The present invention relates to an optical fiber product suitable for fabricating an optical cable that requires a complicated length adjustment. The optical fiber product includes an effective use portion used as the optical cable, surplus portions connected to both ends of the effective use portion, and a distinguishing structure clearly indicating boundary portions between the effective use portion and the surplus portions. With the above structure, the surplus portions that become finally unnecessary are surely cut off in a fabrication step of the optical cable, thus enabling collect use of only effective use portion as the optical cable.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical fiber product usable for a WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) transmission system, having a structure for effectively restraining a fabrication error in a fabrication step and an installation step of the optical cable, and further relates to a method of evaluating a characteristic of the inventive optical fiber product.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a WDM transmission system, high-speed and large-capacity optical communication is enabled by using WDM signal light having multiplexed two or more signal channels of wavelengths different from each other. It is desired that an optical transmission line laid in each repeating section of the WDM transmission system has a superior signal transmission characteristic in a signal wavelength region (for example, in a wavelength band of 1.55 μm). Therefore, an optical fiber whose transmission characteristic changes along the longitudinal direction is proposed as an optical transmission line having a superior signal transmission characteristic.
For example, an optical fiber transmission line disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,537 (Document 1) discloses is constituted by a unitary DMF (Dispersion-Managed Fiber) having a plurality of positive dispersion portions and a plurality of negative dispersion portions alternatively arranged so as to be adjacent to each other along its longitudinal direction. Each of the positive dispersion portions has a positive chromatic dispersion, and each of the negative dispersion portions has a negative chromatic dispersion in the signal wavelength region. When the absolute value of the chromatic dispersion in each of the positive and negative dispersion portions is set larger, a nonlinear optical phenomenon, four-wave mixing in particular, is suppressed. When the absolute value of average chromatic dispersion on the whole optical fiber transmission line is set smaller, the deterioration of transmission quality caused by the accumulated chromatic dispersion is also suppressed. The optical fiber transmission line disclosed in Document 1 is required to have a small average chromatic dispersion on the whole transmission line. Therefore, it is necessary to correctly set the length ratio the positive dispersion portion and the negative dispersion portion to a predetermined value, respectively.
However, even when the optical fiber transmission line is designed and fabricated so as to obtain a desired average transmission characteristic on the whole transmission line, there are some cases such that the average transmission characteristic on the whole optical fiber transmission line can not become a desired value after cut off, at the time that end parts of the optical fiber transmission line are cut off in a fabrication step of an optical cable and installation step of the optical cable. For example, in the fabrication step of the optical cable using the optical fiber transmission line as described above, both end parts of each optical fiber are cut off respectively until a desired condition is obtained in each step of assembling optical fiber transmission lines, water pressure resistant copper pipe welding, and sheath extrusion operation. The fiber lengths (referred to as "cut lengths" hereafter) of the both end parts cut off in each step are 100 m or more in total. Before and after cutting, the average transmission characteristic on the whole transmission line changes in accordance with the cut lengths. Particularly, in the transmission line having large absolute values of chromatic dispersion generated locally, the change of the average transmission characteristic (average chromatic dispersion) of the whole optical fiber transmission line is large before and after cutting.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,484B1 (Document 2) discloses an optical fiber transmission line having surplus portions connected to both ends of the use portion (portion applied to the optical fiber transmission line) beforehand. The surplus portions have a chromatic dispersion of substantially 0 ps/nm/km with respect to a wavelength in use and serve as cut portions for each work in the fabrication step of the optical cable.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1A, the optical fiber transmission line 2 described in Document 2 as described above, includes an effective use portion 200 and surplus portions for working 210a and 220a connected to both ends of the effective use portion 200. The effective use portion 200 includes a first region 210 and a second region 220 which are fusion-spliced at a fusion-splicing point 230. The first region 210 has a positive chromatic dispersion and the second region 220 has a negative chromatic dispersion with respect to a predetermined wavelength within a signal wavelength band (for example, wavelengths of 1550 nm).
An optical fiber fabricator delivers the optical fiber transmission line 2 having the above-described structure to an optical cable fabricator, while the optical fiber is wound around a take-up bobbin 240 as shown in FIG. 1B.

Optical fiber product, method of fabricating optical cable, and characteristic evaluation method


A heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head and manufacturing method are provided. The HAMR head is mounted on a slider having an air-bearing surface (ABS) and includes a substrate; a recording unit formed on the substrate and having a stepped end; a waveguide located in a space formed by the stepped end; and a near field light emission (NFE) pole located adjacent to the recording unit and having an end located on a same plane as the ABS. The method includes forming a cladding layer on a substrate; forming a first metal layer on the cladding layer; etching a part of the first metal layer; forming a core layer on the etched region; forming a refraction part in a part of the core layer; forming a second metal layer the first metal layer and the core layer; and forming a recording unit on the second metal layer.

1. Field of the Invention
Device and methods consistent with the present invention relate to a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head including a near field light emitter having improved structure and arrangement.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is active interest in increasing a recording density in a technical field of magnetic information recording. As the recording density increases, the bit size of a recording medium that records unit information is decreased. However, since a signal magnetic field from a recording medium decreases as the bit size decreases, it is required to reduce noise in order to achieve a proper signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) during reproduction. Since noise originates predominantly from a magnetization transition region of the recording medium, it is possible to achieve a proper SNR by reducing the size of grains constituting a recording bit and thus reducing transition noise.
The spins of respective grains should maintain their recorded directions without thermal disturbance in order to stably maintain information recorded on the recording medium. For that purpose, the ratio of magnetic anisotropy energy to thermal energy, i.e., KuV/KBT should have a sufficiently large value of more than 60. Here, Ku is magnetic anisotropy energy density of a recording medium, V is the size of a grain, KB is the Boltzmann constant, and T is absolute temperature. Also, to achieve thermal stability in a high density recording medium having small grains, it is required to increase magnetic anisotropy energy density of the recording medium at a certain temperature. Since the magnetic anisotropy energy density is proportional to coercive force, a material having large coercive force needs to be used.
However, when a material having the large coercive force is used in order to achieve thermal stability, recording itself may be impossible due to a limitation in the intensity of a magnetic field generated from a magnetic recording head.
To address this problem, HAMR has been developed. In HAMR, heat is applied to the local area of a recording medium to reduce a coercive force of the local area so that the local area is easily magnetized by a magnetic field applied from a magnetic recording head. It is possible to achieve thermal stability using HAMR even when the grains of a recording medium are small.
A method of applying heat on the local area of the recording medium includes illuminating the recording medium using a laser ray.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a related art HAMR head 1. Referring to FIG. 1, the HAMR head 1 includes a recording unit 1a which converts information into a magnetic signal and applies the converted magnetic signal onto a recording medium 2; a reproduction unit 1b including a reproduction device 9 which detects a recorded bit from the recording medium 2; and a light source 6 for thermal assistance. The recording unit 1a includes a recording pole 3 which applies a magnetic field onto the recording medium 2, a return pole 4 constituting a magnetic circuit in cooperation with the recording pole 3, and an induction coil 5 inducing the magnetic field on the recording pole 3. Assuming that the recording medium 2 moves in a direction A, a laser ray illuminated from the light source 6 such as a laser diode provides a light spot 7 on part of the recording medium 2, so that a coercive force of the part of the recording medium 2 illuminated by the light source 6 reduces right after the part of the recording medium 2 is heated by the laser ray. The part exposed to the light spot 7 is magnetized by leakage magnetic flux generated from the recording pole 3. Information recorded in this manner is reproduced using the reproduction device 9 such as a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) device, or the like.
To perform high density recording using the HAMR head 1, a light spot formed by a laser ray should be very small. For example, a light spot having a diameter of about 50 nm is required to realize a recording density of 1 Tb/in2. Accordingly, HAMR has been studied to obtain a small light spot using a near field light. However, it is difficult incorporate a near field light emitter including a light source into a magnetic head manufactured through a related art thin film process.

Heat assisted magnetic recording head and method of manufacturing the same


Methods to process digital video using trajectory extraction and spatiotemporal decomposition for search and retrieval of video are described. An example method extracts interest point data from data representing a plurality of video frames. The interest point data is extracted from each of the video frames independent of the other video frames. Subsequent to extracting the interest point data, the example method links at least some of the interest point data to generate corresponding trajectory information. The example method also clusters the trajectory information to form clustered trajectory information and extracts a representative feature index from the clustered trajectory information.

Personal digital video photography is increasing in popularity while, at the same time, the cost of digital storage media continues to decrease. As a result, the number of libraries of stored digital media continues to increase. For example, many consumers hold large libraries of digital media and, thus, the need to search and retrieve vast amounts of stored video data has increased significantly.
Due to the large amounts of data associated with each video element (e.g., segment, clip, etc.), current video search and retrieval methods are typically not suited to accurately locate video elements stored in a library. Instead of relying on keyword annotation for indexing and search, visual image features are typically used to search and retrieve video elements. However, known video search and retrieval methods using a single frame are typically not very accurate because video has a temporal aspect or dimension that such single frame techniques do not consider. Other known video search and retrieval methods may use explicit object tracking across multiple frames. However, with these object tracking techniques it is difficult to track a selected object when other objects enter or leave a scene (e.g., a video element, clip, etc.)
In yet another known method for extracting representative data from a video element, the entire video element is analyzed and a set of locally distinctive points are extracted from the pixels of the complete video element. The extracted points are then processed using a hierarchical mean shift analysis. In particular, using mean shift analysis and implementing a fine to coarse evaluation, with iterations expanding the radius of interest, the calculations eventually encompass a single region corresponding to the whole set of pixels. Thus, all of the pixels from the entire video element are processed at one time, resulting in a complete but computationally and memory intensive representation for video indexing and retrieval.

Processing digital video using trajectory extraction and spatiotemporal decomposition


A gas-diffusion cathode disposed in contact with an ion-exchange membrane partitioning an electrolytic cell into an anode chamber and a cathode chamber, wherein at least one guide piece is disposed in the gas-diffusion cathode and a salt water electrolytic cell using the above-described gas-diffusion cathode. By using the above-described gas-diffusion cathode for salt water electrolysis, an aqueous caustic alkali solution formed descending in the direction of gravity in the cathode changes direction of movement by contact with a guide piece, whereby the decreased electrode performance resulting from the hindrance of the supply of raw material gas and the discharge of the gas formed caused by the retention of the descending caustic alkali solution is prevented and a large-sized electrolytic cell can be used without problems generally encountered in conventional electrolytic systems.

The electrolytic industry typified by chloroalkali electrolysis has played an important role in the material industries. Although chloroalkali electrolysis has such an important role, the energy consumed for chloroalkali electrolysis is large and thus in countries, such as Japan, where the cost of energy is high, energy saving becomes an important consideration. For example, in chloroalkali electrolysis, to solve environmental problems and to attain energy saving, the electrolysis method is converted from a mercury method to an ion-exchange membrane method through a diaphragm, whereby energy saving of about 40% has been attained over about 25 years. However, even these energy savings need improvement, and the electric power cost i.e., the cost of energy, makes up 50% of the total production cost in the chloroalkali electrolysis. Unfortunately, as long as the present method is used, it is impossible to save more electric power. In other words, to attain more energy saving, a radical change such as the correction of the electrode reaction, etc., must be accomplished.
A gas-diffusion electrode having a property of easily supplying a gas as a reaction material to an electrode surface, was developed based on the uses such as fuel cells, etc., as described in H. Wendt, Electrochemical Hydrogen Technologies, pages 373-483, 1990 and E. A. Ticianelli at al., Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 251, pages 275-281, 1988. Recently, the use of gas-diffusion electrodes for an industrial electrolysis has been investigated. For example, in an on-site production apparatus of hydrogen peroxide, a hydrophobic cathode for performing an oxygen reduction reaction is utilized as described in D. Pletcher, Industrial Electrochemistry (2nd edition), pages 279-282, 1991. Also, in an alkali production process or an alkali recovery process, in place of oxygen generation at the anode or hydrogen generation at the cathode as a counter electrode reaction, the hydrogen oxidation reaction (J. Jorissen et al, Journal of Electrochemistry, 21, pages 869-876, 1991) or the oxygen reduction reaction at a cathode (Miura, et al., Journal of Chemical Society of Japan, pages 732-736, 1982) is performed using a gas-diffusion electrode to effect reduction of electric power consumption. Also, it is reported that depolarization by a hydrogen anode as the counter electrode for metal recovery such as a zinc recovery, etc., and zinc plating is possible (Furuya et al., Denki Kaaaku Oyobi Kogyo Butsuri Kaaaku (Electrochemistry and Industrial Physical Chemistry), 56, pages 653-655, 1988).
However, in these industrial electrolyses, problems arise from the compositions of solutions and gases or the operation conditions, etc., being far more complicated than those of fuel cells. Additionally, sufficient life and performance of electrodes are not obtained.
As described above, in chloroalkali electrolysis, energy saving is advanced and the electric power source amount w for producing a caustic alkali is reduced to 2,000 kWh per ton of the caustic alkali. However, if using an oxygen cathode reaction in place of the conventional hydrogen generation reaction, the theoretical electrolytic voltage can be reduced from 2.19 V in the conventional method to 1.23 V, then large energy saving accompanied by the reduction can be expected.
For realizing the new process, the development of an oxygen cathode demonstrating high performance and sufficient stability in the above-described electrolytic system is indispensable (Fujita, et al., Dai 8 kai, Soda Kogyo Gijyutu Tooronkai Yousi Shu (The 8th Soda Industrial Technique Forum Summaries), 1984; Furuya, The 11th Soda Industrial Technique Forum Summaries, 1987; and Aikawa, Soda to Enso (Soda and Chlorine), 45. page 45, 1994).
In a salt water electrolysis using a conventional gas diffusion cathode, for example, an electrolytic cell partitioned by an ion-exchange membrane into an anode chamber and the cathode chamber, the cathode chamber is partitioned by the above-described gas-diffusion cathode into to sections to form a solution chamber at the ion-exchange membrane side and a gas chamber at the opposite side thereof. In this method, an oxygen-containing gas is introduced into the gas chamber and a caustic alkali is produced in the solution chamber.
The gas-diffusion cathode used for the electrolysis must be a so-called gas-liquid separation-type gas-diffusion cathode which sufficiently permeates oxygen only and does not leak caustic alkali from the solution chamber to the gas chamber.
The gas-diffusion cathode (oxygen cathode) proposed at present as the electrode for a salt water electrolysis meeting the above-described requirement is produced by applying a catalyst such as silver, platinum, etc., onto an electrode base material formed in a sheet form with a mixture of a carbon powder and PTFE.
The anodic reaction and the cathodic reaction in a conventional electrolytic method are EQU 2Cl.sup.- .fwdarw.Cl.sub.2 +2e (1.36 V) EQU 2H.sub.2 O+2e.fwdarw.2OH+H.sub.2 (- 0.83 V)
respectively and the theoretical decomposition voltage is 2.19 V.
On the other hand, when the electrolysis is carried out while supplying an oxygen-containing gas to the cathode, the reaction becomes EQU 2H.sub.2 O+O2+4e V.fwdarw.4OH.sup.- ( 0.40 V),
and thus the electric power consumption can be reduced corresponding to theoretically 1.23 V and also to about 0.8 V even in the practical current density range, which means the reduction of 700 kWh per ton of a caustic alkali.
However, while a gas-diffusion cathode of this type can attain such a reduction of electric power, gas-diffusion cathodes present the following various problems.
(1) Carbon used as the electrode material deteriorates at high temperature in the presence of caustic alkali and oxygen, thereby greatly compromising electrode performance.
(2) It is difficult to prevent the leakage of caustic alkali generated into the gas chamber side, especially, when accompanied by the increase of the liquid pressure and the deterioration of the electrode associated with the present electrode as described above.
(3) The preparation of an electrode having the necessary size (1 m.sup.2) in a practical cell is difficult.
(4) The pressure in the cell changes according to the height and it is difficult to adjust the supplied oxygen gas pressure to cope with the change.
(5) There is an electrode resistance loss of the catholyte and also a motive power for stirring the catholyte is required.
(6) For practical use, it is necessary to greatly improve the existing electrolytic equipment.
(7) When air is used as the oxygen-containing gas, the carbon dioxide gas in air reacts with the caustic alkali to form sodium carbonate, which precipitates in pores of the gas-diffusion cathode, thereby lowering the gas diffusing capacity of the cathode.
To solve the various problems of the electrolytic method described above using the gas-diffusion cathode, a so-called zero-gap-type electrolytic method shown in FIG. 1 of the w accompanying drawings is proposed (Shimamune, et al., The 18th Soda Industrial Technique Forum Summaries).
An electrolytic cell 1 shown in FIG. 1 is partitioned by an ion-exchange membrane 2 into an anode chamber 3 and a cathode chamber (gas chamber) 4, a mesh-form insoluble anode 5 is closely contacted with the anode chamber 3 side of the ion-exchange membrane 3 and a gas-diffusion cathode 6 is closely contacted with the cathode chamber 4 side of the ion-exchange membrane 2. A mesh-form current collector 7 is in contact with the surface of the gas-diffusion cathode 6 and an electric current is supplied though the collector 7.
In addition, numeral 8 is an inlet for anolyte formed at the bottom plate of the anode chamber, 9 is a outlet for anolyte and gas formed at the upper plate of the anode chamber, 10 is an inlet for oxygen-containing gas formed at the upper plate of the cathode chamber, and 11 is an outlet for caustic soda formed at the bottom plate of the cathode chamber.
When while supplying, for example, an aqueous sodium chloride solution to the anode chamber 3 of the electrolytic cell and supplying an oxygen-containing gas to the cathode chamber 4, an electric current is passed through both the electrodes 5 and 6, caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) is formed at the surface of the cathode chamber 4 side of the ion-exchange membrane 2, the caustic soda reaches the surface of the cathode chamber side as an aqueous solution thereof through the gas-diffusion cathode 6 and the soda is recovered as a product.
The properties required for the gas-diffusion cathode (oxygen cathode) used for the above-described electrolytic method differ greatly from those of a conventional-type gas-diffusion cathode. The gas-diffusion cathode must have a sufficient hydrophobic property to avoid being wetted by the aqueous caustic alkali solution. The gas-diffusion cathode must also have adequate liquid permeability, etc., so that the aqueous caustic soda solution can easily permeate through the inside of the cathode. For these purposes, the electrode base material is constructed with a durable metal such as nickel, silver, etc., whereby the above-described problem (1) is solved and electrolysis of a long duration of time can be expected.
Also, because the above-described electrolytic method incorporates a system for recovering the caustic alkali that permeates to the back surface of the electrode, a partition between the solution chamber and the gas chamber in accordance with the above-described gas-diffusion cathode is unnecessary. Accordingly, the electrode is not required to be an integrated structure. Therefore electrode production can be scaled up relatively easily, thereby solving problem (3) discussed above.
Furthermore, as a matter of course, the liquid pressure change due to height variation of the liquid does not occur. Therefore the above-described problem (4) is solved. Also, because the aqueous caustic alkali solution formed in the process reaches inevitably the back surface of the electrode through the inside of the electrode, the above described problem (7) is minimized.
As described above, regarding the salt water electrolytic method, various improvements are made so that the method becomes suitable for an industrial electrolytic system as shown in FIG. 1. In contrast, when the existing electrolytic cell having a height of about 1 meter is utilized, the improved electrolytic method is still insufficient and tends to provide inadequate electrolytic performance. It is assumed that in addition to the aqueous caustic alkali solution formed moving to the back surface of the electrode, a part of the aqueous caustic alkali solution that is formed moves in the direction of gravity along the height of the cell (i.e., descends to the height direction or the direction of gravity). It is further assumed that when the amount of the caustic alkali solution formed exceeds the capacity of the gas-diffusion cathode itself to remove the caustic alkali solution moving in the height direction, the solution is retained in the inside of the electrode, whereby the supply of an oxygen-containing gas and the discharge of the produced gas are obstructed resulting in lower electrolysis performance.

Gas-diffusion cathode and salt water electrolytic cell using the gas-diffusion cathode


A cured coating or molded article prepared from a composition comprising an actinic-radiation curing polymer, wherein the composition is cured with actinic radiation at a temperature of at most 150° C. to form the cured coating or molded article; wherein the cured coating or molded article has a thickness of at least about 0.5 mm and a hardness of about Shore A 90 to about Shore D 90.

The casting of a two-component, clear polyurethane resin upon a substrate to produce a decorative emblem is well known in the art. Cast polyurethane, when cured, gives a lens effect to the surface applied as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,100,010 and RE 33,175. These cast polyurethane resins are commonly referred to as "doming" or "lensing" resins. Doming or lensing resins are typically clear, colorless, high gloss, room temperature or elevated temperature curing, thermosetting systems developed to provide aesthetic enhancement and environmental protection to objects such as, but not limited to, paper, plastic, wood, metal, labels, decals, plaques, badges, name plates, lapel pins, automotive ornamentation, and automotive dashboards to form a durable three-dimensional coating or dome.
In order for a liquid doming resin to achieve the required appearance on an object once it is cured, it preferably has a number of characteristics intrinsic to both the liquid components and the cured resin. First, the formulation should be a clear, colorless, low viscosity liquid. It should flow sufficiently to cover the entire surface to which it is applied. It should produce a coating from approximately 20 mils (0.5 mm) to 100 mils (2.5 mm) high. It should fully cure within forty-eight hours at 25° C. & 50% R.H. The curing of the coating resin formulation should not cause shrinkage, wrinkles, surface defects, curling, or other deviations from a clear, transparent, smooth, high gloss surface. It should not contain volatile solvents (less than 1%). Once cured, the coating should maintain its initial hardness and flexibility after heat and environmental aging.
Doming resins typically have an application viscosity of about 100 to 5000 cps, are generally clear and colorless, and cure to a smooth, defect free, flexible or rigid coating. In addition to protecting the substrate surface from the environment, the resins are usually transparent providing an aesthetically appealing lensing effect to the pattern, design, or scripting on or near the substrate surface over which the resins are placed.
Currently, conventional doming resins are practically applied as two-component, 100% solids, polyurethane systems, which may be room temperature cured or cured with heat. Two-component epoxy systems are sometimes used in indoor applications. However, they cannot be used outdoors or in applications where they will be exposed to a high concentration of UV light, as they will yellow. Polyurethane systems, based primarily on aliphatic diisocyanates, are used for most indoor and outdoor applications.
There are major disadvantages with these two-component conventional systems. They need specialized two-component metering-mixing and dispensing systems to accurately dispense and mix the two reactive components. The curing of these resins must be made sufficiently slow so that the resin does not cure in the mixing unit. However, the resins then cure slowly once dispensed onto the desired substrate. Smaller parts cure slower than larger parts. Tack-free times are usually greater than six hours at ambient temperatures with full cure taking up to five days. Vacuum tables are often used to keep the substrate flat until the resin thickens sufficiently so that it will not flow off of the part. This can take hours at ambient temperatures.
Special safety precautions are also necessary due to the inherent toxicity of isocyanate and epoxy resin components in these formulations. Additionally, in isocyanate-functional systems, outgassing can occur when the isocyanate component undesirably reacts with a source of water or carboxyl groups and not the hydroxyl groups present in the first component. This will cause carbon dioxide bubbles to generated & become entrapped in the cured product, essentially ruining the appearance and protective properties of the coating.
Compounds based on the heavy metals; especially mercury and lead, are commonly used as catalysts in these polyurethane based systems. These compounds present both safety and environmental concerns. Phenyl mercuric acetate is one example of such a catalyst.
Furthermore, polyurethane-based systems cannot be made softer than about 70 Shore A. Thus, they cannot be used on pressure sensitive adhesive labels for applications requiring a very soft, flexible dome, such as on highly curved surfaces, unless very strong adhesives are used.
These two-component polyurethane and epoxy systems are also used in molding applications to produce molded designs, nameplates, and lettering and in scripting and design applications. Here again these systems are limited by their long curing times and usually must be left to cure at least twenty-four hours before they can be packaged.
Heat curing systems to accelerate the curing process are available. However they are expensive and require at least twenty minutes at 60° C. for the epoxies and polyurethanes to reach a tack free state. After that, they again must sit for at least twenty-four hours before the molded parts and letters can be packaged.
One-component, thin coatings that cure by actinic radiation are extensively used for thin coatings. These coatings are usually applied at less than 5 mils thick (0.13 mm). High build (>10 mils) UV curable coatings are severely limited because of high shrinkage during the curing process. Because of this high shrinkage these coatings have poor flexibility and poor adhesion to many substrates. This high shrinkage also limits the use of these UV curing doming resins to very small parts, usually less than 3 cm diameter. If placed on larger parts, such as flexible labels or decals, the shrinking would cause the part to curl on curing. Furthermore, these systems yellow on exposure to UV light and cannot be used in outdoor applications. Furthermore, acrylic monomers are very expensive and these systems contain high acrylic monomer contents. There are also health concerns over the toxicity and sensitizing properties of the acrylate based functional monomers.
Co-pending application Ser. No. 11/124,077 describes one-component silylated, high build coatings that can also be used in doming resin applications. These silylated systems have many advantages over two-component systems. They do not require two-component, meter-mix-dispensing systems, they do not produce carbon dioxide bubbles on exposure to moisture and they do not contain heave metals. Although the application is useful for many applications, the tack-free times are in the area of thirty minutes to two hours.
Dual cure compositions have been used for structural adhesives such as described in EP 646632A1, WO 0105846 and WO 98/53008. A photocurable resin composition for use in coatings comprising a component with dual functionality, acrylate and silane, is described in EP 0549228B1.
There is a need for a curing system that can be used in doming, scripting, and molding applications that cures quickly or instantly, does not shrink, has good UV light and weathering resistance, and can be packaged as soon as it has been cured.

Actinic radiation curable coating compositions


In a printing system, a method is used for adjusting currents to LEDs in an LED printbar to achieve uniformity of the print. The line test pattern and halftone strips test pattern are printed. The test patterns are scanned. An LED line metric of each LED test pattern line and reflectance uniformity of each halftone test strip are measured. A line uniformity difference profile and a set of halftone strips uniformity difference profiles are concurrently calculated. A current value supplied to each LED associated with the test patterns is adjusted to simultaneously optimize the uniformity in the lines test pattern and the halftone strips test pattern.

The present exemplary embodiment relates to printing systems. It finds particular application in conjunction with adjusting print uniformity by adjusting current to individual light emitting diodes (LEDs) in an LED printbar of a xerographic device and will be described with the particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the present exemplary embodiment is also amenable to other like applications.
Light emitting diode (LED) full width array imagers are commonly used as an exposure mechanism in a printer. Typically, such imagers include an arrangement of a large number of closely spaced LEDs in a linear array. By providing relative motion between the LED printbar and a photoreceptor, and by selectively energizing the LEDs at the proper times, a desired latent electrostatic image is produced on the recording member. The production of a desired latent image is usually performed by having each LED expose a corresponding pixel on the recording member in accordance with the image-defining video data information applied to the printbar through the driver circuitry. Driver circuits of the individual LEDs are selectively energized to turn the LEDs ON/OFF at fixed intervals to form a line exposure pattern on the surface of the photoreceptor. A complete image is formed by successive line exposures.
Due to manufacturing variations, aging and environmental conditions, the LED imagers output a nonuniform exposure profile. Such variations in light output expose the photoreceptor differently which results in undesirable streaks in the image.
One technique to correct the LED output uniformity is to monitor the response of individual LEDs on the print. The output of each individual LED is printed as a test pattern of single pixel wide lines parallel to the process direction. Single pixel lines are written with only one LED, so that the optical density profile of that line is related to the corresponding LED's exposure profile. The optical density profile can be measured by scanning the test print. The lines are well separated so that changes in the reflectance profile of one line do not influence a measurement of the reflectance profile of another line. A metric derived from the optical density profile of each line, such as the line width, is correlated to that LED's exposure. The current supplied to each LED in the LED print bar is adjusted until the width of each line is within a predetermined threshold or target width.
The width of the printed line depends on the total intensity of the LED. However, the width of the printed line also depends on the spatial profile of the spot emitted from the LED and focused on the photoreceptor. Beams of the same total intensity may give different line widths because one beam has a narrow profile and the other beam has a wide profile. Therefore, adjusting the LED currents to give uniform line widths may result in different integrated intensities.
In a typical printer, the beams from two neighboring LEDs overlap. The exposure profile is a sum of the individual exposure profiles. However, because of nonlinearities in the xerographic process, the profile of the developed toner on the paper for the double pixel wide line is not necessarily equal to the sum of the two developed toner profiles for the single pixel wide lines. In other words, different pairs of LEDs that individually produce lines of equal widths can produce double pixel wide lines of different widths.
Typically, a halftone strip is composed of a screen of dots. Most of the dots are written by two or more adjacent LEDs. For the same reason different sets of two pixel wide lines can be different in width, halftone dots printed with different sets of LEDs do not necessarily have to be equal in size, even though the individual lines that they print all have the same width.
Another approach to achieve cross process uniformity is to monitor the uniformity of one or more halftone strips and adjust the LED currents to increase the uniformity of the halftone strips. In this approach, however, it is problematic to determine which LED must be adjusted to force a change in density of a narrow streak. Specifically, if a particular halftone dot is too light, and that halftone dot is written by two or more LEDs, it is not possible without additional information to determine which LED must be adjusted to increase the density of that halftone dot in a way that does not degrade the appearance of other halftone screen or line art images.
There is a need for methods and apparatuses which overcome the aforementioned problems and others.

Method and apparatus for adjusting printbar uniformity


Specifically conceived for mattresses with springs (4), the mattress consists of a cylindrical tubular body (1, 1′) with a longitudinal cut line (2) in correspondence with one of its lines of symmetry, that connects its two open ends, towards which open a number of wide notches (3, 3′), with an isosceles trapezoid configuration that, together with the longitudinal opening (2) allow the male-female coupling of the corner piece to the springs (4) of the mattress, externally closing the set of springs at the corresponding corner to provide a smooth, continuous surface without any bulges, recesses or deformations.

Mattresses of the aforementioned type generally comprise a spring casing in which a number of spring units, generally helical in shape, are suitably connected to each other while being disposed between to imaginary planes parallel to the bases of the mattress. More specifically, these spring units are coplanar on their ends, where they are attached to padded bodies that line the core of the mattress on its top and bottom, softening the physical contact with said springs and thereby increasing the comfort of the mattress for the user.
A similar padded lining is present around the entire perimeter of the mattress, where the result is less effective as the deformability of these areas is greater, particularly so in the corners, where bulges, recesses, deformations or wrinkles often appear that harm the appearance of the mattress.

Corner piece for mattresses and the production method thereof


A neutralization testing apparatus and a neutralization testing method which allow a neutralization reaction rate of a liquid sample such as lubricant oil to be accurately measured are provided. Reagent injecting device for injecting a reagent which neutralizes the liquid sample is provided on a lid member of a closed container into which the liquid sample is charged. The reagent injecting device is an acid injecting port which penetrates through the closed container and an air-tight sealing member which closes the acid injecting port and which permits an injector needle for injecting the reagent to penetrate therethrough. Because no gas leakage occurs even when the injector needle is penetrated because of the elasticity of the air-tight sealing member, the measuring conditions within the closed container do not change and the neutralization reaction rate may be found accurately.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a neutralization testing apparatus and a neutralization testing method of a liquid sample such as lubricant oil and may be utilized in measuring an acid neutralization rate of cylinder oil which is heavy lubricant oil for example.
2. Description of Related Art
Hitherto, lubrication by means of fats and oils has been used frequently in a driving mechanism such as an engine. For instance, cylinder oil for smoothly driving a piston within an engine cylinder is used in a ship engine, beside system oil used for smoothly actuating the driving mechanism.
In addition to the performance of smoothly driving the piston within a high temperature and high pressure atmosphere within the cylinder, such cylinder oil is required to have a performance of neutralizing corrosive sulfur compound which is produced within the cylinder along the combustion of fuel oil to prevent the cylinder and piston from corroding.
Accordingly, it is an important factor to find an acid neutralization rate as the performance of the cylinder oil in developing the cylinder oil. Therefore, the performance of the cylinder oil has been evaluated by finding the neutralization reaction rate of the cylinder oil by using an acid neutralization testing apparatus since the past.
As the acid neutralization testing apparatus of the cylinder oil, a testing apparatus for finding a neutralization reaction time of sulfuric acid and the cylinder oil and for finding the acid neutralization rate from that by charging the cylinder oil which is a liquid sample into a closed container whose internal temperature and pressure are kept constant, by injecting the sulfuric acid to the closed container by an injector via a reagent injecting port which is in communication with the inside of the closed container and by measuring changes in pressure within the closed container.
In such an acid neutralization testing apparatus, there has been provided an air-tight valve at the reagent injecting port and the sulfuric acid has been injected through a series of works of (1) opening the valve, (2) inserting the injector needle to inject the sulfuric acid, and (3) closing the valve.
Then, the time when the valve is closed has been set as a neutralization reaction starting time of the cylinder oil and the acid neutralization rate of the cylinder oil has been found from the elapsed change in the increase of pressure within the testing apparatus after that.
However, there has been a problem that the neutralization reaction rate cannot be found accurately when the measurement is carried out by means of the above-mentioned acid neutralization testing apparatus in a high temperature range in which the reaction takes place quickly because gas leaks as the valve is opened and the measuring conditions within the closed container change.
Further, it has been difficult to set the measuring conditions of the high temperature and high pressure atmosphere like that in an actual cylinder by the prior art acid neutralization testing apparatus.
Due to that, there has been a problem that the cylinder oil cannot be measured directly because the cylinder oil which is highly viscous in a normal temperature has to be diluted in measuring it.
Further, when the time when the valve is closed is set as the neutralization reaction starting time as described above, a time lag is produced between that time and the actual neutralization starting time when the sulfuric acid contacts with the cylinder oil. Therefore, there has been a problem that the neutralization reaction time until when the reaction ends cannot be found accurately and the neutralization reaction rate cannot be found accurately.
Accordingly, the present invention has been devised in order to solve the aforementioned problems by providing a neutralization testing apparatus and a neutralization testing method which allow the neutralization reaction rate of a liquid sample such as lubricant oil to be measured accurately.


An activating mechanism is provided for use with a four-link hinge of the type typically used for closure of a vehicle movable deck, such as a trunk lid or engine compartment hood. A lower link bracket is secured to the vehicle body and an upper link bracket is secured to the movable deck. Pivoting links may be connected between the upper and lower link brackets.

The present invention relates to mechanisms for closing vehicle trunk lids or engine compartment hoods and particular to mechanisms for closing the type of lids or hoods which are movably supported on what is known as four-link hinges.
Vehicles are being produced today with short trunk lids movably supported on a type of hinge mechanism referred to as a four-link hinge. This hinge allows a trunk lid to move with a wide angle, meeting styling and final user demands. The specific geometry of this hinge makes the trunk lid travel not on an arc about a fixed pivot, but rather about a specific curve established by the links of the hinge. This hinge geometry makes the power activation of the trunk lid difficult, not only because of the curvature of the movement, but because of the high loads on the hinge mechanism. One known way of driving this kind of trunk lid mechanism is to apply the torque directly to one of the crank links of the hinge mechanism. Mercedes Benz has accomplished this on luxury vehicles using a powerful, but expensive hydraulic drive system.

Activating mechanism for closures with four-link hinges


Disclosed is an apparatus and method for storing and searching computer node addresses in a computer network system. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a frame forwarding device such as a switch. The switch includes two MAC address tables including a primary MAC address table and secondary MAC address table both for storing and searching MAC addresses. The primary table stores records that contain compressed values of MAC addresses. The records are contained in storage locations that are referenced using the compressed value of the MAC address as a search index. In order to account for searching collisions that may result from different MAC addresses compressing to the same value, each record in the primary address table is linked to a chain of records in the secondary table. The records in the secondary table store the full value of the MAC address. Each chain of records in the secondary address table contains MAC addresses the present invention.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer network technology. More particularly, the present invention relates to searching and forwarding of frames and computer addresses in a computer network.
2. Description of Related Art
A computer network generally comprises a set of conjoined computer devices that are communicatively linked so as to share resources such as storage devices, peripherals, applications, output devices, etc. The computing devices in a local area network (LAN) are typically connected to each other directly by cable connections. For organizational reasons, several devices in a network may be connected at a central connection point referred to herein as a hub. A hub typically has a plurality of ports that are each communicatively linked to one or more devices, such as a node, a switch, or a repeater. As used herein, the term "node" refers to any device that can communicate with other computers in a network. The hub receives an incoming signal from a source node through one port and sends the incoming signal out to a destination node through one or more other ports.
A repeater is a very simple form of a hub. Repeaters extend the size of a network by joining multiple segments into a larger segment. Repeaters increase a network signal's strength so the signal can be transmitted and received over a greater distance without a loss in quality. For example, the signal may have become degraded due to the distance traveled from the source to the repeater over the cable. The repeater regenerates the weak signal internally and forwards the signal out through all ports. This means that a repeater does not process data at all, but rather merely receives incoming signals and reconditions them for immediate transmission on all ports (except the originating port). That is, the repeater does not perform any analysis as to the destination address of the signal, but rather blindly sends the signal out through all ports.
A repeater can significantly increase the traffic level of a network because the repeater outputs all incoming signals through every port. This may not present a problem in networks where communication traffic is relatively low. However, in networks where traffic volume is relatively high, small increases in communication traffic may significantly degrade the performance of the network.
Switches and bridges are more complex types of hubs that overcome the aforementioned drawbacks associated with repeaters. Unlike repeaters, switches and bridges include frame forwarding logic and perform basic signal filtering functions before transmitting an incoming signal. Whereas repeaters forward all signals through every port, switches and bridges only forward signals that are necessary and only forward the signals to the appropriate port based upon the destination address of the signal.
In relation to the Ethernet network standard, signals are transmitted through the network as frames of data that travel from the source node to the destination node. A frame is generally comprised of several fields of information, including two fields that denote the destination Media Access Control (MAC) address and the source MAC address for the frame. The source MAC address specifies the source node of the frame and the destination MAC address specifies the destination node of the frame. Each node in the network is identified by a unique MAC address, which comprises a 48 bit (6 byte) string. Six bytes of device ID allows for approximately 32 trillion (248) possible unique MAC addresses.
When a switch or a bridge receives an incoming frame, the switch or bridge examines the frame's destination address. The switch maintains in internal memory a database of past frames. Through use of the database, referred to herein as an address table, the switch can keep track of which MAC addresses correspond to which ports on the switch. Upon receipt of a frame, the switch references the database and determines the port that is associated with the particular MAC address. The switch then forwards the frame to the correct port. Essentially, the switch checks its internal memory of past frames and determines whether to forward the frame to another port or to filter out the frame.
The speed at which a switch can forward a frame to the correct port is dependent on several factors, including the amount of time that it takes for the frame to search its address table, find the frame's destination address and output the frame through the correct port(s). Ideally, an address table would contain enough data space to store each and every possible 6 byte MAC address. In such a case, the address table could contain an array of entries comprised of a complete listing of every single possible address and the port corresponding to each address. Upon receipt of a MAC address, the switch could then quickly search through the table and identify the appropriate port to which the MAC address should be forwarded.
However, as mentioned, there are approximately 32 trillion (248) possible MAC addresses that would have to be stored in such a table. In the real world, it would not be practical from a cost standpoint to maintain sufficient memory to store a table that contains each and every possible six byte MAC address. One way of reducing the amount of memory required for an address table would be to store a compressed or hashed version of the address in the table. However, this could result in collisions during searching as one or more different addresses could map to the same hash value.
Consequently, there is a need for a fast and efficient method of maintaining computer address forwarding tables.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Disclosed are methods, systems and computer program products for antivirus checking of software objects in a virtual environment. An example method includes monitoring and identifying, by an antivirus agent running on a virtual machine in the virtual environment, an event occurring in the virtual machine, an object related to the event, and a type of the object; upon determining that the object needs an antivirus checking, sending, by the antivirus agent, to a control module in the virtual environment, information of the object and the event; determining, by the control module, priorities of executing one or more antivirus checking methods determined for the object; and distributing, by the control module, among one or more selected components of an antivirus system in the virtual environment, the one or more antivirus checking methods to be performed on the object based on the priorities.

With recent advances in computer technology, the use of virtual machines for different computing task has become very popular. A virtual machine (VM) is a software environment within a physical ("real") machine (such as a computer or server) which provides isolation from each other for the working of programs and even operating systems, including the BIOS, the processor (CPU), the working memory, hard disk and peripherals. Thus, a working of the physical machine inside another physical machine is provided. Furthermore, if the virtual machine as well as the physical machine has its own operating system, this may be different from the operating system of the physical machine. On one physical machine, which is also known as the "host machine", it is possible to create a virtual computer environment which serves several virtual machines at the same time. During operation, the virtual machines use the same computing resources of the host machine, which are controlled by a monitor of the virtual machines.
The monitor of the virtual machines, which is also known as a hypervisor, provides for the simultaneous and parallel working of the virtual machines deployed on the host machine, and also controls the computing resources of the host machine, allocating them among the virtual machines. Thus, the hypervisor assigns a definite quantity of resources to each virtual machine. Each VM then uses the assigned resources, both for the working of its own operating system and for the performance of user tasks. Moreover, the hypervisor may provide communication and interworking services for the virtual machines, such as network connections, as if they were different physical machines. Thus, it is possible to create a virtual local-area network on the host machine. The capabilities of the hypervisor also make it possible to impose various limitations on the virtual machines, such as a limitation on connecting to the Internet. In this case, a local-area network is formed that is isolated from the external network. For example, this allows one to ensure the security of such a network or the virtual machines, and the connection to the external network is done through the hypervisor or a specially dedicated VM. This variant is helpful for the creation of corporate networks whose virtual machines might hold confidential information.
Moreover, a virtual machine, like any other physical computer system, is also vulnerable to malicious software. Consequently, there is a need for an antivirus system to protect them. Such a problem may be solved by launching traditional antivirus software on each virtual machine. But at the same time, this approach also has a major shortcoming when realized in a virtual environment formed on a host machine. The shortcoming is due to the excessive utilization of the resources of the host machine, which may result in an overloading of the host machine or a prolonged freezing of the VM when performing tasks on VM data. This shortcoming is due to the fact that a situation may arise when the antivirus systems is checking a file that physically resides in the same sector of the hard disk of the host machine, e.g., the identical file is checked. Moreover, the hypervisor has another workload involving the providing of resources (such as processor and memory resources) for the working of the antivirus system on each VM. Yet another shortcoming lies in the fact that the antivirus system installed in the operating system of the virtual machine is a classical kind, and therefore it knows nothing about the hypervisor and it is unable to utilize the services of the virtual machine when necessary, for example, for carrying out the "rollback" function or for the creation of a picture of the file system.
An analysis of the prior art shows that the previous technologies are ineffective and in certain cases cannot be used.

System and methods of performing antivirus checking in a virtual environment using different antivirus checking techniques


A separator for a storage battery is a microporous membrane having a back web and a battlemented rib standing on the back web.

A battery separator is used to separate the battery's positive and negative electrodes, and is typically microporous so that ions may pass therethrough to the positive and negative electrodes. In lead/acid storage batteries, either automotive or industrial batteries, the battery separator is typically a microporous polyethylene separator having a back web and a plurality of ribs standing on the back web. See: Besenhard, J. O., Editor, Handbook of Battery Materials, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, Weinheim, Germany (1999), Chapter 9, pp. 245–292. The separators for automotive batteries are typically made in continuous lengths and rolled, subsequently folded, and sealed along its edges to form pouches that receive the electrodes for the batteries. The separators for industrial (traction) batteries are typically cut to a size about the same as an electrode plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,772 illustrates a method of making a lead/acid battery separator sheet from a plastic material. In this method, the sheet is calender molded to form ribs and/or projections. Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,772's FIGS. 2 and 3, ribs 29 and 31 have a solid profile. Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,772's FIGS. 4 and 5, discrete projections 45 and 49 are formed by rounded pits in the calendering rolls 12 and 13. U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,352 illustrates a lead/acid battery separator characterized by an interrupted pattern of discrete separator projections standing on a back web. Each projection has a circular or oval shape. U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,952 illustrates a lead/acid battery separator having a plurality of discrete ribs with no intermediate connecting walls. U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,734 illustrates a lead/acid battery separator having a plurality of ribs, each with a solid profile. PCT Publication WO 01/13442 illustrates a lead/acid battery separator having at least one vertical rib and a plurality of studs. The studs are truncated cones and their bases are flush with the back web. The ribs have a solid profile.
While the foregoing prior art, that is those having the projections, studs, or discontinuous ribs, have advanced the art, they are deficient because of their inability to prevent the formation of gas pockets. In a typical lead/acid battery separator, the separator has a ribbed face (i.e., with the primary ribs) and a back face (i.e., without ribs or a plurality of small or secondary ribs). The negative electrode (plate) is placed adjacent to the back face, and the positive electrode (plate) rests on the ribs of the ribbed face. Once a battery is sufficiently charged and current is continually applied (i.e., overcharging), hydrogen is generated at the negative plate, and oxygen is generated at the positive plate. As hydrogen is formed at the negative plate, it may push the separator away from the negative plate thereby forming a gas channel or pocket. A channel allows the hydrogen gas to escape, which is good; a pocket, on the other hand, prevents the escape of gas, which is bad because the pocket becomes an area of infinite resistance in the battery. Furthermore, if the separator's back web is pushed to contact the positive plate, the back web can oxidize and a hole can form.
Accordingly, there is a need to improve these battery separators.


An optimization system for testing a patient's hearing comprises a controller, an ear piece, and a memory. The controller: provides a series of tones to the ear piece; receives feedback from the patient between each tone; generates a data point to be used in an audiogram after receiving each feedback; after each data point is generated, computes a statistical distribution based on the generated data points; identifies an area of the statistical distribution most in need of additional data; and selects a subsequent tone to provide in the series of tones. Each feedback indicates whether the respective tone was detected or not detected, and each data point is based on the respective feedback. Each subsequent tone provided in the series of tones is a tone represented in the area of the statistical distribution most in need of additional data at the time of selection.

The present invention relates systems and methods for optimizing parameters of hardware for audiological devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods in which acoustic waves are transformed into electrical signals in a device, and the settings of the device are tailored to the individual.
Programming hardware for audio signals is complicated due to the complexity of audio signals. In addition to the basic problems associated with reproducing a constantly changing sound comprised of an overlapping collection of various pitches and amplitudes, problems are compounded by signal to noise issues, threshold hearing variances across a wide range of the spectrum in which humans can hear, and other unique factors. With such a complex variable set, or from another perspective, such a wide optimization space, it is difficult for a user or operator to arrive at an optimized setting.
For example, cochlear implants include technology that transforms complex auditory waves into pulses to be sent to a plurality of channels on the inner cochlea of a patient in order to stimulate the neurons on the select channels. The process of transforming auditory waves into electronic signals requires the transformation of a multitude of information including frequency, amplitude, and voltage among background noise and environments into an electrical signal to recreate hearing.
Cochlear implants are neural prostheses that help severely-to-profoundly deaf people to restore some hearing. Physically, three components can be identified: the speech processor with its transmission coil, the receiver and stimulator, and the cochlear implant electrode array. The speech processor receives sound from one or more microphones and converts the sound into a corresponding electrical signal. While the hearing range of a young healthy human is typically between 0.02 and 20 kHz, it has been assumed for coding of acoustic information in cochlear implants that most of the information used for communication is in the frequency range between 0.1 and 8 kHz. The frequency band from 0.1 to 8 kHz is divided into many smaller frequency bands of about 0.5 octaves width. The number of small frequency bands is determined by the number of electrodes along the electrode array, which is inserted into the cochlea. Each frequency band is then treated by a mathematical algorithm, such as a Hilbert transform that extracts the envelope of the filtered waveform. The envelope is then transmitted via an ultrahigh frequency (UHF) connection across the skin to a receiver coil, which was surgically implanted behind the ear. The envelope is used to modulate a train of pulses with a fixed pulse repetition rate. For each of the electrodes, a train of pulses with fixed frequency and fixed phase is used to stimulate the cochlear nerve. Multiple algorithms have been implemented to select a group of 4-8 electrode contacts for simultaneous stimulation.
Damage of cochlear neural structures can result in severe deafness. Depending on the neural degeneration in the cochlea performance, the performance of a cochlear implant user may vary. Changes that occur include the demyelination and degeneration of dendrites and neuronal death. The neuronal loss can be non-uniform and results in "holes" of neurons along the cochlea. Holes lead to distortion of the frequency maps, which affects speech recognition. Caused by changes in myelination and synapse size, changes in firing properties of the nerve were described such as prolonged delay times and changed refractory periods. In the brainstem and midbrain the neuronal connections appear to remain intact. However, a decrease in neuron size, afferent input, synapse size and density can be detected. Neural recordings reveal a change in response properties that adversely affect temporal resolution such as elevated thresholds, de-synchronization, increased levels of neural adaptation, increased response latencies. A loss of inhibitory influences has been described. At the cortex, spatially larger cortical activation was seen with (PET). The findings support a plastic reorganization and more intense use of present auditory networks.
A conventional cochlear implant includes a speech processor that transforms the acoustic waves received on the microphone into an electrical signal that stimulate the implanted electrode array, and consequently, the auditory nerves. Auditory waves are a complex summation of many different wave forms, and the processor decomposes the complex auditory signal received on the microphone into discrete component frequencies or electrical pulses to be sent to the auditory neurons through the electrodes. Nerve fibers in the vicinity of the electrodes are stimulated and relay information to the brain. Loud sounds produce high-amplitude electrical pulses that stimulate a greater number of nerve fibers, while quiet sounds produce low-amplitude pulses effected a lesser number of nerve fibers. Different variables within the software on the processor affect the output of the cochlear implant speech processor.
To activate the cochlear implant, an audiologist tunes the levels and stimulation parameters of the speech processor so that the sounds picked up by the microphone are heard at the individual's ideal loudness level. Initially, the audiologist stimulates the implant's channels or electrode pairs with small electrical pulses to test whether the user hears the stimulus. Over the course of subsequent sessions, the audiologist performs a series of tests to understand the user's listening needs. The user's cochlea is tuned to perceive different pitches depending on the area being stimulated. During the sessions, the audiologist stimulate the implant's channels to simulate pitch differences. The audiologist will also vary the electrical current on each channel to find the most comfortable loudness level. The audiologist may also take threshold measurements to understand the user's softest level audible on each channel. The audiologist ultimately generates a map that is downloaded to the speech processor to enable the processor to appropriately adjust volume levels based on the individual's needs.
With cochlear implants and other hearing devices, each patient is unique. Following implantation, changes occur that can affect performance of the device. Changes include genetic disorders, iatrogenic procedures, ototoxic drugs, or loud noise exposure. The user's hearing will change over time, requiring additional visits to the audiologist in order to rerun the tests and adjust the map accordingly.
Additionally, hearing devices other than cochlear implants, such as recent hearing aid technology, may require programming based on audiological feedback during testing to achieve optimal results. The latest generations of hearing aids and other "hearables" include parameter settings for amplification, compression, noise rejection/cancellation, etc. Being able to fine tune each of the parameters, in each ear, provides even greater flexibility in the optimization of these devices. However, the complexity created by the many parameters can be a challenge for manual tuning.
Accordingly, there is a need for an optimization system for effectively adjusting a large number of parameters of a hearing device while accounting for a variety of hearing situations.


A device for measuring the mass of a flowing medium having a temperature-dependent sensor element, which is inserted flush in a recess of a sensor carrier and is retained therein by means of an adhesive. The sensor carrier is made by bending a thin metal strip and has two elements, a frame element and a retaining element, which together form a recess, into which the sensor element is inserted flush and glued by means of an adhesive to a plateau-like protuberance of a bottom face of the retaining element. The sensor carrier is intended for a device for measuring the mass of a flowing medium for measuring the flow rate or mass of the air aspirated by internal combustion engines.

The invention is based on a method for producing a sensor carrier for a device for measuring the mass, or flow rate, of a flowing medium set forth hereinafter. A sensor carrier for a device is already known (German Published Patent Disclosure DE-OS 38 44 354, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,145), in which a so-called hot-film sensor element is placed in a flowing medium and, to measure the flow rate of the flowing medium, has a temperature-dependent sensor region composed of individual resistor layers applied to a platelike substrate and including at least one heating resistor and at least one temperature-dependent measuring resistor. For retention purposes, the hot-film sensor element is glued by its underside partly to a tongue-like support element, so that the latter element is bathed by the flowing medium on its free end in a measurement conduit. For measurement, the measuring resistor is kept at an overtemperature that is far above the temperature of the flowing medium, so that substantially because of convection, it gives off a certain amount of heat to the flowing medium as a function of the mass or flow rate of the flowing medium moving past it. The heating resistor as is known serves to maintain the constant overtemperature of the measuring resistor and is disposed in the best possible thermal contact with the measuring resistor so as to keep the temperature of the latter resistor constant. The measuring resistor has a resistance that is dependent on the temperature, so that a change in the overtemperature causes a change in its resistance, and a closed-loop control circuit connected to the measuring resistor and the heating resistor is mistuned. The closed-loop control circuit is embodied for instance as a bridgelike resistance measuring circuit that upon being mistuned by the measuring resistor varies the heating current or heating voltage of the heating resistor, so as to keep the overtemperature of the measuring resistor constant; the heating current or heating voltage of the heating resistor required for maintaining the overtemperature of the measuring resistor is a standard for the mass of the flowing medium. As may be learned from the prior art referred to at the outset, the substrate has a further resistor, which will hereinafter be called the medium temperature resistor and which is disposed on the substrate; it is thermally decoupled from the heating resistor and the measuring resistor by means of slits made by removal of material from the substrate. The medium temperature resistor has a resistance that is dependent on the temperature and is part of the closed-loop control circuit that assures that changes in the temperature of the flowing medium do not affect the measurement accuracy of the device. To attain a precise outcome of measurement, the quantity of heat output by the heating resistor should be supplied as completely as possible to the measuring resistor, or in other words without some of it being dissipated to the support element, for instance via a layer of adhesive on the sensor element.
German Published Patent Disclosure DE-OS 42 19 454 shows a sensor carrier which is intended for retaining micromechanical sensor elements in particular and which has a recess in which the sensor element is placed flush and retained by means of a layer of adhesive applied to a bottom face of the recess. It is known that micromechanical sensors of so-called micromechanical design are made by etching out a semiconductor body, for instance a silicon wafer, with a membranelike sensor region created by the etching that has at least one heating resistor and at least one temperature-dependent measuring resistor. The membranelike sensor region defines only a small area of the sensor element and has an extremely slight thickness of a few micrometers, so that only a small surface area of the sensor region needs to be heated by the heating resistor in order to react, within a short response time, to changes in the mass of the flowing medium caused by changes in the amount of heat output by the heating resistor. When the device is produced, it is extraordinarily important that the sensor element be glued into the recess with its surface as flush as possible relative to the surface of the sensor carrier, because even the least offset, for instance from an unevenly applied layer of adhesive, causes eddies and regions of detachment, which especially at the surface of the sensor element affect heat dissipation of the measuring resistor disadvantageously and adulterate the outcome of measurement. Extreme care must therefore be taken when the sensor element is glued into the recess of the sensor carrier; thus particularly in mass production of the device, major manufacturing effort is needed, which involves considerable production costs.

Method for producing a sensor for measuring the mass of a flowing medium


A multilayer ceramic electronic component includes a multilayer ceramic electronic component including a ceramic body including a dielectric layer, and a first internal electrode and a second internal electrode facing each other with the dielectric layer interposed therebetween, and first and second external electrodes respectively electrically connected to the first and second internal electrodes, disposed in an outer portion of the ceramic body. The first and second external electrodes include a first electrode layer including a conductive metal, a first plating layer disposed on the first electrode layer and including nickel (Ni), and a second plating layer disposed on the first plating layer and including tin (Sn). A ratio (t1/t2) between a thickness (t1) of the first plating layer including nickel (Ni) and a thickness (t2) of the second plating layer including tin (Sn) is within a range from 1.0 to 9.0.

Recently, a substrate having high mounting density has been developed, and it has become necessary to reduce amounting area of a multilayer ceramic capacitor. There has been increased demand for products in which a multilayer ceramic capacitor having a thin thickness is embedded in a substrate or mounted in a lower end of an application processor (AP) as a land-side capacitor (LSC).
In this case, not only the mounting area may decrease, but equivalent series inductance (ESL) occurring in a substrate may also decrease. For this reason, a multilayer ceramic capacitor having a relatively thin thickness has increasingly been used.
A large amount of research has been conducted to develop a multilayer ceramic capacitor product in which a through-hole is formed in a ceramic body, electrodes are filled in the through-hole, and internal electrodes are connected.
In the case in which the process of forming a through-hole in a ceramic body is applied, the process of dipping a ceramic body to form an external electrode on an external surface may not be necessary. Thus, it may be possible to increase a size of a multilayer ceramic capacitor product by an amount equal to the reduction in thickness of an external electrode.
Also, the process of forming a through-hole in a ceramic body may be applied to a thin-film multilayer ceramic capacitor.
However, when the above process is used, an external electrode may be formed in both upper and lower portions of a ceramic body, but the external electrodes may not be connected to each other as the external electrodes may be disposed in the form of islands, which may lead to a conglomeration of tin (Sn) in a tin (Sn) plated layer disposed in outermost portions of the external electrodes during reflow.
Due to the conglomeration of tin (Sn), a thickness of an external electrode may increase. Thus, it has been necessary to resolve the issue of conglomeration of tin (Sn).


A well tool including swellable material and integrated fluid for initiating swelling. A well tool includes a swellable material and a reservoir for containing a fluid of a type which causes the swellable material to swell. A method of swelling a swellable material included in a well tool includes the steps of: positioning the well tool in a well; and then activating a fluid to cause swelling of the swellable material. A method of swelling a swellable material includes the steps of: providing the swellable material which is capable of swelling when contacted by a fluid; positioning the swellable material in an environment in which the swellable material is contacted by another fluid which does not cause the material to swell; and swelling the swellable material by contacting the swellable material with the first fluid while the swellable material remains in contact with the other fluid.

The present invention relates generally to equipment utilized and operations performed in conjunction with a subterranean well and, in an embodiment described herein, more particularly provides a well tool including a swellable material and an integrated fluid for initiating swelling of the swellable material.
Well packers and other types of well tools are known which use swellable materials. These swellable materials swell when they are contacted by a certain type of fluid. For example, a swellable material may swell when it is contacted by a hydrocarbon fluid, gas, water, etc.
If the particular fluid which causes swelling of the swellable material is not present in a well when it is desired for the material to swell, then the fluid can be circulated through the well to the material, for example, by spotting the fluid at the depth of the well tool.
Unfortunately, this method has certain disadvantages. For example, the fluid can migrate away from the well tool (e.g., if the fluid which causes the swellable material to swell has a different density or viscosity as compared to the remainder of the fluid in the well), and over the longer term the fluid will not be present to maintain the swollen condition of the swellable material.
Therefore, it may be seen that improvements are needed in the art of constructing well tools utilizing swellable materials, and swelling those materials in conjunction with well operations.

Well tool including swellable material and integrated fluid for initiating swelling


A cable assembly interconnects an electrosurgical instrument and source equipment for power and fluid transfer. The cable assembly includes a unitary tubular assembly forming a lumen(s) and an insulating sheath(s) for an electrically conducting cord that are integrally interconnected via a web arrangement in a continuum of material. The web arrangement has a thickness sufficient to allow the lumen(s) and sheath(s) to be pulled apart upon application of a pulling force in a direction transverse to the direction of elongation of the tubular assembly.

A variety of electrosurgical devices are available for performing different surgical procedures. For example, coagulation procedures require an instrument that is capable of coagulating tissue to stop or minimize the flow of blood at the surgical site. Such instruments may also be capable of flushing an irrigation solution into the area where the surgeon is working to remove bits of tissue or blood. In other alternatives, these instruments may be capable of aspirating fluids from the site. Such fluids include liquids, such as saline solution or blood, and gases, such as smoke or air.
For example, electrosurgical forceps have a pair of blades that are used to grasp and coagulate tissue. The forceps may be monopolar or bipolar. In monopolar forceps, one or both of the blades form an electrode in electrical communication with an electrical generator. Current flows from the active electrode through the patient's tissue to a dispersive electrode in contact with the patient's skin, which may be at some distance from the forceps, and back to the generator. In bipolar forceps, each blade of the pair comprises an electrode in communication with the electrical generator.
In some forceps, an irrigation channel is formed along one or both of the blades to allow an irrigation fluid, such as saline solution, to flow through the channel and out the outlet near the tip of the blades to flush bits of tissue or blood away from the area where the surgeon is working. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,228,084.
In another known type of bipolar coagulating instrument, a pair of electrodes is arranged coaxially. A suction channel is provided along the central axis to draw fluids away from the surgical site. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,989,249 and 6,406,476.
In instruments that provide both coagulation capabilities and irrigation or aspiration capabilities, the instrument must be connected to both an electrical generator via an electrically conducting cord and to a fluid pump or vacuum compressor for irrigation or aspiration via a lumen. The electrically conducting cord is formed with a pair of copper wires each coaxially surrounded by an outer insulation. The fluid tubing for the lumen is typically formed from a suitable plastic material. It is known to form an electrically conducting cord and a lumen into a cable assembly by bonding the cord and lumen together with a glue or other bonding solution.

Integral electrically conducting cord and lumen


A method and apparatus for steering instructions dynamically, at issue time, so as to maximize the efficiency of use of execution units being shared by multiple threads being processed by an SMT processor. Resource vectors are used at issue time to redirect instructions, from threads being processed simultaneously, to shared resources for which the multiple threads are competing. The existing resource vectors for instructions that are queued for issuance are analyzed and, where appropriate, dynamically recalculated and modified for maximum efficiency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computer systems, and more particularly to an improved method of steering program instructions to a specific execution unit in a processor, and to an improved processor design.
2. Description of the Related Art
High-performance computer systems use multiple processors to carry out the various program instructions embodied in computer programs such as software applications and operating systems. These processors typically have a processor core comprising a single integrated circuit superscalar microprocessor having various execution units (fixed-point units, floating-point units, and load/store units), registers, buffers, memories, and other functional units, which are all formed by integrated circuitry. The processor cores may operate according to reduced instruction set computing (RISC) techniques, and may employ both pipelining and out-of-order execution of instructions to further improve the performance of the superscalar architecture.
Simultaneous multithreading (SMT) is a processor design that combines hardware multithreading with superscalar processor technology to allow multiple threads to issue instructions each cycle. Unlike other hardware multithreaded architectures in which only a single hardware context (i.e., thread) is active on any given cycle, SMT permits all thread contexts to simultaneously compete for and share processor resources. To reduce issue latency between a dependent instruction and the independent instruction on which it depends (i.e., the instruction that is producing its data), it is desirable to be able to steer the dependent instruction to the same execution unit where the independent instruction is being executed. On a microprocessor with multiple execution units, it can be quite difficult to steer the dependent instruction to the same execution unit on which the independent instruction is being executed. This is because, with so many operations being performed in a short period of time, all of which may be competing for use of the same execution units, resource conflicts invariably occur.
To reduce the competition for the shared execution units and other shared resources between the threads, "steering" techniques have been developed to steer the various instructions in the threads to particular resources based on thread priority (e.g., a thread with a higher priority might be given preferential access to shared resources over a lower priority thread). In the prior art, these steering techniques were used as part of a queuing process prior to issue time, that is, the instructions were statically assigned an execution unit. Each execution unit was fed by its own issue queue, and once an instruction was placed into the issue queue of a particular execution unit, it would have to issue to that particular execution unit.
While these steering techniques of the prior art function adequately, they do not allow dynamic modification of the instruction destination, once the instruction is queued up for issuance. This can lead to problems because there my be certain downstream events occurring, i.e., problems with execution units, changed priorities, and the like, that affect the operation of the execution units and which, if known prior to issue time, might have changed the way in which the instructions were steered. Accordingly, it would be desirable to devise a method whereby instructions could be dynamically steered upon issuance.

Dynamic recalculation of resource vector at issue queue for steering of dependent instructions

International Business Machines Corporation


An apparatus and a method for building a foundation for uprights, such as flagpoles, posts, pillars or the like, or for making passages e.g. for cables, tubes etc. The apparatus (1) includes a drive-shaft (3) equipped helical auger (2). The shaft (3) is provided with a tubular body portion (4,4a). The end of the body section (4a) facing the helical auger (2) is fitted with a conical section (5) tapering towards helical auger (2). Thus, when the apparatus is in operation, the tapered section (5) serves to compact a soil layer softened by the helical auger (2).

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for building a foundation, particularly a frost-resistant foundation, for uprights such as flagpoles, posts, pillars or the like or for making passages therethrough e.g. for cables, tubes etc., said apparatus comprising a drive-shaft equipped helical auger, said shaft being provided with a tubular body portion, the helical auger having a substantially larger diameter than the body portion.
At present, the upright foundations are generally built by digging a hole in the ground, by setting a concrete pipe in the hole and by casting grippers or a self-erectable assembly in the concrete pipe. This type of method is relatively tedious and, in addition, causes disturbances in the environment e.g. when the installation is made on a lawn, due to the necessity of digging a sufficiently large erection hole. The passages are presently made by using e.g. percussion drilling, pressure drilling as well as ramming. One drawback in these methods is a relatively high power demand of the equipment used therein.

Apparatus and method for building a foundation for uprights or for making passages therethrough


A joint heating system of gas combined cycle and solar power and a dispatching method thereof, the user adopts two ways of the hot water radiator and the heat pump to supply heat, wherein the hot water comes from the gas combined cycle units, the electric power comes from the combination of the gas combined cycle units and the solar power generation units, and after detecting the power supplying and power consumption of the user in a historical time period by the comprehensive dispatching and controlling device, a future time period is predicted, and then dispatching is processed on the basis.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the field of comprehensive utilization of clean energy sources, and more particularly to a joint heating system of gas combined cycle and solar power and a dispatching method thereof.
2. Description of Related Arts
Renewable energy sources have characteristics of being green and clean, and develop fast in recent years. However, taking solar power generation for an example, the solar power generation not only provides clean and low-carbon energy, but also brings negative effect to safe and economic operation of the power grid due to the large-scaled combination of solar plants. After the large-scaled combination of solar plants, the output fluctuation is relatively large, and the fluctuation of power is often reverse to the fluctuation of power load. The reverse load characteristic of solar power causes further enlarging of peak-valley difference of the system, increases the difficulty in dispatching, and produces a series of impact to dispatching and operation of power grid, voltage controlling, and load adjustment of power grid. Due to insufficient relative study, abandoning of power is serious.

Joint heating system of gas combined cycle and solar power and dispatching method thereof


A protective face shield with respirator including a face shield sized to cover some or all of the face and a respirator attached to the back side of the plastic shield. The respirator can include a substantially tubular, compressible foam mask with one end of the tubular mask bonded to the back side of the plastic shield and the other end of the tubular mask oriented rearward creating a rear surface for engaging with the face and surrounding the nose and mouth. The tubular mask can include at least one ventilation opening that traverse through the wall of the tubular mask and a ribbon (e.g., strip) of air filter media that wraps at least partially around the outside of the tubular mask covering some or all of the outside surface of the mask.

There are many types of filtering facemasks (a formed piece of air filter material placed over the mouth and nose), filtering respirators (a sealed facemask with air filter) and face shields that have been developed over the last century to protect individuals from germs. Conventional devices have inherent problems and limitations due to their designs.


Laser needle for performing a combined laser needle/electric acupuncture includes an optical fiber, the optical fiber being configured for transmitting a laser beam. Laser needle includes a current-conducting jacket, the current-conducting jacket being configured for surrounding the optical fiber, and the current-conducting jacket being configured for applying current-conducting stimulation current to tissue of a patient, in use, in addition to a laser beam being applied through the optical fiber, in use. A bottom end of the current-conducting jacket transitioning into a disk, the disk being configured for distributing the stimulation current on a larger area; and the disk being configured for simultaneously serving to attach the laser needle to the body of a patient, in use.

A generic laser needle is known from DE 203 09 976 U1. This utility model describes a new device for acupuncture using laser radiation. With this device, as in all other known devices for laser acupuncture, the end pieces, the so-called laser needles, must be brought into direct contact with the skin of the patient in order to permit the laser radiation to be optimally directed into the tissue. This ensures a high energy density at the acupuncture point.
The abovementioned utility model also describes a laser needle for combined laser needle/electric acupuncture. This laser needle includes an optical fiber, e.g. a glass fiber or a glass-fiber-analog plastic fiber, which is surrounded by a current-conducting jacket. In addition to the laser beam brought into the tissue via the optical fiber, stimulation current is transmitted into the skin or tissue of a patient via this jacket. In the professional world, this laser needle has come to be known under the name "Weber needle."
Another device for acupuncture using laser radiation is described in EP 1 337 298 A1. The laser needle used in connection with this device is not suitable for electric acupuncture. An attachment element which can be displaced on the housing of the laser needle is provided for attaching the laser needle to the body of a patient. In the disclosed embodiment, it consists of a shaft, which can be pushed onto the housing of the laser needle and transitions into a disk at its lower end. The attachment element consists of rubber and is held on the laser needle by static friction between the shaft and the housing. In another embodiment, a clamp fastens the attachment element to the laser needle. Arranged on the bottom side of the disk is a double acting adhesive ring, which is used to attach the attachment element and thereby the laser needle to the body of a patient.
It has been scientifically proven that both laser needle acupuncture and also electric acupuncture on specific points of the human body produce detectable changes in the nervous system (improvement in oxygen supply, of blood flow, and of metabolic activity). It can therefore be assumed that application of laser light combined with stimulation current at multiple points simultaneously will bring about a considerably augmented effect in treatment and thereby a substantial improvement in the therapeutic effectiveness of the system used. Combined laser needle/electric acupuncture is therefore of considerable relevance to medical policy and health policy.


A web thread-up apparatus for a beltless double backer includes a coiled flexible band positioned at the downstream end of the double backer on a reel from which the band may be unwound in the upstream direction through the double backer heating section. A clamping device on the free end of the band is utilized to capture the downstream edge of a new corrugated web positioned at the upstream entry to the double backer. Rotation of the reel is reversed to rewind the flexible band into the coil, carrying the web with it through the heating section of the double backer. A downstream web drive conveyor receives the lead edge of the new web which is detached from the rewound clamping device.

The present invention relates to a corrugating system for the manufacture of a corrugated paperboard web and, more particularly,, to a thread-up apparatus particularly useful in a corrugator double backer utilizing a beltless holddown system.
In the past, a corrugator double backer has typically utilized a wide driven holddown belt to carry the double face corrugated web over the flat heated surface of the heating section and to simultaneously provide a holddown load on the upper web surface to enhance curing of the adhesive joining the second liner web to the previously formed single face web. The driven holddown belt is also utilized to provide initial thread-up of the downstream end of a freshly glued double face web.
The advent of the beltless double backer, as described for example in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/643,627, filed May 6, 1996, has resulted in much improved double backer performance with a much simpler construction. However, the elimination of a driven holddown belt has also eliminated the common means for threading a new web into and through the double backer. Thread-up of a new web may be accomplished by hand, but it is a cumbersome procedure and must be undertaken in a typically warm and uncomfortable environment. Thus, a thread-up device for a beltless double backer would be very useful, but such a device would have to withstand the high temperature environment and would have to be located in very limited confines where it would not interfere with double backer operation. The thread-up apparatus would also have to operate in conjunction with the holddown mat lift system of the type disclosed in the above identified application.

Thread-up apparatus for a corrugator double backer