A ground fault/rating plug for molded case circuit breakers is inserted within the circuit breaker cover for electrical connection with the circuit breaker electronic trip unit. A rating resistor within the ground fault/rating plug enclosure sets the circuit breaker ampere rating. Rotary switches on the outer surface of the ground fault/rating plug enclosure configures the trip unit for ground fault protection.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,455 entitled "Rating Plug for Molded Case Circuit Breaker" describes the use of a removable rating plug enclosure that contains the rating resistor to establish the circuit breaker ampere rating. The rating plug enclosure is arranged to allow direct connection between the rating resistor and the trip unit circuit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,914 entitled "Rating Plug Enclosure for Molded Case Circuit Breakers", U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,091 entitled "Molded Case Circuit Interrupter Rating Plug Keying and Interlock Arrangement", and U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,798 entitled "Metering Accessory for Molded Case Circuit Breakers" each describe rating plugs that interact with the circuit breaker trip unit for various functions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,055 entitled "Ground Fault Protective Device" describes a ground fault circuit interrupter that employs a rating plug to set the ground fault interruption rating.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,457 entitled "Processor Controlled Circuit Breaker Trip System Having an Intelligent Rating Plug" describes a rating plug for setting the circuit breaker ampere rating in an electronic trip unit having dedicated ground fault interruption facility.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,086 entitled "Plug-ill Ground Fault Monitor for a Circuit Breaker" describes a circuit breaker electronic trip unit that is configured for ground fault interruption by means of a ground fault monitor module that includes switches and a display.
Circuit breakers currently employing rating plug receptacles generally have ground fault facility within the operating firmware. Since some circuit breaker applications do not require ground fault protection, it would be advantageous to the user to select whether the ground fault function should be initiated or not.
One purpose of the invention is to provide a standard circuit breaker rating plug receptacle on the cover of a circuit breaker that allows the operator to select whether ground fault function should be initiated within the circuit breaker trip unit.

Ground fault-rating plug for molded case circuit breakers


A system for managing network alerts including data connections adapted to receive alerts from network sensors, alert processing logic coupled to the data connections and further including alert integration logic operable to integrate the alerts, report generation logic coupled to the alert integration logic, distribution logic coupled to the report generation logic and a remote management unit coupled to the alert processing logic and being operable to dynamically modify the alert processing logic.

Computer networks may include one or more digital security monitors or sensors that automatically analyze traffic on the network to identify potentially suspicious activity. The sensors may be implemented in either software or hardware. Monitors may focus on security monitoring and/or on fault analysis.
Upon detecting suspicious activity, the sensors typically generate some kind of digital alert message or signal, and attempt to bring that message to the attention of network I/S managers whose responsibility it is to respond and react in an appropriate defensive manner against hostile digital attacks or to recover quickly from catastrophic failures.


A variable flow control device having a substantially cylindrical housing with a valve element connected to an inner surface thereof. The valve is movable between an open position and a closed position in the bore. One or more flow control orifices are located in the valve element for controlling the flow of fluids through the housing when the valve element is in the closed position. A drive mechanism is also connected to the valve element for controlling the size of the one or more flow control orifices. As such, a full bore variable flow control device is provided that controls the flow of wellbore fluids without permanent reduction of the internal bore of the production tubing. By closing the flapper valve and selecting the size of the variable orifices, total control of the production flow of the wellbore can be achieved. By opening the flapper valve, full bore wireline operations to the bottom of the well can be performed.

The present invention relates to a device for controlling the flow of fluids through a well bore, and more specifically to a flow control device that allows for both controlled flow and full bore flow of well bore fluids.
Downhole control of production fluids is sometimes necessary and desirable. Conventional means of controlling the flow of production fluids has required reduction of the internal bore of the production tubing. This reduced bore prevents wireline operations, such as temperature and pressure surveys, to the bottom of the well. Thus, there is a need for a flow control device that will permit both full bore flow of fluids and the passage of wireline tools to the bottom of the well.


An arrangement includes a chassis, and a first mating component disposed inside of the chassis. A second mating component is provided. The first mating component is removably connected to the second mating component. A sliding tab is connected to the chassis and is slidable in a linear direction from a first position to a second position. When the sliding tab is in the first position, the first mating component is free to be removed from the second mating component. When the sliding tab is in the second position, the first mating component is secured to the second mating component to prevent the removal of the first mating component from the second mating component.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an enhanced arrangement for securing two mating components together, such as a backplane and a circuit board of a computer, and in particular, to an enhanced arrangement that allows a circuit board to be secured to a backplane without using any tools.
2. Background Information
Computer systems typically have internal mating components that are disposed within a chassis. For example, it is known to place an assembly, including a backplane and various circuit boards, such as a processor card and a so-called memory riser card, within an open chassis. This forms a so-called central electronics complex (CEC) of a computer system. The chassis is subsequently disposed within a computer housing, for example.
The chassis serves to position the circuit boards in a predefined configuration, and acts as an EMC (electromagnetic compatible) shield. An EMC shield is a shield which allows operation in an electromagnetic environment at an optimal level of efficiency, and which allows static charges to be drained to a frame ground. Moreover, the chassis helps to protect the components contained therein from environmental damage, for example, vibrations, which could cause the components to fail.
The backplane, which is wiring board, is typically provided with one or more card slots for the various circuit boards. The respective circuit boards may be removably coupled to the backplane by inserting a corresponding plug connector on the circuit board into the associated backplane card slot. The circuit boards are then held in place using various known means.
For example, each individual circuit board may have a tailstock disposed on a rear edge thereof. As is known, a tailstock is a plate that provides physical support for the associated electrical device (for example, the circuit board), and which may provide for a limited amount of electromagnetic radiation shielding in some situations. Typically, the tailstock is fastened to the chassis using a threaded fastener, such as a screw or bolt, thus securing the associated circuit board. This helps to prevent vibrations or other environmental forces from causing the respective circuit boards from disengaging with the associated card slots of the backplane, which would otherwise cause the circuit boards to become non-functional.
However, as will be appreciated, conventionally a tool is required to remove and/or install the threaded fastener. For example, if a circuit board is to be removed and disengaged from the backplane, a screwdriver may be required to first remove the screw that holds the tailstock of the respective circuit board to the chassis. While this may not present an insurmountable obstacle during the manufacturing of the computer, today""s computers are often modified by the end users. These end users may not have sufficient skill to utilize a screwdriver, or may not have a screwdriver in their possession. Moreover, even if the end user manages to remove the screw, he may inadvertently drop the removed fastener into an inaccessible portion of the chassis. Such a scenario would prevent the circuit board from be re-secured to the chassis until another screw could be obtained. Further, since the threaded fasteners are conventionally formed of a conductive metal, such as steel, the lost screw could cause an electrical short within the computer system.
Thus, there is a need for an arrangement that will allow a circuit board to be removably secured within a chassis without using threaded fasteners.
Further, there is a need for an arrangement that will allow a circuit board to be removably secured within a chassis without using any tools.
Additionally, there is a need for an arrangement that will prevent the inadvertent loss of the fastener used to secure the circuit board to the backplane.
It is also known to provide a tool-less arrangement that includes a number of moving parts attached to the chassis. As shown in FIG. 11, this known arrangement includes a pivotal flap 110 that is secured to a flap holder 112. The flap 110 can be pivoted to rest upon the tailstock 114. The arrangement further includes a handle 116 that can be rotated into engagement with the flap 110, so as to provide a clamping force, thereby securing the circuit board 118 in place. However, this known arrangement is relatively complex, and has numerous parts. Thus, this known arrangement is relatively expensive to manufacture. Therefore, there is a need for a tool-less arrangement that will secure, for example, a circuit board to a backplane, using a simple and uncomplicated configuration.
Furthermore, with the known arrangements used for securing a circuit board to a backplane, it is difficult to determine if the circuit board is properly secured without first removing or otherwise accessing the chassis. That is, the handle and flap of the conventional tool-less arrangement, as well as the conventional threaded fasteners, are disposed within the chassis, and cannot be viewed until the interior of the chassis is accessed. This is a labor intensive operation, and is unlikely to be performed unless a problem has indicated that a circuit board has already moved out of engagement with the backplane. Thus, there is a need for an arrangement that will allow a user to determine if a circuit board is secured to a backplane, without accessing the inside of the chassis.
Additionally, it is also typical to provide the backplane with extra card slots, i.e., card slots that are not populated by circuit boards when the computer is first sold. This allows the end user to populate the computer with circuit boards after the initial purchase, for example, so as to allow the end user to tailor the configuration of the computer to meet specific needs. However, in conventional computer systems, it may be difficult to determine if there are any empty card slots available, without first gaining access to the interior of the chassis. Thus, there is a need for an arrangement that will allow a user to determine if there are any empty card slots on the backplane, without accessing the inside of the chassis.
It is, therefore, a principle object of this invention to provide an enhanced arrangement for securing two mating components together.
It is another object of the invention to provide an enhanced arrangement for securing two mating components together that solves the above mentioned problems.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by the enhanced arrangement for securing two mating components together disclosed herein.
According to one aspect of the invention, a sliding tab is provided that is insertable into a chassis of a computer system so as to secure a printed circuit board, for example, in a desired position. The sliding tab projects through an opening formed in the chassis, so that a front portion of the sliding tab is disposed inside of the chassis, and a rear portion of the sliding tab is positioned generally outside of the chassis. Although other arrangements of the sliding tab are within the scope of the present invention, this particular configuration advantageously allows the rear portion of the sliding tab to be seen and grasped by a user, and allows the front portion of the sliding tab to engage with a tailstock of the circuit board.
The sliding tab according to an exemplary aspect of the invention has a relatively thin, elongated configuration. The front portion of the sliding tab is tapered toward a front edge thereof, and is configured to slope upwards toward the rear portion of the sliding tab. Moreover, the front portion is slightly thinner than a thickness of a central portion and rear portion of the sliding tab. This configuration advantageously provides the front portion of the sliding tab with some resiliency. Further, a step is formed at a junction between a lower surface of the front portion and a lower surface of the central portion, which advantageously provides for a recessed area that accommodates the tailstock of the circuit board.
In another exemplary aspect of the invention, the rear portion of the sliding tab may be provided with a textured surface to facilitate gripping of the sliding tab. Thus, the user will advantageously be able to pull the sliding tab in a reverse direction without losing his grip.
In a further exemplary aspect of the invention, in order to retain the sliding tab within the opening in the chassis, the central portion of the sliding tab may be provided with an elongated slot. A retaining tab may then be disposed on a lower periphery of the opening, and tailored so as to extend across the opening. The retaining tab projects through the elongated slot, and helps to guide the sliding tab in a forward and reverse direction. Moreover, the retaining tab limits an amount of movement of the sliding tab in a forward, reverse and side-to-side direction in a simple and effective manner.
The sliding tab may have a retaining projecting lip on the front edge of the front portion. The retaining projecting lip advantageously serves to ensure the sliding tab slides over the tailstock, rather than under the tailstock. Moreover, the retaining projecting lip advantageously provides a surface that will abut against the chassis or other retaining member to prevent the sliding tab from being inadvertently removed from the opening, i.e., to ensure that the sliding tab is not pulled all the way through the opening.
In a further aspect of the invention, the interior of the chassis includes a shelf that projects away from the opening, and which is essentially level with a lower peripheral edge of the opening. When the sliding tab is installed in the chassis, the front portion of the sliding tab rests upon the shelf. The shelf thus advantageously provides support for the sliding tab.
In order to secure the sliding tab to the chassis and prevent the accidental loss or removal of the sliding tab, the chassis may include a bracket that is provided over the front portion of the sliding tab, so that the sliding tab is sandwiched between the shelf and the bracket. Moreover, in an exemplary embodiment, the bracket is formed from sheet metal, and at least partially covers the opening. The bracket can thus act as an EMC shield, and limit electromagnetic radiation emissions through the opening.
The bracket may also extend over the front portion of the sliding tab, and essentially parallel to the shelf. The bracket thus advantageously prevents the sliding tab from being lifted or moved in an upward direction, and consequently prevents the sliding tab from being removed from its engagement with the retaining tab.
According to an exemplary aspect of the invention, due to the sloping configuration of the front portion of the sliding tab, as the sliding tab is pushed in, the engagement between the upper surface of the front portion and the bracket will cause the front portion of the sliding tab to be urged, with a progressively increasing force, downward and toward the upper flange portion of the tailstock. When the sliding tab is fully pushed in, the sliding tab will thus exert a maximum downward force against the upper flange portion of the tailstock, thus securing the circuit board to the backplane.
Further, when the sliding tab is fully pushed in, the upper flange portion of the tailstock will be advantageously accommodated in the recessed area of the front portion of the sliding tab, i.e., under the sliding tab. This helps to distribute the force applied by the sliding tab over a large area of the upper flange portion, rather than concentrated in only one location.

Enhanced arrangement for securing two mating components together

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention provides a nucleic acid amplification based method for detecting a hypervirulent Clostridium difficile strain in a biological sample. The present invention is based on the use of oligonucleotide primers and probes specific to negative and positive markers in hypervirulent Clostridium difficile genome.

C. difficile infection (CDI) is a toxin-mediated intestinal disease. The clinical outcomes of CDI can range from asymptomatic colonization to more severe disease syndromes, including severe diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever and leukocytosis. C. difficile is recognized as the main cause of infectious diarrhoea that develops in patients after hospitalization and antibiotic treatment. Therefore, CDI is now considered to be one of the most important of health care-associated infections. Further, non-hospital-associated reservoirs of C. difficile are also emerging, and C. difficile is capable of spreading in animal hosts (Denéve et al., 2009; Rupnik et al. 2009).
C. difficile testing methods currently include cytotoxigenic culture methods, cytotoxin assays (CYT) detecting the toxins A and B produced by C. difficile, PCR based assays for detection of the tcdB gene of C. difficile, and assays for detection of C. difficile-specific glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) (Eastwood et al. 2009).
In the prior art, the PCR based test have been found to be reliable, sensitive, and specific diagnostic tools for rapid screening and identification of samples containing C. difficile (Eastwood et al., 2009, Hirvonen et al., 2013; Houser et al., 2010 and WO2012087135). In commercial use is a method disclosed by WO2010116290 (Philips) relating to a multiplex PCR assay for the detection of a toxigenic C. difficile strain by analysing the presence or absence of the cytotoxin tcdB gene and deletions in the tcdC gene.
Although a number of PCR based assays for detecting toxin producing Clostridium difficile strain are already disclosed, there is still a need in the field for a PCR assay which is able to provide high specificity and reliability for the detection of those C. difficile strains which are hypervirulent. The present inventors have now located DNA sequence regions in Clostridium difficile genome that are surprisingly well-suited for specific and sensitive amplification of negative and positive markers relating to hypervirulent Clostridium difficile strains.
The sample matrix, which in diarrhoea diagnostics is commonly a stool or food sample, is likely to contain a host of PCR inhibitors. This reduces amplification efficiency of the PCR reaction and thus even more careful optimization is expected from the amplicon design step to verify that all templates and copy numbers are amplified equally but also efficiently enough. Hence, oligonucleotide design enabling high PCR efficiency (optimally as close to 100% as possible) is required. The detection method used may also affect amplification efficiency and/or bias.
The present inventors have now located DNA sequence regions that are well suited for specific and sensitive amplification and quantification of diarrhoea causing hypervirulent Clostridium difficile strains. The amplicons have been designed to be so specific that they can be combined into any multiplex sets with each other. Naturally a prerequisite to this is that all the disclosed amplicons have also been designed to amplify in the same reaction and cycling conditions. The aim of the invention is to replace antigen testing and culturing as a screening test for hypervirulent Clostridium difficile, and thus provide process improvements for the laboratory and clinical benefits in improved patient management by providing rapidly a rich set of information. Further, infection control could benefit if clinical microbiology laboratories could readily differentiate between non-toxigenic C. difficile and hypervirulent C. difficile.

Method for detecting the presence of a hypervirulent


Disclosed herein is a combined toilet bowl cleaning brush and storage container system. The brush is provided with a disk shaped wall which rests on an internal sealing ledge of the container. A entry deterent latching system is provided above the disk shaped wall to hold the wall in place and seal the container. A plurality of steps are required to unlatch the brush prior to use.

Toilet bowls can become stained due to chemicals present in a water supply or due to residual waste. To remove stains many toilet bowl cleaning products contain surfactants applied with a brush. During cleaning, a brush often becomes soiled and contaminated with germs. Even after rinsing, there can still be residual waste on the brush (or at least the perception that such waste has not been fully rinsed off). In any event the brush will be damp.
As such, toilet bowl brushes are often stored in a container between uses. In addition, some containers are provided with a liquid disinfectant formulated to sanitize a brush between uses. Such brushes and their containers are preferably stored on the floor near a toilet.
However, disinfectants may contain ingredients which are harmful if ingested. Very young children may not be able to recognize that a toilet brush and its container contain harmful products. Thus, in households with young children such containers are usually stored in locked cabinets or closets (rather than the preferred site, next to a toilet).
While various entry deterent devices have been developed (e.g. in the pharmaceutical container field), applying these concepts to toilet brush container systems can lead to unnecessarily complex designs, an insufficient seal and thus spillage or odors, and/or an ineffective locking device. Alternately, this might require a user to touch the top of the container in order to unlock or lock the container. This may be objectionable in this application as brush drippage might have contaminated the top portion of a container during insertion or extraction.
It can therefore be seen that a need exists for an improved entry deterrent device for a toilet bowl brush/container system.


A rice washing apparatus comprising a rice washing apparatus body including a rice washing vessel portion and a carryout portion formed on an upper outer periphery of the rice washing vessel portion and a lid adapted to cover an upper opening portion of the carryout portion, the rice washing vessel portion including a nozzle port formed in a central area of a bottom portion thereof, a stream guide tube vertically supported at a central area within the rice washing vessel portion immediately above the nozzle port and between the nozzle portion and the lid with a space, and a drainage hole opening at an area in the vicinity of the nozzle port, the carryout portion including an outlet port, and switch means disposed between the lid and the rice washing apparatus body and adapted to selectively switch between a rice washing position for tightly closing the rice washing vessel portion and a carrying out position where the rice washing vessel portion is in communication with the carryout portion.

This invention relates to a rice washing apparatus which is used for washing rice prior to boiling.
As a related art of such a rice washing apparatus, there is known an apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication (Kokai) No. Hei 8-299203. As shown in FIG. 5, the disclosed apparatus comprises a cylindrical container 101 with a bottom, and a lid 103 for covering an upper opening portion 102 of the container 101. It has a conical projection 104 formed on and projecting from a central area of the bottom portion and a drainage port 105 opening in its upper side surface. The lid 103 includes a water jetting tube 106 vertically disposed at the center and a water discharge filter 107 fixed to a lower portion of the water jetting tube 106 and having the same inside diameter as the container 101. For using this apparatus, rice is put into the container 101 and then the lid 103 is closed relative to the container 101. Then, a service water is supplied into the container 101 from the water jetting tube 106 which is connected to a water supply hose 108. By doing so, the service water is jetted towards the projection 104 and hit it so as to be dispersed in all lateral directions, thereby providing a circulating stream within the container 10. The rice within the container 101 is circulated together with the circulating stream and stirred so that the rice grains are washed by rubbing each other. A dirty water after use for washing the rice is discharged from the drainage port 105 via the water discharge filter 107. The washed rice is removed from the container 101 by opening the lid 103 and put into another container.
However, the above conventional rice washing apparatus has the following shortcomings. Since the space between the jetting port formed in the lower end of the water jetting port and the conical projection formed in the container is too large, thus allowing presence of rice to be washed in this large space. Because of the presence of rice in the space, there is a possibility that the jetted water from the water jetting tube does not reach the projection. Since an occurrence of a circulating stream large enough for stirring the rice while circulating cannot be expected, the washing ability of this apparatus is problematical. Furthermore, since the rice is shifted into another container after the rice is washed, the rice gains adhered to the inner wall surface of the container remain as they are. Therefore, those rice gains must be removed by hand and thus not sanitary. Besides, this is against the object of the invention aiming at washing rice without touching water and rice.

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An apparatus for optimizing a virtual private network operates by defragmenting and deduplicating transfer of variable sized blocks. A large data object is converted to a plurality of data paragraphs by a fingerprinting method. Each data paragraph is cached and hashed. The hashes are transmitted between a primary and a satellite apparatus. Only data paragraphs which are not cached at both the primary and satellite are transferred. The data object is integrated from data paragraphs stored in cache and transmitted to its destination IP address.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to network communications over TCP/IP and more particularly to connecting low bandwidth services between local area networks (LANs) and ameliorating packet fragmentation.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known that virtual private networks (VPN) allow remote employees access to an enterprise's information systems. VPNs are used to connect remote offices to headquarters for time critical enterprise resource management operations.
The communication network typically comprises a public network (e.g., the Internet). The connections to the communication network from the branch office and the central office typically cause a bandwidth bottleneck for exchanging the data over the communication network. The exchange of the data between the branch office and the central office, in the aggregate, will usually be limited to the bandwidth of the slowest link in the communication network aggravated by the latency imposed by encryption and decryption of the VPN overhead.
For example, the router connects to the communication network by a T1 line, which provides a bandwidth of approximately 1.544 Megabits/second (Mbps). The router 170 connects to the communication network by a T3 line, which provides a bandwidth of approximately 45 Megabits/second (Mbps). Even though the communication network may provide an internal bandwidth greater than 1.544 Mbps or 45 Mbps, the available bandwidth between the branch office and the central office is limited to the bandwidth of 1.544 Mbps (i.e., the T1 connection).
Moreover, many applications do not perform well over the communication network due to the limited available bandwidth. Developers generally optimize the applications for performance over a local area network (LAN) which typically provides a bandwidth between 10 Mbps to Gigabit/second (Gbps) speeds. The developers of the applications assume small latency and high bandwidth across the LAN between the applications and the data. However, the latency across the communication network typically will be 100 times that across the LAN, and the bandwidth of the communication network will be 1/100th of the LAN.
Connecting a branch office to headquarters is likely to involve tying two local area networks to routers which are connected by a wide area network. This requires traversing a number of gateways controlled by different parties. The maximum packet size (also called the MTU, or Maximum Transmission Unit) and default packet size can vary depending on the media. For ethernet (LAN), the max packet size is 1500 octets. For token ring and FDDI, it is 4096 octets. The IP protocol was designed for use on a wide variety of transmission links. Although the maximum length of an IP datagram is 64K, most transmission links enforce a smaller maximum packet length limit, called an MTU. The value of an MTU depends on the type of the transmission link.
The design of IP accommodates MTU differences by allowing routers to fragment IP datagrams as necessary. The receiving station is responsible for reassembling the fragments back into the original full size IP datagram. As the IP packets are routed independently of each other, different packets between the same end hosts could take different routes with varying MTU sizes. However, the lack of end-to-end information can quickly result in oversized packets being received by the intermediate routers that have to route them somehow. The IP protocol provides a convenient solution: the IP fragmentation, a mechanism where a single inbound IP datagram is split into two or more outbound IP datagrams. The worst impact of IP fragmentation is in the router-to-router communication. If a router-to-router IP packet is fragmented somewhere in the path, the receiving router has to reassemble the original packet, resulting in significantly reduced switching performance.
An additional problem with deployment of VPNs is that there is latency introduced by the encryption and decryption of transmissions. Because of the encryption of traffic, the same files transmitted twice will not look the same and this prevents conventional caching strategies.
For example, in a centralized server implementation having multiple branches, computers in each of the multiple branch offices make requests over the VPN to central servers for the organization's data. The data transmitted by the central servers in response to the requests quickly saturate the available bandwidth of the central office's connection to the communication network, further decreasing application performance and data access at the multiple branch offices. This is particularly troublesome for entities which span multiple timezones as congestion can dominate the work day.
It is also known that mechanisms for caching improve application performance and data access. A cache is generally used to reduce the latency of the communication network (e.g., communication network) forming the VPN (i.e., because the request is satisfied from the local cache) and to reduce network traffic over the VPN (i.e., because responses are local, the amount of bandwidth used is reduced).
Webpage caching, for example, is the caching of web documents (i.e., HTML pages, images, etc.) in order to reduce web site access times and bandwidth usage. Web caching typically stores local copies of the requested web documents. The web cache satisfies subsequent requests for the web documents if the requests meet certain predetermined conditions.
One problem with web caching is that the Time to Live parameter is generally not easily changed. Thus the management of a web cache is at least tricky and not conveniently purged or updated. Every browser can have a slightly different version of a document. Another problem is that the web cache stores entire objects (such as documents) and cache-hits are binary: either a perfect match or a miss. Even where only small changes are made to the documents, the web cache cannot use the cached copy of the documents to reduce network traffic.
It is also known that randomly chosen polynomials are used to "fingerprint" bit-strings. This method, first published by Michael O. Rabin Center for Research in Computing Technology Harvard University Report TR-15-81 (1981), is applied to produce a very simple string matching algorithm and a procedure for securing files against unauthorized changes. The method is provably efficient and highly reliable. However it is also known that the Rabin fingerprinting scheme is not as secure as more expensive cryptographic hash functions.
It is known that the Rabin-Karp algorithm is a string searching algorithm created by Michael O. Rabin and Richard M. Karp in 1987 that uses hashing to find a substring in a text. It is used for multiple pattern matching rather than single pattern matching. Running time performance is considered a reason that it is not widely used. However, it has the advantage of being able to find any one of kstrings or less in a predictable time regardless of the magnitude of k.
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It is also known that a hash function is any well-defined procedure or mathematical function which converts a large, possibly variable-sized amount of data into a small datum. The values returned by a hash function are called hash values, hash codes, hash sums, or simply hashes. In the present patent application we define a variable-sized amount of data converted to a hash as a data paragraph. A circuit is disclosed for selecting data paragraphs from a data object. That portion of a data object which is below the minimum size of a data paragraph is defined as a remainder.
It is known that hash functions are used to speed up table lookup or data comparison tasks—such as finding items in a database, detecting duplicated or similar records in a large file, finding similar stretches in DNA sequences, and so on.
Thus it can be appreciated that connecting branch offices with enterprise applications presents bandwidth, security, and data integrity problems which are aggravated by virtual public networks. What is needed is a way to address VPN fragmentation, data duplication and enable low latency, high responsiveness for users who must live remotely through an encrypted, low bandwidth link from their central datacenter and applications.

VPN optimization by defragmentation and deduplication apparatus and method


A signal detector detects signals transmitted from signal generators disposed in a radiation detecting cassette, and a distance calculator calculates the distance between a radiation source and a radiation detector based on the signals detected by the signal detector. A determining unit determines whether the detected distance matches a predetermined distance from the radiation source to the radiation detector when a radiation image is captured. If the detected distance does not match the predetermined distance, the determining unit outputs, to a warning unit, a warning signal indicating that the detected distance does not match the predetermined distance, and also outputs a control signal for equalizing the detected distance with the predetermined distance, to a radiation source movement controller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiation image capturing system having a radiation conversion panel for detecting a radiation that has passed through a subject and converting the detected radiation into radiation image information.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the medical field, there have widely been used radiation image capturing apparatus which apply a radiation to a subject and guide the radiation that has passed through the subject to a radiation conversion panel, which captures a radiation image from the radiation. Known forms of the radiation conversion panel include a conventional radiation film for recording a radiation image by way of exposure, and a stimulable phosphor panel for storing radiation energy representing a radiation image in a phosphor and reproducing the radiation image as stimulated light by applying stimulating light to the phosphor. The radiation film with the recorded radiation image is supplied to a developing device to develop the radiation image, or the stimulable phosphor panel is supplied to a reading device in order to read the radiation image as a visible image.
In an operating room or the like, it is necessary to read a recorded radiation image immediately from the radiation conversion panel after the radiation image has been captured, for the purpose of quickly and appropriately treating the patient. As a radiation conversion panel that meets such a requirement, there has been developed a radiation detector having a solid-state detector for converting radiation directly into electric signals, or for converting radiation into visible light with a scintillator and then converting the visible light into electric signals, so as to read the detected radiation image.
In a radiation image capturing system which employs a radiation detecting cassette housing a radiation conversion panel therein, for accurately capturing a radiation image, the capturing of the radiation image is preceded by the transmission of image capturing conditions for an area to be imaged from the radiation detecting cassette through a communication cable (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-172783) or the positioning of the radiation source and the radiation detecting cassette with respect to each other (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-305105 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-020679).
According to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-172783, though a radiation source can recognize the area of a subject (patient) to be imaged from the image capturing conditions transmitted from the radiation detecting cassette, the radiation source is unable to determine whether the distance between the radiation source and the radiation detecting cassette matches a predetermined distance (source-to-image distance, hereinafter also referred to as "SID") from the radiation source to the radiation detecting cassette at the time a radiation image of the subject is to be captured. Therefore, if the radiation image is captured when the distance between the radiation source and the radiation detecting cassette does not match the SID, then highly accurate radiation image information cannot be produced.
According to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-305105 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-020679, a surgeon or a radiological technician visually checks if the distance between the radiation source and the radiation detecting cassette matches the SID or not by seeing the graduations on a measure mounted on the radiation source, after which the surgeon or the radiological technician manually position the radiation source and the radiation detecting cassette with respect to each other to equalize the distance between the radiation source and the radiation detecting cassette with the SID. Though the patient needs to be treated quickly and adequately, the visual checking and the manual positioning procedure tends to pose an undue burden on the surgeon or the radiological technician, who may possibly fail to capture a radiation image of the patient efficiently.


An all-purpose device capable of in vitro spectral analysis of sunscreen compositions as well as diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) capabilities on human skin includes a fiber optic guide, a light source positioned at one end of the fiber optic guide, and a sunscreen substrate assembly positioned at another end of the fiber optic guide.

Measurement of sunscreen efficacy against sunburn is determined by human SPF testing, wherein the skin is irradiated with solar simulated ultraviolet radiation (UV)(290-400 nm) with the sunscreen composition applied to the skin's surface, and in a second location without the sunscreen composition on the skin. The ratio of the UV doses required to cause erythema (sunburn) with the sunscreen divided the dose without a sunscreen is the Sun Protection Factor, commonly known as the SPF of a sunscreen. Scientists have struggled for over 50 years to come up with an in vitro test method to be able to eliminate the clinical SPF testing on humans. Currently, the most promising testing method is the hybrid diffuse spectroscopy (HDRS) methodology. See Ruvolo E., Kollias N., Cole C., "New non-invasive approach assessing in vivo Sun Protection Factor (SPF) using Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy and in vitro transmission Photoderm," Photoimmun Photomed. 30:4 202-211, 2014, which is incorporated by reference herein. See also Rohr M., Ernst N., Schrader A., "Hybrid Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy: Non-erythemal in vivo testing of sunscreen SPF," Skin Pharmacol. Physiol. 31:220-228, 2018, which is incorporated by reference herein.
HDRS spectroscopy currently requires two sets of instruments and measurements to generate data to assess sunscreen protection on the skin from 290 to 400 nm. The in vivo Diffuse Reflectance can only measure sunscreen absorbance in the UVA portion of the spectrum on human skin as the proteins, DNA, and melanin in the skin absorb very strongly in the UVB (290-320 nm) range, and insufficient light is remitted back to the receiving optics to fully characterize the sunscreen in this region. So, a second instrument using thin film spectroscopic evaluation of the sunscreen is needed to capture the sunscreen absorbance shape through the entire UVB and UVA spectrum. The HDRS measurement is then used to adjust the magnitude of the in vitro absorbance measurement, as described in the above-cited literature, in order to accurately predict the true SPF value of the protection.
One difficulty encountered using conventional in vitro spectrometers (e.g., those developed or manufactured by LABSPHERE™ of Sutton, N.H. and AGILENT™ of Santa Clara, Calif.) is that they do not accurately record the spectrum of inorganic filters due to loss of low angle scattered light from the sample. This results in an inability to go close to baseline (0) above the absorptive range of the energy band gap phenomena above 370 nm (see FIG. 1). These two measurements (conventional spectrophotometric transmission measurement and DRS measurement) yield different critical wavelength values (wavelength below which 90% of the absorbance area under the curve (AUC) exist), and also different UVA-protection factors (UVA-PF).
The in vivo DRS spectrum on human skin is the correct spectrum as it is obtained directly on human skin, and the optics has capabilities to capture remitted off-angle scattered light missing from the conventional spectrophotometric measurements resulting in false absorbance values.

In vitro diffuse reflectance spectroscopy


A vehicle steering system, suitable for steering the rear wheels of a four wheel steering vehicle, comprising a steering rod received in a housing assembly so as to be moveable in the longitudinal direction, an indicator member is connected to the steering rod by way of a connecting arm member extending radially from the steering rod so that the steering output of the steering system may be detected by cooperation between a sloping surface provided in the indicator member and a stroke sensor mounted on the housing assembly and engaged to the sloping surface and/or so that the rotation of the steering rod around its central axial line may be prevented. Since the indicator member is connected to a free end of the connecting arm member in such a manner that the indicator member may move away from and toward the steering rod and move angularly relative to the connecting arm member, a favorable movement of the indicator member may be ensured during the operation of the steering system without requiring any undue precision in the distance and the angular relationship between the steering rod and the indicator member. Thus, an economy of the manufacturing cost can be gained without in any way sacrificing the accuracy or the reliability of steering angle detection in the steering system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle steering system for use in automobiles and other motor vehicles, and in particular to such a steering system which is suitable for steering the rear wheels of a four wheel steering vehicle and provided with a sensor for indicating its steering output.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
In the conventional steering systems for motor vehicles, in particular those for four wheel steering vehicles, for the purpose of controlling the steering angle, it is customary to use a steering angle sensor typically consisting of a differential transformer to detect a longitudinal movement of a steering rod which is guided by a housing assembly for the longitudinal movement determined by an output from a control unit. This is disclosed, for instance, in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/563,413 filed Aug. 6, 1990.
In such a steering angle sensor, the moveable rod of the differential transformer extending perpendicularly to the steering rod is brought into contact with a slope defined on a side face of an indicator member which moves integral with the steering rod, and the axial movement of the steering rod is converted into the axial movement of the moveable rod of the differential transformer by the slope. Obviously, the longitudinal displacement of the steering rod is directly associated with the steering angle of the steered wheels.
However, for satisfactory operation of such a steering angle sensor, it is necessary to ensure a high level of precision in the distance between the guide for the steering rod and the guide for the indicator member, and these two guides must be accurately parallel to each other. Further, the distance and the angular relationship between the steering rod and the indicator member must be accurate. These considerations result in the increase in the cost for fabrication, and the reduction in the efficiency of the process of fabrication.
In such a vehicle steering system, a steering rod is coaxially passed through an electric motor, and the steering rod is axially actuated by the electric motor via a ball and nut mechanism. The steering rod is coupled to a tie rod for directly actuating a wheel carrier, via a ball joint or the like. The ball and nut mechanism is an efficient means to convert a rotational movement into an axial movement, but it is inevitable that some rotational force is applied to the steering rod, and it is quite detrimental to the durability of the steering rod, in particular the durability of the couplings connected thereto.
Therefore, it is necessary for the steering rod to be provided with means for preventing the rotational movement thereof around its central axial line. To this end, it is possible to employ a radial arm extending radially from the steering rod, and guiding the free end of the arm strictly in the axial direction or in parallel with the axial line of the steering rod as disclosed in the above mentioned copending application. However, for satisfactory operation of such means for preventing the rotation of the steering rod, the free end of the radial arm is required to be guided in a highly smooth manner yet without any substantial play, and this requires a high level of precision which means an increase in the manufacturing cost.

Vehicle steering system with a steering output sensor


A punch assembly for punching samples of dried blood spots (DBSs) from paper card samples includes: a base member, a cartridge and at least one cutting pin. The base member includes a bottom platform having an upper surface defining a track therein, an upper platform, at least one support post disposed between and spacing the bottom platform and the upper platform, a biasing element for biasing the upper platform in a direction away from the bottom platform, and a mechanism associated with the base member for moving the upper platform toward the bottom platform. The upper platform is slidably connected to the at least one support post such that the upper platform is movable therealong with respect to the bottom platform. The cartridge functions to hold an object to be punched and at least one cutting pin. The cartridge defines at least one hole therethrough for receiving the cutting pin. In addition, the cartridge is sized to be received in the track defined in the bottom platform. In use, the lever is moved against the upper platform to force the cutting pin through the object held in the cartridge to thereby create a punched object.

The present invention relates generally to a mechanical punch for punching holes in paper-based materials and, more particularly, to a mechanical punch for punching dried blood spots from dried blood spot test cards.
To detect the presence of viral and bacterial infections and diseases in individuals, such as HIV-1, disease-specific blood test kits have been devised for at-home or doctor-office use. The test kit typically includes a test card, formed of filter paper or other suitable material, having designated areas for depositing one or more drops or samples of the individual's blood. After the individual places the blood samples on the test card, the samples dry and the test card is delivered to a laboratory for testing.
To test the individual's blood for the specific infection or disease in question, at least one dried blood spot (DBS) must first be removed from each blood sample on the test card. Conventionally, mechanical punches have been used to remove the DBSs from the test card.
Typically, these mechanical punches have been designed to remove a DBS of a specific size from a blood sample on a test card. For example, conventional punches have been designed to remove a DBS of 1/4" in diameter from a blood sample that may range from 1/2" to 5/8" in diameter. Two such punch devices are manufactured by I.E.M. of North Hollywood, Calif., and BSD Technologies International of Austria, respectively.
One disadvantage of this type of punch is that the diameter of the removed DBS cannot be varied to accommodate for differing sizes of blood samples. Consequently, because the number and amount of blood samples are limited and it is normally desirable to obtain as many DBSs from each blood sample as possible to insure accurate testing, the size of the punch may not be adjusted to provide the most efficient sizing and removal of DBSs.
In addition, many conventional punch devices cut the paper in a tearing or "scissor" motion in which the leading edge of a cutting pin initially contacts the paper and then progresses in a radial motion through the paper to complete the cut. This "tearing" action detrimentally affects the precision of the cuts made by the punches.

Mechanical punch apparatus and method of using same


A semiconductor storage device includes: a MOSFET formed on an SOI layer of the transistor forming region; and a MOS capacitor formed on the SOI layer of the capacitor forming region. The MOSFET includes: a gate insulating film formed; a floating gate electrode; a source layer and a drain layer formed; a channel region; a high-concentration diffusion layer, and impurities of a same type as impurities which are diffused in the channel region are diffused at a high concentration in the high-concentration diffusion layer; and a silicide layer covering the high-concentration diffusion layer and the source layer. The MOS capacitor includes a capacitor electrode at the SOI layer. The capacitor electrode of the MOS capacitor is disposed so as to oppose an end portion of the floating gate electrode of the MOSFET, with the gate insulating film therebetween.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor storage device having an electrically rewritable, nonvolatile memory, and to a method of fabricating the semiconductor storage device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional semiconductor storage device, a selection transistor is set in series with a floating gate transistor, and the floating gate electrode of this floating gate transistor is capacitatively coupled via a thin tunnel oxide film on a high-concentration N-type diffusion region formed on a bulk substrate, and a single poly flash EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) is formed. Voltage is applied to the control line of the floating gate transistor, the source layer thereof is grounded, and the data of the storage elements is erased (refer to, for example, Japanese National Publication No. 2003-501806, and mainly, page 8, paragraphs 0015-0016, and FIG. 2 and FIG. 4).
Further, there is also a technique in which a flash memory cell is structured by connecting, in series at one floating gate electrode, two transistors which are formed respectively at a P well layer and an N well layer forming a bulk substrate. In the erasing operation, the control gate electrode and drain layer are grounded, voltage of 7 V is applied to the source layer, electrons are removed from the floating gate electrode in the tunnel current, and the threshold voltage of the flash memory is lowered. In the writing operation, the drain layer is grounded, voltage of 5 V is applied to the control gate and the source layer, hot electrons are injected in the floating gate electrode, the threshold voltage of the flash memory is raised, and the stored data is read-out in accordance with the magnitude of the threshold voltage (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2001-229690, page 5, paragraph 0011 to page 6, paragraph 0021, and FIG. 1).
In both of the above-described conventional techniques, a single poly flash EEPROM or a flash memory is formed on a bulk substrate. Therefore, the withstand voltage between the source and drain is high, and a writing operation such as described above is possible. However, in a semiconductor storage device of a fully depleted type SOI structure in which an SOI (Silicon On Insulator) layer formed from a silicon thin film is layered on a buried oxide film, there are the problems that it is difficult to sufficiently ensure the withstand voltage between the source and drain of a MOSFET (MOS Field Effect Transistor) formed at the SOI layer, charges cannot be injected through a gate oxide film into the floating gate electrode, and, when forming an electrically rewritable, nonvolatile memory at a semiconductor storage device of an SOI structure, writing operation cannot be carried out.

Semiconductor storage device having an SOI structure


A low voltage supply cutoff process and circuit for terminating supply of electric power less than a required minimum voltage to a monitor or a computer system in order to prevent malfunction of the appliance. The circuit may be constructed with a power supply unit is used for rectifying an input alternating current voltage (AC voltage) to a direct current voltage (DC voltage); a switching unit for supplying the DC voltage provided by the power supply unit to the electronic appliance on the basis of a switching signal; a voltage detecting unit for detecting a voltage level applied by the switching unit to the electronic appliance; an overvoltage detecting unit for detecting whether the switching unit supplies an overvoltage to the electronic appliance; a low voltage detecting unit for comparing the output voltages of the power supply unit and the voltage detecting unit in order to determine whether the input AC voltage of the power supply unit is a low voltage with an amplitude less than a predetermined voltage level; a control unit for generating a switching control signal according to the voltage level detected by the voltage detecting unit and generating a switching disenable signal when the overvoltage detecting unit detects the overvoltage or the low voltage detecting unit detects the low voltage; and an oscillating unit for generating the switching signal to operate the switching unit by being oscillated according to the switching control signal and for terminating the switching signal by stopping oscillation when the switching disenable signal is generated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic appliance such as a monitor or a computer system, and, more particularly, to a low voltage supply cutoff process and circuit for an electronic appliance for interrupting the supply of electric power to the appliance when the supply exhibits less than a required minimum voltage to the appliance.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, delicate electronic appliance such as a monitor or a microprocessor driven computer system will malfunction when an excessively high voltage is applied to the appliance. For example, application of an overvoltage will cause a monitor to display an unstable image and will cause a computer system to incorrectly recognizes data. Therefore, an electric appliance such as a monitor or a computer system is equipped with a SMPS for supplying stable electric power to the appliance on the basis of the electric power consumption of the appliance. Typical conventional power supply systems seek to protect electronic appliances by stopping the operation of the oscillator when an excessive current flows, that is, when an abnormal voltage occurs in the second power supply. Generally, a low alternating current voltage may be supplied for household use during a low alternating current voltage is supplied; I have noticed that problems will occur however with the operation of an electronic appliance supplied with an abnormal voltage because an electronic appliance will perform abnormal operations when the voltage provided by the power supply is less than the voltage required by each of the circuit elements of the appliance.

Low voltage supply cutoff circuit for an electronic appliance


The invention relates to a method for operating an automatic bobbin winding machine, having a cop and tube transport system with a plurality of transport loops, which method makes the transport system usable for batch changing as well. According to the invention, when a batch of cops from a spinning machine runs out, i.e. when no further new cops are being delivered to the winding machine, the unwound tubes are carried in circulation in the transport system of the winding machine.

Automatic bobbin winders often have an associated cop and tube transport system that may have a plurality of transport loops for cops and tubes. Such transport systems in many cases also have a direct connection with the transport system of an associated spinning machine, with yarn-wound cops and empty tubes being exchanged at the intersection between the transport systems. One such transport system is known from German Patent Document 39 19 542 A1, for example. However, such German reference does not disclose how to proceed upon a batch change.

Method for operating an automatic bobbin winding machine


A system uses deep packet inspection and a services policy database to select policy control functions based on services associated with a packet data session rather than an access point name or data network name. As a packet data session is initiated, a system management function (SMF) determines a service associated with the session and routes a policy request to one of several policy control functions (PCF or PCRF) depending on the service. Policies specific to the service may be chosen and enforced at the selected PCF/PCRF.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
3GPP architectures specify that a policy for a session is selected based on the connection point, that is, the Access Point Name (APN) for 4G or the Data Network Name (DNN) for 5G. These architectures specify that the same policy applies for all packet data sessions via that connection point.

Service-based policy for cellular communications


A method is disclosed for checking HDCP link integrity in a High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) transmitter. From an HDCP receiver communicatively coupled to the HDCP transmitter by an HDCP-protected interface, a single-bit value indicative of HDCP 1.1 feature support is read. When the single-bit value is true, HDCP Enhanced Link Verification is used in the HDCP transmitter. When the single-bit value is false, the method determines whether the HDMI receiver supports HDCP Enhanced Link Verification, and if so, HDCP Enhanced Link Verification is used in the HDCP transmitter.

HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) is a standard for protecting digital content over certain interfaces; between, for example, a set-top box (STB) transmitting audio and video over HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) and a television receiving HDMI. Protection is accomplished by encrypting the data before it leaves the transmitter. A legitimate receiver then decrypts the data.
HDCP-protected interfaces can include, for example, HDMI, Digital Visual Interface (DVI), Unified Display Interface (UDI), Giga-bit Video Interface (GVIF), and DisplayPort. HDCP requirements are set forth in the HDCP specification, which is available from Digital Content Protection LLC. Revision 1.4 (July 2009) of the HDCP specification is incorporated by reference herein.
Successful decryption requires strict authentication and synchronization between transmitter and receiver. Should there be a loss of authentication or synchronization, video will be unintelligible (e.g., a snowy picture). Therefore, it is imperative that a verification mechanism be in place for continuously monitoring the link so that corrective action can be taken should a loss of authentication or synchronization occur.
Synchronization loss, while relatively uncommon, provides a negative experience for a viewer when it occurs in practice. By way of illustration, sometimes synchronization loss may be caused by imperfect firmware in an STB which results in problems or incompatibilities with certain models of televisions; other times, imperfect firmware in certain televisions may make them particularly sensitive. Other exemplary causes may include strong electromagnetic interference, or hardware-related causes such as issues with the HDMI cable (e.g., excessive length and/or poor quality) in combination with a high resolution video format (higher resolutions have a higher clock speed over the HDMI cable), or a connector compromised in some way. Where synchronization loss is associated with hardware-related causes, an excessive problem for a particular subscriber will likely be corrected by replacing the hardware, but minor physical compromises or conditions whereby a snowy picture is only induced occasionally may go uncorrected for extended periods of time.
Naturally, synchronization loss cannot be corrected by an HDCP transmitter until the out-of-sync condition is detected by the HDCP transmitter. The mechanism defined by the original HDCP specification provides a computational check in which both transmitter and receiver maintain a 16-bit Ri value that is updated every 128 frames. The transmitter, in a HDCP link maintenance loop usually implemented as a software routine, compares its Ri value with the Ri value read from the receiver. A mismatch indicates that the receiver may have lost authentication and corrective action should be taken. This Ri check is adequate for detecting loss of authentication, but has limitations for detecting synchronization loss.
In an effort to improve upon shortcomings of the Ri mechanism, the HDCP 1.1 specification introduced a feature called Enhanced Link Verification, a computational check in which both transmitter and receiver maintain an 8-bit Pj value. Unlike the Ri value, the Pj value is based upon the value of a decrypted video pixel. The HDCP specification provides that for every 16th frame counter increment, the decrypted value of channel zero of the first pixel is combined with the least significant byte Rj using the XOR operation, and the result is made available on the Pj port. This makes detecting the ability of the receiver to decrypt much more deterministic. Also, Pj is updated more often than Ri, every 16 frames rather than every 128 frames. The use of Enhanced Link Verification significantly reduces the time required for a typical HDCP transmitter to detect an out-of-sync condition. Enhanced Link Verification was not in the original HDCP specification, and accordingly it is not supported by all HDCP devices.
Enhanced Link Verification was introduced into the HDCP 1.1 specification along with other enhancements (Enhanced Encryption Status Signaling, Advance Cipher), which together are known as the "1.1 features" or "1.1 feature set." An HDCP receiver's support for the entire 1.1 feature set is indicated by a single bit value (1.1_FEATURES) that is determined (e.g., by the receiver's manufacturer) and stored in the receiver's Bcaps register. An HDCP receiver must support the entire 1.1 feature set in order for the 1.1_FEATURES bit to be set to a value of 1 (true) in the Bcaps register.
Some HDCP receivers fully support the entire 1.1 feature set and indicate this to the transmitter by setting the 1.1_FEATURES bit. Other receivers do not support any of the 1.1 features and therefore do not set the 1.1_FEATURES bit. There is a third category of HDCP receivers that fully support Enhanced Link Verification (and perhaps other portions of the 1.1 feature set), but that do not set the 1.1_FEATURES bit in the Bcaps register; for example, perhaps because the receiver's manufacturer encountered interoperability issues with some portion of the 1.1 feature set other than Enhanced Link Verification. For this third category of HDCP receivers, synchronization loss could be more quickly detected using Enhanced Link Verification. However, conventional HDCP transmitters relying solely on the receiver's 1.1_FEATURES bit are unable to detect that these receivers support Enhanced Link Verification, and accordingly the transmitters do not attempt to use Enhanced Link Verification.

HDCP link integrity checking with detection of enhanced link verification support


A label including a first layer having a first surface adapted to being printed on and a second layer proximate to a second surface of the first layer. The second layer includes two or more sections having a gap therebetween. Each gap in the second layer defines a fold-line section in the first layer. The second layer covers substantially all of the bottom surface of the first layer except for the fold-line section. Another aspect provides a label having a first layer and a second layer attached to the first layer and having at least two sections separated by a gap, the gap being discernible through the first layer.

In many document filing systems, labels are applied to file folders so that the label is located along an edge of one of the folder tabs. The labels are readily visible when the file folders are stored in cabinets or on shelves.
When the labeled folders are put in drawers or on a shelf it is desirable for all the indicia on each label to align from one folder to the next. This is so that when thousands of files are being labeled and stored, any misfiles can be instantly caught by sight. For such a system to work efficiently, the labels must be consistently aligned and the information on each label readily observable.
The application of the labels to the folder tab, however, is problematic. This is because a single user and/or multiple users cannot consistently align or fold each label onto each folder in an exact position so that the correct portion of the label is on each side of the folder tab consistently. Moreover, a user may need to change or replace a label on a folder since the information on the label needs to be updated. However, placing a new label over the label already on the folder may cause the old label to partially show through the new label and make it hard to read the new label.


A backlight luminaire (50) is provided with at least two tubular fluorescent lamps (44, 45), with portions of the lamps (44, 45) exhibiting a variation in spectral characteristic in the longitudinal direction. The portions of the lamps are so positioned relative to each other that the spectral characteristic of a portion of a first lamp (44) and the spectral characteristic of a portion of a second lamp (45), which portions are arranged one beside the other, vary in opposite directions. The luminaire is further provided with a plurality of sub-reflectors (42, 43), the majority of the sub-reflectors (43) being provided with said portion of the first lamp (44) and said portion of the second lamp (45). Preferably, the majority of the lamps (44, 45) is distributed over more than one sub-reflector (43). Preferably, the lamps (44, 45) are U-shaped and alternately connected in series. The backlight luminaire (50) is employed in liquid-crystal display devices (51) in order to attain a light distribution having a uniform spectral characteristic.

The invention relates to a backlight luminaire for a display device, which luminaire comprises at least a first and a second fluorescent lamp with a longitudinal direction.
The invention also relates to a liquid-crystal display device which includes a backlight luminaire.
Backlight luminaires are used as a light source in flat-panel type display devices, in particular liquid-crystal display devices (LCD devices).
Fluorescent lamps are very suitable for use as light sources in flat-type display devices because they have a high light output and the spectral characteristic of the light emitted can be adapted in a simple manner. In such display devices, a luminaire, which is arranged behind the display, is generally provided with elongated fluorescent lamps which are arranged in parallel relation to each other. It is alternatively possible to use U-shaped fluorescent lamps or so-called meander-shaped fluorescent lamps.
GB-A 2 207 496 discloses a backlight luminaire which is used as a light source for a liquid-crystal display (LCD) device, which luminaire includes a plurality of U-shaped fluorescent lamps which are alternately arranged at the back of a liquid-crystal display device. On the side of the backlight luminaire facing away from the liquid-crystal display device, there is provided a reflector including reflectors or an assembly of sub-reflectors. In general, the (sub-)reflectors are concave in shape. In the known backlight luminaire, one of the arm portions of one of the U-shaped fluorescent lamps is inserted between the arm portions of an adjacent lamp or lamps so as to be parallel thereto.
In general, it is desirable that the backlight luminaires should uniformly illuminate the active portion of the display device.
A disadvantage of the known backlight luminaire is that the light output of the luminaire exhibits variations in spectral characteristic.


DNA sequences and plasmids are described, that by integration in a plant genome of sugar beet change the sucrose concentration. In addition, transgenic plants that, by introduction of the DNA sequences of the invention, have altered sugar concentrations, are described.

Sucrose is of central importance for the plant and serves many functions. For the long distance transport of photoassimilates and/or energy between various organs in plants, sucrose is almost exclusively used. The sucrose, which is transported in a specific heterotrophic organ, determines the growth and the development of this organ. Thus it is known, e.g. from EP 442 592, that transgenic plants, in which the transport away of the sucrose from the exporting leaves is inhibited by expression of an apoplastic invertase, shows a strong reduction in the growth of e.g. roots or tubers in the case of potato plants. For tobacco plants, the principal importance of sucrose as the central function for the long distance transport of energy carriers within the plant is described (von Schaewen et al, 1990, EMBO J 9: 3033-3044).
Further it is also known from EP 455 316 that DNA sequences present on plasmids, after introduction in a plant genome of a potato plant can affect the starch biosynthesis as well altering the amount and composition of the protein in the potato tubers.
While it has known that a reduction of the amount of sucrose imported in the heterotrophic organs, such as tubers and seeds, leads to loss of yield, it is not known whether an increase in the amount of sucrose in the photosynthetically active parts of the plant, mainly the leaves, leads to a better supply of heterotrophic organs and thus to an increase in yield.
Besides sucrose and/or the hexoses, glucose and fructose, derived from sucrose, have the property of protection of plants against frost damage at low temperatures. Frost damage is one of the main limiting factors in agricultural productivity in the northern hemisphere. Temperatures below freezing lead to the formation of ice crystals. Since the growing ice crystals consist of pure water, water is extracted from the cells as the temperature falls.
This dehydration has at least two potential damaging results:
1. All dissolved substances within a cell are strongly concentrated and the cell contracts following the loss of water. Highly concentrated salts and organic acids lead to membrane damage. PA1 2. With rehydration from dew, the previously contracted cells reexpand. The cell membrane also expands again. The volume expansion puts a heavy mechanical load on the membrane. PA1 1 as the transport form for the distant transport of photoassimilates, PA1 2 as an osmotically active substance with the desirable activity of lowering the freezing point in intact, growing plants. PA1 a) a suitable promoter which ensures that the coding sequence meets a suitable time point or in the specified developments in the transgenic plant or in determined genes of transgenic plants; PA1 b) at least a coding sequence for sugar beet that PA1 c) A non-coding termination sequence that contains the signal for the termination and polyadenylation of the transcript.
It is thus clear that a freezing/dew cycle can lead to severe membrane damage of the cells and thus to damage to the plant.

DNA sequences and plasmids for the preparation of sugar beet with changed sucrose concentration


A semiconductor device is manufactured in a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer having an silicon active layer, a buried oxide layer, and a supporting substrate layer. Before the wafer is diced into chips along scribe lines, the silicon active layer is selectively etched to form trenches surrounding the scribe lines. The wafer is then diced using a dicing apparatus having a blade width smaller than the width of the trenches. The dicing blade accordingly does not make contact with the silicon active layer, which is particularly vulnerable to chipping.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of dicing a semiconductor substrate into, for example, microelectromechanical system (MEMS) chips.
2. Description of the Related Art
MEMS chips are generally diced from a silicon wafer by a dicing apparatus with a saw that cuts along a predetermined grid of scribe lines. The silicon wafer, which may be only a few hundred micrometers (μm) thick, is first taped with UV tape (a type of adhesive tape that loses adhesion on exposure to ultraviolet light). The dicing saw has a thin blade coated with diamond particles, which are harder than silicon. The diamond particles are held in a metal bonding material electro-deposited on the surface of the blade.
In an alternate method for use in dicing MEMS chips formed in a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer, the supporting substrate layer of the wafer is etched away below the scribe lines; then the overlying oxide insulator film and silicon active layer are cut along the scribe lines with a laser beam, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-62002 (FIGS. 3 and 4 on pages 6 to 7).
In the general dicing method, the cutting speed and direction (up-cut or down-cut) are optimized to prevent chipping of the silicon material, and the blade is dressed at regular intervals, before significant blade wear develops, so that the diamond particles will not fall out and clog the kerf, where they can cause severe chipping.
These measures are, however, inadequate to prevent chipping in the dicing of wafers with specific surface orientations often required for MEMS products. For example, chipping has been found to occur in the dicing of bonded SOI wafers having a (100) silicon supporting layer several hundred micrometers thick and a (110) silicon active layer several micrometers thick, in which the crystal lattice orientations at the surfaces of the active layer and the supporting layer differ by 45 degrees. In this configuration, the thin silicon active layer is especially prone to chipping during dicing.
In a piezoresistive MEMS acceleration sensor of the type partly shown in FIG. 2, a resulting problem is that silicon flakes 71 that have chipped off may remain inside the sensor, in the gap 65 between the mass 22 and stopper 41a, for example, where they reduce the movable range of the mass or immobilize the mass, so that the sensor cannot operate properly or cannot operate at all.
A problem with the laser dicing method described above is that the MEMS design is constrained by the need to etch trenches in the supporting substrate layer below the scribe lines during the process of forming the MEMS structure.

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device


In a wireless communication system (100), updated software is downloaded to a server (104). In response to a software update query sent by the server, a portable wireless communication unit (101) sends a software update response back to the server. The software update response can include a priority indication and a usage indication. A software update acknowledgment, sent to the portable wireless communication unit by the server in response to the software update response, causes the portable wireless communication unit to internally set a flag indicating the availability of the updated software. Once aware of the availability of the updated software, the portable wireless communication unit can download the updated software using a combined battery charger/software downloader (108).

Wireless communication systems are known to comprise wireless communication units, such as in-car mobile and/or hand-held portable radios, that communicate with each other and a fixed infrastructure using wireless communication resources. Many of the user features provided by such wireless communication units are often based on software programs stored and executed within the wireless communication units. That is, algorithms electronically stored in memories are executed by processing devices, such as microprocessors, to realize certain features.
As existing features are improved and new features are developed for wireless communication units, new versions of software become available with increasing frequency. Users of wireless communication units typically desire to receive the newest versions of updated software as quickly and as efficiently as possible in order to take advantage of the improvements.
Prior art approaches for delivering updated software to wireless communication units are not always convenient and/or efficient. One method requires a user to bring the wireless communication unit to a central location, such as a service shop operated by a system administrator or service provider. The unit is then either provided with replacement parts containing the updated software (i.e., replacement memory devices) or physically connected to a device that transfers the updated software to the unit. Regardless of how the updated software is actually transferred, this method is both time-consuming and inconvenient to users since they are typically required to bring their unit in for service during normal work hours.
Another method is used to overcome the difficulties presented by the previous method. To this end, the wireless communication units are capable of receiving the updated software wirelessly as a special type of data message. This eliminates the need to physically alter the unit or to co-locate the unit with a reprogramming device. However, updated software versions often comprise many megabytes of data; transmission of such a large amount of data can be prohibitively expensive. That is, the extensive use of wireless communication resources required to send the updated software to a large number of units, as is often the case with even a modest-sized communication system, would significantly impact the system's ability to provide regular services. Therefore, a need exists for an approach that allows updated software to be provided without the inconvenience of bringing the unit to a service shop and which does not place a prohibitively large burden on wireless communication resources.

Method for indicating availability of updated software to portable wireless communication units


Disclosed are silicon carbide powders and a method of preparing the same. The method includes forming a mixture by mixing a silicon (Si) source, a carbon (C) source, and a silicon carbide (SiC) seed, and reacting the mixture. The silicon carbide (SiC) powders include silicon carbide (SiC) grains having a β-type crystal phase and a grain size in a range of about 5 μm to about 100 μm.

Recently, silicon carbide has been used in various electronic devices as a semi-conductor material for various purposes. In particular, the silicon carbide is very useful because the silicon carbide has the superior physical strength and high resistance against the chemical attack. In addition, the silicon carbide represents the superior electronic characteristics, such as the high radiation hardness, relatively wide bandgap, high saturated electron drift velocity, high operating temperature, and high absorption and emission of quantum energy in the blue, violet and ultraviolet bands of a spectrum.
Silicon carbide powders can be prepared by mixing and heating source materials, such as a silicon source and a carbon source. In order to prepare the silicon carbide powders, an Acheson scheme, a carbon-thermal reduction scheme, a liquid polymer thermal decomposition scheme, and a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) scheme have been generally known to those skilled in the art. In particular, the liquid polymer thermal decomposition scheme or the carbon-thermal reduction scheme is used to synthesize high purity silicon carbide powders.
In general, to prepare silicon carbide sinter through a hot press scheme, silicon carbide powders having a grain size in the range of 0.5 μm and 5 μm are used. In addition, to prepare silicon carbide sinter or grow the single silicon carbide crystal through a reaction sintering scheme, silicon carbide powders having the grain size of 10 μm or more are required.
However, the silicon carbide powders prepared through the above scheme have many difficulties in controlling the grain size thereof. Particularly, to make the grain size beyond the range of 0.5 μm to 5 μm, the silicon carbide powders prepared through the above scheme actually have limitation.
Therefore, a scheme of preparing silicon carbide powders having the grain size of 10 μm or more is required.

Silicon carbide powder and method for manufacturing the same


A multiple aperture array, wide angle imaging system incorporates compound refractive optics modeled after the eyes of insects. The system channels light through the apertures of a convex spatial filter and a pair of lenslet arrays hot press molded on a positive meniscus form. The lenslets act as afocal Keplerian telescopes to superpose light from hundreds of adjacent channels to a common point on the convex surface of a fiber optic imaging taper. The superposed light from all the channels form a curved, high intensity image that is transformed by the taper into a flat format for readout by a mosaic detector array. The image is upright and distortion free with an infinite depth of field. Ghost images are blocked by a honeycomb louver baffle positioned between the lenslets and the imaging taper. The system is conformable to the geometry of any convex mounting surface, whether spherical, aspherical, or cylindrical.

Conventional camera systems are modeled after the single aperture eyes of vertebrates. Single aperture eyes have the advantage of good spatial resolution and good light capture efficiency, but they are disadvantaged by their relatively large size and limited field of view. Vertebrates evolved to overcome the field of view limitation by gimbaling the eye in its socket. Camera developers have overcome the field of view limitation by inventing wide angle lenses modeled after a fish eye. Unfortunately the "fish eye lens" distorts the image, making square objects appear round. The fish eye lens also requires many additional optical elements to control optical aberrations, making the lens expensive, heavy, and long. An example of a wide angle fish eye lens is described by Ogura in U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,798. The lens is over 6 inches long ans uses 10 powered optical elements of different sizes, shapes, and materials.
Another disadvantage of the conventional single aperture lens is its need for focus adjustment to image objects at different distances. The problem is especially acute at close range and has prompted inventors to adopt various schemes to automate the focus adjustment process. One example of an auto focus system is described by Watanabe et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 7,184,090. It engages in a focusing operation while sending out an image-capturing signal. It then settles on the focus position that achieves the highest value in image contrast. As with all such auto focusing schemes, it cannot overcome the inherent design limitation of a single aperture lens: objects at different depths of field cannot be brought into focus simultaneously.
There is the need in many autonomous surveillance, tracking, and navigation applications for a distortion free, wide angle imaging system that remains in focus through all depths of field. Such a system would likely be modeled after the most popular eyes found in nature, the multiple aperture compound eyes of arthropods (i.e. insects and crustaceans). Compound eyes have an extremely wide, undistorted field of view with an infinite depth of field. Compound eyes are distortion free because the field of view and the entrance pupil are separated into tiny zones that are focused independently from each other using an array of micro-lenses (or lenslets). There is no need for focus adjustment because the apertures of these lenslets are extremely small relative to the size of the object and its depth of field. As with a pinhole camera, each aperture captures a very small section of the optical wavefront emanating from the object. The smaller the wavefront section, the flatter it becomes until all objects appear to be at infinity. This is why arthropods have no need for a focusing mechanism.
Compound eyes have the added benefit of being built as convex structures around the outside of the animal's head, making them inherently small and light weight. The ideal artificial compound eye would be conformable to the geometry of its mounting surface and retain the wide angle, focus free, distortion free attributes found in nature. In practice, a conformal artificial compound eye could be shaped to the form of an aircraft wing, nose cone, or fuselage so as not to disrupt the air flowing over it. This would be of great benefit to a micro-aircraft because the artificial compound eye would be part of the aircraft structure, displacing no more volume or mass than necessary. The distortion free, wide angle viewing capability would enable the aircraft to fly autonomously inside buildings, tunnels, and caves using the optical flow field for navigation and guidance. All objects in the flow field would remain in proper focus and shape at all ranges, thereby allowing the aircraft to make real-time avoidance maneuvers.
The concept of an artificial compound eye is not new. Duparré et al. describe a flat lenslet array artificial compound eye the size and shape of a credit card (see Duparré et al., Applied Optics, August 2004, pp 4303-4310, vol. 43, No. 22). The flat design attribute is beneficial in that it enables the use of flat lenslet arrays, which are readily manufactured in a variety of ways (see for example Fadel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,967,779). The flat design also matches well to flat mosaic detector arrays, which are also easy to manufacture and readily available. However, the flat design attribute limits the field of view to only 21 degrees in this case. More importantly, the concept is a flat variant of the apposition array compound eyes found in diurnal arthropods (i.e. flies, bees, and butterflies). In an apposition array imaging system the light collection efficiency is equal to the area of the aperture of an individual lenslet. This limits the light collection efficiency considerably, and is why diurnal arthropods require daylight for viewing. Another variation of a flat lenslet array system is described by Gurevich et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 7,187,502. This system uses a second flat lenslet array of a different pitch to increase the magnification of the image. The system was invented for imaging "remotely located objects, i.e., objects located behind the focal distance of the assembly". Though the flat lenslet arrays described in these inventions are readily available, a curved lenslet array that can be made to any shape would be desirable for making the system conformal to its mounting structure.
Lee and Szema describe an artificial apposition array compound eye that closely mimics the design found in nature (see Lee and Szema, Science, November 2005, pp 1148-1150, vol. 310, No. 5751). The lenslet array is convex in shape, and the light from each lenslet is focused onto a convex surface. Unfortunately, the design requires a convex shaped detector array of extremely small size to capture the image. Even if such a detector array could be made, it would be difficult and expensive to manufacture, and its curvature would need to match the curvature of the lenslet array. The publication by Lee and Szema does not display an image generated by the artificial compound eye they describe, which might be due to problem of finding a proper detector for it. If an image could be captured, its intensity would be very low because it is an apposition array system.
The image intensity can be increased by several orders of magnitude by adopting the more sophisticated superposition compound eye design of nocturnal arthropods, such as moths and beetles. In the superposition compound eye, lenslets are designed to operate as afocal Keplerian telescopes on a convex, meniscus form. This enables thousands of lenslets to work together to bring light to a common point on the convex image capture surface. In the case of a moth eye, its superposition design increases its light collection efficiency by 1000 times that of a butterfly eye, which is why moths are nocturnal and butterflies are diurnal. The challenge then is to create an artificial superposition compound eye that mimics the eye of a moth. In that way its light collection efficiency would rival that of a conventional single aperture imaging system, or even surpass it.
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS3,589,798Jun. 29, 1971Ogura6,898,015May 24, 2005Yoshikawa et al.6,933,167Aug. 23, 2005Yamamoto6,942,959Sep. 13, 2005Dubin et al.6,967,779Nov. 22, 2005Fadel et al.7,106,529Sep. 12, 2006Kerr et al.7,119,962Oct. 10, 2006Gurevich et al.7,184,090Feb. 27, 2007Toshimi Watanabe et al.7,187,502Mar. 6, 2007Gurevich et al.