A system for selecting an antenna from a diversity of antennas in a DECT, PWT, or TDMA-based antenna selection and switching system is disclosed. When signals are received from a plurality of antennas, the wireless antenna selection and switching system automatically selects either a real-time or a time-delayed signal authentication process. The selected process then selects the antenna that will provide the clearest signal quality.

The present invention relates to a process for selecting an antenna in a wireless communication system having at least two antennas. In particular, the present invention is designed to select the best antenna based on real and time delayed quality indicators.
In wireless communication systems, incoming signals often experience time dispersion and fading which is referred to as multipath effect. Multipath effect occurs when a signal and its replica arrive at a receiver out of phase to any extent. Generally, multipath effect occurs because artificial and natural obstructions cause transmitted signals to follow several propagation paths from a transmitter to a receiver. In wireless technology, the phase differences of the signals arriving at the receiver produce background noise, and in severe cases, cause the receiver to squelch. Conventional wireless technology utilizes antenna diversity to minimize this problem. A wireless network commonly includes more than one antenna positioned such that the signals received by the antennas are not correlated.
In DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telephony) and PWT (Personal Wireless Telephony) systems, for example, two antennas are available in the base station and/or portable. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate a conventional wireless system configuration that includes a base station and a portable having two antennas.
When more than one antenna is used in a wireless system, a protocol is employed to select the best antenna. Normally, antenna selection is based on a singular quality indicator adapted from the field of cryptography. The kinds of quality indicators may be divided into two categories namely: (1) those which are designed to authenticate signal transmissions and select an antenna as the signal is received and (2) those which are designed to authenticate signal transmissions and select an antenna after the signal is received. Known devices of both types have drawbacks and disadvantages.
In a TDMA-based system, for example, the antenna selection is controlled by software or logic circuitry. In this system, a cyclical redundancy check (CRC) like parameter is generally used to select an antenna after the signal is received. CRC is based on polynomial division in which each bit of a packet of data represents one coefficient of a polynomial. The polynomial is then divided by a pre-programmed polynomial to yield a quotient polynomial and in some cases a remainder polynomial. When the division yields a remainder polynomial., the system assumes that a transmission error occurred and selects another antenna. If, however, the division does not yield a remainder polynomial, the system assumes no transmission errors occurred and therefore does not select another antenna.
The antenna selection process is illustrated in FIG. 3. A CRC error rate that produces good speech quality is used as a threshold for selecting an appropriate antenna. If the present antenna provides a CRC error that is below the threshold value, no switching occurs. However, when the CRC error rate rises above the threshold value, another antenna is selected.
While CRC provides antenna selection by authenticating transmitted data, it has disadvantages. Its primary shortcoming is that antenna selections are not made in real time. The present antenna selected is based on a previous CRC comparison which does not change until the antenna receives a poor quality signal. The time delay that exists between receiving an incoming signal and selecting another antenna makes the selection process susceptible to error due to interference. A CRC selection may be accurate if a transmitter or receiver is stationary or moves at a slow rate of speed, because the communication environment is subject only to slight variations in time. However, when a transmitter or receiver moves at a high rate of speed, this time delayed process may be ineffective because it may not react to a changing environment and thus, it may be susceptible to interference.
Another technique for antenna diversity switching authenticates signal transmissions and selects an antenna as the signals are received. Preamble diversity switching is an example of a system that provides real-time measurements and real-time antenna selection. Preamble diversity switching sequentially measures the receive signal strength of a diversity of antennas at the beginning of each extended preamble. The receive signal levels of each antenna, which are the Receive Signal Strength Indicators (RSSI), are stored and compared. The antenna with the higher RSSI value is selected. When the RSSI value associated with another antenna is higher, that antenna is then selected. An example of a preamble diversity switching process is shown in FIG. 4.
The preamble diversity switching process provides the benefit of selecting an antenna as signals are received. The system is less affected by rapid environmental change. However, problems arise when differences between RSSI values are insignificant. When insignificant differences exist, the system may experience some uncertainty when selecting an antenna. This is simply because minor differences in RSSI values indicate that the signal qualities received by the antennas are similar and therefore, an of antenna selection will not necessarily improve receiving quality. Therefore, a preamble diversity switching process alone may not be the best parameter for selecting an antenna. An additional indicator may be desirable to select an optimal antenna.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved antenna selection process for a TDMA-based telephone communication system. In this disclosure, a: TDMA/PWT based system is illustrated.
Another object of the invention is to implement an appropriate decision strategy that considers the limitations of the signal authenticating processes and the error rates of signal transmissions.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved antenna selection process for TDMA-based systems that may employ more than two antennas.
Pursuant to the invention, a wireless antenna selection and switching system is provided which is capable of selecting an antenna from a diversity of antennas. The antenna diversity switching system is capable of measuring signal quality. When signals are received from a plurality of antennas, the wireless antenna selection and switching system automatically selects a real-time or a time-delayed signal authentication process. The chosen process then selects the antenna that will provide the clearest signal quality.

Antenna diversity switching system for TDMA-based telephones


A call center comprising a call routing switch, a plurality of servers, a plurality of agent stations coupled to said switch and servers and related equipment. Each of the servers is connected to the switch through a communication link. In an initial state one or more links is defined as active and one or more links is defined as standby or inactive. Upon failure of one of said active links, applications on the server to which the failed link is connected are switched to another server. A previously inactive standby link to the other server is activated. Various configurations of the call center and a method for system operation are also disclosed.

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional call center is shown. This center 10 includes a private branch exchange (PBX) or similar call routing switch 12 that receives incoming calls. PBX 12 is connected via a bi-directional link 14 such as an adjunct server application interface (ASAI) link to a fault tolerant computer telephony integration (CTI) server 20. PBX 12 is also connected via line 16 to a voice response unit (VRU) 22 and via phone line 18 to agent station telephones 24. The output of server 20 is propagated over a TCP/IP local area network (LAN) 28 to client computers (work stations) 30 at the agent stations.
VRU 22 enhances call processing efficiency and contains logic that prompts a caller for specific information. In response to such prompts, a caller enters data, usually through a telephone keypad, for example, pressing 2 for information on X or entering an account number followed by the pound key, etc. Responsive data may also be entered using voice recognition technology, if supported by the VRU. Server 20 acts on the entered data by sending the appropriate file over LAN 28 to one of the client computers 30 and directing the PBX switch to route the incoming call to the telephone at the agent station to which the file was sent.
To achieve high integrity in this type of call center, server 20 is often configured as a fault tolerant machine, where the term "fault tolerant" means that the machine has the ability to restore and restart operation and thus function properly even if a failure has occurred. Fault tolerance is normally achieved by providing precision components and redundancy within server 20, amongst other features. Though sufficient to achieve a desired level of integrity, this type of fault tolerant machine is disadvantageously expensive and may incorporate resources that are significantly under utilized.
In an attempt to decrease the expense of fault tolerant call centers while maintaining secure operation, fault resilient call centers have been developed which include a multiplicity of less expensive generally non-fault tolerant CTI servers arranged such that a standby server takes over for an active server that goes down.
A disadvantageous aspect of both single server fault tolerant and multiple server fault resilient call centers is that the link connection between the PBX or like switch and the server(s) is unprotected. Thus while an active server may indicate a healthy status, the call center may not function properly due to link malfunction.

Call center with fault resilient server-switch link


A method for stabilizing the spine at the level of one or more vertebrae includes the step of inserting a pedicle connector through the pedicle of a vertebra from one of the anterior side and posterior side of the vertebra to the other of the anterior side and the posterior side of the vertebra. The pedicle connector is secured to a stabilization construct positioned adjacent to either the anterior side or posterior side of the vertebra. The process is repeated for the opposite side of the pedicle connector. A system for stabilizing the spine and a pedicle connector are also disclosed.

The human spine is comprised of bony vertebrae separated by softer discs and has been the subject of surgical interest for several decades. Since the 1950s spine surgeons have used metallic hardware to increase the success of stabilization surgery. Many spinal disorders lead to spinal instability and surgeons have used the process of bone healing to fuse spinal segments using bone grafts from either the patient or other sources. The addition of spinal hardware in spine surgery has significantly increased the success rate from these bone healing operations commonly known as fusion operations. Spinal hardware or instrumentation has been a developing field of spine surgery and has involved merging the hardware with various portions of the human vertebra.
The human vertebras are commonly divided into four major regions with a corresponding numbering system. The cervical spine has seven vertebra, the thoracic spine has twelve, and the lumbar spine has five. The sacrum, or tailbone as it is commonly referred to, is considered one mechanical bone segment but is actually made up of many fused segments during human gestation. The human vertebral diagram (FIGS. 1-2) shows the basic vertebral features, the vertebra 40 includes a vertebral body (41), the pedicle (42), the transverse process (43), the facet joint (44), the lamina (45), and the spinous process (46). All of these features can be found on vertebra in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine.
In the 1970's advances were made in spine instrumentation by the development of screw stabilization systems that utilized the pedicle of the vertebra for anchoring of the screws. Surgeons would use these systems by passing screws from the posterior approach into the vertebral body. These systems were commonly used as paired pedicle screw systems and the increased stabilization strength led to fewer complications from fusion failure. More recently stabilization systems utilizing the anterior approach to the spine have been developed and have used various screw stabilization technologies. The anterior stabilization systems utilize screw stabilization frequently to hold anterior spinal hardware in place. The anterior screw stabilization systems previously described get most of their holding power from the cortical bone in the anterior and lateral portion of the vertebral body. One of the most devastating complications from spinal stabilization implantation is the phenomena of hardware "pullout". This term refers to when the mechanism relied upon to hold either anterior or posterior stabilization hardware fails to hold the hardware in place and the hardware becomes dislodged. With anterior hardware the failure results in the hardware lifting off of the spine as the screw fixation pulls through the cortical bone of the vertebral body. In posterior hardware cases, the pedicle screws pull out of the pedicle and the hardware attached posteriorly becomes dislodged pulling away from the spine posteriorly. In either instance, the stabilization mechanism whether it be screws in the anterior area or hooks or screws in the posterior area fail to provide the stability for which they were intended and reoperation becomes more likely usually involving extension of the stabilization to involve even more levels of the spine. Often the areas of attachment where the pullout occurred are no longer usable for a stabilization point because of the damaged bone texture in that area. Technology that reduces this pullout phenomenon is needed to reduce the hardware failure rate and subsequent fusion failure and reoperation rate.
As intraoperative imaging technology and endoscopic techniques have advanced, so too has the ability of the surgeon to form a more precise relationship when using spine instrumentation and the tools with which it is inserted. Over the years these have advanced from customary anatomical landmarks combined with the eye of the surgeon through the development of intraoperative radiographs, fluoroscopic techniques, and more recently intraoperative volumetric computer-assisted navigational technology and endoscopic technology. As these imaging technologies have advanced, accordingly, spinal instrumentation must advance in terms of the accuracy of hardware placement previously considered only possible with large incisions and increased surgical complication risk.
In addition to hardware pullout problems in healthy patients, one of the most challenging medical conditions facing spine surgeons is the patient with spinal instability as well as osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a medical condition which lowers bone density and makes screw stabilization less successful by reducing the strength with which the screw holds into the bone substance. Screw pullout and hardware failure are significantly more common in patients with osteoporosis. Up to this point spinal stabilization systems for patients with osteoporosis have relied on supplementing the screw stabilization with special manufacturing processes on the surface of the screw to allow faster integration of the screw into the vertebra during bone healing. Other supplementary procedures have involved the introduction of cement into screw holes in osteoporotic patients to increase the strength of the screw relationship with the bone.


A computer-based method and system for encoding a number as a sequence of words. The system has a table of words from which the words in the sequence are selected. Each word in the table has an index. To encode the number, the system first calculates an integer quotient of the number divided by a count of the words in the table and calculates a remainder of the number divided by the count of the words in the table. The system then repeats the following until the integer quotient is zero. The system selects the word in the table that is indexed by the remainder. The system then adds that word to the sequence. The system then calculates a new remainder of the integer quotient divided by the count of the words in the table and calculates a new integer quotient of the integer quotient divided by the count of the words in the table. The sequence of the words when complete represents the encoding of the number. The present invention also provides a computer-based method and system for decoding an encoding of a number to determine the number represented by the encoding. The system initializes the number to zero. The system then repeats the following for each word in the encoding. The system determines the index of the word in the table of words. The system multiplies the number by the count of words in the table. The system then adds the determined index to the number. When the process is complete, the number contains the value represented by the encoding.

Computer systems are increasingly requiring computer users to input very large numbers in the course of using the computer system. For example, a user who is purchasing a product via the Internet may be required to enter a credit card number, which can be 16 digits in length. In general, with the increasing use of the Internet and similar networks, the need for users to input very large numbers is increasing. For example, electronic mail addresses on the Internet and encryption keys used to secure messages sent via the Internet may be represented as very large numbers. Also, computer programs may display very large numbers to help identify an error that has occurred. The user would then report the displayed number to a programmer so that the error can be corrected.
It can be, however, very difficult for users to remember very large numbers. For example, an electronic mail address of "3481.269.321" cannot be easily remembered. Moreover, it is even more difficult to remember several very large numbers. Consequently, users often write down these very large numbers rather than remembering them. The writing down of such numbers can have several disadvantages. First, the user may not have easy access to pencil and paper. Second, even if the number is written down on paper, the user may lose the paper or may not have it immediately available when it is needed. Third, the writing down of the number can compromise security. For example, the writing down of an encryption key can compromise the security of the system because an unauthorized user can then get access to the written key.
Several techniques have been developed to help users remember various large numbers so that the writing down of the numbers can be avoided. For example, certain telephone numbers have a portion represented as a word so that the telephone number can be more easily remembered. For example, the telephone number 1-800-265-5328 can be more easily remembered as 1-800-COLLECT. While such a representation provides a useful mechanism to aid a user in remembering the telephone number, very few telephone numbers can be represented by words, and even fewer by meaningful words. To generate such a telephone number, one would identify the word and then convert the word to the corresponding telephone number. A similar approach is used for assigning personal identification numbers for accessing automated teller machines. A typical personal identification number is four digits long. Rather than assigning any four-digit number as a personal identification number, a four-letter word is first selected and then converted to the corresponding digits of a numeric keypad. For example, word "SLUG" may be selected to represent the personal identification number of 7584. A person can, in general, more easily remember the word "SLUG," rather than the number 7584. Because words are easier to remember than numbers and non-word character sequences, some computer systems generate user passwords that are a sequence of words. For example, a computer system may generate a password for a user comprising the words "SLUG TUNE," which is easier to remember than the password "75848863."
Although these various schemes have been useful in helping a user remember, they each have limited applicability (e.g., meaningful, 7-letter words for telephone numbers). It would be desirable to have a general mechanism in which very large numbers could be more easily remembered by a user.

Method and system for mnemonic encoding of numbers


The invention provides a system and method for location management in a mobile network through sharing individual mobility model between a mobile station and the mobile network. The mobile station and the mobile network always exchange large amounts of data in order to make location updating management in the conventional way, which in turn results in an increase in the overall network overhead and wastes the network resource. The system and method of the invention makes location management in both the mobile station and the mobile network by sharing the mobility model reflecting the action regulation of the mobile station between the mobile station and the mobile network, such that the network overhead is greatly reduce.

It is important for a mobile network to govern the current location of a mobile station, in order to provide prompt service for the mobile station. In this way, the mobile network can rapidly determine the location of the mobile station, set up the connection and transfer information to/from the mobile station, when there is information such as call or short message to be sent to the mobile station or when the mobile station sends out information. A mobile station may be moving while it is engaged in a communication or in an idle state. To ensure the continuity of an already initiated connection, the mobile station is handed over between the access points. When a mobile station is not engaged in a communication, the network must be able to determine its current cell in order to setup and route an incoming connection.
Location management in current mobile network such as GSM is carried out by two basic operations: paging and location updating. At the radio link level, paging refers to that procedure whereby the network searches for the exact cell through which a mobile station can be reached. This is done by sending out polling signals through all the candidate base stations. If paging is successful, the mobile station will send a paging response to the base station through which the mobile terminated connection can be set up. Location updating refers to that procedure whereby the mobile updates the stored current location and informs the network about its current location when the current location of the mobile station is not consistence with that stored inside the mobile station, so the current location of the mobile station can be managed by the mobile network and an exhaustive search through all possible base stations can be avoided.
FIG. 1 shows the paging and the location updating procedure implemented in a GSM network. Similar approaches are also employed in other mobile networks. With the conventional location management strategy, the network coverage area is divided into smaller cell cluster called Location Areas (LA). A location area is the granularity at which the network keeps track of the locations of the mobile stations, i.e., a location area is that group of cells in which the mobile station must be located. When a mobile station moves from one location area to another, a location updating procedure is triggered and the mobile station informs the network about this change of location area.
To enable the mobile station to detect a change of location area, the base stations periodically broadcast the identifiers of the location area they belong to; the identifier is called the location area identifier (LAI). On the other side, the mobile station 'listens' to the LAI currently being broadcasted and compares it to a recorded LAI (the LAI where it was last located). If the two LAIs are identical, the mobile station does not do any work. However, if the two lAIs are different, the mobile station interprets this as a change of location area, a location updating procedure is triggered and the old LAI is replaced with the new one. At the same time, the mobile station notifies the mobile network the change of its LAI. The mobile network processes the updating procedure on its side in response to receiving the notification, so as to promptly manage the current location of the mobile station.
In the conventional location updating management mechanism, a base station continuously broadcasts the LAI of the location area it belongs to, while a mobile station continuously 'listens' to the broadcasted LAI, and compares it to the registered one. If the two lAIs are different, the mobile station notifies the mobile network the change of its LAI. The mobile network processes the updating procedure on its side, in response to receiving the notification. Then the problem is raised that the overhead of the network increases very much and the network resource is wasted. Furthermore, the power of the mobile station is consumed very quickly because of continuously transmitting signals from the mobile station to the mobile network.
In practice, the activities of many users of mobile stations can be modeled. For instance, quite a number of office workers go to the offices in the morning, stay there for 9 hours, and go back to home. Thus, the location updating process can be done at specific switching points, such as at the points when the user arrives at the offices and when he/she arrives at home, if the mobile network knows about the mobility pattern of a mobile user. In this way, the continuous information exchange between a mobile station and a mobile network is avoided. The information exchanged between the mobile station and the mobile network is reduced then, the location updating process in the system and the process in the mobile station are simplified.
Research already shows that using mobility model of individual user can increase the efficacy of location management. But all proposed methods store and use the mobility model on the mobile network side with little participation of mobile stations, except for them to know location area and compare old and new location areas. Amount of other work is done on the mobile network side.
The mobile station is becoming more powerful with the development of the technique of the embedded microprocessor and storage. Many processes done in the mobile network, in turn, can be done in the mobile station. In addition, a mobile station can locate itself through GPS (Global Positioning System), the LAI received from the mobile network or their combination.

System and method of making location updating management on a mobile station, mobile station and mobile network

International Business Machines Corporation


An electronic massage device with cold/hot compress function includes an eccentric wheel driven by a motor to rotate and thereby generates vibration, a thermoelectric module used to provide the cold or heat source needed by the cold or hot compress, respectively, a cooling fan used to exhaust extra hot air generated during cold compress, and a set of thermoswitches used to control the hot compress temperature. The massage device may be used to soothe general body impairments through sports by cold compress alone or by hot compress together with massage.

The present invention relates to an electronic massage device which has the function of cold/hot compress in addition to the basic massage performance.
Conventional massage devices that are commercially available are used to massage without any cold/hot compress effect. Means such as ice-bags for cold compress or hot water bags, infra-red for hot compress and other medical equipments for such purposes are either not practical or inconvenient in use. Following the upgraded living quality nowadays, various kinds of healthful sports are more and more popular in people of all ages and of all ranks. However, different degree of body impairments through sports increase, too. Therefore, it is desirable to have a device which is not only convenient and practical in use but also capable of providing the functions of massage, cold compress, and hot compress that are most helpful in soothing sports impairments.

Electronic massage device with cold/hot compress function

4th Fl., No. 11, 199 Lane, Section 4, Ren-ay Road


The present invention provides a system of hardware and software that combine to efficiently integrate the various requirements for system performance and system reliability in a RAID system. A user of the present invention is able to select from a range of system performance and reliability configurations, independently of each other. From user specifications, the present invention initially constructs a user space which must be mapped onto the physical storage space in the array of disk drives. The present invention preserves the orthogonality of performance and reliability concepts through a series of mappings that relate to these concepts independently as it transforms user space into the physical space of the disk array.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to redundant storage in an array of secondary storage means and, in particular, to providing a flexible, orthogonal implementation of user system performance and data availability goals in the array of secondary storage means.
2. Prior Art
Redundant arrays of inexpensive disk drives (RAIDs) have evolved as an alternative scheme for implementing secondary storage to earlier systems employing a single, large disk drive. The main reason for this scheme is to match secondary storage access with ever increasing processing speed. Typically, the speed of data transfer to and from a single, large disk is much slower than the processing speed of the central processing unit (CPU). To increase system throughput, the RAID scheme of secondary storage allows for the concurrent access of data from multiple disk drives.
Typically, RAID architectures consist of one or more host interface controllers connected to several peripheral interface controllers via a high speed data bus. Each peripheral interface controller is, in turn, connected to several individual disk drives which provide the secondary storage for the connected hosts. Peripheral interface controllers can be connected to the disk drives via common communication interfaces, i.e. SCSI. Generally, the speed of the data bus is much greater than the speed of the interface between the disk drives and the peripheral interface controllers.
One way to increase concurrent access is to efficiently distribute the data for a given process across the array of disks drives. This distribution of data is called striping. The amount of striping in a given distribution scheme is called the stripe degree. The stripe degree is equal to the number of disk drives across which the data is distributed. To maximize concurrent access, however, the data should be striped to disk drives connected to different peripheral interface controllers. For example, sector 1 (or some other unit of data) of the host's data might be stored on some disk attached to peripheral interface controller 1, sector 2 on another disk attached to peripheral interface controller 2, etc.
Striping, together with data buffering, takes better advantage of the full data bus bandwidth. For example, suppose a host makes a read request for data resident on all the disk drives to which its data has been striped. These disk drives are then required to transmit their data, through their respective peripheral interface controllers, onto the data bus for subsequent transmission to the host interface controller.
If a disk is ready to transmit its data and the data bus is unavailable, each peripheral interface controller typically has a buffer into which the data can be temporarily stored. These buffers match the speed of transmission rates of the data bus. For example, if the data bus operates at 25 Megabytes per second and the SCSI lines operate at 5 Megabytes per second, then the data from the disk drives fill up the buffer at 5 Mbytes/sec and is transmitted from the buffer onto the data bus at 25 Mbytes/sec. In this example, the striping allows for several disk drives to buffer their data concurrently into their peripheral interface controllers, while the speed matching buffers allow for transmission onto the data bus at rates approaching that of the data bus. The bandwidth of the data bus is therefore better utilized.
With the advantage of increased throughput, there are, however, disadvantages associated with the striping scheme. For example, reliability is an intrinsic problem with striping. Generally, the mean time to fail for a single disk drive in an array of drives is much less than a single, large, expensive disk. Moreover, this disparity in mean time to fail increases as the number of disk drives in the array increase.
Mean time to fail for any given disk in the array, however, is not necessarily the most appropriate measure of reliability. Mean time to data loss in a system is generally a more appropriate measure. In a single disk drive scheme, the failure of a single disk drive equates to immediate data loss. Such data loss need not be irreparable. It is possible that a human operator may be able to replace the disk and recover the data from the failed disk. Such a possibility exists if, for example, the only damage to the disk occurred in the file allocation table. In such a case, it is more appropriate to classify the data as unavailable rather than lost. The length of time to remedy such unavailability is measured by the time it takes to physically replace the disk and recover the data.
Similarly, in the case of a RAID scheme, the failure of a single disk in the array does not necessarily equate to data loss. Moreover, by using a variety of redundancy methods, the failure of a single disk in an array does not have the same degree of data unavailability as that of a single disk scheme. Data from an arbitrary number (depending upon the coding scheme) of disks may be reconstructed dynamically by the system without the need to replace any disks. Thus, the time length of data unavailability can be made very small; while the mean time to data loss can be made very large.
These two concepts, system performance (as measured by the degree of striping and concurrency) and data availability (as measured by degree of redundancy), in the RAID context are orthogonal, i.e. independent of each other. Thus, increasing the level of redundancy and availability of data in the array does not generally translate into an increase in system throughput and vice versa.
However, even though performance and reliability are orthogonal, these concepts are muddled in current RAID systems. A user of RAID storage should be able to specify the level of system performance and data reliability desired, independently of the other. Additionally, a RAID system should be flexible enough to allow a user to select from a range of performance and reliability configurations, depending upon a number of considerations, such as the cost of storage for different configurations.
For example, one user may place a premium on data reliability and request a high mean time to data loss for the storage service. This might translate into a greater number of redundancy units per array group. Another user, however, may desire high system throughput which would require a high degree of data striping. This, in turn, might require a smaller number of redundancy units to increase the degree of data striping of the user's data. Lastly, some users might require both high performance and availability on a given data partition.

System for achieving enhanced performance and data availability in a unified redundant array of disk drives by using user defined partitioning and level of redundancy


This invention encompasses pharmaceutical compositions and a dietary supplement for treating or preventing alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver which comprises administering about 1 to 3 grams per day of dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of prevention and treatment of liver cirrhosis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Liver fibrosis, regardless of its cause, is characterized by marked accumulation of extracellular matrix in the perisinusoidal space (Rojkind M, Giambrone M. A., Biempica L. Collagen types in normal and cirrhotic liver. Gastroenterology 1979; 76: 710-719; Murata K, Kudo M, Onuma R, Motoyama T. Changes of collagen types at various stages of human liver cirrhosis. Hepato-Gastroenterology 1984; 31: 158-161). Many efforts have been made to identify the cellular sources of extracellular matrix proteins in intact liver. Some observations have suggested that parenchymal liver cells play a central role in the production of interstitial collagen (Martinez-Hernandez A. The hepatic extracellular matrix. I. Electron immunohistochemical studies in normal rat liver. Lab Invest 1984; 51: 57-74; Sakakibara K, Igarashi S, Hatahara T. Localization of type III procollagen aminopeptide antigenicity in hepatocytes from cirrhotic human liver. Virchows Arch [A] 1985; 408: 219-228; Chojkier M, Lyche K. D., Filip M. Increased production of collagen in vivo by hepatocytes and nonparenchymal cells in rats with carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic fibrosis. Hepatology 1988; 8: 808-814). Other experiments, however, have led to the conclusion that hepatic extracellular matrix production is largely a function of mesenchymal liver cells (Milani S, Herbst H, Schuppan D, Hahn E. G., Stein H. In situ hybridization for procollagen types I, III and IV mRNA in normal and fibrotic rat liver: evidence for predominant expression in nonparenchymal liver cells. Hepatology 1989; 10: 84-92; Friedman S. L., Roll F. J., Boyles J, Bissell D. M. Hepatic lipocytes: the principal collagen-producing cells of normal rat liver. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1985; 82: 8681-8685). Lipocytes (fat-storing or Ito cells), the principal cells in the Disse space of the liver, were found to synthesize and release different types of collagen (Clement B, Grimaud J. A., Campion J. P., Deugnier Y, Guillouzo A. Cell types involved in collagen and fibronectin production in normal and fibrotic human liver. Hepatology 1986; 6: 225-234), and they are considered to play an important role in the development of alcohol-induced liver fibrosis (Minato Y, Hashamura Y, Takeuchi H. The role of fat-storing cells in Disse space fibrogenesis in alcoholic liver disease. Hepatology 1983; 3: 559-566). Previous studies have reported that acetaldehyde stimulates collagen production in vitro (Moshage H, Casini A, Lieber C. S. Acetaldehyde selectively stimulates collagen production in cultured rat liver fat-storing cells but not in hepatocytes. Hepatology 1990; 12: 511-518) and increases procollagen type I gene transcription in cultured lipocytes (Casini A, Cunningham M, Rojkind M, Lieber C. S. Acetaldehyde increases procollagen type I and fibronectin gene transcription in cultured rat fat-storing cells through a protein synthesis-dependent mechanism. Hepatology 1991; 13: 758-765). In vivo, the progression liver fibrosis was accompanied by the transformation of lipocytes to transitional cells in fatty livers with perivenular fibrosis or cirrhosis, with a significantly higher collagen score in the Disse space surrounding transitional cells compared with that surrounding lipocytes (Mak K. M., Leo M. A., Lieber CS. Alcoholic liver injury in baboons: transformation of lipocytes to transitional cells. Gastroenterology 1984; 87: 188-200; Mak K. M., Lieber C. S. Lipocytes and transitional cells in alcoholic liver disease: a morphometric study. Hepatology 1988; 8: 1027-1033). In addition to collagen production, collagen breakdown determines the degree of collagen accumulation. Collagenase activity is generally increased during the early stage of liver injury (Maruyama K, Feinman L, Okazaki I, Lieber C. S. Direct measurement of neutral collagenase activity in homogenates from baboon and human liver. Biochim Biophy Acta 1981; 658: 124-131). Previous studies revealed that fibrosis coincides with the state at which collagen breakdown slackens and stops keeping pace with increased production (Maruyama K, Feinman L, Fainsilber Z, Nakano M, Okazaki I, Lieber CS. Mammalian collagenase increases in early alcoholic liver diseases and decreases with cirrhosis. Life Science 1982; 30: 1379-1384). Therefore these findings suggested that studies of the production and regulation of collagenase activity during liver injury may be relevant to the elucidation of the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis.
Membrane alterations are a striking component of alcohol-induced liver injury (Yamada S, Mak K. M., Lieber C. S. Chronic ethanol consumption alters rat liver plasma membranes and potentiates release of alkaline phosphatase. Gastroenterology 1985; 88: 1799-1806). Phosphatidylcholine may directly influence membrane structures and provide a basis for some of the beneficial effects of essential phospholipids in the treatment of liver diseases (Kuntz E. Pilotstudie mit Polyenylphosphatidylcholin bei schwerer Leberinsuffizien. Med Welt 1989; 40: 1327-1329). Recently, it was reported that polyunsaturated lecithin (PUL) extracted from soybeans can prevent fibrogenesis in alcohol-fed baboons. None of the animals fed PUL progressed beyond the stage of perivenular fibrosis. Furthermore, when three of the ethanol-PUL-treated animals were no longer given PUL but continued to ingest the same amount of the ethanol-containing diet, they rapidly progressed to more severe stages of fibrosis, including cirrhosis, illustrating again the protective effect of PUL (Lieber C. S., DeCarli L. M., Mak K. M., Kim C. I., Leo M. A. Attenuation of alcohol-induced hepatic fibrosis by polyunsaturated lecithin. Hepatology 1990; 12: 1390-1398).

Use of dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC) for treatment and prevention of cirrhosis and fibrosis in the liver


A method for controlling a common channel wireless access premises area communication network, providing setup and low-delay transfer of either or both packet data or virtual connections by a limited length segmental packet transmission. The system includes a plurality of access points and a hub controller connected to and sequentially controlling the access points, providing wireless communication services from the access points to a plurality of stations.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is an infrastructure function needed in large scale wireless local or premises area networks where the user Stations are or may include battery-powered portable computers and pocket telephones either fixed or moving. The service function is setup and low-delay transfer of either or both packet data or virtual connections by means of limited length segmental packet transmission. The system architecture providing these functions is the subject invention. Microwave radio frequencies are assumed to be the primary transmission means, however optical propagation is also a usable medium.
2. Description of Prior Art
If many common channel wireless Access-points are placed sufficiently close together to obtain near continuous coverage over a wide area, then the communication between one Station and the nearest Access-point may be subject to interference from simultaneous activity at other nearby Access-points.
The commonplace and trivial solution is to reduce the total traffic carried in the system to a point where collisions are improbable, and then to provide a recovery mechanism when they do occur. This is the philosophy when an effort is made to adapt the IEEE 802.3 CSMA/CD access method to wireless (as discussed in Rypinski U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,627).
This difficulty can be resolved by using Access-points sequentially, rather than simultaneously, within a group pattern. There remains the obvious problem of common control and routing, and two non-obvious problems:
1) making movement of Stations between Access-point coverages invisible to external interconnected networks, and PA1 2) making the speed of adaptation to changed access path less than the smallest inter-message time spacing possibly only a few milliseconds. PA1 1) the means of dealing with Stations that move between Access-points during the potentially small (milliseconds) time interval between consecutive segments or messages; PA1 2) the architecture of a Hub Controller common to many Access-points which provides this function; and PA1 3) a means of coordination of the sequential pattern among contiguous groups of patterns. PA1 1) the algorithms executed in the hub common control function; and PA1 2) the architecture of the Hub Controller. PA1 1) Synchronized Sequential Scan; PA1 2) Synchronized Sequential Scan with Adaptive Stepping Time; PA1 3) Synchronized Sequential Scan with Adaptive Stepping Time and Cumulative Opportunity Window; and PA1 4) Adaptive Unsynchronized Sequential Scan.
Bridge-per-Access-point Architecture
Within the IEEE 802.11 Standards Committee and in other forums for wireless local area networks, it has been suggested that each wireless Access-point be a tap on a common backbone local area network (LAN). The backbone LAN, for example, might be: IEEE 802.3 CSMA/CD (Carrier-Sensing Multiple Access/Collision Detecting). This LAN in one version uses "daisy-chained" coaxial cable and in another version telephone pairs as the connecting physical medium, where these pairs are installed between each Station and a common hub unit.
Each tap on a backbone LAN is a bridge or router to an interconnected network depending on the protocol level at which the interconnection is made. Bridges have "filters" so that the bridge does not pass messages between networks which are local in either network alone. Routers have the capacity to direct an incoming message on one network to another bridge on another network or to select between a plurality of connected networks for forwarding. A gateway may do all of these things, but is used where the connected networks are of different types.
Inter-network Routing
To facilitate routing, automatic functions have been defined. The first of these is called "spanning tree" using an algorithm defined in IEEE Local Area Network Standard 802.1D "Media Access Control (MAC) Bridges." Only a few points in this complex area must now be understood.
The bridge depends upon tables identifying the network with which various addresses are associated. If the network is reached from a particular bridge through intermediate bridges, then only the next relaying bridge is known. All of this information is "learned" when the bridge listens to its ports, and when it is asked to relay a message to a new destination. In this process, exploratory messages may be generated to determine routing to a new address.
An event occurs when a new Station appears (or disappears) or when a Station addresses another which is not presently known on a connected network. Such events may cause many exploratory messages and responses to update bridge filtering and routing tables.
If each Access-point is bridged into a common backbone LAN, such events will occur whenever a Station changes from the coverage of one to another Access-point. This may occur from a movement of a few feet or from passing obstacles like walking persons. The smaller the coverage of each Access-point, the greater the frequency of coverage changes for comparably moving Stations.
The philosophy of bridging in LAN is that each Station is normally on one network and infrequently (in terms of radio fading) moves to another. The reconfiguring messages take time, though not much by human reference. Many continuing moves by many Stations create the possibility of overloading the backbone network with learning tasks.
Efficiency
A bridging between an 802.11 and an outside LAN may have much more function to support routing than does bridging between two 802.11 LAN access points since the same function in the Hub Controller is common equipment. A further consideration with bridge-per-Access-point configurations is that within a sequential group only one transmitter at a time is used. There is no way to avoid provisioning of transmit medium access control and other functions at all Access-points.
Selection Diversity
Prior art in more conventional radio systems uses duplicate receiving systems each connected to an antenna separated from the others but all at a common site. If the received signal is continuous, a switch is used to select the output of the receiver with the best signal. If the signal is bursty, then the selection decision is made within a very short interval after the signal appears. More refined versions would base the selection on signal-to-noise ratio rather than signal level.
This prior art is used for voice communication, and is not very relevant to data burst transmission. Diversity systems which sum the signals from several antennas before or during demodulation are entirely irrelevant to this problem. Finally, multiple antennas at one site is not the same problem as selecting between signals from one of several sites.
Coordination of Activity Among Large Numbers of Base Stations
Many prior art systems are frequency-division channelized; and some provide time-division sub-channels to increase the communication capacity at one base station. "Cellular" mobile telephone is based on a "reuse" group size. Systems are planned on the basis that 7, 9, 12 or more channel groups are available for simultaneous use when contiguously located. The limits are determined by the geographic spacing necessary for independent operation of the same channel at different places consistent with continuous coverage on one or another channel at nearly all places.
Considering "reuse" factor, the coordination between reuse groups is not known to have been addressed in any other context but cellular wireless telephony or its proposed successors. Even there, the considerations in a channelized system are quite different than for time separation.

Hub controller architecture and function for a multiple access-point wireless communication network


The invention relates to a special urban transformation center comprising a concrete support body (1) on which a cabinet made of sheet metal and vinyl ester (2) is placed and eyebolts (4) for placement thereof, which are located in the upper part. The plates (15) have locating elements for the low voltage and remote control panels. A base is also provided for leveling the steel outer structure. It also comprises an internal/external skeleton reinforced with crossbeams and four columns (20). The invention also has a polyester closing cover (6).

To the knowledge of the applicant, there is no existent urban transformation center configured along the characteristics mentioned in this report, and providing at the same time an external housing that offers a configuration similar to that of a double telephone cabin provided, in the zone adapted for physically handicapped people and as an alternative, instead of a phone adapted for their use, with an antivandalic computer touch screen, with the purpose to configure it as a multimedia information point.


A DMA channel data quantity setting section sets a data transfer quantity of each of a plurality of DMA channels in accordance with a data quantity or a ratio in advance. A channel select control circuit determines whether each DMA channel is active. A data transfer control circuit transfers the data of the DMA channel determined to be active by the channel select control circuit in accordance with the data transfer quantity of each DMA channel set by the DMA channel data quantity setting section. By doing so, a plurality of DMA requests are accepted per bus hold request, and the number of bus management right arbitration procedures and the latency between the channels are decreased.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a direct memory access (DMA) controller that performs DMA transfer for a plurality of data transfer channels, and a DMA transfer method therefor.
2) Description of the Related Art
A system that employs a central processing unit ("CPU") conventionally has a DMA transfer function. The DMA transfer function means performing data transfer without causing the CPU to intervene so as to transfer data between a plurality of peripherals and a memory at high rate. This DMA transfer function is controlled by a DMA controller, the basic operation of which will be explained below.
If a DMA request is issued from a peripheral allocated to each channel, to the DMA controller, the DMA controller issues a bus hold request to the CPU. If a plurality of DMA requests are issued from peripherals, the DMA controller prepares for data transfer for the highest priority channel in accordance with preset priorities.
If the CPU accepts the bus hold request from the DMA controller, the CPU hands over a bus management right to the DMA controller. The DMA controller starts the data transfer between the memory and the peripherals using the bus as a DMA transfer data path. The data transfer is performed while DMA requests are continuously issued. In a burst mode, the data transfer of a preset size can be performed.
However, the conventional technique is always required to take arbitration procedures for the bus management right between the DMA controller and the CPU as a preparation for starting the DMA transfer. As a result, if the DMA transfer is frequently performed, the arbitration procedures disadvantageously deteriorate data transfer efficiency.
Although it is possible to decrease DMA transfer frequency by using the burst mode, the burst mode increases a data length and bus occupation time per channel tends to increase, accordingly. This results in an increase in wait time until a DMA request is processed, disadvantageously causing latency to the data between the channels. Besides, a buffer necessary to hold data needs to be large in size.


A CMOS imaging device including a two pixel detection system for red, green, and blue light. One pixel detects red and blue light and another pixel detects green light. The detection of red and blue is based on wavelength and the device is structured such that in the red/blue pixel, detection of blue light is at a shallow substrate depth, while detection of red is at a deeper substrate depth. The pixel array is structured such that the red/blue pixel is adjacent to the green pixel and alternates between red/blue and green pixels. The invention is also related to methods of forming such an imager array and pixels.

Typically, a CMOS imager circuit includes a focal plane array of pixel cells, each one of the cells including a photoconversion device, e.g. a photogate, a photoconductor, or a photodiode. A readout circuit connected to each pixel cell typically includes at least an output transistor. The photoconversion device converts photons to electrons which are typically transferred to a floating diffusion region, connected to the gate of a source follower output transistor. A charge transfer device can be included as well and may be a transistor for transferring charge from the photoconversion device to the floating diffusion region. Imager cells also typically have a transistor for resetting the floating diffusion region to a predetermined charge level prior to charge transference. The output of the source follower transistor is gated as an output signal by a row select transistor.
Exemplary CMOS imaging circuits, processing steps thereof, and detailed descriptions of the functions of various CMOS elements of an imaging circuit are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,140,630 to Rhodes, U.S. Pat. No. 6,376,868 to Rhodes, U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,366 to Rhodes et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,326,652 to Rhodes, U.S. Pat. No. 6,204,524 to Rhodes, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,333,205 to Rhodes. The disclosures of each of the forgoing are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a CMOS imager device 308 having a pixel array 200 with each pixel cell being constructed as described above. Pixel array 200 comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in a predetermined number of columns and rows. The pixels of each row in array 200 are all turned on at the same time by a row selected line, and the pixels of each column are selectively output by respective column select lines. A plurality of rows and column lines are provided for the entire array 200. The row lines are selectively activated by the row driver 210 in response to row address decoder 220 and the column select lines are selectively activated by the column driver 260 in response to column address decoder 270. Thus, a row and column address is provided for each pixel. The CMOS imager is operated by the control circuit 250 which controls address decoders 220, 270 for selecting the appropriate row and column lines for pixel readout, and row and column driver circuitry 210, 260 which apply driving voltage to the drive transistors of the selected row and column lines. The pixel column signals, which typically include a pixel reset signal, Vrst and a pixel image signal, Vsig, are read by a sample and hold circuit, 261, 262 associated with the column device 260 and a differential signal Vrst—Vsig is produced for each pixel which is amplified and digitized by analog to digital converter 275. The analog to digital converter 275 converts the analog pixel signals received from the column driver 260 and its associated sample/hold circuits 261,262 to digital signals which are fed to an image processor 280 to form a digital image.
A conventional CMOS image sensor pixel array usually follows a typical Bayer pattern as shown in FIG. 2 with one pixel for each of the colors red 82, green 87, and blue 83, respectively and arranged in a mosaic pattern as shown. Since there is only one pixel per color, the array requires a larger surface area. Another type of pixel, shown in FIG. 3, is a pixel which attempts to minimize array area by detecting all three colors at differing depths in a silicon substrate. See U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0058353. One detriment of placing photoconversion regions for all three colors in one pixel is that the colors cannot, in practice, be completely separated and discerned by the stacked photoconversion regions, even when they are placed at optimal depths based on light wavelength. This incomplete color separation results in cross talk between adjacent color detection regions and poor quantum efficiency.

CMOS image sensor and method of fabrication


An antiretrieval device for a currency validator of the slot acceptor type. A set of teeth is interposed between the cash box and the note path and in operative engagement with a punch plate. The punch plate and teeth define a shear to cut any string or tape which might be attached to a piece of currency tendered for validation. The teeth are maintained at the end of a spring-biased portion of a plate which is clamped and otherwise secured to a portion of the housing of the currency validator.

Various types of currency validators and note acceptors are presently known in the art. Such currency validators receive a paper tendered as a piece of valid currency, perform various tests upon the paper to authenticate it, and then either accept the paper as valid currency, or reject and return it as an invalid tender. When accepted as valid currency, the paper is generally deposited into a cash box or other appropriate receptacle and the change and/or goods are dispensed in exchange. Attempts are often undertaken with such currency validators to retrieve the currency once it has been accepted as valid, and after the vend and/or change operation has been commenced or completed.
The invention herein relates to an antiretrieval device particularly adapted for implementation in currency validators of the slot acceptor type. In such devices, the paper tendered as a valid currency is introduced into a slot and transported by belts and/or rollers through a testing area and to an escrow position from which it is punched into a stack within a cash box. In such devices, the note path generally has a horizontal portion extending from the slot and in communication with a vertical portion from which it is punched into the cash box. It has been previously know that string or tape may be affixed to a piece of currency tendered to the currency validator and used as a device for subsequently retrieving the currency from the cash box after it has been accepted and the vend or change operation has been completed. It has previously been known that an invalid piece of paper may be purposely tendered to the currency validator following the acceptance of a valid piece of currency having string or tape attached thereto. The rejection of the invalid currency, accompanied by reverse rotation of the belts and rollers, aids the retrieval operation.
There is a need in the art for an anti-retrieval device to be used in association with the note path and between the note path and cash box which prevents such retrieval from the cash box once the currency has been accepted and deposited therein.

Antiretrieval device for currency validators


A display device for controlling a remotely controlled camera is disclosed. The display device comprising an image receiver configured to receive an image of the image stream from the camera, and a processor. The processor including a retriever configured to retrieve a selected buffered image corresponding to a data insufficiency region within a target field of view while adjusting the camera from a current field of view to the target field of view until the image stream from the camera includes the insufficiency region being depicted within the target field of view and a depicter configured to depict the selected buffered image on the display device at least in the insufficiency region.

Navigation of maritime vessels requires accessing and processing numerous independent streams of data. The geographical position of the vessel, weather, wind speed and direction, tide and current speed, the relation of the position of the vessel to charted surface and subsurface features, measured depth of the water beneath the vessel, speed of the vessel, and the position, bearing, and speed of other vessels are just a few examples of the information that must be processed to allow an individual to safely navigate a maritime environment. This requires a vessel operator to use multiple instruments, charts, and visual information to obtain the necessary information describing the dynamic maritime environment.
One navigational aid is a camera system that can be panned and zoomed that provides the user with a real time video stream of a marine environment. However, pan and zoom operations typically require mechanical systems to be actuated, which can be slow to respond to commands. This can cause frustrating delay for the operator.


A contact mechanism includes a current path having a 360° winding formed by a plurality of conductor sections and having an axis that is perpendicular to a plane in which a rotary contact body is movable. The conductor sections include a first section with a first current conductor that extends to a fixed contact. A second conductor section extends through the fixed and rotary contacts. A third conductor section extends through the rotary contact. A final, conductor section, including a second current conductor, extends to the rotary contact body and runs parallel and in close proximity to the first current conductor. Each of the first and second current conductors are substantially parallel to the rotary contact body in the closed position and are formed as straight and rigid busbars having a length corresponding at least to a length of a contact arm of the rotary contact body.

For example, EP 0 560 696 A1 discloses a switch in which the stationary contact part is connected to a conductor part that is bent in order to be loop-shaped. The loop-shaped conductor part is bent so that the current flowing through the conductor part subjects the contact arm to an electrodynamic magnetic force, which leads to an opening movement of the contact arm and therefore of the movable contact piece at a predetermined current (short circuit current).
DE 19700758 C1 describes a further development of the above-mentioned contact mechanism where the loop-shaped conductor part comprises at least two firmly interconnected windings, the axes of which form a common winding axis.
Further contact mechanisms are known which are essentially designed so that a switching arc is quickly forced out of contact and/or so that a switching arc is quickly transferred to a quenching chamber. Advantage is taken of the fact that electrodynamic forces result from parallel guidance of the current in a power supply and the current in a contact arm, and these electrodynamic forces push out the contact switching arc located in the opening contact from the contact area (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,092,699 A or 5,596,184 A).
In another contact arrangement with bent conductor sections, there is, in addition, a displacement of the contact parts when contact is made (DE 102008 049789 A1). In this case, a current loop lying in parallel is either traversed to the electrodynamically reinforced opening or not at all.
Contact mechanisms with a fixed contact part and a bent loop-shaped conductor part have the disadvantage that the supply conductor part (busbar) has a loop-shaped bend thus resulting in a particular space requirement due to the conductor loop. Further, a manufacturing step is required in the manufacture of the bent conductor part.

Contact mechanism of an electric switching device


An electronic device includes: an antenna; and a touch panel having an electrode sheet formed with an operation detecting pattern, which has conductive, wherein an antenna pattern configuring the antenna is formed on the periphery of the touch panel.

A back ground electronic device includes a housing, a touch panel having both a display unit to display an image and a detection unit to detect a touch, and an antenna disposed within the housing (see, for example, JP-A-2010-181934).
In the electronic device such as JP-A-2010-181934, the touch panel is to be larger in order to improve the visibility, for example. Accordingly, in such an electronic device, the position where the antenna is disposed may be restricted due to the position of the touch panel disposed within the housing.
In view of the above, this disclosure provides an electronic device in which a positional restriction of the antenna is reduced.


A clay tile or other formed item having a simulated appearance and a method and apparatus for providing same includes the use of perceptibly random spray patterns and multiple spray nozzles to dispense a coating liquid upon the item prior to its drying and possible firing. Upon drying, the tiles processed thereby include improved appearance characteristics. Spraying is accomplished by a computer controlled spray system which includes, in one embodiment, multiple banks of spray guns (as an example, three guns per bank) which spray liquid upon clay tiles or other items passing thereunder. The spray guns can oscillate sidewardly relative to the general path of the moving items, to further enhance the perceptibly random spray patterns. Different types of engobe or other coatings may be sprayed by each of the banks of spray guns. The method and apparatus can also be used in association with the coloration of clay brick, concrete roof tiles, concrete brick, and concrete block.

It is well known to provide clay or concrete tiles for use atop or on the sides of dwellings or other structures. It is also well known to provide clay bricks and concrete blocks for use in veneer and structural applications, such as exterior dwelling walls.
There is a known need in the art to provide simulated appearances onto the to-be-exposed surfaces of such items, for purposes of defined appearances.
For example, in the instance of clay tiles, a wide color range similar to the that provided by periodic kilns is desired.
In the instance of clay bricks, a "used" or antique appearance can be desirable over a newer appearance. In each of these instances, the use of color variations within each item and between different sequentially produced items can be highly desirable, especially when such items can be made using otherwise conventional efficient manufacturing techniques.
Therefore it should be understood that a need exists for roof tiles, bricks, or concrete blocks which exhibit surface characteristics which are different from their traditional as-produced appearances.

Roof tile and method and apparatus for providing same


The disclosed apparatus relates to a gardening tool comprising: a hollow shaft; a container in communication with the hollow shaft; a rake head located at a first end of the hollow shaft; an actuator located at a second end of the hollow shaft; a plunger located in an interior of the hollow shaft, and in communication with the actuator; an opening located on the rake head, the opening in communication with the interior of the hollow shaft; and wherein the plunger is configured move between a first position, where the plunger blocks granules within the container from entering the interior of the hollow shaft, and a second position, where the plunger allows granules within the container to enter the interior of the hollow shaft.

It has become popular in ornamental horticulture to place discrete quantities of fertilizer in the earth for use by individual plants as opposed to general, somewhat homogeneous application of fertilizer over broad areas as is common in field horticulture for the propagation of botanical materials that usually are of the same type and occupy larger areas. In the recent past in placing such fertilizer it has become popular to use a consolidated fertilizer mass that has been formed into the shape of a stake with a pointed end that may be driven into the earth at the place desired for fertilizer application to thereafter disperse its fertilizer components into the surrounding soil. Such fertilizer stakes are simple and easy of use, but they are somewhat difficult to form so that they maintain their configuration to withstand physical forces placed upon them prior to and during placement and yet provide an appropriate release of the fertilizer materials from which they are formed or which they carry. Fertilizer stakes also are relatively expensive, often costing several times the amount of a similar quantity of dry, granular fertilizer containing the same amount of botanical nutrient material.
Various hand tools for placement at a particular location of various materials in and beneath the soil, especially seeds, other propagative plant material and fertilizer, have heretofore become known. To be practically useful, such tools must be easily insertable into the earth and this generally requires that a lower portion of the device that first contacts the earth be of a sharp or pointed nature to aid entry and moving soil out of the path of the tool as it moves therethrough. Various prior art devices have not provided a well defined, sharp lower portion.
The force required for tool insertion into soil often is greater than can be reasonably accomplished by manual means. Prior tools have provided various foot supports, usually of a fixed nature, to allow a user's foot to aid insertion of the tool into soil.
Prior art tools have provided pivotally openable bottom doors, but during placement in the earth of such prior tools it has been common that the door may be moved laterally and askew of its pivotal axis by reason of non-symmetrical forces caused on the door, as by irregularities in the earth at the place of insertion or the type of manipulation of the tool by a user. If this occurs, the door mounting structure may be damaged and ultimately rendered inoperative or broken.
It is desirable in a tool for the placement of granular fertilizer that predetermined amounts of fertilizer may be placed and that these predetermined amounts may be varied. Prior tools have often not provided means for measurement of material to be placed or those that have allowed such measurement often have not allowed variation of the measurement.
Accordingly, there is a need for a gardening tool that overcomes these and other disadvantageous.

Tool for raking and distributing granular material


In a plasma display panel, red, green, and blue pixels have the same voltage range for write discharges. The red, the green, and the blue pixels have first, second, and third data electrodes, respectively, covered with an insulating film. A red fluorescent substance layer is formed on the insulating film over the first data electrode. A green fluorescent substance layer is formed on the insulating film over the second data electrode. A blue fluorescent substance layer is formed on the insulating film over the third data electrode. The green fluorescent substance is smaller than both of the red and the blue fluorescent substance layers in thickness.

This invention relates to a plasma display panel, particularly, relates to a plasma display panel which can be easily driven and definitely display a picture.
A plasma display panel (PDP) is known as a flat display panel that it is easy to enlarge a display area. The plasma display panel is used for a wall television set or a display unit of a computer system, such as a personal computer, a workstation, and so on.
The plasma display panel has a plurality of pixels (i.e. emission or discharge cells) which are arranged in a plane and classified into red (R), green (G), and blue (B) pixels. Each of the red pixels has a red fluorescent substance layer. Similarly, each of the green and the blue pixels has a green and a blue fluorescent substance layers, respectively. The red, the green, and the blue fluorescent substance layers are different from one another in electrification characteristics and capacitance. Therefore, it is difficult to carry out uniformly write operations in the red, the green, and the blue pixels.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a plasma display panel which can be easily driven.
It is another object of this invention to provide a plasma display panel has enough luminance to improve its definition.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a plasma display panel that it is easy to enlarge a display area.
Other object of this invention will become clear as the description proceeds.
According to the gist of this invention, a plasma display panel comprising red, green, and blue pixels which include data electrodes covered with an insulating layer and which have voltage ranges for write discharges caused by the use of the data electrodes. A write voltage equalizing structure is formed in at least one of the red, the green, and the blue pixels for equalizing the voltage ranges with one another.
According to another gist of this invention, a plasma display panel comprises a front substrate with a first surface. A back substrate has a second surface which is opposite to the first surface at a distance. A scanning electrode is formed on the first surface along a first direction. First, second, and third data electrodes formed on the second surface along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and are used for write discharges together with the scanning electrode. An insulating layer is formed on the first, the second, and the third data electrodes and exposed areas of the second surface. A red fluorescent substance layer is formed on the insulating layer over the first data electrode. A green fluorescent substance layer is formed on the insulating layer over the second data electrode. A blue fluorescent substance layer is formed on the insulating layer over the third data electrode. A write voltage equalizing structure is formed between the front substrate and the back substrate for equalizing voltage ranges of proper voltage which cause the write discharges between the scanning electrode and all of the first, the second, and the third data electrodes.

Plasma display panel capable of being easily driven and definitely displaying picture


A decking system for placement on a subassembly having at least two spaced apart joists. A plurality of elongated tubular elements for placement in lateral interlocking engagement with each other transversely of and spanning the distance between the joists. Each of said plurality of elements having a top portion, a bottom portion, and first and second side walls connecting said top and bottom portions. The top portion extends laterally beyond the first side wall and has formed thereon a downwardly extending longitudinal flange. The bottom portion extends laterally beyond the second side wall and has formed thereon an upwardly extending longitudinal wall defining an upwardly opening channel adjacent the second side wall adapted to receive therein a watertight relation the downwardly extending longitudinal flange. The bottom portion having formed therein a plurality of apertures intermediate the second side wall and the upwardly extending longitudinal wall, adapted for the insertion of fasteners therethrough for engagement with the joists.

Extruded polyvinyl building and construction materials are increasing in popularity due to their light weight, which greatly simplifies shipping, handling and installation, and also due to their durability in adverse weather conditions, which greatly increases their service life. Polyvinyl materials do not need to be periodically painted or preserved, which greatly lowers maintenance costs, and modern ultraviolet inhibitors prevent UV breakdown of polyvinyl materials for many years. Extruded hollow members offer utility similar to wood or molded members but are cheaper and easier to mass-produce than conventional molded members; and, extruded members can be easily formed with internal reinforcing ribs or webs to add strength and stiffness. As such, the hollow extruded members offer a long lasting, low maintenance, and cost effective alternative for traditional wood floor members, such as on decks, floors, porches, marine docks and similar applications.
Because nails or screws driven directly through the plastic are likely to cause stress risers and/or cracking, the hollow extruded members require special mounting brackets or cleats in order to secure the members to the supporting frame or structure.
On certain polyvinyl decking systems, the decking members have a series of openings in the bottom surface, and the members are snapped onto mounting brackets or clips that have been attached to the top of the joist or support structure. Anther prior art approach utilizes U-shaped mounting clips that are attached to the top of the joist. The decking members are secured to the upwardly extending legs of the mounting clip. Such prior art systems have a number of drawbacks, including relatively high material costs and relatively long installation time, and on many such systems it is difficult to properly align the holes in the deck members with the preinstalled clips. Moreover, if the pre-installed clips are not mounted properly the decking members may move or "wander" slightly, giving the deck an unsightly and unprofessional appearance.
According to one prior art plastic decking plank, separate cap and base elements are snapped together to form a single plank. The base element is first mounted directly to the sub-floor with fasteners such as screws or nails. Mating components of the cap and base elements are then manually aligned, and a rubber hammer or other tool is used to snap-attach the pieces together. Unlike the invention, such two-piece designs generally require substantial time and effort to assemble.
Another drawback with prior art methods is that polyvinyl, like all construction materials, flexes slightly under load. On conventional wood decks such flexing is almost completely unnoticeable. However, on plastic or polyvinyl decks such flexing often creates an unnerving and unpleasant squeak or creaking sound. For many reasons, most consumers consider such speaking and creaking a very undesirable attribute. Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved polyvinyl decking system that is cost effective to produce and install, and that does not have any of the unfavorable characteristics that plague prior art polyvinyl decking systems. Further, known polyvinyl decking has a tendency to deform along reinforcement lines, thus creating unsightly rows along the plank.
The present invention utilizes extruded tubular decking members that have internal reinforcing webs to maximize flexural strength and stiffness. The present invention also utilizes a unique interlocking feature between adjacent decking members and maintains the proper spacing between deck members and also secures the deck members to each other and to the supporting joists.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A drive hub for two-wheeled vehicles with a hub body and with a fixed axle and with a sprocket carrier on which a plurality of sprockets is provided. The sprocket carrier is rotatably supported on the axle by way of at least one bearing. The sprocket carrier includes a circumferentially closed sleeve device on which at least one sprocket is disposed radially outwardly and on which two axially spaced bearings are provided radially inwardly for rotatably supporting the sprocket carrier on the axle via the bearings.

The present invention relates to a drive hub for at least partially muscle-powered vehicles and in particular two-wheeled vehicles with an axle and with a hub body is provided rotatably around it and with a sprocket carrier for transmitting the driving force to the drive hub.
Different drive hubs for muscle-powered vehicles such as bicycles have become known in the prior art. Bicycles in the field of sports and for professionals tend to be provided with a gear shift device. Other than transmission hubs, chain shifting devices are in particular employed where a sprocket cluster having multiple drive sprockets is provided the sprockets of which can be selectively actuated to change transmission ratios as desired. Chain shifting devices are advantageous since they show high efficiency and ease of maintenance since each of the sprockets and the chain are accessible from the outside.
These days, so-called cassette hubs tend to be employed in which a rotor is received rotatably relative to the hub axle and which is non-round in its outer contour. A sprocket cluster having a non-round inner contour is pushed onto the non-round outer contour such that the sprocket cluster with its different sprockets is non-rotatably received at the rotor. The sprocket cluster consists of a sprocket carrier and the sprockets disposed thereon.
These known drive hubs operate reliably and allow simple and quick exchange of the sprocket clusters since the sprocket carrier with all the sprockets is provided for simple exchange. Since each sprocket is subjected to wear, this enables an effective exchange of individual or all of the sprockets.
The drawback of these known hubs is the high space requirement. The drive hub rotor must have a certain outer diameter for receiving the bearings to support the rotor. This in turn requires a certain minimum diameter and a not inconsiderable weight. The inner hub diameter is specified though since the axle needs to be compatible with the usual standards. For example through axles are 12 mm in diameter.
With DE 10 2009 006 101 A1 a hub arrangement has become known having a hub body, a fixed axle and a conical set of sprockets arranged rotatably relative to the fixed axle. The extreme end of the set of sprockets is provided with a bearing by way of which the set of sprockets is supported on the fixed axle. With its other end the set of sprockets radially surrounds the hub body. To facilitate rotation the exterior of the hub body may be provided with a bushing which serves as a gliding bushing, reducing friction between the set of sprockets and the hub body. Basically this hub arrangement allows the achievement of low weight. The drawback is, however, that the set of sprockets, which must transfer the entire driving energy to the hub body, is supported on one bearing only. The bushing provided at the other end is wholly exposed to environmental influences, forming a potential weak point. Although one might provide instead of the bushing, a roller bearing, it would considerably increase the weight given the large diameter, and it would again have to be protected from dirt and moisture.


The present invention discloses an isolation section suppressing shock wave forward transmission structure for a wave rotor combustor and a wave rotor combustor, and belongs to the new concept field of unsteady combustion. The isolation section suppressing shock wave forward transmission structure for a wave rotor combustor includes a wave rotor and a gas inlet port, and the wave rotor is provided with several wave rotor channels. When the wave rotor rotates, the several wave rotor channels communicate with the isolation section sleeve sequentially through the fan-shaped hole. The present invention suppresses reflected shock waves by changing a flow blockage ratio and a shape of the pneumatic valve to consume back transmission pressure, which is beneficial to a fuel intake process, so that steady working of the wave rotor combustor in a state of deviating from a design point can be implemented.

A constant volume combustor can implement constant volume combustion internally, and has potentials of significantly reducing fuel consumption of a gas turbine and improving entire thermal efficiency. Both a detonation engine and a wave rotor combustor are new constant volume combustion devices. The wave rotor combustor can implement combination of a constant volume combustor and a stationary flow component, and therefore was once used as a dynamic pressure exchanger and topped in a gas turbine. Due to periodicity of working sequences and usage of many combustion channels of the wave rotor combustor integrating pressurization and combustion, when compared to other pressure gain combustor, the wave rotor combustor can better combine with turbomachinery and the like, and therefore has a quite high application value.
For example, the Chinese patent No. ZL201310018405.3 discloses an unsteady combustion-based wave rotor combustor with a pressurization function and a working method thereof. A wave rotor of the solution is formed by a plurality of channels, and an airflow of an outlet of the wave rotor combustor can be output steadily through sequential working of the plurality of channels while high thermal cycle efficiency of unsteady combustion and advantages of a pressurization technology are used. In another example, the Chinese patent No. ZL201621170672.8 discloses a mixed fuel formation device of a wave rotor combustor. The device includes a transitional pipe section and a wave rotor gas inlet port section connected to each other, where an upper wall surface of the wave rotor gas inlet port section is provided with several holes, each hole is connected to a fuel injection branch pipe, and each fuel injection branch pipe is connected to a fuel inlet main pipe through an independent valve; and an internal channel of the wave rotor gas inlet port section is provided with two flow deflectors, the flow deflectors divide the wave rotor gas inlet port section into three entrance regions, and the three entrance regions are filled with mixed gas of different concentrations.
However, similar to the detonation engine, during constant volume combustion, when pressure in the combustion chamber raises to a high level and deviates from a design point condition, when a gas inlet port is connected to the channel, high-pressure gas of a previous cycle may have not been exhausted, pressure in the channel is much higher than that in the gas inlet port, and shock wave forward transmission is formed consequently. Therefore, the wave rotor combustors of the foregoing two applications are prone to shock wave forward transmission in a working process, further affect a fuel intake process, and cause inconsistent working of the wave rotor combustors and advanced ignition of other channels, thereby affecting normal working of the wave rotor combustors.

Isolation section suppressing shock wave forward transmission structure for wave rotor combustor and wave rotor combustor

NANJING UNIVERSITY OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS


A substrate processing apparatus including an inner chamber formed by an upper portion and a lower portion, a substrate support to support a substrate within the upper portion of the inner chamber, a plasma system to provide the inner chamber with plasma species from the top side of the inner chamber, and an outer chamber surrounding the upper portion of the inner chamber. The lower portion of the inner chamber extends to the outside of the outer chamber and remains uncovered by the outer chamber.

This section illustrates useful background information without admission of any technique described herein representative of the state of the art.
In chemical deposition methods, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD), plasma can be used to provide required additional energy for surface reactions. While ALD reactors have existed since many decades ago, plasma-enhanced reactors represent a younger technology. There is an ongoing need to develop improved plasma-enhanced ALD reactors or at least to provide alternatives to existing solutions.

Substrate processing apparatus and method