object of the present invention to provide improved absorbent cores for extensible absorbent articles.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an absorbent article with side flaps or wings that have portions that are extensible for relieving stresses on the sanitary napkin when the flaps are wrapped around the side edges of a wearer's undergarments.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an extensible absorbent article with an improved type of stretchable crimp seal that joins the extensible components of the absorbent article together yet still allows them to extend.
These and other objects of the present invention will be more readily apparent when considered in reference to the following description and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Extensible crimp seal for feminine hygiene products


The present invention provides methods, systems and computer program products that enable the optimized synchronization of data between mobile client devices assigned to field operators in an industrial plant and a centralized repository for plant data. The invention optimizes synchronization of data between mobile client devices assigned to field operators in an industrial plant and a centralized repository for plant data by selecting a reduced set of data records associated with a field operator, for data synchronization based on one or more of a set of data record selection parameters, and a set of version synchronization rules to ensure that only data records that are relevant to a field operator's foreseeable activities in a shift are downloaded to the field operator's mobile client device.

Industrial environments implement process control systems for running and controlling processes for manufacturing, conversion, or production. Process control systems typically include one or more process controllers that are connected to one or more field devices. Field devices, may include valves, valve actuators, switches, and transmitters (e.g. temperature, pressure, level, and flow sensors) located within the industrial environment, and which are configured for physical control functions or process control functions. Examples of field device control functions include opening or closing valves, and measuring process and/or environmental parameters (e.g. temperature or pressure) for controlling one or more processes within the process plant or system.
The physical environment of a plant often comprises a large geographically dispersed system (e.g. a large network of fluid pipelines) or a complex multi-step system (e.g. a large refinery system). The physical environment or industrial environment therefore requires field operators within the plant—who regularly traverse the plant facility, inspect plant assets and field devices and perform various tasks or procedures for handling operations and maintenance of the plant and/or assets or field devices within the plant.
Field operators are provided with mobile client devices having multiple functionalities to enable them to perform their operations and maintenance tasks. FIG. 1, illustrates an exemplary mobile client device 102 of a type that may be assigned to a field operator 104. Mobile client device 102 typically includes a hand-held processor implemented device having data processing functionality, and having wired or wireless data networking or data communication capabilities, as well as a user interface to enable an operator 104 to interact with the mobile client device 102 and perform various tasks.
As shown in FIG. 1, exemplary functionality provided by mobile client device 102 may include one or more of generating, storing, modifying and completing task checklists 106, accessing or reviewing data from reference documents 108 (for example plant manuals, field device manuals or troubleshooting data for one or more field devices), generating and storing notes 110 concerning tasks that have been carried out, tasks that are in progress or tasks that require to be carried out in future, recording or logging field device readings 112 corresponding to one or more field devices, and generating image based, video based or audio based logs or notes 114 using a still camera, a video camera or an audio recording apparatus within the mobile client device 102.
In an embodiment, the mobile client device 102 may comprise a rugged or ruggedized smartphone or tablet or mobile communication device having hardware capabilities that render the device water resistant, dust resistant and/or impact resistant, while simultaneously providing one or more of data processing capability, a keypad based user interface, a touch screen based user interface, an audio based user interface, a data transceiver that enables the device to download from and upload data to other devices, an image camera and image display system, a video camera and video display system, an audio recording and audio reproducing apparatus, and one or more software applications that implement menu based functionality for generating, displaying and modifying one or more of checklists, reference documents, notes, field device readings and image based, video based and audio based logs or notes.
Given the large area covered by a typical industrial plant, and the various structures erected within the plant, and also in certain cases the hazards and dangers associated with enabling wireless communication between mobile client devices 102 and a centralized server or database in the plant, the plant environment (or one or more areas within the plant environment) is routinely without wireless network signal or network connection or having insufficient network coverage.
As a result, and to ensure operative functionality and continuity in every part of the plant, each mobile client device 102 is required to periodically synchronize with a centralized server or database—to download into the mobile client device 102, data required by a field operator 104 from the centralized server or database for the purposes of carrying out one or more operations or maintenance tasks assigned to that field operator 104, and to upload from the mobile client device 102 data that has been generated or modified by the field operator 104 on the mobile client device 102 (for example, logs, notes, field device readings) to the centralized server or database.
FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary user interface 200 of a type that can be implemented within or accessed from a mobile client device 102 for generating, viewing or modifying data records corresponding to logs or work instructions. Each data record has multiple data fields (for example, one or more of data fields 202 to 214)—including for example, data fields representing as description of a work instruction 210, priority of the work instruction 212, planned start time 202 and planned completion time 204. Individual data records may be generated, viewed, or modified by a field operator 104 through the mobile client device 102, for the purposes of enabling the field operator 104 to complete her/his assigned tasks.
FIG. 3 illustrates a system environment 300, comprising an on-premises server 302 and one or more mobile client devices 304 (any of mobile client devices 304a, 304b up to 304n) each assigned to or used by a corresponding field operator 306a, 306b up to 306n. The system environment 300 illustrates systems of a kind that are relevant to implementation of the teachings of the present invention.
The mobile client devices 304 may be understood as comprising mobile client devices of the type described above in connection with FIG. 1, and may interface with on-premises server 302 for the purposes of (i) downloading into a mobile client device 304, data required by a field operator 306a, 306b up to 306n for the purposes of carrying out one or more operations or maintenance tasks assigned to that field operator, and (ii) to upload from the mobile client device 304 data that has been generated or modified by the field operator 306a, 306b up to 306n to the corresponding mobile client device (for example, logs, notes, field device readings).
On-premises server 302 may comprise any processor implemented server that is communicatively coupled to one or more databases and having network communication capabilities. The on-premises server 302 may be configured to store (i) data records comprising data required by a field operator 306a, 306b up to 306n for the purposes of carrying out one or more operations or maintenance tasks assigned to that field operator—wherein the data records can be downloaded into a mobile client device 304 and (ii) data records that have been generated or modified by any field operator 306a, 306b up to 306n on a corresponding mobile client device 304 (304a, 304b up to 304n) during said field operator's shift or during operations or maintenance tasks carried out by the field operator within the plant and being uploaded to the on-premises server 302.
A mobile client device 304 (304a, 304b up to 304n) may be periodically communicatively interfaced with on-premises server 302 (for example prior to the start of an operator's shift/duties or after the completion of an operator's shift/duties) for the purposes of data synchronization. The data synchronization process comprises (i) downloading from a database, through on-premises server 302, into a mobile client device 304, one or more data records that will be required by the respective field operator 306a, 306b up to 306n and (ii) uploading from the mobile client device 304, through on-premises server 302 and into a database, data records that have been generated or modified by a field operator 306a, 306b up to 306n on a corresponding mobile client device 304 (304a, 304b up to 304n) during said field operator's shift or during operations or maintenance tasks carried out by the field operator within the plant.
As shown in FIG. 3, on-premises server 302 may be configured to enable one or more web clients 310 (operating through remote terminal devices either within the plant or outside of the plant) to access on-premises server 302 through a network 308 (i.e. a communications network such as a local area network, wide area network, or the Internet) and to retrieve plant data records that are stored in a database coupled with on-premises server 302. The one or more web-clients 310 may be used to view data concerning state data, condition data, health data or associated data records corresponding to the plant or one or more assets or field devices within the plant, and optionally to generate or view reports 312 based on such state, condition or health data.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating conventional method steps involved in data synchronization between a mobile client device and an on-premises server within an industrial plant environment.
Step 402 comprises initiating a first data synchronization session comprising a data download session between a mobile client device operated by a field operator, and an on-premises server. Step 404 thereafter comprises authenticating one or both of the field operator identity and/or identity of the mobile client device—using any one or more of authentication methods known in the art, for instance, entering a required passcode of a kind.
Responsive to successful authentication at step 404, step 406 comprises downloading data (i.e. one or more data records) that is relevant to the field operator, from the on-premises server into the mobile client device. The downloaded data may comprise one or more data records that are relevant to or that are necessary for identifying or executing tasks intended or predicted or scheduled to be undertaken by the field operator within the industrial plant environment.
Upon completion of the data download process, step 408 comprises terminating the data download session between the mobile client device operated by a field operator, and the on-premises server.
At step 410, the field operator executes various tasks that have been assigned to her/him in the industrial plant environment and records data changes or updates on the mobile client device.
At step 412, upon completion of the field operators shift, a second data synchronization session comprising either a data upload session or a data upload and download session may be initiated between the mobile client device and the on-premises server. Step 414 comprises authenticating one or both of the field operator identity and/or identity of the mobile client device—using any one or more of authentication methods known in the art. Responsive to successful authentication at step 414, step 416 comprises uploading one or more data records from the mobile client device to the on-premises server for the purposes of updating data records stored at the on-premises server with the data that has been generated, changed or modified by the field operator on the mobile client device during her/his shift.
At step 418, during the upload process, responsive to detecting any conflicts between versions of data records stored on the mobile client device and versions of corresponding data records stored at the on-premises server, the field operator or a console operator may manually resolve such conflicts by selecting one of the conflicting versions of a data record for being stored on the on-premises server and for deleting or overwriting the other conflicting version(s) of said data record. It would be understood that conflicts between versions of data records typically arise when a field operator generates on the mobile client device a first modified version of a data record (that has been downloaded from the on-premises server onto the mobile client device during a preceding synchronization session), while simultaneously a second modified version of the same data record is generated and saved on the on-premises server by another field operator or console operator. This has been found to happen where multiple field operators may be making changes to the same data record on their respective individual mobile client devices during their respective shifts, and each of these versions is sent to the on-premises server for updating when the respective mobile client devices are communicably coupled with the on-premises server for a data synchronization session.
Step 420 comprises terminating the second data synchronization session between the mobile client device and the on-premises server.
Existing systems for enabling data synchronization between mobile client devices and a centralized server or database suffer from multiple drawbacks.
First, the centralized database or on-premises server 302 usually has a very large number of data records associated with any particular field operator—and not all of the data records are usually required for the purposes of the field operator's upcoming shift activities. Downloading all such data records into a field operator's mobile client device 304 would require transfer of a large amount of unnecessary data before each shift—increasing the time and bandwidth unnecessarily for each such download.
It is also difficult for a field operator to select one or more specific data records for download through the mobile client device 304, given the size limitations of the mobile client device (small display, keypad etc.) and the very large number of data records usually associated with each field operator—which increases the likelihood that a field operator may omit downloading one or more important data records that are required for activities within the upcoming shift or duties, or may unnecessarily download one or more data records that are not relevant for activities within the upcoming shift or duties.
Additionally, one or more data records associated with a field operator may already be downloaded into a mobile client device—and redownloading such data records at each data synchronization session is sub-optimal and results in unnecessary time and bandwidth usage that should be avoided. In cases where a large number of such data records are being downloaded into the mobile client device, despite already being present on said mobile client device, the inefficiencies in time and bandwidth usage can be significant.
Yet further, during synchronization sessions where data records from a mobile client device are being uploaded back onto on-premises server 302, there is a requirement to manually view the data being uploaded, so as to compare the server version of the data record against the mobile client device version of the corresponding data record to ensure that in case multiple versions of the data record exist, the field operator or a console operator can choose which version of the data record is to be maintained on the mobile client device 304 and/or at on-premises server 302. This manual comparison can be very time consuming and tedious, particularly when a large number of data records are being viewed—and also given the display and interface limitations of the mobile client device. Additionally, if the field operator accidentally chooses to maintain the wrong version of a data record and overwrite a more appropriate version of the data record on the on-premises server, this could lead to loss of time and compromising information integrity of the data records, incorrectly performing and executing the assigned operation/maintenance tasks, etc.
Another problem with the existing state of art is that in cases where a data synchronization session between a mobile client device and an on-premises server is interrupted, the entire download process requires to be re-initiated when the data synchronization session resumes or is restarted—which again is both bandwidth and time inefficient.
There is accordingly a need for solutions that enable time and data efficient synchronization of data records between a centralized server/an on-premises server or database and a mobile client device, in a manner that ensures that a field operator has access to all data records necessary to complete her/his tasks during a shift or assignment, while simultaneously ensuring optimized data integrity and data record version control, in order for the operator to perform the operation and/or maintenance tasks with efficiency and effectiveness.

Methods, systems and computer program products for data synchronization in industrial plants


A contactless smartcard type integrated circuit needing only two pins for performing a standard ATPG test is disclosed. A scan test may be performed using one pin for the clock and the other pin for the input and input of the scan test data. Additionally, security is enhanced by using an embedded signature generator to avoid observation of the data shifted out.

Automatic test pattern generation scans of integrated circuits, both with and without test compression, typically require at least four pins connected to the integrated circuit with the following functions: one scan input pin, one scan output pin, one clock pin and one scan enable signal pin. However, low pin count integrated circuits such as, for example, contactless smartcard integrated circuit 100 shown in FIG. 1 typically only has a total of four pins: two pins 120, 121 for the antenna which also provides the clock and supplies power via the radio frequency field to analog module 140 and digital module 130, one input/output pin 124 which is dedicated for testing and one ground pin 128. Therefore, contactless smartcard integrated circuits are typically tested using functional testing. However, as digital module 130 of contactless smartcard integrated circuit 100 increases in complexity, functional testing is typically insufficient and a structural test using a scan chain approach typically provides better test coverage in less test time but is typically unavailable due to the pin requirement. Additionally, allowing direct scan chain access on secure integrated circuits compromises security by allowing access to internal register values of the integrated circuit.


An apparatus and a method for clock mode determination utilizing SCLK auto-detection and generation circuitry at a serial port which has a reduced number of pin-count by eliminating the need for inputting a master input clock signal MCLK and/or a serial input clock signal SCLK. The SCLK auto-detection and generation circuitry includes a SCLK detector circuit, a serial mode detector circuit, an internal SCLK generator circuit, a multiplexer, and an edge detector circuit. The SCLK detector circuit is used to detect whether an external serial clock signal is present and to generate a selection signal. The serial mode detector is used to detect whether an incoming data signal is in a non-TDM mode or a TDM mode and to generate a mode signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to electronic circuitry for use in data communication systems. More particularly, it relates to a DAC audio system and a method for clock mode determination utilizing SCLK auto-detection and generation circuitry at a serial port in which the number of input pins on an integrated circuit is reduced.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is generally known, there has been a tremendous amount of growth in the area of electronic circuitry used for data communication systems. These communication systems are frequently used to transmit data and clock signals from a first integrated circuit chip to a second integrated circuit chip. However, due to different design applications, there have been an advent of digital audio signals in various formats, such as I2S and TDM formats. The I2S and TDM formats are two different audio input formats which are commonly used to carry a stereo signal (i.e., a left channel and a right channel). Because of the differences in the way that the data are formatted/encoded, the data in the I2S signals cannot be processed in the same manner that the TDM signals are processed.
In order to be competitive in today's marketplace, digital audio systems must be designed so as to accommodate efficiently the processing of audio inputs in multiple data sampling rate frequencies and/or input formats. While it is possible to design on a single integrated circuit chip the capability of handling or processing of different sampling rates or multiple input formats, this design has typically required the need of additional external circuitry as well as the provision of increased input pins onto the integrated circuit chip. Since an increase in the pin count on the integrated circuit chip will cause both complexities in circuit board design and higher manufacturing and assembly cost, this would generally not be a realistic solution due to the fact that input/output pins are a valuable commodity where space limitations are very critical.
The above-mentioned TDM format is one form of compressed audio data which can be converted to PCM (Pulse-Code Modulated) data with a digital audio receiver chip. The conventional standard PCM data includes a high rate, external master input clock signal MCLK; a left-right input clock signal LRCK, which is used to select between the left and right audio channel data; a serial audio data input signal SDIN containing signal information at the MCLK rate; and a serial input clock signal SCLK, which times the transfer of individual bits of the samples of serial audio data.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a traditional DAC (digital-to-analog) audio system 100 suitable for illustrating one of the prior art systems. In particular, the audio system 100 includes a digital signal processor (DSP) 102 which forms a part of digital audio source, such as a CD player or digital audio tape player. The DSP 102 provides four signals to an audio DAC (digital-to-analog converter) 104 which consists of a master clock signal MCLK on line 108; an input data signal SDIN on line 110, which are the actual sample values to be reproduced at the audio outputs; a left-right clock LRCK on line 112, which alternates between an indication that the input data belongs to the left channel or to the right channel; and a serial clock SCLK on line 114, which is used to write the input data SDIN into a receiving buffer.
The three signals LRCK, SCLK and SDIN from the DSP 102 are connected to a digital interpolation filter and delta-sigma modulator block 116 via a serial input port 106. The signal MCLK is connected directly to the modulator block 116 of the audio DAC 104. The resulting analog (audio) signal from the modulator block 116 is fed to an analog driver block 118 for further processing on an analog output line 120. This traditional audio system 100 suffers from the drawback of using a high number of input pins, which increases manufacturing cost and adds complexity to circuit board design.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of another prior art DAC audio system 200. The audio system 200 includes a DSP 202 which provides three signals to an audio DAC 204. The three signals LRCK, SCLK and SDIN on respective lines 212, 214 and 210 are connected from the DSP 202 to a digital interpolation filter and delta-sigma modulator block 216 of the audio DAC 204 via a serial input port 206. The signal LRCK on line 212 is also connected to the modulator block 216 via a PLL (phase-locked loop) block 222.
The PLL block 222 receives the signal LRCK on line 224 and multiples the same by a predetermined factor in order to generate a phase-locked loop output signal PLLOUT corresponding to a master clock mclk on line 226. The resulting analog (audio) signal from the modulator block 216 is fed to an analog driver block 218 for further processing on an analog output line 220. This technique of using a PLL block for generating a master clock mclk is illustrated and described in the aforementioned U.S. Ser. No. 11/427,910. While this audio system 200 has reduced the number of input pins over the one in FIG. 1, it has the disadvantage in that an external serial input clock signal SCLK is still required to be used.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of still another prior art DAC audio system 300. The audio system 300 is quite similar to the system 100 of FIG. 1. Specifically, the audio system 300 includes a DSP 302 which provides four signals to an audio DAC 304. These four signals MCLK, SCLK, LRCK and SDIN on respective lines 308, 314, 312 and 310 are connected from the DSP 302 to a digital interpolation filter and delta-sigma modulator block 316 of the audio DAC 304 via a divider network 324 and a serial input port 306. The signal MCLK on the line 308 is also connected directly to the modulator block 316. The audio system 300 suffers from the disadvantage that once the external SCLK mode is latched, it cannot be switched back to an internal SCLK mode. Since it uses a simple divider for dividing down the master clock MCLK in order to generate the serial clock SCLK, the edge may be inaccurate with respect to the input data SDIN. Further, this audio system 300 has the problem that it does not support the TDM (time-division-multiplexing) mode of operation.
The prior art DAC audio system 300 of FIG. 3 has been manufactured as an integrated circuit chip and is commercially available from Cirrus Logic, Inc. of Austin, Tex. under their Part No. CS4434/5/8/9. The I.C. chip is a complete, stereo DAC output system which includes interpolation, 1-bit D/A conversion, and output analog filtering in an 8-pin package.
In order to address the problem of increased pin-count on the integrated circuit chip, the inventors of the present invention have developed SCLK auto-detection and generation circuitry for use at a serial input port in a DAC audio system which has a reduced number of pin-count by eliminating the need for inputting the master input clock signal MCLK and/or the serial input clock signal SCLK.
Accordingly, it would therefore be desirable to provide new and novel SCLK auto-detection and generation circuitry for use at a serial port in a DAC audio system which has a reduced number of pin-count and safe data capture. This is achieved without the use of a master input clock signal and/or a serial input clock signal so as to reduce the number of input pins on the integrated circuit chip. It would also be expedient to detect which of several possible modes of operation at the serial port is being received when an internally-generated serial clock signal is to be outputted.

SCLK auto-detection and generation in various serial port modes


The present invention is directed to an article of footwear including an upper, a sole and a pumping chamber for producing a continuous supply of fluid. The sole includes a midsole and an outsole. The pumping chamber is formed between the bottom surface of the midsole and the upper surface of the outsole and includes at least one inlet and at least one outlet. Movement of the wearer's foot causes fluid to be drawn into and expelled from the pumping chamber. The fluid produced by the pumping chamber may be used to inflate an expandable bladder or to provide ventilation to the wearer's foot.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an article of footwear, and more particularly to an athletic shoe having a self-pumping chamber for producing a continuous supply of fluid. The fluid produced by the chamber may be used to provide ventilation to the foot of the wearer or to improve the fit or cushioning aspects of the shoe.
2. Related Art
Articles of footwear, including athletic shoes, typically include a flexible upper and a sole. Such articles of footwear are sold in a variety of sizes according to the length and width of the wearer's foot. However, even feet of similar length and width do not necessarily have the same configuration. Therefore, the upper may be adjustable to accommodate various configurations of the human foot. Such adjustment may include medial and lateral side portions which, when tensioned, provide support to the foot. In addition, particularly in the case of athletic footwear, the upper may include an ankle portion which encompasses a portion of the ankle region of the foot and thereby provides support thereto.
The support provided by the upper may be enhanced by the provision of an adjustable fastening system on the upper, which allows the wearer to adjust the tension of the upper on the foot. One common example of a fastening system includes an eyestay opening which overlies the instep portion of the foot. A tongue piece may be provided on the upper beneath the eyestay opening. An eyestay piece is attached to the upper at the eyestay opening. The eyestay piece may include eyelets or other type apertures which allow, for example, a shoe lace, or a strap, to be fed therethrough. By altering the tension on the shoe lace or strap, the distance between the opposing edges of the eyestay opening is varied. Hence, the fit of the shoe in general, can be altered by adjusting the fastening system.
While such fastening systems are common, they do suffer from several disadvantages, for example, when the shoe lace or strap is drawn too tightly, the fastening system puts pressure on the instep of the foot. Such localized pressure is uncomfortable to the wearer and can make it difficult for the shoe to be worn for prolonged periods of time. Furthermore, while such fastening systems allow the upper of the shoe to be adjustable to accommodate varying foot and ankle configurations, they do not necessarily mold to the contour of individual feet and thereby provide additional support for the foot. Moreover, no matter how much tension is exerted on the medial and lateral side portion, there still remain areas of the foot which are not supported by the upper, due to the irregular contour of the foot.
Heretofore, various devices have been proposed for adjusting the fastening force of an upper on the foot. Many provide an inflatable bladder within the interior of the footwear. One example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,305 to Miyamoto which provides an inflatable air pack within the interior of a ski boot. The air pack overlies the instep of the foot and is inflated by an electronic pump affixed to the rear ankle portion of the boot. The wearer may select a desired air pressure for the interior of the air pack. The electronic pump has a sensor which causes a pump motor to stop sending air to the pack when the pressure within the air pack has reached the desired pressure. The air pack may be deflated by a electronic switch.
The Miyamoto device suffers from disadvantages which are overcome by the present invention. For example, the device does not provide for diffusion of air from within the pack. Therefore, when the air pressure within the air pack decreases due to diffusion, the Miyamoto device provides no means for sensing diffusion and for automatically transferring air to the pack to return it to the preselected pressure. As a result, the air pressure within the pack does not maintain constant.
Similarly, inflatable devices have been proposed to provide firm support and restraining forces against the foot, while conforming to the irregular contour of the foot. One example is U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,176 to Rudy. This patent discloses a gas-inflatable bladder also disposed within a ski boot, which when inflated, exerts force on the instep, achilles heel and ankle of the foot to maintain the same in proper position within the boot.
The Rudy bladder has disadvantages of its own which are overcome by the present invention. First, the Rudy bladder includes no means for adjusting the fluid pressure once the bladder has been inflated. Second, the Rudy bladder is inflated using a pressurized gas which is more costly than simply using ambient air. Furthermore, the Rudy bladder does not provide for diffusion, i.e. no means is provided for automatically re-inflating the bladder upon such diffusion.
Therefore, the need exists for an article of footwear which provides firm, comfortable support to the foot while also conforming to the foot's irregular contour. Furthermore, the need exists for an article of footwear which provides an inflatable bladder which allows the fluid pressure within to be preselected and which maintains that preselected pressure by continually transferring air from the atmosphere thereto.
Still other articles of footwear having an inflatable bladder to improve the fit of the upper utilize a pumping mechanism which is activated by movement of the upper portion of the wearer's foot. One such article of footwear is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,178,013 to Bataille. Although the pumping mechanism of the Bataille patent is capable of supplying fluid to an inflatable bladder, the device of the Bataille patent suffers from a major disadvantage. As the inflatable bladder of the Bataille patent reaches a highly pressurized state, the upper portion of the wearer's foot is incapable of movement necessary to activate the pumping mechanism. Thus, the supply of air to the bladder is interrupted as the pressure within the bladder increases.
In an effort to move away from pumping mechanisms dependent upon movement of the upper portion of the wearer's foot, pumping chambers disposed within the sole of the shoe have been developed. An example of such a shoe is disclosed in International Publication No. WO 87/03789 to Johnson. The Johnson publication discloses an athletic shoe having a pumping cavity in the sole of the shoe. The pumping cavity of the Johnson publication includes at least one inlet for drawing air into the pumping cavity and at least one outlet for expelling air from the pumping cavity. The shoe of the Johnson publication suffers, however, from the fact that the inlet and outlet of the pumping cavity are exposed to the atmosphere exterior of the shoe. Thus, as the wearer moves, dirt and other particulate matter is capable of entering the inlet and outlet of the pumping cavity to interfere with operation of the same. In addition to the foregoing disadvantage, the shoe of the Johnson publication does not include a pumping cavity in the forefoot portion of the shoe. Thus, if the wearer fails to land on or strike the heel of the shoe, no pumping action is produced.
Yet another device having a pumping mechanism in the sole of the shoe is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,426 to Polus et al. The Polus patent discloses a shoe having a midsole and an outsole. A chamber body is disposed within the interior of the midsole to provide cushioning to the foot of the wearer. Although the chamber body of the Polus patent is capable of providing air to a cushioning device of the sole, the Polus device includes many component parts which must be separately assembled into the shoe and are expensive to manufacture.
Thus, there is a need for an athletic shoe having a pumping mechanism which continuously produces a supply of fluid, such as air, for inflating an inflatable support system, for pressurizing a pneumatic cushioning device, or for any other purpose requiring a continuous supply of fluid. There is another need for a pumping mechanism having an inlet and an outlet which is not open to the atmosphere. There is yet another need for an athletic shoe having a pumping mechanism in the forefoot and heel regions of the shoe. There is still another need for a pumping mechanism which is inexpensive to manufacture and includes few component parts. Finally, it is desirable to provide a self-pumping mechanism in a shoe that is completely independent of the user for producing a continuous supply of fluid such as air.


An improvement to the coated wire electrode has been accomplished via inclusion of a fortiophore into a sensor device. Sensor devices of the present invention include: an internal reference element; a membrane; and a fortiophore. Fortiophores are neutral charge carriers, which complex reversibly a corresponding ion of the conductive material used as the internal reference element. The fortiophore provides an electrochemically defined and reproducible solid internal contact between the membrane and the internal reference element. This solid internal contact, for example, in ion selective sensors, provides more reproducible potential offsets and better precision, and faster wet up. The fortiophores can be utilized in other electrochemical devices.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sensor devices, and more particularly, potentiometric sensors comprising an internal reference element, a membrane, and a fortiophore. The fortiophore, an electrochemical agent, interfaces the membrane and the internal reference element to form a solid internal contact.
2. Technical Review
Conventional sensors (3) known in the art (FIG. 1) have a layer of metal, e.g. Ag or other electrically conductive material, a layer of metal halide, e.g. AgCl, an aqueous or dry internal filling solution (usually containing the chloride salt of the cation being analyzed, e.g. KCl), and an ion selective membrane. See generally Working with Ion-Selective Electrodes, Camman, K. Springer-Verlag, 1979. The ion selective membrane includes an ionophore. See Ammann et al. Helvetica ACTA 1975, 58, 1535-1548. An ionophore is an ion-selective compound which is permselective, e.g. capable of complexing a desired ion and extracting it without a counterion into the interfacial zone of the membrane. The internal filling solution can form electrochemically defined interfaces with the metal halide on one side and the ionophore doped in the membrane. Such internal filling solutions actually contain a constant activity of the communicating ions which provide a high and dominating exchange current at both interfaces and therefore constant and predictable potentials at both the metal halide and the inner surface of the membrane. The outer surface of the membrane is exposed to the test sample. The potential generated at this interface is, according to the Nernst equation, dependant on the activity of the test sample ion, which the membrane is selective for.
Coated wire electrodes (CWE) have a layer of Ag or other conductive material, an optional layer of AgCl, and an ion selective membrane. See generally chapter four of Principles of Chemical Sensors, Janata, J., Plenum Press, 1989. There is no internal fill solution to interface the AgCl with the membrane to maintain the constant potential as in the conventional electrodes. The potential is therefore determined by unknown interfacial charge exchange agents or sites of uncontrolled activities. Potential measurements for the CWE tend to drift, have a slow response time, and have unreproducible potential offsets due to the undefined interface between the membrane and electrochemical internal reference element. In addition, any minute amounts of water soluable salt at the interface will cause water uptake causing drift in potential.
In attempting to reduce an ion selective sensor to a miniaturized planar configuration, problems arise due to differences in storage and measuring conditions. Water will permeate the membrane at any time to maintain osmotic balance. If water permeates from the sample into the internal electrolyte, the membrane will bulge or it may burst. If water leaves (e.g. evaporation) the sensor, the membrane will crenate. Moreover, this would change the activity of the internal electrolyte solution, thereby causing potential drift. This relationship is not considered in larger conventional electrodes because of the large reservoir of internal fill solution, but in a small sensor such as made by planar processing technologies, it becomes critical.
Shono et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,554,362 and 4,523,994, describe the use of bis-crown-ether derivatives as neutral carriers in ion-selective membranes of ion-selective electrodes.
Delton et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,504,368, describe the use of crown-ether compositions as ionophores in ion-selective compositions and electrodes. Various solvents are disclosed to solvate the crown ether and to provide ion mobility in the membrane.
Battaglia et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,968, describe dry-operative ion selective electrodes incorporating the use of ionophores.
Freiser et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,209 describe an electrode formed by coating a conductive substrate with an ion exchange material in a matrix. A listing of potentiometrically measurable ion or group of ions is provided.
Baginski et al., EP 0 267 724, disclose a method of printing an electrochemically active material on a substrate to provide a test device for carrying out a microchemical test.
Oue et al., Chem. Ltr. 1988, 409-410 disclose the use of monothiacrown ether (MTCE) as a neutral carrier for Ag-selective electrodes. It is noted that Que in a letter dated Sep. 6, 1988 recommended that if the compound is used as a neutral silver ion carrier, it should be first complexed with AgNO.sub.3 in order to reduce conditioning time.
Daunert et al., Anal. Chem. 1990, 62, 1428-1431 describe ion-selective electrodes including an ionophore covalently attached to a polymeric matrix.
Oue, M. et al., J. Chem. Soc.-Perkin Trans. 1989, 1675-1678 disclose the use of lipophilic mono-and di-thiacrown ethers as neutral carriers of polymeric membrane Ag.sup.+ -selective electrodes.

Solid contact system for potentiometric sensors


A plastic injection mold assembly is disclosed in which an electric servo motor very precisely controls rotational speeds and amounts of torque applied to cores which extend into the mold cavities as the cores are withdrawn from plastic components being molded and simultaneously directs the linear distances which the cores travel during such withdrawal. A method of accomplishing the molding of plastic components in this manner is also disclosed.

Heretofore, a variety of limitations have affected the molding of threaded plastic components. When a hydraulically powered rack was employed for extracting a metal core from a mold cavity, the number of threads which could be made on the inside or the outside of a component was limited because the number of threads was restricted by the number of rotations required for unscrewing the metal core from the component. The number of rotations which a core could make was dependent upon the space required around the mold to accommodate the length of the rack. Moreover, hydraulically powered equipment had problems of fluid spills and fluid leakage. Keeping an adequate supply of hydraulic fluid on hand was a limitation as well. In addition, halting a hydraulically driven rack's travel precisely was difficult to achieve, and the result was that substantial tolerances in the finished components were required. Also, because substantial mechanical movement was required for the rack, the speed of ejecting finished components was restricted.
Electric motors have been used in molding machine applications also. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,268, FIG. 12, illustrates the use of an electric motor for driving a shaft connected to a metal core with a threaded end inside a molded plastic component in order to turn and loosen the core and free it. In that patent, the core is moved rotationally by a belt-driven motor. A pair of ejector rods, powered by a second motor timed to cooperate with the first, are linearly moved to push the loosened component off the core.
Another patent illustrating the use of a pair of electric motors is U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,522. This patent relates particularly to an injection molding machine in which two motors are required for handling certain rectilinear and rotative drive requirements. Similarly, two motors are required for the rectilinear and rotative drives identified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,792,483 and 5,911,924.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,896 is an example of a patent which discloses the use of servo controlled electric motors in a molding machine. In that patent, one of the motors controls linear motion, and a second motor controls rotary motion. U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,760 is generally similar, as is U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,580.

Plastic injection mold assembly and method of molding threaded plastic parts


Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to a signal-storing nanowire-crossbar latch array. In one embodiment, the signal-storing nanowire-crossbar latch array is fabricated from three signal lines, including an enable line and two control lines, that cross and intersect with a number of signal wires. Signals are stored in the nanowire-crossbar latch array, and output from the nanowire-crossbar latch array, by applying an input signal to each signal wire and applying selected voltages and voltage pulses to the control lines. In alternate embodiments, a second enable line that crosses and interconnects with each signal wire is added to the nanowire-crossbar latch array.

During the past fifty years, the electronics and computing industries have been relentlessly propelled forward by ever decreasing sizes of basic electronic components, such as transistors and signal lines, and by correspondingly ever increasing component densities of integrated circuits, including processors and electronic memory chips. Eventually, however, it is expected that fundamental component-size limits will be reached in semiconductor-circuit-fabrication technologies based on photolithographic methods. As the size of components decreases below the resolution limit of ultraviolet light, for example, far more technically demanding and expensive higher-energy-radiation-based technologies need to be employed to create smaller components using photolithographic techniques. Expensive semiconductor fabrication facilities may need to be rebuilt in order to use the new techniques. Many new obstacles are also expected to be encountered. For example, it is necessary to fabricate semiconductor devices through a series of photolithographic steps, with precise alignment of the masks used in each step with respect to the components already fabricated on the surface of a nascent semiconductor. As the component sizes decrease, precise alignment becomes more and more difficult and expensive. As another example, the probabilities that certain types of randomly distributed defects in semiconductor surfaces result in defective semiconductor devices may increase as the sizes of components manufactured on the semiconductor surfaces decrease, resulting in an increasing proportion of defective devices during manufacture, and a correspondingly lower yield of useful product. Ultimately, various quantum effects that arise only at molecular-scale distances may altogether overwhelm current approaches to component fabrication in semiconductors.
In view of these problems, researchers and developers have expended considerable research effort in fabricating sub-microscale and nanoscale electronic devices using alternative technologies. Nanoscale electronic devices generally employ nanoscale signal lines having widths, and nanoscale components having dimensions, of less than 100 nanometers. More densely fabricated nanoscale electronic devices may employ nanoscale signal lines having widths, and nanoscale components having dimensions, of less than 50 nanometers, and, in certain types of devices, less than 10 nanometers.
Although general nanowire technologies have been developed, it is not necessarily straightforward to employ nanowire technologies to miniaturize existing types of circuits and structures. While it may be possible to tediously construct miniaturized, nanowire circuits similar to the much larger, current circuits, it is impractical, and often impossible, to manufacture such miniaturized circuits using current technologies. Even were such straightforwardly miniaturized circuits able to be feasibly manufactured, the much higher component densities that ensue from combining together nanoscale components necessitate much different strategies related to removing waste heat produced by the circuits. In addition, the electronic properties of substances may change dramatically at nanoscale dimensions, so that different types of approaches and substances may need to be employed for fabricating even relatively simple, well-known circuits and subsystems at nanoscale dimensions. Thus, new implementation strategies and techniques need to be employed to develop and manufacture useful circuits and structures at nanoscale dimensions using nanowires.
Digital electronic systems, such as state machines, are generally described as collections of logic functions and memory functions. State machines commonly store values of logical variables into a memory and subsequently reuse stored logical variable values as inputs for logic functions. Latches are commonly employed for storing logical variable values. Although microscale latches are well-known in the art of general computing, nanoscale latches compatible with nanoscale logic arrays are only recently available, and the design and manufacture of nanoscale latches present numerous challenges. Therefore, designers, manufacturers, and users of nanoscale logic devices have recognized the need for nanoscale latches and methods for producing nanoscale latches compatible with nanoscale logic.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A scanner includes a housing, a transparent platen disposed on the housing for positioning a document, and a calibration pattern formed on a side of the transparent platen. The calibration pattern includes an arc having a first point and a second point. The scanner further includes an optical engine installed inside the housing for scanning the document and the calibration pattern with movement in a first direction, and a control module installed inside the housing for controlling the optical engine to move to a scan start position according to the first point and the second point of the calibration pattern scanned by the optical engine and a radius of curvature of the arc.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a scanner capable of positioning a scan start position and related method, and more particularly, to a scanner capable of using an arc calibration patter for positioning a scan start position and related method thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Over the last decade, the development of computer peripherals and other electronic apparatus has progressed almost daily. These devices are now utilized universally in daily life. Take the scanner as an example. A scanner is a very popular electronic apparatus for scanning a document and generating corresponding data, or for converting image data, such as photographs, into a digital format that can be operated on and modified with a computer. In addition, the scanner may provide some additional functions such as facsimileing image data through a telephone line, sending image data by e-mail through the Internet, copying image data as a copy machine, or even posting converted image data on the Internet.
Referring to FIGS. 1-2, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a scanner 10 according to the prior art and FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the functionality of the scanner 10. The scanner 10 includes a housing 12, a transparent platen 14, an optical engine 16, a motor 18, and a control module 20. The transparent platen 14 is disposed on the housing 12 for supporting a document 22. The motor is electrically connected to the control module 20 and the optical engine 16. The control module 20 is used to control the motor 18 for moving the optical engine 16 according to a first direction. Preferably, the optical engine 16 is driven in a stepping manner to scan the document 22 and generate image signals corresponding to the document 22. The motor 18 can be a stepping motor, a servomotor, or a DC motor.
Typically, the optical engine 16 is returned to a home position after scanning the document 22 and before the next scan is conducted, the optical engine 16 must be precisely moved from the home position to a scan start position. By precisely moving the optical engine 16 to the scan start position, the user could prevent unwanted portion of the documents from being scanned and that the optical engine 16 could scan all of the required documents, thereby increasing the quality of the scan. The conventional method of scanning documents typically involves forming a reference pattern in the scanner 10 before the scanner 10 and presetting the location of the reference pattern and the scan start position. After the optical engine 16 scans the reference pattern, the control module 20 would control the motor 18 to drive the optical engine 16 to move a few more steps to reach the scan start position and start scanning the documents 22. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,455 discloses a means of utilizing a black block as a reference pattern, in which an optical engine would have to move step by step to scan all the lines of the black block for defining a scan start position. The drawback of this method is that a significant amount of time is spent on detecting the scan start position. For instance, if a resolution of 600 dpi is used to scan a block having a width of 2 mm, it would take the motor 18 to drive the optical engine 16 for 47 steps before defining a scan start position.
Taiwan Patent No. 462179 discloses another means of utilizing an isosceles right-angled triangle as a reference pattern. In this example, an optical engine would scan a distance between a side (such as the side adjacent to the 90 degree angle of the isosceles right-angled triangle) and two coordinates on the two other sides of the triangle to determine the scan start position. The drawback of this invention is that if an error occurs during the printing of the reference pattern of the isosceles triangle onto the housing or during the installation of the calibration sheet of the reference pattern, the setting for the isosceles triangle would be incorrect and the distance scanned by the optical engine between the side of the triangle and the two coordinates on other sides would not be the actual distance. As a result, the scan start position could not be positioned accurately. Hence, how to improve the accuracy of the current method for positioning the scan start position for an image scanning device has become a critical task.

Scanner capable of positioning a scan start position and related method


A method for manufacturing a flexible touch panel, a flexible touch panel and a flexible touch device are provided. The method for manufacturing the flexible touch panel includes: forming a first indium tin oxide (ITO) film layer on a flexible base layer attached to a transparent substrate via an optical adhesive layer; and patterning the first ITO film layer to form a touch electrode of the flexible touch panel.

With the development of display technologies, flexible display technology has gradually become a popular application in electronic display. A flexible touch panel from the flexible display technology has been widely applied in various products in the field of flexible display.
A sensor of the flexible touch panel usually includes a metal mesh flexible electrode and an Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) flexible electrode. Due to the defects of product yield, moire and transmittance of the metal mesh flexible electrode, the ITO flexible electrode will occupy a market share for a long time.

Flexible touch panel, method for manufacturing the same and flexible touch device

HEFEI XINSHENG OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.