A microwave monolithic integrated circuit includes a coplanar waveguide (CPW) formed by a composite silicon structure constituted by a relatively high resistivity substrate, a first oxide layer on the upper surface thereof, a relatively thin silicon layer formed on the surface of the first oxide layer, and a very thin second oxide layer formed on the surface of the thin silicon layer. The silicon layer and the first oxide layer on which it is formed constitutes a silicon-on-insulator or SOI structure. A metallic signal line and ground planes are bonded to the surface of the second oxide layer. The zone of the thin silicon layer which extends between the ground planes is doped with an active impurity to produce high conductivity therein. As a result, the electric component of a quasi-TEM wave traversing the waveguide is substantially restricted to the thin silicon layer and does not penetrate to the underlying bulk silicon substrate. This achieves significantly reduced transmission loss and a quality factor Q in the vicinity of 17 for the CPW. Passive and active circuits may be formed in regions of the thin silicon layer other than those used for the CPW.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of microwave monolithic integrated circuits (MMICs) for wireless applications, such as cellular radio and personal communication systems. More particularly, it relates to MMICs which include passive circuit elements and active amplifier stages which are coupled together by microwave transmission line in order to achieve reduced propagation loss of microwave signals conveyed there-between.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an MMIC passive circuit elements such as resistors, inductors and capacitors are fabricated in monolithic form on a silicon substrate. Active amplifier stages are also fabricated in the monolithic structure, and are coupled to the passive elements by microwave transmission line. This has commonly taken the form of a microstrip line, which consists of a conducting strip on the upper surface of a silicon dioxide dielectric layer and a metal ground plane on the back surface. An MMIC structure of this kind is shown, for example, in FIG. 8-161 on page 105 of the text Electronics Engineers Handbook, McGraw Hill Book Co., 3d ed. 1989.
A major problem with such a structure is that the electric field component of a quasi-TEM electromagnetic wave must couple to the ground plane through the entire substrate, resulting in high propagation losses. This problem is avoided by providing a ground plane on the same surface of the silicon die as the conducting strip, resulting in a coplanar waveguide (CPW) structure. This type of waveguide is also shown in the aforesaid FIG. 8-161 of the cited textbook. The small spatial separation between the conducting strip and the ground plane effectively confines the electric field to the near-surface of the substrate, reducing the depth of penetration into the body of the substrate. The transmission loss, which is the inverse of the quality factor Q, is then dependent on the conductivity and consequently the doping level of the near-surface region of the substrate. By heavily doping to achieve a high conductivity the transmission loss can be reduced, increasing the quality factor Q. However, it is time-consuming and expensive to produce a heavily doped silicon substrate body.
The technical paper "Properties of Microstrip Line on Si--SiO.sub.2 System" by Hasegawa et al, IEEE Trans. On MTT, Vol. MIT-19, No. 11, Nov. 11, 1971, describes a microstrip transmission line having a layer of SiO.sub.2 on a moderately doped silicon substrate. Under some conditions, this achieves a "slow-wave" mode of propagation, having reduced transmission loss. However, this structure does not lend itself to monolithic fabrication with other circuit elements and still has higher transmission loss than is desirable. The technical paper "Propagation Characteristics of MIS Transmission Lines with Inhomogeneous Doping Profile" by Wu et al, IEEE Trans. on MTT, Vol. 38, No. 12, December 1990, describes a coplanar waveguide having an inhomogeneously doped silicon substrate, and achieves relatively low transmission loss. However, the inhomogeneous doping must extend through the entire thickness of the bulk silicon substrate, which is very difficult to achieve in practice.

Microwave monolithic integrated circuit with coplaner waveguide having silicon-on-insulator composite substrate


An isometric exercise apparatus of the sit-down type having a base and in which footrests carried by a first post pivoted on the base enable isometric resistance to pulling or pushing on a second post intermediately pivoted at the user's seat, the second post being linked to the first post in alternate arrangements of a common link, depending on which muscles are to be exercised.

Numerous exercise devices are known, including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,760 to Bobroff, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,038 to Maag, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,121 to Brooks, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,363 to Shi, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,010, to Geraci, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,833 to Trethewy, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,420 to Hayes, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,860 to Selnes, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,446,503, and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,000,632 to Fuchs. None of these devices provide a variety of isometric exercises as a function of different locations of link attachment to a pivoted post.


A double-sided printable image recording apparatus including a conveyer for conveying a recording medium, a fixed recording head for ejecting an aqueous ink and a treating liquid having nature of aggregating a colorant contained in the aqueous ink to a recording medium conveyed by the conveyer, which is arranged in a direction substantially orthogonal to a conveying direction of the recording medium, and has a printing region of a recording medium width, and an ejection controller for controlling ejection of the aqueous ink and the treating liquid from the fixed recording head based on image information, wherein the ejection controller, in a double-sided printing mode of printing on both sides of the recording medium, controls an ejection amount of a treating liquid ejected per recording medium to a smaller amount than that of a single-sided printing mode of printing only on one side, at least on a surface of a recording medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus and, in particularly, to a double-sided printable image recording apparatus, which is a two-liquid printing method and has a fixed recording head having a printing region of a recording medium width.
2. Description of the Related Art
A printing method using an ink jet method is advantageous in that an apparatus can be made smaller, noise is low, and running costs are low. However, in an aqueous ink jet printer, the solvent for an ink used is water, and simultaneously achieving both improved drying property of ink and improved image quality has hitherto been an extremely pressing challenge.
In order to solve this problem, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No 64-63185 discloses a two-liquid printing method using a treating liquid together with an ink, which increases the viscosity or aggregation of the ink, and Japanese Patent No. 3158004 describes a method of adjusting ejection of the treating liquid in accordance with the surrounding environment. Or, as described in JP-A No. 2002-210947, a method of changing the dot diameter of ink and the amount of a treating liquid to be imparted during high speed printing and low speed printing, has been proposed.
In addition, in recent years, in order to enable high speed printing of ink jet printer, an aqueous ink jet printer fitted with a fixed recording head having a printing region corresponding to the width of a recording medium (hereinafter, referred to as "FWA (Full Width Array)") has been developed.
In an ink jet printer fitted with FWA, since there is no movement in a main scanning direction, printing speed is dramatically increased. On the other hand, curl and cockle of paper is generated due to the high speed of the printing, and conveyance becomes problematic. In addition, it becomes necessary to improve image quality in terms of bleeding, offset of ink, and the like.
In particular, in order to perform double-sided printing, these points requiring improvement are all the more prominent, and methods of solving them have been urgently demanded. That is, in a double-sided printable image recording apparatus in which a two-liquid printing system is applied, and which has a fixed recording head having a printing region of a recording medium width, development of an image recording apparatus which can provide better printing image quality on both the front surface and the back surface of a recording medium has been urgently demanded.


An apparatus and method for detecting a malicious domain cluster. The apparatus for detecting a malicious domain cluster includes a domain name server (DNS) data collection unit and a malicious domain cluster detection unit. The DNS data collection unit collects DNS traffic over a network, and stores the DNS traffic in a database. The malicious domain cluster detection unit generates a domain cluster based on the DNS data, learns the characteristics of normal and malicious clusters in the domain cluster, and detects whether the domain cluster is malicious based on the result of the learning.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to an apparatus and method for detecting a malicious domain cluster and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for detecting a malicious domain through cluster-based machine learning.
2. Description of the Related Art
Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2014-0035678 entitled "Learning-based DNS Analyzer and Analysis Method" discloses a method of detecting each malicious domain by monitoring domain name server (DNS) traffic as a conventional method for detecting a malicious domain. In this method disclosed in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2014-0035678, malicious domains are individually detected. According to the method disclosed in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2014-0035678, however, some of malicious domains that are collectively used may not be detected.
Korean Patent Application Publication No 2010-0084488 entitled "Apparatus and Method of Searching for Group Activity Malicious Code" discloses a method of searching for group activity malware based on the group activities of hosts infected with malware. In this method disclosed in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2010-0084488, all types of traffic, exhibiting group activities, other than traffic included in a white list, are determined to be malicious. The method disclosed in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2010-0084488 is problematic in that it is vulnerable when new traffic, not included in a white list, occurs.
Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2012-0092286 entitled "Method and System for Detecting Botnets using Domain Name Service Queries" discloses a method of detecting Botnets using domain name service query data. In this method disclosed in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2012-0092286, a domain relation graph is generated by taking into consideration a domain query sequence. However, according to the method disclosed in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2012-0092286, if malicious domains are newly used and formed into a graph, whether the domains are malicious cannot be determined until some of the domains are included in a black list.
"EXPOSURE: Finding Malicious Domains Using Passive DNS Analysis" (Leyla Bilge, Engin Kirda, Christopher Kruegel, and Marco Balduzzi) published in NDSS in 2011 suggests a method of detecting domains involved in malicious behavior using a passive DNS analysis scheme. In this method, however, as in Korean Patent Application Publication No 2014-0035678, malicious domains are individually detected, but some of malicious domains that are collectively used may not be detected.
"Botnet Detection by Monitoring Group Activities in DNS Traffic" (Hyunsang Choi, Hanwoo Lee, Heejo Lee, Hyogon Kim) published in ICCIT in 2007 suggests a method of detecting Botnets by monitoring DNS traffic. In this method, however, as in Korean Patent Application Publication No 2010-0084488, all the domains, exhibiting group activities, other than domains included in a white list are determined to be malicious, but this method is problematic in that it is vulnerable when new traffic, not included in a white list, occurs.
Moreover, "Graph-based Malware Activity Detection by DNS traffic analysis" (Jehyun Lee, Heejo Lee) published in Computer Communication Volume 49, Pages 33-47 on April, 2014 suggests a method of detecting malicious behavior by considering a DNS query sequence. In this method, however, as in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2012-0092286, a domain relation graph is generated by considering a DNS query sequence. However, if malicious domains are newly used and formed into a graph, whether the domains are malicious cannot be determined until some of the domains are included in a black list.

Apparatus and method for detecting malicious domain cluster

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


An edible novelty including an edible core mounted on a stick at one end of the core. The core having another end opposite the one end and the core having an edible coverture layer. A layer of an edible viscous material covering the coverture layer of the core from the other end of the core to, at the most, adjacent the one end of the core. The material being viscous at ambient temperature and remaining substantially unfrozen at a temperature which maintains the core frozen and also at a temperature at which the novelty is eaten. The coverture layer providing an adhesive surface for the edible viscous material. An outer layer over the edible viscous material and at least substantially all of the coverture layer. The outer layer being anchored with respect to the coverture layer.

The present invention relates to improvements in an ice cream or the like, novelty, product, methods of manufacture of such a product, apparatus useful in the manufacture of any such product and related means and methods.
xe2x80x9cIce Creamxe2x80x9d Fourth Edition by W. S. Arbuckle, (The AVI Publishing Company, Inc., Westport, Conn., USA) in its various editions (the full contents of which are hereby introduced by way of reference) defines terminology in relation to the ice cream and related frozen novelty business as well as disclosing compositions, methods of moulding, handling procedures, freezing procedures, storage procedures, etc.
The present invention is directed to an ice cream novelty but alternatively may include in place of ice cream (as defined in Arbuckle) any other frozen matrix or indeed any other material which is edible at the temperatures required for ice cream type products.
The present invention relates to a product which is an alternative to existing products. Whilst preferred forms hereafter will refer to stick or the like supported forms of such a product that is but one option for the use of the procedures of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide frozen novelties and related means and methods including apparatus for use in such manufacturing as well as the methods of use of such apparatus which will provide the public at least with an alterative to existing products.
As used herein the term xe2x80x9ccorexe2x80x9d can mean either a homogeneous core or a non homogeneous core. It may include preliminary coatings.
As used herein the term xe2x80x9cice creamxe2x80x9d includes ice cream as defined in Arbuckle and/or by any New Zealand standards. In addition it includes alternatives to what is strictly ice cream i.e. any edible material that is shape retaining only if maintained in a frozen state by low temperature storage.
As used herein the term xe2x80x9cchocolatexe2x80x9d includes chocolate in its common usage or as used in Arbuckle or in any New Zealand standard. In addition it includes any other composition which at a higher temperature as a liquid can form a coating on a substrate and thereafter, on reduction of temperature, set. Typical examples of such other materials include fat and sugar based compositions of that kind. xe2x80x9cChocolatexe2x80x9d therefore may or may not include cocoa or any other chocolate flavouring.
As used herein the term xe2x80x9cstickxe2x80x9d includes wooden sticks or any plastic or other form of member capable of supporting a core (e.g. of ice cream) on to which coatings are to be applied by procedures of the present invention. In some forms the term stick may include an edible composition.
As used herein the term xe2x80x9cdipxe2x80x9d includes insertion of the material to be coated into a bath (stationery or moving) of the liquid composition to form the coating. In other forms however where the context so allows the term xe2x80x9cdipxe2x80x9d may include any alternative procedures such as spraying.
As used herein the term xe2x80x9cviscous fluidxe2x80x9d includes caramel compositions of the kind hereinafter referred to as well as any other edible composition which at or about normal ice cream storage temperatures has not set to a super cooled liquid or solid form. Examples include, syrups or syrup like compositions and such compositions as betters of edible nuts etc. (e.g. peanut butter).
In a first aspect the present invention consists in an edible novelty that requires storage at below 0xc2x0 C. and which is intended to be eaten prior to its thawing at least in totality, said product comprising, consisting of or including
an edible core that is self supporting as far as its shape is concerned,
a coating of an edible viscous liquid about at least part of said core, and
a set edible layer over at least said viscous liquid layer.
Preferably said viscous liquid is the thixotropic.
Preferably said set layer over said viscous liquid is chocolate as hereinbefore defined irrespective of whether or not it includes any cocoa or other chocolate flavouring. Preferably said set layer does.
Preferably said core is primarily of ice cream.
Preferably said core includes an outer coating (i.e. a couverture layer) on at least part thereof of a chocolate as hereinbefore defined.
Preferably said core is on a stick.
Preferably the outer layer is of a chocolate.
Preferably said viscous fluid is a caramel liquid which at ice cream storage temperatures remains in a fluid form.
Preferably at normal ice cream storage temperatures the viscous fluid has a viscosity substantially as herein discussed with respect to caramel.
Preferably said product is of a form substantially as hereinafter described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.
In some other forms the viscous fluid can be another flavouring, for example, a peanut oil or butter composition. Other flavourings abound. They may even be liqueurs where the law so allows.
Preferably where the item (as is preferred) is a stick supported item the core comprises ice cream with a true chocolate coating. Preferably the chocolate coating fully surrounds the ice cream of the core. Preferably caramel extends about the core but not to the stick in the base of the core. Preferably the outer set layer fully encompasses the caramel and the base of the core not covered in caramel.
In this way the product has sufficient integrity so that progressive eating from the top is less likely to lead to any slumpage of any of the layers relative to the others.
In a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of manufacturing an edible novelty to be stored at below 0xc2x0 C. having,
an edible core on a stick,
an edible coating of a viscous liquid about at least part of said core, and
an edible set layer over at least said viscous liquid layer,
which method comprises, consists of or includes
preparing the core on a stick,
supporting the stick supported core by the stick as it is presented whilst at a core temperature below 0xc2x0 C. into the viscous liquid so as to provide a partial coating of the core, and
thereafter providing an outer coating (e.g. chocolate as hereinbefore defined) coating over the viscous liquid retained on the core and at least part of the or any regions of the core not coated by said viscous liquid.
Preferably said core is provided with a couverture layer, (for example, of chocolate) prior to being associated with said viscous liquid.
Preferably prior to the provision of the outer coating the viscous liquid is hardened, for example, by contact with a cryogenic liquid, e.g. liquid nitrogen.
Preferably the viscous liquid at the time of application to the stick supported core is thixotropic.
Preferably said stick supported core is substantially vertically withdrawn from the bath so as to leave an even laying up of the viscous liquid about the core.
Preferably the bath of viscous liquid is moving in a direction in which the preferably substantially vertically supported stick supported core is also being moved and that direction is preferably substantially transverse to the stick axis (this is notwithstanding the pumping of the liquid or the provision of some fall in the movement of the liquid).
Preferably the movement of the viscous liquid is at a speed identical to or faster than the transverse movement of the stick supported core.
Preferably the viscous liquid not uplifted by the stick supported core is recycled.
Preferably said method is performed at any of the preferred manufacturing parameters hereinafter described.
In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in apparatus to manufacture an edible novelty as previously defined and/or to perform a method as previously defined, said apparatus comprising, consisting of or including a conveyor to serially present stick supported cores of said edible novelty (preferably after the provision of a couverture layer (eg; of chocolate) over the ice cream or other stick supported frozen material),
a weired dipping reservoir for the viscous liquid in to which the serially presented stick held cores are to be presented and move towards and over the weir whilst supported by the conveyor,
a collection reservoir for viscous liquid spilling over the weir,
recycling means to return viscous liquid from the collection reservoir to the weired dipping reservoir, and
viscous liquid feed in means to provide a make-up flow for the viscous liquid into the collection reservoir, the weired dipping reservoir or any recycle flow between the two.
Preferably means is provided to agitate the viscous liquid prior to its delivery into the weired dipping reservoir whether as a fresh feed of the viscous liquid, the recycled flow thereof or a mixture of the two.
Preferably said means to agitate the thixotropic viscous liquid is a device such as a chum and preferably said device is on the recycle route from the collection reservoir to the weired dipping reservoir.
Preferably any in feed of fresh viscous liquid must pass through such device prior to its initial delivery into the weired dipping reservoir.
Preferably the stick held cores are presented into the viscous liquid of the weired dipping reservoir so as to uplift viscous liquid therefrom whilst primarily in a vertically downward extending condition from the stick notwithstanding the fact that optionally the sticked core may be angled into and/or angled out of the viscous liquid under the action of a cam on the conveyor support of the stick thereof.
Preferably the apparatus is as hereinafter described.
In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in, as part of a production line, apparatus substantially as hereinafter described with or without reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings and/or which includes apparatus as previously defined.


An applicator having a handle; a shank coupled to the handle; a first wall coupled to the shank; a second wall coupled to the first wall, the second wall being perpendicular to the first wall; a third wall coupled to the second wall, the third wall being parallel to the first wall; and an applying surface coupled to the first, second and third walls. The first wall, second wall and the third wall form a U-shaped channel dimensioned to fit around the bottom of a door having a thickness less than about 2 inches.

The present invention relates to paint application tools, and more particularly to a tool for applying paint to hard to reach places.
Numerous types of paint applicators are known. However, certain painting surfaces present difficulties to a painter. Among the most difficult surfaces to paint is the bottom of a door. The bottom of a door frequently contacts dirt and moisture. Frequently doors are made from a material, such as wood, that is susceptible to mold, rot and bugs. It is therefore desirable to coat the bottom surface of a door to protect the door from dirt and moisture.
However, painting a bottom of a door presents unique difficulties in terms of time, mess and expense. It is difficult to paint a door while the door is hung in a doorway. Typically, there is very little clearance between the bottom of the door and the ground. A cover must be placed on the ground to protect the ground from drips and spills. Additionally, where the ground is carpeted, there may not be enough clearance to even access the bottom of a door. Even where access to the bottom of a hung door exists, the painter typically has to lay flat on the ground and contort the paint brush to reach the surface, thereafter applying small, repetitive strokes in an attempt to fully coat the bottom of the door. Such a procedure is time consuming, wastes paint and often inadequately coats the bottom of the door, thereby leaving the door vulnerable to mold, rot and bugs.
Alternatively, a painter may remove a hung door, paint the bottom surface of the door, and then re-hang the door. Such a process is time consuming, may damage the hinges of the door or the door itself, and may require the use of specialized tools. Thus, there is a need for an improved device for painting the bottom surface of doors.


A method for transmitting to a plurality of responder stations includes transmitting a first direct link setup request message to a first responder station via an access point, the first direct link setup request message including a first group identifier, the first group identifier being received from a communications controller and being associated with the first responder station, and transmitting a second direct link setup request message to a second responder station via the access point, the second setup request message including a second group identifier, the second group identifier being received from the communications controller and being associated with the second responder station. The method also includes transmitting data to the first responder station and the second responder station in a single transmission.

Wi-Fi is a wireless standard for connecting electronic devices. Wi-Fi may also be known as IEEE 802.11. Generally, a Wi-Fi enabled device (also commonly referred to as a station), such as a personal computer, a tablet, a personal digital assistant, a video game console, a television, a smartphone, a digital media player, and the like may connect to a service provider when it is within range of a Wi-Fi network connected to the service provider. A typical access point (also commonly known as a hotspot) usually has a range on the order of 10 s of meters when indoors and a greater range outdoors. Multiple overlapping access points may be used to provide coverage over larger areas.

System and method for direct multi-user transmission


A switching power supply apparatus includes first and second switch circuits (S1) and (S2) including switch devices (Q1) and (Q2), diodes (D1) and (D2), and capacitors (Cds1) and (Cds2), and a transformer (T). A first inductor (Lr) is connected in series with a primary winding (Lp) of the transformer (T), and a second inductor (Li) is arranged so that a voltage of a third capacitor (Ca) is applied during an on-period of the first switch circuit (S1). A diode (Di) preventing a reverse current from flowing in the second inductor (Li), and a capacitor (Ci) that is charged by excitation energy stored in the second inductor (Li) and that applies a voltage to the primary winding (Lp) during the on-period of the first switch circuit (S1) are further provided. A capacitor (Cr) is further provided so as to define a closed loop together with the inductor (Lr), the primary winding (Lp), and the second switch circuit (S2).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switching power supply apparatus that performs intermittent power supply from an input power supply and that performs power conversion using an inductor to output a predetermined DC voltage.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, performance measures of switching power supply apparatuses include a harmonic characteristic and a power factor characteristic. The harmonic characteristic is a function for suppressing a harmonic current flowing from a switching power supply apparatus to an input power supply line thereof, and the upper limit of the harmonic current is defined so as not to affect other components. The power factor characteristic is the power factor viewed at the input from the switching power supply apparatus. In order to reduce the loss of the power system, the higher the power factor, the better.
In the related art, therefore, switching power supply apparatuses having the structure disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 have been devised.
The structure of the switching power supply apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is shown in FIG. 13. In FIG. 13, a first switch circuit S1 is composed of a parallel circuit including a first switch device Q1, a first diode D1, and a first capacitor C1, and a second switch circuit S2 is composed of a parallel circuit including a second switch device Q2, a second diode D2, and a second capacitor C2.
Symbol T indicates a transformer. The first switch circuit S1 and an input power supply E are connected in series with a series circuit including a primary winding T1 of the transformer T and an inductor L. A series circuit including the second switch circuit S2 and a capacitor C is connected in parallel to the series circuit including the primary winding T1 and the inductor L. A secondary winding T2 of the transformer T is provided with a rectifying and smoothing circuit including a rectifying diode Ds and a smoothing capacitor Co. A capacitor Cs is connected in parallel to the rectifying diode Ds on the secondary side. A detection circuit 14 detects an output voltage Vo supplied to a load and, if necessary, an output current Io. A control circuit 11 receives a voltage generated in a bias winding T3, and causes the switch device Q1 to be self-excitation oscillated by applying positive feedback. A control circuit 12 receives a voltage generated in a bias winding T4, and controls the on-period of the switch device Q2 by controlling the turn-off timing of the switch device Q2.
The structure of the switching power supply apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 is shown in FIG. 14. In FIG. 14, an AC voltage supplied from an AC power supply 2 is rectified by a rectifier 4 and is then smoothed by a smoothing capacitor 6 to obtain a rectified voltage Vin, and the rectified voltage Vin is supplied to a first power converter 8 and a second power converter 10. When a switching transistor Qs is turned on, the rectified voltage Vin is applied to a choke coil CH, a diode Db, and a primary winding L1 of a high-frequency transformer T, and energy is stored in the choke coil CH. When the switching transistor Qs is turned off, the energy in the choke coil CH causes a current to flow through a diode Dc, the primary winding L1, and a capacitor C1. This on/off operation of the switching transistor Qs is repeatedly performed so that a voltage induced in a secondary winding L2 of the transformer T is smoothed by a diode D2 and a capacitor Co and a DC voltage Vo is output. A pulse width control circuit 16 controls the conduction time of the switching transistor Qs depending upon fluctuations in the output voltage Vo to stabilize the voltage Vo.
An example structure of the switching power supply apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 3 is shown in FIG. 15. In FIG. 15, a full-wave rectifying circuit 2 receives an AC input voltage from an input terminal 1–1′ and outputs a rectified voltage Ei. A first capacitor 3 smoothes a current of an inductor 20 via a second switching device 6 and a second capacitor 7, and supplies a DC voltage E3. A first switching device 4 converts the rectified voltage Ei via the inductor 20 and also the DC voltage E3 of the first capacitor 3 via a primary winding 51 of a transformer 5 into AC voltages by high-frequency switching. The second switching device 6 and the first switching device 4 are alternately turned on and off by a control circuit 11. The second capacitor 7 absorbs and emits a portion of the excitation energy stored in the transformer 5 and the current of the inductor 20 during the on-time of the second switching device 6. A rectifying and smoothing circuit composed of a diode 8 and a capacitor 9 rectifies and smoothes a flyback voltage of a high-frequency AC voltage generated in a secondary winding 52, and outputs a DC output voltage Eo to an output terminal 10–10′. The control driving circuit 11 detects the DC output voltage Eo, and controls the on-off ratio of the first switching device 4 and the second switching device 6.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-187664
Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 4-21358
Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-75334
In Patent Document 1, although a zero voltage switching operation (hereinafter referred to as a "ZVS operation") performed by a voltage clamping circuit provides high efficiency, there is no function for harmonic current suppression.
In Patent Document 2, although there is a function for harmonic current suppression, a ZVS operation is not performed, leading to high switching loss and hence low circuit efficiency.
In Patent Document 3, although a ZVS operation is performed by a voltage clamping circuit and there is a function for harmonic current suppression, the current generated by a switching operation flows in the diode for rectifying the commercial AC voltage (the full-wave rectifying circuit 2 shown in FIG. 15), leading to large loss in this diode and a low harmonic current reduction effect. It is therefore necessary to provide a low-pass filter on the commercial AC power supply line, thereby increasing the size of the switching power supply apparatus. Another problem is that a voltage of the capacitor 3 for ensuring the duration (the output holding time) for which the output can continuously be supplied even when the commercial AC power supply is temporarily shut down due to instantaneous power failure or the like is not controlled, and therefore, the voltage greatly increases under a light load, which may cause the voltage to exceed the breakdown voltage of the parts.


A system for recovering from ground bounce during a boundary scan test is disclosed that includes operationally transitioning a Test Access Port controller from any of at least three undetermined controller states induced by the ground bounce to a determined controller state. The undetermined controller states may be selected from an UPDATE state, a RUN-TEST/IDLE state, a SELECT-DR-SCAN state, and a CAPTURE-DR state. The determined controller state can be the UPDATE-DR. Once in the determined controller state, the Test Access Port controller may also be operationally transitioned from an undetermined data state to a determined data state.

1. The Boundary Scan Standard
IEEE/ANSI Standard 1149.1-1990, entitled "Standard Test Access Port and Boundary Scan Architecture," is incorporated by reference here and describes a testing scheme using "scan registers" to capture data from the input and output pins of an electronic device. The term "register" broadly refers to groups of digital logic storage units that are read or written as a unit. For example, a simple register may be constructed from a group of "flip-flops" whose outputs toggle simultaneously in response to a "clock" timing signal. In another type of register, called a "shift register," stored values can also be circulated between the storage elements in the register when a particular control signal is pulsed. Scan registers act like a group of flip-flops until they are switched into a test mode where they become one long shift register. This configuration allows scan register data to be captured in parallel and shifted serially between storage elements in the scan register. A detailed discussion of boundary scan testing and scan registers is provided in "The Boundary-Scan Handbook" by Kenneth P. Parker (Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2d edition) and "Agilent 3070 Family Boundary-Scan Fundamentals H7230A Opt 210 (E3795C)" (Agilent Technologies), both of which are also incorporated by reference here in their entirety. Testing systems that use boundary scan technology in order to facilitate integrated circuit testing, board testing, and/or system level testing are also commercially-available from a variety of vendors including Agilent Technologies Inc.; Corelis, Inc.; ASSET InterTech, Inc.; JTAG Technologies B.V., Goepel Electronics; Teredyne Inc.; Agere Systems; Sightsys LTD.; Intellitech Corp.; Acugen Software; and others.
As shown in FIG. 1, the basic architecture for implementing boundary scan testing is provided on an integrated circuit 100 (or other device) by four (or, optionally, five) package pins forming the Test Access Port ("TAP"). The TAP is used for communicating with on-chip, boundary scan logic using a testing unit (such as Agilent Technologies' "3070 Series 3" in-circuit test system), or other device, to send and receive various signals via the TAP. The logic for the TAP includes a finite state machine, called the "TAP controller," that is driven by signals applied to the Test Clock ("TCK"), Test Mode Select ("TMS"), and optional Test Reset ("TRST") pins. The remaining two pins, Test Data In ("TDI") and Test Data Out ("TDO"), are used for serially shifting data into and out of registers as discussed below.
The registers in the boundary scan logic include at least two data registers ("DR") and an instruction register ("IR"). The "boundary (data) register" 102 is a scan register that is used to control and observe activities on the input and output pins of the integrated circuit 100 or other device. The boundary register 102 is formed by "boundary register cells" 104 disposed between each of the terminals 106 and the internal logic 108 of the integrated circuit 100 (but not the TAP pins). Each cell typically includes a shift register "capture" flip-flop and a parallel "update" flip-flop or latch. The serial inputs and outputs for each cell are connected to form a serial shift path, or "scan path," 110 through the boundary scan cells 104. For input pins 106A on the integrated circuit 100, the parallel inputs and outputs of the boundary register 102 are connected to the device pin and system circuitry, respectively. For output pins 106B, these assignments are reversed.
The second data register in the boundary scan logic is the "bypass register" 112. The bypass register 112 provides a one-bit shift path through the integrated circuit that can be used to shorten the length of the system scan path in a boundary scan chain, as described in more detail below with regard to FIG. 2.
The instruction register ("IR") 114 defines the mode in which the data registers operate. Similar to the data registers 110 and 112, the instruction register 114 also includes cells with a shift register "capture" flip-flop and a parallel "update" flip-flop or latch. Once the instruction register is connected between TDI and TDO, the shift register portion holds new instruction bits moving through the register while the output latches hold the "active" instruction in place while any shifting is done (in order to prevent "shift ripple"). The active instruction is then decoded and used to set the operational mode where a selected, or "target," data register is placed between TDO and TDI.
As mentioned above, the Boundary-Scan Standard also allows the scan paths 110 of multiple integrated circuits 100, and/or other devices having the boundary scan architecture shown in FIG. 1, to be linked together (and with other devices that do not include the boundary scan architecture 100) at the system level. For example, as illustrated by the system 200 shown in FIG. 2, the TDI pin (FIG. 1) of each of the boundary scan devices 230, 240, 250, 260 and 270 is linked to the TDO pin (FIG. 1) of the preceding device in the scan path chain 210. The TDI pin of the first device 220 receives a serial input signal from the testing unit (not shown), or other device, while the TDO pin of the last device 270 in the chain 210 provides an output signal to the testing unit or other device.
FIG. 3 is a state diagram 300 for the TAP controller (or "controller") 118 shown in FIG. 1 according to the Boundary Scan Standard. In FIG. 3, each of the sixteen states of the controller 118 is labeled with a name, and the arc between states is shown with a 0 or 1 to indicate the logic value of the TMS signal that must be set before the rising edge of the next TCK ("clock") pulse in order to cause the transition the controller to the next state. The TEST-LOGIC-RESET state is entered on power-up of the device 100 (FIG. 1) and disables the boundary scan control logic so that the integrated circuit, or other device, will operate normally. The RUN-TEST/IDLE state is then entered when TMS is (a logical) low and the controller 118 remains in this state as long as TMS is low. The remaining states are arranged in two vertical columns with the data column (on the left) referencing the targeted data registers ("DR") 102 and the instruction column (on the right) referencing the instruction register ("IR") 114.
When the TAP controller 118 is in the RUN-TEST/IDLE state and TMS goes high, the controller enters the SELECT-DR-SCAN state on the next (rising edge of TCK) clock pulse. This is a temporary controller state that is exited on the next rising edge of TCK. If TMS is held low on the next (rising edge of TCK) clock pulse, then the controller 118 goes into the CAPTURE-DR state in the data column, and a scan sequence is initiated for the selected test data register.
If TMS is kept high during the SELECT-DR-SCAN state, then, on the next clock pulse, the controller 118 moves into the first state in the instruction column, SELECT-IR-SCAN. This is also a temporary state where a decision is made whether to either continue in the instruction column or reset the controller by returning to the TEST-LOGIC/RESET state. If TMS is held low during the SELECT-IR-SCAN state, then the controller 118 moves into the CAPTURE-IR state on the next clock pulse and a scan sequence is initiated for the instruction register 114.
More specifically, during the CAPTURE-IR state, the shift register portion of the instruction register 114 parallel loads a pattern of fixed logic values on the rising edge of TCK. The TAP controller 118 then either enters the SHIFT-IR state if TMS is low, or the EXIT-IR state if TMS is high.
In the SHIFT-IR state, the instruction register 114 is connected between TDI and TDO and the captured pattern is shifted one stage toward the serial input for the rising edge of each clock pulse while TMS is low. Simultaneously, new instruction bits are shifted out of the instruction register 114 to TDI during the falling edge of each clock pulse. The EXIT-IR state is then entered when TMS goes high and is simply another temporary controller state in which a decision is made whether to enter the PAUSE-IR or UPDATE-IR state.
In the PAUSE-IR state, the TAP controller 118 allows the shifting of the instruction register 114 to be temporarily halted, typically in order to accommodate the slower speed of other test equipment. The controller 118 remains in this state while TMS is low and then moves to EXIT2-IR on the next rising edge of TCK when TMS high. EXIT2-IR is another temporary controller state for determining whether to return to the SHIFT-IR state, or move on to the UPDATE-IR state.
In the UPDATE-IR state, the instruction that was previously shifted into the instruction register 114 is latched, on the falling edge of TCK, into the hold portion of the instruction register. Once the new instruction has been latched, it becomes the "current instruction" and sets a new operational mode. From this state, the controller 118 can then enter the SELECT-DR-SCAN state if TMS is high, or the RUN-TEST/IDLE state if TMS is low. The remaining states for the data register column are similar to those for the instruction register column.
For example, during the UPDATE-DR state, a response pattern (sometimes referred to as "vector" data) is latched on the falling edge of TCK from the shift register onto the parallel outputs of the targeted data register that is set by the current instruction. The BYPASS instruction (all 1s in the instruction register) places the single-bit bypass data register 112 between TDI and TDO in order to provide a short path through the component. The EXTEST instruction (with a pattern that is left to the circuit designer), on the other hand, targets the boundary register 102 between TDI and TDO so that, during the SHIFT-DR state, vector data is shifted in (on the rising edge of TCK) and out (on the falling edge of TCK) of the boundary registers 102 while TMS remains low. The new data is then latched into the parallel outputs of the boundary register 102 on the falling edge of TCK during the UPDATE-DR state.
2. Ground Bounce During Boundary Scan
Certain boundary scan tests are known to be particularly susceptible to ground bounce, as discussed in "In-Circuit Boundary Scan Connection Test Ground Bounce: A Case Study In Prevention & Cures," presented at the NepConWest 2000 Symposium by Raymond Balzar and Philip King; "Ground Bounce Basics and Best Practice," by Phil King available from Agilent Technologies; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,000,050 and 6,243,843; all of which are incorporated by reference here in their entirety. In general terms, ground bounce is a transient voltage difference between the ground reference points in two parts of a circuit. This typically occurs when current through an impedance (typically, an inductance and/or resistance) in the power distribution pathway creates a voltage drop across internal circuit nodes that are supposed to have the same voltage value (typically, power or ground). For board testing, this voltage differential usually arises between the test system ground and the device under test. However, ground bounce may also occur during integrated circuit level, or system level, testing.
Ground bounce can be minimized through proper integrated circuit design, board layout, and tester to board/system connections. There are also other approaches that attempt to mitigate the effects of ground bounce once they occur. These latter approaches typically alter the boundary scan test pattern in an attempt to minimize or optimize simultaneous pin transitions by 1) arranging the timing of when it occurs to be at a "safe" point in the test sequence; 2) using the TAP state diagram to trap the controller at one state; 3) wiring the test fixture in such a way that the ground bounce is minimized for the TCK, TMS and TRST pins; and 4) using a controlled slew rate on TCK to mask the ground bounce.
Ground bounce typically manifested itself as a superimposed voltage fluctuation in a signal which can sometimes be measured using conventional techniques. If that signal is TCK, and the fluctuation is large enough to inject a new clock cycle, then the bounce can cause loss of synchronization with the expected TAP controller state shown in FIG. 1. Inductive ground bounce is particularly problematic in this regard due to the current surges created as large numbers of drivers change state simultaneously and is expected to occur most often on the falling edge of TCK while in either of the UPDATE-IR or UPDATE-DR ("UPDATE") states, particularly when in, or going out of, the EXTEST mode. A single boundary scan test operation will often have many such UPDATE events and corresponding opportunities for ground bounce.
Ground bounce that causes an extra TCK pulse during an UPDATE state can be recognized, under certain conditions, by examining the target bits that are shifted and noting an instruction register capture pattern, rather than the normally expected target bit pattern. Under other conditions, ground bounce can also be inferred from a disabling of the TDO pin during a shift state. Yet another ground bounce detection scheme is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,243,843. However, when improper boundary scan test results are obtained, a ground bounce problem is more often presumed to be one of many possible causes and the test is simply rerun while implementing a ground bounce suppression algorithm. Of course, if ground bounce is anticipated, then a ground bounce suppression algorithm may be applied from the start of the test.
One conventional ground bounce suppression algorithm involves holding TMS low before the falling edge of TCK while in the UPDATE-DR and/or UPDATE-IR states. A spurious TCK pulse at the falling edge of TCK will therefore cause the TAP controller to go into the RUN-TEST/IDLE state where it will remain, during any further ground-bounce-induced clock pulses, until TMS is made high. After waiting a suitable period of time (i.e., number of clock pulses) for the effects of any such ground bounce to dissipate, the test can then be continued with the same input sequence. Thus, if a ground bounce induces multiple clock pulses during the transition from one of the UPDATE states, and TMS is held low, the controller 118 can be "trapped" in the RUN-TEST/IDLE state until the effects of the ground bounce on TCK have dissipated and the test can be continued.
However, this trap will not be successful if the ground bounce also causes the TMS line to appear to the controller 118 as a logical 1 at the time of the spurious clock signal. In that case, the TAP controller 118 will move to another state where it will not be trapped, regardless of whether TMS is kept low. Furthermore, the input bit pattern sequence that was applied to the TAP pins when TMS moved high is unlikely to be synchronized with, or appropriate for, the state of the TAP controller induced by the ground bounce when the test continues.

Boundary scan with ground bounce recovery


The invention relates to a measurement device comprising a suspended semiconductor wire, a first control circuit designed to apply and/or read a first electrical signal between first and second ends of the suspended semiconductor wire and a second control circuit designed to apply and/or read a second electrical signal between first and second intermediate nodes of the suspended semiconductor wire.

Measurement devices have already been proposed in which a suspended semiconductor nanowire or microwire is used for the measurement of a physical variable that is characteristic of the environment of the wire, for example the temperature in the vicinity of the wire, the thermal conductivity and/or the pressure of a gas in contact with the wire, a mechanical deformation, etc.
In these devices, the semiconductor wire plays the role of a resistive transducer. In other words, the variations in the physical variable to be measured are expressed by variations in the electrical resistance of the wire. The measurement device comprises a control circuit adapted to measure variations in the electrical resistance of the wire and to deduce therefrom variations in the physical variable to be measured.
It would be desirable to be able to at least partly improve certain aspects of known measurement devices based on suspended semiconductor wires.

Measurement device comprising a suspended semiconductor wire

COMMISSARIAT À L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES


A switch device includes an electrical component having an operating unit and outputting a predetermined analog signal based on a position of the operating unit, and a detecting unit that detects operation of the operating unit on the basis of an output from the electrical component. The electrical component is provided with a click mechanism that generates a click feeling at a predetermined position with respect to the operation of the operating unit, and the click mechanism shifts the operating unit while changing an operating speed at the predetermined position. The detecting unit detects variation in output from the electrical component, and outputs a predetermined signal on the basis of the variation in output by considering that the operating unit is at a predetermined position for generating the click feeling.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a switch device that outputs an ON or OFF signal at a predetermined operating position on the basis of an analog output from an electrical component, and more particularly, to a switch device having a click mechanism.
2. Related Art
As a switch device, there is a type that outputs an ON or OFF switching signal by contact and separation between a movable contact point and a fixed contact point, and a type that outputs an ON or OFF switching signal when an analog output exceeds a predetermined threshold value. Such a switch device has a click mechanism for generating a click feeling when an operating unit is at a predetermined position.
When the switch device is used as a switch device for opening and closing a power window, the switch device is disposed at an elbow support of a door in a vehicle, and an operating unit can be rocked in a pulling direction and a pushing direction from a neutral position. When the operating unit is operated in the pulling direction, the window is moved upward, that is, in a closing direction. When the operating unit is operated in the pushing direction, the window is moved downward, that is, in an opening direction.
The click mechanism of the switch device is configured to generate 2-step click feelings in the pulling direction and the pushing direction at the time of operating the operating unit. The switch device gives an instruction of a manual operation (window of vehicle goes up or down only during operation) at the first-step click position, and gives an instruction of an automatic operation (window continues to go up or down even after operation) at the second-step click position. To properly give an instruction, it is necessary to securely synchronize the time of the ON or OFF switching signal and the click position of the switch device.
In the switch device of a type that outputs an ON or OFF switching signal when an analog output exceeds a predetermined threshold value, there has been known a magnetic detection method using a permanent magnet rocked in association with the operating unit and a magnetoresistive element having electrical resistance varied with variation of magnetic field caused by movement of the permanent magnet. According to the magnetic detection method, it is possible to prevent decreases of reliability caused by the attachment of dust, or oxidation or wear of a contact point, as compared with the switch device of the type which contacts or separates a movable contact point and a fixed contact point.
In this case, the output from the magnetoresistive element is varied with the variation of the operation position of the operating unit. The output value is detected by a detecting unit. When the output value exceeds a predetermined threshold value, it is considered that the operating unit has operated by a predetermined degree and an ON signal is output. In addition, to notify an operator of the operation of the predetermined degree when the output value exceeds the predetermined threshold value, a click mechanism is provided to generate a click feeling at that position. However, the output voltage value from the magnetoresistive element varies by variations in temperature, and the relationship between the position of the operating unit and the output voltage value also varies when there is a deviation of completion of each switch device. In this case, the output time of the ON signal and the click position may deviate from each other. In such a case, the click mechanism provided to notify the operator of the ON position may result in confusion for the operator.
To solve the problem, it has been known that an output voltage value at the time of actually operating an operating unit at a click position is stored in a memory and the output voltage value is used as a threshold value. According to this method, it is possible to absorb differences of individual deviation. Such a switch device, for example, is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-19100.
However, in the known switch device, an output voltage value that is a threshold value at the actual using time is not set. Accordingly, although it is possible to absorb the individual deviation, it is difficult to cope with variation in characteristic at the actual using time, that is, variation in relationship between the position of the operating unit and the output voltage value according to variation in temperature. For this reason, the position for detecting the position of the operating unit with the detecting unit and the click position in the operating unit may deviate from each other, and it may be difficult to synchronize the time when the switch device outputs a signal and the time when a click event occurs.

Switch device generating analog output with click mechanism


An Enterprise Service Delivery Technical Architecture includes a Technical Model, and a Technical Delivery Framework, and is designed to facilitate the development of complete enterprise service management solutions. The use of the Enterprise Service Delivery Technical Architecture as the framework for an enterprise systems management technical solution results in solution designs created to be independent of the technology platform being managed with a view that meets the overall business requirements that span the technology platforms within a business environment. An information technology infrastructure already in place for a customer is analyzed and broken down to its very lowest level building blocks. Then the building blocks within the model of the technical architecture are mapped with the building blocks of the customer's information technology infrastructure to determine which of the building blocks of the model are to be used for the customer's information technology operation. A technical delivery framework is then established specific to a customer.

The traditional approach to managing computer systems has been to design and deploy the management system based primarily on which particular type of hardware platform that the subject systems execute on. For example, systems management solutions may be focused on mainframe computers, mid-range computers, networks, LANs, etc. This is a purely technology based approach to systems management which does not align the management of the system to the business functionality of the system or the business requirements of the user of the system. The result of this is that management staff become increasingly remote from the business that the information technology ("IT") supports, which in turn results in a lack of awareness and understanding of the business challenges facing the end users.
For example, some companies derive a significant percentage of their revenues from strategic outsourcing services provided to other companies, such as banks and other financial institutions, which are largely dependent upon information technology to support their products and services to their customers. After such a bank contracts with the strategic outsourcing services of a service provider, it will then go in and hire most of the staff who had been previously running the information technology shop at the bank, and attempt to consolidate equipment and operations more efficiently. Quite often, such information technology shops have grown up from being very small, relying upon individuals more than process. Additionally, systems, hardware, software, and processes will not be that well documented, quite frankly because the people who have developed the IT for the bank have been there for so long that they keep it all in their heads. The advantage that the outsourcing company can bring to this situation is that it has invested considerable research and development into defining processes around these type of IT disciplines, such as data storage and output management, system administration, event management, paging and escalation, security management, operations automation, change orders, etc. The outsourcing company will enter the situation and often apply such process to more efficiently operate the information technology already existing within the bank's technology systems. Payment is in many different ways, such as on a per workstation basis, per server basis, number of employees needed, etc. The whole operation will then be run for the bank, including problem and change management around that structure, often including 24-hour assistance and a help desk.
The problem with this process in general is that it has to be reinvented each time the outsourcing company goes into a new outsourcing arrangement with a new customer. The reason is that different companies have disparate tools. For example, one company may use Microsoft products, while another company uses Lotus products. One company may use Hitachi mainframes, while another company may use IBM mainframes. Even within one particular information technology system within a company, disparate systems, software, and hardware may be used among the various locations. There is some advantage that the outsourcing company can employ by having the same employees cover the information technology needs of a multiple of companies by sharing their time among those companies. However, the design of the outsourcing operation still is often done on an ad hoc basis, dependent upon the particular systems in place at the new customer.
Therefore, what is needed in the art, is a way for an outsourcing company to leverage from the knowledge gained while performing such outsourcing services from one client to the next.

Method for delivering a technical framework

International Business Machines Corporation


A cutting element has a thermally stable polycrystalline diamond layer formed on an upper side of a polycrystalline diamond layer. The cutting element has a cutting face opposite the polycrystalline diamond layer, a transition layer on a side of the polycrystalline diamond layer opposite the thermally stable polycrystalline diamond layer, and a non-planar interface between the transition layer and the polycrystalline diamond layer. The non-planar interface has a perimeter exposed around a side surface of the cutting element encircling an interior of the non-planar interface and an uppermost portion of the perimeter is a distance from the cutting face greater than an axial distance between the cutting face and the interior.

Drill bits used to drill wellbores through earth formations may include cutting elements attached at selected positions to the bit body. Cutting elements (sometimes referred to as cutters) may be formed having a substrate or support stud made of carbide, for example tungsten carbide, and an ultrahard cutting surface layer or "table" made of a polycrystalline diamond material or a polycrystalline boron nitride material deposited onto or otherwise bonded to the substrate at an interface surface.

Polycrystalline diamond cutter with high wear resistance and strength


The stiffness of a buckle holder made of a reinforced belt strap for a seat belt in a motor vehicle by means of which the buckle is supported in an upwardly projecting manner at a distance from its fastening point close to the vehicle floor is achieved by means of an additional, inherently stiff strip which is fixed on the belt strap and which still permits a yielding at least in a transverse direction. The strip is sewn to the belt strap by means of several seams which are situated relatively closely side-by-side, in which case the close course of the sewn seam contributes to the increase of the stiffness of the buckle holder.

This invention relates to a buckle holder made of a reinforced belt strap for a seat belt in a motor vehicle by means of which the buckle is supported at a distance from its force introduction point close to the vehicle floor in an upwardly projecting manner, the reinforcing of the buckle holder being achieved by means of an additional stiffening which is fixed to the belt strap and which permits a bending of the buckle holder at least in a transverse direction.
By means of a buckle holder of this type, the buckle of a seat belt is normally supported above an anchoring point in the vehicle, for example, next to the seat, at a predetermined height. As a result, a simple introducing and locking of the buckle latch is possible also with only one hand. However, the buckle holder should not only project rigidly upwards but, when the seat belt is put on, should be bendable at least in the occupant's direction so that the belt can be placed closely against the occupant and there is no slack which could have a disadvantageous effect in a crash. In addition, the flexibility of the buckle holder in the case of stress also prevents a hindering of the vehicle occupant when entering or leaving the vehicle.
By means of a low-cost belt strap as a component of the buckle holder, which bendably bridges the required path and supports the tensile forces, a self-supporting buckle holder can be implemented only if the belt is reinforced by an additional material. Such a belt strap is known from German Patent Document DE 35 39 538 A1, in which the required stiffness is achieved by the pouring of a plastic mass between two belt straps. In this case, care must be taken with respect to the selection of the belt strap as well as with respect to the selection of the pourable plastic in order to ensure that the materials can intimately connect while the desired stiffness or flexibility must be secondary to this requirement. In addition, it is possible that the pourable plastic may break during the bending of the buckle holder or may be sheared off the belt strap.
Rigid buckle holders have the disadvantage that, in the proximity of the buckle, the belt cannot be placed closely against the occupant's pelvic region. This results in a relatively large slack of the belt which will displace the occupant far to the front in the case of a crash. Another disadvantage is the lack of yielding possibility should the occupant unintentionally sit on the buckle.
It is also known to construct the buckle holder of a wire rope around which a wire is wound in a spiral manner, However, such buckle holders are expensive and heavy, and it is difficult to connect the wire rope with the buckle so that the connection is resistant to tearing.
With respect to the general background, reference is made to the following documents: German Patent Documents DE 40 24 713 A1; DE 38 16 834 A1; and 30 07 645 C2 and British Patent Document GB 1 384 386 30.
It is an object of the invention to construct the buckle holder of the above-mentioned type at low cost and in a durably operable manner.
This object is achieved according to the invention by means of an arrangement wherein the additional stiffening includes at least one inherently stiff strip which is sewn to the belt strap by means of a plurality of seams which are situated relatively closely side-by-side.
A separate strip, which has the desired stiffness in the longitudinal direction and in the transverse directions together with the belt strap, can be adapted individually to the conditions of a vehicle at low cost with respect to the material and shape.
An intimate and durable connection of the strip with the belt strap can be produced in a simple fashion by means of a sewing-together, in which case, as a result of a relatively close course of the sewn seam, the belt strap and the strip introduce their bending resistance equally, and the seams themselves also contribute to an increase of the stiffness of the buckler holder.
In addition, a different stiffness in the longitudinal direction and in the transverse directions can easily be determined by means of the firmly sewed-on strip corresponding to its material or shape and/or can also easily be implemented by a variable arrangement of several strips on one another or above one another or by several layers of the belt straps.
For a simple and durable connection with the belt strap, a strip made of synthetic or natural materials may be used which, with respect to its bending characteristics, may be selected to correspond precisely to the requirements of the buckle holder and by means of which a simple connection can be established.
The strip can project into a receiving device or gap in the buckle and therefore support this relatively heavy part additionally against a titling movement. Likewise, by means of the strip, the buckle holder can be provided with an intended longitudinal bending as the result of which the buckle holder or the seat belt is disposed more closely on the occupant.
A belt strap protection part can be integrated in one piece into the form of the fastened strip on the end side, which belt protection part prevents a wear of the belt strip at a buckling point, whereby a usual, separately inserted belt strap protection part is saved.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Buckle holder made of a reinforced belt strap for a seat belt in a motor vehicle


A BLDC (brushless direct current) motor system of the present invention includes a control circuit, a sequencer, a driving circuit, and a BLDC motor. The control circuit comprises a speed-feedback loop and a torque-feedback loop to control the maximum speed and the maximum torque of the BLDC motor in parallel configuration. The speed-feedback loop generates a speed-control signal. The torque-feedback loop generates a torque-control signal. A PWM circuit receives the speed-control signal and the torque-control signal to generate a PWM signal. A pulse width of the PWM signal is correlated to the level of the speed-control signal and/or the level of the torque-control signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a BLDC (brushless direct current) motors, and more particularly, to a control circuit for BLDC motors.
2. Description of the Related Art
BLDC motors are nowadays gaining popularity in automotive, consumer, and industrial applications. They have many advantages over traditional brushed DC motors, such as higher efficiency, linear speed and torque characteristics, low acoustic noise generation, wider speed range, less maintenance, and longer operating life.
Unlike brushed DC motors being commutated by brushes, BLDC motors are electronically commutated. They are mostly controlled in three-phase configuration. Three hall sensors are embedded into the stator to detect the current rotor position and to determine which two windings will be next energized. The sequence of energizing the windings of the BLDC motors is also known as six-step commutation.
To control BLDC motors, DSP (digital signal processor) is a mostly chosen solution owing to its quick processing capability of measuring or filtering the analog signals. However, its complexity always dominates the main cost of the BLDC motor system.
Speed and torque are two key parameters for controlling a BLDC motor. In conventional arts, an inner torque control loop and an outer speed control loop are cascaded configured. The disadvantage of these arts is they are specifically designed for specified application. They fail to meet other requirements without design changes. Therefore, a BLDC control circuit with low cost and high design flexibility for wide applications is demanded by the industries.

Control circuit with dual programmable feedback loops for BLDC motors


The present invention relates to a device for transcatheter treatment for tricuspid regurgitation and, more particularly, to a device for patients suffering from tricuspid regurgitation. The device for transcatheter treatment for tricuspid regurgitation according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes: a hollow coronary sinus tube (22) for engaging into coronary sinus tissue; and a hollow tricuspid valve tube (24) for crossing over tricuspid valve tissue and anchoring at interventricular septum tissue, wherein the coronary sinus tube and the tricuspid valve tube are laterally coupled with each other from upper portions thereof by a predetermined length, and lower portions thereof are separated from each other; and the lower portion of the tricuspid valve tube (24) is provided with a blocking part (30) for blocking a space resulting from incomplete closure of the tricuspid valve.

The heart is the center of human circulatory system that pumps blood through our body. It is a muscle that pumps the blood only in one direction. In order for the heart to effectively maintain this unidirectional flow of blood, it must have properly functional valves that prevent backflow through its system, or regurgitation. The heart is divided into four chambers: right and left atrium, and right and left ventricles. The four chambers are connected to the aorta, the inferior and superior vena cava, the pulmonary artery, and pulmonary veins.
The mitral valve (MV) separates the left atrium from the left ventricle while the tricuspid valve (TV) separates the right atrium from the right ventricle. The aortic valve (AV) is located between the left ventricle and the aorta while the pulmonary valve (PV) is located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery.
Generally, valves should open and close completely with every heart beat or contraction of the heart. Incomplete opening or closing of the valves causes improper flow of blood. Valvular diseases are divided into two categories, regurgitation and stenosis. Regurgitation is a failure of a valve to close completely and stenosis is a failure of a valve to open completely.
Mitral valve regurgitation (MV) is a common cardiac valve disorder that is caused by incomplete closure of the mitral valve (MV). The MV is located between the left atrium and the left ventricle. Over time, MR places a burden on the heart and worsens its ability to pump blood properly. Such stress on the heart will ultimately lead to heart failure. Traditional treatment for progressive MR requires open heart surgery with sternotomy or thoracotomy. Once the chest is open and access to heart is gained, the MV is either repaired or replaced using an artificial valve. Although very effective, this open-heart procedure is a high risk surgery accompanied by substantial morbidity and prolonged convalescence. Mortality due to surgery itself can be as high as 5%. As a result, the procedure often is not offered to patients who are insufficiently symptomatic to justify the surgical risk and morbidity, or to patients with substantial co-morbidity. It is reserved only for those with severe symptomatic MR.
Meanwhile, the tricuspid valve is a valve constituted by three leaflets (anterior leaflet, septal leaflet, and lateral leaflet) between the right ventricle and the right atrium, and serves to prevent backflow of blood into the right atrium during contraction of the right ventricle by closure of the valve between the right ventricle and the right atrium.
Tricuspid regurgitation refers to a heart disease that is caused by a space between the leaflets resulting from incomplete closure in the process where the three leaflets meet each other to close the valve during contraction of the right ventricle, thereby allowing the blood to flow backwards from the right ventricle to the right atrium. As causes of the tricuspid regurgitation, primary tricuspid regurgitation (TR) accounts for about 25%, which is caused by a defect in the valve itself, and secondary or functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) accounts for the rest, which is caused by left ventricle dysfunction or mitral valve dysfunction that causes extra strain on the right ventricle, and thereby the tricuspid annulus is enlarged, leading to incomplete closure. Symptoms of tricuspid regurgitation are as follows: fatigue and decreased exercise tolerance due to decreased CO; seroperitoneum due to right-sided heart failure; hepatosplenomegaly due to congestive hepatopathy; and lower limb edema.
As the only standard treatment for tricuspid regurgitation, open heart surgery with sternotomy or thoracotomy, namely an annuloplasty ring technique and a De Vega technique, is widely used. However, these techniques require highly invasive surgery, so they are not usually performed to repair only the tricuspid valve. In other words, these techniques are often offered to a patient with severe symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation, concomitant with mitral valve or coronary artery disease that requires open heart surgery.
Meanwhile, to solve the above mentioned problem of mitral valve regurgitation surgery, research has been conducted to develop a safer and less risky alternative to repair MR, instead of open heart surgery. Much of the research involves use of cardiac catheterization. Recently, the inventor of the present invention presented a thesis regarding "mitral valve cerclage coronary sinus annuloplasty (MVA)" showing outstanding results of MR treatment through applying circular pressure around the mitral annulus. This thesis was filed through PCT as an international patent application (PCT application number PCT/US2007/023836) and has been published (International publication number WO2008/060553).
The aforementioned thesis and published patent application disclosed the mitral cerclage coronary annuloplasty (MVA) procedure. Briefly explained, a catheter is placed in the coronary sinus after accessing the right atrium through the jugular vein, and then a cerclage suture is passed through the proximal septal vein. This cerclage suture can easily pass through the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), and this inventor defines this technique as "simple mitral cerclage annuloplasty". Then, the cerclage suture can be easily pulled into the right atrium thus placing the cerclage suture circumferentially around the mitral annulus. Once positioned, tension is applied to the cerclage suture, thereby tightening the mitral valve. This brings together the two leaves of the MV so that they are approximated and reduce the size of its incomplete closure. This procedure can theoretically obtain very similar results to those that conventional surgeries can obtain by directly tightening the mitral annulus, and shows an immediate reduction of MR.
However, since the cerclage wraps around the tricuspid valve (TV), it could affect the function of the TV and damage the valve itself and its appendages. The present invention, as a technique for protecting tissue of the body (heart), discloses a tissue protection device for protecting coronary sinus tissue and tricuspid valve tissue, and has been filed and registered (Korean Patent No. 10-1116867. dated Feb. 8, 2012).
The device is used basically for a patient with mitral valve regurgitation, but since the device is a surgical interventional tool that is inserted into the heart and passes through the tricuspid valve, the device may be used as a surgical tool for tricuspid regurgitation, and thus research thereon is required.

Device for transcatheter treatment for tricuspid regurgitation


A fishing reel with a click sound generator. The reel includes a pair of side frames, a spool rotatably fitted on a support shaft extending between the side frames and a level wind mechanism disposed radially outside the spool and including a drive shaft extending in parallel with the drive shaft. The spool and the drive shaft are operatively connected with each other for co-rotation. The drive shaft mounts a clicking wheel, and the drive shaft and the clicking wheel are operatively connected with each other through a oneway clutch mechanism for unidirectionally allowing rotational force in a direction for delivering a fishing line from the spool.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fishing reel with a click sound generator, and more particularly to a double-bearing type fishing reel with the above function including a spool rotatably supported on a support shaft held between a pair of side reel frames and a level wind mechanism having a drive shaft disposed in parallel with the support shaft. The level wind mechanism is used for uniform winding of a fishing line about the spool.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical fishing reel of the above-noted type is known from e.g. Japanese published patent gazette No. 1-30450. This reel has a support shaft projecting from one side reel frame and used solely for supporting a clicking gear, a drive gear loosely fitted on the support shaft and constantly meshing with a spool drive gear fitted on a handle shaft and a oneway clutch mechanism interposed between the driven gear and the clicking gear.
The above conventional construction requires the support shaft dedicated for use in the click sound generator and the driven gear for sole use with the oneway clutch mechanism which mechanism is used for not generating clicking sound when a fishing line is wound about the spool. In short, the convention requires a considerable number of elements. Moreover, the click sound generator is disposed aside a spool drive gearing inside one side reel frame, which means that all these elements need to be arranged within the very limited space inside the side reel frame, thus making the assembly very troublesome.
Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to overcome the above problem of the convention by providing an improved fishing reel with a click sound generator which effectively utilizes the level wind mechanism.


An earthmoving apparatus includes an earthmoving blade (9) extending in the width direction of an undercarriage, a lifting unit (10) configured to move the earthmoving blade (9) up and down, and a cover unit (12) covering the lifting unit (10), wherein the earthmoving blade (9) can be moved by the lifting unit between a grounded position in which the earthmoving blade is in contact with the ground surface and a retracted position in which the earthmoving blade is held highest off the ground surface, while keeping a nearly vertical orientation with respect to the ground surface, the cover unit (12) includes a sub cover (27) extending from a location above the lifting unit (10) toward the earthmoving blade (9) and a main cover (28) slidable on the upper surface of the sub cover (27), the main cover (28) is pivotally attached to the earthmoving blade (9) in such a manner that one end portion of the main cover is nearly in contact with the top surface of the earthmoving blade, and when the earthmoving blade (9) is in the grounded position, the other end portion of the main cover overlaps with the sub cover (27).

A construction machine of this type, for example, a wheeled hydraulic excavator, is equipped an undercarriage and an upper slewing structure swingably mounted on the undercarriage. The upper slewing structure has an operator's cab arranged on the left side of a front part thereof. Also, a boom, an arm, and a bucket are mutually pivotally attached to the upper slewing structure. Further, a fuel tank, a hydraulic oil tank, an engine and the like are mounted on the rear part of the upper slewing structure.
An earthmoving apparatus is mounted on at least one of the front and rear parts of the undercarriage to perform earthmoving work as well as to block off earth and sand during operation of the construction machine so that the earth and sand may not accumulate under the construction machine. Such earthmoving work and blocking of earth and sand are carried out by an earthmoving blade provided in the earthmoving apparatus (see Patent Document 1, for example).

Earthmoving apparatus for construction machine

HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.


This invention provides an image recording material, comprising: on a support, a protective layer that contains a crosslinked polymer formed of a polymer (a) having at least one kind of ionically crosslinkable functional group, and a low molecular weight compound (b) having at least one kind of ionically crosslinkable functional group, on an image recording layer, the image recording layer containing a compound (A), having at least one kind of ethylenically unsaturated bond, and a polymerization initiator (B).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording material sensitive to radiation; specifically, an image recording material suitable for use as a so-called direct plate-making negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor capable of directly making a plate with a laser from a digital signal of a computer, and a novel compound suitable for use in the image recording material.
2. Description of the Related Art
So far, as a method of forming an image by exposure with a photopolymerizable composition, various kinds of methods are known, such as a method where a recording layer is formed on a support surface and includes a photopolymerizable composition containing an ethylenically unsaturated compound and a photopolymerization initiator, wherein after image-wise exposure to polymerize and cure the ethylenically unsaturated compound of an exposed portion, a non-exposed portion is dissolved and removed to form a cured relief image, and a further method where, after the adhesive strength of a photopolymerizable composition layer (recording layer) to a support is altered by exposure, the support is peeled to form an image, and a further method where an image is formed by making use of the change in toner adhesiveness of a photopolymerizable composition layer due to light.
Examples of photopolymerization initiators that can be used in these methods include benzoin, benzoin alkyl ether, benzyl ketal, benzophenone, anthraquinone, benzyl ketone or Micheler's ketone, all of which are sensitive to short wavelength light with a center in a UV-region of 400 nm or less.
On the other hand, with the recent developments in the image formation techniques, photosensitive materials highly sensitive to light in a visible region are strongly demanded. For example, many photopolymerizable compositions with a sensitivity range extended to about 500 nm are proposed for a laser plate making system employing an oscillation beam at 488 nm of an argon ion laser. Further, photopolymerizable compositions sensitive to lights in the longer wavelength range exceeding 600 nm are actively studied in response to laser plate making systems employing a He—Ne laser or semiconductor laser, and reproduction techniques for full color images.
There is a known photopolymerizable composition which includes an ethylenically unsaturated compound and a photopolymerization initiation system, wherein the photopolymerization initiation system is composed of a cyanine dye having a specific structure and heterocycles linked through a monomethine, trimethine, pentamethine, or heptamethine chain, and a s-triazine derivative having a specific structure (e.g. see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 58-29803 and JP-A 4-31863). Besides, another photopolymerizable composition containing a polymerization initiator system composed of a squarylium compound having a specific structure and a specific s-triazine compound is proposed (e.g. see JP-A No. 4-106548).
However, it is known that when considering the active radical generation ability of a photopolymerization initiator with respect to light having a wavelength of 500 nm or more, in particular to light having a wavelength exceeding 600 nm, a decrease in photo-excitation energy is usually accompanied by a rapid decrease in sensitivity. All of the photopolymerizable compositions mentioned above, or that have been proposed so far, are insufficient in sensitivity to light in a long-wavelength region as mentioned above. Furthermore, there is a problem in that the polymerization reaction proceeds when the photopolymerizable compositions are handled under a white fluorescent lamp, making photopolymerizable compositions having stable qualities difficult to obtain at present.
In order to overcome the problems of low sensitivity and inconvenient handling properties under white light, a photopolymerizable composition containing an ethylenically unsaturated compound, a particular dye and a photopolymerization initiator (such as a triazine compound) has been proposed (JP-A No. 2000-131837).
However, a lithographic printing plate precursor that uses such a composition in a recording layer hinders the polymerization due to oxygen in the air at the time of a polymerization reaction, resulting in such problems as deteriorated sensitivity or insufficient strength of a formed image portion.
In order to overcome these problems, methods where a protective layer (oxygen-shielding layer) containing a water-soluble polymer is formed on an image recording layer, or where a protective layer containing an inorganic layered compound and a water-soluble polymer is used, are known (JP-A No. 11-38633). These protective layers are excellent in development removability and, owing to the presence of the protective layer, the effect of polymerization hindrance is prevented, the polymerization reaction of the image recording layer is accelerated, the sensitivity is heightened, and the mechanical strength of an image portion can be improved.
For improved productivity in the plate-making operation of photopolymerizing lithographic printing plate precursors that may be developed conveniently, it is important to shorten the time that the exposure process takes. In the exposure process, lithographic printing plate precursors are usually fed as a stack with an interleaf interposed therebetween. Accordingly, the time it takes to remove an interleaf in the exposure step is a cause of inefficiency. In order to improve the efficiency of the exposure step, it is possible to use a stacked body where an interleaf is not interposed between the precursors to omit the interleaf removing step. However, in such a stack, a protective layer surface of a lithographic printing plate precursor is rubbed by an aluminum support of another plate to cause scratches, affecting the polymerization reaction of the image recording layers, resulting in problems such as deteriorated sensitivity and development removability.
For the above reasons, an image recording material such as a lithographic printing plate precursor, high in sensitivity, excellent in development removability and difficult to scratch during handling is desired.

Image recording material and novel compound


Pressure detection means detects the pressure of an evaporation purge system that includes a fuel tank and a communicating tube, which connects a canister for adsorbing and retaining fuel vapor to an intake pipe. Shutout means shuts out the evaporation purge system from atmospheric air. A pump is driven for pressurization or depressurization purposes while the shutout means shuts out the evaporation purge system from atmospheric air. The pump is stopped when the pressure detected by the pressure detection means reaches a predetermined level. A leak judgment is formulated in accordance with pump drive time and a pressure change after pump stoppage.

Means (negative pressure method) for judging a leak in accordance with pressure changes occurring when an evaporation purge system is placed under negative pressure is well known as a conventional technology for detecting a leak from the evaporation purge system for a fuel tank of an automobile or other vehicle (e.g., Japanese Patent JP-B 2741698 and Japanese Patent JP-A 189825/1995).
However, the use of the negative pressure method has not provided an adequate diagnosis frequency in the market. One reason is that the negative pressure is insufficient during a high-load operation. To solve this problem, a method for installing a pump in a purge line between a canister and intake pipe and operating the pump to generate a negative pressure for diagnosis purposes is disclosed (refer, for instance, to Japanese Patent JP-A 138910/2002 and Japanese Patent JP-A 349364/2002).
To increase the diagnosis frequency in the market, however, it is important to establish measures for preventing a diagnosis error due to evaporation, and more particularly to establish measures for preventing a diagnosis error due to fuel level undulation (slosh). The above-mentioned technologies do not provide any solution to establish such measures.
A conventional evaporation purge system for a fuel tank will now be described with reference to FIG. 23.
A fuel tank stores gasoline or other liquid hydrocarbon fuel. The fuel tank 500 is equipped with a liquid level sensor 501. The liquid level sensor 501 converts a fuel level into an electrical signal, which enters a control unit 503. The fuel tank 500 is equipped with a pressure sensor 502, which measures the internal pressure of the fuel tank. The pressure sensor 502 converts the pressure difference between the vapor section of the fuel tank 500 and the outside of the fuel tank (atmospheric pressure) into an electrical signal and feeds the electrical signal to the control unit 503.
An evaporation purge system includes a canister 504. The canister 504 contains and adsorbent that adsorbs and retains fuel vapor. A communicating tube 510 is connected between the canister 504 and the vapor section of the fuel tank 500. Vapor that arises when the fuel in the fuel tank 500 evaporates is adsorbed and retained by the canister 504. The canister 504 prevents the vapor from being discharged into the atmosphere.
The canister 504 is equipped with a drain control valve 505. The drain control valve 505 opens and closes in accordance with an electrical signal from the control unit 503.
Therefore, when the drain control valve 505 opens while the vehicle is driven, the fuel vapor generated within the fuel tank 500 is introduced into the canister 504 and adsorbed by the canister 504.
The canister 504 communicates with an intake pipe 509 of an internal combustion engine 508 via a communicating tube 507. A purge control valve 506 is installed in the middle of the communicating tube 507. The purge control valve 506 is driven by an electrical signal from the control unit 503 so that the opening of the purge control valve 506 can be controlled.
The internal combustion engine 508 generates a negative pressure in the intake pipe 509 within a low- to medium-load operating range. Therefore, when the opening of the purge control valve 506 is adjusted as specified with the drain control valve 505 opened in such a state, outside air is introduced into the canister 504. The adsorbed vapor is then desorbed and introduced into the intake pipe 509. The introduced outside air and vapor are burned together with normal intake air and supplied fuel in the internal combustion engine 508.
A leak detection sequence based on a conventional negative pressure method will now be described with reference to FIG. 24. FIG. 24 is a typical timing diagram. This diagram illustrates operations that the drain control valve 505 and purge control valve 506 perform for evaporation leak diagnosis as well as a tank pressure that is detected by the pressure sensor 502.
Between time A and time B, the drain control valve 505 closes and the purge control valve 506 opens. The negative pressure generated in the intake pipe 509 of the internal combustion engine 508 then reduces the pressure within the fuel tank 500. When the tank pressure decreases to a predetermined level (at time B), the purge control valve 506 closes to hermetically seal the evaporation purge system. If the gradient of tank pressure increase is great before time C is reached, it is judged that there is a leak. Further, the diameter of a leak hole is determined according to the magnitude of the gradient.
However, if a slosh occurs during the use of the conventional negative pressure method, a leak may be erroneously detected due to the influence of evaporation pressure even when there is no leak. Therefore, when the conventional negative pressure method is used, it is necessary to detect a slosh and disable or mask the diagnostic function. That is why it has been difficult to provide an adequate diagnosis frequency in the market.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. It is an object of the present invention to provide an evaporation leak diagnostic device that is capable of making diagnoses without being affected by a slosh, and increase the diagnosis accuracy and frequency in the market. It is another object of the present invention to judge the properties of the fuel in the fuel tank by making effective use of information generated by the evaporation leak diagnostic device, and provide increased stability and improved exhaust at the time of engine startup.

Device and method for diagnosing evaporation leak, and control device of internal combustion engine