Methods of making a removable dental positioning appliance include forming a sheet of transparent crystalline polymeric material into a shell having cavities shaped to receive and reposition teeth from a first orientation to a successive orientation. The polymeric material may then be annealed at a temperature above its glass transition temperature or cured if a curable material to enhance characteristics of the polymeric material. The polymeric material may be coated with a second transparent material.

Orthodontic treatments involve repositioning misaligned teeth and improving bite configurations for improved cosmetic appearance and dental function. Repositioning teeth is accomplished by applying controlled forces to the teeth over an extended period of time. This is conventionally accomplished by wearing what are commonly referred to as "braces." Braces include a variety of appliances such as brackets, bands, archwires, ligatures, and O-rings. After braces are bonded to the teeth, periodic meetings with an orthodontist are typically required to adjust the braces. This may involve installing different archwires with different force-inducing properties and/or may include replacing or tightening existing ligatures. Between meetings, the patient may be required to wear supplementary appliances, such as elastic bands or headgear, to supply additional or extraoral forces.
Although conventional braces can be effective, their use often is a tedious and time consuming process that requires many visits to an orthodontist. Moreover, from a patient's perspective, braces are unsightly and uncomfortable. Consequently, alternative orthodontic treatments have developed. A particularly promising approach relies on the use of elastic positioning appliances for realigning teeth. Such appliances comprise a thin shell of elastic material that generally conforms to a patient's teeth, but that is slightly out of alignment with the patient's initial tooth configuration. Placement of the elastic positioner over the teeth applies controlled forces in specific locations to gradually move the teeth into the new configuration. Repetition of this process with successive appliances having different configurations eventually moves a patient's teeth through a series of intermediate configurations to a final desired configuration. A full description of exemplary elastic polymeric positioning appliances and methods of using same are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,893, commonly assigned to the assignee of the instant invention and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Polymeric positioning appliances, such as those described in the '893 patent, are advantageous over conventional braces in that they are easy to use and they are generally transparent, providing an improved cosmetic appearance. Unfortunately, polymeric materials currently utilized in the production of these positioning appliances may undergo stress relaxation and creep, which can seriously degrade the ability of an appliance to reposition teeth as desired. In addition, polymeric materials currently utilized may be susceptible to degradation as a result of exposure to saliva and other chemicals present within a patient's mouth.

Methods of making orthodontic appliances


A unique VPCI is defined for each of subscriber lines #A and #B, which are accommodated in an ATM switch. Conventionally, attribute data indicating subscriber attributes can be defined only for each of the subscriber line units #A and #B as a unit. However, the attribute data can be defined for each virtual path whose VPCI is used as the unit according to the present invention. Accordingly, it can easily be implemented, for example, to make different communication forms for each of different subscriber accommodation location numbers belonging to the same subscriber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for defining subscriber attributes in a cell switching system such as an ATM switching system, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the organizations such as the ITU-T, ATM Forum, etc. have been standardizing the ATM switching system (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), which is a technique for implementing a wide area ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network).
A representative of switching connection systems implemented with the ATM switching system is an SVC (Selected Virtual Connection) system. With the SVC system, a subscriber specifies a destination address when he or she desires to make a communication in a similar manner as with a telephone, so that a relay path is selected to dynamically establish a virtual connection, and the virtual connection is released when the communication is terminated. Since a communication path can dynamically be selected depending on a location or state of a party, or a state of a network using the SVC system, the network can be used more efficiently.
With the SVC system, the information called subscriber attributes must be defined for each subscriber, in order to implement switch connection control, accounting control, etc. of each subscriber. The subscriber attributes include a subscriber accommodation location number, maximum connectable virtual connection number, maximum obtainable bandwidth value, connectable service class type, congestion regulation class, presence/absence of a use of a subaddress, presence/absence of a use of information about a lower layer, presence/absence of a transfer of information about a higher layer, presence/absence of an address screening and a screening list, and control information about an accounting information collection, etc.
Conventionally, a user network interface (UNI) used a physical subscriber line such as an optical fiber, as an assignment unit for a subscriber line. Accordingly, the subscriber attributes are defined in physical subscriber line units.
With the ATM switching method, a subscriber can realize a high-speed communication at a maximum transfer rate of several-hundred-M bps due to the advancements in optical fiber technology. Additionally, an entire bandwidth is divided into a plurality of virtual paths (VPs), so that the subscriber can realize a communication in a form in which various types of media information are put into cells and are integrated, with the ATM switching system.
However, since the subscriber attributes are defined only in physical subscriber line units, the flexibility of the ATM switching system cannot be fully applied.
Such a problem is remarkable when a subscriber is accommodated in an ATM switch on a network side via a virtual path multiplexer (VP-MUX), and the attributes of each type of media information included in the subordinates to the VP-MUX are recognized as the same attributes in the ATM switch.

Virtual connection on establishment controlling apparatus in a cell switching system and subscriber service providing method, for use in a cell switching system


Fuse data used to configure ancillary circuits used with a non-volatile serial memory core are stored in locations within the memory core. As a first opcode or word is sent on a serial bus to the memory, a logic circuit intercepts the word and generates read fuse enable pulses that fetch the fuse data and configure the ancillary circuits before the last bit of the first command byte arrives. If a read operation is designated, the memory circuits are configured to read. If a write operation is designated, further fuse data is fetched from the memory core to configure ancillary circuits for writing. The fuse data is written to the memory core at the time of circuit manufacture thereby obviating the need for separate storage locations.

A serial memory is a memory that is accessed by a bit stream over a bus having a small number of wires, typically two, one for data and one for a clock or synchronizing signal. Oftentimes, it is advantageous to be able to fine tune the serial memory. Typically, non-volatile bits are used to accomplish fine tuning of a serial memory. In the past, such non-volatile bits were stored by fuses and became known as "fuse bits". Today these bits are frequently retained in non-volatile memory cells. Use of fuse bits provides an easy and efficient way to make adjustments to a serial memory.
Fuse bits are configuration data for ancillary semiconductor memory support circuits particularly for serial memories, allowing control or change of configuration of the ancillary circuits for read or write operations. For example, fuse bits can specify reference voltages for sense amplifiers or voltages for charge pumps or pulse duration for controlling charge pump switches. In the prior art, fuse bits were stored outside of main memory.
With reference to FIG. 1, a known micro-controller 11, such as Atmel Corporation's AT89CX051 is connected by a 2-wire bus 13 to a plurality of non-volatile memory devices, such as the serial memories 21 . . . 29. In the protocol described below and in this application, up to 8 serial memories may be connected to bus 13. The number of serial memories could be expanded with certain modifications of the addressing system. A typical serial memory is one of Atmel Corporation's AT24CXX series of devices.
A bidirectional data transfer protocol is utilized by AT24CXX devices of the prior art, allowing a number of compatible devices to share a common 2-wire bus. The bus consists of a serial clock (SCL) line 15 and a serial data (SDA) line 17. The clock is generated by the controller 11, acting as the bus master, and transmitted on line 15 while data is transmitted serially on the data line 17, most significant bit first, synchronized to the clock signal. The protocol supports bidirectional data transfers in 8-bit bytes, although other bit-widths are possible with other memory devices.
The bus master 11 initiates a data transfer by generating a start condition on the bus. This is followed by transmission of a command byte containing the device address of the intended recipient, one of the memory devices 21 . . . 29. The command byte consists of a 4-bit fixed portion and a 3-bit programmable portion that is the device address. The fixed portion must match the value hard-wired into the slave, while the programmable portion allows the master to select between a maximum of eight slaves of similar type on the bus. The memory devices 21 . . . 29, such as AT24CXX serial EEPROMs, receive the command byte with a fixed portion equal to '1010' and a programmable portion matching the address inputs (A0, A1, A2).
The eighth bit in the command byte specifies a write or read operation. After the eighth bit is transmitted, the master 11 releases the data line and generates a ninth clock. If a slave of one of the memory devices 21 . . . 29 has recognized the transmitted device address, it will respond to the ninth clock by generating an acknowledge condition on the data line. A slave which is busy when addressed may not generate an acknowledge. This is true for the AT24CXX when a write operation is in progress.
Following receipt of the slave's address acknowledgment, the master 11 continues with the data transfer. If a write operation has been ordered, the master 11 transmits the remaining data, with the slave acknowledging receipt of each byte. If the master has ordered a read operation, it releases the data line and clocks in data sent by the slave. After each byte is received, the master 11 generates an acknowledge condition on the bus 13. The acknowledge is omitted following receipt of the last byte. The master terminates all operations by generating a stop condition on the bus 13. The master 11 may also abort a data transfer at any time by generating a stop condition.
With reference to FIG. 2, data bus 13 is seen connected to memory device 21 serially communicating with a controller, not shown. The two wires which comprise the data bus 13 are the serial clock line 15 and the serial data line 17, both seen connected to start-stop logic 31, serial control logic 33 and output logic 49. The start-stop logic block 31, in combination with the serial control logic 33, recognizes the device address of memory device 21, thereby initiating the preparation of the ancillary circuits necessary to support a memory read or write operation. These ancillary circuits include a high-voltage pump and timing circuit 37, a data word address counter 35, and data recovery circuit 39. Preparation of the circuits includes supplying chip enable signals, reference or power supply voltage levels, address loading or incrementing signals, etc. The X-decoder 41 and Y-decoder 43, as well as serial multiplexer 47 and output logic 49 and output driver 51, are also prepared for reading or writing a memory word from the memory core 45. The various data bits that enable these ancillary circuits are the fuse bits described in this application. It is seen from FIG. 2 that the enabling and configuring fuse bits are stored outside of the memory core 45, namely in the logic circuits 31 and 33, or alternatively in registers elsewhere in a memory device. It is the storage of fuse bits that the present application addresses.
An object of the invention was to reduce circuitry in a serial memory device, while at the same time not yielding speed or accuracy of the device.

Fuse data storage system using core memory


An elongated vertical plastic ground mount post for mailboxes is provided having an upper portion suitable for supporting a mailbox, as by insertion into a hollow support column of a plastic mailbox, and a lower portion with vertically spaced notches which serve to retain the post in place in the ground when earth is compacted against the lower portion.

Rural mailboxes are usually mounted on vertical wooden posts, which are subjected to deterioration through decay or termite attack. Also, the typical square or round wooden mailbox post can be loosened and lifted out of the ground by pranksters—much to the irritation and inconvenience of the mailbox owner and mail delivery personnel.


Disclosed are bis(thio-hydrazide amide) disalts, which are represented by Structural Formula (I):

Many drugs are now available to be used in the treatment of cancer. However, in many cases the cancer fails to respond to the anti-cancer therapy or its growth and/or metastasis is only slowed. Even when a tumor initially responds to an anti-cancer therapy by decreasing in size or going into remission, the tumor often develops resistance to the drug. For these reasons, there has been a need for new anti-cancer agents and for new drugs which can be used to treat multi-drug resistance cancers.
Certain bis(thio-hydrazide amide) compounds have been described by the present inventors as being significantly cytotoxic to cancer cells, including cancer cells that have become multi-drug resistant, and for enhancing the anti-cancer activity of other anti-cancer agents, such as paclitaxel and Epothilone D (see, e.g., U.S. Publication Nos. 2004/0225016 A1, 2003/0045518 and 2003/0119914, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference).

Bis(thio-hydrazide amide) salts for treatment of cancers

Abstract: Y is a covalent bond or a substituted or unsubstituted straight chained hydrocarbyl group. R1-R4 are independently —H, an aliphatic group, a substituted aliphatic group, an aryl group or a substituted aryl group, or R1 and R3 taken together with the carbon and nitrogen atoms to which they are bonded, and/or R2 and R4 taken together with the carbon and nitrogen atoms to which they are bonded, form a non-aromatic heterocyclic ring optionally fused to an aromatic ring. Z is —O or —S. M+ is a pharmaceutically acceptable monovalent cation and M2+ is a pharmaceutically acceptable divalent cation.

Abstract: Also, disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising a bis(thio-hydrazide amide) disalt described above. Further disclosed are methods of treating a subject with cancer. The methods comprise the step of administering an effective amount of a bis(thio-hydrazide amide) disalt described above.


A Group TDMA multiple destination, multiple node wireless network includes a first destination having a first group of nodes (Group 1) in communication range and a second destination having a second group of nodes (Group 2) in communication range. A third group of nodes (Group 3) are within communication range of both first and second destinations. Each group of nodes is assigned a periodically recurring set of time slots for transmitting to a designated destination. A network processor is programmed for (a) dividing the frame into a number of fixed-length time slots; (b) assigning a fraction 1−x of the time slots to the first and second groups of nodes; (c) assigning a fraction x of the time slots to the third group; (d) subdividing the third group into a fourth group of nodes and a fifth group of nodes; (e) assigning a fraction y of the fraction x time slots to the fourth group for transmission to the first destination and a fraction 1−y of the fraction x time slots to the fifth group for transmission to the second destination; (f) applying a multiple-access protocol to each group in its assigned set of time slots; and (g) optimizing the values of x and y in order to realize the maximum possible value of stable throughput rate λ*. Group TDMA provides increased throughput capacity as it provides a balance between scheduled access and pure random access. Nodes may be grouped according to geographical location as well as arbitrary criteria, such as priority or node mission.

In wireless communication systems, the RF channel resource may be viewed as a slice of the frequency-time plane, as shown in FIG. 1. The objective of the multiple-access protocol is the division of this resource among the users of the channel (who are referred to as nodes) in a manner that provides acceptable (or, ideally, optimal) performance. Common multiple access methods are TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access), and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access).
Under TDMA, the channel resource is divided into time slots. For example, in a system with N users, the time axis would be divided into periodically recurring frames of length N slots, with one user assigned to each slot. Each slot uses the entire bandwidth assigned to the channel. Thus, one slot is available to each user in every frame, without the possibility of contention from other users. Under FDMA, the available frequency band is divided into frequency bands. For example, in a system with N users, the frequency band would be divided into N sub-bands, with each user assigned to its own band on a continuous basis. Again, there is no contention for channel use because the users transmit in distinct frequency bands. Under CDMA, the users are assigned pseudo-orthogonal spreading codes, thus permitting the successful simultaneous transmission of several signals.
In a time-slotted system, a packet is received successfully (with high probability) if the signal-to-interference ratio at the destination node is sufficiently high. The source of such interference may be background noise, jamming, other-user interference, etc. In this discussion, we assume that the only significant source of interference is other-user interference (i.e., background noise and other sources of interference are negligible).
When TDMA is used, there is no other-user interference because each user is assigned its own periodically recurring time slot. TDMA can provide a throughput of one packet per slot if each user generates traffic at a constant rate of one packet per frame. Delay is proportional to the number of users (and hence to the number of slots per frame). TDMA is inefficient when traffic is randomly generated, e.g., according to a Poisson process, because many slots will be left unused while some users may have several packets waiting for transmission.
Moreover, TDMA does not take advantage of the possibility of geographically separated users (who are too far apart to cause interference) transmitting in the same slot. Therefore, TDMA is inefficient in networks that have multiple destinations that are geographically separated. The terminology "multihop network" as used herein refers to such networks. Spatial TDMA approaches, which permit simultaneous transmissions to geographically separated destinations, can provide acceptable performance when the traffic is generated at a fixed rate at each node. However, when traffic is random (e.g., generated according to a Poisson process at each node) and the number of nodes is large, this approach is characterized by low throughput and large delay.
A variety of multiple-access protocols have been developed to address the medium access control (MAC) problem for applications where traffic is randomly generated. Among the best known of these are the random access protocols known as slotted Aloha and the first-come first-serve (FCFS) collision-resolution algorithm (CRA). These protocols were originally developed for single-destination systems. Random-access protocols are MAC protocols that do not assign users to slots. These instead use a contention-based mechanism, under which destructive interference (known as a collision) occurs when two or more nodes transmit in the same slot. None of the packets involved in a collision are successfully received, and all must be transmitted in future slots. Slotted Aloha can provide a throughput of 1/e=0.368 packet/slot in a large population of bursty users, and can be stabilized to maintain this throughput level, even when the offered traffic load is greater than this value. The FCFS algorithm, which is inherently stable in single-destination systems, can provide a throughput of 0.4878 packet/slot when two well-known "improvements" are used.
"Slotted Aloha" is a random-access MAC scheme in which the users are not assigned slots. In stabilized versions of slotted Aloha, a user with a packet to transmit will do so with a probability that is typically based on recent channel feedback, i.e., whether recent slots were empty, successful transmissions (i.e., exactly one user transmitted in the slot), or collisions (two or more users transmitted in the slot). When such collisions occur, none of the packets involved in the collision are successful; therefore they must be retransmitted. It is assumed throughout this document, for all random-access protocols that are discussed, that accurate channel feedback concerning the outcome of each slot is available to all network nodes immediately following the slot.
The "First-Come First-Serve (FCFS)" collision-resolution algorithm (CRA) is another type of random-access scheme in which the users are not assigned slots. It differs fundamentally from slotted Aloha by its structured transmission policy, which is summarized as follows. All packets that arrived in some time interval (known as the "allocation interval") are transmitted in some slot. If a collision occurs, the interval is split into two smaller subintervals, and the packets that arrived in the first subinterval are retransmitted in the next slot. This subinterval is further split if another collision results, and so on. A throughput of 0.4878 is realized by the FCFS splitting algorithm upon implementation of certain "improvements," which are defined as follows.
The "first improvement" in FCFS addresses the case of a collision that is followed immediately by an idle slot. Straightforward application of the FCFS algorithm guarantees that a collision will occur in the next slot. To avoid such wasting of a slot, the algorithm acts as if the collision had already occurred, and shortens the allocation interval accordingly.
The "second improvement" (which has a somewhat smaller impact on achievable throughput than does the first improvement) incorporates the right (i.e., later) half of the allocation interval involved in the original collision into subsequent collision resolution periods. The combined effect of using both the first and second improvements provides a maximum stable throughput of about 0.4878. Use of the second improvement alone provides a maximum stable throughput of about 0.447.
The operation of slotted Aloha and CRAs heavily depends on the feedback information that each participating node receives from the destinations immediately after every slot. This feedback indicates whether the channel in the previous slot was idle, had a collision, or had successfully carried a packet. In multiple-destination networks, some nodes are within communication range of only one destination, while others may be within range of two or more destinations. Consequently, packets intended for one destination are subject to collisions with packets intended for one or more of the other destinations. In addition to this obvious increase in interference, feedback information can be misinterpreted because there is no way to identify the intended destination of a packet that suffers a collision.
FIG. 2 shows a network 10 with two destinations 12 and 14 (D1 and D2, respectively) and a number of nodes 16 that are within communication range of them (assuming the same fixed communication range for all nodes and the use of omnidirectional antennas). A first group 18 ("Group 1") is the set of nodes within communication range of only D1; similarly a second group 20 ("Group 2") is the set of nodes within range of only D2. A third group 22 ("Group 3") is the set of nodes that are within range of both D1 and D2 (i.e., the intersection of the two circular regions). The discussion here is based on a simplified interference model in which a node can cause interference (i.e., a collision) only if it is within communication range. However, the concepts described below are applicable to any interference model.
Nodes in Group 1 randomly generate packets for transmission to D1; similarly nodes in Group 2 randomly generate packets for transmission to D2. Nodes in Group 3 randomly generate packets for transmission to either D1 or D2; once a destination is chosen for a particular packet, the packet must be delivered to that destination (i.e., no reward is received for successful reception at the wrong destination). Group 3 is subdivided into two parts: a fourth group 24 ("Group 31") nodes are intended for D1 and a fifth group 26 ("Group 32") nodes are intended for D2. Since packets from Group 3 reach both destinations, they are potentially a source of collisions at both the intended and nonintended destination. Therefore, throughput is reduced.
In view of the improved performance provided by FCFS over slotted Aloha, it would be desirable to be able to exploit this advantage in two-destination systems as well. However, the best version of FCFS (which incorporates the "first improvement" and "second improvement," both of which were described earlier) is subject to a deadlock condition in two-destination or other multiple destination systems with overlapping user populations, as is discussed in J. E. Wieselthier, G. D. Nguyen, and A. Ephremides, "Multiple Access for Multiple Destinations in Ad Hoc Networks," Proceedings of Modeling and Optimization in Mobile, Ad Hoc and Wireless Networks (WiOpt'03), Sophia-Antipolis, FRANCE, Mar. 3–5, 2003, and in G. D. Nguyen, J. E. Wieselthier, and A. Ephremides, "Contention-Resolution Algorithms for Multiple Destinations in Wireless Networks," Proceedings of the 2003 Conference on Information Sciences and Systems, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md., Mar. 12–14, 2003, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The "first improvement" makes the FCFS algorithm vulnerable to errors in the feedback process. Consider first the case of a single-destination network. For example, if an idle slot is erroneously interpreted as a collision, the allocation interval is then split because it is believed that a collision has occurred. However, since there are actually no packets in the allocation interval, the result is an empty slot. Use of the first improvement results in further reduction of the empty allocation interval, a process that continues indefinitely, resulting in deadlock.
Now consider Destination 1 in a multiple-destination system. Collisions of packets that are intended for another destination (or destinations) result in a collision being heard at Destination 1, even though no packets intended for Destination 1 were actually transmitted in that slot. Because of this collision, the allocation interval associated with Destination 1 is split indefinitely, as described above for the single-destination case, again resulting in deadlock.
When the first improvement is not used, splitting algorithms are extremely insensitive to feedback errors. In applications where such errors are rare, it may be appropriate to simply suspend the splitting of the interval after observing several such idle slots. However, it may be best not to use the first improvement at all when such errors are frequent. The case of multiple destinations creates a situation that is similar to that of frequent feedback errors. Therefore, the first improvement should not be used in multiple-destination networks that use a straightforward implementation of the FCFS algorithm, which we refer to as "free-running FCFS." If the first improvement is not incorporated into the algorithm, the network is no longer subject to such deadlocks; however throughput is reduced to approximately 0.447 in single-destination networks (which is still higher than that of slotted Aloha).
There remains, therefore, a need to develop a channel-access protocol that can provide at least some of the benefits of the first improvement (specifically its increased throughput), without being vulnerable to the deadlock situation described above.

Group TDMA frame allocation method and apparatus

The United States of America as represent by the Secertary of the Navy


The disclosed pneumatic tire (1) comprises a stiffener (31) and a rubber pad (32) which, disposed between a toroidal carcass body (21) and a folded-back carcass portion (22) folded back at a bead core (11), are arranged so as to be oriented radially outwards of the tire from the bead core (11). Further, from the rim baseline (BL), the height KSH to the end (31A) of the stiffener (31), the height OWH to the maximum carcass width (20W), and the height FH to the end (101A) of the rim flange (101) fulfill 0.2≦[(KSH−FH)/(OWH−FH)]≦0.28.

Stability in vehicle rolling and pitch depends on the strength of a part ranging from a bead portion to a sidewall portion of a pneumatic tire. Particularly, in a tire for a large-size vehicle compared with a vehicle for a passenger car, a sidewall portion located between a bead portion to a tread portion grounding a road surface is long, and is subjected to a heavy load. Thus, bending deformation is likely to occur in a sidewall portion falling outside in the width direction of a tire at a base point where a bead portion contacts a rim flange, thereby deteriorating the stability in rolling and pitch compared with a tire for a passenger car.
To solve the above problem, the applicants have proposed measures to prevent a bending deformation (see Patent Literature 1). The patent document 1 has disclosed a pneumatic tire comprising a carcass having a carcass body composed of a ply formed of a plurality of carcass cords, covered with a rubber material, toroidally extending between a pair of bead cores, and the carcass folded-back portion that the carcass body wound around the bead core from inside toward outside of the tire and extended outside in the tire radial direction, wherein the rigidity of a bead portion is enhanced by providing a filling material called a stiffener with a 100% elongation modulus greater than that of a rubber material and a rubber with JIS A hardness of 50 degrees to 85 degrees between the carcass body and the carcass folded-back portion (see Patent Literature 1).


The invention relates to a cooling strategy for an internal combustion engine (1) which has at least one cylinder head (2) and an associated cylinder block (3). A coolant flows in a coolant circuit (4), with at least one control element (6, 7, 8, 9) being assigned to the coolant circuit (4). During a warmup of the internal combustion engine, in successive phases, the coolant flow is conducted to separate cooling regions by the control elements (6, 7, 8, 9), wherein in an operating mode at operating temperature which follows the warmup, the coolant flow is conducted to separate cooling regions by the control elements (6, 7, 8, 9) taking into consideration the operating states of the internal combustion engine.

EP 1 375 857 A discloses a cooling system for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cooling cells in a cylinder head. The cooling cells are separated from one another. The cooling system also includes at least first and second control elements for regulating the throughflow quantity. The control elements are capable of regulating the quantity of cooling liquid which flows in through the first and second cooling cells.
It is known for the engine block and the cylinder head of the internal combustion engine to be traversed by a coolant of a coolant circuit separately from one another. In this way, it is possible for the cylinder head and the block to be cooled differently. By a split cooling circuit, during warmup, the cylinder is cooled and the block is not so that it comes to a suitable operating temperature more quickly.


A control unit 11 for a movable barrier operator and having a user interface having a display 31 can provide information on that display 31 of all presently blocked remote control transmitters without necessitating the display of any non-blocked transmitter information. In one embodiment the information is displayed one transmitter at a time, either automatically or in response to the user's actions.

It is known to include a unique identifier or other identification or authentication mechanism in a wireless communication to confirm for a recipient the identity of the transmission source. For example, movable barrier operators that control the operation of a movable barrier often have some mechanism for recognizing a valid transmission to ensure that unauthorized transmitters do not effect control of the movable barrier. In some settings, such as movable barrier operators that are employed at apartment complexes, businesses and other campuses, military posts, and so forth, a large number of transmitters must often be registered and known to the movable barrier operator (in these examples, hundreds of transmitters, each with a unique identifier, must often be registered and the number can be even greater).
From time to time, for various reasons, a registered transmitter must be temporarily blocked from being recognized as an authorized transmitter. For example, when an individual is known to be away for some period of time, the transmitter that is assigned to that individual should be blocked so that unauthorized individuals can not use it to gain inappropriate access through the corresponding movable barrier. Prior art mechanisms provide for such blocking and the removal of such a blocking categorization without necessitating a complete removal and subsequent re-entry of the relevant information. Unfortunately, the present solutions do not address all needs of all users. For example, it can be difficult to ascertain which transmitters are blocked at any given moment without entering, for example, the identifying information for that specific transmitter and inspecting the corresponding stored contents.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention.

Method and apparatus for displaying blocked transmitter information


An economizer having a first air inlet, a second air inlet and an air outlet, a method of operating an economizer and a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system employing the economizer. In one embodiment, the economizer includes: (1) a first damper blade assembly in fluid communication with the first air inlet and the air outlet and having a first plurality of damper blades configured to move in parallel and (2) a second damper blade assembly in fluid communication with the second air inlet and the air outlet and having a second plurality of damper blades configured to move in opposition.

An air-side economizer is an accessory to an HVAC system that enables it to run more economically. Economizers proportionally blend return air drawn from the indoor space of a building and outdoor air drawn from outside the building to make the overall enthalpy of the blended air as low as reasonably possible and to comply with building ventilation codes that exist in virtually every jurisdiction. Economizers have two damper assemblies: a return air damper for the return air and an outdoor air damper for the outdoor air. When the return air damper is fully closed, the outdoor air damper is fully open. As the return air damper is opened, the outdoor air damper is closed. When the return air damper is fully open, the outdoor air damper is fully closed. As the outdoor air damper is opened, the return air damper is closed.
Each damper is an assembly having a plurality of elongated damper blades that rotate about their major axis as the damper is opened and closed. Conventional economizers come in two varieties: those in which all of the damper blades of both damper assemblies move in parallel and those in which adjacent damper blades of both damper assemblies move in opposition. Conventional economizers work reasonably well and are becoming evermore popular as energy costs rise and customers look for ways to decrease costs and help the environment.

Economizer having source-specific damper blade assemblies and heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit employing the same


A system and method for negotiating a pairwise master key (“PMK”) in wireless mesh networks. The system includes a plurality of mesh points that are configured to perform an abbreviated handshake protocol in negotiating a PMK and establishing a secure connection. The method for establishing a negotiated PMK is based on selecting a PMK before transmitting any data, and arranging available PMKs in a predetermined list so that a PMK can be negotiated in a limited number of exchanges.

Recently, there has been a shift towards wireless technologies resulting in a surge of wireless products. Wireless versions exist for nearly all products. An area of wireless technology that has seen significant growth over the past decade is wireless networking, and more specifically wireless local area networks ("WLAN"). Wireless networks are becoming more prevalent, and are available nearly everywhere. Cities are deploying city-wide wireless networks, wireless connectivity is available in businesses, homes, libraries, airports, and even coffee shops. The benefits of wireless networks are undeniable. They are extremely convenient, providing increased mobility and efficiency. Furthermore, wireless networks are easy to expand, and easy to deploy. However, despite all the benefits of wireless networks, issues of security, range, arid speed exist with WLANs.
The IEEE 802.11 protocol is the governing standard for WLANs. As wireless networking technology has developed, the IEEE 802.11 standard has undergone multiple amendments. Each amendment is aimed to address specific shortcomings of wireless networks. These amendments are designated by a letter following "802.11," and have introduced various improvements on the original 802.11 standard. The 802.11b and 802.11g standards are two modulation amendments that are widely used for implementing home wireless networks. The 802.11i standard is an amendment to the 802.11 standard implementing various security mechanisms for wireless networks. The 802.11i standard introduced the WiFi Protected Access2 ("WPA2") protocol, which supplemented the wired equivalent privacy ("WEP") and WiFi Protected Access ("WPA") protocols. WPA2 makes use of the Extensible Authentication Protocol ("EAP") in providing a pairwise master key ("PMK") in establishing a secure link.
Another amendment currently under development to the IEEE 802.11 standard is the 802.11s standard. The 802.11s standard was chartered to improve throughput of data transmission over a wireless network through the addition of mesh capabilities. Mesh capabilities allow data to be transmitted on paths consisting of multiple wireless hops. A primary focus during the development of the 802.11s standard with mesh capabilities was to improve performance for streaming video. However, streaming video limits the time allotted for links to be established, making the establishment of a secure link difficult with existing authentication protocols. Particularly difficult is the negotiation of a PMK for establishing the authenticated peer link during the allotted time.

Apparatus and method for negotiating pairwise master key for securing peer links in wireless mesh networks


A mobile drip irrigation system includes a plurality of drip tubes anchored at a first end to a water supply conduit. As the mobile irrigation system travels across a surface to be watered a second, free end of each drip tube is pulled along the surface to provide precise and uniform water distribution through the drip tubes. A cable extending across each section of the mobile irrigation system is attached to the plurality of drip tubes within that section, with the cable movable via a winch mechanism to shift the position of the drip tubes within that section to correspondingly shift the drag path of the tubes to a desired location. In exemplary embodiments, a lower manifold distributes water to the drip tubes, and in further embodiments a support restraint provides support to the lower manifold.

The present invention relates to irrigation systems, and more particularly to mobile irrigation systems for providing water to agricultural fields. Specifically, the invention relates to a mobile drip tube irrigation system having adjustable drip tube positioning.
Mobile irrigations systems, such as center-pivot irrigation systems or lateral irrigation systems, typically include a water distribution conduit supported across a series of spaced-apart motorized towers that transport the conduit over an agricultural field. Water from the distribution conduit is delivered to sprinkler nozzles or drip tubes which convey the water to the soil in the field.
In center pivot irrigation systems, the water distribution conduit extends radially outwardly from a fixed center tower—typically positioned in the center of the field or area to be watered—where the conduit is attached to a water supply. A series of motorized drive towers transport the water distribution conduit in a circular or arcuate path over the field as the water is applied to the field through the sprinkler nozzles or drip tubes. The sprinkler nozzles or drip lines are in fluid communication with the water distribution conduit and apply water to the field through a spraying or sprinkling action—in the case of sprinkler nozzle systems—or through drip tubes dragged along the surface of the field—in the case of drip tube systems
Lateral mobile irrigation systems operate in a similar manner, but advance in a linear path across the field, with the water distribution conduit similarly transported by a series of motorized drive towers.
Drip tube irrigation systems are generally more efficient than sprinkler nozzle irrigation systems in that the drip tubes emit water directly onto the soil so that the water is absorbed quickly with little evaporation. By contrast, water sprayed by sprinkler nozzle systems is susceptible to evaporation before reaching the soil. Drip tube irrigation systems are also generally more precise because placement of the water is directly related to the drag path of the drip tube, while placement of water in sprinkler nozzle systems can be affected by wind and can be impeded or blocked by foliage.
Known mobile drip tube irrigation systems, while more efficient and precise than sprinkler nozzle irrigation systems, are not without drawbacks. For example, typical mobile drip tube irrigation systems attach the drip tubes, or the manifolds and/or feed lines from which the drip tubes extend, to a fixed cable or support so that the drip tubes maintain their relative spacing to each other and to the motorized towers transporting the drip tubes across the field. The attachment of the drip tubes to fixed supports does not allow the drip tubes to accommodate specific situations encountered in the field, such as avoiding direct drip tube contact with fragile seedlings, or accounting for season-to-season changes in crop positioning.
Thus it can be seen that there remains a need in the art for an improved mobile drip tube irrigation system.

Mobile drip tube irrigation system having adjustable drip tube positioning


A housing can be mounted to a pistol or other weapon and conveniently fired therefrom and can be used as a discrete weapon itself. A cap has a central aperture which secures the nozzle and/or valve stem of a canister of chemical irritant from movement and is secured to the proximal end of a hollow tube. A feature of the new invention is a slot access running along the length of the tube for some distance from its distal end. The tube may be either open or closed at its distal end. Toward the distal end of the tube, an interior ridge or stop cooperates with the cap aperture to secure the canister of irritant. When a canister is installed in the housing, the operator can release an irritant spray axially from the canister by pressing a digit against the side of the canister's storage cylinder and, thereby, displace its longitudinal axis along an arc. The housing need have no other mechanisms, except the housing and canister. This method also allows for convenient triggering of a spray from a canister within the housing when the housing is secured under or adjacent to the barrel of a handgun. In some embodiments an actuator compresses against a spring-loaded pusher to contact the side of the storage cylinder and move the longitudinal axis of the storage cylinder to release a spray.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of non-lethal weapons which may be attached to another weapon such as a sidearm. The invention herein relates more particularly to a housing for a canister of chemical irritant spray.
2. Background Art
Handheld canisters, which release chemical irritants, like CS, CN (Chloroacetophenone) and OC (Oleoresin Capsicum) sprays have existed for some time. The canisters comprise a storage cylinder which contains a reservoir of irritant under pressure, a sealing valve and a valve stem, and sometimes a nozzle for directing the spray either radially or axially from the valve opening. When an operator's thumb thrusts the canister's valve stem (or its nozzle, if the nozzle either contacts or can be made to contact the valve stem) downward towards the storage cylinder (compresses the valve) and/or when an operator's thumb forces the longitudinal axis of the valve stem (or its nozzle, if the nozzle either contacts or can be made to contact the valve stem) to travel along an arc (tilts or pivots the valve), the handheld canister will release a spray of irritant.
Over the years, a plethora of housings have been developed to contain such canisters. Some are simply safety caps or housings conceived to prevent accidental movement of the canister's release valve. U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,353 to McIlhenny (1973), U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,823 to Tichy, et al (1993), U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,086 to Julinot (1994) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,263 to Ciammitti et al (1995) disclose such safety caps or housings. Other housings also include sometimes elaborate mechanical or electromechanical means for manipulating a canister to release a spray from its reservoir. These housings allow an operator to manipulate a canister to release its spray in one of two basic ways.
The thumb or a digit of the operator's hand and/or mechanism surface may tilt or compress the canister's valve stem. U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,601 to Black (1968) discloses a housing mechanism which forces a canister's valve stem to travel along an arc (tilt) to release a spray of irritant. As illustrated therein, aftward movement of trigger 62, 64 causes the longitudinal axis of valve stem 70 to travel along an arc and release a spray of irritant from storage cylinder 66. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,003 to Johnson, et al (1996), an operator's thumb compresses button 62 and, thereby valve stem 68 toward storage cylinder 41 to release an irritant spray radially through release valve 44, over valve stem 68 and through a directing nozzle. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,643 to Isabella (1988) (FIGS. 5-7), trigger button 105 is compressed axially toward storage cylinder 103 to release a spray radially through directing nozzle 104.
Alternatively, a mechanism surface may cause the storage cylinder to travel axially and compress against its valve or nozzle, which is secured from movement by the housing or becomes secured from movement by the housing. The secured nozzles allow for more precise aiming of the spray. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,581 to Parsons (1996) (FIG. 3), stem 16 advances canister 64 axially against spring 46 forcing nozzle 66 into canister 64 to release a spray of irritant axially. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,602 to Pierpoint (1998), nozzle 26 is cemented into housing 29. Activation of a solenoid forces canister 25 within housing 29 to move toward dispensing end 21 to compress nozzle 26 toward canister 25. Longitudinal compression of nozzle 26 toward canister 25 dispenses irritant 36 axially. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,817 to Anderson et al (1996) (FIGS. 4-6), thumb pressure on actuator button 32 causes canister 26 to travel axially until its valve stem impacts valve stem receiver 24 and is compressed to release a spray of irritant radially through an integral nozzle.
As also seen above, over the years, these housings have been disguised, contained within or combined with various other devices and weapons, including small arms. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,436 to Piper (1997), an electrically operated valve releases an irritant spray axially from a canister concealed within a glove. U.S. Pat. No. 5,859,588 to Malone, et al (1999) is for mechanisms which can release upon an attacker a spray from a canister of irritant while the canister remains concealed within a purse. U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,348 to Harding (1999) is for mechanisms which can release upon an attacker a spray from a canister of irritant while the canister remains concealed within a dumbbell. U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,819 to Brunswig (1997) is for mechanisms which can release upon an attacker a spray from a canister of irritant while the canister remains concealed in a pager, flashlight or handgun. The Brunswig patent also illustrates all of the basic types of release mechanisms described heretofore and below.
Canisters, which release their sprays axially through secured nozzles by displacements of their storage cylinders, are better suited for mounting on side arms. However, the housing mechanisms that actuate a canister to release a spray of chemical irritant, are subject to failure generally and difficult to actuate when mounted on side arms. Even more complicated and expensive mechanism assemblages must be combined with the existing actuators so the canisters can be conveniently triggered to release a spray while mounted on firearms, like pistols, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,628 to Teetzel (1998) (releases spray vial electromechanical mechanism), U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,559 to Ludaesher, et al (1997) (a plunger displaces the storage cylinder axially against a spring and, thereby, compresses the canister valve stem toward the cylinder to release a spray axially) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,548 to Ludaescher (1999) (FIG. 2) (arm 22 rotates to move actuator plate 38 to displace storage cylinder 20, which is restricted (friction fit) within tube 18, axially into actuator ridge 24 to open canister valve 25 to release a spray of irritant axially. The present invention resolves all of these problems through a unique combination of features, which now allows a shooter to release the spray without removing his or her firing or supporting hand from its firing or supporting position on the attached handgun.


A press felt for a papermaking machine includes: a base fabric comprising a plurality of machine direction (MD) yarns interwoven with a plurality of cross machine direction (CMD) yarns in a predetermined regular weave pattern, the MD yarns being divisible into upper MD yarns, lower MD yarns, and seam loops merging with either end of the upper and lower MD yarns, the seam loops defining the longitudinal ends of the press felt and having upper and lower portions; and a first Dreher CMD yarn interwoven with a CMD yarn of the regular weave pattern located nearest to the seam loops and with the upper portions of the seam loops of at least one end of the press felt in a Dreher weave.

In the conventional fourdrinier papermaking process, a water slurry, or suspension, of cellulosic fibers (known as the paper "stock") is fed onto the top of the upper run of an endless belt of woven wire and/or synthetic material that travels between two or more rollers. The belt, often referred to as a "forming fabric," provides a papermaking surface on the upper surface of its upper run which operates as a filter to separate the cellulosic fibers of the paper stock from the aqueous medium, thereby forming a wet paper web. The aqueous medium drains through mesh openings of the forming fabric, known as drainage holes, by gravity alone or with assistance from one or more suction boxes located on the lower surface (i.e., the "machine side") of the upper run of the fabric.
After leaving the forming section, the paper web is transferred to a press section of the paper machine, in which it is passed through the nips of one or more pairs of pressure rollers covered with another fabric, typically referred to as a "press felt." Pressure from the rollers removes additional moisture from the web; the moisture removal is often enhanced by the presence of a "batt" layer on the press felt. The paper is then conveyed to a drier section for further moisture removal. After drying, the paper is ready for secondary processing and packaging.
Press felts typically include one or more base fabric layers; these can be "flat-woven" and formed after weaving into an endless belt, or can be woven in endless form. Generally, the flat-woven process is preferred, as it is typically less expensive and more versatile than the endless weaving process. Also, in many instances the felt is cut widthwise and reattached to simplify installation on a paper machine, in which case some of the advantages of endless weaving (such as the absence of a seam in the fabric) are lost.
Of course, flat weaving a fabric of a base layer requires that provision be made for joining it into endless belts. Such joints should be constructed in such a manner that they are sufficiently strong to withstand the extreme load, temperature, and wear conditions the press felt experiences, yet do not cause the surface of the press felt above the seam to unduly mark the paper. One popular method of joining the base fabric of a press felt is to form loops with machine direction yarns on each end of the base fabric. To form the flat-woven base fabric into an endless belt, the ends of the fabric are placed adjacent to each other, with each of the loops on one end positioned between two loops on the other end in interdigitating fashion. A "pin" (usually formed of a single monofilament or monofilament strands) is then inserted into all of the loops to join the ends. After the batt layer(s) are needled or otherwise attached to the base layer, the batt layer(s) are cut at the seam location, the pin is removed, and the finished press felt is shipped to a paper mill. Once at the paper mill, the press felt can be installed by placing it onto a paper machine, then inserting another (usually more flexible) monofilament pin or pintle into the loops. Examples of this type of seam are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,764,417 and 4,737,241 to Gulya; U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,785 to Lilja et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,123 to Rydin, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Not unexpectedly, the presence of a pin seam can create heterogeneity in the press felt in the pin seam area. For example, the compressibility and water and air permeability may be different at the seam area compared to the remainder of the press felt. Further, because the density of base fabric yarns is lower in the seam area, the batt fibers tend to be anchored less effectively in the seam. One approach to address some of these problems is to weave one or more additional yarns into the pin seam area that increase the yarn density on the paper side of the fabric. Examples of this approach are disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,123 to Rydin and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,339 to Lee and U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,709 to Shipley.

Pin seamed papermaker's press felt with cross machine direction yarns woven in Dreher weave at seam loops


In the present invention, a light emitting panel has a transmissive light emitting region comprising a light emission section for emitting light and a light transmitting section for transmitting light. The light emission section of the transmissive light emitting region has a light emitting part that emits light and a conductive reflective layer that blocks and reflects light. The light emitting part of the transmissive light emitting region has the following: a first electrode layer that is electrically connected to one surface of the reflective layer and that is conductive and light transmissive; a second electrode layer that is disposed facing the first electrode layer and that is conductive and light transmissive; and an organic EL layer interposed between the second electrode layer and the first electrode layer. The light transmitting section of the transmissive light emitting region has a first electrode layer that is not in the position of the reflective layer, a second electrode layer, and an organic EL layer. In the space between the first electrode layer and organic EL layer of the light transmitting section of the transmissive light emitting region, an insulative and light transmissive resin layer is filled thereinto.

As a light emitting panel using an organic Electro-Luminescence (EL) element, a light emitting panel in which a plurality of light emitting portions and a plurality of light transmitting portions are formed between upper and lower transparent electrodes has been known. The light emitting panel is able to be used as a window for transmitting light when the light emitting portion is in a non-lighting state, and is able to be used as an illumination device when the light emitting portion is in a lighting state. Accordingly, a usage in which the light emitting panel is used as a window for daylight during daytime and is used as an illumination device during nighttime or the like has been known.
In such a light emitting panel, the light transmitting portion excluding the light emitting portion in a space between the upper and lower transparent electrodes is a space where nothing exists. Accordingly, for example, the lower transparent electrode is able to be directly formed on one light transmissive substrate.
However, since the light transmitting portion and the light emitting portion are non-planar, it is difficult for the upper transparent electrode to be directly formed on the organic EL layer. For this reason, the upper transparent electrode is formed on the other light transmissive substrate in advance, and a separate process for forming the organic EL layer thereon is necessary. Then, a process for bonding the organic EL layer in a state of being sandwiched between the upper and lower transparent electrodes is necessary, and thus complexity in manufacturing increases, and mass productivity deteriorates.

Light emitting panel and manufacturing method of light emitting panel

Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation


A fan-out wafer comprises a first IC die having at least a first boundary scan cell (BSC) and a second BSC. The first BSC is coupled to a first demultiplexer. The second BSC is coupled to a first pad. A second IC die has at least a third BSC coupled to a second demultiplexer, and a second pad connected to the first pad. A first master path connects the first demultiplexer to the second demultiplexer. A first slave path connects the first demultiplexer to the second demultiplexer. The first pad and second pad are located between the first master path and the first slave path.

In an Integrated fan-out (InFO) wafer, a plurality of dies are embedded in a material (such as molding compound), at two or more locations horizontally or vertically separated from each other. Interconnects between dies are formed in one or more redistribution layers (RDL) above the dies. Using this technology, copper interconnects formed after the exposure of on-chip aluminum pads, known as post-passivation interconnects (PPI), allow signals to fan out to regions larger than the silicon die footprint. I/O's can be redistributed to the fan-out region outside of the silicon die footprint for increased pin count at the package or wafer level. Passive devices such as inductors and capacitors can be formed over the molding compound for lower substrate signal loss and higher electrical performance. A smaller form factor leads to better thermal behavior and hence a lower operating temperature for the same power budget, or alternatively, faster circuit operation for the same temperature profile.

Integrated fan-out wafer architecture and test method

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


A semiconductor nanocrystal and a preparation method thereof, where the semiconductor nanocrystal include a bare semiconductor nanocrystal and a water molecule directly bound to the bare semiconductor nanocrystal.

1. Field
This disclosure relates to a semiconductor nanocrystal and a method of preparing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor nanocrystals, which are also called quantum dots, are semiconductor materials having a nano-sized crystalline structure and including hundreds to thousands of atoms. Since the semiconductor nanocrystals are very small, the surface area per unit volume is very high, leading to an effect of quantum confinement. Semiconductor nanocrystals, therefore, develop unique physiochemical characteristics that are different from the usual inherent characteristics of semiconductor materials.
In particular, certain of the characteristics of semiconductor nanocrystals such as photoelectrons may be controlled by adjusting the size of the nanocrystal, such that utilization of the semiconductor nanocrystals in a display device or bioluminescent light-emitting device is being investigated. Moreover, since the semiconductor nanocrystals do not contain heavy metals, these materials are environment-friendly and safe for the human body.

Semiconductor nanocrystal and preparation method thereof


A signal processing apparatus and method adapted for use in bar code scanners is described. The apparatus forms a derivative signal, and utilizes the derivative signal to detect transition points from white to black bars and vice-versa. Then, the apparatus starts and stops the generation of digital pulses at or about the transition points, thereby generating pulses having widths corresponding to the widths of the bars making up the bar code symbol. The apparatus is capable of successively scanning a bar code symbol more than once, and varying various processing parameters used in forming the derivative signal over the successive scans, including threshold level, overall bandpass, overall amplification, and the like.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of signal processing circuitry for use in bar code scanners, and more particularly, to signal processing circuitry for bar code scanners which is configured to be capable of changing various processing parameters on successive scans of a bar code symbol in order to achieve a better read rate compared with conventional approaches.
2. Background
Bar code scanners can either be categorized as fixed scanners or hand-held scanners. A fixed scanner is characterized by the fact that its location is fixed, so that the article being scanned must be brought to the scanner, while a hand-held scanner is characterized by the fact that it is mobile, so that the scanner can be brought to the article being scanned.
A bar code scanner, whether hand-held or fixed, operates by scanning a spot of light across the alternating black and white bars of a bar code symbol, detecting the light reflected off the symbol to form an analog signal having a magnitude proportional to the intensity of the reflected light, digitizing the analog signal to form a digital signal, where the width of the pulses making up the digital signal corresponds to the width of the bars in the bar code symbol, and then decoding the digital signal to determine the information which the symbol represents. The process of digitizing the analog signal is known as signal processing.
Various methods for signal processing have been employed in bar code scanners in the past, although each has been fraught with one or more problems when so employed.
One such method which is the "delay and compare" method, described more fully in U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,798, which is hereby fully incorporated by reference herein as though set forth in full.
According to the "delay and compare" method, one or more threshold signals are produced by delaying the analog signal and then offsetting the peaks and valleys of the delayed signal by a fixed amount, i.e., typically by one or more diode voltage drops. The threshold signals are then compared with the analog signal, and a digital signal is produced by starting or stopping the generation of digital pulses at the points where the analog signal intersects the threshold signals.
A first problem with the "delay and compare" method is that it will not successfully digitize weak analog signals, i.e., those that do not swing wide enough to cross the threshold signals. Nor is it very successful in digitizing analog signals produced from a label having a low contrast ratio, or analog signals produced when the scanner is positioned far from the article being scanned.
A second problem with this method is that it will not successfully digitize the analog signal when the scanner is positioned at or near the dead angle, i.e., at or near the angle at which the scanner intercepts a maximum of the reflected light from the symbol. This is because in this circumstance, the light detection circuitry typically becomes saturated, causing the label contents of the analog signal to become greatly reduced. Consequently, the threshold signals, which are determined at least partly by the peaks and valleys of the analog signal, will be distorted, and the resulting digital signal will be likewise distorted.
A third problem with this method is that the white to black and black to white transitions can be greatly distorted by incorrect threshold set-up due to circuit delay or different peak levels of the signal. Thus, for all the foregoing reasons, the "delay and compare" method has not proven to be optimal for use in bar code scanners.
A second signal processing method which has sometimes been employed in bar code scanners is the "threshold and compare" method. According to this method, one or more threshold signals are first formed by averaging the analog signal, such as by passing it through a filter or peak detector. As with the "delay and compare" approach, the threshold signals are then compared with the analog signal, and a digital signal is produced by starting and stopping the generation of digital pulses at the points where the threshold signals intersect the analog signal.
A first problem with this method is that it has little or no inherent noise immunity, in that any noise spikes on the analog signal that happen to cross the threshold signal will erroneously trigger the starting or stopping of a digital pulse.
A second problem with the "threshold and compare" method is that it will not successfully digitize high frequency analog signals, i.e., those produced by narrow bars, or those produced by rapidly scanning the light across the bars. This is because for high frequency signals, the method will not produce threshold signals fast enough which accurately represent the average of the analog signal at a particular point in time.
A third problem with this method is that, as with the "delay and compare" approach, the transitions can be distorted due to incorrect threshold set-up as a result of circuit delays or different peak levels of the signal. Thus, this method has not proven optimal either for use in bar code scanning.
A third method which has sometimes been employed in bar code scanners is a second derivative-based method described more fully in U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,397, which is hereby fully incorporated by reference herein as though set forth in full.
According to this approach, a signal representing the second derivative of the analog signal is formed, and a digital signal is then formed by starting and stopping the generation of digital pulses at the zero crossings of the second derivative signal. To minimize the erroneous detection of a zero crossing, the second derivative signal is only evaluated for the presence of zero crossings during selected gating periods. By using this approach, thresholding becomes less critical because the signal levels are produced from the transition of black to white or white to black bars.
A first problem with this method is that the circuitry required to implement it has heretofore been very bulky and complex, making it difficult to use in hand-held bar code scanners. There are numerous reasons for this, including the requirement that both 5V and 12V power supplies be used, the high bandwidth requirements of fixed scanners, and the corresponding use of bulky components such as inductors to form the high-Q filters needed to achieve high bandwidth, and the sheer complexity of the circuitry needed to define the gating periods.
For example, in the circuit described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,397, the gating periods are defined by starting and stopping the generation of gating pulses at the points where the first derivative of the analog signal crosses a threshold signal. Complex circuitry is required both to form the first derivative signal and the threshold signal.
A second problem with this approach is that the threshold signal used to form the gating pulses is not fixed, but, in a process known as active thresholding, is typically formed by peak-detecting the input signal. Consequently, this method will typically be susceptible to noise spikes for the same reasons discussed above with respect to the "threshold and compare" approach. For all these reasons, this method has not proven optimal either particularly for use in hand-held bar code scanners.
Accordingly, while those in the art have long recognized a need for a signal processing apparatus and method which has better properties compared to prior art methods with respect to compactness, noise immunity, depth of field, handling of weak signals, handling of signals at the dead angle, rapid formation of threshold signals, reduced distortion, or the like, no such apparatus and method has heretofore become available. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a signal processing apparatus and method which provides better properties along these lines.
Moreover, while those in the art have long recognized a need for a compact and cost effective derivative-based signal processing apparatus and method for use in hand-held bar code scanners, to date, no such apparatus and method has become available. It is believed that the complexity and size of the circuitry heretofore required to implement this method has deterred its use in hand-held bar code scanners in favor of the "delay and compare" and "threshold and compare" methods. Consequently, another object is to provide a derivative-based signal processing apparatus and method which is more suitable for being used in a hand-held bar code scanner.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows or may be learned by practice of the invention.


A test apparatus has multiple instruments that are synchronized with respect to one another so that test data generated by them arrive at the pins of a device under test at the time specified in a test program. The synchronization of the multiple instruments is carried out by introducing delays to triggers that are generated and used by the multiple instruments. The amount of delay that is introduced varies from instrument to instrument and is based on differences in the actual transmission and processing delays and clock rates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic device testing, and more particularly, to synchronization techniques used in testing integrated circuit (IC) devices with a test apparatus that has multiple instruments.
2. Description of the Related Art
A test system having a multiple instrument platform represents a significant advance in the art. One example of such a test system is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/222,191, entitled "Circuit Testing with Ring-Connected Test Instrument Modules," filed Aug. 16, 2002, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
In this test system 100, illustrated in FIG. 1, a test head interface module 110 and a plurality of instruments (collectively referred to as 120; individually referred to as instrument A, instrument B, and instrument C) are connected together over a ring bus 130. The test head interface module 110 houses a global clock 140 to which all of the instruments 120 are synchronized.
During testing, the test system 100 operates under the control of software, e.g., a test program. The test program specifies the test patterns to be supplied to a device under test (DUT) 150, the expect data patterns to be compared with the response signals from the DUT 150, and timing information indicating when the test patterns are to be supplied and when the response signals are to be strobed.
With a multiple instrument platform, the designer of a test has the flexibility to simultaneously test different pins of the DUT 150 with different test patterns and to condition the triggering of this test with respect to certain programmed events or certain events detected at the DUT 150. In addition, the test system having a multiple instrument platform is able to accommodate testing of pins at different clock rates. For example, if the core part of the DUT 150 operates at 250 MHz and other parts of the DUT 150 operates at 100 MHz, the pins corresponding to the core part are tested with instruments running at 250 MHz and the pins corresponding to the other parts are tested with instruments running at 100 MHz.
In order for the triggering across different instruments to be carried out accurately, the instruments must be synchronized with respect to each other so that the test data generated by the instruments arrive at the pins of the DUT 150 at the time specified in the test program. The synchronization of the instruments with respect to the global clock ensures that trigger processing begins at the same time at each instrument, but this is not sufficient for synchronizing the instruments with respect to each other because: (i) the delays associated with the hardware overhead during trigger generation and reception differ from instrument to instrument; (ii) the instruments exhibit different pipeline delays; and (iii) the instruments may operate at different clock rates.

Synchronization of multiple test instruments


An image pick up apparatus according to this invention comprises an imaging device for outputting video signals by driving a solid-state imaging element on the basis of a plurality of driving pulses, a noise synthesizer for synthesizing noise components contained in the plurality of driving pulses, and a subtracter for subtracting output signals of the noise synthesizer from the video signals. Signals synthesized with the noise components contained in the driving pulses for driving the solid-state imaging element are subtracted from the video signals transmitted from the imaging device, thereby removing the noise components of the video signals.

This invention relates to an image pick up apparatus, and more particularly is suitable for application, for example, in a television (TV) camera system.
Some of conventional TV camera systems involve the use of a CCD (charge coupled device) imaging element.
To be specific, as illustrated in FIG. 1 , video information L0 condensed through a lens 2 at first undergoes an irradiation of a CCD imaging element 3 in such a CCD camera system 1. A video detection signal S0 obtained as a result of this is inputted to a CDS (correlated double sampling) circuit 4.
The CDS circuit 4 sample-holds the video detection signal S0 at a predetermined timing and generates a video signal S1. This video signal S1 is transmitted to a signal processing circuit of the subsequent stage.
Inputted via a driver 6 to the CCD imaging element 3 are driving pulses consisting of first, second and last horizontal transfer pulses H1, H2, LH and reset pulses RP which are transmitted from a timing generation circuit 5 as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 61-273079. The video information L0 is read at timings corresponding to a television system, thereby generating the video detection signals S0.
Inputted also to the CDS circuit 4 are first and second sampling pulses SP1, SP2 at timings corresponding to the horizontal transfer pulses H1, H2, LH and the reset pulses RP.
The CDS circuit 4 thereby sampling-holds the respective video detection signals S0 at timings of a signal level and a reference level. Subtraction thereof is effected, whereby the video signals S1 composed of signal level components of the video detection signals S0 can be generated.
If the thus constructed CCD camera system 1 is employed as a TV camera based on, e.g., a high-definition television system, for instance, shading or the like takes place because of the noise components due to entrances of the driving pulses H1, H2, LH, RP transmitted from the timing generation circuit 5. This results in a deterioration of an S/N ratio. The video signal S1 declines in terms of image quality.
The shading noise due to the horizontal transfer pulses H1 and H2 is generated as shown in FIGS. 2(A) to 2(C).
There may be no trouble in the case where the horizontal transfer pulses H1 and H2 have the identical level and the exactly opposite phase each other, because the horizontal transfer pulses entering into the CCD output signal cancel each other.
But actually, the phases of the horizontal transfer pulses H1 and H2 tend to have phase errors of rising edges on re-generating after the horizontal blanking period T.sub.HBLK as shown in FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B). AS the result the shading noise S.sub.SHD is generated as shown in FIG. 2(C).
This problem arises even in the standard television system of NTSC, etc. As compared with the high-definition television system, however, frequencies of the driving pulses H1, H2, LH, RP are low enough so that real time correction is unnecessary. This can be sufficiently corrected even in the signal processing circuit of the subsequent stage.
In the case of the TV camera of the high-definition television system, however, the frequencies of the driving pulses H1, H2, LH, RP increase corresponding to the horizontal frequencies. There exists such a problem that no correction can be made by the signal processing circuit of the subsequent stage unless the correction is effected in real time.


A de-centralized, or distributed, monitoring system provides for data collection across a broad range of remote sources, collecting explicit data (which may be input directly by a user in the form of recommendation, comment, or vote) and/or implicit data (which may be collected by the system according to the user's browsing activity). Data may be monitored locally at the client side, and subsequently transmitted to a central database. Data may be aggregated at the server, having been collected on the client side from multiple remote sources. During the aggregation process, data collected by the distributed monitoring system are categorized and organized in a central database for convenient retrieval. Implementation of the collected data includes both transmitting explicit data on demand as well as utilizing explicit data, implicit data, or a combination of both explicit and implicit data, in an open recommendation system which facilitates customization and personalization of the information retrieval process. A user may be provided with the option of turning off, or “deselecting,” the implicit data collection functionality of the system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to information retrieval from the Internet or other search spaces, and more particularly to a system of accumulating and organizing information collected from multiple remote locations in a central database, and implementing collected information in an open recommendation system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Presently, the nature and the structure of the Internet and other vast search spaces, combined with current technology and Internet exploration methodologies, present users with many problems for which current technology has offered no solutions. For instance, while an overwhelming amount of information is obtainable on the Internet, the available information content is limited only to materials accessible through Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Furthermore, present methods of organizing and presenting the information which is available to users are inadequate.
While some sites on the World Wide Web, for example, may provide users limited access to trends or suggestions based upon other users' behavior at that particular site, there is currently no expansive system which provides one user with global access to feedback and other information offered by other users. Moreover, since the current state of the art neither recognizes nor accommodates personal preferences or biases, exploration of the search space is less interactive, and consequently less efficient and less productive, than it otherwise could be.
In the context of the World Wide Web, for example, the information presently available for users is limited to the HTML documents which make up the searchable hyper-space. While most users consider interaction with other users and recommendations by other users to comprise the most efficient mechanisms for identifying useful and relevant information, current systems employed for information organization and retrieval are not adapted for providing a centralized server through which convenient and unrestricted user access to input from other users is enabled.
Additionally, while many users turn to the Internet for information concerning other media types, for example, television and radio, these and other media which are not HTML based are completely neglected by the Internet navigation and information retrieval systems currently in use; that is, access to these various other media is not possible through current HTML navigation methods and systems. This inaccessibility or elimination of other media sources which are not based upon HTML documents from current search and navigation systems represents a significant limitation of the state of the art.
Moreover, where limited interactive functionality is provided by current technology, the interaction is typically restricted to information exchange between one user and the site host, i.e. a closed system, rather than expanded to include information exchange between the various users of the site in an open recommendation system. As a result, current systems provide search results which do not take into account the preferences of users of such a closed system.
There has been a continuing and growing need, therefore, for an open, or distributed, recommendation system and method for identifying and accessing the most relevant information from the Internet or other vast search spaces. Such an open recommendation system and method should be customized so as to take into account the preferences and biases of the individual navigating the search space. Furthermore, a truly integrated system should support access through HTML to a variety of other media which are not traditionally HTML based, such as television and radio, for example. Additionally, since human input is generally the most preferred source of information, an open recommendation system and method should be adapted to incorporate human input as data into a central database, to facilitate retrieval of that information, and to encourage human interaction.

Distributed monitoring system providing knowledge services


A sealing case includes a main body with an opening, the main body including a housing space therein, a cover configured to cover the opening of the main body, a first fastening portion along an outer circumferential portion of the opening of the main body, a second fastening portion on the cover and corresponding to the first fastening portion, and a sealing member interposed between the main body and the cover, the sealing member having a ‘U’ shape and being fitted between the first fastening portion on the main body and a second fastening portion on the cover.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a sealing case, and more particularly, to a sealing case having a new coupling structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Battery packs have recently been used as various types of power sources, and are configured as large-capacity ones to output high power. Some of the battery packs are used by being buried in the ground for the purpose of safety. In this case, the battery packs should be stably maintained for a long period of time even in an environment having high humidity. Therefore, the battery packs are housed using a sealing case, etc.


A new cultivar of Gaura plant named ‘Passionate Rainbow’ characterized by dense growth habit, red-pink and cream-white variegation, and red-pink flowers. In combination these traits set ‘Passionate Rainbow’ apart from all other existing varieties of Gaura known to the inventor.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of butterfly bush grown for use as an ornamental plant for use in the landscape. The new cultivar is known botanically as Gaura lindheimeri and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name 'Passionate Rainbow'.
'Passionate Rainbow' was first observed by the inventor in November 2001 as an individual naturally occurring variegated whole plant sport growing amongst a crop of plants of the non-variegated variety Gaura lindheimeri 'Passionate Pink' (unpatented) in a cultivated area of Victoria, Australia.
By January 2002, the inventor was able to take and root ten stem cuttings from the observed sport, 'Passionate Rainbow'. The resulting plants exhibited the same characteristics of variegated foliage as the originally discovered sport. Since then, the inventor has asexually propagated many further generations, and has determined that the characteristics of 'Passionate Rainbow' have remained stable and that 'Passionate Rainbow' reproduces true to type during successive generations of asexual reproduction.
When compared with the presumed parental cultivar, Gaura lindheimeri 'Passionate Pink', the leaves of 'Passionate Rainbow' exhibit variegation, while the leaves of Gaura lindheimeri 'Passionate Pink' are entirely absent of variegation. 'Passionate Rainbow' exhibits a dense upright growth habit, variegated foliage, and red-pink flowers.
The closest comparison plants to 'Passionate Rainbow' known to the inventor are the variegated varieties Gaura lindheimeri 'Sunny Butterflies' (unpatented) and Gaura lindheimeri 'Bijou Butterflies' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,479). 'Passionate Rainbow' is distinguishable from Gaura lindheimeri 'Sunny Butterflies' by the color of variegation. The variegated foliage of 'Passionate Rainbow' is prominently tinged with red-pink towards the apex, whereas the foliage of 'Sunny Butterflies' foliage is uniformly yellow and cream-white.
'Passionate Rainbow' is distinguishable from Gaura lindheimeri 'Bijou Butterflies' by density of plant habit. 'Passionate Rainbow' exhibits a dense form, while Gaura lindheimeri 'Bijou Butterflies' exhibits greater density.


An integrated circuit device contains a flash memory, a flash control unit for controlling the rewriting and reading on the flash memory, and a processor unit. The processor unit includes a normal mode and a fail-safe mode as the operating states. In normal mode, when a defect is detected during the verify operation after writing data onto the flash memory then any further use of the flash memory is stopped. In fail-safe-mode, when a defect is detected during the verify operation after writing data onto the flash memory, the error is corrected and flash memory usage continues. The operating state is normal mode, and when the verify operation detects a defect after normal mode erase operation, the operation shifts to fail-safe mode.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device for storing a flash memory and also relates to a memory control method for regulating access to that flash memory.
2. Description of Related Art
Demand has been increasing in recent years for EEPROM emulations to add a small data capacity to the flash memory as a substitute for an external EEPROM. These EEPROM applications require an extremely large number of rewrite operations and so must provide reliability for this (large) number of rewrites.
In the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open Application No. 2006-48893, the hardware selects a spare block address as the physical address from the defect block mapping information and the control address that was received. The flash memory includes a memory cell array unit, a defect block mapping register unit, an address selector unit, and a defect block status control unit. The memory cell array unit stores the data by way of the received physical address, and stores the defect block mapping information. The defect block mapping register unit stores the defect block mapping information. The address selector unit generates a defect block address by selecting a spare block address matching the logical address or an externally applied logical address, as the physical address. The defect block control status unit receives the defect block address from the address selector unit, and updates the defect block mapping information in the defect block mapping register. The defect block status control unit counts the number of defect block addresses stored in the defect block mapping register unit, and controls the selection operation performed by the address selector unit. The defect block status control unit then stores the defect block mapping information stored in the defect block mapping register unit, into the memory cell array unit.
In other words, the defect block information read out (loaded) from the mapping information storage block in the flash memory is stored in the defect block mapping register unit. The address selector unit compares the logical address that was received externally, with the defect block mapping table. If this comparison results in access to a defect block, then a spare block address is output to the memory cell array.
The flash memory cell contains multiple memory cells each connected to one word line and bit line. In the case of a flash memory, the bit lines are often jointly shared by all blocks so if a defect such as a locked state occurs on a specific bit line then that defect is a defect on all blocks.
If a breakdown occurs on the word lines/bit lines of the memory cell, then that affects the entire memory so merely replacing the block will not cure the defect.

Semiconductor integrated circuit device having fail-safe mode and memory control method


The present invention provides compounds and methods for assaying redox state of metabolically active cells and methods for assaying enzyme activity and/or metabolite level by coupling to redox defining co-factor NAD(P)/NAD(P)H measurement.

Cell Viability
Cellular energy metabolism is a complex process that allows cells to generate energy through a series of enzymatic and chemical reactions. In eukaryotes, metabolism is centered at the mitochondria and involves multiple pathways including glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. Depending on cell status and adaptation to various stimuli, a particular metabolic pathway is activated, and the study of the enzymatic reactions and metabolites of these pathways help researchers to understand the metabolic status of the cell as well as cell viability and toxicity. One essential aspect of cellular energy metabolism is the reduction-oxidation (redox) state of the cell. During cellular energy metabolism, energy is often stored and released as part of redox reactions. Major co-factors in these metabolic reactions are the nucleotides NAD(P) and NAD(P)H. The redox state of a cell is described as the balance between the oxidized form of these nucleotides (NAD(P)) and the reduced form (NAD(P)H). The redox state is studied in order to determine the metabolic status of live cells and can be used to study enzymes and metabolites that are involved in the redox state and/or utilized directly or indirectly the NAD(P)/NAD(P)H nucleotides. Methods currently exist to study the redox state of cells, including tetrazolium salts (MTT, MTS, and XTT) and resazurin. All of these methods involve compounds that are reduced in metabolically active cells to produce either a colorimetric or fluorescent signal. These methods are limited by low sensitivity and often require labor-intensive nucleotide extraction methods and/or enzymatic cycling reactions to amplify the signal. These molecules vary structurally, and it is not known what cellular enzymes reduce each compound; consequently, the design of new molecules to study the redox state is not obvious.
The molecules NAD and NADP, and their reduced forms NADH and NADPH, are cofactors present in all organisms. They are involved in many and multiple oxidoreductase reactions critical to cell metabolism as well as function in other necessary cellular processes. Often, it is desirable to measure the levels of NAD, NADP, NADH, NADPH as an indication of cellular redox state and its perturbation by treatments.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Compounds and methods for assaying redox state of metabolically active cells and methods for measuring NAD(P)/NAD(P)H


A method of making a variable thickness tubular member for a vehicle includes the steps of providing a tubular member and positioning a mandrel inside of the tubular member. The method also includes the steps of hydroforming the tubular member into a variable thickness tubular member having a variable wall thickness along its perimeter.

It is known to construct tubular members for vehicles such as automotive vehicles. The tubular members are typically extruded from aluminum or magnesium and have a constant wall thickness. However, it is occasionally desirable to have a tubular member that has a wall thickness distribution around the perimeter of the tube, wherein the wall thickness varies.
It is also known that rollformers or tailored tube producers have made steel tubular members with a varying wall around the perimeter of the tubular member. To vary the wall thickness, strips of metal of differing gage have been welded together axially prior to joining the strips into a tubular form. However, these tubular members are costly due to the extra material and labor involved.
As a result, it is desirable to provide a variable thickness tubular member or blank to achieve a desirable wall thickness where needed for a structural member of a vehicle. It is also desirable to provide a hydroformed tubular member having a varying wall thickness around a perimeter thereof for a structural member of a vehicle. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a new cost effective method for manufacturing a variable thickness tubular member for a vehicle that meets these desires.

Method of making variable thickness tubular member for vehicles