A mattress cover, for use on an air inflatable mattress which reduces the risk of bed sores in long term patients. The cover has a top sheet and side sheets attached to opposite edges of the top sheet. The length of the top sheet, in a laid-flat state, is greater than the length of the side sheets attached to the top sheet. This allows the cover to closely follow the undulating nature of the inflatable cells of the mattress, and zero pressure may be achieved. The cover may also comprise end sheets, an outer skirt, and a base portion. The present invention also provides a method of making cover, which comprises the step of stretching the side portions, while the top sheet is in a substantially unstretched condition, and then joining the side sheets in their stretched condition to the top sheet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cover for a support, more particularly to a cover for an inflatable support such as a mattress or cushion for a human or animal body. The invention also relates to methods of making such a cover, and to inflatable supports, such as mattresses, having a plurality of inflatable supports and the cover.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of pressure-cycling air inflatable mattresses is well known for the reduction of bed sores, and is described, for example, in GB-A-1 595 417. The present applicants sell a range of these mattresses for this purpose, for example, the Airwave Plus.TM., in which a controller sequentially inflates and deflates a plurality of overlapping groups of air tubes extending transversely to the length of the mattress. In this manner, each air cell cyclically provides support of, and relief from pressure to, a patient's body.
The majority of such inflatable mattress systems use a cover to prevent the mattress becoming contaminated or damaged by body fluids, wound exudate or other spillages. A cover for a mattress of this type must allow for the inflation and deflation of the air cells. Thus, a traditional mattress sheet as used on a conventional mattress will not suffice. Covers for inflatable mattresses are presently box-like in shape, having a top sheet and side sheets. The design relies on there being sufficient material elasticity and looseness in the top sheet to allow full inflation of the cells during the appropriate part of the inflation--deflation cycle. However, this type of cover on an inflatable mattress may prevent the achievement of zero interface pressure between the patient and the mattress. During the inflation and deflation cycle, one group of cells is necessarily in the deflated state. This deflation stage should allow a period of zero pressure on the patient's body, thus helping to reduce bed sores. However, the material of a cover as described above does not conform closely to the shape of the air cells and may form a hammock shape between inflated and deflated cells, or between two adjacent inflated cells. As a result, a state of zero pressure is not achieved where the cells are deflated. Thus, an inflatable mattress using a cover of this type is suitable only for patients at medium or high risk of developing bed sores, but is not suitable for those at very high risk. As a result, the use of the active mattress system is limited by the design of the cover.
As an alternative, a sheet might be used to cover the mattress, which closely follows the undulating shape of the inflating and deflating cells. However, the sheet does not remain accurately located in relation to the mattress, and further results in untidy skirts around the sides of the mattress which are difficult to keep clean.
It is thus an aim of the present invention to overcome and ameliorate the above problems of the prior art.
Accordingly, in a first aspect the present invention provides a cover for a support having a plurality of inflatable cells, said cover comprising a top sheet and at least opposite side sheets to which the top sheet is attached at opposite edges along an attachment length, wherein the length of the top sheet attached to the side sheets at said attachment length is, in its laid-flat state, greater than the length of said side sheet attached to the top sheet at said attachment length.
By this arrangement, the present invention provides a cover having a top sheet which has a full ness or non-tightness even when the side sheets are taut, as when mounted on a mattress. The top sheet therefore can conform closely to the undulating top surface of the air cells and yet is positively located in relation to the support, whilst the side sheets can lie flat and tidily against the sides of the support.
Preferably the top sheet and the side sheets are attached substantially continuously e.g. by stitching, along the whole of said attachment length, but attachment may be somewhat intermittent. Preferably the length of the top sheet, when laid flat is at least 50%, more preferably at least 10% greater than that of the side sheets. These lengths are measured in the unstitched condition.
The length of the top sheet attachment length to the side sheets may be the length parallel to any edge of the top sheet, and preferably is the length extending in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubular air cells of the support being covered. The length of the side sheet attached to the top sheet may be the length parallel to any edge of the side sheet, and preferably is the length extending in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tubular air cells of the support being covered.
Preferably, the increase in length of the top sheet attached to the side sheet at the attachment length is, in its laid flat state, approximately equal to the difference in length of the upper surface of the mattress between a hypothetical situation where all cells are in the deflated state and the maximally inflated state of the air cells at any one point during a cycle.
Preferably the cover also comprises end sheets, joined to the top sheets and side sheets to form an open box-like structure, such that for example, each end sheet is substantially perpendicular to the side sheets, and to the top sheet, when the cover is fitted to the support.
The cover may also comprise an outer skirt, which lies external and parallel to the side sheets, extending around at least a portion of the circumference, and preferably the entire circumference of the support. The outer skirt preferably covers any joint (such as a zip fastener described below) between a base portion and the side sheets, thus reducing risk of entry of fluids through the joint.
Preferably, the cover also comprises a base portion, which may be a flat sheet or more preferably an open box-like structure. The base portion may be releasably attached, e.g. by a zip fastener, to the side sheets attached to the top sheet, such that the individual components may be separately cleaned and replaced.
An internal strap system may also be provided within the cover, in order to secure the cover to the support. Preferably, the system consists of one or more straps attached by at least one end to the cover and comprising means for attachment to the support. Such means may be a hook. One or more such internal straps may be attached to external straps, which are used to secure the support and cover to an external member, such as a bed frame or chair. Preferably, the internal and external straps are joined to each other through the cover or are joined only to the cover, thereby ensuring that piercing of the cover is kept to a minimum to reduce possible ingress of liquids. Thus, stress caused by fixing a support to an external member is transferred through the internal and external strap system to the support itself, allowing the cover to remain substantially free of stress. The internal and external strap system may be adapted in accordance with user specific requirements.
At least one handle, and preferably a pair, may be provided on the external surface of the cover, in order to facilitate moving of the mattress. The handles may be located at any position on the cover, but preferably are on opposing side sheets or end sheets of the cover.
The handles may be integral with or attached to internal straps located within the cover. These internal straps may be the same or different from the straps of the internal strap system. They may be located at any position within the cover, corresponding to the position of the handles on the outer surface. Where the internal straps are attached also to the support, this system allows the support and cover to be moved while minimizing strain on the cover itself.
The support can be a device such as an air inflatable mattress for the prevention of bed sores, or a cushion for a wheel chair for a similar purpose, or a calf support attachable to a wheel chair, having a plurality of groups of inflatable air cells which inflate and deflate sequentially and extend in a transverse fashion across the surface of the support. There may be two or more layers of tubes as shown in GBA-1595417. Each group of cells has at least one cell, preferably two or more, depending on the size of the support.
The inflatable cells of the support may be of any shape, but it is preferable that they are tubular in shape and lie transverse to a longitudinal direction of the support.
In a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of making a cover for a support having a plurality of inflatable cells, said cover comprising a top sheet and side sheets to which the top sheet is attached along opposing edges, wherein the method comprises the following steps:
(i) stretching said side sheets along their length, and PA1 (ii) joining the side sheets in their stretched condition to the top sheet when the top sheet is unstretched or is stretched to a lesser extent than the side sheets, so that when the side sheets are relaxed, they cause the top sheet to assume a length which is less than its laid flat length.
The side sheets may be stretched along whole or part of their length, or sequentially along different parts of their length.
The length of the top sheet attachment length to the side sheets, and the length of the side sheets, may be as described above.
The increase in length of the top sheet attached to the side sheet at the attachment length may also be as described above. A small amount of stretching of the top sheet during this process may prevent puckering of the material during joining.
The process described above may be performed on parallel edges of the top sheet, preferably said edges extending in the direction of the attachment length as described above. In order to prevent puckering or "creep" of the material, it is preferable that the joining is carried out in the same direction along the parallel edges of the top sheet.
Joining the side sheets to the top sheets may be done in one or more steps. Preferably, the side sheets are first attached to the top sheet at one or more points spaced apart along the attachment length. Preferably, the side sheets are first attached to the top sheet at the ends of the attachment length. Such attachment prior to the joining process allows accurate alignment of the top sheet and side sheet in relation to one another, such that the top sheet displays no twist or misalignment across the inflatable cells of a support, when placed on a support. The side sheets and top sheets are then stretched and joined together between said points. The side sheet and the top sheet may then be relaxed from their stretched condition.
It is preferable also that an outer skirt sheet is provided, external to and parallel to the side sheets. Preferably the outer skirt extends around the entire circumference of the cover. If an outer skirt is used, the outer skirt and side sheets may be joined to the top sheet simultaneously, according to the method described above. This prevents the need for additional joints in the cover.
The side sheets and outer skirts may be joined to the top sheet by any conventional joining method, such as gluing, heat sealing or stitching. Preferably, stitching is used. The stitching may be of any suitable type, but may be a machine stitch, e.g. of approximately 12 stitches per inch. Such a pitch allows a tight join between the materials, preventing puckering and gathering, and still allowing said materials to return to their unstretched condition.
Prior to stretching and joining the side sheets and end sheets to the top sheet, one half of a zip fastener may be joined to the side sheets and end sheets. One edge of the outer skirt may be tape sealed, prior to joining to the top sheet.
Alternatively, the zip fastener portion and tape sealing may be added to the side sheets and outer skirt after stretching and joining to the top sheet.
End sheets may also be joined to the top sheet, such that when the cover is fitted to a support each end sheet is approximately perpendicular to the side sheet and to the top sheet. The end sheets may be joined prior to, or after, joining and relaxing of the side sheets and the outer skirt. The side sheets and outer skirts may then be everted together with the end sheets to form a box-like structure.
After relaxation of all components to their unstretched condition, one or more outer joints may be added to the outer surface of the cover, joining all components of the cover, in order to hold the components together more securely. Preferably, a single outer joint is made around the entire circumference of the cover. The outer joint may use any conventional technique, such as stapling, rivetting or stitching. Preferably, stitching is used. It is also desirable that the outer joint is tape sealed in order to make the outer joint water tight.
A base portion may be attached to the side and end sheets, such that the cover extends over the entire surface of the support. The base portion may be a single sheet or more preferably an open box-like structure.
One or more internal straps may be fixed within the cover, in order to secure the support within the cover. Each strap may be fixed at one end to an inner surface of the cover, using conventional techniques such as rivetting, gluing or stitching. Preferably, stitching is used. The internal straps may be attached to their external components by joining the internal strap, base cover and external strap, preferably by stitching. Alternatively, the external strap may be joined only to the base cover. The external straps may have attachment means fitted to a free end, said attachment means being securable to a support.
One or more handles may also be formed on the external surface of the cover, preferably on opposing side or end sheets. The handles may become integral with, or attached to internal straps. This may be done by joining the handles and internal straps and the cover, by any suitable method such as glueing or stitching.
In both aspects of the present invention, the top sheet, side sheets, end sheets, outer skirt and base portion may all be of dimensions to fit a desired support. Preferably, the top sheets, side sheets, end sheets and outer skirt are all elongate pieces of stretchable material.
Preferably, the length of the top sheet along its attachment length in its laid flat state is greater than the length of the support, and a width between the attachment to the side sheets substantially equal to the width of the support.
The side sheets in their unstretched condition may be substantially equal in length to the length of the support and shorter than the length of the top sheet, with a maximum width substantially equal to the depth of the support. Preferably, the width is less than the depth of the support, and more preferably substantially equal to half the depth of the support.
The end sheets may be substantially equal in length to the length of the ends of the support, and a maximum width substantially equal to the depth of the support. The width may be less than the depth of the support, and preferably is approximately equal to half the depth of the support.
The side sheets and end sheets may be formed from a single sheet of material, having a length substantially equal to the circumference of the support and a maximum width substantially equal to the depth of the support, and preferably approximately equal to half the depth of the support.
The outer skirt may be formed from one or more pieces of material, preferably a single piece of stretchable material of a length substantially equal to the circumference of the support, and a width sufficient to cover any joint between the side sheets and base portion extending around the circumference of the support. Preferably, the width is substantially equal to the depth of the support.
The base portion may be formed form a single sheet, or may be box like in shape, having dimensions to closely fit the lower part of a support.
The cover of the present invention may be made from any suitable material, which is preferably stretchable and waterproof.


A thermal, flow measuring device and method for measuring the flow of a measured medium. During a heating phase of predetermined length a constant heating current of a first electrical current source flows through a first resistor. During a first measuring phase of predetermined length a constant measurement current of a second electrical current source flows through the first resistor. During the first measuring phase a first voltage falls across the first resistor, wherein during a second measuring phase of predetermined length during the first measuring cycle the constant measurement current of the second electrical current source flows through a second resistor. During the second measuring phase a second voltage falls across the second resistor, wherein during the heating phase the constant heating current of the first electrical current source flows through a shunt resistor, wherein during the heating phase a fifth voltage falls across the shunt resistor, wherein at least the first voltage, the second voltage and the fifth voltage are utilized for calculating the flow and wherein during the first measuring phase the constant heating current of the first electrical current source flows through a bypass resistor.

Known from the state of the art are temperature sensors for industrial process technology. Their construction is similar to that of thermal, flow measuring devices, with the difference that conventional thermal, flow measuring devices usually use two temperature sensors, which are embodied as equally as possible and which are arranged, most often, in pin-shaped, metal sleeves, so-called stingers or prongs, which are in thermal contact with the medium flowing through a measuring tube or through the pipeline. Most often, they are immersed in the medium. For industrial application, the two temperature sensors are usually installed in a measuring tube. The temperature sensors can, however, also be mounted directly in the pipeline. One of the two temperature sensors is a so-called active temperature sensor, which is heated by means of a heating unit. The heating unit is either an additional resistance heater, or, when the temperature sensor itself is a resistance element, e.g. an RTD—(Resistance Temperature device) sensor, it is heated by conversion of electrical power, e.g. by a corresponding variation of the heating current. The second temperature sensor is a so-called passive temperature sensor: It measures the temperature of the medium with an as small as possible self-warming by the measurement current.
Until now, mainly RID-elements with helically wound platinum wires have been applied in thermal, flow measuring devices. In the case of thin-film, resistance thermometers (TF-RTDs), conventionally, a meander-shaped, platinum layer is vapor deposited on a substrate. In addition, another, glass layer is applied for protecting the platinum layer. The cross section of the thin-film-resistance thermometer is rectangular, in contrast with the RTD-elements having a round cross section. The heat transfer into the resistance element and/or from the resistance element occurs accordingly via two oppositely lying surfaces, which together make up a large part of the total surface area of a thin-film-resistance thermometer.
Known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,560 is a thermal, flow measuring device having two resistors, which are exposed to the flow of the measured medium through a measuring tube. Common to all forms of embodiment is that the two resistors are heated with a heating current and that the temperature of the measured medium is measured with a third resistor. The calculating of the flow of the measured medium through the measuring tube occurs, in such case, by means of the temperatures of the two heated resistors calculated from their resistances and the temperature of the third resistance. The two heated resistors are continuously heated by means of a constant electrical current source. From R=U/I with the heating current I and the measured voltage drop U across the heated resistor, its resistance R can be determined. By means of R=R0+(1+αΔT) there results its temperature T=ΔT+TG, with TG being the temperature of the third, unheated resistor.
There is, however, provided, in one form of embodiment, a voltage source for supplying the heated resistors with the heating current. Then, auxiliary resistors are connected in series with the heated resistors. The resistance of the auxiliary resistors is not changed by the heating current—their resistance is essentially temperature independent. Additionally, electrical current measuring devices are provided, which measure the current heating current via the auxiliary resistors. This is then utilized in calculating the temperatures of the heated resistors, such as already described above.
Disadvantageous is the application of at least three resistors, two heated and one unheated, which are so arranged relative to the lumen of the measuring tube that they are in good thermal contact with the measured medium, in order to measure the flow of the measured medium in the measuring tube.
International published application, WO 2007/063111 A2 discloses a circuit of a thermal, flow measuring device, wherein first and second resistors are arranged in the lumen of the measuring tube. The circuit includes, furthermore, a first electrical current source and a second electrical current source. The first electrical current source delivers a heating current, and the second electrical current source produces a measurement voltage via the resistors. At least one switch between the first resistor and the electrical current sources controls the supplying of the first resistor with the heating current or with the measurement current, in that it connects the first resistor in series either with the first electrical current source or with the second electrical current source. If only the first resistor is heated, then the second resistor is connected via a switch at least at times in series with the second electrical current source. If both resistors are heated, then what has been outlined for the first resistor holds also for the second resistor.
The first resistor is, in such case, heated with a constant amount of heat. The supply of the constant amount of heat is controlled by means of the switch, which switches the first and/or the second resistor in series with the first electrical current source. Disadvantageous in the case of this apparatus is that the first electrical current source does not provide a constant electrical current. It is, instead, a voltage source with constant voltage. The heating power to the first resistor depends, thus, strongly on the length of the heating phase. It is calculated from P=(th/T1)*(U2/R), using the voltage U, the resistance value R, the heating period length to and the measuring period duration T1.

Method for operating a thermal, flow measuring device


A network node comprises a receiver configured to receive a first packet, a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to process the first packet, and prioritize the first packet according to a scheme, wherein the scheme assigns priority to packets based on phase, and a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the first packet. An apparatus comprises a processor coupled to the memory and configured to generate instructions for a packet prioritization scheme, wherein the scheme assigns priority to packet transactions based on closeness to completion, and a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store the instructions. A method comprises receiving a first packet, processing the first packet, prioritizing the first packet according to a scheme, wherein the scheme assigns priority to packets based on phase, and transmitting the first packet.

An interconnection network may refer to any system that enables fast data communication among its components, or nodes. An interconnection network may be any switch, router, processor-memory, input/output (I/O), system on a chip (SoC), multiple-chip, or other network. An SoC may refer to a system that integrates all the functionality of a computer or other complex electronic data system onto a single integrated circuit, or chip.
An interconnection network may comprise a plurality of caches. Each cache may comprise a series of address lines where data is stored. Such a network may employ cache coherence, which may refer to a discipline that ensures that a change to data in one cache is propagated throughout the network to other caches sharing the same data. One type of cache coherence is snooping based. Snooping may refer to a process where each cache monitors for access to address lines where it has stored data. If a first cache observes on a second cache a write operation to an address line where the first cache also has stored data, then the first cache may invalidate, or remove, that stored data.
Data in an interconnection network may be exchanged from one node to another node in what is called a transaction. A transaction may comprise phases, which may represent sequential steps toward completion of the transaction. Examples of phases may be a request for data, a transmission of the data, and an acknowledgment of receipt of the data. The data may be exchanged in the form of a packet, which may typically comprise a header containing control information and a payload containing the data that is the purpose of the transmission.


The invention relates to a measuring apparatus for measuring a measurement variable of a fluid, particularly a sensor, such as a pressure sensor or a displacement sensor. The measuring apparatus comprises a housing, a diaphragm arranged in and/or on the housing, and a resilient element formed in the manner of a leaf spring for restoring the diaphragm. A signal transmitter is operatively connected to the diaphragm and/or the resilient element, and a signal receiver cooperates with the signal transmitter. The resilient element is fastened on the housing at the edge of the resilient element, more specifically in particular only at parts of the edge.

The measuring apparatus may be a sensor, such as a pressure sensor, a displacement sensor, or the like. Such measuring apparatuses are used in particular to measure a measurement variable of a fluid, for example, to measure the water level in washing machines, dishwashers, wet and/or dry vacuum cleaners or in other water-guiding parts of domestic appliances. In particular, these measuring apparatuses are pressure sensors for low pressures, for example, specifically less than 3,500 Pa (Pascal).
Measuring apparatuses of this type comprising a housing and a diaphragm arranged in and/or on the housing are known. A resilient element for restoring the diaphragm is located in the housing. A signal transmitter is operatively connected to the diaphragm and/or to the resilient element. A signal receiver cooperates with the signal transmitter in order to generate the measuring signal. It has been proven that external influences on the measuring apparatus disturb the resilient element, which in turn may lead to a falsification of the measuring signal.


A medical device having a laminate elongate hollow member is disclosed. The laminate member provides torsional stiffness for controlling positioning of the distal end of the device, and provides bending flexibility for assisting in insertion of the device in the patient's esophagus or other body lumen.

Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is associated with severe heartburn, affects a substantial portion of the world population. People who experience heartburn at least once a week are reportedly at an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer in their lifetime. When left untreated, chronic GERD can cause the inner lining of the esophagus to change from squamous mucosa to columnar mucosa, which sometimes includes intestinal metaplasia or Barrett's esophagus. Left untreated, Barrett's esophagus can progress to esophageal cancer, for which a common surgical treatment is esophagectomy (removal of the esophagus.)
Accordingly, scientists and engineers continue to seek improved medical instruments for treating diseased tissue in the esophagus.

Medical device with improved wall construction


A system for reducing NOx emission levels during the manufacture of cement clinker having a calciner unit with the following features: an upper portion; a lower portion; a NOx reduction zone in the lower portion; a tertiary air inlet in the upper portion for introducing tertiary air into the upper portion; a main calciner meal inlet located above the NOx reduction zone for introducing a main calciner meal portion into the upper portion; a first cooling calciner meal inlet located in the NOx reduction zone for introducing a first cooling calciner meal portion into a periphery of the NOx reduction zone; and a fuel inlet located in or below the NOx reduction zone for introducing fuel into the reduction zone.

At a cement system, in the cement clinker manufacturing process, cement raw meal is preheated in a preheater, calcined in a calciner comprising an upper end and a lower end, burned into clinker in a kiln and cooled in a subsequent clinker cooler. In some existing cement systems, the calciner is specifically designed for using fuels having a low content of volatile constituents, such as petrocoke, whereas in other existing systems the calciner is specifically designed for attaining low NOx emission levels. There is strong evidence that more stringent requirements will be imposed in terms of acceptable NOx emission levels and that the utilization of fuels with a low content of volatile constituents will continue to be advantageous. Accordingly, there is a need for a system for manufacturing cement clinker, which will embody both of these beneficial effects at one and the same time.
A range of technologies is available for limiting NOx emission levels and for burning fuels with a low content of volatile constituents in cement systems. For example, it is possible to limit NOx emission levels by primary methods, such as the appropriate design of burner equipment, appropriate design of calciner and preheater, or by secondary methods involving injection of extraneous substances such as ammonia and urea at designated locations in the preheater.
For example, a kiln system of the type ILC low-NOx is known from Japanese patent application No. 155433-1978. This system comprises a combustion chamber which is located between the kiln and the calciner and which in practice constitutes the lower part of the calciner. Limitation of NOx emission is achieved by injecting fuel into the combustion chamber, which constitutes a so-called reducing zone, involving a combustion of fuel by reacting with NOx contained in the exhaust gases from the kiln, thereby reducing the NOx content. According to more recently known methods a small amount of preheated raw meal from the preheater may be introduced into this zone in order to limit the temperature. Preheated air from the clinker cooler as well as preheated raw meal from the preheater are subsequently fed to the calciner. In this known kiln system, exhaust gases from the kiln are introduced at the bottom of the combustion chamber, thereby causing the gases to flow upwards through the combustion chamber and the subsequent calciner. In this type of calciner the raw meal must thus be directed up through the main part of the calciner suspended in the gas stream which flows upwards through the calciner. As for this type of calciner, it is a distinct disadvantage that a low NOx emission cannot be attained when burning fuels with a low content of volatile constituents in the calciner because of the excessive cooling of the gas/fuel suspension.
For example, kiln systems of the type SLC-D are known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,641 and PCT/DK97/00029. This type of system incorporates a calciner which comprises a chamber configured as a downward-directed gas duct which at its lower end is connected to an upward-directed gas duct which is further connected to the exhaust gas discharge end of the kiln. Calcination essentially takes place in the downward-directed gas duct. The majority of the fuel used in the calciner is introduced axially at the top of the calciner. Preheated air from the clinker cooler and preheated raw meal are directed tangentially into the top of the calciner. Complete combustion of a substantial amount of the calciner fuel is thus attained in the calciner while the raw meal is simultaneously calcined during its passage down through the chamber. The suspension of exhaust gases, unburned fuel and at least partially calcined raw meal from the calciner are joined together in the upward-directed gas duct with an upward flow of kiln exhaust gases, to which should possibly be added a small amount of the calciner fuel and a small amount of preheated raw meal. The combined or intermingled exhaust gas/material suspension subsequently flows up through the upward-directed gas dust where any residual amount of raw meal and preheated air which have not yet been supplied from the clinker cooler can be added. The advantage of this known type of system is that fuels with a low content of volatile constituents can be used due to the special embodiment of the calciner, which will make it possible to attain a high degree of combustion efficiency even when using such fuels.
Further, the production of NOx in the calciner is quite low. However, the disadvantage of this type of kiln system is that it may become necessary to add a proportion of uncalcined raw meal directly into the exhaust gases from the kiln in order to fight coatings in the kiln smoke chamber and/or in the kiln riser duct. As a result, the exhaust gas/fuel suspension is cooled excessively which entails limited possibilities of reducing the NOx which is produced in the kiln, when using fuel with a low content of volatile constituents.


A power cable for use with welding apparatus for conveying power and cooling fluid from a welding machine to a welding torch. The cable includes an outer flexible conduit disposed about a flexible electrical conductor, a pair of end fittings operatively connected to the ends of the conduit and an electrical conductor for securing the power cable between the welding torch and welding machine in fluid and electrical communication therewith. The flexible conduit includes an inner tube portion formed of a flexible non-conductive rubber compound, a protective cover layer comprised of a plurality of threads braided or woven about the inner tube portion and a thin coating of a heat and wear resistant material such as polyurethane disposed over the braided or woven threads for bonding the protective cover layer to the inner tube portion, rendering the power cable heat and wear resistant without adversely affecting the flexibility thereof.

Welding torches used in TIG (tungsten inert gas) and GTAW (gas tungsten arc welding) are of two general types: air or gas cooled; and water cooled. The air or gas cooled welding torches are generally employed in lighter duty applications and are cooled solely by dissipating the heat buildup in the torch to the surrounding air. A slight cooling effect is provided by the shielding gas passing through the torch and as a result, such torches are sometimes referred to as gas cooled torches. Water cooled models are used for heavier duty welding applications where the heat buildup in the torch is removed by circulating cooling water through the torch head and service lines.
In both water and air cooled torch assemblies, the line that conveys the electrical output from the power source or welding machine to the torch head is referred to as the power cable. In water cooled torches, the power cable also conveys the cooling water from the torch head back to a circulator reservoir. In air cooled torch assemblies, the power cable also provides a dual function. Instead of conveying cooling water back to the circulator reservoir, the power cable conveys an inert shielding gas, such as argon, to the torch head about the conductor which is generally formed of a stranded copper cable. The cable is attached to metallic connectors made of copper or brass that are attached to the ends of the outer hose or tube. The connectors are typically threaded for threadably engaging the welding torch head at one end and the welding machine at the other end so as to conduct the output power of the welding machine to the welding torch head. The cable connectors also have an aperture therein so as to allow for the passage of the inert shielding gas therethrough and into the hose or tube about the cable such that the gas can pass therethrough to the torch head. The copper cable is smaller in diameter than the bore of the outer tube or hose so that the gas can pass alongside the copper cable.
Several years ago, the outer hose or tube portions of these power cables were made from extruded plastic materials, typically polyvinylchloride (PVC). They were light in weight and flexible but were short lived due to the harsh environment of a welding shop. The heat buildup from the copper cable during use caused the tube to soften and the pressure of the shielding gas passing within the tube would often balloon and burst the tube. The plastic tube was also easily damaged by contact with sparks or other hot materials around the welding site. The plastic tubes also were easily cut by any sharp edges of the materials being welded and in cold weather, they were stiff and hard. Plastic tubes also tended to stiffen with age. As a result of these shortcomings, the industry turned to the use of rubber hoses for their increased durability.
This next generation of power cable typically comprise an inner extruded rubber tube, a layer of fabric reinforcement disposed about the inner tube and an outer layer of rubber covering. The three elements were bonded together to form a hose assembly which was very durable and resistant to high pressures. Such hoses were also cost effective and as a result, replaced the PVC tube power cables. This hose construction, however, rendered the power cable relatively stiff and heavy. The stiffness significantly reduced the bend radius of the power cable and since the TIG welding process is a very articulate process requiring precision torch movement by the welder, these heavy, stiff power cables made the welder's job more difficult and tiring.
In an attempt to regain the flexibility of the earlier cables while retaining reasonable durability, a new power cable configuration which was developed which comprised an extruded rubber inner tube and a braided fabric cover. The inner rubber tube portion of the cable was soft, flexible and light in weight and the outer braid, usually of nylon, provided strength against ballooning and some abrasion resistance. However, during the welding process, the power cable and other lines are continually dragged about the shop floor and are subjected to sparks, hot metals and sharp edges. The outer fabric braided covers on the power cables proved to provide inadequate abrasion resistance. This problem was particularly acute with the power cables used with air or gas cooled welding torches as the power cable is not protected. In water cooled welding systems, three or more lines connect the torch to the power supply and three lines are generally bundled together within an elongated protective cover. The power cables in air and gas cooled systems are not covered and are unprotected during use. It would be highly desirable to provide a new power cable construction for air and gas cooled welding torches which maintained the lightweight and flexibility of the existing cables but which also provided the abrasion resistance and overall durability of earlier rubber hose power cables. The improved power cable of the present invention achieves this result.

Power cable for air cooled welding torches


According to an embodiment of the present invention, a heat treatment system is provided. The heat treatment system includes a heating unit, a heat treatment condition memory unit, a power change model memory unit, a heat treatment change model memory unit, a heat treatment result reception unit, and an optimal temperature calculation unit. In the heat treatment system, the optimal temperature calculation unit calculates the power of the heating unit at a corresponding temperature based on the model stored in the power change model memory unit and the calculated temperature, and an optimal temperature is a temperature at which a heat treatment result is closest to the targeted heat treatment result within a range in which the calculated power of the heating unit is not saturated.

A process of manufacturing a semiconductor device uses a batch type heat treatment system that batch-performs film formation processing, oxidation treatment, or diffusion treatment of a plurality of objects to be processed, for example, a plurality of semiconductor wafers. In the batch type heat treatment system, although it is possible to efficiently process a semiconductor wafer, it is difficult to uniformly heat-treat the plurality of semiconductor wafers.
To secure the uniformity on heat treatment of the semiconductor wafers, a heat treatment apparatus that automatically regulates an outdoor temperature was proposed. Such heat treatment apparatus controls the outdoor temperature introduced into a heater to become constant.
However, in a heater used to regulate a temperature, power of the heater and power of a heater disposed in an adjacent zone cause interference to each other, and thus, the power of the heater is increased or decreased by the power of the heater disposed in the adjacent zone. Also, recent energy saving heaters are very low in power output compared to conventional heaters, and thus, even when a temperature is slightly regulated, power of the recent energy saving heater can be saturated (0% or 100%). If power of a heater is saturated, it is unable to accurately control a temperature, causing a reduction in reproducibility of heat treatment. For this reason, in regulating a temperature of a heater, it is required to set the temperature in consideration of power of the heater.
As described above, since it becomes difficult to regulate a temperature of a heater, a manipulator of a heat treatment system performs fine regulation on the basis of an experience or a sense, and thus, a heat treatment system and a heat treatment method are needed in which even a manipulator, having no knowledge or experience of a heat treatment system or a process, can easily regulate a temperature without saturating power of a heater.

Heat treatment system, heat treatment method, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium


A speaker cabinet and monitor housing mounting arrangement which includes a monitor housing having one opening near a back side thereof remote from the display screen mounted thereon, at least one retaining notch at a first end of the opening, and at least one locating slot at a second end of the opening; and a speaker cabinet mounted in the opening on the monitor housing, the speaker cabinet having a shock absorbing cushion mounted in a coupling groove at one end thereof adapted for holding a voice output device, at least one projecting rod at one end respectively fitted into at least one retaining notch at the first end of the opening on the monitor housing, and at least one hook at an opposite end respectively hooked on at least one locating slot at the second end of the opening on the monitor housing.

The present invention relates to a speaker cabinet and monitor housing mounting arrangement which comprises a monitor housing having an opening remote from the display screen, and a speaker cabinet mounted in the opening, wherein the monitor housing has retaining notches and locating slots at two opposite ends of the opening; the speaker cabinet comprises a plurality of projecting rods at one end respectively forced into engagement with the retaining notches on the monitor housing, and a hook at an opposite end hooked on one locating slot on the monitor housing.
There are known computer monitors installed with a speaker system. The speaker cabinets of the speaker system are equipped with screws adapted for fastening to brackets inside the monitor housing. However, it is inconvenient to fasten the speaker cabinets of the speaker system to the brackets inside the monitor housing of the computer monitor by screws. Further, when the speaker system is operated at a high volume mode, shock waves are transmitted to the screws, thereby causing the screws to be loosened.

Speaker cabinet and monitor housing mounting arrangement


A system, apparatus, method and article to manage roaming in a wireless communication system are described. An apparatus may include a first wireless device having a processor to receive roaming information for a second wireless device from a third wireless device, and send the roaming information to the second wireless device to establish a connection with the third wireless device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

In a wireless communication system, wireless communication devices may roam from one wireless access point (AP) to another AP. When moving to a new AP, a wireless communication device may need to reestablish a connection with the new AP without disrupting network service. Such operations are sometimes referred to as "handoff" operations. Latency in establishing the new connection may be undesirable. Techniques to improve such operations may therefore improve performance for a wireless communication device, and potentially overall system performance.


Improved apparatus and methods for non-invasively assessing one or more hemodynamic parameters associated with the circulatory system of a living organism. In one aspect, the invention comprises an apparatus adapted to automatically and accurately place and maintain a sensor (e.g., tonometric pressure sensor) with respect to the anatomy of the subject. The apparatus comprised of a sensor device removably coupled to an actuator which is used to position the sensor during measurements. Methods for positioning the alignment apparatus and sensor, and operating the apparatus, are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for monitoring parameters associated with fluid systems, and specifically in one aspect to the non-invasive monitoring of arterial blood pressure in a living subject.
2. Description of Related Art
The accurate measurement of physiological parameters from a living subject has long been sought by medical science. One such area of particular importance is the non-invasive, continuous measurement of blood pressure and/or other hemodynamic parameters. The availability of such measurement techniques would allow the caregiver to continuously monitor a subject's parameters (e.g., blood pressure) accurately and in repeatable fashion without the use of invasive arterial catheters (commonly known as "A-lines") in any number of settings including, for example, surgical operating rooms where continuous, accurate indications of true blood pressure are often essential.
Several well known techniques have heretofore been used to non-invasively monitor a subject's arterial blood pressure waveform, namely, auscultation, oscillometry, and tonometry. Both the auscultation and oscillometry techniques use a standard inflatable arm cuff that occludes the subject's brachial artery. The auscultatory technique determines the subject's systolic and diastolic pressures by monitoring certain Korotkoff sounds that occur as the cuff is slowly deflated. The oscillometric technique, on the other hand, determines these pressures, as well as the subject's mean pressure, by measuring actual pressure changes that occur in the cuff as the cuff is deflated. Both techniques determine pressure values only intermittently, because of the need to alternately inflate and deflate the cuff, and they cannot replicate the subject's actual blood pressure waveform. Thus, true continuous, beat-to-beat blood pressure monitoring cannot be achieved using these techniques.
Occlusive cuff instruments of the kind described briefly above have generally been somewhat effective in sensing long-term trends in a subject's blood pressure. However, such instruments generally have been ineffective in sensing short-term blood pressure variations, which are of critical importance in many medical applications, including surgery.
The technique of arterial tonometry is also well known in the medical arts. According to the theory of arterial tonometry, the pressure in a superficial artery with sufficient bony support, such as the radial artery, may be accurately recorded during an applanation sweep when the transmural pressure equals zero. The term "applanation" refers generally to the process of varying the pressure applied to the artery. An applanation sweep refers to a time period during which pressure over the artery is varied from overcompression to undercompression or vice versa. At the onset of a decreasing applanation sweep the artery is overcompressed into a "dog bone" shape, so that pressure pulses are not recorded. At the end of the sweep, the artery is undercompressed, so that minimum amplitude pressure pulses are recorded. Within the sweep, it is assumed that an applanation occurs during which the arterial wall tension is parallel to the tonometer surface. Here, the arterial pressure is perpendicular to the surface and is the only stress detected by the tonometer sensor. At this pressure, it is assumed that the maximum peak-to-peak amplitude (the "maximum pulsatile") pressure obtained corresponds to zero transmural pressure.
One prior art device for implementing the tonometry technique includes a rigid array of miniature pressure transducers that is applied against the tissue overlying a peripheral artery, e.g., the radial artery. The transducers each directly sense the mechanical forces in the underlying subject tissue, and each is sized to cover only a fraction of the underlying artery. The array is urged against the tissue, to applanate the underlying artery and thereby cause beat-to-beat pressure variations within the artery to be coupled through the tissue to at least some of the transducers. An array of different transducers is used to ensure that at least one transducer is always over the artery, regardless of array position on the subject. This type of tonometer, however, is subject to several drawbacks. First, the array of discrete transducers generally is not anatomically compatible with the continuous contours of the subject's tissue overlying the artery being sensed. This has historically led to inaccuracies in the resulting transducer signals. In addition, in some cases, this incompatibility can cause tissue injury and nerve damage and can restrict blood flow to distal tissue.
Other prior art techniques have sought to more accurately place a single tonometric sensor laterally above the artery, thereby more completely coupling the sensor to the pressure variations within the artery. However, such systems may place the sensor at a location where it is geometrically "centered" but not optimally positioned for signal coupling, and further typically require comparatively frequent re-calibration or repositioning due to movement of the subject during measurement. Additionally, the methodology for proper initial and follow-on placement is awkward, essentially relying on the caregiver to manually locate the optimal location for sensor placement on the subject each time, and then mark that location (such as by keeping their finger on the spot, or alternatively marking it wife a pen or other marking instrument), after which the sensor is placed over the mark. Alternatively, some prior art techniques rely on additional sensing elements and associated apparatus for positioning the sensor. Utilization of additional apparatus results in increased costs and additional steps for implementing the technology.
Prior art tonometry systems are also commonly quite sensitive to the orientation of the pressure transducer on the subject being monitored. Specifically, such systems show degradation in accuracy when the angular relationship between the transducer and the artery is varied from an "optimal" incidence angle. This is an important consideration, since no two measurements are likely to have the device placed or maintained at precisely the same angle with respect to the artery. Many of the foregoing approaches similarly suffer from not being able to maintain a constant angular relationship with the artery regardless of lateral position, due in many cases to positioning mechanisms which are not adapted to account for the anatomic features of the subject, such as curvature of the wrist surface.
Another deficiency of prior art non-invasive hemodynamic measurement technology relates to the lack of disposability of components associated with the device. Specifically, it is desirable to make portions of the device which may (i) be contaminated in any fashion through direct or indirect contact with the subject(s) being monitored); (ii) be specifically calibrated or adapted tor use on that subject; (iii) lose calibration through normal use, thereby necessitating a more involved recalibration process (as opposed to simply replacing the component with an unused, calibrated counterpart), or (iv) disposable after one or a limited number of uses. This feature is often frustrated in prior art systems based on a lack of easy replacement of certain components (i.e., the components were not made replaceable during the design process), or a prohibitively high cost associated with replacing components that are replaceable. Ideally, certain components associated with a non-invasive hemodynamic assessment device would be readily disposable and replaced at a very low cost to the operator.
Yet another disability of the prior art concerns the ability to conduct multiple hemodynamic measurements on a subject at different times and/or different locations. For example, where blood pressure measurements are required in first and second locations (e.g., the operating room and recovery room of a hospital), prior art methodologies necessitate either (i) the use of an invasive catheter (A-line), (ii) transport of the entire blood pressure monitoring system between the locations, or (iii) disconnection of the subject at the first monitoring location, transport, and then subsequent connection to a second blood pressure monitoring system at the second location.
The disabilities associated with invasive catheters are well understood. These include the need to perforate the subject's skin (with attendant risk of infection), and discomfort to the subject.
Transport of the entire blood pressure monitoring system is largely untenable, due to the bulk of the system and the desire to maintain monitoring equipment indigenous to specific locations.
Disconnection and subsequent connection of the subject is also undesirable, since it requires placing a sensor or apparatus on the patient's anatomy a second time, thereby necessitating recalibration, and reducing the level of confidence that the measurements takes at the two different locations are in fact directly comparable to one another. Specifically, since the sensor and supporting apparatus is physically withdrawn at the first location, and then a new sensor subsequently placed again on the subject's tissue at the second location, the likelihood of having different coupling between the sensor and the underlying blood vessel at the two locations is significant. Hence, identical intra-vascular pressure values may be reflected as two different values at the different locations due to changes in coupling, calibration, sensor parameters, and related factors, thereby reducing the repeatability and confidence level associated the two readings.
Additionally, in the prior art, the sensor is often electrically connected to an actuator or other host device via an external electrical connection via a cable or "pigtail". Such connection apparatus adds additional costs and complexity to the system.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for an improved apparatus and methodology for accurately, continuously, and non-invasively measuring parameters (such as for example those associated with the hemodynamic system) associated with a living subject. Such improved apparatus and methodology would ideally allow for prompt and accurate initial placement of the sensor(s) (e.g., a tone-metric pressure sensor, ultrasonic sensor, etc.) without requiring additional alignment apparatus or elements, while also providing robustness and repeatability of placement under varying patient physiology and environmental conditions. Such apparatus would also incorporate low-cost and disposable components.
Such apparatus and methods would furthermore be substantially self-aligning and calibrating (i.e., automatically place itself and "zero" itself) with respect to a patient. Ease of use would also be considered.

Apparatus and methods for non-invasively measuring a patient's arterial blood pressure

SHANGYI MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY (HANGZHOU) CO., LTD


A computer-implemented method is disclosed. The method applies to a set of content files including a subset of the content files that do not have associated digital artwork. For each content file in the set of content files, whether the content file has associated digital artwork is determined. For each content file in the set of content files that does not have associated digital artwork, digital artwork for the content file is created based on metadata associated with the content file. The digital artwork for a plurality of content files in the set of content files is displayed.

As portable electronic devices become more compact, and the number of functions performed by a given device increases, it has become a significant challenge to design a user interface that allows users to easily interact with a multifunction device. This challenge is particularly significant for handheld portable devices, which have much smaller screens than desktop or laptop computers. This situation is unfortunate because the user interface is the gateway through which users receive not only content but also responses to user actions or behaviors, including user attempts to access a device's features, tools, and functions. Some portable communication devices (e.g., mobile telephones, sometimes called mobile phones, cell phones, cellular telephones, and the like) have resorted to adding more pushbuttons, increasing the density of push buttons, overloading the functions of pushbuttons, or using complex menu systems to allow a user to access, store and manipulate data. These conventional user interfaces often result in complicated key sequences and menu hierarchies that must be memorized by the user.
Many conventional user interfaces, such as those that include physical pushbuttons, are also inflexible. This is unfortunate because it may prevent a user interface from being configured and/or adapted by either an application running on the portable device or by users. When coupled with the time consuming requirement to memorize multiple key sequences and menu hierarchies, and the difficulty in activating a desired pushbutton, such inflexibility is frustrating to most users.
As a result of the small size of display screens on portable electronic devices, it can be difficult for users to read lists of content files. Therefore, it is desirable to display digital artwork associated with content files. Displaying digital artwork associated with content files provides a user-friendly way of identifying content files even on non-portable devices. However, digital artwork associated with content files is not always available.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method of creating digital artwork for content files and displaying the created digital artwork in user interfaces that allow users to identify and/or access the corresponding content files easily.

Creating digital artwork based on content file metadata


A system for connecting a drill bit and pipe puller to a drill string. The system includes a downhole tool having an internal cavity and a through-hole in its wall. A coupler may be slidingly received in the cavity and connected using one or more fasteners which interconnect a groove in the coupler to the wall of the downhole tool. Fasteners used may be screws or bolts interconnecting the wall of the tool with radial holes in the coupler. Alternatively, bolts may interconnect the wall with a circumferential groove on the coupler. A drill bit may be threaded into the coupler. The coupler allows drill bits and other tools to be connected and disconnected from a downhole tool without unthreading the drill bit.

Often Horizontal Directional Drill (HDD) operations are utilized to drill through rock. These HDD operations require the use of rock drill heads which, in one embodiment, comprise a tricone bit. Tricone drill bits feature three rolling cones. Each cone is situated on a spindle formed on the bit and rotates about the axis of the spindle during drilling.
Cones and corresponding spindles are sized specifically for loads encountered while drilling, particularly in the direction of progression of the pilot bore. In this direction, robust roller bearings or journal bearings support the rotation of the cones about the spindle axis. In order to retain the cones on the spindle, a series of ball bearings or other simple retaining mechanism is incorporated into the design. These retaining features prevent the cones from being pushed off the spindle by incidental reverse loading of the cone as the drill head is removed from the hole.
These retaining mechanisms are typically not properly designed to carry significant loads in a reverse direction. As a result, tricone bits are unsuitable for use as a pulling mechanism when pulling underground utilities directly into a pilot bore.
Many HDD operations in a rock environment support installation of smaller-diameter utility lines. Some of these small lines only require a pilot bore, as a borehole cut in rock will support the pull-back of a small utility line without the need for enlargement by backreaming. There is a need for a method to rapidly disconnect the tricone drill bit and replace the bit with an appropriate mechanism for pulling the utility line into place.
Many bores will open into an exit pit which has been dug into the ground at a target location. The size of the exit pit is wholly dependent on the utility line being installed and the amount of room needed to remove the tricone bit and any associated tooling from the drill string. In addition, replacement of the components with appropriate tooling requires clearance as well.
With smaller utility lines, the product being installed can accommodate smaller exit pit dimensions. However, the removal of the tricone bit itself provides room in the exit pit to accommodate wrench assemblies needed to break out the high torque levels of the connections.
Larger pit sizes require excavation work and manpower, and may have increased shoring requirements. The disruption to the surface of the ground is greater. Often, in the boring operations described herein, the only operations that need to be performed at such a pit are related to replacement of the bit with a pipe puller. Therefore, minimizing the space associated with this task is highly desirable.
The present invention is a device and method to allow for removal of a drill bit from a drill head, and replacement of the drill bit with an appropriate pulling adapter. The invention obviates the need for excess room for the large exit pit that has heretofore been required for such operations, offering savings in both labor and time.

Dual pipe drill head quick interchange joint


Apparatus and methods for facilitating replacement of a vehicle wheel and eliminating the frustrations associated with the alignment of lug bolts with holes in the replacement wheel. The invention may be included in new vehicles or retrofitted by the owners of older vehicles. The apparatus comprises an elongated support member extending from a hub of a vehicle adjacent to lug bolts also extending from the hub or hub holes in the hub. The hub is rotated so that the support member is in the topmost position, and the replacement wheel is hung on the support member. Gravity insures that the holes in the wheel are aligned with the lug bolts so that it is easy to push laterally on the wheel to engage the lug bolts in the holes. The support member may include one lug bolt which is longer than the others or a dedicated guide pin attached to the hub. In another embodiment, one of the holes is enlarged, and a topmost lug bolt is elongated by slipping a guide tube over it after inserting the tube through the enlarged wheel hole. The tube can be included in a kit along with a machining tool for enlarging the hole. To further ease the task, the tube may be beveled at the end which slips onto the lug bolt and then used as a lever to lift the tire into place. The beveled end allows for easy positioning of the guide tube even when the guide tube is disposed at an angle to the lug bolt. The invention is readily adaptable to various vehicles.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to apparatus and methods of mounting tires on vehicles, and more particularly, to an improved lug bolt configuration and an adapter for use with a standard lug bolt configuration which enable tire and wheel changes with reduced effort and attendant problems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art of mounting vehicle wheels includes the long-used plurality of lug bolts, such as four or five, which extend from a wheel face plate of a type which has been used for a very long time with little or no change in the basic design. The most frustrating and difficult task in changing tires is the alignment of the lug bolts with the corresponding holes in the replacement wheel. It is necessary to lift the wheel and tire, which can have considerable weight, and simultaneously align the holes in the wheel with the lug bolts. The present invention eliminates the frustration and meets the need for easier alignment of wheel holes and lug bolts by having a support member from which the wheel may be hung. This can be accomplished by the manufacturer of the vehicle or can be retrofitted to an older vehicle by the owner.
A variety of devices have been developed to help lift a wheel into alignment with a wheel hub. Examples of such devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,602,415 to Garcia; 4,949,448 to Hebnes; 5,022,133 to Weitekamp; and 5,479,692 to Barkus. The patents to Hebnes and Weitekamp disclose the use of a tool which fits over a lug bolt and is used to guide a wheel into place. Both of these devices utilize a tool which must be small enough in diameter to fit through a standard hole. This results in a relatively thin wall section in at least a portion of the tool. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one of the holes in the wheel is enlarged to receive a larger diameter, stronger tool. In Hebnes, the tool is threadingly engaged with a lug bolt, and a portion of the tool must be pivoted to a position in which the tire must be moved onto the tool. In the present invention, the tire and wheel are positioned adjacent to the wheel hub, and the tool is positioned through the wheel to engage one of the lug bolts. Thus, the apparatus of the present invention is much simpler to use and does not require as much manual manipulation of the wheel as does Hebnes.
The Weitekamp tool has a portion of a thread therein which is used to engage the lug bolt. The present invention utilizes an unthreaded device which is easily slipped over the lug bolt, and a beveled end on the tool may be provided to facilitate use of the tool when it is angularly disposed to the lug bolt.

Apparatus and method for mounting a tire


Improved systems and methods for distributing interdomain routing information within an Autonomous System (AS). A protocol extension to BGP, iBGPd (internal Border Gateway Protocol downloader), has been developed to replace IBGP in distributing BGP interdomain routing information within an AS. The iBGPd technique distributes routing information hop-by-hop using a reliable multi-party transport protocol. Scalability is greatly improved since the use of a full mesh of TCP connections is avoided. Also, there are improvements in routing information propagation delay and routing stability. Drawbacks related to the use of route reflectors and confederations are avoided.

The present invention relates to data networking and more particularly to distribution of routing information in the Internet.
Packets travel from their origin to their destination through a series of routers. The route is not generally predetermined but rather selected hop-by-hop based on the destination network address. A forwarding table at each router correlates destination address information to next-hops. Internet routing protocols concern themselves with appropriately populating the contents of such forwarding tables.
For routing purposes, the Internet may be considered to be divided into Autonomous Systems (ASs) where each AS is a group of networks and routers under common administrative control. The routing of packets within an AS is addressed by an intradomain protocol or interior gateway protocol (IGP) operative within that AS. There are several different available IGPs including OSPF, RIP, etc. Routing of packets across AS boundaries is controlled by an interdomain routing protocol. The current prevalent interdomain routing protocol is BGP and is described in, e.g., Rekhter, et al. "A Border Gateway Protocol 4 BGP-4," RFC 1771, Internet Engineering Task Force, March 1995 the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
A single BGP session involves two nodes and involves an exchange of routing information via a point-to-point TCP connection. For example, one node will tell the other node, e.g., that a particular route is available to a particular network or that a previously advertised route is no longer available. Destination networks are identified by prefixes, i.e., a combination of destination network address and bit mask to be used in matching packet addresses to the network address. A particular unit of route information may be referred to herein as a "path." A path identifies 1) a destination network address (prefix), 2) a list of AS's traversed by the BGP message containing the path on its way to the BGP listener, and 3) a next-hop address, i.e., an address of a border router within the AS of the BGP listener that may be used to reach the destination network address. Nodes receiving BGP route updates will use the information to update their own forwarding tables and to propagate the route updates further. A node receiving multiple paths to the same destination network will generally pick one or more for its forwarding table and to distribute to other nodes via BGP. In this manner, information about how to route packets across AS boundaries is propagated across the Internet.
Different variants of BGP communication are used depending on whether the route information is itself being distributed across AS boundaries or within an AS. External BGP (EBGP) is used to distribute route information across AS boundaries while Internal BGP (IBGP) is used to distribute route information within an AS. Again, for both kinds of BGP, the route information concerns how to route payload packets across AS boundaries.
In practice, border routers at the borders of an AS will use EBGP to communicate paths with other AS's and IBGP to distribute the route information they have learned within their own AS. The message structure and types of information communicated are highly similar. However, EBGP and IBGP have different rules for advertising paths. In particular, a border router that learns about a path via EBGP may advertise this path via either EBGP or IBGP. A path that is learned via IBGP cannot, however, be advertised to another node via IBGP. This is done to avoid routing update loops. BGP's method for avoiding routing loops is to track the AS boundaries that are crossed. This does not work within an AS so information learned via IBGP is not readvertised.
A consequence of this rule is that the basic IBGP protocols rely on a full mesh of BGP sessions between each border router and each router in the AS interior. This approach suffers from serious scalability problems. The number of TCP connections from each router grows linearly with the number of routers in the AS. An additional drawback is that multiple IBGP connections from a BR to internal routers may traverse the same link forcing identical information to be carried as many times over the link.
Because of these problems, alternate approaches have been developed. One such approach is to add hierarchy by employing route reflection. Some nodes in the AS act as route reflectors. A route reflector has assigned client routers and readvertises routes it hears from non-clients to clients and routes it hears from clients to non-clients. Deploying route reflectors solves the "full mesh" scalability problems at the expense of possible routing information inconsistency, additional convergence delay and introduction of artificial failure points.
Route reflectors use IBGP connections to communicate with their clients. The route reflectors only propagate a single path for each destination network from the options available to them. The selection made by the route reflector on behalf of its clients hides information and may result in forwarding as well as routing update loops. Ongoing work is adding the capability of conveying multiple viable paths through IBGP in an attempt to solve these problems.
Route reflectors also affect the speed of propagation of BGP routing information through the AS. A route reflector reuses much of the mechanism of a regular BGP speaker and operates as follows:                1. The route reflector receives viable paths from a number of AS BRs (or other route reflectors if multiple levels of reflector hierarchy are used).        2. It runs a BGP best path algorithm to calculate the winning path for each destination network.        3. It propagates the winning path to its clients.
The three steps in the above process can take a variable amount of time, depending on the BGP implementation. The total delay for a route reflector to propagate a route can be significant. The delay introduced by route reflectors clearly does not exist in the "full mesh" IBGP solution as border routers propagate information in parallel to all other AS routers.
An additional problem of route reflectors is that they introduce an artificial point of failure. A route reflector conveys to its clients paths to remote destinations through AS border routers. When the route reflector fails, a client no longer receives paths. However, the route reflector failure does not mean that the client has lost the ability to forward data towards the border router. In fact even if the route reflector was on the forwarding path between the client and the border router, the IGP operated by the AS may converge on an alternative internal path. Hence, the route reflector failure disables the client although network connectivity still exists. A deployment workaround is to configure the network so that internal routers are always clients of more than one route reflector. As long as one of the route reflectors serving a client is functional, the client will receive BGP information. The drawback is that now the client has to receive process and store redundant information from each of the multiple route reflectors.
An alternative approach is to, instead of imposing a routing information distribution hierarchy, rather divide the AS into "confederations". IBGP is then used within each confederation while a variant of EBGP is used between confederations. The use of confederations causes problems similar to those caused by the use of route reflectors.
Improved systems and methods for distributing interdomain routing information within an AS are thus needed. Improvements are needed that will simultaneously provide scalability, efficient use of processor and memory resources, avoidance of forwarding loops, consistency of routing information across the AS, improved speed of network convergence, etc.


An automated film encoding and decoding system for bringing photographic film from the state of exposure to subject matter through all of the processes required to produce finished photos and package the same. The system includes an encoder coordinately operative with a camera for the placement of a human and machine readable code on the film the decoder capable of reading the code for the control of production-processing equipment in laboratories provided with such equipment. The human readability of the code accommodates production-processing of the film by attendant personnel and also allows for quality control check of automated production-processing equipment. The encoding includes film frame identification information, subject matter information and registration mark information all of which may be utilized on a single exposure situation.

In the evolvement of film processing through the use of automated equipment, various identification, including film frame identification, code systems have been provided for placing a machine readable code onto the film with the exposure of the film to the subject. These code systems have primarily included machine-only readable code arrangements, such as bar, dot or perforate-location codes which do not allow for human interpretaion. Such code systems do not allow for human implementation or monitoring of the production-process systems and therefore are not useable by labratories not equipped with machine readers.
In the field of school photography where a single subject exposure may result in a plurality of uses for the resulting photograph and which may require information related to the use, particularly the identification of the student, a tracking system from exposure to final use is a necessity. In this particular example the student often purchases the photos and he or she selects from various sizes and the system ideally provides a complete processing arrangement including the various school uses and a selected package of photos for purchase.
The code application as provided herein accomodates a processing cross check and allows for automatic or human processing procedures.
The applicants of this invention are aware of various code systems which control film processing procedures but have found no such code systems embodying both human and machine readable codes and a discussion of prior patentable related devices is contained in a separate Prior Art Statement.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an optical encoding/decoding film processing system which includes the procedure of encoding film with a human and machine readable code with the exposure of the film to a selected subject.
It is a further object of the present invention to encode a human readable code on film with the exposure of the film to a selected subject which encoding process sets forth the continuing film processing procedures including editing, printing, cutting and packaging of the developed film.
It is still a further object of the present invention to encode a human readable code onto film wherein the applied code includes a multiple position code arrangement with each position capable of establishing a single numeric or selected alphabetical figure.
It is still a further object of the present invention to encode a human readable code on a photographic film wherein the applied code includes a multiple position code and the code may include a single numeric figure or a non-confusing letter figure allowing human and machine decoding thereof.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a human readable film frame code on a photographic film wherein a registration mark is provided in close association to the enscribed code for initiating machine reading-decoder function.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious from a consideration of the accompanying disclosure of a preferred embodiment of the invention made in association with the accompanying drawings.

Identification system for automated film and order processing including machine and human readable code


The photoelectric conversion element of the present invention includes: a pair of electrodes facing one another; a oxide semiconductor layer provided on one of the pair of electrodes; an electrolyte disposed between the electrodes; and a sealing part that connects the electrodes, and surrounds and seals the oxide semiconductor layer and the electrolyte. At least a portion of the sealing part comprises an inorganic sealing part formed of an inorganic material and on a surface of at least one of the electrodes and a resin sealing part that is connected to the inorganic sealing part along the direction connecting the electrodes and comprises a material including a resin. A region on a surface of the inorganic sealing part on a side closer to the electrolyte than a region connected to the resin sealing part is covered with a protective resin layer that is resistant to the electrolyte.

A dye-sensitized solar cell is developed by Gratzel, et al., (Swiss), has advantages of high photoelectric conversion efficiency and low manufacturing cost, and attracts attention as a new type solar cell.
The dye-sensitized solar cell has a structure in which a working electrode on which a porous oxide semiconductor layer having a photo-sensitized dye supported thereon and a counter electrode that is provided so as to face the working electrode are provided on a transparent base having a transparent semiconductor film provided thereon, in which an electrolyte containing redox pairs is filled between the working electrode and the counter electrode and sealed by a sealing member.
In this type of dye-sensitized solar cell, when the photo-sensitized dye absorbs incident light, such as sun light or the like, electrons are generated and injected into oxide semiconductor fine particles, and electromotive force is generated between the working electrode and the counter electrode. In this way, the dye-sensitized solar cell serves as a photoelectric conversion element that converts light energy into power.
In general, as the electrolyte, an electrolytic solution obtained by dissolving redox pairs, such as I−/I3−, in an organic solvent, such as acetonitrile, is used. In addition, for example, the following structures have been known: a structure using a non-volatile ionic liquid; a structure that gelates a liquid electrolyte with an appropriate gelling agent to pseudo-solidify the liquid electrolyte; and a structure using a solid-state semiconductor, such as a p-type semiconductor.
The counter electrode needs to be made of a material having resistance to corrosion that is caused by a chemical reaction with the electrolyte. As the material, a titanium substrate on which a platinum film is formed or a glass electrode substrate on which a platinum film is formed may be used.
A dye-sensitized solar cell has been suggested in which evaporation of a volatile solvent contained in the electrolytic solution can be prevented by sealing performed by heating and melting Himilan (trade name, produced by Du Pont-Mitsui Polychemicals Co., Ltd.), which is generally an ionomer (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
A dye-sensitized solar cell has also been suggested in which evaporation of a volatile solvent contained in the electrolytic solution can be prevented by sealing performed by heating and melting an ethylene—vinyl alcohol copolymer since such copolymer has gas barrier ability superior to that of Himilan (see, for example, Patent Document 2).    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-297446    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-149652

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device which can form, as a gate insulation film, an oxide film of Hf1-xAlx (0<x<0.3) having a small shift in flat band voltage. The method comprises the steps of (a) heating a silicon substrate in a reaction chamber; and (b) supplying film-forming gas containing source gas, which contains metal compound of Hf and metal compound of Al in carrier gas, and hydrogen gas to a surface of the heated silicon substrate, and depositing on the silicon substrate an HfAlO film as a high-dielectric-constant insulation film having a higher specific dielectric constant than that of silicon oxide, by thermal CVD.

A) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, and, more particularly, to a semiconductor device having an insulation film of a high dielectric constant and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device.
B) Description of the Related Art
Insulated gate (IG) field effect transistors (FETs), typical examples of which are MOS transistors, are widely used as typical semiconductor devices used in a semiconductor integrated circuit device. For a larger scale integration of semiconductor integrated circuit devices, IG-FETs have been miniaturized according the scaling law. Miniaturization can reduce the sizes of IG-FETs, such as making the gate insulation film thinner and shortening the gate length, and improve the performances of miniaturized devices while keeping the normal performances.
The gate insulation films of MOS transistors of the next generation should be made as thin as 2 nm or less. With that film thickness, the tunnel current starts flowing, the gate leak current becomes uncontrollable, and an increase in power dissipation cannot be avoided. To suppress the tunnel current which flows through the gate insulation film, the gate insulation film in use should be thick.
To increase the physical thickness of the gate insulation film while keeping the effective thickness of the gate insulation film equivalent to a silicon oxide film, the use of a high-dielectric-constant insulation material having a specific dielectric constant higher than that of a silicon oxide for the gate insulation film has been proposed. The specific dielectric constant of the silicon oxide is said to be, for example, approximately 3.5 to 4.5, depending on the deposition method. The specific dielectric constant of a silicon nitride is higher than that of the silicon oxide, and is said to be approximately 7 to 8.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-274378 proposes the use of barium titanate (Ba(Sr)TiO3), titanium oxide (TiO2), tantalum oxide (Ta2O5), zirconium oxide (ZrO2), hafnium oxide (HfO2), silicon nitride (Si3N4), or alumina (Al2O3), which has a specific dielectric constant higher than that of silicon oxide, for a gate insulation film. The publication also proposes a structure where a silicon oxide film is intervened between such a high-dielectric-constant insulation film and a silicon substrate.
The use of a new material having a high specific dielectric constant for the gate insulation film of an IG-FET brings about a new problem. Solving such a new problem is desired to promote the practical use of new materials.

Manufacture of semiconductor device having insulation film of high dielectric constant


A data generating circuit includes a memory which writes picture data into a plurality of storage areas and reads the picture data from the plurality of storage areas according to address information. A register which hold information indicative whether the picture data has been written into each of the plurality of storage areas. A control circuit which outputs a select signal according to the storage information held by the register when the picture data is read from the memory. A selector which selects an output data read from the memory or a fixed data according to the select signal output by the control circuit.

The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 to Japanese Application No. 2000-117989 filed on Apr. 19, 2000, which is hereby incorporated by reference its entirely for all purposes.
1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to a data generation circuit which can store and read picture processing data and to a method for generating data. In particular, the present invention relates to an orthogonal transforming circuit and method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Compressing and extracting techniques are generally performed in the processing of moving picture data. Original moving picture data is compressed into a variable-length code using a coding circuit. The original moving picture data is extracted from the coded data by a decoding circuit.
The coding circuit includes a Discrete Cosine Transformation (DCT) circuit, a quantizing circuit and a variable-length coding circuit. The decoding circuit includes an Inverse Discrete Cosine Transformation (IDCT) circuit, an inverse-quantizing circuit and a variable-length code decoding circuit.
The DCT circuit and the IDCT circuit are generally called an orthogonal transforming circuit. In the orthogonal transforming circuit, for example, DCT coefficients are inverse-quantized, and inputted to the IDCT circuit as data. The data generation circuit is applied to generate data, which are inputted to such an orthogonal transforming circuit.
The data generation circuit has a memory to store and read picture processing data, such as inverse-quantized DCT coefficients data. A serial port Random Access Memory (RAM) and a dual port RAM are conventionally used as such a memory.
A unit block of the moving picture data for data processing is 8*8 pixels or 16*16 pixels, in accordance with the international standard MPEG2 (Moving Picture Image Coding Experts Group Phase 2). Therefore, the memory is divided into a plurality of storing areas. Each storing area corresponds to each pixel. Each inverse-quantized DCT coefficient corresponding to each pixel is stored in the respective storing areas. For example, a 64 word RAM is used for unit block of 8*8 pixels since each pixel must be accessible separately according to address information.
Most of the picture processing data, such as inverse-quantized DCT coefficients, which are stored in the memory of the data generation circuit, are zero-components (data equivalent to data xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d). Even though the rate of zero-components in one unit block depends on the coding method and the picture that is coded or decoded, there are still a lot of zero-components. In a conventional data generating circuit, all of the zero components are stored to the storing areas in order of scanning, and all of the zero-components are read out after the transformation in the orthogonal direction.
Power consumption is large in the conventional data generating circuit because all of the data including zero-components are written into the memory. Also, a writing period is long because the entire picture processing data is written into the memory. Therefore, the processing time is slow.
An example of an attempt to solve this problem is disclosed in the application of Japanese laid open number HEI 8-167856. In this reference, a RAM is initialized before writing, and then the data except for the zero-components are written. In addition, the data generating circuit of this reference includes a plurality of RAMs. While the picture processing data of one RAM are read out, another RAM is initialized and written to improve the processing time.
However, in the circuit of this reference, a plurality of RAMs have to be prepared and more complicated operation is required which increases manufacturing cost. If the reference technology is performed with one RAM, which would not avoid the long processing time, complex timing control is needed because the RAM has to be initialized before writing
According to one aspect of the present invention, a data generating circuit includes a memory which writes picture data into a plurality of storage areas and reads the picture data from the plurality of storage areas according to address information, a register which hold information indicative whether the picture data has been written into each of the plurality of storage areas, a control circuit which outputs a select signal according to the storage information held by the register when the picture data is read from the memory and a selector which selects an output data read from the memory or a fixed data according to the select signal output by the control circuit.

Data generation circuit and method for data generating


A bonding method for glass and metal requires a glass substrate and a metallic oxide film to be coated on a side of the glass substrate. A plurality of metallic oxide beads are impressed on a side of a metal substrate to be bonded. The glass substrate is placed on the metal substrate so the metallic oxide film makes contact with the metallic oxide beads, and the metallic oxide beads are heated to a melted state via a focusing laser, all the elements being pressed together at the same time and during slow cooling thereafter.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to bonding methods and, particularly to a method of bonding a glass substrate and a metal substrate.
2. Description of Related Art
Glass substrates are generally bonded to metal substrates with glue. However, the glue adhered between the glass substrate and the metal substrate ages mainly caused by exposure to light rays, which results in the bonding force of the glue degrading and the glass substrate may separate from the metal substrate.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a bonding method that can overcome the limitations described.

Method of bonding glass substrate and metal substrate


A terminal includes a transmitter that transmits, to a base station apparatus, UE capability including information indicating a supported frequency band and a power class at least defining spherical coverage in the frequency band; and a receiver that receives, from the base station apparatus, information on power control; wherein the transmitter further transmits, to the base station apparatus, an uplink transmission signal to which transmit power control based on at least one of the information on power control or the power class is applied.

In 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project), the radio communication systems called 5G or NR (New Radio), (which are hereinafter referred to as 5G or NR), have been developed for achievement of larger system capacities, higher data transmission rates, and lower latency in a radio section, etc. For 5G, various radio communication technologies have been discussed in order to meet requirements in which latency in the radio section is 1 ms or less as well as achieving the throughput of 10 Gbps or more.
In NR, radio communications employing millimeter waves are considered and are assumed to cover a wide range of frequencies up to a higher frequency band than that in LTE. For the high frequency band, since propagation loss is particularly increased, beamforming with narrow beam width is applied in order to compensate such propagation loss (see, e.g., Non-Patent Document 1).

User equipment and base station apparatus