A data output circuit for a semiconductor device with a level shifter and a method for outputting data using the same. The data output circuit comprises an output buffer for receiving and latching an input data signal with a first voltage range in response to a clock control signal to provide a pair of output data signals, a high-impedance controller/level shifter circuit for outputting high-impedance drive data for the control of a high-impedance state through a pair of output lines according to a first logic state of a high-impedance control signal and for receiving the output data signal pair from the output buffer according to a second logic state of the high-impedance control signal and transferring pull-up and pull-down output data signals with a second voltage range through the output lines, and an output driver for maintaining a data output terminal at the high impedance state in response to the high-impedance drive data from the high-impedance controller/level shifter circuit and for performing an output driving operation in response to the pull-up and pull-down output data signals from the high-impedance controller/level shifter circuit to output final data externally through the data output terminal. A data output speed and a high-impedance transition speed are improved and an excellent driving capability is obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to data input/output circuits, and more particularly to a data output circuit for a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, a larger number of CMOS transistors have been integrated on a silicon chip in proportion to a higher complexity of a semiconductor integrated circuit. In order to reduce power consumption and increase operating speed, an internal supply voltage of the chip is on a decreasing trend, for example, from 5V to 3.3V, 2.5V or less. In this regard, an internal supply voltage generation circuit has been provided in a typical integrated circuit chip such as a semiconductor memory chip for dropping an external supply voltage to generate a voltage necessary to internal circuits of the chip. To the contrary, a relatively high voltage has been required in increasing the capability of interfacing with external devices of the chip and the capability of driving specific internal transistors of the chip. To this end, a boosting circuit has often been employed in the integrated circuit chip for boosting the external supply voltage to provide the boosted voltage to desired circuits such as a word line.
A semiconductor device with the above internal supply voltage generation circuit has needed a data output circuit operable according to various external supply voltage levels to provide a suitable fit between internal signal interface levels and those of external devices. The data output circuit of the semiconductor device typically comprises an output buffer, high-impedance control circuit and output driver. The data output circuit further comprises a level shifter for voltage level conversion in addition to the above components. The level shifter is typically adapted to convert the level of output data with an internal supply voltage level into an external supply voltage level and transfer the resultant output data to an output terminal.
In the above output data circuit for the semiconductor device, the output buffer provides a primary output data signal pair, which is applied to the high-impedance control circuit for the generation of a secondary output data signal pair. Subsequently, the generated secondary output data signal pair is converted in voltage level by the level shifter and then transferred as the final output data externally through the output driver. However, the above-mentioned output data circuit has encountered various problems in output operation such as, for example, a low data output speed, a low high-impedance transition speed and an output signal skew occurring in pull-up and pull-down operations, which will be more clearly recognized from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the preferred embodiments of the present invention.
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a data output circuit for a semiconductor device which is capable of solving the above problems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a data output circuit which is capable of increasing or maximizing a data output speed and a high-impedance transition speed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a data output circuit which is capable of minimizing a skew between output signals in pull-up and pull-down operations.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a level shifting circuit which is capable of increasing or maximizing a data output speed and a high-impedance transition speed while maintaining an excellent driving capability and a low leakage current characteristic.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by a provision of a data output circuit for a semiconductor device, the data output circuit comprising an output buffer for receiving and latching an input data signal with a first voltage range in response to a clock control signal to provide a pair of output data signals; high-impedance controller/level shifter means for outputting high-impedance drive data for the control of a high impedance state through a pair of output lines according to a first logic state of a high-impedance control signal and for receiving the output data signal pair from the output buffer according to a second logic state of the high-impedance control signal and transferring a pull-up output data signal and a pull-down output data signal through the output lines, with each of the pull-up and pull-down output data signals having a second voltage range broader than the first voltage range; and an output driver for maintaining a data output terminal at a high impedance state in response to the high-impedance drive data from the high-impedance controller/level shifter means and for performing an output driving operation in response to the pull-up and pull-down output data signals from the high-impedance controller/level shifter means to output final data externally through the data output terminal.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for outputting data in a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of receiving and latching an internal input data signal with a first voltage range in response to a clock control signal to provide a pair of output data signals; level-shifting the output data signals using a level shifter while a high-impedance control signal maintains a first logic state, transferring the level-shifted signals respectively as pull-up and pull-down output data signals with a second voltage range broader than the first voltage range and applying the output data signals directly to the level shifter to generate high-impedance drive data for the control of a high impedance state, when the high-impedance control signal becomes a second logic state; and maintaining a data output terminal at a high impedance state in response to the high-impedance drive data and performing an output driving operation in response to the pull-up and pull-down output data signals to output final data externally through the data output terminal.

Data output circuit for semiconductor device with level shifter and method for outputting data using the same


Systems, devices, and methods for encoding a plurality of images by an encoder where the encoder determines a set of subbands associated with an input image, determines a set of wavelet coefficients associated with each subband, generates a wavelet tree comprising a set of nodes and a maximum quantization level for a set of descendants of the set of nodes of the wavelet tree. Then, determines if the maximum quantization level is less than a threshold and sets the wavelet coefficient to zero if it is not, otherwise encodes the maximum quantization level, and encodes the set of wavelet coefficients for transmission in a bit stream comprising the encoded maximum quantization level and the encoded set of wavelet coefficients.

Wavelet-tree-based coding techniques are widely used in existing image encoding/decoding devices, i.e., CODECs, because of the excellent energy-compacting capability and high flexibility in terms of scalability in resolution and distortion. A common feature of such algorithms is to exploit the wavelet tree structure to build dependencies between wavelet coefficients so as to effectively encode the coefficients. For example, an embedded zero-tree wavelet (EZW) algorithm and a set partitioning in hierarchical trees (SPIHT) algorithm are well known representations of such techniques. These exemplary algorithms provide competitive rate-distortion performance with an image compression standard and coding system, e.g., the JPEG2000 standard, but operate with lower system complexity.
A common problem encountered when implementing the wavelet-tree-based algorithms is the large memory consumption from both the wavelet transform and the coding algorithms themselves. The straightforward implementation of two dimensional (2-D) discrete wavelet transform (DWT) must hold the complete image in its buffer. In applications, such as remote sensing and medical imaging, where the image size can be very large, it is very hard to implement the DWT in the hardware. Besides wavelet transform, most wavelet-tree-based coding algorithms themselves require significant memory to store temporary data. The coding procedure requires multiple scans of the same wavelet tree as the algorithm passes through different quantization steps. As a result, these algorithms must retain all the data required to complete these repeated scans and therefore require large amounts of memory.

Low complexity and memory efficient image CODEC


Memory requests and responses thereto include a tag that has a shift value indicating the misalignment between the first byte of required packet data and the first byte of a line of data in memory. A packet buffer controller receiving data with an associated tag uses the shift value to shift the received line of data accordingly. The first line of data for the packet data payload is shifted accordingly and written into the packet buffer. Subsequent lines of data require masking the previous line of data except for the last N bytes where N equals the shift value. The shifted line of data is written over the previous line so that the lower order bytes of the shifted received line of data are written. Then the shifted line of data is written into the next line of the packet buffer. The packet buffer may be divided into sections containing alternating lines of data to increase storage speed.

Many system busses are cache line-oriented and do not support memory requests beginning at arbitrary byte locations. Each memory request fetches an entire cache line by addressing the first byte of the line. Packets transmitted on a network, however, include a payload of data which can begin at any arbitrary byte address. Thus, if the packet payload is to begin with a byte of data in the middle of a cache line, extra complexity is involved in building a packet. When data is returned from memory as a line, the network adapter needs to be instructed to copy only the desired data into a temporary buffer which we call herein a packet buffer. A packet buffer is organized with lines of data beginning at the first byte of the packet payload which is not necessarily the first byte of a cache line. When the logic unit that makes the memory request is different from the logic unit that controls the packet buffer, it is typically necessary to first communicate an indication of the difference between the first byte of the packet payload and the first byte of a cache line. Thereafter, memory requests can be made and the packet buffer can be properly loaded.
If the first byte of the packet payload is not the first byte of the cache line, the cache line after shifting will need to be split across two line locations in the packet buffer. In a conventional packet buffer that receives a line of data at a time, two write cycles will be needed to store a cache data line in the packet buffer.

Method and system for buffering a data packet for transmission to a network


A roller leveller, in particular, for beams with a large web depth, includes a carrier shaft on which lower levelling rollers are mounted in a cantilever fashion and which is arranged in a bearing housing with a possibility of dual axial displacement. The bearing housing rests on lifting elements and is displaceable up and down in vertical guides of a horizontally displaceable carrier slide. The bearing housing is pivotably arranged about an inclination adjustment axis that extends transverse to the carrier shaft axis.

The invention relates to a roller leveller, in particular, for a beam having a large web depth, and in which the lower levelling rollers are mounted on a carrier shaft in a cantilever fashion, the carrier shaft is supported in a bearing housing for a dual axial displacement, with the bearing housing resting on vertical motor-driven lifting elements and displaceable in vertical guides of a horizontally displaceable carrier slide up and down.
During a levelling run, in particular of beams with a large web depth and a cross-section having correspondingly high flexural resistance, the levelling process requires, in accordance with the degree of deformation, application to a beam of repeated large levelling forces, the reaction pressure of which stresses the carrier shaft of the levelling rollers, the bearing housing in which the carrier shaft is located, and the support frame. The magnitudes and the directions of the stresses, which are applied to the elements of the roller leveller, depend, respectively, on the size and the profile of the shape deviations of the beam.
Accordingly, the main object of the invention is to so improve the roller leveller that it is capable to withstand the increased stresses, without a substantial increase in size of the carrier shaft of the levelling rollers, its bearing housing as well as the carrier slide, which supports the bearing housing, and the support frame.


A switching mode power supply apparatus is provided. The switching mode power supply apparatus may include a switch unit configured to switch an input voltage to a transformer and a controller configured to select an operation mode having a switching frequency according to a size of a load applied to a secondary side of the transformer and control a switching operation of the switch unit. The switching mode power supply apparatus may include a transformer. A refrigerator having the switching mode power supply apparatus is also provided.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a switching mode power supply, and more particularly, to a switching mode power supply for switching an input voltage to have an optimum efficiency according to the size of a load.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, a switching mode power supply apparatus is an apparatus for converting an alternating current power source supplied from a commercial power source into a direct current power source to supply power suitable to the capacity used for various home appliances. For example, a refrigerator may use a switching mode power supply apparatus based on a fly-back scheme.
For the most widely used switching operation schemes, the fly-back switching mode power supply apparatus may use a PWM scheme having a fixed switching frequency and a quasi-resonant scheme having a frequency varied based on the size of a load. In particular, the quasi-resonant scheme has a frequency varied by increasing the frequency when the load is low, and reducing the frequency when the load is high.
The existing switching mode power supply apparatus switches a voltage induced to a secondary side of a transformer by selecting either one of the foregoing two schemes, and thus, for example, with a product with a large load change such as a refrigerator, the efficiency of consumption power can be high only for a specific region of the load. In other words, a power circuit may be implemented to drive a switching operation in either one of the PWM and quasi-resonant scheme, thereby having a problem in which high efficiency cannot be attained for the entire load regions.


Provided is an information processing device in which a sub response part (SRP) provides a response on behalf of a main response part (MRP) for enabling a provision of an easy coordination between the MRP and the SRP in protocol process. A network connection part is for receiving a packet from an external network. A distribution function part of a filter part distributes the packet to either one the MRP and the SRP based on a packet distribution condition. A duplicate function part of the filter part, if no response data is stored in the SRP, duplicates the packet received and gives the packets to the MRP and the SRP. Thereby, the SRP receives response data from the MRP to store the same in a response data storage area and provides a response on behalf of the MRP using the stored response data.

The present disclosure relates to an information processing device that responds to a packet received from a network and a method of responding to a packet.
An image forming apparatus as an information processing device has been provided in the form of a typical MFP (Multifunctional Peripheral) that is capable of, for example, executing a document or image printing operation.
Some of the typical image forming apparatuses are configured to operate in either of ordinary and power saving modes, the ordinary mode being designed for providing an operation with ordinary electric power under which a response is made to a packet which comes from a network and which includes, for example, printing data, the power saving mode being designed for providing an operation with less electric power consumption under which a response is made to a part of packets from the network.
For example, in the typical image forming apparatuses that include a main system configured to respond the packet that comes from the network under the ordinary mode and a sub system configured to provide a proxy response while the main system is in the power saving mode, after a transition condition is satisfied for the main system to undergo the power saving mode, in order to prevent an unexpected return to the ordinary mode, the packet received from the external network is distributed to the sub system.

Information processing device that responds to packet received from network and method of responding to packet


A mattress cover is configured such that it is made differently at the top and bottom in that under a top side material is an allergen-proof barrier layer and the bottom material is made only mite-proof in order, on the one hand, to create an effective protection against allergens, but on the other hand, to provide long wear along with sufficient air and water vapor permeability as well as good laundering qualities.

Mattress covers made of a uniform permeable cover material, of cotton for example, have long been known for general use for the purpose of completely enveloping a mattress in a form that can be closed by snap fasteners, buttons or slide fasteners, or for covering the top and margins of the mattress and covering only part of its bottom. What is involved is a covering which can be removed and laundered for cleanliness and hygienic purposes.
Additional requirements for a mattress cover have arisen from the knowledge that even in a clean and hygienically maintained household, house mites normally infest mattresses in large numbers in order to take advantage of sleeping humans on the one hand by using the heat and moisture they provide, and on the other hand to obtain nourishment from the tiny skin flakes shed by humans. Especially the excrement of these house mites has been identified as one of the worst allergens, so that protection against such allergens is important not only for the great and increasing number of people suffering from "house dust" allergy, but also for the great numbers of people whose sensitivity has not yet led to physical reactions as serious as illness.
For protection against such allergens, there have been developments which are aimed at sealing a mattress hermetically. That still allows for comfortably lying on a mattress since it is still soft, but it is not comfortable climatically, since normally about one-third of the water vapor transpired from a body passes through the mattress. A completely sealed mattress thus results in a blockage of air and vapor, wetting the body, the nightclothes and the bed covering. This leads to an unhealthy and intolerable sweating, as well as to wet conditions in the surrounding textiles.
Mattress covers made of cotton fabric treated with heat and pressure, especially quilt fabrics, are being offered as bedding permeable to air and water vapor. For since it had been found by studies that the quilt fabric is not woven tightly enough to block out house mites with a body size of about 20 .mu.m, it was hoped to create by such treatment a block against the allergens, i.e., the mite excrement with a size of less than 1 .mu.m. Certainly no satisfactory solution can be seen in this because such heat and pressure treated fabric as novel goods can have barrier qualities, but with wear and especially laundering they are lost.
According to another proposal (DE 40 27 798 C2) the use of a polyurethane layer reinforced by a textile material, such as a polyester knit goods, can be provided as a vapor-permeable but water-tight mattress cover. But such a coating would very quickly become useless because absorbed water vapor condenses in the water-tight coating and then cannot escape. It also lacks sufficient permeability to air.


A method and system for analyzing natural language text to identify a set of categories of data in a knowledge base associated with the natural language text and selecting a category from the set of categories is provided. The method and system further provides automatically providing a single category if the set of categories only contains the single category. The method and system also provides that each category in the knowledge base is associated with a stored text representation of a sample natural language text and a score for the text representation-category combination, wherein the score is representative of a relative relevance of the text representation-category combination. The method and system further provide for modifying the score associated with the text representation-category combination of a selected category using feedback provided upon the selection.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to searching for data and, more particularly, to analyzing a natural language message, determining a category in a knowledge base corresponding to the content of the message, and intelligently providing documents from the knowledge base category in response to the message.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the ubiquitous nature of the Internet, most people are familiar with searching for data using a search engine. On the Internet, a search engine is a coordinated set of programs that can include the following:                A "spider" (also called a "crawler" or a "bot") that goes to every page or representative pages on Web sites designated as searchable and reads those pages, using hypertext links on each page to discover and read a site's other pages;        A program that creates an index (sometimes called a "catalog") from the pages that have been read; and        A program that receives a search request, compares the search request to the entries in the index, and returns results to the user.
The general concepts and problems encountered when searching for data are explained herein in the context of Internet searching by search engines, although the same concepts apply for searches performed on documents that are not web pages by other types of software, such as database searches by database management systems.
An alternative to using a search engine on the Internet is to explore a structured directory of topics. The Yahoo web site is a widely-used directory on the Web, although Yahoo also allows a user to use a search engine. A number of Web portal sites offer both the search engine and directory approaches to finding information.
Before a search engine can tell you where a file or document is, the file or document must be locatable. To find information on the hundreds of millions of Web pages that exist, a search engine employs spiders to build lists of the words found on Web sites. When a spider is building its lists, the process is called Web crawling. To build and maintain a useful list of words, a search engine's spider examines a very large number of web pages.
A spider typically begins with lists of heavily-used servers and very popular pages. The spider begins with a popular site, indexing the words on its pages and following every link found within the site. In this way, the spider quickly begins to travel, spreading out across the most widely used portions of the Web, to build an index.
Searching through an index involves a user building a query and submitting it through the search engine. The query can be quite simple, a single word at minimum. Building a more complex query requires the use of Boolean operators that allow the user to refine and extend the terms of the search.
The searches defined by Boolean operators, such as AND, OR, NOT, and so on, are literal searches—the search engine looks for the words or phrases exactly as they are entered. This characteristic can be a problem when the entered words have multiple meanings. "Bed," for example, can be a place to sleep, a place where flowers are planted, the storage space of a truck, or a place where fish lay their eggs. If the user is interested in only one of these meanings, the user might not want to see pages featuring all of the others. The user can build a literal search that tries to eliminate unwanted meanings, but it is preferable that the search engine assist with the elimination.
One of the areas of search engine research is concept-based searching. Some of this research involves using statistical analysis on pages containing the words or phrases in the search, in order to find other pages in which the user might be interested. The information stored about each page is greater for a concept-based search engine than for a keyword searching engine, and far more processing is required for each search. Still, many groups are working to improve both results and performance of this type of search engine. Others have moved on to another area of research, called natural language queries.
The idea behind natural language queries is that the user can type a question in the same way the user would ask the question to a human being; there is no need to keep track of Boolean operators or complex query structures. A popular natural language query web site today is AskJeeves.com, which parses the query for keywords that it then applies to the index of sites it has built. AskJeeves.com only works with simple queries; but competition is heavy to develop a natural-language query engine that can accept a query of great complexity.
All three of these types of search engines search for words in the index matching the words used in the search query. As mentioned above, even concept-based searching typically involves analysis of actual words in the result document and matches those word combinations to words in the search text. The analysis and searching in a context-based search is typically much slower and more expensive than keyword searching.
What is needed is a way to combine the advantages and capabilities of these different searching techniques. Preferably, the user should be able to enter his or her query in natural language text, rather than as a Boolean expression. The search engine should provide intelligence to search based on concepts, rather than solely based on words appearing in both the search query and the search result. In addition, the search engine should find documents quickly and present the results in order of perceived relevance to the search query.

Method and system for searching data based on identified subset of categories and relevance-scored text representation-category combinations


An ultra high strength fiber-reinforced cement composition includes cement, silica fume, coal gasification fly ash, insoluble anhydrous gypsum, and metal fiber having a length between 5 and 30 mm and a diameter of between 0.1 and 1 mm. The coal gasification fly ash is spherical fine particles having a maximum particle size between 5 and 10 μm. Mass ratio of the silica fume: the coal gasification fly ash is 95 through 50 portions: 5 through 50 portions.

Mortar and concrete have a problem that they basically show a low bending strength if compared with their high compressive strength. The bending strength is not remarkably improved by raising the compressive strength. Known techniques for improving the bending strength of mortar or that of concrete include those of introducing prestress by the PC steel used therein, those of introducing chemical prestress by means of an expansive cement, those of reinforcement by means of metal fiber and those of producing a composite structure by filling steel pipes with high strength mortar or concrete.
A cement composition reinforced by metal fiber to realize an ultra high strength and a high bending strength and hardened cement products made by the cement composition have already been proposed. According to the proposal, a cement type set product showing a compressive strength of 1,500 kgf/cm2 (147 N/mm2) and a bending strength of 150 kgf/cm2 (14.7 N/mm2) is obtained by means of a cement composition prepared by using cement, a pozzolanic substance with an average particle size smaller than 1.5 μm, quartzose powder with an average particle size between 1.5 and 20 μm and aggregate and metal fiber (see Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1: JP-A-11-130508
Coal gasification fly ash is a byproduct that is discharged when generating power by means of gasified coal and composed of spherical particles having an average size smaller than the fly ash that is discharged as byproduct of ordinary pulverized coal-fired power generation. Additionally, coal gasification fly ash has a smooth surface on the spherical particles thereof so that it provides an excellent ball bearing effect if compared with ordinary fly ash. Thus, it has been proposed to utilize coal gasification fly ash for high strength mortar or concrete with a high fluidity in low water-binder ratio (see Patent Document 2).
Patent Document 2: JP-A-2001-19527
Furthermore, gypsum is being popularly used for high strength additives with or without steam curing and it has been proposed to obtain an additives showing a higher strength and a higher durability by combining gypsum and silica fume (see Patent Document 3).
Patent Document 3: JP 2581803
However, the Patent Document 1 describes that pozzolanic fine powder is silica fume or fly ash. Since silica fume has an average particle size of 0.1 μm, it can be used for high strength additives without any further processing. On the other hand, fly ash discharged as byproduct from pulverized coal-fired power plants has a maximum particle size of about 100 μm and hence cannot be used for high strength additives without classifying or crushing/classifying. While fly ash discharged as byproduct from coal gasification power plants is not specifically described, such fly ash also requires classifying because it has a maximum particle size of about 5 to 10 μm. Thus, a problem of requiring an additional classifying or crushing/classifying step remains when such fly ash is to be utilized industrially. Furthermore, a similar problem of requiring crushing and adjustment remains for quartzose powder having an average particle size between 1.5 and 20 μm. Furthermore, nothing is described about specific effects and advantages when silica fume and not-classified coal gasification fly ash are combined to show a specific ratio for use.
The pozzolanic activity of coal gasification fly ash described in the Patent Document 2 is significantly lower than silica fume and there remains a problem that steam curing does not provide any remarkable effect for raising the compressive strength and it cannot be expected to improve the bending strength. Additionally, the Document neither describes nor suggests anything about effects and advantages when silica fume and coal gasification fly ash are combined to show a specific ratio for use.
According to the proposal of the Patent Document 3, it is possible to realize a high strength with ease by combining gypsum and a pozzolanic substance (silica fume, fly ash and/or the like) but the ratio of bending strength relative to compressive strength is not increased. In other words, there remains a problem that remarkable improvement of bending strength is not expectable. Additionally, the document does not describe anything about coal gasification fly ash. Nor describes it about effects and advantages when silica fume and coal gasification fly ash are combined to show a specific ratio for use.

Ultra high strength fiber-reinforced cement composition, ultra high strength fiber-reinforced mortar or concrete and ultra high strength cement additives


A database system may implement compression management of tables in the database system. The compression management may include determination of a pattern of usage of various database tables in the database system. Based on this pattern of usage, the database tables may be selected as candidates for compression or decompression at the appropriate time. In one example, the pattern of usage may be based on the contents of a query log of the database system. The compression management may also include evaluation of various compression strategies to apply to a candidate database table. Each compression strategy may be evaluated to determine if application to a database table or a portion of the database table would be beneficial based on various conditions. The compression management may also include consideration of each available compression strategy to be applied solely or in combination with one another.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to data compression, and more particularly to, compression of data stored in a database.
2. Related Art
A database is a collection of stored data that is logically related and that is accessible by one or more users or applications. A popular type of database is the relational database management system (RDBMS), which includes relational tables, also referred to as relations, made up of rows and columns (also referred to as tuples and attributes). Each row represents an occurrence of an entity defined by a table, with an entity being a person, place, thing, or other object about which the table contains information.
As opportunities to obtain more data in a database increase, so does the requirement for storage capacity. One way to reduce the amount of storage space used to store databases is through data compression. While compressing as much data as possible may be desirable from a storage-efficiency perspective, other factors may require consideration. In operating a database, various queries or other data-driven processes require data to be retrieved for use. Compressed data requires decompressing in order to be used. Thus, when compressing data, considerations regarding the amount of time required to decompress data must be taken into account when attempting to respond to database tasks as quickly and efficiently as possible.
One strategy in identifying data for compression and decompression may include determining the nature and frequency of use of data of a database table. Patterns of usage may allow a more efficient selection of data for compression. Various manners of compression may also be considered and applied singularly or in combination.

Selective data compression in a database system


An optical transceiver module including a housing and a plurality of optical transceiver devices is provided. The housing has a connector portion disposed at an end thereof. The connector portion includes two receptacles formed thereon. The optical transceiver devices are disposed in the housing, corresponding to the receptacles. Each one of the optical transceiver devices includes a printed circuit board, an optoelectronic component and a connecting interface. The printed circuit board is disposed substantially perpendicular to a bottom surface of the housing. The optoelectronic component has an optical fiber interface, a reception portion and a transmission portion. The orientation of the optical fiber interface, the orientation of the reception portion and the orientation of the transmission portion are parallel to the printed circuit board.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a transceiver module, and more particularly, to an optical transceiver module.
2. Description of Related Art
As network technology grows rapidly, optoelectronic communication technology is becoming more popular because optoelectronic communication transfers a large amount of data at a high speed. One of the critical components in optoelectronic communication is the optical transceiver module, which includes a receiver to transform a received optical signal into an electronic signal, and a transmitter to transform an electronic signal into an optical signal and to transmit the optical signal.
Networking equipment such as a hub is typically equipped with optical transceiver modules as described above. Fibre channel cables can be plugged into networking equipment through the optical transceiver modules. In recent fibre channel products, Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) optical transceiver modules have been replaced by Small Form Factor (SFF) optical transceiver modules. The SFF optical transceiver module has a more compact volume than that of the GBIC optical transceiver module. Thus, designers can put more optical transceiver modules in the same area of the networking equipment by using the SFF optical transceiver module.
An SFF optical transceiver module may not be compatible with the layout of the networking equipment. Moreover, GBIC provide an SC-type connector while SFF provide an LC-type connector. Hence, designers may have to modify the layout of the networking equipment greatly so as to replace GBIC optical transceiver modules with SFF optical transceiver modules. This may increase the total system cost of the networking equipment.


Class I major histocompatibility complex, is required in the activity-dependent refinement and plasticity of connections in the developing and adult central nervous system, demonstrating that molecules can perform critical roles in both systems. Similarities in the cellular signaling mechanisms of the immune and nervous systems provide for development of therapeutic and diagnostic agents in abnormal neuronal cellular function.

1. Field of the Invention
Immune system genes and their cognate receptors, have a functional role in the wiring and function of the nervous system. Specific brain functions for immune related molecules and cognate receptor systems include memory functions and other processes occurring in the brain both in development and adulthood that are referred to as "synaptic plasticity". Drugs commonly used to treat autoimmune diseases, infection or tissue rejection associated with transplantation will have therapeutic action in the treatment of disorders of the Central Nervous System (CNS). These drugs function to alter the interaction of neurons expressing immune related molecules, Gp49, PIR, PIRA, PIRB, LIR, NKR-P1, NKp46, Digr1, ILT, MIR, KIR, class I MHC and other immune-related receptors.
2. Background
Diversity in the immune system is used to establish an essentially unlimited array of complex receptor-ligand interactions. In B cells, the interactions occur between the variable region of antibodies and different antigens. In T cells, the interactions occur between the variable region of T cell receptors (TCRs) and cell surface proteins encoded by a set of genes termed the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). MHC molecules play an essential role in immunologic diversity by presenting on the cell surface peptides that are derived from intracellular proteolysis; these peptides can then in turn be recognized by TCRs. There are two different types of MHC molecules: class I, which present peptides to cytotoxic T cells (CD8+ cells), and class II, which present peptides to helper T cells (CD4+ cells). MHC I molecules function classically as heterotrimers consisting of a heavy chain, which presents peptide, and an invariant light chain, termed β2-microglobulin. TCRs function as heterodimers that associate with a number of integral membrane signaling proteins and are important in maintaining the integrity of the immune system.
Neuronal cells, including brain cells are non-dividing cells and there is little in the understanding of the complex networks that exist between cells of the nervous system. The mechanisms that cause many neurological disorders are poorly understood. It would be of major benefit if molecules involved in neurological disorders, neural networking and regeneration of nerve cells, could be identified.

Immunocellular receptors related to neurological disorders and therapeutic uses thereof

President and Fellows of Harvard College


A work machine controller that is coupled to the boom assembly may comprise of a controller with a memory that stores computer-executable instructions and a processor that executes instructions. The instructions include monitoring a first position signal from the first boom position sensor, a second position signal from the second boom position sensor, the load signal, and the orientation signal. The instructions then include calculating a load vector based on the load signal and the orientation signal, generating a disorientation signal based on the load vector and a direction of travel, determining if the disorientation signal is outside a predetermined threshold, and actuating one or more of the actuators and the ground-engaging mechanism to reorient the load when the disorientation signal exceeds the predetermined threshold.

In the forestry industry, for example, grapple skidders may be used to transport harvested standing trees from one location to another. This transportation typically occurs from the harvesting site to a processing site. Alternatively, in the construction industry, excavators may be used to transport gravel, dirt, or other movable material. In both work machines, an implement for carrying a payload is coupled to a boom assembly that includes multiple pivoting means. Actuators may then be arranged on the boom assembly to pivot the booms relative to each other and thereby move the implement.
When multiple booms are arranged in a boom assembly, controlled movement of the implement may be relatively difficult, requiring significant investment in operator training. This can be especially difficult to maneuver with the variable payloads and physical limitations of the actuators. Under conventional control systems, for example, an operator may move a joystick along one axis to move one more actuators that pivot a first boom section, and move the joystick along another axis to move actuators that pivot a second boom section. In theory, an operator may control the two boom sections such that the aggregate movement of all the actuators causes desired movement of the implement carrying a payload to a desired position. However, dependent upon the orientation of the payload, directional pull of the payload, and the changing geometry of the two booms as they move relative to each other and the vehicle, the changing geometry introduces significant complexity to the relationships between actuator movement and movement of the implement. In the exemplary embodiment of the skidder, logs are generally dragged along the surface in a rugged area. This may result in large forces in the X, Y, and Z directions and an additional torsional force not found in other work machines.
Movement of the boom can vary dramatically based upon the location of boom assembly components with respect to the work machine frame and the travel direction. Moreover, movement of the boom assembly can vary dramatically based on the incline of the surface a work machine is situated because it changes the relative orientation of the downward gravitational pull of the payload and/or implement relative to the directional pull of the actuators coupled to the boom assembly. This variability in the payload's orientation ultimately makes it difficult for a user to accurately assess optimal boom operation, especially when traversing the work machine through rugged terrain, and substantially more so if operated remotely. Therein lies an opportunity for an improved control system for moving payloads that can account for these variables when at a worksite.

Intelligent assist system for a work machine


A gas generator includes a cylindrical housing having an initiator shell provided with a plurality of igniter devices and a closure shell; a combustion chamber formed in the housing and loaded with gas generants; a cylindrical member that partitions the combustion chamber into two or more combustion chambers; and filter elements provided in the respective combustion chambers of the partitioned chamber wherein at least one of the filter elements is disk-shaped, and the respective combustion chambers are independent from each other.

A gas generator for quickly expanding and inflating an airbag is installed in an airbag module which is installed in a steering wheel or an instrument panel for protecting a vehicle occupant from the impact resulting from an automobile collision. Then, the gas generator actuates an igniter (squib) in response to an electrical signal from a control unit (actuator) to burn a gas generant by a flame of this igniter for quickly generating a large quantity of gas.
In the case of conventional designs, the gas generator always makes an airbag quickly be expanded and inflated irrespective of the sitting position of the vehicle occupant (a normal sitting posture or an irregular sitting posture such as a stoop) and irrespective of the speed (acceleration) of the vehicle at the time of collision. Accordingly, it is difficult to control the inflation of an airbag in accordance with the sitting position of the vehicle occupant and the speed (acceleration) of the vehicle at the time of collision so that the airbag may not fulfill its primary function of protecting the vehicle occupant.
Hence, in recent years, situation-adaptive gas generators for airbag have been proposed and developed to control the inflation of an airbag in accordance with the sitting position of the vehicle occupant and the speed (acceleration) of the vehicle at the time of collision, for example, to provide a moderate inflation of the airbag at the first stage.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,979 discloses a situation-adaptive gas generator in which are formed two combustion chambers, each having its own igniter, so that the gas generants loaded into the respective combustion chambers are burned one after the other. This is provided with a filter element as an annular member located along the inner peripheral portion of a housing, a first combustion chamber located inside the filter element and, in addition to this, a second combustion chamber located in the first combustion chamber and partitioned by a cylindrical tube with base in order that the first combustion chamber and the second combustion chamber can communicate through a plurality of orifices formed in the cylindrical tube with base. By this configuration, the situation-adaptive gas generator can operate suitably for the sitting position of the vehicle occupant by burning the respective gas generants loaded into the first combustion chamber and the second combustion chamber with a time difference.
However, because the first combustion chamber and the second combustion chamber can communicate with each other, the gas generated in the first combustion chamber can make the gas generant loaded into the second combustion chamber begin to burn with the fear of not generating gas with the predetermined time difference. In addition, the filter element is provided as an annular member located along the inner peripheral surface of the housing so that the gas and residue generated by the combustion in the respective combustion chambers are cooled and filtered by the single filter. Because of this, when the ignition pattern between the two combustion chambers is a simultaneous ignition, a staggered ignition or a single sided ignition, the gas as output may become thermally and/or compositionally inappropriate due to over- or under-cooling through the filter. Furthermore, the ignition order of the combustion chambers is fixed to the order from the outer peripheral side to the inner peripheral side, and therefore it may not be applied to a variety of collision patterns.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent Published Application No. Hei 11-59318 discloses a situation-adaptive gas generator with a housing whose inside space are partitioned to form two combustion chambers in the upper and lower sides in the x-axis direction with an igniter provided for each combustion chamber so that the gas generants loaded into the respective combustion chambers are burned one after the other to output gas. This is costly because of the annular filter elements provided in the respective combustion chambers.
It is an object of the present invention to provide, at a low cost, a situation-adaptive gas generator having a combustion chamber which is partitioned into two or more chambers, and filter elements which can be independently used.


The invention comprises a restratining tie down apparatus for tieing down a movable abject, such as an aircraft, in a straight line connection between the stationary object and the aircraft. The restraining tie down apparatus has a storage compartment or container which is adapted to be fixed upright in the ground with with an opening at the top which is flush with the top surface of the ground. A tie down device is removably mounted within the container. The tie down device has a frame with a pair of side panels and a spool is rotatably mounted between the side panels. An elongated flexible belt is wound on the spool with its inner end attached to the spool and its outer end having a hook attached thereto. A second hook is attached to the frame of the tie down device. A spring is mounted to the frame with one end attached to the frame and its other end attached to the spool to urge the spool to rotate on the frame in a direction to wind the belt onto the spool. The container has a pair of doors mounted over the top of the container which can be opened for the removal of the tie down device from the container through the top opening in the container. The hook attached to the outer end of the belt of the device is also attached to the container, whereby upon removal of the tie down device from the container through the opening, the tie down device may be carried to the aircraft with the belt on the spool unwinding from the spool to a length to span the distance from the fixed container to the aircraft and the tie down device hook may be attached to the tie down eyelet of the aircraft to provide a connection therebetween with the spring urging on the spool maintaining the connection therebetween taut.

This invention relates to restraining or tie down devices, more particularly, the invention relates to restraining or tie down devices for tieing down a movable object, such as an aircraft or boat, or a stationary object.
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel restraining or tie down device having a frame with hook means to mount the frame to a stationary object and a spool with a belt wound thereon and spring urged to a wound position, with a hook at the outer end of the belt for attachment of the belt to a stationary object and whereby the device may be moved to the movable object to be tied down with the belt unwinding to maintain the connection and with the device be attached to the movable object to provide a restraining or tie down connection.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel restraining device for restraining movable objects and having a container for storing the device in a stationary location and belt wound onto a spool on the device with the belt attached to the container whereby the device may be attached to the movable object with belt connecting the movable object with the container to restraining the movable object.
It is another object of the invention to provide a novel restraining or tie down device for restraining or tieing down an object such as an aircraft or boat, and to provide a flexible taut connection between, and which can be easily and quickly attached and detached.
It is another object of the invention to provide a novel restraining or tie down device which can be stored in a container when not in use.


This invention provides an FM demodulating device for robustly demodulating a received FM signal even under a jammed communication condition through the use of an improved extended Kalman filtering scheme, which is applied to the FM communication system exhibiting a random occurrence of cochannel. The device includes a memory for providing scale factors stored therein at an appropriate time, an observation determining unit for analyzing the reliability of the received signal based upon error computation results and scale factors to determine whether or not the received signal contains an interfering signal, and for correcting the received signal, a state predictor predicting states for the corrected observations, a state estimator receiving the error computation results, for producing the calculations performed for the state estimation, and an error computing unit receiving the predicted states from the state predicting means, for calculating the errors, and then outputting the calculated errors to the observation determining unit and state estimator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an FM (frequency) modulation) demodulating device which ensures to robustly demodulate a received FM signal even under a jammed communication condition through the use of an improved extended Kalman filtering scheme which is applied to the FM communication system exhibiting random occurrences of a cochannel.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
In general, a communication system may receive the desired significant signal, linearly with unwanted interfering and noise signals. In particular, a stronger power of the interfering signal relative of the information signal makes it difficult to communicate with much satisfaction. Under a military-purpose communication, a jammer is often used in transmitting signals of frequencies selected at random so as to disturb radio channels of an opponent and thus the communications thereof. In addition, a cochannel interference founded in a commercial or military communication randomly occurs, which acts as a cause of a disturbance of communication.
To this end, a conventional communication system employs two phase-locked loops to overcome those problems, whose purposes are to track the desired and interfering signals, respectively.
The signals modeled as represented in the following equation (1) are applied to an extended Kalman filter (EKM) from which the states of the phase, frequency and amplitude are estimated: EQU Y(t)=S.sub.d (t)+S.sub.i (t)+n(t) (1)
where Y(t) denotes observations, S.sub.d (t) the desired signal, n(t) noise, and S.sub.i (t) interfering signals, respectively.
There has been a problem in that due to the random occurrence of the cochannel phenomenon the communication in a better condition cannot be attained, resulting in the quality of the communication being greatly reduced.

FM demodulating device using an extended kalman filter

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


An audio signal processing device and a parameter adjusting method, configured such that: a two-channel screen displaying a plurality of parameters for each of two channels allocated to any two channel strips, in accordance with operation of edit buttons of the two channel strips, is displayed on a display; each of a plurality of parameters for one channel, out of the two channels displayed in the two-channel screen, are allocated to a control of each channel strip in a first group; each of a plurality of parameters for the other channel are allocated to a control of each channel strip in a second group; and values of the parameters allocated to the controls are adjusted in accordance with operation of the controls.

An audio signal processing device such as a digital mixer has many channels to process audio signals of many sequences. Further, as a screen for display and setting of various parameters for these channels, a channel strip screen is provided (e.g., PTL1, FIG. 6 and paragraphs 0029 to 0036, or the like). The channel strip screen is a screen to display a list of parameter setting statuses for a predetermined number of channels (e.g., 8 channels or 16 channels). Further, by performing a predetermined operation from a status where the channel strip screen is displayed, a window for detailed editing of the parameter of each constituent block (equalizer, dynamics or the like) for one input channel is pop-up displayed (e.g., PTL1, FIG. 9 to FIG. 11).
On the other hand, conventionally, a so-called digital audio workstation (DAW) to realize various music production functions (e.g., a hard disk recording function, a function for generating and editing MIDI data or audio data, a mixing function and a sequencer function) is known (see NPL1). The DAW is realized by installing predetermined software program into, for example, a general-purpose personal computer (PC) and executing the program. The DAW is also provided with a channel strip screen to display parameters for plural channels. Further, when an edit button of the channel strip of any one channel displayed on the channel strip screen is operated, a parameter edit window to edit the parameters of the channel allocated to the channel strip in detail is opened.

Audio signal processing device and parameter adjusting method


A facsimile equipment including an image data storing RAM for storing communication image data sets, a liquid crystal display for displaying the image data, numeral keys for designating a desired one of the image data sets stored in the image data storing RAM and demanding display of the desired image data set on the liquid crystal display, a search controller for searching an address corresponding to a line including the first pixel bit in the designated image data, and a display controller for reading the designated image data set stored at the searched address and the subsequent addresses by an amount equal to the number of bits displayable on the liquid crystal display and displaying the image data read on the liquid crystal display.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a facsimile equipment, and more particularly to a facsimile equipment capable of selectively displaying the content of image information stored in an image information storing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional facsimile equipment having an image information storing device capable of storing image information to be transmitted and image information received, an operator can acknowledge information concerning the input date and the input time stored in the image information storing device. However, the operator cannot acknowledge the content of the communication image information stored in the image information storing device. Accordingly, the operator must print the communication image information. Further, it is to be noted that the communication image information mentioned in this specification connotes image information corresponding to the essential communication content exclusive of the information of the input date and time.
However, in general, it is unnecessary to print communication image information stored in the image information storing device that has been erroneously addressed or is of little importance to the operator. Accordingly, the printing of all the communication information stored in the image information storing device irrespective of the fact that the information includes erroneously addressed or unimportant content causes an increase in running cost and a loss of printed paper.


In quantum effect devices using quantum dots, a novel quantum effect device which controls the probability of tunnel transition of electrons among quantum dots to obtain quantum effects such as band gap modulation. i-GaAs layers serving as the quantum dots are formed on an n-AlGaAs substrate and, further, n-AlGaAs layers are formed as electron supply layers on the i-GaAs layers. By this double heterojunction structure, channels are formed in the i-GaAs layers near the two junction surfaces sandwiching the layers. On the other hand, a potential barrier layer comprised of an i-AlGaAs layer with a small barrier height with respect to the quantum dots and an SiO.sub.2 layer with a large barrier height laminated together is formed between the quantum dots. The position of the lamination interface in the potential barrier layer is set to a height enabling the two layers to contact the quantum dots. The magnitude of the electric field applied from the control electrode to the quantum dots is used to select one of the two channels. The band gap changes according to the change of the probability of tunnel transition at this time. If the change in the band gap is, for example, converted to a change in light emission wavelength, a variable wavelength type semiconductor laser device can be constructed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a quantum effect device using quantum wires or quantum dots.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, the oscillation wavelength of a semiconductor LED determined by the magnitude of the band gap. This band gap is a constant intrinsic to a substance, so it is difficult to fabricate a device with a variable wavelength using a semiconductor LED.
A new semiconductor device drawing attention, however, is a quantum effect device which uses quantum wires or quantum dots. In this device, electrons are confined in fine wires or small dots formed at intervals of about the quantum-dynamic wavelength of the electrons and utilize the electron behavior according to the quantum level of the quantum well. Examples of application of quantum wires or quantum dots to laser devices are also known. One example of such a device uses quantum wires as the active layer of a quantum well laser. The phenomenon of spatial isolation of electron-hole pairs and the restraining of the light emission process, resulting in a sharp drop in the light output, by application of an electric field to a quantum well is also known.
In such types of quantum effect devices, quantum wires and quantum dots arrayed at extremely fine intervals are used, and its operation is based on the intrinsic quantum size effect.
However, when preparing a new device which smashes existing ideas and enables change of the light emission wavelength, the desired operation cannot be obtained just by forming a gate electrode for control of the modulation.

Quantum effect device in which conduction between a plurality of quantum dots or wires is achieved by tunnel transition


Disclosed is a hypodermic injection device wherein the needle can be retracted into the reservoir chamber, after use, for disposal. The device includes a plunger having a needle-retention chamber in the end of the plunger closest to the needle structure. The end portion of the needle can be resilient, and shaped, such that the end of the needle can be retained in the needle-retention chamber when the plunger reaches the end of its stroke toward the needle. Other structures for ensuring retention of the needle is the needle-retention chamber are also disclosed. Also disclosed is structure of ensuring that the needle cannot be relocated for re-use, once it has been withdrawn into the reservoir chamber, and structure avoiding accidental retention of the needle in the needle-retention chamber.

The present invention is directed to a hypodermic injection device (e.g., a hypodermic syringe). More particularly, the present invention is directed to such a hypodermic injection device wherein, after use of the needle for injection, the needle can be withdrawn into the hypodermic reservoir chamber (that is, the chamber that held the injectable material) so that the needle is no longer exposed after use.
An increasing problem for health care professionals is on-the-job contamination by used hypodermic needles. Because of the hundreds of needles used in hospital and office settings each week, it has been estimated that a puncture wound from used needles occurs as often as once every one or two weeks per health care worker. With the outbreak of AIDS and other deadly blood-borne diseases, this has become an area of increasing concern. Likewise, the sharing of needles by drug abusers, and even sharing in the clinical environment, represents a real threat to the public.
Various prior devices have been developed in order to
Various prior devices have been developed in order to withdraw the hypodermic needle into the hypodermic reservoir chamber after use, to completely isolate the needle immediately after the patient is injected and to allow the hypodermic reservoir chamber to be subsequently discarded with the needle therein. One prior device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,936. This patent describes a needle assembly for the hypodermic syringe including a hollow needle with an inner end inside the hypodermic reservoir chamber which held the injectable material, the reservoir chamber including a passage through which the needle extends and is slidable, the needle having stop means limiting outward movement of the needle relative to the reservoir chamber but not limiting inward movement of the needle as the needle is withdrawn into the reservoir chamber. This patent discloses that the plunger used to cause emptying of the injectable material that was held within the hypodermic reservoir chamber, slidably mounted within such chamber, has an end closest to the needle that is made of a plug of relatively soft material, while the end of the needle within the chamber includes structure (such as barbs) which can enter the soft material. Upon use, the plunger is depressed such that the end of the needle within the chamber pierces the end of the plug and is retained therein due to the plurality of barbs. Once engagement of the needle and plug has occurred, the plunger can then be withdrawn whereby the needle engaged to the plug is also withdrawn into the reservoir chamber.
However, the design shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,936 requires a relatively complex needle structure, undesirably increasing the cost of the needle and, accordingly, the overall cost of the hypodermic syringe.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,484, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, also discloses a syringe having a retractable needle, the syringe including a cylinder or barrel having a closed distal end and an open proximal end, with a first end of the needle projecting outwardly from the distal end of the cylinder, and by which a fluid may be injected; a second end of the needle extends into the interior of the cylinder, and terminates at a relatively large needle catch. The syringe includes a plunger which is adapted for reciprocal and axial movement through the syringe cylinder, the plunger including a detachable connection of an elongated stem to a sealing and locking assembly. An elastomeric seal is formed at one end of the sealing and locking assembly, and functions as a plunger head when the plunger is moved axially through the cylinder during a fluid injection procedure. The seal is mounted around a plurality of flexible legs which define a needle capturing receptacle therebetween. When the plunger is moved through the syringe cylinder at the conclusion of a fluid injection procedure, the seal is pressed against the most distal aspect of the cylinder, such that the needle capturing receptacle is advanced axially into engagement with the needle catch; the needle catch is thereby received by the needle capturing receptacle, and upon withdrawal of the plunger back into the cylinder the needle is also withdrawn into the cylinder.
The needle structure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,484 requires a needle catch at the end of the needle, such needle catch being an enlarged structure formed at the end of the needle within the syringe cylinder, and also requires a relatively complex locking assembly for the plunger, including a plurality of flexible legs for retaining the needle in the plunger. Such relatively complex structure for both the needle and plunger increases the complexity of manufacturing the syringe, and increases the cost thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,870 also discloses a syringe having a retractable needle, with the end of the needle having an enlarged portion at the end which can be captured by a needle capturing receptacle in the end of the plunger, similar to the structure described in the previously discussed U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,484. U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,870 further discloses that the needle also includes a further thickened portion, which is larger than the diameter of the hole in the syringe cylinder through which the needle extends out of the cylinder, for preventing movement of the needle in a direction out of the cylinder. U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,870 also discloses that the needle and support therefor can be independent of the syringe cylinder and removably attached thereto, so that different needles (for example, having different needle sizes) can be used with the same syringe cylinder.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,370 discloses a syringe having a retractable needle, wherein the needle has a thickened portion at the end thereof adapted to be retained in a needle capturing receptacle at the end of the plunger, similar to the structure previously described in connection with U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,484. U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,370 further discloses that the flexible legs of the needle capturing receptacle should have an offset configuration so that when the used needle is withdrawn into the syringe cylinder, the used needle will be canted or slanted relative to the vertical, whereby the needle is misaligned with respect to the opening in the end of the cylinder. Due to such misalignment, the needle cannot be repositioned so as to extend outside the cylinder for re-use. Moreover, after withdrawal of the needle into the cylinder, the plunger can again be moved in the chamber so that the slanted (misaligned) needle will contact a wall of the cylinder and be bent or destroyed within the cylinder.
While U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,370 discloses specific structure both for capturing the needle for withdrawal thereof into the chamber and for destroying the needle in the chamber, the described structure (including the offset configuration of the flexible legs forming the needle capturing receptacle) is complex, and increases manufacturing costs.
Accordingly, it is still desired to provide a hypodermic injection device wherein the needle can be withdrawn into the reservoir chamber after use, which device and needle structure is relatively simple and can be manufactured inexpensively. It is particularly desired to provide a hypodermic injection device wherein the needle structure for the device can be simply and inexpensively manufactured, without sacrificing effectiveness of the structure for reliably capturing and retracting the needle into the hypodermic reservoir chamber. Moreover, it is also desired to provide such a hypodermic injection device, wherein the needle can be withdrawn into the reservoir chamber and prevented from being moved out of the reservoir chamber into a position for re-use, with simple structure that is easily and inexpensively manufactured. It is also desired to provide a hypodermic injection device having a retractable needle, wherein, prior to use, accidental retraction of the needle into the reservoir chamber can be avoided.


An improved roller for a cam actuated brake system includes rounded edges for contacting the cam. In the prior art, a sharp edge was sometimes damaged when force inequalities were applied from the shoe to the roller. The present invention rounded edges ensure that when there are force inequalities, the contact between the rollers and the cam is over a relatively great surface, and is less likely to damage the roller.

This invention relates to a unique roller for a cam brake wherein the edges are rounded to relieve potential strains and stresses.
Cam brakes are widely used in heavy vehicle braking systems. Essentially, a rotating cam is controlled by a brake actuator. Rotation of the cam causes two rollers to move radially inwardly or outwardly. The rollers in turn, move brake shoes to pivot and bring friction surfaces into contact with a wheel drum. The friction surfaces thus retard rotation of the drum.
Certain deficiencies exist with the known cam brake systems. In particular, the rollers act as an interface between the brake shoes and the cam. Spring forces on the shoes apply a force to the rollers. Rotation of the cam applies an actuating force to the rollers in a direction opposed to that from the shoes. Large forces are thus transferred through the rollers. Typically, the rollers include relatively small shafts mounting brake shoe webs at two axially spaced locations. A relatively greater diameter portion of the roller contacts the cam.
Due to manufacturing tolerances and assembly inaccuracies, it will often occur that the force from the two webs of the brake shoe are unequally distributed to the rollers. When this occurs, the roller may sometimes become skew or misaligned such that only an edge of the roller contacts the cam. That is, there is effective line contact between the roller and the cam at one edge of the roller. This is undesirable, and can lead to fracturing of the roller, thus limiting its life. While some rollers may have chamfered edges or even rounded surfaces, these have not been over a sufficient distance or at proper locations to act as a cam contacting surface.


An improved fishing rod of the type having a substantially cylindrical body with a peripheral surface. The improvement is a mark on the body situated so that the circumference of the fishing rod body with the mark thereon simulates the torso of a selected species of fish, with the mark having markings characteristic of markings on the torso of the selected fish species.

1.Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fishing rods and, more particularly, to a mark on a fishing rod that is representative of a visual characteristic of a species of fish, ideally for which species the rod is intended to be used.
2.Background Art
There are a multitude of different types of fishing rods. These rods vary in composition, length, thickness, etc., which give the various fishing rods different durability, flexibility, and feel.
Since different types of fish react differently when taking bait and "fighting", it is desirable to match the fishing rod characteristics to the particular species of fish to maximize feel and enjoyment to the fisherman. For example, when fishing for species that strike a bait in a tentative fashion and are relatively unaggressive when hooked, it is desirable to have a highly sensitive rod. Species that are aggressive fighters permit use of a more rigid rod.
Many manufacturers, including the assignee herein, offer rods with features matched to particular species to maximize enjoyment to the fisherman seeking out that species. If one peruses the displays in sporting goods stores, one will see different rods identified as "bass" rods, "trout" rods, "muskie" rods, etc.
Since there are wide range of materials used in fishing rod construction, it is not always possible to identify the performance characteristics of a fishing rod by its shape. For example, a relatively thin rod may be more rigid than a larger diameter rod by reason of the materials of construction in each.
Thus, the only certain way to determine the species for which a rod is designed is to check the packaging or a tag used by the distributor of the rod. Aside from the fact that reading descriptive materials accompanying fishing rods is often inconvenient, once the rod is in use, the tags and packaging are normally discarded and therefore unavailable. The user may then be forced to guess as to the manufacturer's intended match between rod and species. Even when this information is placed directly on the rod, it is often difficult to see, or may be viewable within a limited angular range. Thus a quick view of an extensive rod display may not be significantly informative.

Fishing rod with marking indicative of species of fish for which rod is designed


Systems and methods for a scalable Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) deployment for optical networks include steps of causing communication to a router connected to a data communication network, for North-South communication; causing communication to a management plane associated with the optical network via one or more interfaces that are each connected to one or more Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) domains, for East-West communication; and implementing an OSPF terminator between the one or more OSPF domains that includes receiving OSPF packets, sending self-generated OSPF packets, and preventing flooding of received OSPF packets between the one or more OSPF domains.

Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is a routing protocol for Internet Protocol (IP) networks that uses a Link State Routing (LSR) algorithm and falls into the group of Interior Gateway Protocols (IGPs), operating within a single Autonomous System (AS). OSPF is defined, for example, in RFC 2328 (1998) and RFC 5340 (2008), the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety. Also, network elements such as in an optical network are configured to communicate on a Data Communication Network (DCN) for Operations, Administration, Maintenance, and Provisioning (OAM&P) functions. Network operators would like to manage and deploy their optical networks in a cookie-cutter and scalable manner. They would like to use an IGP such as Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) or Intermediate System to Intermediate System (ISIS) to allow communications between the network elements (i.e., logical East-West communications) while using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) to manage the communications between Network Management Systems (NMSs) and the network elements (i.e., logical North-South communications).
One problem of using the IGP protocols to extend optical networks is that network elements must maintain a small-sized network for simple management or adopt complex network policies to extend the network to a large scale. For example, one can configure the OSPF protocol with a single OSPF area on small networks (e.g., ten or so network elements), or can scale to a large network by breaking the network into many small OSPF autonomous systems and manage the interaction of the OSPF autonomous systems through other routing protocols.

Scalable OSPF configuration for managing optical networks


A motorcycle wheel speed transmission mechanism includes a gear housing affixed to the front fork of a motorcycle and having an outside receptacle and an outside sensor mount, a driven gear mounted inside the gear housing and rotatable with the front wheel of the motorcycle, an output gear mounted in the outside receptacle and meshed with the driven gear, an annular magnet holder mounted on the gear shaft of the output gear and defining therein a plurality of equiangularly spaced magnetic zones, and a speed sensor mounted in the sensor mount and electrically connected to an electronic speedometer of the motorcycle through a transmission line for detecting the revolving speed of the annular magnet holder and transmitting detected data to the electronic speedometer for display.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the technology of detecting the speed of a motorcycle and transmitting detected data to the speedometer of the motorcycle and more particularly, to a motorcycle wheel speed transmission mechanism that fits an electronic speedometer and facilitates maintenance and repair works.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional motorcycle wheel speed transmission mechanism, as shown in FIG. 6, comprises a gear housing 2 affixed to the front fork of a motorcycle and coupled to one end 32 of the axle tube 31 at the front wheel hub 3 of the motorcycle, a driven gear 21 pivotally mounted in the gear housing 2 and having cut planes 211 on the periphery at one end, an output gear 22 pivotally mounted in the gear housing 2 at one side and meshed with the driven gear 21, a transmission cable 24 connected between the output gear 22 and a mechanical speedometer of the motorcycle, a driving ring 23 that has internal cut planes 231 respectively abutted against the cut planes 211 and external lugs 232. When the axle tube 31 is rotating during running of the motorcycle, protruding lugs 32 of the axle tube 31 are forced to move the external lugs 232 of the driving ring 23 and the driven gear 21, thereby causing rotation of the output gear 22, and therefore the transmission cable 24 is rotated with the output gear 22 to move the internal mechanism of the mechanical speedometer.
The aforesaid prior art design has drawbacks as follows:
1. The design is suitable for use with a mechanical speedometer, not practical for use with an electronic speedometer.
2. When the components are covered with dust after a long use or damaged, the maintenance or repair work takes much time and labor.
3. Using the transmission cable 24 to move the internal mechanism and index of the mechanical speedometer mechanically shows a significant error.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,078,891B2 discloses a speedometer gear output structure, which includes a gearbox installed in a motorcycle and holding a driven gear and an output gear for synchronous rotation with the wheels of the motorcycle, an annular magnetic device fastened to the gear shaft of the output gear for synchronous rotation, and a circuit board mounted in the gearbox and holding a sensor corresponding to peripheral magnetic zones of the annular magnetic device for outputting an output signal indicative of the speed of rotation of the output gear. This design eliminates the drawback of the aforesaid conventional mechanical design. However, because the circuit board is mounted in the gearbox, the cover of the gearbox and the related sealing structure must be detached for allowing removal of the circuit board from the gearbox when the sensor failed and a repair work is necessary. After the repair work and re-installation of the circuit board, the gearbox must be sealed gain. It takes much time and labor when a maintenance or repair work of the sensor is necessary.

Motorcycle wheel speed transmission mechanism for speedmeter


A universal radiographic/fluoroscopic room includes a digital imaging platform adapted to occupy operating and non-operating positions. A park function automatically moves the digital imaging platform between the operating and non-operating positions without requiring operator effort. The digital imaging platform has local and remote control panels having substantially duplicate functions. The remote control panel allows the operator to control operation of the digital imaging platform from a location shielded from X-ray exposure. Methods and apparatus are provided to ensure safe, predictable, and consistent operation from all control panels. The operator selects any available operating mode, including auto-bucky, auto-wall, auto-table, auto-table/wall, servo-tomo, conventional stepping, stepped-digital, auto-step, and auto-step-center modes, using a control panel. The control system automatically determines which system components are required to perform that type of examination, moves the components into operational or storage positions as required, and prepares each component for operation.

This invention relates to medical diagnostic imaging systems, and more particularly, to apparatus and methods for providing a highly versatile diagnostic medical imaging system capable of performing a plurality of different penetrating radiation imaging examinations, including radiographic, fluoroscopic, tomographic, and stepped radiographic/fluoroscopic examinations.
A wide spectrum of equipment is now commercially available for performing diagnostic medical imaging examinations using penetrating radiation or electromagnetic fields. Although there is great diversity in complexity, application, and cost, among the available commercial products, a significant problem for many users of diagnostic imaging equipment is the lack of a general-purpose, highly versatile platform for efficiently conducting a variety of different types of examinations while producing high quality results.
There are, for example, several fairly recently developed imaging modalities (such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Computed Tomography, Positron Emission Tomography, etc.), which provide images of high diagnostic quality. However, these devices rely on elaborate arrays of mechanical equipment, radiation or field detectors, and computers and signal processors, and therefore, they are expensive to purchase and operate. This expense is reflected in the fees charged to patients, either directly or indirectly, when they are examined. As a result, although these newer imaging modalities may be generally useful, there is substantial pressure on health care providers to order such examinations only when conventional imaging modalities cannot be used. This class of imaging equipment has therefore become highly specialized because each system is narrowly directed to a single imaging modality, and because their high cost prevents their general application to run-of-the-mill imaging.
Other relatively specialized equipment has been developed to accomplish more conventional imaging examinations. Fluoroscope systems often lack facilities for conventional radiographic examinations. Conventional linear tomography systems typically have mechanical couplings between an X-ray source and a film holder or other image receiver, and these couplings may make it difficult to use such systems for general purpose radiography. Even when multiple purpose imaging systems have been provided in the past, it has been relatively difficult and time consuming to convert such systems from one imaging mode to another.
For example, it is common in such systems to provide apparatus positioned generally above the patient support table either to emit or to receive and record X-rays (or other penetrating radiation). Such apparatus is relatively large and heavy, and can obstruct access to the patient by the operator or by other imaging equipment. In cases where the over-table equipment cannot be moved, the flexibility of the imaging system is reduced, and some desired examinations may not be performed. Even where the over-table equipment can be moved, apparatus of this type must typically be moved manually (or under manual control) in order to change from one examination mode to another. This renders change-over from one examination mode to another more difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. Increased expense may ultimately have a negative effect on the quality of patient care. Although continual improvements in imaging equipment design may produce higher quality images, such equipment is generally more expensive. The pressure to reduce health-care costs will prevent installation of such improved imaging equipment unless the equipment provides sufficient patient throughput that the equipment can be economically operated.
Another problem to which the present application is directed is providing high quality peripheral angiography examinations. Peripheral angiography is a diagnostic roentgenographic procedure providing visualization and recording of the blood vessels in the peripheral region of the body, such as the arms and legs. In a typical peripheral angiography examination, a radiopaque contrast agent is injected into a blood vessel, and a rapid sequence of radiographs are taken to observe the progress of the contrast agent as it flows through the vessels along the length of the extremity. The contrast agent is initially concentrated in the blood vessels and takes some time to diffuse generally into the surrounding regions. Thus, the contrast agent renders the blood vessels visible under radiography provided that the radiographs are taken very soon after the contrast agent arrives in a particular region. In conventional Peripheral Angiography examinations, the patient is supported on a movable table top positioned under system control. The table top, in turn, is supported by a stationary radiographic-fluoroscopic table. An overhead X-ray source (which may be mounted on a tube crane) directs a beam through the patient to a "rapid film changer" device.
The locations of interest at any particular time during the examination are in the general vicinity of the leading edge of the contrast material as it progresses though the extremity. In conventional peripheral angiography systems, the rapid film changer is normally in a fixed position. Because the length of the recording radiographic film or imaging device is not sufficient to cover the entire extremity, conventional peripheral angiography systems require that the patient be rapidly repositioned throughout the procedure to fully visualize and record the contrast material as it progresses through the vessels of the extremity (i.e., the patient must be rapidly repositioned throughout the procedure to maintain the contrast material within in the field of view of the rapid film changer). In such conventional systems, the patient rests on a movable table-top, which may travel as rapidly as 9 in/sec between exposures.
Conventional peripheral angiography systems exhibit several disadvantages which reduce the quality of the examinations provided thereby. The position and stability of the patient during the exposure which produces an angiogram is very critical. Even slight movement of the patient contributes to film blur and reduces the diagnostic quality of the examination. The above-mentioned conventional equipment moves the table top supporting the patient very rapidly between exposures. This adds to patient discomfort and may cause motion artifacts.
Another disadvantage of conventional peripheral angiography examination systems is that the typical image recording apparatus (a rapid film changer) is not adapted for automatic exposure controls. The exposure "technique" (that is, exposure parameters such as exposure time and X-ray tube voltage and current) is vital to the success of a peripheral angiography examination. It is often desirable to conduct a study of the entire leg of a patient. Since some portions of the leg are substantially thicker than others, the exposure parameters must be modified during the examination. As a result, the operator must accurately predict and preset the exposure parameters required for each examination step. Although some operators perform a test exposure before injecting the contrast agent, the contrast agent itself varies the radiographic density of the region under study, and it is difficult to adjust in advance the exposure parameters to compensate for this.
For useful results, a peripheral angiography examination requires perfect coordination and timing. Following the injection of the contrast medium, there is only a very short interval in which to maneuver the necessary equipment into place, adjust controls, and change the exposure factors. For example, in some examinations a delay of even one second in making the exposure may render the projection valueless. The operator must calculate in advance the rate of injection, and the speed of the contrast medium flow, and must select in advance the number of steps to be taken, their positions, and the time to progress the next step. Thus, a further disadvantage of conventional peripheral angiography examination systems is that such systems require the operator to plan the coordination of each step in advance, and the systems provide little assistance to the operator. The usual method of assuring that a complete examination will be performed is to perform plural overlapping exposures. This undesirably increases the radiation does received by the patient, and drives up the cost and time required for the examination.
Another disadvantage of the conventional peripheral angiography examination equipment is that the rapid film changer is placed in a fixed position under the table top. Therefore, the table cannot be tilted as is desirable to control the gravitational flow of the contrast medium.
A further disadvantage of existing fluoroscopy and peripheral angiography imaging systems is that the controls for such systems are typically located at the patient imaging position. Such systems must typically be operated with a technician or radiologist in the proximity of the patient, and therefore subject to X-ray exposure. Although the operator may wear protective shielding, such shielding typically contains lead, and is therefore heavy, bulky, and uncomfortable, and may interfere with movement of the operator. In addition, the protection afforded by the shielding may be incomplete.

Universal radiographic/fluoroscopic digital room


A method is provided for operating a media gateway in a telecommunications system. The gateway provides bearer paths for communication traffic between network segments via contexts. Each context includes a collection of terminations that link the gateway to the network segments and a topology that defines the bearer paths between the terminations within the context. The method includes: receiving a new topology for one of the contexts within the gateway, comparing the received topology to a current topology for the context, based upon the foregoing comparison, determining which terminations within the context are to be disconnected from one another; disconnecting terminations within the context from on&another in accordance with the foregoing determination; comparing the received topology to the current topology for the context; based on the foregoing comparison, determining which terminations within the context are to be connected to one another; and, connecting terminations within the context to one another in accordance with the foregoing determination.

As are generally known in the telecommunications field, gateways are points of entrance to and exit from a communications network. Viewed as a physical entity, a gateway is that node that translates between two otherwise incompatible networks or network segments. Typically, gateways perform code and protocol conversion to facilitate traffic between data paths of differing architecture. A wireless media gateway (WMG) facilitates the flow of traffic between what is commonly known as a radio access network (RAN) and a PDN and/or a public switched telephone network (PSTN).
The RAN performs the radio functionality of a mobile network and often provides a connection to a core network (CN) that includes infrastructure for integrating circuit and packet switched traffic. The RAN typically includes a radio network controller (RNC) which carries traffic to/from the RAN, e.g., in an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM). For routing this traffic over the PDN, the WMG which is typically part of the CN is responsible for converting or transcoding the ATM traffic into a real-time transport protocol (RTP), user datagram protocol (UDP), Internet protocol (IP) or other protocol that is appropriate for the PDN.
While generally adequate for their purposes, many previously developed WMGs are limited in certain respects. In some instances, for example, previously developed WMGs can handle no more than two terminations per context, and/or may not support topology operation. Furthermore, the provisioning of tones (e.g., ring tones, hold tones, etc.) in some previously developed WMGs results in relatively inefficient use of resources as compared to the approach of the present application. That is to say, with some previously developed WMGs, a separate tone source channel is allocated to each call session for the duration the tone is being provided. Accordingly, terminations that could otherwise be used for bearer traffic are encumbered to provide the tones from the separate tone source channels.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved WMG and/or technique for operation of the same that overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.

Wireless media gateway with bearer path control and tone allocation