An information processing apparatus includes a process part implementing an access to a designated address having an access level, an access detector detecting the access, and an access part being capable of changing the access level of the designated address when the access is detected by the access detector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to information processing apparatuses and methods of controlling an access level, and more particularly, to an information processing apparatus and a method of controlling an access level by which it is possible to change an access level in every process.
2. Description of the Related Art
An access allowance area including a device is set for every execution unit of a program such as a task, in a system including a central processing unit (CPU). It is controlled to set the access allowance at a level that is provided for every task. Plural tasks are executed by a manager administrative program. The manager administrative program has a privileged level in which it is allowed to access all areas, in order to manage respective tasks. The CPU makes the manager administrative program execute a change of the task based on an interrupt caused by hardware or software.
According to a related art information processing apparatus, it executes to change a level of the task to the level of the manager administrative program by detecting the interrupt.
However, according to the related art information processing apparatus, if a process to prohibit interrupting to the CPU is implemented, for example, it may be possible to execute the task at the privileged level. Hence, the related art information processing apparatus may have a problem in that it may be possible to alter a program of another task or read out highly secret data such as an encryption key.

Information processing apparatus and method of controlling an access level


A vehicle includes a drive unit that generates a driving force for driving a driving wheel, and an accelerator pedal. In the vehicle, the driving force generated by the drive unit is controlled on the basis of an operation amount of the accelerator pedal, which is operated by a user. It is determined whether or not the vehicle carries out coasting with the drive unit unactivated. It is determined whether a predetermined condition that an activation command for the drive unit be received from the user with the accelerator pedal operated is fulfilled during the coasting. An actual driving force that is transmitted from the drive unit to the driving wheel is limited with respect to a driving force that is required by the user, in comparison with a case where the vehicle travels in a state other than the coasting, if the predetermined condition is fulfilled.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vehicle and a control method for the vehicle, and more specifically, to activation control of a vehicle in the case where a drive unit is activated during coasting.
2. Description of Related Art
In the case where a user erroneously turns off a power supply of a control system of a vehicle through operation during traveling of the vehicle, a drive unit including an internal combustion engine and a rotating electrical machine may be stopped, and the vehicle may coast with the generation of a driving force stopped.
In the case where the vehicle coasts in this manner, it may become necessary to reactivate the drive unit to cause the vehicle to travel appropriately.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-092623 (JP-2004-092623 A) discloses an art of allowing an engine to be reactivated by temporarily changing over the shifting range to a neutral range through coercion or limiting the opening degree of a throttle even in the case where the range of an automatic transmission is set to a drive range, if the engine is stopped during traveling of a vehicle.
If the drive unit is reactivated during coasting as described above, the driving force from the drive unit suddenly recovers. In particular, if the drive unit is reactivated with an accelerator pedal operated by a user, the driving force rapidly recovers immediately after the activation of the drive unit.


To facilitate protected distribution of digital data files, the files are segmented, and each segment (e.g. disk sector) is encrypted separately. Some segments can be left unencrypted, speeding access since less decryption is required. Different segments can utilize different encryption techniques, increasing protection against unauthorized decryption. A table stored in association with the encrypted data provides authorized users with data identifying the encrypted segments, and the form of encryption used. Decryption is accomplished with a layered set of operating system software that operates in conjunction with said table. Specialized APIs aren't used; applications programs are provided with unencrypted data using conventional APIs. Internal interfaces, invisible to the APIS, intercept normal processing calls (e.g READs) and direct them to internal decryption software that returns decrypted data back to the APIs.

The nature and structure of information stored in a digital format (e.g. computer software, multimedia information, etc.) allows it to be copied and distributed easily over a wide variety of mediums, including modems, wireless technologies, CD-ROMs, floppy disks, the Internet, bulletin boards, computer networks, etc. This attribute makes digital information difficult to protect.
One prior art solution for protecting, yet widely disseminating, digital information is to allow free distribution of the information in encrypted form. An example of such a system is disclosed in Mori, R., "Superdistribution: The Concept and Architecture", Transaction of the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communications Engineers, vol. E73, no. 7, pp. 1133-46, July 1990 (Japan).
In systems such as that taught by Mori, the storage of digital information in an encrypted format allows any user to obtain a copy of the information for free, or for a small fee that covers the cost of the associated storage medium.
After previewing a deliberately unencrypted sample of the information, if the user actually wants to use the full set of information (e.g. to view data, play a game, use an application program, etc.) the user can do so by paying a fee. After the fee is paid, (usually electronically by use of a credit card), the user receives a decryption key which allows decryption and use of the digital information.
In prior art systems of the foregoing type, the encrypted data is typically encrypted on a file by file basis. That is, a whole file of data is encrypted as a unit. Such an approach, however, has various drawbacks. For example, the whole file of data must be decrypted before any of the information can be used, even if only a small portion of the information is needed. This wastes computational time and computer resources.
Within the field of data encryption/decryption generally, there are prior art "secure" file systems which have the capability to perform encryption/decryption operations transparently to the user, as data is written to/read from a storage medium. A number of such systems are disclosed in the cited references.
These secure file systems, too, have various drawbacks. For example, there is little flexibility as to the encryption method, encryption pattern, or decryption key type to be used. Accordingly, the information must be encrypted with a method, pattern and key type that are already known to the file system. Further, the operating system must provide a set of especially adapted application programs to handle encrypted information. Existing programs must be extensively revised to make use of the additional application programs before they can be run using the secure file system.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the foregoing and other problems of the prior art are overcome. In the preferred embodiment, data is encrypted on a per-sector basis. Some portion of a sector comprising a file can be left unencrypted, speeding access since less decryption is required. Different files can utilize different encryption depth techniques, increasing protection against unauthorized decryption.
Decryption is accomplished with a layered set of operating system software that operates in conjunction with specialized APIs. Application programs are provided unencrypted data using conventional APIs, by issuing calls to the specialized APIs which identify the encrypted files and the form of encryption used. Internal interfaces, invisible to the APIs, intercept normal processing calls (e.g READS) and direct them to internal decryption software that returns decrypted data back to the APIs.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Method and apparatus for protecting widely distributed digital information


An apparatus, when in use, is connected to standby electrical power through a power cord. The apparatus controls the electrical power source to a transportation vehicle with an electrical control device. The electrical control device is energized by a switch. The switch is operated by attaching the transportation vehicle power cord by means of compression via two nylon ties. When tension is present on the transportation vehicle power cord the nylon ties will break. When the nylon ties break, the switch immediately de-energizes the electrical control device and the transportation vehicle power cord. If the transportation vehicle continues to pull on the transportation vehicle power cord, it will be in the de-energized mode. The transportation vehicle power cord will be pulled away from the apparatus and away from the electrical connections through a water tight grip.

This invention relates generally to electrical connectors and more particularly to an electrical power interrupt control device which is capable of automatically interrupting the flow of current through a power line which is connected to a vehicle.
Transportation vehicles such as refrigerated trucks, transport refrigerated units, boats, recreational vehicles and delivery tractor trailers typically utilize power lines which are connected to stand-by power sources while the vehicle is stationary or docked. This allows truck and boat operators to connect their vehicle while stopped and to use off-board power sources in order to operate on-board systems such as refrigeration, air conditioning and heating equipment, and other appliances of various type and application, without any engine idling.
There are existing problems which relate to the use of these off-board power sources. Before a vehicle operator can safely drive away or undock, the stand-by power must first be de-energized, and then the power line to the vehicle must be disconnected and stored. The problem as it relates is that, due to human error and judgment, many operators forget to de-energize and disconnect the power line before disembarking. When an operator disembarks without disconnecting the power line from the vehicle, this results in damage to any combination of the power cord, the flange inlet on the vehicle, the male plug and receptacle or the connector; more importantly, the power supplied to all these connecting electrical parts usually remains energized, which is a large safety hazard to unknowing individuals who may not realize the potential for electrocution upon contact with live parts.
The 2008 version of the National Electrical Code addressed this problem by requiring that "power supply cable(s) shall be provided with a means to de-energize the cable conductors and power service delivery device upon exposure to strain that could result in either cable damage or separation from the power service delivery device and exposure of live parts."
There is a continuing and mandated need for an apparatus capable of disconnecting power to a transportation vehicle power cord, so that current flow is interrupted to prevent problems such as electrocution and electrical fires. There is also a need to help prevent major damage to electrical equipment due to excessive stress placed upon the electrical wiring.


A rack and conveyor shuttle system for placing and retrieving articles of various sizes including a rack system having a shelving framework of at least two tubes spaced apart from one another at a distance, wherein the distance between the tubes is sufficient to support the article in a single stack and a motorized, conveyor shuttle system having at least two finger-like conveyors spaced apart from one another at a distance, wherein the distance between the finger-like conveyors is sufficient to move in between the two tubes so as to engage the article wherein the conveyor shuttle system is adapted to interlace in between the rack system for both placing and retrieving the article.

Material handling systems allow for various orders to be filled in warehouse environments. Depending on the warehouse and the type of goods being stored, material handling can be automated, semi-automated or manual. In general warehouses often contain a large number and a wide variety of goods which makes handling and storing these goods problematic. Typically material handling systems have attempted to track, store, and retrieve goods for customer orders in an efficient manner. Where a customer order contains various goods of different sizes and weights, the order has traditionally been filled by utilizing a multi-level rack system and manually going to each level and retrieving the specific goods. Depending on the warehouse and the goods being stored, sophisticated machinery is needed to reach the various levels of the rack system. Furthermore additional personnel are needed to not only operate the machinery but to manually retrieve the specific goods to fill the customer order.
Prior art handling systems have been devised to address the some of these noted problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,321 issued on Mar. 28, 2000 to Labell and relates to an automated storage system for receiving, storing and returning dairy cases stored without pallets. Specifically, the automated storage system comprises an article transporter which includes a shuttle that deposits and retrieves dairy cases stored in storage lanes of a storage rack and a rail system for supporting the shuttle and dairy cases stored thereon. One or more shuttles may be used in the automated storage and retrieval system and are coupled via a shuttle bridge. The rail system includes two or more outer support rails and two or more inner support rails for supporting the shuttle and dairy cases.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,800 which issued on Oct. 10, 1989 to Gutov relates to a unit goods storage includes racks, a frame-work of which is made up each of vertical masts giving support to stacks of cantilever shelves facing each other with their free sides so as to form vertical passages each containing a horizontal conveyor the ends of the frames of which extend beyond the framework. All ends of the frames of the conveyors are interlinked by stiff members so as to form therewith a grid work capable of displacing up and down the height of the storage under the action of a drive.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,978 which issued on Oct. 15, 1991 to Grafe et al. relates to a high shelf system and a conveyor arrangement including a vertical mast structure which is movable in longitudinal direction of a corridor between shelf racks. The mast structure includes load receiving members which can be aligned with the shelf compartments. The load receiving members are displaceable perpendicularly to the shelf corridor. A load receiving member is fixedly arranged on the mast structure for each shelf level. At least one loading and unloading station is provided for the conveyor arrangement for vertically moving units to be stored between a storage input and output level and the shelf compartments. Each load receiving member carries on a rigid platform a transverse conveyor device which is adjustable along the entire length of the platform and beyond each end of the platform. The transverse conveyor device includes a slide or carriage. A linear drive arranged on the platform acts on the slide. The slide has at both ends thereof locking members for the units to be stored. The locking members can be raised and lowered transversely of the direction of movement of the slide. The locking members are coupled to an adjusting drive which is mounted on the slide or to an adjusting drive which is mounted partially on the slide and partially on the platform.
Thus a rack and conveyor shuttle system which allows for efficiently and accurately filling of mixed pallet orders that have different sized and weighted boxes would be is desirable.

Rack, conveyor and shuttle automated pick system


A pulsation damper for hydraulic circuits has a housing including a bottom, a casing, and a cover, a damper chamber which is sealed from outside and provided with supply and discharge means for a pressure medium, the housing being composed of two parts so that the bottom and the cover are connected with one another to form a single central element, while the casing peripherally surrounds the central element, the central element, and means forming force-free connecting points between the central element and the cover.

The present invention relates to a pulsation dampers, in particular in hydraulic circuits.
Pulsation dampers in hydraulics circuits are used for reducing pressure or volume stream pulsations, which are caused by displacement pumps because of their working principle. The pulsation dampers which for this purpose are located immediately after the pressure outlet of the displacement pumps are either directly integrated in the pump housing or as separate components are mounted on the pumps or arranged externally to them. For a price-favorable manufacture in a diecasting processes, the damper chambers of conventional pulsation dampers need large openings which are closed by corresponding covers. These covers must be secured by heavy and expensive mounting elements because of their pressure-loaded surfaces.
A separate pulsation damper which is directly mounted on a radial piston pump in an eccentric construction is disclosed in FIG. 1 of the German patent document DE 37 12 412 A1. This pulsation damper is composed of a one-part housing which is connected in a not shown manner by its flange surface with the housing of the radial piston pump. The flange surface of the pulsation damper provides an undercut which makes the manufacturing cost of the housing more expensive. The pressure forces of the feed stream of the radial piston pump which pulsates in the damper chamber loads the housing, because of the one-piece construction, substantially with a pulsating pulling stress in axial and tangential directions of the pulsation damper. In order to provide the required strength of the housing relatively thick walls must be utilized, or a limitation to the pressure-loading surfaces and thereby the damping properties of the pulsation damper is needed.


This invention is directed to improved catalytic compounds, minizymes and miniribozymes, capable of hybridizing with a target RNA to be cleaved. The minizymes and miniribozymes and compositions of the present invention may be used in vitro or in vivo. They may be used as diagnostic or therapeutic agents.

Several types of ribozymes have been identified in living organisms. One of the first ribozymes to show catalytic turnover was RNA of ribonuclease P. Ribonuclease P (RNase P) cleaves precursor tRNAs (pre-tRNAs) at their 5' ends to give the mature 5'-termini of tRNAs. In Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, the RNase P holoenzyme is composed of one basic protein subunit of approximate M.sub.r 14,000 (119 amino acids) and one single stranded RNA molecule of 377 and 401 nucleotides, respectively [Baer, 1990; Altman 1987; Waugh, 1989; Pace, 1990; Nichols, 1988]. Another early ribozyme to show cleavage was the L-19 intervening sequence (IVS) from tetrahymena. The 413 nucleotide intervening sequence (IVS) in the nuclear rRNA precursor from Tetrahymena thermophila can be excised and the two exons ligated in the complete absence of any protein [Kruger, 1982; Cech, 1981]. Unique to this class of self-splicing reaction is the requirement of a guanosine or 5' guanosine nucleotide cofactor. The hammerhead self-cleavage reaction constitutes a third class of ribozymes. A number of plant pathogenic RNAs [Symons, 1989; Symons, 1990; Bruening, 1989; Bruening 1990], one animal viral RNA [Taylor, 1990] and a transcript from satellite II of DNA of the newt [Epstein, 1987; Epstein 1989] and from a Neurospora DNA plasmid [Saville, 1990] undergo a site specific self-cleavage reaction in vitro to produce cleavage fragments with a 2',3'-cyclic phosphate and a 5'-hydroxyl group. This reaction is unlike RNase P RNA cleavage of pre-tRNAs, where the internucleotide bond undergoes a phosphoryl transfer reaction in the presence of Mg.sup.++ or other divalent cations. Metal cations may be essential to RNA catalysis [Pyle, 1993]. Other reactions documented to date show that ribozymes can catalyze the cleavage of DNA [Robertson, 1990; Herschlag 1990], the replication of RNA strands [Green, 1992], the opening of 2'-3'-cyclic phosphate rings [Pan, 1992], as well as react with phosphate monoesters [Zaug, 1986] and carbon centers [Noller, 1992; Piccirilli, 1992]. Finally, ribozymes with new kinds of catalytic reactivity are being created through techniques of in vitro selection and evolution [Breaker and Joyce, 1994; Szostak, 1992].
The ability to design a ribozyme to specifically target and cleave any designated RNA sequence has led to much interest in the potential application of hammerhead ribozymes in transgenic plants and in animal health as gene therapy agents or drugs. To improve the ability to treat a disease or target a specific nucleic acid, it is desirable to optimize the ribozyme to achieve the maximum chemical activity. While much success has been achieved in vitro in targeting and cleaving a number of designated RNA sequences (Saxena and Ackerman, 1990; Lamb and Hayes, 1991; Evans, et al., 1992; Mazzolini, et al., 1992; Homann, et al., 1993), there are fewer whole cell examples.
Previous reports have demonstrated that high levels of ribozyme expression are required to achieve reduced accumulation of target sequence in vivo [Cameron and Jennings, 1989; Cotten and Birnsteil, 1989; Sioud and Drilca, 1991; L'Huillier, et al., 1992; Perriman et al., 1993]. Additionally, a recent article suggests a necessity for the target and ribozyme to be sequestered in the same cellular compartment [Sullenger and Cech, 1993]. These reports demonstrate that hammerhead ribozymes are clearly capable of specific cleavage of a designated target RNA within a biological system.

Optimized minizymes and miniribozymes and uses thereof

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization


A device includes a gas cell (10X) configured to form an introduction space (11X) into which a target gas is introduced, an infrared light source (20X) disposed at one end of the gas cell (10X), a modulation mirror (70X) disposed at one end of the gas cell (10X) and configured to reflect or transmit light emitted from the infrared light source (20X), a reflecting mirror (60X) configured to reflect light transmitted through the modulation mirror (70X), a saturated gas chamber (40X), in which a predetermined comparison gas is hermetically enclosed, disposed on an optical path of light transmitted through the modulation mirror (70X), a light receiving unit (30X) disposed at the other end of the gas cell (10X) and configured to receive light reflected by the modulation mirror (70X) and light transmitted through the modulation mirror (70X) and reflected by the reflecting mirror (60X) through the saturated gas chamber (40X), and a calculation circuit (3X) configured to calculate the concentration of the target gas based on received light energy values of the light receiving unit (30X) in each case in which light is reflected or transmitted by the modulation mirror (70X).

In the related art, for example, a gas concentration calculating device for calculating a concentration of a gas such as carbon dioxide has been introduced in fields of an air-conditioning system, and so on. As ON/OFF of ventilation is controlled based on calculation results in the gas concentration calculating device, the air-conditioning system is efficiently operated and power consumption is reduced. Such a gas concentration calculating device uses an NDIR (non-dispersive infrared) method, and the NDIR method is a technique of calculating a concentration of a gas based on attenuation upon passage of infrared light through a target gas.
As the gas concentration calculating device using the NDIR method, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a gas concentration calculating device, in which light from a single light source is emitted into a gas cell, and the light passing through the gas cell is detected by a first detector and a second detector. The first detector detects light passing through an optical path constituted by a region for gas to be measured, and an inert gas region hermetically enclosed in a measuring gas chamber. The second detector detects light passing through an optical path constituted by a region for gas to be measured, and a gas region having the same gas as a gas to be measured, which is hermetically enclosed in a comparison gas chamber. In addition, an increase or decrease in irradiation light quantity is detected by the second detector, and an output of the first detector is calibrated.
Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a gas concentration calculating device for detecting a concentration of a sample gas in a cylinder. Here, a reflecting mirror is installed at a head of a piston reciprocating in the cylinder, and a light source and a detector are disposed at the head of the cylinder to be directed inward with respect to the cylinder. According to the above-mentioned configuration, light emitted from the light source and reflected by the reflecting mirror on the piston is received by the detector. According to the reciprocation of the piston, since an optical path length from the light source to the detector via the reflecting mirror is varied, an energy value received by the detector is varied. Thus, based on a variation in output values output from the detector, a concentration of the sample gas is calculated.

Gas concentration calculation device and gas concentration measurement module


A planetary transmission with at least one planetary gearset including planetary gears supported on a planetary gear carrier. The planetary carrier has inner teeth, which engage outer teeth of a shaft to form a lock tooth array. To secure the planetary carrier axially on the shaft, the planetary carrier is placed with one axial end against a stop on the shaft and the opposite axial end is fixed axially with a circlip fit into a circlip groove in the shaft. At least one axially adjacent component is supported against the planetary carrier such that an axial bearing is arranged radially and axially adjacent to the circlip and includes a roller group guided in a cage and a first check-disk. A second check-disk is arranged radially opposite and at a distance from the circlip in such manner that when assembled, the circlip cannot escape from the circlip groove in the shaft.

Planetary transmissions with one or more planetary gearsets have long been known in the most varied forms. For example, from DE 10 2004 006 723 A1, a planetary transmission with planetary gears mounted to rotate on a planetary gear carrier is known. The planetary gears meshing with a ring gear, having teeth on the inside, and with a sun gear.
Furthermore, DE 10 2005 026 617 A1 discloses a planetary transmission with a plurality of planetary gearsets arranged coaxially with one another, in which the planetary gears are mounted to rotate on planetary gear carriers, on the axial end faces of the planetary gear carriers axial bearings in the form of needle bearings are formed. These serve for rotary axial support on adjacent transmission components.
Finally, securing elements for shaft-hub connections are known and formed as circlips. Such circlip securing is known from DE 25 08 677 C3 in which a first circlip is positioned in a groove of a shaft and a second circlip is arranged in a groove in the hub, radially and axially close to the first circlip to secure it against radial escape.
Against that background, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a planetary transmission improved still further, such that a simple and inexpensive structural means enables a planetary carrier arranged on a shaft to be secured axially and in which the ways for securing the planetary carrier axially are themselves secured in their assembled position once the transmission has been assembled.


In a method for recovering antimony from the electrolyte of copper electro-refining process, the antimony is adsorbed on the chelating resin and is then eluted by acid. The eluate is then neutralized to recover antimony. In a conventional method, a large amount of acid and alkali is used. In the inventive eluting method, the antimony concentration in the acidic eluting solution is adjusted to 4 g/L or more in the first step and 3 g/L or less in the second step.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention is related to a method for eluting antimony, which has been adsorbed on the chelating resin, thereby separating antimony from the chelating resin and hence recovering antimony. More particularly, the present invention is related to a purification method of an antimony-containing electrolyte from the copper refining process and the like, so as to recover the antimony from such electrolyte.
2. Description of Related Art
In the copper refining process, in which the electrolyte is subjected to deposition of copper, antimony is left in the electrolyte and is then removed from the electrolyte by, for example, ion-exchanging using a chelating resin, a functional group of which is aminophosphonic acid.
A method for removal and recovery of antimony from the chelating resin, is illustrated in the flow chart shown in FIG. 1 with the following reference numerals: 1--concentrated hydrochloric acid tank; 2--acid-conditioning tank; 3--acid feed-tank; 4--chelating-resin tower; 4a--chelating resin; 5--neutralizing tank; and, 6--filter press.
The concentrated hydrochloric acid from tank 1 and the liquor from the chelating resin tower 4, described in detail hereinafter, are mixed in the acid-conditioning tank 2, where the HCl concentration is adjusted to approximately 6N (c.f. 4). The hydrochloric acid solution with adjusted concentration is then once stored in the acid feed-tank 3 and is then passed through the chelating-resin tower 4. The hydrochloric acid, as eluting solution, is caused to react with the chelating resin 4a, on which the antimony has been adsorbed. The antimony is thus eluted in the form of SbCl.sub.3 (c.f. 2). The eluted antimony is brought into contact with an alkali such as Ca(OH).sub.2 in the neutralizing tank 5 to convert SbCl.sub.3 to Sb(OH).sub.3, which is then subjected to the filter press 6 (c.f. 3).
Referring to FIG. 2, the relationship between the eluting time and the antimony concentration of the eluate is shown. As is shown in FIG. 2, most of the antimony is eluted from the chelating-resin tower 4 at the initial eluting stage. The eluate with high Sb-concentration yielded in the initial eluting period is transferred to and neutralized in the neutralizing tank 5 and is then subjected to the recovery stage of Sb(OH).sub.3. Meanwhile, the eluate with low Sb-concentration yielded in the subsequent period is not neutralized but is transferred into the acid-conditioning tank 2 and is mixed with concentrated hydrochloric acid. The resultant mixture is re-used as the eluting acidic solution, as described above. The initial and subsequent eluting treatments are carried out, as described above, while leaving some portion of the eluate in the chelating-resin tower 4. This remaining eluate is air-purged and, then, the chelating resin 4a is scrubbed or washed with water. The air-purged and hence removed eluate and a portion of the scrubbing water are recovered to re-use for the acid-conditioning. The other portion of the scrubbing water is exhausted as waste liquor outside the liquor purification system shown in FIG. 1.

Method for eluting antimony adsorbed on chelating resin


Image data is encoded using a buffer memory, and code amount of image data occupying the buffer memory upon coding is detected and buffer information related to the detected code amount is outputted. The coded image data and the buffer information are recorded on a recording medium. In a case where additional recording or overwriting is started, the buffer information in a position immediately before a start position of the additional recording or overwriting is read out, and coding is started based on value, thereby buffer overflow can be prevented.

In recent years, moving image coding methods such as MPEG (Moving Picture Expert Group) coding having an inter-frame motion-compensation function have been rapidly put into practical use by development of semiconductor technology or the like. As video coding standards, defined are MPEG-1 (ISO/IEC 11172-2), MPEG-2 (ISO/IEC 13818-2) and MPEG-4 (ISO/IEC 14496-2) providing an inter-frame motion-compensation function.
FIG. 7 shows an example of frame structure with motion compensation employed in MPEG video coding.
In FIG. 7, in an I (Intra) frame, coding is completed within the frame (intra-frame coding), and in a P (Predictive) frame, only a past frame to the time axis is used in motion prediction (forward prediction). Further, in a B (Bi-directional) frame, past and future frames to the time axis are used in motion prediction (bi-directional prediction).
In the MPEG-4 coding, the use of B frame may be limited in a profile regulation. Arbitrary plural frames can be handled as a group as GOP (Group Of Pictures). In FIG. 7, frames 1 to 15 are handled as one GOP.
In the MPEG standards, the coding rate is controlled by using a virtual buffer, VBV (Video Buffering Verifier). The VBV will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a graph showing time change of buffer occupation amount.
The VBV buffer size is defined by profile. For example, in the MP@ML (main profile, main level) already used in many applications, the maximum VBV buffer size is 1,835,008 bits.
The encoder controls a coding amount to each frame while monitoring the VBV buffer size. A virtual decoder capable of instantaneous decoding by frame is prepared, to read data from the buffer instantaneously and decode the data.
At this time, buffer overflow is prohibited in any case. Further, buffer underflow must not occur except in a low-delay mode. On the other hand, in the low-delay mode, the buffer underflow may occur, however, there is a possibility that a frame skip state (the same frame is repeatedly played back for a predetermined period) occurs.
Since the VBV buffer is a virtual buffer, the occupancy of the VBV buffer itself is detected on the decoder side in frame units (or field units in minimum time), but it is not set in code data for transmission.
Next, an example where MPEG data is recorded on a random-inaccessible medium such as a magnetic tape, will be considered. FIG. 10 shows recording tracks on the magnetic tape. A magnetic tape T as a recording medium has a recording unit called "track" scanned by a head. In the figure, tracks 1001 to 1048 are formed in a direction intersecting a tape running direction at a predetermined angle.
Further, as a countermeasure for reading error, an ECC (Error Correction Code) is added by at least one track. This is called an ECC interleave block. In FIG. 10, 16 tracks constitute 1 ECC interleave block. More specifically, tracks 1001 to 1016 constitute an ECC interleave block 1; tracks 1017 to 1032, an ECC interleave block 2; and tracks 1033 to 1048, an ECC interleave block 3.
Accordingly, additional recording, overwriting and the like can be made by ECC interleave block. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-213566 discloses recording by GOP corresponding to at least one ECC interleave block.
Further, as a method for scene-sequence photographing with such medium, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-195840 discloses processing of appropriately inserting invalid data before and after scene-sequence photographing thereby temporarily increasing the coding rate.
However, the conventional techniques as described above have the following problems.
First, when scene-sequence photographing is to be performed, as the information on buffer occupation amount is lost, trouble may occur in the rate control function and reproduction. FIG. 9 is a graph similar to FIG. 8 showing time change of buffer occupation amount. In FIG. 9, the information on buffer occupation amount is lost upon start of scene-sequence photographing (t0), then the buffer occupation amount exceeds the VBV buffer size, and buffer overflow occurs.
Secondly, in a case where invalid data is appropriately inserted for prevention of buffer overflow after the start of scene-sequence photographing, the buffer occupation amount is further increased (i.e., the rate is increased), and the rate control itself may be harmfully influenced.
Thirdly, after the scene-sequence photographing, a similar problem occurs in the portion of scene-sequence photographing and the previously-recorded background portion, which degrades image quality upon reproduction.
Accordingly, in the conventional methods, seamless scene-sequence photographing cannot be performed without difficulty.

Image data recording apparatus and method


Spectrum control systems and methods are implemented to minimize power spectral density (PSD) offsets by adjusting gain of optical amplifiers in an optical section. The optical section is a logical boundary from one optical signal access point to a next adjacent optical signal access point. The systems and methods include estimating PSD offset from a given target for a peak channel at each span in the optical section, wherein the estimated PSD offset is divided at each span into two components including a self-introduced offset and an uncompensated offset from upstream; generating, for each span, a separate controller response for the self-introduced offset and the uncompensated offset from upstream; and controlling the gain of the optical amplifiers based on the separate controller response for the self-introduced offset and the uncompensated offset from upstream, for each span.

With the introduction of high degree port count reconfigurable Wavelength Selective Switching (WSS) modules and other Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexing (ROADM) devices in mesh optical networks, and with the potential of high-mesh connectivity, control of optical networks is becoming very complex in terms of sequencing, messaging, and holding off control cycles for spectral stability between optically connected control domains. As new active optical line elements are introduced in a network, that are increasingly trying to control the same optical signals from upstream to downstream, stability of end-to-end optical signals is a primary concern. Conventionally, in optical networks, controllers are used to control the optical spectrum of various optical links in the optical network. Cascaded controllers are known to be unstable when operated independently without special treatment. To deal with such problems, conventional techniques use peer-to-peer messaging between neighboring sections or logical control domains that allow complete sequential operations from one control domain to the next, to ensure a stable system response.
However, there are multiple issues with peer-to-peer messaging. First, peer-to-peer messaging generate traffic overhead for control messaging. The peer-to-peer messaging framework works fine when there are a few dependent control domains. With the increase in the number of dependent control domains, especially in metro/mesh optical networks, and with the new high degree capable of ROADM architectures, the management of peer-to-peer messaging and sequencing actions between control domains, where each domain can have multi-degree upstream and downstream dependent domains, becomes very complex and unmanageable. Also, the peer-to-peer messaging does not scale in case of linear networks with long chains of cascaded control domains, where peer-to-peer messaging between two neighboring control domains fails to stop further downstream control domains that start to compensate for uncompensated upstream faults almost at the same time and generate spectrum instability.
Stability becomes an issue when peer-to-peer messaging fails to stop multiple control domains from reacting simultaneously due to capacity changes, fault handling, and performance optimization activities, collectively events in the optical network. When there are events, in a cascaded linear system, cascaded controllers can sequence operations to control optical spectrum at the same time in order to optimize launch powers and Optical Signal-to-Noise Ratio (OSNR) following the events. However, this can lead to oscillations or ringing in the optical spectrum, which in turn, can cause traffic hits. In a mesh optical network, or in a ring, where each optical section works on the same optical payloads as are in its upstream or downstream, the created oscillations over the spectrum, following events, can easily generate prolonged instability in the system.
Having independent sectional controllers or logical control domains that can control multiple actuators within a domain to maintain OSNR integrity over the optical spectrum following an event, such as an upstream fiber fault or span loss variations, remains a challenge, where if multiple downstream controllers start compensating for an upstream fault, it creates major instability over the optical spectrum. Again, conventional techniques of maintaining spectrum stability include either via peer-to-peer messaging between neighboring control domains and/or using arbitrary wait times in downstream control domains allowing upstream controller enough time to compensate for the fault or error. Other options may include designing subsequent controllers to update at the order of magnitudes slower than the upstream controllers. However, such conventional techniques are not scalable, especially in mesh optical networks, when each sectional controller may have to deal with multi-degree upstream and downstream dependent controllers, or in case of linear networks with long chain of cascaded control domains, where downstream controllers start to compensate for an uncompensated upstream fault after certain period. Hence, the challenge to achieve independent control domains with stable system response remains unresolved, which is primarily addressed herein.
The problem becomes more pronounced during a capacity change (add/delete) in network configurations in optical sections, where optical add/drop multiplexers (OADMs) are equipped with limited or no per channel actuator capabilities, and capacity change is mostly done either via upstream ROADMs equipped with Wavelength Selective Switches (WSSs) and/or by using transponder actuation capabilities. As it often happens with a capacity change, the spectral loading changes over the optical spectrum, it creates dynamic and static offsets on other in-service channels that almost linearly grows with the number of Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifiers (EDFAs) present in the line system. Although most of the EDFAs can compensate for the dynamic portion of the transient offsets using their fast gain controlled loops, it is the static offsets, that are mostly left over primarily due to spectral hole burning within the EDFAs and to some extents by Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS), and amplifier tilt and ripple, and have to be dealt with upper layer of controllers such as sectional controller that typically operates in much slower extent (in seconds) by changing gain of the EDFAs to compensate offsets on in-service channels. And when multiple sectional controllers react simultaneously to a capacity change controlled from upstream, it generates instability in the system.
A typical example of such upstream controlled capacity change appears in flexible grid systems, specifically in a spectrally-tied super channel (also known as media channel) expansion/contraction scenario. In such case, in order to add new sub-carriers (also known as network media channels) into an already in-service super channel, the bandwidth of the super channel needs to be extended first on the flexible grid capable WSSs almost at the same attenuation level as the other in-service sub-carriers in order to avoid potential filter roll-off penalty for the new and existing sub-carriers. The allocation of the bandwidth and the expansion of the media channel should have to be done from ingress to egress in every ROADM sites before the addition of the new sub-carriers, which then have to be taken place using actuation capabilities available on the transponders. Such capacity additions or deletions over multiple OADM sections with long chain of amplifiers generate static power spectral density (PSD) offsets on other in-service channels, and without some sectional controllers that can not only just minimize PSD offsets autonomously, but also can maintain spectrum stability, the overall operation of media channel expansion/contraction in flexible-grid configuration is going to be complex and time consuming in terms of network-wide sequencing and messaging between all optically connected control domains.
Such challenges require autonomous and self-correcting controllers that can ensure the end-to-end stability of the optical spectrum, and yet handle capacity changes and faults with guaranteed optimal performance in a timely manner. With the evolving complexity of optical networks, it would be advantageous to move away from the sequential, peer-to-peer messaging-based approaches towards a non-peer-to-peer messaging-based, autonomous controller framework.

Spectrum controller systems and methods in optical networks


A heat exchanger comprises a base portion and a plurality of fins. The fins are disposed on the base portion in parallel along a processing direction. Each fin has a processing surface far away from the base portion. The processing surfaces sunken to form at least one groove, and the groove extends along a grooving direction which intersects with the processing direction. Furthermore, each fin has two upper valley sides at the groove, and the two upper valley sides connect the processing surface. The two upper valley sides and the processing surface form an obtuse angle. The structure of the heat exchanger can prevent processing waste filling in the passages between fins.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates to a heat exchanger and method for fabricating the heat exchanger, and more particularly to a heat exchanger having a plurality of fins and method for fabricating the heat exchanger.
2. Description of the Related Art
A heat dissipation module for a cabinet server often uses air-cooling heat dissipation mode. The operation of air-cooling heat dissipation is to set heat dissipation fins on various heat sources and to set corresponding heat dissipation fans in the casing of the cabinet server. The heat convection forced by the heat dissipation fans can dissipate heat generated by the heat sources. In this heat dissipation manner, the environmental temperature of the casing is very high because after the airflow brought by the heat dissipation fans takes way heat, the environmental temperature will be increased. Therefore, during the heat dissipation for the cabinet server, the directions for dissipating heat needed to be uniformed so that a cold channel and a hot channel are formed to control the environmental temperature. If environmental temperature of equipment room is not well controlled, it is very difficult to decrease the temperature of the cabinet server. With area of the equipment room getting larger, the density of servers is getting much greater. The design and management of environmental temperature, cold channel and hot channel become increasingly complicated.
The liquid-cooling heat dissipation module provides another manner for dissipating heat. The liquid-cooling heat dissipation module does not use air to decrease temperature, and thus it will not have the shortcomings of the air-cooling heat dissipation. The liquid-cooling heat dissipation module comprises a cooling device and a cooling pipe connecting the cooling device. The cooling device and the cooling pipe are disposed on the cabinet. The cooling pipe is connected to a heat exchanger for a heat source. The heat exchanger has a chamber, in which a plurality of heat dissipation fins are set. Multiple passages are formed between these fins. The cooling liquid provided by the cooling device flows to the heat exchanger through the cooling pipe, and flows through the passages in the heat exchanger. The cooling liquid performs heat exchange with the fins when flowing through the passages. In this manner, the heat absorbed by the fins can be taken away by the cooling liquid.
However, when cutting the upper margin of these fins, cutting waste is easily filled in the passages. Furthermore, part of the cooling liquid will gasify to be smaller bubbles. It is difficult to get rid of these bubbles if the cutting waste is filled in the passages. In other words, the cutting waste filled in the passages may block the cooling liquid flowing and thus influences the heat dissipation efficiency.

Heat exchanger and method for fabricating the same


Estimating the field strength from an ultrasonic phased array can be done by summing the contribution of each transducer to the point of interest. Since this contribution is already calculated when creating a converging spherical wave, it can be reused to add a virtual microphone to the system. By monitoring this microphone and moving it along with new focus points, a robust system of field estimates and regulation may be established.

A goal of this disclosure is to produce an estimate of the acoustic pressure from an ultrasound phased array that reasonably matches the measurement of a stationary or slow-moving microphone at a similar location.
There are methods that detail ways to calculate instantaneous pressure or intensity or other metrics in the field. Here, a series of algorithms efficiently use computational resources to calculate time-averaged metrics. These are useful for determining and regulating hot spots and higher-than desired pressure.

Dynamic capping with virtual microphones


A vehicle exterior rearview mirror assembly, especially suited for vehicles used for towing trailers, which selectively holds a mirror subassembly in one of a plurality of positions along a mounting arm to provide at least an inboard, non-towing position and an outboard, towing position. The vehicle exterior rearview mirror assembly includes the mirror subassembly, which includes a housing and a reflective element supported in the housing, a mounting bracket adapted for mounting to a vehicle, and a support for mounting the mirror subassembly to the mounting bracket. The support includes a pair of arms which cooperate with the housing to support the mirror subassembly in one of two or more extended positions from the mounting bracket.

The present invention relates to an exterior rearview mirror for mounting on a vehicle and, more particularly, to an extendable exterior rearview mirror for mounting on a vehicle which can be extended to a position spaced farther outboard and away from the vehicle body than the normal mirror viewing position when the vehicle is used for towing a trailer, camper, another vehicle, or the like.
Conventional towing mirrors include a mirror subassembly that is mounted to the body of a vehicle by a support and mounting bracket. The support positions the mirror subassembly at a fixed distance from the body of the vehicle which is farther than the position of conventional exterior rearview mirrors in order to provide an unobstructed view to the rear of the towed object. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,119,591 to A. J. Malecki discloses a rigid support for eccentrically mounting a mirror assembly to a vehicle in a fixed extended position. Naturally, these fixed extended rearview mirror assemblies increase the width of the vehicle. In some vehicles, the width is increased beyond the maximum width allowed by conventional vehicle transport trucks which deliver the vehicles to the dealership. Therefore, these mirror assemblies are typically installed at the dealership, which ultimately increases the cost of the vehicle.
In addition, use of the prior known fixed, extended rearview mirror assemblies is also inconvenient for the driver who only occasionally tows a trailer. Since such mirror assemblies substantially increase the width of the vehicle, they hamper normal maneuvering through passages, such as those defined by garage door openings, drive through banking structures, and the like. Furthermore, they are more vulnerable to being damaged or causing damage than conventional exterior rearview mirrors, especially when used by an inexperienced driver. This inconvenience is compounded by the fact that, not only do these extended rearview mirrors generally detract from the appearance of the vehicle, they increase the cost of the vehicle.
In response to the needs of the drivers who only occasionally tow objects, several extendible mirror assemblies have been developed. For example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,513,048 and 5,489,080, each disclose mirrors supported on telescoping tubular members which are fixed in position by threaded fasteners. Though simple in construction, these telescoping members typically require the operator to use a tool to adjust the position of the mirror. Moreover, they tend to increase the vibration of the mirror assembly, which may in turn loosen the connection between the telescoping members of the mirror assembly, especially when the mirror assembly is in the outboard position.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,239 to Lewis, an extendable mirror element is disclosed in which the mirror element is extended from the mirror casing to an outboard position. Again, the mounting bracketry lacks the structure to perform well in vibration. Furthermore, the mirror element is more vulnerable to damage.
In contrast, U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,376 to Pace discloses an extensible vehicle mirror which includes a rack and pinion drive system and drive motor to translate a mirror longitudinally along the mirror support arm. As a result, Pace's mirror assembly is relatively complicated and the associated parts increase the weight of the mirror assembly significantly. The more parts that require assembling, the greater the costs of manufacture. Moreover, weight increases of this magnitude tend to increase the vibration of the mirror assembly and degrade the performance of the mirror.
Consequently, there is a need for an extendable exterior rearview mirror that can be installed at the factory, which provides the extended field of view required when towing vehicles and yet can be manually retracted to a normal operating position where it does not hamper the maneuverability of the vehicle. Moreover, the extendable rearview mirror should have minimal impact on the vibration of the mirror assembly and be relatively easy to adjust between non-towing and towing positions without the need for tools.

Adjustable exterior rearview mirror for vehicles


The presently disclosed embodiments are directed to an improved overcoat for an imaging member having a substrate, a charge transport layer, and an overcoat positioned on the charge transport layer, and a process for making the same including combining a resin having a reactive group selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, carboxylic acid and amide groups, a melamine formaldehyde crosslinking agent, a formaldehyde scavenger, an acid catalyst, and an alcohol-soluble charge transporting molecule to form an overcoat solution, and subsequently providing the overcoat solution onto the charge transport layer to form an overcoat layer.

The presently disclosed embodiments relate generally to layers that are useful in imaging apparatus members and components, for use in electrostatographic, including digital, apparatuses. More particularly, the embodiments pertain to an improved electrostatographic imaging member having a specific overcoat formulation that provides excellent mechanical properties while reducing the amount of formaldehyde released or generated and processes for making the same. In embodiments, the photoreceptor comprises an overcoat having a formaldehyde scavenger therein. In embodiments, the formaldehyde scavenger is selected from the group consisting of ethylene urea, dimethylol ethylene urea and mixtures thereof.
Electrophotographic imaging members, e.g., photoreceptors, photoconductors, imaging members, and the like, typically include a photoconductive layer formed on an electrically conductive substrate. The photoconductive layer is an insulator in the substantial absence of light so that electric charges are retained on its surface. Upon exposure to light, charge is generated by the photoactive pigment, and under applied field charge moves through the photoreceptor and the charge is dissipated.
In electrophotography, also known as xerography, electrophotographic imaging or electrostatographic imaging, the surface of an electrophotographic plate, drum, belt or the like (imaging member or photoreceptor) containing a photoconductive insulating layer on a conductive layer is first uniformly electrostatically charged. The imaging member is then exposed to a pattern of activating electromagnetic radiation, such as light. Charge generated by the photoactive pigment move under the force of the applied field. The movement of the charge through the photoreceptor selectively dissipates the charge on the illuminated areas of the photoconductive insulating layer while leaving behind an electrostatic latent image. This electrostatic latent image may then be developed to form a visible image by depositing oppositely charged particles on the surface of the photoconductive insulating layer. The resulting visible image may then be transferred from the imaging member directly or indirectly (such as by a transfer or other member) to a print substrate, such as transparency or paper. The imaging process may be repeated many times with reusable imaging members.
An electrophotographic imaging member may be provided in a number of forms. For example, the imaging member may be a homogeneous layer of a single material such as vitreous selenium or it may be a composite layer containing a photoconductor and another material. In addition, the imaging member may be layered. These layers can be in any order, and sometimes can be combined in a single or mixed layer.
Typical multilayered photoreceptors or imaging members have at least two layers, and may include a substrate, a conductive layer, an optional charge blocking layer, an optional adhesive layer, a photogenerating layer (sometimes referred to as a "charge generation layer," "charge generating layer," or "charge generator layer"), a charge transport layer, an optional overcoating layer and, in some belt embodiments, an anticurl backing layer. In the multilayer configuration, the active layers of the photoreceptor are the charge generation layer (CGL) and the charge transport layer (CTL). Enhancement of charge transport across these layers provides better photoreceptor performance.
The term "photoreceptor" or "photoconductor" is generally used interchangeably with the terms "imaging member." The term "electrostatographic" includes "electrophotographic" and "xerographic." The terms "charge transport molecule" are generally used interchangeably with the terms "hole transport molecule."
One type of composite photoconductive layer used in xerography is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,990, which describes a photosensitive member having at least two electrically operative layers. One layer comprises a photoconductive layer which is capable of photogenerating holes and injecting the photogenerated holes into a contiguous charge transport layer (CTL). Generally, where the two electrically operative layers are supported on a conductive layer, the photoconductive layer is sandwiched between a contiguous CTL and the supporting conductive layer. Alternatively, the CTL may be sandwiched between the supporting electrode and a photoconductive layer. Photosensitive members having at least two electrically operative layers, as disclosed above, provide excellent electrostatic latent images when charged in the dark with a uniform negative electrostatic charge, exposed to a light image and thereafter developed with finely divided electroscopic marking particles. The resulting toner image is usually transferred to a suitable receiving member such as paper or to an intermediate transfer member which thereafter transfers the image to a member such as paper.
In the case where the charge-generating layer (CGL) is sandwiched between the CTL and the electrically conducting layer, the outer surface of the CTL is charged negatively and the conductive layer is charged positively. The CGL then should be capable of generating electron hole pair when exposed image wise and inject only the holes through the CTL. In the alternate case when the CTL is sandwiched between the CGL and the conductive layer, the outer surface of CGL layer is charged positively while conductive layer is charged negatively and the holes are injected through from the CGL to the CTL. The CTL should be able to transport the holes with as little trapping of charge as possible. In flexible web like photoreceptor the charge conductive layer may be a thin coating of metal on a thin layer of thermoplastic resin.
In a typical machine design, a drum photoreceptor is coated with one or more coatings applied by well known techniques such as dip coating or spray coating. Dip coating of drums usually involves immersing of a cylindrical drum while the axis of the drum is maintained in a vertical alignment during the entire coating and subsequent drying operation. Because of the vertical alignment of the drum axis during the coating operation, the applied coatings tend to be thicker at the lower end of the drum relative to the upper end of the drum due to the influence of gravity on the flow of the coating material. Coatings applied by spray coating can also be uneven, e.g., orange peel effect. Coatings that have an uneven thickness do not have uniform electrical properties at different locations of the coating. Under a normal machine imaging function condition, the photoreceptor is subjected to physical/mechanical/electrical/chemical species actions against the layers due to machine subsystems interactions. These machine subsystems interactions contribute to surface contamination, scratching, abrasion and rapid surface wear problems.
As electrophotography advances, the complex, highly sophisticated duplicating systems need to operate at very high speeds which places stringent requirements on imaging members and may reduce imaging member longevity. Thus, there is a continued need for achieving increased life span of photoconductive imaging members while maintaining good mechanical properties. In addition, although present photoreceptors provide excellent mechanical properties such as abrasion resistance, crack resistance and wear resistance, known crosslinking agents contain and/or generate formaldehyde in small quantities. Small quantities of formaldehyde are objectionable in the manufacturing plant due to the necessity of protective gear to avoid exposure, for example, exposure limits are less than 0.5 ppm. If transferred/coated in the open atmosphere of the pilot plant, levels can approach 20 ppm. The addition equipment to protect the plant personnel can be expensive. Therefore, it is desired to provide a photoreceptor that reduces and minimizes formaldehyde exposure.

Process for preparing photosensitive outer layer


The present invention provides a method to prevent an ITO from opening. A dummy material layer with tapered edges is formed on a substrate. A first insulating layer is formed on the dummy material layer. Then a metal layer is formed on the first insulating layer, wherein one edge of the metal layer corresponds to any part of one of the tapered edges of the dummy material layer and the other tapered edge is situated away from the metal layer. After a second insulating layer is formed on the metal layer, an ITO layer is formed thereon without opening.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a method of fabricating a liquid crystal display (LCD). In particular, the present invention relates to a method of forming an opening-free ITO (indium tin oxide).
2. Description of the Related Art
ITO is generally used as electrode or contact layer in LCD technology. When the ITO is deposited, in order to prevent the ITO from becoming poly-ITO, thereby rendering the etching of the ITO incomplete and resulting in an ITO to ITO short, the thickness of the ITO is controlled at 400 xcexcm or thereabouts. However, the thin ITO has a distinct disadvantage. The thin ITO crosses the second metal layer (about 3000 xcexcm), whose taper easily causes opening. If the second metal layer is a tri-layered metal layer, it easily comes across under cutting, inducing the ITO to open.
FIG. 1 depicts the ITO with an opening according to the prior art. A first metal layer (not shown) used as a gate is formed on a substrate 10. A gate insulating layer 14 is formed thereon.
A second metal layer 16, the tri-layered metal layer of Mo(16a)/Al(16b)/Mo(16c), is formed on the gate insulating layer 14. An insulating layer 18, used as passivation layer, is formed thereon. Then an ITO layer 20 with a thickness of 400-500 xcexcm is deposited on the insulating layer 18. When etching the metal layer 16, a Mo/Al/Mo tri-layered structure, the Al layer 16b has under cutting (labeled as 22), causing the insulating layer 18 to produce tear-drops, or recesses, 24. This occurs because the material of the middle Al layer 16b is different from the other two layers 16a and 16c. Moreover, the ITO layer 20 is so thin that it easily opens at the tear-drops 24, therefore affecting the electrical properties of the whole structure.
Additional prior art, intended as a solution, is shown in FIG. 2. The second metal layer 36 corresponding to the edge of the ITO layer 40 is designed in a twisting pattern to enlarge the circumference in the area to enhance the effectiveness of the contact area of the ITO layer 40. However, actual opening is not completely prevented. Hence, prior art cannot thoroughly resolve the opening of the ITO layer 40.
The object of the present invention is to provide a method to prevent the ITO from opening at the tapered edge of the underlayer.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, a method to prevent an ITO from opening, comprising the following steps is provided. A dummy material layer with tapered edges is formed on a substrate. A first insulating layer is formed on the dummy material layer. A metal layer is formed on the first insulating layer, one edge of the metal layer corresponding to one of the tapered edges of the dummy material layer and the other tapered edge situated away from the edge of the metal layer. A second insulating layer is formed on the metal layer. An ITO layer without opening around the edge of the metal layer is formed on the second insulating layer.
According to the embodiment of the present invention, the dummy material layer is metal and the thickness of the ITO layer is between 400 xcexcm and 500 xcexcm. Moreover, a gate can be formed with the dummy material layer, that is, both the gate and the dummy material layer belong to the first metal layer.
If the above-mentioned method is used to form a bottom gate structure, an etching stop layer, made of silicon nitride, is formed substantially corresponding to the dummy material layer on the gate insulating layer.


A papermaking forming belt and a method of making the same, as well a cellulosic web and the process of making the web are disclosed. The belt comprises an air-permeable reinforcing structure and a resinous framework. The reinforcing structure has a web-facing side defining an X-Y plane, a machine-facing side opposite the web-facing side, and a Z-direction perpendicular to the X-Y plane. The resinous framework is comprised of a plurality of discrete protuberances extending from the reinforcing structure, each of the protuberances having an axis, a top surface, a base surface opposite the top surface, and walls. The axes of at least some of the protuberances and the Z-direction form an acute angles therebetween. The web produced on the belt has at least two regions disposed in a non-random and repeating pattern: a macroscopically planar and patterned first region comprising an essentially continuous network and preferably having a relatively high basis weight, and a second region comprised of a plurality of discrete knuckles circumscribed by and adjacent to said first region and preferably having a relatively low basis weight. The knuckles extend from the first region in at least one direction, that at least one direction and said Z-axis forming an acute angle therebetween.

Paper products are used for a variety of purposes. Paper towels, facial tissues, toilet tissues, and the like are in constant use in modern industrialized societies. The large demand for such paper products has created a demand for improved versions of the products. If the paper products such as paper towels, facial tissues, toilet tissues, and the like are to perform their intended tasks and to find wide acceptance, they must possess certain physical characteristics. Among the more important of these characteristics are strength, softness, and absorbency.
Strength is the ability of a paper web to retain its physical integrity during use.
Softness is the pleasing tactile sensation consumers perceive when they use the paper for its intended purposes.
Absorbency is the characteristic of the paper that allows the paper to take up and retain fluids, particularly water and aqueous solutions and suspensions. Important not only is the absolute quantity of fluid a given amount of paper will hold, but also the rate at which the paper will absorb the fluid.
Through-air drying papermaking belts comprising a reinforcing structure and a resinous framework are described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,345 issued to Johnson et al. on Apr. 30, 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,239 issued to Trokhan on Jul. 9, 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,480 issued to Trokhan on Jul. 16, 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,859 issued to Trokhan on Jan. 20, 1987; U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,289 issued to Trokhan et al on Aug. 2, 1994. The foregoing patents are incorporated herein by reference for the purpose of showing preferred constructions of through-air drying papermaking belts.
The paper produced on the belts disclosed in these patents is characterized by having two physically distinct regions: a continuous network region having a relatively high density and a region comprised of a plurality of domes dispersed throughout the whole of the network region. The domes are of relatively low density and relatively low intrinsic strength compared to the network regions. Such belts have been used to produce commercially successful products such as Bounty paper towels and Charmin Ultra toilet tissue, both produced and sold by the instant assignee.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,025 issued to Trokhan et al. on Sep. 14, 1993; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,428 issued to Trokhan et al. on Jun. 18, 1996, which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose a cellulosic fibrous structure comprising a plurality of regions: an essentially continuous first region of a relatively high basis weight; a second region of a relatively low or zero basis weight and circumscribed by and adjacent the first region; and a third region of an intermediate basis weight and juxtaposed with the second region. A forming belt for producing such a paper comprises a patterned array of discrete protuberances joined to a reinforcing structure. Annuluses between adjacent protuberances provide space into which papermaking fibers may be deflected to form the first region. In addition, each individual protuberance may have an aperture therein. The apertures in the individual protuberances also provide space into which the papermaking fibers may deflect to form the third region.
Still, a search for improved products has continued.
It may be desirable in some instances to produce cellulosic webs having "angled" cross-sectional patterns, i.e., the webs which--when viewed in the cross-section--have the domes extending from an essentially continuous network region such that the domes are not generally perpendicular, but instead are acutely angled, relative to the plane of the network region. Particularly, such "angled" domes may improve the web's softness due to increased collapsibility of the angles domes, compared to the perpendicularly upstanding domes. In addition, it is believed that such angled structures will possess an ability to direct absorbed fluids in a desired (and predetermined) direction, based on the specific (and also predetermined) orientation of the domes in the web. Such properties may be very beneficial in a variety of disposable products.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cellulosic web having at least two regions: an essentially continuous region and a region comprising a patterned array of discrete domes or knuckles extending from the essentially continuous region such that the axes of the domes or knuckles and the general plane of the essentially continuous region form acute angles therebetween.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a process of making such cellulosic webs.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a papermaking belt for producing such cellulosic webs.
It is further object of the present invention to provide a process of making such papermaking belt.

Cellulosic web, method and apparatus for making the same using papermaking belt having angled cross-sectional structure, and method of making the belt


A method for the polymerization of Nylon 6 from caprolactam and water using a catalyst composition comprising a primary catalyst, which can be an alkali metal hypophosphite or an alkali-earth metal hypophosphite, and an organic phosphite as cocatalyst. The catalyst composition used in this invention is most useful when used in conjunction with the reactive extrusion technology which requires a very fast polymerization rate to take full advantage of this evolving technology.

The present invention relates to a method for the production of Nylon 6 which employs a catalyst composition comprising an alkali metal hypophosphite and an organic phosphite. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method which utilizes a catalyst composition comprising an alkali metal hypophosphite as the primary catalyst and an organic phosphite as a cocatalyst, to increase the rate of polymerization of Nylon 6.
Nylon 6 has been widely used as fibers and engineering plastics. In its application as engineering plastics, Nylon 6 can be used for making automobile parts, electric and electronic components, electric wire coatings, tool boxes, and coasters. As fibers, Nylon can be used in making fishing nets, carpets, tires and brushes (including toothbrushes, cosmetic brushes and grinding brushes) as well as stockings.
Nylon 6 can be synthesized using the conventional continuous reaction process, such as the V. K. Tower process, or the reactive extrusion process, which was developed only recently. In reactive extrusion process to synthesize polymers, the extruder is used as a mini-reactor. First, monomers, co-monomers and/or prepolymers are charged into the extruder. The reactants react inside the extruder to produce the polymer material, which is then extruded from the extruder to provide the final product.
The reactive extrusion technology has the following advantages: First, it provides a high area-to-volume ratio for excellent heat transfer. Second, it provides excellent mixing action during the polymerization reaction. This is particularly advantageous for highly viscous fluids, which can also be transported through the reactor. Third, it can be adapted to provide multiple temperature zones, each having a distinct temperature. Fourth, the reactive extruder can be adapted to provide multiple exhaust or vacuum sections, each vacuum section can have the same or different of vacuum. Fifth, it involves a continuous reaction-extrusion process. Sixth, the resident time involved in the process is very short; therefore, the productivity can be very high per unit time. Seventh, the reactive extrusion process requires a much simpler apparatus than most other conventional commercial reactors. Finally, with the reactive extrusion process, the composition of the feed monomers can be conveniently varied; this greatly enhances the utilization efficiency of the capital investment, and is particularly advantageous for production lines that make relatively small quantities of a large variety of products.
With the above mentioned advantages, the reactive extrusion technology potentially can become one of the best methods to produce polymers and copolymer. However, when the reactive extrusion technology is applied to the polymerization of Nylon 6, current catalyst systems do not provide fast enough reaction rate to take full advantage of this evolving technology. The reaction must be very fast so that the polymerization reaction to make Nylon can be completed in the extruder before they are extruded.

Preparation of nylon 6 with alkali metal hypophosphite catalyst and organic phosphite catalyst


The present invention relates to improvements in the environment controlled multi span structured greenhouses equipped with the modules AL, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7 plurality of sensors AL comprises a facility which magnifies and intensifies the artificial light and or natural light to the optimal level A1 comprises a capture manifold two blowers, a compressor tanks T1, T2 and a release manifold. A4 continuously harnesses bio-thermal energy A6 uses activated nutrients solutions of raw calcium sulphate, raw magnesium sulphate and urea substantially reducing input cost A7 comprises a thermal shading film fixed to the greenhouse rood and to the four external sides.

The present invention relates to further improvements to the PCT/IN2012/000830 application filed on 19 Dec. 2012 and European Patent Application No. 18183612.2 filed on Jul. 16, 2018 and entitled: Environment Control Multi Span Structured Greenhouse, by the same inventor—Sat Parkash Gupta, wherein the European Patent Office has issued a Notice of Allowance, V0650002EP as of May 28, 2020.
Although previous invention PCT/IN2012/000830 provides innovative tangible solutions of almost all the problems of the prior art greenhouses for cost effective food production, however during the last over five years the same inventor has realized that there is still scope for further reduction in a cost of food production by further reducing the capital and operating costs of greenhouses.
In the previous invention disclosed in CIPO Patent Application No. 2883489, a compressor was used for the following four functions:
(i) the compressor functions with the capture manifold for capturing and compressing a carbon dioxide rich greenhouse air during dark hours and an oxygen rich greenhouse air during light hours;
(ii) the compressor functions with the release manifold for releasing into the greenhouse at a level of cultivation of crop, carbon dioxide rich greenhouse air during light hours and an oxygen rich greenhouse air during dark hours;
(iii) the compressor functions for injecting pressurized oxygen rich greenhouse air of a predetermined temperature into a root zone of a crop; and
(iv) the compressor functions for supplying pressurized oxygen rich greenhouse air to the biothermal energy harnessing tank for harnessing bio thermal energy.
It is an object of the present invention to provide improvements over and above the greenhouses of the prior art.
The present application uses the compressor only for adjusting air relative humidity of a greenhouse at a predetermined set point or to adjust greenhouse air temperature at a predetermined set point which comprises capturing, compressing greenhouse humid air maintaining the compressed greenhouse humid air at lowest humidity (almost dry) in the dehumidifying tanks (T1) and (T2) and storing into a third compartment (Ecd) and into a fourth compartment (Eod) of the earth tube heat exchanger respectively.
The present application comprises a capture blower, a release blower, a blower for injecting pressurized oxygen rich greenhouse air of a predetermined temperature into the crop root zone, and a blower for injecting pressurized oxygen rich greenhouse air into biothermal energy harnessing tank of a module (A4) and functions with the compressor, the capture manifold, two dehumidifying tanks T1 and T2, the release manifold of the module (A 1), the earth tube heat exchanger of the module and hot air storage tank and carbon dioxide storage tanks of the module (A4)
The compressor functions with the capture manifold to capture and compress carbon dioxide rich greenhouse humid air during dark hours and oxygen rich greenhouse humid air during light hours. The dehumidifying tanks (T1) and (T2) are alternately filled up with compressed carbon dioxide rich greenhouse humid air during dark hours and with compressed oxygen rich greenhouse humid air during light hours for maintaining the filed up compressed humid air at lowest humidity (almost dry) in the dehumidifying tanks (T1) and (T2) for maintaining the carbon dioxide rich greenhouse air at lowest humidity (almost dry) is stored into a third compartment (Ecd) and the oxygen rich lowest humidity (almost dry) greenhouse air is stored into a fourth compartment (Eod) of the earth tube heat exchanger.
The capture blower functions with the capture manifold, to capture a carbon dioxide rich greenhouse air during dark hours and an oxygen rich greenhouse air during light hours which are directly stored into a first (Ee) and a second (Eo) compartment of the earth tube heat exchanger.
The release blower functions with the release manifold for releasing into the greenhouse at a level of cultivation, carbon dioxide rich lowest humidity (almost dry) conditioned greenhouse air already stored in a third compartment (Ecd) during light hours and oxygen rich lowest humidity (almost dry) conditioned greenhouse air already stored in a fourth compartment (Eod) during dark hours for mixing with the greenhouse humid air for maintaining the greenhouse air relative humidity at a predetermined set point or for maintaining greenhouse air temperature at a predetermined set point.
The release blower further functions with the release manifold for also releasing into the greenhouse at a level of cultivation, carbon dioxide rich conditioned greenhouse air already stored in a first compartment (Ee) during light hours and an oxygen rich conditioned greenhouse air already stored in a second compartment (Eo) during dark hours.
In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse comprises a roof and four sides.
In a second aspect of the present invention, the greenhouse comprises a module (AL) comprising a facility which intensifies and magnifies the natural light and/or artificial light to the predetermined level producing red blue and ultraviolet light in suitable proportions.
In a third aspect of the present invention, the greenhouse comprises a module (A 1) comprising two blowers a capture blower and a release blower, each of a suitable pressure and of a suitable cubic meters per hour delivery, a compressor of a defined pressure and of a suitable cubic meters per hour delivery a capture manifold, two dehumidifying tanks T1 and, T2 and a release manifold wherein the capture blower functions with the capture manifold for capturing a carbon dioxide rich greenhouse air during dark hours and an oxygen rich greenhouse air during light hours which are directly stored into a first compartment (Ee) and into a second compartment (Eo) of the earth tube heat exchanger respectively
In a fourth aspect of the present invention, the greenhouse comprises a module (A2) comprising a blower of a suitable pressure and of a suitable cubic meters per hour delivery; for injecting pressurized oxygen rich greenhouse air of a predetermined temperature into the crop root zone during an irrigation and a fertigation event. for aeration of the roots of the crop and for maintaining the temperature of the roots of the crop at a suitable temperature point.
In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the greenhouse comprises a module A4 comprising a bio-thermal energy harnessing automated equipment comprising a single biothermal energy harnessing tank, equipped with a facility for partially loading fresh material from top end and unloading compost from bottom end at suitable intervals comprising a separate blower, a separate water pump and a separate water tank,
In a sixth aspect of the present invention, cost of nutrients is further reduced by using calcium sulphate magnesium sulphate, and urea, using a method for dissolving calcium sulphate and raw magnesium sulphate into water and converting urea into nitrate.
In a seventh aspect of the present invention, the greenhouse comprises a module (A7) comprising fixing thermal shading film of suitable thickness based upon the climate of the location to the greenhouse roof and to the four exterior sides of the greenhouse and being configured to prevent ingress of pathogens, disease organisms, insect pests and the like into the greenhouse, facilitating efficient biological control.
In an eighth aspect of the present invention, in geographical locations where the climate is suitably moderate, the greenhouse comprises a module A71 comprising a thermal shading film of a defined thickness based upon the climate of the location fixed to the roof of the greenhouse and to at least one of the four sides of the greenhouse wherein the sides of the greenhouse that do not have the thermal shading film fixed thereto, comprise fixing a diffused white film to the external surface thereof together with an automated 0-100% roll-on (close) and roll-off (open) thermal shading curtain covering the internal surfaces thereof.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse having a roof and four sides, the greenhouse comprising:
a module (A 1) comprising a compressor, a capture blower, a release blower, a capture manifold, two dehumidifying tanks (T1) and (T2), a release manifold, and an earth tube heat exchanger, wherein:
(i) the compressor functions with the capture manifold to capture a carbon dioxide rich humid air from the greenhouse during dark hours to provide a captured carbon dioxide rich humid air and to capture an oxygen rich humid air from the greenhouse during light hours to provide a captured oxygen rich humid air, the compressor compresses the captured carbon dioxide rich humid air to provide a compressed carbon dioxide rich humid air and compresses the captured oxygen rich humid air to provide a compressed oxygen rich humid air, the dehumidifying tanks (T1) and (T2) dehumidify the compressed carbon dioxide rich humid air to provide a carbon dioxide rich lowest humidity air and dehumidify the compressed oxygen rich humid air to provide an oxygen rich lowest humidity air, and the carbon dioxide rich lowest humidity air is stored into a third compartment (Ecd) of the earth tube heat exchanger to provide a stored carbon dioxide rich lowest humidity conditioned air and the oxygen rich lowest humidity air is stored in a fourth compartment (Eod) of the earth tube heat exchanger to provide a stored oxygen rich lowest humidity conditioned air;
(ii) the capture blower functions with the capture manifold to capture a carbon dioxide rich greenhouse air from the greenhouse during the dark hours to provide a captured carbon dioxide rich greenhouse air and to capture an oxygen rich greenhouse air from the greenhouse during the light hours to provide a captured oxygen rich greenhouse air, wherein the captured carbon dioxide rich greenhouse air is stored in a first compartment (Ee) of the earth tube heat exchanger to provide a stored carbon dioxide rich conditioned air and the captured oxygen rich air is stored in a second compartment (Eo) of the earth tube heat exchanger to provide a stored oxygen rich conditioned air; and
(iii) the release blower functions with the release manifold to release into the greenhouse at a level of cultivation of a crop during the light hours, the stored carbon dioxide rich lowest humidity conditioned air and to release into the greenhouse, at the level of cultivation during the dark hours, the stored oxygen rich lowest humidity conditioned air, for mixing with the greenhouse humid air to adjust a relative humidity of the greenhouse air to a predetermined relative humidity set point or to adjust a temperature of the greenhouse air to a predetermined temperature set point by evaporative cooling, and wherein: the release blower also functions with the release manifold to release into the greenhouse at the level of cultivation during the light hours, the stored carbon dioxide rich conditioned greenhouse air and to release into the greenhouse during the dark hours, the stored oxygen rich conditioned greenhouse air.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse further comprises a module (A2) comprising a blower for injecting into a root zone of the crop, a pressurized oxygen rich greenhouse air of a predetermined temperature during an irrigation and a fertigation event for:
(i) aerating the roots of the crop; and
(ii) maintaining a temperature of the roots of the crop at the predetermined temperature set point.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse further comprises a module (A4) comprising a biothermal energy harnessing tank having a top end and a bottom end, the biothermal energy harnessing tank comprising an inlet at the top end for partially loading a fresh material into the biothermal energy harnessing tank and an outlet at the bottom end for partially unloading of compost from the biothermal energy harnessing tank, wherein the biothermal energy harnessing tank further comprises a blower, a water pump and a water tank.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse further comprises a module (A6) for converting urea into an activated solution of nitrate, for dissolving calcium sulphate in water to prepare an activated solution of calcium sulphate and for dissolving magnesium sulphate in water to prepare an activated solution of magnesium sulphate.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse further comprises a thermal shading film fixed to the exterior surface of the roof and each of the four sides of the greenhouse, In an embodiment of the present invention, the environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse further comprises a thermal shading film fixed to the external surface of the roof and at least one of the four sides of the greenhouse, wherein each side of the greenhouse that does not comprise the thermal shading film fixed thereto, comprises a milky white film fixed to the external surface thereof together with an automated retractable thermal shading curtain covering the internal surface thereof.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the environment-controlled, multi span structured greenhouse further comprises light-emitting diode (LED) lamps for producing artificial light and magnifying mirrors and aluminum foil for magnifying and intensifying natural and/or artificial light to produce red, blue, and ultraviolet light, wherein:
i) the LED lamps are mounted in red, d blue and ultraviolet-colored hexagon-shaped mirrored shades and are hung staggered from a bottom of a truss of the greenhouse at a predetermined locations along the truss;
ii) the magnifying mirrors are colored red, blue and ultraviolet;
iii) a predetermined portion of the magnifying mirrors are mounted in a fixture for tilting at any angle up to 180 degrees in the vertical plane and at any angle up to 360 degrees in the horizontal plane;
iv) another predetermined portion of the magnifying mirrors are mounted on the vertical and horizontal supports of the greenhouse and on the internal surfaces of the sides of the greenhouse for tilting at a predetermined angle in the vertical plane and/or the horizontal plane;
v) the aluminum foil is fixed on the internal surfaces of the sides of the greenhouse; and
vi) when the artificial light from the LED lamps and/or the natural light from the sunstrikes the surfaces of a portion of the magnifying mirrors, a portion of the lampshades and a portion of the aluminum foil, the artificial and/or natural light is reflected repeatedly to the surfaces of another portion of the magnifying mirrors, another portion of the lamp shades and another portion of the aluminum foil and is magnified and intensified, producing red, blue and ultraviolet light.
These and other aspects of the present invention and further advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the embodiments described herein in conjunction with the associated drawings illustrated herein.

Environment-controlled greenhouse with compressor and blower modules


A mass storage controller includes a packet filter module for receiving a packet containing an updated sector of a remote file allocation table from a host device. The packet filter module is further operable for scanning the updated sector contents to determine their state. The updated sector is written to a local file allocation table of a local device when the state of the updated sector contents match a first state. An original sector of the local file allocation table corresponding to the updated sector is retained when the state of the updated sector contents match a second state.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mass storage devices, to mass storage controllers and related methods for storing data.
2. Description of Related Art
Most electronic devices include some form of mass storage device for storing data such as program code and control information, data files such as may be text files, presentation files, user profile information for access to varies computer services (e.g., Internet access, email, etc.), digital audio files (e.g., MP3 files, WMA—Windows Media Architecture—, mp3 PRO, Ogg Vorbis, AAC—Advanced Audio Coding), digital video files [e.g., still images or motion video such as MPEG (motion picture expert group) files, JPEG (joint photographic expert group) files, etc.], address book information, and/or any other type of information that may be stored in a digital format. Mass storage devices include components such as flash drives, also known as thumb drives and pen drives, as well as hard disks, floppy disks, compact disk read only memories (CD-ROMs) digital video disk read only memories, and other memories that store information on a storage medium such as an optic or magnetic storage medium or in an integrated circuit memory such as a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM).
These mass storage devices typically store data in a file format that utilize a File Allocation Table (FAT) that is used to share data between a device such as a host device having an operating system, and the mass storage device. Examples of such file formats include FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, Virtual FAT (VFAT), FASTFAT, as well as high performance file system (HPFS) and NT file system (NTFS). As data is written to and read from the mass storage device, the file allocation table is continually updated to keep track of the files that are stored. The time taken to update the file allocation table is included in time required to access the stored data. Longer access time can slow the operation of the host device in applications that are data intensive.
Therefore, a need exists for mass storage devices with reduced access time.

Mass storage device, mass storage controller and methods for use therewith