Boot binding systems for riding a snow gliding board, including a pair of boot bindings, each member of the pair having a toe latch pedal mechanism at the toe end of a baseplate on which the rider's boot rests, the toe latch pedal having dual function to either a) attach each boot binding to a ride mode interface in ride mode configuration or to b) attach each boot binding to a ski touring mode interface in ski touring configuration. In a “release position” the toe latch pedal is disengaged so that the baseplate assembly may be detached or switched between the ski touring mode interface and the ride mode interface in alternation. In a “lock position”, the toe of the rider's boot depresses the toe latch pedal and locks the boot binding onto the selected interface. As co-planar with the baseplate, the latch pedal also supports the rider's boot when in the lock position.

Back-country splitboarding is a popular sport with a dedicated following. When fully assembled, a splitboard looks like a snowboard, but can be taken apart to form a pair of skis. The right and left "skis" of a splitboard are asymmetrical; i.e., they are the mirror halves of a snowboard—longitudinally cut (or "split"), and typically have the sidecut (i.e. nonlinear long edges) and camber of snowboards. When worn separately as a pair of skis the rider can tour cross-country and climb through soft snow more quickly than by hiking. By joining the ski halves together, the rider descends as if riding a snowboard. The rider's stance in the snowboard riding configuration is sideways on the board, with legs spread for balance.
Because of the combination of functions, where the splitboard is sometimes used for skiing and other times for snowboarding, a great deal of ingenuity has been required in developing boot bindings that can be used in both "touring mode", where the skis are used separately, and "ride mode", where the boot bindings form part of a rigid union between the two ski halves. In both cases, the boot binding may include straps or bails, a heel or toe riser, a heel cup, a highback, and so forth to comfortably secure the boot to the board with a suitable degree of stiffness. Most modern riders use soft boots and flex at the knees and ankles to shift their weight and maneuver the board. The earliest patent applications on splitboards were filed by Ueli Bettenman starting in about 1988, and include Intl. Pat. Nos. CH681509, CH684825, German Gebrauchsmuster DE9108618 and EP0362782B1. In addition to the basic splitboard concept, these patents include drawings of splitboard bindings, both of a slidingly engageable rail type and a rotational clamping type, the bindings serving to secure the rider's boots to the skis in ski mode and the snowboard in ride mode. The earliest efforts at commercialization were made by Snowhow (Thalwil, CH) in Europe, and with the collaboration of the Fritschi brothers, Nitro Snowboards USA out of Seattle in the early 1990's. The Nitro snowboard binding consists of two slider tracks that join paired stationary flanged blocks mounted crosswise on each of the ski members. The binding bails are provided on a second plate which is hinged at the toe on the slider track and can be locked at the heel, thus enabling free heel ski mode when mounted parallel to the long axis of the ski members and ride mode when mounted crosswise. Supplemental stabilizers to hold the tips of the ski members together in ride mode include pairs of buckles.
Also an early contributor was Stefan Schiele, who filed Intl. Pat. Publication WO 98/17355 in 1996 on a three-part board joined by a rigid crosspiece at each foot, each crosspiece engaging three elevated pins with rotatable locking elements and having mating hooks at the ends of the boards. In ski mode, the skier carries the middle piece strapped to his backpack. Commercialization of this product, known as "System T3" continues.
Subsequently, Voile Manufacturing of Salt Lake City filed for a patent on an improved splitboard binding interface. U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,324 describes a slider track with insertable toe pivot pin for each foot, the slider track joining pair of "pucks" mounted on each ski member when mounted crosswise and also serving as a pivotable member for free heel touring. This innovation resulted in substantial growth of interest in splitboarding in the United States and has had worldwide impact on the sport.
Ritter, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,823,905, 8,226,109 and in US Pat. Appl. Publ. No 2013/025395, disclosed a stiffer, lower and lighter binding for spanning pucks mounted crosswise on the splitboard. The lightweight binding includes a toe pivot for free heel skiing and touring and has gained popularity among soft boot riders. These bindings are being commercialized by Spark R&D of Bozeman Mont. Maravetz, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,851, abandoned the rail-type binding in favor of a clamp designed to engage a pair of semi-circular flanged mounting blocks, one pair under each foot in ride mode. The two mounting blocks conjoin as a circle on which the jaw mechanism can be adjusted to suit the foot angle of the rider. Boot bindings are attached to the upper surface of the clamp member. Interestingly, the jaw of the clamp operates to tighten itself against the board and pull the two ski members together. However, the complexity of the mechanism is a disadvantage in that impacted snow tends to interfere with its operation. The clamp is provided with a built in toe pivot mechanism that is used in ski mode. The board is stabilized with front and rear hooks that join the ski members.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,033,564 to Riepler is under commercialization by Atomic (Altenmarkt Im Pongau, AT). The Atomic splitboard binding interface uses a rotating plate that engages four mushroom pins affixed to the ski members under each of the rider's feet. The rotating plate also operates a locking device for engaging a crampon tool. The internal workings are mounted between two plates that make up the body of the binding. The built-in toe pivot pin is spring-loaded in a sealed cylinder and engages a toe pivot cradle in ski mode. Ride mode configuration is stabilized by front and rear buckles and tip hooks. The ski members are unique in that they are shaped with a pointed downhill tip and a rounded tail. A well-known drawback of this interface is the need for a special spanner tool to transfer the binding between ski mode to ride mode.
U.S. Pat. Publ. No. US2010/0102522 to Kloster discloses two binding interface systems that appear to combine a number of features, including buckles and hooks for stabilizing the ski tips in ride mode. The Kloster binding is commercialized by Karakoram (North Bend, Wash.). In ski mode, a non-detachable axle at the toe is engaged by a pair of jaws operated by a release lever built into the toe pivot cradle. To disengage the toe axle from the pivot cradle, the rider lifts his boot heel and reaches under his foot to pull up the release lever (or removes the boot and reaches through the binding). A doubly-hinged linker arm couples the rotation of the release lever and the disengagement of the locking jaw.
In ride mode, the toe end is affixed to a pair of tabs mounted on a first ski member and a side lever arm operated by the rider causes extendable rods at the heel end to engage brackets mounted to the second ski member. As the side arm lever is rotated and locked, the two ski members are pulled together. The ride mode engaging system is sealed in a gear box to prevent snow entry, which would jam the workings. In ski mode, the toe end engages a toe pivot interface and requires its own lever-operated clamping mechanism. The use of two separate mechanisms for the toe pivot and ride mode interfaces adds complexity and weight.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a splitboard binding interface that overcomes the above disadvantages and provides the further improvements as will be apparent from the disclosure contained herein.

Boot binding system with foot latch pedal


A semiconductor device is equipped with fuses each made of a conductive material vertically extended through an insulator layer employed in the semiconductor device. Holes are formed which vertically penetrate the insulator layer. Sidewalls are formed on their corresponding wall surfaces of the holes. The holes formed with the sidewalls are buried with a conductive material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device-equipped with fuses and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a semiconductor device, a fuse is used to relieve a defect by redundancy substitution in a memory and control or adjust a resistance value employed in a resistance circuit, i.e., trim the resistance value. One example of a conventional fuse is shown in Japanese laid-open Patent No. 2000-243213.
The present fuse is vertically disposed on the surface of a substrate. The fuse penetrates an insulator layer and is connected to a conductive path on the surface of the substrate. The fuse has an advantage that the area occupied by the fuse on a semiconductor chip becomes small owing to the vertical provision of the fuse in this way.
The fuse is blown by Joule heat of a current that flows through the fuse itself. The Joule heat rises as the cross-sectional area thereof becomes small, and the fuse is apt to melt down. The more the fuse is reduced in size, the more the semiconductor device can be scaled down. This is because the size of a portion which is connected to the fuse and causes a fuse blowing current to flow therethrough can be reduced in accordance with the fuse as well as the ability to reduce the size of the fuse.
With the scaling up of an integrated circuit constituting a semiconductor device in particular, the number of fuses mounted on one chip tends to increase. The influence of the sizes of individual fuses on the overall size of the chip is becoming increasingly significant.
Therefore, the conventional fuse has a problem in that its cross-sectional area could be merely reduced to the minimum size defined by a micro-fabrication technique.


A digital contents generating apparatus connected with a communication network comprises an electronic watermark-data embedding unit for embedding electronic watermark data in digital contents, an encryption unit for encrypting the digital contents embedded with electronic watermark data by an encryption key received from an encryption-key generating unit, and a decryption-key generating unit for generating a decryption key. A digital contents reproducing apparatus connected with the communication network comprises an electronic watermark data extraction unit for extracting electronic watermark data from encrypted digital contents embedded with electronic watermark data, and a decryption unit for decrypting the encrypted digital contents by a predetermined decryption key.

The present invention relates to a digital contents generating apparatus and a digital contents reproducing apparatus using a network. More particularly, it relates to a digital contents generating apparatus in which identification data comprising specific information, i.e., electronic watermark data, are embedded in digital contents and the digital contents are then encrypted for delivery, and to a digital contents reproducing apparatus for the reproduction of such digital contents.
An increasing amount of digital contents is being provided. This is due, for example, to the explosive increase in the number of users of the World Wide Web (WWW) on the Internet, and the spread of hardware that allows personal access to large volumes of data. With the increase in the amount of digital contents provided, illegal reproduction of digital contents is becoming a social problem. As a technique for preventing such illegal reproduction, embedding and detection of electronic watermark data is gaining attention. The embedding of electronic watermark data involves embedding ID information that is imperceptible by humans but is machine-readable directly in the data constituting the digital contents as a kind of noise. The embedded ID information is characterized in that it exists with the digital contents at all times and cannot be easily erased or modified. These characteristics are taken advantage of by the electronic watermark data embedding and detection technique for preventing illegal reproduction of digital contents.
However, the digital contents such as image data in which electronic watermark data are embedded are by no means visually inferior to the original digital contents prior to the embedding of the electronic watermark data. Therefore, those who illegally obtained a data storage medium storing the digital contents with the embedded electronic watermark data can view or listen to the digital contents.
It is also noted that with the spread of the Internet, services are becoming more and more available in which authorized owners of digital contents distribute their contents to predetermined users via the Internet.

Digital contents generating apparatus and digital contents reproducing apparatus


The present invention concerns a polynucleotide having both ribonucleotides and deoxyribonucleotides in a first strand and solely deoxyribonucleotides in a second strand; wherein the strands are Watson-Crick paired and are linked by an oligonucleotide so that the polynucleotide has at most a single 3' and a single 5' end. These ends can be ligated so that the polynucleotide is a single continuous circular polymer. The polynucleotide can be used to induce specific alterations in targeted genes.

2.1. Chimeric and/or Hybrid Duplex Nucleic Acids
The field of the invention concerns nucleic acids. Nucleic acids are heteropolymers, i.e., polymers of non-identical subunits, which are linked by oriented phosphodiester bonds or their derivatives, into polymers. Duplex nucleic acids are nucleic acids wherein each base of a first strand of the duplex corresponds to a base of a second strand of the duplex according to the scheme in which uracil or thymine and adenine correspond and cytosine and guanine correspond. Anti-parallel duplex strands having these correspondences are said to be Watson-Crick paired. Duplex nucleic acids can be of two major types, ribonucleic acids and deoxyribonucleic acids. Each ribonucleotide has an equivalent deoxyribonucleotide, e.g., adenosine and deoxyadenosine, cytidine and deoxycytidine, guanosine and deoxyguanosine, uridine and thymidine. As used in the field, a nucleic acid in which both ribonucleotides and deoxyribonucleotides are present in the same strand is termed a mixed or chimeric (hereinafter "chimeric") nucleic acid. A duplex nucleic acid in which deoxyribonucleotides and ribonucleotides correspond with each other is termed a hybrid-duplex. When two strands form a region of duplex nucleic acid for less than all of their bases, the resultant molecule is termed a heteroduplex.
Most often, the two strands of a duplex nucleic acid are not covalently bonded but are associated only by Watson-Crick pairing. However, the two strands of a duplex can be linked by an oligonucleotide to form a single polymer. The linking oligonucleotide is not Watson-Crick paired. The heteroduplex in which the first and second strands are portions of a single polymer is termed a "hairpin duplex" or a "stem and loop" structure. The former term will be used hereinafter.
As used herein chimerism is a property of a nucleic acid polymer and hybridism is a property of a duplex. For example, an mRNA and its template form a hybrid duplex though neither is chimeric, while, for example, the chimeric octanucleotides 5'd(TTTT)-r(CCCC)3' and 5'r(GGGG)-d(AAAA)3' will form a Watson-Crick duplex with each other but the resultant duplex is not a hybrid-duplex. A duplex nucleic acid which is not a hybrid-duplex is termed hereinafter a "homo-duplex". Unless specifically noted otherwise, a homo-duplex nucleic acid refers only to a deoxynucleotide containing duplex. Lastly, note that while those in the field refer to the formation of a Watson-Crick duplex as "hybridization," even where there is no hybrid-duplex nucleic acids.
Those interested in the study the structure of chimeric and/or hybrid duplex nucleic acids by X-ray diffraction and 2-dimensional NMR have synthesized chimeric nucleic acids and hybrid duplex nucleic acids for use in their studies. See, e.g., Salazar, M., et al., 1994, J.Mol.Biol. 241:440-55 and Egli, M., et al., 1993, Biochemistry 32:3221-37 (two stranded chimeric hybrid duplex of the form r.sub.3 d.sub.7 .multidot.d.sub.10); Ban, C., et al., 1994, J.Mol.Biol. 236:275-85 (self complementary chimeric hybrid duplex of the form d.sub.5 r.sub.1 d.sub.4); Chou, S. H., 1991, Biochemistry 30:5248-57 (self-complementing and non-self-complementing chimeric hybrid duplexes of the form d.sub.4 r.sub.4 d.sub.4). The complementary strands of these duplex nucleic acids were not covalently bound to each other; they were associated only by Watson-Crick pairing.
A second group of scientists who have synthesized chimeric nucleic acids are those interested in the study and use of ribozymes, i.e., RNA molecules that are either self-cleaving or cleave other RNAs. Perreault, J. P., et al., 1990, Nature 344:565; Taylor, N. R., et al., 1992, Nucleic Acids Research 20:4559-65; Shimaya, T., 1993, Nucleic Acids Research 21:2605. These researches have found that chimeric ribozymes are active and are more resistant to nuclease digestion than RNA ribozymes. Chimeric ribozymes are self-complementary, i.e., the Watson-Crick paired strands are covalently linked. The compounds synthesized during the studies of chimeric ribozymes differ from the above-noted hybrid-duplex molecules, that were synthesized used for structural studies, in that chimeric ribozymes do not contain stable hybrid-duplexes. Thus, a chimeric ribozyme having DNA binding arms binds to its substrate and forms a hybrid duplex. Yang, J. H., et al., 1990, Biochemistry 29:11156-60. See also, Sawata, S., et al., 1993, Nucleic Acids Research 21:5656-60; Hendry, P., et al., 1992, Nucleic Acids Research 20:5737-41 Shimayama, T., 1993, Nucleic Acids Research 21:2605. The ribozyme catalyzes the cleavage of the RNA substrate and the hybrid-duplex is thus dissolved.
2.2. Site-Directed Genetic Alteration in Eukaryotic Cells
Those skilled in the art of molecular biology recognize that on frequent occasions it is desired not merely to introduce a new polynucleic acid sequence, i.e, a new gene, into a targeted eukaryotic cell, but rather to alter a defined, pre-existing gene in the targeted cell. The targeted cell can be used in culture or it can be used to construct a transgenic animal.
A wide variety of techniques have been developed to introduce DNA into cultured eukaryotic cells. These techniques include calcium phosphate precipitation and DEAE-dextran mediated endocytosis, electroporation, liposome mediated fusion and transduction with replication incompetent viruses. However, while such techniques can quite often introduce functional genes into the eukaryotic cell, these techniques do not readily accomplish an alteration (mutation) in a specific existing gene. After introduction the exogenous DNA is isolated at a random position in the cell's genome by illegitimate recombination, rather than at a specific position by homologous recombination.
To date there is no generally satisfactory scheme for introducing a site-directed or site-specific genetic alteration (mutagenesis) in a higher eukaryote, i.e, in mammalian or avian cells. Although homologous recombination can be obtained in higher eukaryotic cells by introduction of very long (>1 kb) nucleic acids, these techniques require the application of elaborate selection techniques because the rate of illegitimate recombination in higher eukaryotes greatly exceeds that of homologous recombination. Thomas, K. R. & Capecchi, M. R., 1987, Cell 52:503. See, also, Valancius, V. & Smithies O., 1991, Mol. Cell. Biol. 11:4389 (comparison homologous recombination of linearized and supercoiled plasmids in eukaryotic cells).
One approach to achieving a predominantly site-directed mutagenesis has been the introduction of single stranded oligodeoxynucleotides directly into the cell. This techniques has been successfully employed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in which homologous recombination is significantly more active than it is in higher eukaryotes. Moerschell, R. P., et al., 1988, Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci. 85:524-28; Yamamoto, T., et al., 1992, Yeast 8:935-48. However, to date there have been no reports of the successful transformation of mammalian or avian cells by single stranded oligonucleotides.
A relationship between the structure of the target DNA and the rate of homologous recombination in mammalian can be inferred by studies that show that regions of alternating purine and pyrimidine bases, i.e., d(TG).sub.30 .multidot.d(AC).sub.30 !, display an entranced rate of recombination. These effects were demonstrated in studies of non-replicating plasmids in cultured mammalian cells. Wahls, W. P., et al., 1990, Mol. Cell. Biol. 10:785-93. These experiments were not extended to show recombination between an exogenous nucleic acid and the genome of the cell.
Attempts have been made to use RecA, a protein that promotes homologous recombination in the bacteria, E. coli, to promote homologous recombination in eukaryotic cells. However, these attempts have not been clearly successful. For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,599 to W. Bertling discloses a very low rate of site-directed mutation and no enhancement in the rate of homologous recombination by use of RecA in eukaryotic cells. Patent publications WO 93/22443 to D. Zarling and E. Sena, and publication 94/04032 to D. C. Gruenert and K. Kunzelmann both purport to correct a genetic defect in a cultured cell line related to cystic fibrosis. These publications disclose primarily experimental data that demonstrate the principle rather than data concerning examples of operative methods. Thus, to introduce polynucleotide/RecA complexes access to the nucleus, Zarling and Gruenert employ cells that were membrane-permeabilized, although such cells are incapable of further growth. Moreover, even when RecA-promoted homologous recombination was asserted to have taken place in intact cells, these publications provide no quantitative estimates of its frequency. Thus, the use of prokaryotic recA has not been convincingly shown to result in a rate homologous recombination in any viable eukaryotic cell significantly greater than the spontaneous rate of homologous recombination.

Compounds and methods for site directed mutations in eukaryotic cells


A system and related method for monitoring the state of health of sensors in an integrated vehicle stability control system. In one embodiment, the system determines whether a yaw rate sensor, a lateral acceleration sensor or a hand-wheel angle sensor has failed. The system uses a plurality of models to generate estimates of the outputs of the sensors based on the actual sensor measurements. Residuals are generated as the difference between the measured value and each of the estimates for the particular sensor. The residuals are compared to a threshold to determine whether a fault flag will be set for each residual. The threshold for the hand-wheel angle sensor is an adaptive threshold because it does not have physical redundancy. If the fault flags for the residuals for each sensor have a particular pattern, then a fault is output for that sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method for monitoring the state of health and providing fault diagnosis for sensors in an integrated vehicle stability system and, more particularly, to a method for monitoring the state of health and providing fault diagnosis for sensors in an integrated vehicle stability system, where the method employs adaptive thresholds when comparing model based sensor output estimates and sensor measurements.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Diagnostics monitoring for vehicle stability systems is an important vehicle design consideration to be able to quickly detect system faults, and isolate the faults for maintenance purposes. These stability systems typically employ various sensors, including yaw rate sensors, lateral acceleration sensors and steering hand-wheel angle sensors, that are used to help provide the stability control of the vehicle. For example, certain vehicle stability systems employ differential braking in response to an undesired turning or yaw of the vehicle. Other vehicle stability systems employ active front-wheel or rear-wheel steering that assist the vehicle operator in steering the vehicle in response to the detected rotation of the steering wheel. Other vehicle stability systems employ active suspension stability systems that change the vehicle suspension in response to road conditions and other vehicle operating conditions.
If any of the sensors, actuators and sub-systems associated with these stability systems fail, it is desirable to quickly detect the fault and activate fail-safe strategies so as to prevent the system from improperly responding to a perceived, but false condition. It is also desirable to isolate the defective sensor, actuator or sub-system for maintenance and replacement purposes, and also select the proper fail-safe action for the problem. Thus, it is necessary to monitor the various sensors, actuators and sub-systems employed in these stability systems to identify a failure.

State-of-health monitoring and fault diagnosis with adaptive thresholds for integrated vehicle stability system


A viewfinder optical system has a relay lens system and an eyepiece optical system. The relay lens system refocuses a primary image as a secondary image. The relay lens system consists of a single lens element which has a surface having optical power of diffraction. The eyepiece optical system magnifies the secondary image and has a surface having optical power of diffraction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a viewfinder optical system for a camera.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, single-lens-reflex cameras utilize relay-type viewfinder optical systems. Conventional relay-type viewfinder optical systems are composed of a number of lenses, and this has prevented the reduction of the weight, size, and cost of such viewfinder optical systems. These inconveniences can be overcome by reducing the number of constituent lens elements.
However, the reduction of the number of lens elements and the use of plastic lenses make it more difficult to correct aberration satisfactorily. In particular, chromatic aberration, which can be corrected only with a combination of lenses made of materials having different dispersion, is difficult to correct with a reduced number of lens elements or with plastic lenses. In addition, since there are only few kinds of plastic that can be used satisfactorily as lenses, it is not possible to freely select plastic materials having different dispersions for the correction of chromatic aberration. Accordingly, it is difficult to use plastic lenses for all the lens elements constituting an optical system.
On the other hand, lens-shutter cameras and digital cameras employ Kepler-type real-image viewfinder optical systems. Some conventionally known Kepler-type real-image viewfinder optical systems include an objective lens and an eyepiece lens, and correct chromatic aberration by the use of a diffracting optical surface. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,706 proposes a viewfinder optical system in which a binary diffraction grating is provided only in the objective lens, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,588 proposes a viewfinder optical system in which a diffracting optical element is provided only in the eyepiece lens.
The optical performance of a Kepler-type real-image viewfinder optical system is evaluated by evaluating its total optical performance including that of the objective lens and that of the eyepiece lens. Accordingly, for example, the axial chromatic aberration occurring in the objective lens is added together with that occurring in the eyepiece lens for evaluation. In addition, when the objective lens is a zoom lens system, the objective lens needs to be designed such that chromatic aberration is properly corrected over the entire zoom range.
In the viewfinder optical system proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,706, since a diffracting optical surface is provided only in the objective lens, the chromatic aberration occurring in the eyepiece lens needs to be corrected by the use of negative lenses in the eyepiece lens. Accordingly, this viewfinder optical system inevitably requires more lens elements because of the extra negative lens elements used in combination.
On the other hand, in the viewfinder optical system proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,588, a diffracting optical surface is provided only in the eyepiece lens, and the optical performance of the optical system is evaluated by evaluating only the optical performance of the eyepiece lens. Accordingly, to achieve proper correction of chromatic aberration over the entire system, this viewfinder optical system needs to be provided with additional negative lenses for correcting the chromatic aberration occurring in the objective lens. This inevitably increases the number of lens elements.


Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture (e.g., physical storage media) for software defined silicon security are disclosed. Example apparatus include a trusted agent determiner to (i) determine respective reputation scores associated with a plurality of agents in a mesh network, the plurality of agents associated with a plurality of semiconductor devices, respective ones of the semiconductor devices including circuitry configurable to provide one or more features, and (ii) select, based on the respective reputation scores, a first agent from the plurality of the agents to transmit a request to activate or deactivate at least one of the one or more features. Example apparatus also include an agent interface to, in response to the request, broadcast an activation or deactivation of the least one of the one or more features to the mesh network to cause the trusted agent determiner to update the reputation score of the first agent.

In today's marketplace, semiconductor device manufacturers ship semiconductor devices, such as microprocessors, with hardware and firmware features fixed, or locked, at the factory. Even if additional, dormant hardware and/or firmware features are included in the shipped semiconductor devices, such dormant features are unable to be activated after the semiconductor devices leave the factory. To gain access to one or more of those dormant features, a customer would need to order, and a manufacturer would need to ship, new versions of the semiconductor devices that have the desired dormant feature(s) activated at the factory. To further complicate matters, the manufacturer may need to predefine and manage numerous different stock keeping units (SKUs) to track the various combinations of different features that are able to be activated on its semiconductor devices, even if some of those combinations are never realized.
The figures are not to scale. In general, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawing(s) and accompanying written description to refer to the same or like parts, elements, etc. Connection references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and joined) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a collection of elements and relative movement between elements unless otherwise indicated. As such, connection references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in fixed relation to each other.
Unless specifically stated otherwise, descriptors such as "first," "second," "third," etc. are used herein without imputing or otherwise indicating any meaning of priority, physical order, arrangement in a list, and/or ordering in any way, but are merely used as labels and/or arbitrary names to distinguish elements for ease of understanding the disclosed examples. In some examples, the descriptor "first" may be used to refer to an element in the detailed description, while the same element may be referred to in a claim with a different descriptor such as "second" or "third." In such instances, it should be understood that such descriptors are used merely for identifying those elements distinctly that might, for example, otherwise share a same name. As used herein, "approximately" and "about" refer to dimensions that may not be exact due to manufacturing tolerances and/or other real world imperfections. As used herein "substantially real time" refers to occurrence in a near instantaneous manner recognizing there may be real world delays for computing time, transmission, etc. Thus, unless otherwise specified, "substantially real time" refers to real time+/−1 second.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for software defined silicon security


An intrauterine device for applying force to a wall of a uterus to promote contraception without blocking the fallopian tubes may include an elongate member formed of a resilient material and having a default expanded configuration and a spring portion disposed approximately at a midpoint between two ends of the elongate member. The IUD may also include two tissue contact members, one tissue contact member disposed at one of the two ends of the elongate member and the other tissue contact member disposed at the other end. The tissue contact members may generate a laterally directed force against the wall of the uterus when the intrauterine device assumes its default expanded configuration.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to medical devices. More specifically, the invention relates to an intrauterine device and method for use.
2. Description of the Related Art
Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are a commonly used form of contraception. Generally, IUDs are believed to work by producing a spermicidal environment in the uterus and thus preventing fertilization of the egg by sperm. They may also have a post-fertilization effect, but IUDs are generally believed to produce all their contraceptive effects before implantation. In other words, IUDs are not believed to act as an abortifacient. They also typically do not affect ovulation.
There are two basic types of currently available IUDs. The copper IUD is a T-shaped device made of polyethylene wrapped with copper wire. The device acts as a foreign body within the uterus and releases copper to produce a chemical effect on the endometrium of the uterus and to alter the production of cervical mucus, thus producing a spermicidal environment. The copper IUD is approved by the FDA for ten years of continuous use.
Levonorgestrel (or "progesterone-releasing") IUDs are also T-shaped devices and include a sleeve containing levonorgestrel, which is released into the uterus over time. The levonorgestrel adds to the foreign body effects to create added spermicidal action and also thickens cervical mucus to act as a barrier to sperm penetration into the uterus. Levonorgestrel IUDs are approved by the FDA for five years of continuous use.
Although both copper and progestin-releasing IUDs work well for contraception, both have common side effects. The most common side effects with copper IUDs are abnormal bleeding and pain. The most common side effects with levonorgestrel IUDs are hormone-related effects, such as headaches, nausea, breast tenderness, depression and cyst formation. Although complications with IUDs are uncommon, there are cases of expulsion of the IUD from the uterus and failure of the device to work, either of which may result in unwanted pregnancy. Other possible complications are perforation of the uterine wall by the IUD or intrauterine infection.
Another type of implantable contraceptive device is designed for blocking the fallopian tubes to prevent conception. One example of such a device is the Essure® permanent birth control device, manufactured by Conceptus, Inc., Mountain View, Calif. (www.essure.com). The main drawback of fallopian tube blocking implants, however, is that they are typically permanent. These devices generally promote tissue in-growth (growth of tissue in/around the implant), which permanently attaches the implant to the fallopian tube wall. This works well for permanent contraception but makes removal of such devices difficult or even impossible. Another potential drawback of such devices is that they may be more difficult to place than IUDs that simply remain in the uterus. The openings to the fallopian tubes are small and located near the top of the uterus, so placing blocking implants into the fallopian tubes may be more challenging than simply placing a device in the uterus.
Therefore, although existing IUDs work relatively well for their purpose of contraception, there is still a need for improved IUDs. Ideally, such improved IUDs would be long-acting, have relatively few, minor side effects and potential complications, and be easy to deliver and remove. At least some of these objectives are met by the embodiments described in this application.


Provided is a simple and efficient method for the large-scale production of a 4,4-difluoro-3,4-dihydroisoquinoline derivative. In the method for producing a 4,4-difluoro-3,4-dihydroisoquinoline derivative represented by general formula (1):

Numerous chemicals have been proposed for the purpose of controlling diseases in agricultural and horticultural crops. For example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose chemicals containing a 4,4-difluoro-3,4-dihydroisoquinoline derivative represented by general formula (1):

However, a specific method for preparing the aforementioned 4,4-difluoro-3,4-dihydroisoquinoline derivative represented by general formula (1) is not described in the aforementioned patent documents. When producing this group of compounds, an efficient method comprises deoxyfluorinating the ketone group of an isoquinolin-4(3H)-one derivative represented by general formula (4) disclosed in Patent Document 1:

With the foregoing background, there has been a fervent desire for the development of a production method that enables 4,4-difluoro-3,4-dihydroisoquinoline derivatives to be synthesized easily and allows them to be produced on an industrial scale.

Method for producing 4, 4-difluoro-3,4-dihydroisoquinoline derivatives

Abstract: a compound represented by general formula (2):

Abstract: is reacted with hydrogen fluoride.


In an internal combustion engine valve drive device having at least one switch gate for valve lift switching by converting a rotation of at least a first and a second cam element into an axial movement by first and second actuators provided for axially displacing the first cam element and the second cam element in a first switching direction via an operative connection of the first actuator with the switch gate and the second actuator provided for axially displacing the second cam element in the same switching direction via an operative connection with the switch gate, the device including a control unit controlling the axial displacement of the first and second cam elements in the same switching direction under the control unit by actuating the first and second actuators at the same time.

The invention relates to an internal combustion engine valve drive device which has at least one switch gate for axially displacing cam elements so as to provide for operation of the engine valves with different lift cams.
DE 10 2009 006 632 A1 discloses an internal combustion engine valve drive device for a motor vehicle with at least one switch gate which, for valve lift switching, is adapted to convert rotary motion of at least one cam element into an axial motion of the at least one cam element. The device has at least one actuator which is provided for axially displacing a first cam element in a switching direction via an operative connection with the switch gate, and a second actuator which is provided for axially displacing the cam element in an opposite switching direction via an operative connection with the switch gate. A control unit for controlling the switching operation is also provided.
It is the object of the present invention in particular to reduce costs of the internal combustion engine valve drive device.

Internal combustion engine valve drive device for a motor vehicle


A probe-vehicle traffic information system for and method of gathering traffic data utilizing a host probe vehicle having onboard exterior sensors. The host vehicle is configured to detect at least one condition from at least one traveling target vehicle, aggregate and process the condition data, and report only the processed data to a traffic information center, so as to reduce the number of simultaneous communication channels typically required to report condition data from a plurality of probe vehicles.

Traffic information and management systems have been developed, wherein vehicles are used as probes for measuring traffic conditions in real-time. In these configurations, individual vehicles provide "floating car data," such as, for example, the current time, speed, position, and heading of the probe vehicle, which can then be used to estimate travel time or traffic speed. These data are typically used as an online indicator of road network status, as a basis for detecting incidents, or as input for a dynamic route guidance system.
These systems generally include a traffic information center (TIC); a plurality of probe vehicles; technology for determining the location of each vehicle, such as, for example, the Global Positioning System (GPS), a system using cellular telephones, or a system using radio-frequency identification (RFID); and wireless communication means for allowing bilateral communication between the probe vehicles and the TIC. The TIC (or receiving center) receives and processes the data generated by the probe vehicles to determine a desired outcome or condition, and returns the result to a plurality of receiving vehicles that may further include partially implemented non-probe vehicles.
Conventional probe-vehicle systems, however, present various scalability concerns resulting from independent vehicle interaction with the center. Often, an exceedingly large number of probe vehicles redundantly communicate with the receiving center in order to provide a relatively small amount of useful data. For example, where a plurality of probe vehicles are located within a traffic jam, each vehicle may independently communicate with the center to redundantly alert the system to the presence of the traffic jam. Similarly, independent interaction can result in the omission of traffic conditions that do not involve probe vehicles; as is the case, for example, where the probe vehicles are spaced from the traffic jam and fail to communicate its presence to the center.
Another scalability concern is presented by the exceedingly large number of communication channels, one for each independently operating probe vehicle, that is needed to accommodate the frequent data communications. Finally, the large volume of incoming data that must be processed in real-time requires that there be substantial and constantly increasing capacity at the center.
These concerns, among others, result in the need for a more efficiently operating traffic information system that reduces communication volume, and thereby, reduces the required capacity of the system.

System for and method of updating traffic data using probe vehicles having exterior sensors


Disclosed is a method of aligning clocks over multiple networks having different clock domains. The method comprises transmitting timestamped packets over said networks between source and destination nodes, said timestamped packets conveying timing information based on a source clock at said source node, determining the expected delay over multiple nodes for a given traffic density, identifying at least one intermediate node between said source and destination node where said determined expected delay is such as to permit clock restoration within predefined acceptable parameters, restoring said source clock at said at least one intermediate restoration node to generate a restored intermediate clock signal, producing from said restored intermediate clock signal new timestamped packets conveying timing information based on said restored intermediate clock signal, and forwarding said new timestamped packets to said destination node.

When time sensitive data, such as voice or video, is transported over asynchronous packet networks, such as Ethernet networks, some method must be employed to regenerate the local clock at the far end. Currently, several methods exist for transmitting clock signals over a packet network. Such methods include using a duplex connection and assuming that the delay over the packet network is more or less symmetrical, averaging the delay in a simplex connection, and using a detection mechanism in which each receiving node detects a shared event.
Not many methods are described that optimize the performance of such an approach over a large number of networks. If the number of networks grows, the number of potential problems increases dramatically. The likelihood of problems arising typically grows according to an exponential curve as the number of networks increases.
In a complex packet network environment it is not trivial to transport clock signals. Clocks are physical signals that exist in absolute time, and packet networks are designed to have as little time dependency as possible. The lack of real time performance in complex packet networks can reach such complex behavior that it becomes nearly impossible to perform acceptable clock recovery. The delay variation in a complex packet network, from input to output, typically becomes larger for each 'hop'.
Pending standard IEEE 1588 discloses a "divide and conquer" approach that uses 'boundary clocks'. These clocks are intended to cross the boundary between subdomains in such a way that the normal element that connects these sub-domains, routers, does not contribute to the delay. In the standard this is contrasted relative to the switches, where no such boundary clock is necessary.
According to the IEEE standard this is related to the fact that the switches have much smaller delay times than the routers. While that may have once been true, modern routers have a performance comparable with that of switches, and both introduce delays which in modern telecomm environments are considered to be quite large, albeit not as large as older routers. As such the suggested approach in the IEEE 1588 standard does not allow for the fact that a complex packet network, consisting only of multiple switches, can still introduce delay problems, nor does the standard describe what should be done at the boundary clock, except minimizing the delays by making the timepath shorter.
The problem of concatenated switches and routers is that the likelihood of timing traffic passing without severe delays becomes ever smaller. If in a simplified model the traffic density is assumed to be constant, the actual delay experienced by a packet traversing the networks is a function of the number of delay elements or hops. The actual delay is a concatenation of delays, such as the delay due to protocol stack handling (both on sending and receiving side), input queuing in the switch, output queuing in the switch, other administrative tasks (both in sending side, receiving side and switch), possibly contention and such. It is acceptable in the simple approach to assume constant average traffic density over all nodes, and later assess performance around bottlenecks in the system.
It is known to perform clock recovery in an intermediate node to extract physical signals for use in the physical domain at the intermediate node.

Alignment of clocks over multiple packet networks


A portable cutting mat for improving safety when using a power circular saw for cutting wood sheeting. The mat has a top surface, bottom surface, top edge, bottom edge, left edge, and right edge. The mat also contains holes through the top and bottom surfaces in a predetermined grid pattern. Disposed and secured within the mat holes are replaceable support pegs of a predetermined height. A wood sheet is to be laid on top of replaceable support pegs so that the top, bottom, left, and right edges along with row markings are visible around the perimeter of the wood sheet. The row markings are contrasting colors of alternate rows of the replaceable support pegs and/or alternate row markings directly printed on the mat to differentiate between rows of the replaceable support pegs. Cutting channels are the open areas between the rows of the replaceable support pegs, and the top surface of mat. Tie strings and/or straps are attached to the top or bottom edge to secure around the circumference of rolled up mat for transportation or storage.

I. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a cutting mat. More specifically, the invention concerns a portable cutting mat which when rolled out on a flat surface is marginally larger than a standard four foot by eight foot wood sheet. Said mat contains replaceable support pegs set in a grid pattern of predetermined spacing to support said wood sheet above the mats top surface and create cutting channels beneath said wood sheet and between rows of said replaceable support pegs for use in cutting said wood sheet with a power circular saw. This grid system of said replaceable support pegs allows the user to put their full weight upon the wood sheet while cutting without fear of binding or stopping the blade of said circular saw, thus creating a safer way to cut said wood sheeting.
II. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,123 issued Jul. 18, 1972 teaches a penetrable bed used for cutting cloth sheet goods. The cloth material is held up by a bristle bed. As the blade cuts through the material it makes contact with the flexible bristles and pushes them to either side of the cutting blade without damaging the bristles. A disadvantage is that the bristle bed is a part of a large stationary cutting machine which would not be portable. Yet another disadvantage is that in order for the bristles to be flexible they do not have enough strength to hold heavier wood materials and also would not allow the full weight of the user to be on top of the wood material as it is being cut.
Another cutting table U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,994 issued Sep. 8, 1992 teaches a portable rigid saw table. The saw table has two parallel beams with notches to accept cross pieces of scrap wood or other material. The material to be cut is laid on top of the crosspieces and as the blade of the saw cuts through the material it also cuts through the cross pieces which then need to be replaced. A disadvantage is the wasteful cutting of cross pieces which makes the saw work harder and further dulls the saws blade by cutting through unnecessary material. Yet another disadvantage is that being rigid would make it cumbersome to carry around. Yet another disadvantage is that it is a table and would not be safe for the user to put their full weight on top of the material to immobilize said material while it is being cut.
None of the prior art teaches an improved cutting mat in which user safety is achieved by securing the wood material being cut to the cutting mat by standing on said wood material. Thus using the full weight of the user to immobilize said wood material during the cutting process. Also, none of the prior art teaches an improved cutting mat in which none of it's parts are designed to come in contact with the cutting blade thus making the saw more efficient and also help the saw blade last longer. Also none of the prior art shows an improved cutting mat that is made of light weight material that can be rolled up and easily carried to the job site or stored.
Thus it is the intent of the present invention to provide a cutting mat in which safety is achieved by using the full weight of the user to immobilize and secure the wood material being cut by standing on top of said material. It is also the intent of the present invention to provide a cutting mat in which cutting channels between rows of replaceable support pegs are designed to eliminate contact of anything except the material to be cut thus improving efficiency of the saw and longevity of the saw blade. It is also the intent of the present invention to provide a wood sheet cutting mat which is portable and light weight allowing said mat to be rolled up when not in use for easy storage or transportability.


The present invention relates to a breathing-speaking valve intended to be used as a speaking valve of patients requiring filtration of inspiration air inhaled via tracheostomas and are mounted on a tracheal tube, which breathing-speaking valve includes a valve housing (1) inended to be attached to the tracheal tube and which comprises a check valve in the form of a membrane (10), which check valve opens when the patient inhales and closes at expiration and filter (7) for filtration of the inspiration air, which filter is located within this membrane, and optional, a nipple (6) for connection to a oxygen apparatus for oxygen delivery to the inspiration air whereby the filter (7) is laying against a number of ribs (5) located in the bottom (2) of the valve housing (1) and a nipple (6) for connection to a oxygen apparatus is mounted substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the valve housing (1) by the bottom of the valve housing (1), and said nipple (6) opens into the space (14) defined by the ribs (5) and the bottom (2) of the valve housing (1) and also opens into the filter (7) substantially parallel to the extension of the filter, whereby the distribution of the inspiration air and the optional oxygen delivery into the tracheal tube takes place in said space (14) and in the filter (7).

Different types of solutions for breathing valves including membranes are known to the above-mentioned art to make the valve useful as a speaking valve. The valves are large and clumsy and therefore difficult for the user to hide behind e.g. collars, scarves, etc., and the valves often have difficulties to distribute the air evenly through the filter. As an example, patent SE B 462 367 may be mentioned. Said patent discloses a breathing valve intended to be used as a speaking valve having a nipple for connection to an oxygen apparatus. This breathing valve is awkward under certain circumstances and has the disadvantage that it does not always evenly distribute and mix the inspiration air with oxygen when inspiring; the filter can disturb the delivery of oxygen, as the nipple for oxygen is situated behind the filter and the filter is easily pressed down against the bottom of the valve housing in the inspiration step.
Further, the respiratory passages are very often dried up when breathing only through the valve. The expiration air can not damp the filter of the valve when breathing through natural respiratory passages and one is able to speak.


The present invention relates to a device attached to a standard type tooth brush. The device provides controlled collection of tooth paste fluid foam escaping from the oral cavity during a tooth brushing procedure. The device consist of a tubular member made of plastic material, one end closed, the other end having a funnel shaped orifice secured to the handle of a tooth brush.

The present invention relates to controlling and collection of liquid tooth paste foam created during a typical tooth brushing procedure. This oozing messy foam created during brushing spills out of the oral cavity and flows down the tooth brush handle to soil the user's hand-wrist-and clothing. In an attempt to overcome and avoid this messy part of tooth brushing, the user must lean over a basin in an awkward position. The taller the user is, the more irk-some bending over a basin becomes. This brushing teeth problem is greater for the elderly, those people with arthritis, those that are confined to a wheel chair and bed ridden patients. Those people brushing their teeth after each meal require special caution to prevent the flow of tooth paste foam reaching their clothing, especially if dressed in business atire or casual clothes. It is desirable to provide a new and improved approach so people can brush their teeth without a hassle.


Taste recognition is performed by letting a solvent flow through a holding section which holds an object to be recognized and measuring the solvent which has flowed through the holding section by a taste sensor. If the flow rate of the solvent is set at about 1 ml/min, the solvent whose quantity is almost equal to that of saliva secreted in a mouth can be supplied to the object to be recognized, and hence the taste recognition can be performed by the taste sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and a method for recognizing the taste of an object to be recognized.
2. Description of the Related Art
Oral medicines such as a tablet, a troche, a powder have various tastes. The taste of such an oral medicine is recognized by a method using a so-called sensory test in which a human being called a panel member or a panelist actually takes and tastes the medicine. Moreover, recently, in order to eliminate the influence of the difference among individual panelists and their physical conditions, a lipid membrane taste sensor for performing taste recognition by measuring membrane potentials by the use of artificial lipid membranes and polymers and an ion sensitive FET (Field Effect Transistors) taste sensor appear on the market, and by using these taste sensors, the taste of the oral medicine can be recognized objectively (without a human being). Conventionally, when the taste of an oral medicine other than a liquid medicine is recognized by using such a taste sensor, the taste is measured by completely dissolving or suspending the oral medicine in 80 ml to 100 ml of water and putting the taste sensor in a solution or a suspension.
In an actual mouth, however, the oral medicine in a solid or semi-solid state is seldom dissolved completely, and a tongue tastes the oral medicine which has started to dissolve by a small quantity of saliva secreted at about 1 ml per minute. Therefore, in a conventional method of completely dissolving the oral medicine in 80 ml to 100 ml of water or anything to measure the taste by the taste sensor, the tastes of oral medicines other than the liquid medicine can not be recognized in a state close to actuality.

Taste recognition system and recognition method


A collapsible sterile drape designed to encase the non-sterile portion of a radiological unit is provided. The sterile radiological drape is designed to expand to encompass the radiological unit as it rotates into and is move through the sterile field for imaging during surgery, and then to collapse to protect the sterile portion of the drape when the radiological unit is removed from the surgical field.

Hospital-acquired infections are a growing cause of concern. These infections are estimated to affect about 2 million patients annually and cause an estimated 100,000 deaths. Moreover, beyond the loss of life resulting from these infections they also create enormous costs for the healthcare industry. For example, some studies have indicated that each patient that comes down with a central-line-associated bloodstream infection results in an average $26,839 loss to the hospital. As a result of the growing problems associated with these infections, about 16 states have passed laws covering how hospitals handle patients to decrease infection risks. Accordingly, reducing the number of infections patients contract while in hospitals would not only benefit patients but also healthcare industry as a whole.
Surgical site infection has been estimated to occur in about 15% of clean surgery and 30% of contaminated surgery. Using plastic drapes to protect the wound from organisms that may be present on the surrounding skin during surgery is one strategy used to prevent surgical site infection. However, the current draping technique uses what is called a half-sheet, which is a plain rectangular sheet that is draped over the patient and hangs down over the sides of the operating table. In standard operations such a draping method is relatively simple and effective; however, in some cases it is necessary to introduce large pieces of unsterilized equipment into the operating room. For example, in spinal and orthopedic surgery it is often necessary to take radiological images of various parts of the patient's body as the surgery proceeds. This in turn requires the positioning and repositioning of the radiological equipment around the surgical table.
The most common piece of radiological equipment is a C-arm fluoroscopy unit. An illustration of a C-arm fluoroscopy unit is shown in FIG. 1. When an image of a patient is taken the armature of the fluoroscopy unit must be inserted beneath and through the opposite side of the surgical table. Then the arm is raised upward so that it is positioned lateral to the area of the patient to be imaged. The result, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, is that the two unsterilized ends of the fluoroscopy unit are directly adjacent to the surgical table. These large unsterile arms create an immediate contamination hazard to the surgeons and the entire surgical field.
Draping the armatures with conventional half-sheets, particularly as the armatures are moved to various locations during surgery, is a cumbersome process that often requires the use of multiple half-sheets. Moreover, there is not a single accepted methodology for draping these pieces of radiological equipment, leading to the use of any number of idiosyncratic and unstandardized methods. Improper draping can result in surgical delay and frequently violates sterility, exposing patients to unnecessary risk of infection. Finally, because the equipment in question is typically moved in and out of the surgical field multiple times during surgery, even if the device is properly draped initially, there is no established system for storing the drape in a sterile manner and then systematically redraping the equipment.
A few sterile drapes specifically designed for use with radiological equipment have recently been introduced; however, the currently available radiological drapes all require the use of a framework that fixes the drape into position relative to the surgical table. (See, e.g., U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2006/0201521 and 2006/0076024, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.) Unfortunately, such immobile draping systems can obstruct substantial portions of the operating theater. Moreover, the fixed nature of these frameworks prevents the surgical team from repositioning these prior art radiological draping systems during the operation without increasing the risk that the sterile field will be contaminated. Accordingly, a need exists for an improved collapsible sterile sheet system specifically designed for use with radiological equipment.


Disclosed are various embodiments of components and devices in a sound acquisition system for a magnetic hearing aid that include a sound acquisition device. In one embodiment, the sound acquisition device is configured to be positioned between a magnetic spacer and a magnetic implant, and to be magnetically coupled to the magnetic spacer and the magnetic implant, such that sound signals generated by an EM transducer in the hearing aid may be acquired by a sound sensor forming a portion of the sound acquisition device as the sound signals pass through the sound acquisition device into the patient's skull or a test fixture.

A magnetic bone conduction hearing aid is held in position on a patient's head by means of magnetic attraction that occurs between magnetic members included in the hearing aid and in a magnetic implant that has been implanted beneath the patient's skin and affixed to the patient's skull. Acoustic signals originating from an electromagnetic transducer located in the external hearing aid are transmitted through the patient's skin to bone in the vicinity of the underlying magnetic implant, and thence through the bone to the patient's cochlea. In some patients, it may be difficult to ascertain or determine how best to adjust the hearing aids' performance or functional characteristics, or positioning on the patient's skull, to optimize hearing in the patient. Patient feedback can be valuable in such a process of optimization, but may also be ambiguous, uncertain or misleading.
What is needed is a magnetic hearing aid system that somehow provides an improved ability to monitor or determine what the patient is actually hearing, or what the characteristics of the sound signals being generated by the hearing aid actually are.

Sound acquisition and analysis systems, devices and components for magnetic hearing aids


A single plate type optical unit and display device to utilize light with high efficiency in a simple method is configured so a dichroic mirror separates light into a plurality of colors, and the plurality of colors of light reflected by the dichroic mirror are beamed onto a rotating multisurface element, the plurality of colors of light emitted from the rotating multisurface element are each beamed onto different locations on the display element, and by rotating the rotating multisurface element, the plurality of colors of light are moved in one direction along the display element, and a color image is beamed from a projection lens.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to projection devices such as liquid crystal projectors, projection image display devices and optical engines such as reflective image display projectors and beam type rear projection television for projecting images on a screen using light valve devices such as liquid crystal panels or image display elements, and relates in particular to technology for beaming a plurality of light colors onto different light valve element locations using a rotating multisurface element, and changing the beaming locations in sequence.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical unit is known in the related art for passing light from a light source through a first and a second array lens, a polarized beam splitter (PBS) and a collimator lens, and then separating the light into red light, blue light and green light by using a plurality of dichroic mirrors, and then changing the optical paths of each separated (colored) light by means of respective rotating prisms and beaming each light onto respectively different locations on a light valve element (hereafter simply referred to as a display element or image display element) and also scroll each light beam in sequence in a fixed direction on the display element locations.
The above described optical unit of the related art possessed the advantage that assembly of the single plate utilized by the display element was simple. However the optical unit had to be made large in size since a plurality of prisms were required. Further, besides having a high price due to use of a plurality of rotating prisms, a large number of lenses and many dichroic mirrors, the light utilization efficiency was poor because of the many lenses that were used. Also, the rotation phase of a plurality of rotating prisms had to be aligned in order to adjust the display element positions upon which the red, green and blue light were beamed and this alignment was difficult. Furthermore, noise prevention methods were needed due to the plurality of motors being used.
The present invention therefore has the object of providing a compact and low-priced optical unit.
Another object of the present invention is to provide novel and effective image display technology, allow simple position alignment for a plurality of light beamed onto a display element, and provide good light utilization efficiency.
To achieve the above objects of the invention, the optical unit is comprised of a light source, a display element to form an optical image according to an image signal from the light emitted from the light source, a light color separator means for separating the light emitted from the light source into a plurality of light colors, a rotating multisurface element input with a plurality of light colors emitted by the light color separator means for changing the optical path and beaming the plurality of light colors onto different locations on the display element while scrolling the light beam in one direction, and a projection device to light emitted from the display element as a color image.

Optical unit and image display device thereof


A device for damping pressure pulsations, in electronically regulatable vehicle brake systems for damping the pressure pulsations that are caused by pressure generators in a hydraulic circuit connected to it. The device has a housing which encloses a damping chamber and also has at least one hydraulic connection opening into the damping chamber, and a throttle device. The housing and throttle device are embodied as a compact damping unit that can be preassembled, is economical, and can be anchored in only a few work steps to the hydraulic block of an electronically regulatable vehicle brake system.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to an improved device for damping pressure pulsations in vehicle brake systems to reduce unwanted operating noises which arise because piston pumps used in such systems are compelled to execute reciprocating motions by a rotationally driven eccentric element. Because of these reciprocating motions, pressure fluid is pumped cyclically, which can cause pressure pulsations in the attached hydraulic circuit. These pressure pulsations are audible in the passenger compartment of a vehicle and reduce passenger comfort.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A device for damping pressure pulsations in brake system is already known for instance from German Patent Disclosure DE 4234013 A1. FIG. 3 of this reference shows a hydraulic block of an electronically controllable vehicle brake system, with a receiving bore which forms the housing of the device. The receiving bore is closed off from its surroundings by a cap anchored by positive engagement, and in its interior it defines a damping chamber. An inflow conduit from a pressure generator element discharges into the damping chamber and an outflow conduit leads away from it. There is a throttle at the outlet point where the outflow conduit leads away.
It is a disadvantage of the construction of this known noise-damping device that the cap and the throttle are each individual components, which must be anchored to the hydraulic block in a plurality of successive work steps. The reliable fixation of these individual components must be checked in the course of assembly, and the tightness with respect to pressure fluid from the outside must be assured. These work steps make it complicated and expensive to produce the device.


Methods of forming semiconductor switching devices include the steps of separating refractory or group VIII metals to be used on electrodes and contact regions from each other, so that subsequent conversion of these metal layers to metal silicide layers will not result in the formation of silicide bridge defects ("shorts"). In particular, a method of forming a semiconductor switching device is provided that includes the steps of forming an electrode on a semiconductor substrate and then forming a first metal layer having a first thickness on the electrode. A contact region of first conductivity type is also formed in the semiconductor substrate and then a second metal layer having a second thickness, less than the first thickness, is formed on the contact region. The first and second metal layers are then simultaneously converted to first and second metal silicide layers using a thermal treatment step. Moreover, prior to performing the conversion step, the first and second metal layers are electrically insulated from each other to prevent the likelihood of formation of bridge defects which may result when residues of metal silicide are formed on the substrate. In addition, the thicknesses of each of the metal layers is preferably chosen so that careful control of the final thicknesses of the metal silicide layers can be obtained to optimize the electrical characteristics of the switching device.

As the degree of integration in semiconductor circuits increases, there is a concomitant need to develop semiconductor devices with high operation speed and low power consumption. To provide such devices having these excellent characteristics, it is necessary to ensure low contact resistance. As the contact dimensions of semiconductor devices shrink, however, the contact resistance typically increases, and in addition, the sheet resistivity of the shallow-junctions of the diffused regions also increases.
To reduce these resistance values, one widely used and relatively simple technique is typically referred to as self-aligned silicide (salicide). According to the salicide technique, a transition metal such as Ti, Ta or Mo is deposited over a MOS structure, and reacted with the exposed Si areas of the source and drain as well as the exposed poly-Si areas on the gate by thermal treatment, to form a silicide. During the silicide formation, oxide spacers are used to prevent the gate and source/drain regions from being electrically connected by avoiding silicide formation on these oxide spacers. After the silicide formation, a selective etch removes the unreacted transition metal without attacking the silicide, the silicon substrate or the oxide spacers. As a result, each exposed source/drain region and poly-Si gate is covered by a silicide layer.
Unfortunately, this technique has drawbacks because of a bridging effect. The bridging effect occurs because silicon from within the oxide spacers diffuses into the metal layer, e.g., Ti layer, that covers the oxide spacers and subsequently reacts with the Ti during the thermal treatment process for the silicide formation. Thus, unwanted reaction of metal with the oxide spacers results in the lateral formation of silicide which can easily bridge the separation between the gate and the source/drain regions. Also, because unreacted metal may not be totally removed by the selective etching process and may remain over the substrate additional bridging may also take place. Consequently, unwanted silicide and remaining metal can cause the gate to become shorted to the source/drain regions.

Methods of forming semiconductor switching devices having silicide regions therein


An electronic apparatus includes a first assembly and a second assembly. The first assembly includes at least one hook and at least one elastic locating member. The second assembly includes at least one hook groove and at least one locating groove. The second assembly receives the hook of the first assembly by the hook groove along a first assembling direction. The second assembly makes the hook engaged to the hook groove along a second assembling direction. When the second assembly moves relative to the first assembly along the second assembling direction, the elastic locating member gets into the locating groove, thereby fastening the first assembly and the second assembly.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an electrical apparatus. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a detachable electronic apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In pace with technology, a convertible notebook is developed which integrates the functions of notebook and tablet computers. In particular, the convertible notebook includes a tablet computer and a keyboard module. The tablet computer and the keyboard module can be combined and electrically connected as a notebook computer. Alternatively, the tablet computer can be separated from the keyboard module to be operated alone.
In a typical convertible notebook, the keyboard module has a hook and a linkage mechanism linked to the hook, and the tablet computer on the other hand has a hook groove. When the tablet computer is combined with the keyboard module, the hook is engaged to the hook groove. When an user attempts to separate the combined tablet computer and the keyboard module, he or she can push or pull the linkage mechanism on the keyboard module to move the hook away from the hook groove, thereby separating the tablet computer from the keyboard module.
However, in the foregoing convertible notebook, the user has to operate the linkage mechanism so as to move the hook away from the groove, which is inconvenient for the user.


The invention relates to human cytokine polypeptides, polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides, methods for producing the polypeptides, in particular by expressing the polynucleotides, and agonists and antagonists of the polypeptides. The invention further relates to methods for utilizing such polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists and antagonists for applications, which relate, in part, to research, diagnostic and clinical arts.

The human cytokine polypeptide of the present invention has a high degree of similarity to the Drosophila twisted gastrulation gene and also has homology to human connective tissue growth factor.
The twisted gastrulation gene (TSG) is one of seven known zygotic genes that specify the fate of dorsal cells in Drosophila embryos. Mutations in these genes cause at least some of the cells on the dorsal half of the embryo to adopt more ventral cell fates leading to the proposal that most of these genes participate in establishing, maintaining or modulating a gradient of a single signaling molecule decapentaplegic. The effects of TSG mutations on the development of cuticle elements, expression of a region specific enhancer trap and patterns of mitotic domains have been examined Mutations of TSG only affect the fate of a narrow strip of dorsal midline cells and do not affect dorsal ectoderm cells. However, the pattern of TSG expression is not coincident with the territories affected by TSG mutations. Structural analysis of the TSG gene reveals features of a secreted protein suggesting an extra cellular site of action. The TSG protein bears a weak resemblance to human connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a TGF--induced protein. The dorsal midline cell fate is specified by the combination of both a TSG and a decapentaplegic signal to which the dorsal midline cells are uniquely competent to respond. Mason, E. D. et al., Genes Dev., 8:1489-1501 (1994).
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for identification and characterization of proteins that influence biological activity, both normally and in disease states. In particular, there is a need to isolate and characterize human cytokine polypeptides akin to the TSG gene found in Drosophila which may be employed, therefore, for preventing, ameliorating or correcting dysfunctions or disease or augmenting positive natural actions of such genes.


A system for obtaining data from an imaging plate is provided. The system includes a light source configured to generate a light beam and a controller operably connected to the light source and configured to scan the light beam across an object in a first direction. The system further includes a mask comprising a positionable aperture configured to transmit the light beam to the object. A position of the aperture is synchronized with a position of the light beam.

The invention relates generally to computed radiography (CR) systems and more particularly to a system and method for improving the scan speed and image quality in computed radiography systems.
Computed radiography systems employ imaging techniques that capture X-rays as they pass through an object to be imaged using an imaging plate coated with storage phosphors. The object to be imaged is typically exposed with X-rays, and a latent X-ray image is formed on the imaging plate. The storage phosphors on the imaging plate when stimulated with a low energy laser beam release visible light at locations where X-rays are absorbed. The light is then captured and converted into an electrical signal, which is subsequently converted to data that can be transmitted to remote systems or locations and displayed on laser-printed films or softcopy workstations and stored digitally.
Traditionally, computed radiography scanning techniques employ a continuously scanning laser beam that repeatedly scans the imaging plate in a horizontal direction while the imaging plate is slowly moved in an orthogonal direction thus scanning the entire plate surface. Ideally, the stimulated light from a given area of the phosphor would decay to zero immediately after the stimulating laser beam moves to the next pixel position. However, in practice, the decay time is small but finite. As the laser beam continuously scans the imaging plate, it sequentially exposes all pixels on the imaging plate. The light emitted by the entire plate is then typically collected by a global collection system that collects light emitted anywhere on the plate surface and then routes the light to a light detector. Thus, the detected signal is a combination of the desired pixel intensity and the decaying signal from the previously scanned pixels on a given row. Depending on the application, the contaminating old light may extend over 6-12 previously scanned pixels. This leads to a reduction in image quality and measurement accuracy.
An alternate scanning technique currently employed in computed radiography systems comprises stepping the scanning laser beam from left to right in discrete steps across the imaging plate. The scanning laser beam progresses to the next pixel in the imaging plate only when the light from the past pixel has decayed to a near zero value, thereby restricting the scanning velocity of the laser beam.
It would therefore be desirable to develop a scanning technique and improved computed radiography system that increase the scanning velocity and improve the image quality. In addition, it would be desirable to develop a technique and system that enable the measurement of a particular section of the imaging plate to be performed independently of the rate of decay of the previously exposed sections of the imaging plate.

Computed radiography scanning system and method


A hearing apparatus includes a coil and a coil operation mode selector configured to select either a first coil operation mode for communicating with a wireless communication terminal, or a second coil operation mode for wirelessly charging a battery of the hearing apparatus.

1. Field
The following description relates to a hearing apparatus including a coil switchable between a communication mode for transmitting a phone sound and a charge mode forcharging the hearing apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, some types of hearing apparatus have been equipped with a nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) secondary battery and may be charged wirelessly from an external device. Such a hearing apparatus needs a coil or an antenna pattern formed on a printed circuit board (PCB) to wirelessly receive power from the external device. The hearing apparatus may be wirelessly supplied with the power from the external device using a current induction method.
The hearing apparatus may include a coil for transmitting a phone sound of a phone to a hearing loss patient. The coil may transmit the phone sound to the hearing loss patient using a current induction method.
In the conventional art, the hearing apparatus must include both a coil for a wireless charging function and a separate coil for a phone sound transmission function. This increases a cost of the materials of the hearing apparatus, and makes it difficult to reduce the size of the hearing apparatus,

Hearing apparatus including coil operable in different operation modes


Blockchain distribution of computer data is disclosed. Computer data can comprise computer code, a computer code segment, a computer command, or a block of computer data, which can be employed by a device to patch software, change a device state, or synchronize data between devices. Blockchain distribution can provide benefits in a heterogeneous device environment, facilitate ad hoc device synchronization, and embody a distributed patch and communications network. Devices can receive a blockchain block from another device and, in some embodiments, enable other devices to access the block from the device. In some embodiments, devices can discard irrelevant blocks, however, an entire blockchain can be reconstructed where partial blockchains can be received from more than one device. Additionally, checkpoint blocks can enable devices to navigate the blockchain efficiently by skipping over known irrelevant blocks.

By way of brief background, information, conventionally, can be stored electronically in data stores. As an example, one common use of a data store is to store computer programming code or source code electronically. As another example, computer commands or data can be stored electronically on a data store, e.g., a network server, data repository, etc. Computers can then receive stored data from the data store and can perform operations based, at least in part, on the received data. The information can comprise computer code, commands, or data. As an example, the information can comprise computer code to enable patching or updating of software on a device, such as but not limited to, updating firmware, patching software, initiating a state change for a state of a device, distribution of data, etc.


A conductive paste including (A) conductive particles, (B) a glass frit containing substantially no lead, arsenic, tellurium, and antimony, and (C) a solvent. The glass frit (B) has a remelting temperature of 320 to 360° C., wherein the remelting temperature is indicated by a peak top of at least one endothermic peak having an endotherm of 20 J/g or more in a DSC curve as measured by a differential scanning calorimeter. The conductive paste can also include at least one metal oxide (D) selected from the group consisting of tin oxide, zinc oxide, indium oxide, and copper oxide. The glass frit (B) can further include (B-1) Ag2O, (B-2) V2O5, and (B-3) MoO3. The conductive paste can achieve binding at a relatively low temperature (such as 370° C. or lower) and maintains a bond strength at a relatively high temperature (such as 300 to 360° C.).

A die attach material for bonding, for example, a silicon carbide (SiC) chip to a substrate, and a sealing material and a conductive paste for electronic parts, such as a ceramic package containing therein an integrated circuit device, and a display device, are desired to achieve bonding at relatively low temperatures, taking into consideration the properties of objects to be bonded or to be sealed which are extremely sensitive to heat. As a conductive paste which can achieve bonding at low temperatures, a composition comprising glass having a low melting point is used.
Conventionally, as low melting-point glass, PbO—B2O3 glass having a low melting point has been known. Patent document 1 discloses, as glass having a low softening point, glass comprising 20 to 70% of silver oxide, 10 to 70% of an oxide of vanadium or molybdenum, and 10 to 70% of an oxide of a semi-metal selected from the group consisting of phosphorus, germanium, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, and tellurium (patent document 1).
With respect to glass which can be calcined at a temperature lower than the calcination temperature for the conventional low melting-point PbO—B2O3 glass, patent document 2 discloses low melting-point glass comprising Ag2O: 8 to 20%, MoO3: 20 to 35%, ZnO: 1 to 6%, TeO2: 30 to 55%, and V2O5: 5 to 19% (patent document 2).
With respect to glass used in, for example, a die attach material, there is disclosed glass comprising, for example, Ag2O in an amount of about 40 to 65% by mass, V2O5 in an amount of about 15 to 35% by mass, and at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of TeO2, PbO2, and Pb3O4 in an amount of about 0 to 50% by mass, in terms of the oxide, wherein the glass forms a Ag2O—V2O5—TeO2—PbO2 crystal (for example, patent document 3). The glass disclosed in patent document 3 is used in, for example, a ceramic package containing therein a temperature-sensitive integrated circuit device as a paste for bonding the temperature sensitive device at a low temperature (for example, at 350° C.).
The cited document 4 discloses a glass composition which comprises Tl2O3 in an amount of 60 to 82.5% by weight, V2O5 in an amount of about 2.5 to 27.5% by weight, and P2O5 in an amount of about 2.5 to 17.5% by weight, in terms of the oxide, and which has a boundary temperature of about 350° C. or lower at which vitrification occurs (patent document 4). Patent document 4 discloses that the glass composition has a boundary temperature of 460° C. or lower at which no devitrification occurs. The devitrification means that molten glass suffers crystal deposition of part of the glass having a certain composition during, for example, solidification of the molten glass upon cooling.
Patent document 5 discloses a paste comprising conductive metal particles, a glass composition, an organic solvent, and a resin. Patent document 5 has a description showing that the glass composition specifically preferably has a remelting temperature of 275° C. or lower. Patent document 5 has a description showing that when the glass composition contained in the paste has a high remelting temperature, the amount of the glass phase which satisfactorily wets the surface of an adherend is reduced, so that the bond strength of the paste becomes poor. The cited document 5 discloses that the combination of TeO2 and PbO2 in the respective optimal amounts provides glass having crystalline properties and low-temperature properties desirable in respect of the structure finally obtained.

Conductive paste and method for producing a semiconductor device using the same


A method for preparing an ester bleach activator compound is disclosed. The method includes (A) preparing fatty acid monoester; (B) making chloroformate by reacting the fatty acid monoester with at least one selected from the group consisting of phosgene, diphosgene and triphosgene in the presence of base; and (C) reacting the chloroformate with hydroxybenzene, its derivatives, or its salts in solvent. According to the method, the ester bleach activator compound can be made in a simple and economic way.

The bleaching method using inorganic peroxides such as sodium perborate tetrahydrate, sodium perborate monohydrate, sodium percarbonate, urea peroxohydrate, or sodium peroxide enables to remove contaminants such as stains from fruit juice, coffee, wine, or sap more effectively, i.e., stains. However, the bleaching ability of the inorganic peroxide significantly varies depending on the temperature. For example, sodium perborate shows optimum effects at higher than 80° C., and sodium percarbonate at higher than 60° C. But both are not effective in the cool water, i.e. at 20 to 25° C. in summer or at about 5° C. in winter. Thus, bleach activator method was introduced for inorganic peroxides to present comparable bleaching effects even at a low temperature.
Even though TAED (tetra acetyl ethylene diamine) is most commonly used for the purpose of activating a bleach, it is not effective in removing oily stains such as sebum. U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,934, No. 4,483,778, No. 4,606,838 and No. 4,671,891 disclose bleaching agents using acyl compound as a bleach activator, but it is not cost effective because it need to be used in plenty. And U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,061, No. 5,043,089 and EP No. 0210674 disclose a bleach activation of carbonate derivatives, but it leaves bleach odor because its molecular structure is changed in laundry water. Moreover U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,390, No. 4,259,201, No. 5,098,598, No. 5,520,844, and No. 5,575,947 disclose many organic peroxycarboxylic acids as bleach activators, but these bleach activators are unstable in heat and thus tends to lose an active oxygen of them. In order to solve such problem, a technique for coating and granulating organic peroxycarboxylic acid is introduced (see EP No. 396,341 and EP No. 256,443). However, this technique is bad with regard to economical efficiency, and decreases aqueous solubility to make the bleach activator remained in the cloth.
With the reasons above, an ester bleach activator is preferred since it is capable of releasing peroxycarboxylic acid for activating a bleach together with inorganic peroxides only in a wash water, particularly releasing peroxycarboxylic acid even at low temperature, has storage stability to make long time storage possible, shows excellent bleaching power against hydrophobic stains as well as hydrophilic stains, and rarely makes bleach odor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,091 discloses such an ester bleach activator compound. However, the ester bleach activator compound is made under the conditions: 1) argon gas is used when phosgene is added for reaction, and the reaction temperature should be controlled low at about −78° C., and 2) hydroxybenzene, its derivatives, or its salts are added and reacted in an organic solvent such as methylcyanide (CH3CN). Thus, the above technique disadvantageously requires very complex manufacturing procedure and shows low yield as much as about 50%.

Method for preparing ester compounds as bleach activators


A shielded cable connector comprises a terminal section and a cable section. The cable section comprises support shells mountable over shielding of the cable, and clamping half-shells that have ends engageable in grooves of the support members. The clamping half-shells are pivotable together to clamp a shielding braid that is reversely folded over a cylindrical portion of the support members. A retention ring is passed over the clamping half-shells to securely lock them to the terminal section. Assembly of the shield clamping portions is thus enabled after the terminals are mounted in the connector for a more cost-effective assembly procedure.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector assembly for mounting on a shielded cable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In certain applications, such as in the aerospace industry, there are stringent requirements on the robustness, reliability, and shielding effectiveness of cable connectors. A typical cable outlet of a connector for demanding applications in the aerospace industry is shown in FIG. 1. The outlet of FIG. 1 comprises a body 4' extending from a cable receiving end 6' to a mating end 8', the body comprising an outer shell 10' and a coupling nut 12' at the mating end 8' for secure mechanical coupling to the body of the connector (not shown). A shielded cable 3' comprising a plurality of conductors 5' are surrounded by a shielding braid 7' which is enclosed by an insulating jacket 9'. Electrical terminals 14' of the connector are crimpable to ends of the conducting wires 5'. A collar 16' is mountable over a cable receiving end portion of the outer shell 10' for clamping the shielding braid 7' thereto. Assembly of the cable outlet of FIG. 1 is effected by first preparing the end of the cable 3', and passing the conducting wires 5' into the cavity of the body 4'. The terminals 14' can then be crimped to conducting strands of the conducting wires 5', the terminals subsequently being inserted into cavities of an insulative housing of the connector (not shown). The cable outlet body can then be securely attached to the connector by means of the coupling nut 12'. The subsequent step is to mount the shielding braids 7' over the cable receiving end 6' of the outlet body. The collar 16' is then slipped over the shielding braid and cable receiving end of the body, and securely attached thereto by a threaded portion 18' engaging the body for securely clamping the shielding braid thereto. The latter provides both mechanical strain relief means for the cable, and an effective shielding continuity between the cable shielding and the connector.
Although this known connector is robust and reliable, it is relatively expensive to produce, particularly because of the assembly costs. A major disadvantage in the assembly arises from the need to mount the outer shell 10' over the cable 3' prior to connection of the terminals 14' to the conducting wires 5'. This assembly procedure requires hand assembly of the terminals to the conducting wires 5'. Another problem may arise from stretching the shielding braid over the end of the connector outer shell, as air spaces in the braid enlarge, and are relatively exposed to the environment, thereby reducing shielding effectiveness and reliability.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a robust, reliable and effective shielded connector that is nevertheless cost-effective to produce, and in particular cost-effective to assemble.


A handheld tire pressure gauge including: a display; a pressure sensor; a memory; a processor being operatively coupled to the display, pressure sensor and memory; and, code being stored in the memory and operable by the processor to: retrieve at least one value indicative of a target tire pressure from the memory, determine a pressure sensed by the pressure sensor, and, cause the display to present information indicative of the target tire pressure and sensed pressure.

Pressure gauges are conventionally used for measuring the pressure of a gas or a liquid, such as an air pressure. Tire pressure gauges, as an example, measure the inflation pressures of vehicle tires, such information being useful for maintaining optimal tire performance and avoiding unnecessary wear. Conventional tire pressure gauges typically use calibrated rods or sliding scales for conveying readings to the user. Such devices, however, are frequently difficult to read properly and often produce inaccurate readings. Digital tire pressure gauges typically allow for more accurate measurements and incorporate features such as backlit liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) that facilitate both day and night readings. However, present digital pressure gauges, while achieving more accurate pressure readings, nevertheless lack certain features and capabilities for communicating additional useful information associated with the measured pressure reading.

Hand held tire pressure gauge and method for assisting a user to determine whether a tire pressure is within a target range using a hand-held tire pressure gauge