Disclosed are compounds, compositions and methods for inhi.beta.iting interleukin-1.beta. protease activity, the compounds .alpha.-substituted methyl ketones having the formula (I) set forth herein. These compounds are inhibitors of IL-1.beta. converting enzyme and as such are useful as therapeutic agents for certain infectious diseases.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to peptide analogs that are interleukin-1.beta. protease inhibitors. More particularly, the invention provides a-substituted methyl ketones derived from aspartic acid and the closed hemi-ketal forms thereof as inhibitors of interleukin 1-.beta. protease.
2. Reported Developments
Enzymes involved in the catalytic degradation of proteins by hydrolyzing peptide bonds are known as proteases or proteinases. Proteinases are believed to be involved in various disease states including inflammation, metastasis, tissue damage, bone resorption and muscle degeneration in dystrophic diseases. Proteinases are divided into classes according to their catalytic mechanisms, such as serine-, cystein-, aspartic- and metallo-proteinases. For each class of proteinases, the catalytic site of the enzyme lies in the cleft on the surface of the enzymes in which reside the specificity subsites that bind amino acid side chains and the polypeptide backbone. In designing proteinase inhibitors, it is important to optimize the subsite binding characteristics with appropriate amino acid substrate analogs.
This invention relates to peptide substrates modified with affinity labels that inhibit interleukin-1.beta. protease (hereinafter IL-1.beta. protease). These inhibitors are thought to act by alkylating the cysteine sulfhydryl group (cys 285) within the catalytic site of IL-1.beta. protease. Affinity labeling has been used since the 1960's to prepare irreversible peptide-based inhibitors which act to alkylate the active sites of cysteine proteases. A variety of affinity labels and amino acid sequences have been synthesized to improve the binding of these modified peptide inhibitors to the enzyme's active site. These affinity labels include peptidyl halomethyl ketones, peptidyl diazomethyl ketones, epoxysuccinyl peptides and peptidyl methylsulphonium salts as reviewed by D. Rich in Chapter 4 of "Proteinase Inhibitors", Barret, A. J. and Salvesen, G., eds., Elsevier, 1986. More recently, peptide acyloxymethyl and aryloxymethyl ketons have also been described as affinity lables (Krantz, A. et al, Biochemisty, 30, p. 4678-4687, 1991). Current research (see for example European Patent Application, Pub. No. 015,748 A2; PCT International Publication No. WO 91/15577; Chapman, K. T., Biorganic & Medicinal Chem. Lett. 1992, 2, 613-618) has been directed towards understanding the enzyme binding specificity requirements in designing novel small molecular weight protease inhibitors that are efficacious, safe and have specificity for IL-1.beta. protease which is believed to play an important role in many disease states (see Epstein, F. H., New Engl. Jrl. of Med., 328, p. 106-113, 1993).
Disease states in which IL-1.beta. protease inhibitors may be useful as therapeutic agents include: infectious diseases, such as meningitis and salpingitis; septic shock, respiratory diseases; inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis, cholangitis, colitis, encephalitis, endocerolits, hepatitis, pancreatitis and reperfusion injury, immune-based diseases, such as hypersensitivity, auto-immune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis; bone diseases; and certain tumors.
The following publications illustrate that IL-1.beta. inhibitors and antagonists are useful in modifying certain disease states in vivo.
1) IL-1 is present in affected tissues in ulcerative colitis in humans. In animal models of the disease, IL-1.beta. levels correlate with severity. In the model, administraton of IL-1ra reduced tissue necros and the number of inflammatory cells in the colon. Cominelli, F., Nast, C. C, Clark, B. D., Schindler, R., Llerena, R., Eysselein, V. E., Thompson, R. C., and Dinarello, C. A "Interleukin-1 gene expression, synthesis, and effect of cic IL-1 receptor blocke in rabbit immune complex colitis" J. Clin. Investigations (1990) Vol. 86, pp, 972-980.
2) IL-1ra supresses joint swelling in the PG-APS model of arthritis in rats. Schwab, J. H., Anderle, S. K., Brown, R. R., Dalldorf, F. G. and Thompson, R. C. "Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Roles of Interelukin-1 in Recurrence of Bacterial Cell Wall-Induced Arthritis in Rats". Infect. Immun. (1991) 59; 4436-4442.
3) IL-1ra shows efficacy in an small open-label human RA trial. Lebsack, M. E., Paul, C. C., Bloedow, C. C., Burch, F. X., Sack, M. A., Chase, W., and Catalano, M. A. "Subcutaneous IL-1 Receptor Antagonist in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis" Arth. Rheum. (1991) 34; 545.
4) IL-1 appears to be an autocrine growth factor for the proliferation of CML cells. Both IL-1ra and sIL-1R inhibit colony growth in cells removed from leukemia patients. Estrov, Z., Kurzrock, R., Wetzler, M., Kantarjian, H., Blake, M., Harris, D., Gutterman, J. U., and Talpaz, M. "Supression of chronic myelogenous leukemia colony growth by interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor antagonist and soluble IL-1 receptors: a novel application for inhibitors of IL-1 activity". Blood (1991) 78; 1476-1484.
5) As in 4) above, but for acute myclogenous leukemia rather than chronic myelogenous leukemia. Estrov, Z., Kurzrock, R., Estey, E., Wetzler, M., Ferrajoli, A., Harris, D., Blake, M. Guttermann, J. U., and Talpaz, M. "Inhibition of acute myelogenous leukemia blast proliferation by interleuldn-1 (IL-1) receptor antagonist and soluble IL-1 receptors". (1992) Blood 72, 1938-1945.
It is an object of the present invention to provide novel peptidyl substrate analogs modified with electronegative leaving groups that bind at the active site of IL-1.beta. protease and inhibit IL-1.beta. protease activity. IL-1.beta. protease cleaves a biologically inactive 34 kD precursor of IL-1.beta. to form the biologically active 17 kD cytokine. This cleavage occurs at the peptidyl sequence of Val-His-Asp/-Ala-Pro-Val.
It is another object of the present invention to provide compositions comprising the above-referred to compounds.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of use of the composition for the treatment of the above-identified disease states.

Peptide analogs as irreversible interleukin-1.beta. protease inhibitors


Systems and methods for selecting and performing gas deliverability tests are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of performing a gas deliverability test includes drilling a well, operating the well to produce gas, determining a sustainability of the well, and determining at least one of a shut-in bottom hole pressure and pressure build-up of the well and a geochemical analysis of the well. The method further includes selecting a deliverability test based at least in part on a duration of an operation of the well, a sustainability of the well, and at least one of the shut-in bottom hole pressure, the pressure build-up and the geochemical analysis of liquids of the well. The method also includes applying the deliverability test to the well.

A deliverability test is a method of testing a gas well to measure its production capabilities and certain conditions. There are different types of deliverability tests. In one type of deliverability test, a separator is used to quantify three phases flow rate based on actual measurements before proceeding with the main target to perform pressure transient analyses (PTA). In another example, a deliverability test has no separator and the main objective is to conduct a deliverability test with a focus on PTA. In this method, estimation of different phases flow rates is usually reliable.
Which deliverability test should be applied depends on attributes of the well. In some cases, an incorrect deliverability test is performed and must be redone, which causes delays and creates unnecessary costs. Further, it may be difficult to plan ahead as to how many wells will require deliverability tests. Thus, accurate planning and budgeting is adversely impacted by the lack of foreseeability with respect to deliverability testing.


Provided is a coating apparatus that suppresses the phenomenon in which a semisolid film is retained on the upper-end edge portion of the coating bath even after the circulation of the coating liquid is resumed, resulting in the occurrence of coating defects, and a method for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member using the coating apparatus. The upper-end portion of the coating bath includes a first upper-end surface, a second upper-end surface that is positioned below the first upper-end surface and has an outer diameter larger than that of the first upper-end surface, and a step surface that interconnects the first upper-end surface and the second upper-end surface. The coating liquid is capable of overflowing from the coating bath, flowing along the second upper-end surface, and flowing while wetting the whole area of the step surface when the circulation is resumed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coating apparatus, a method for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member using the coating apparatus, and a method for mass-producing electrophotographic photosensitive members.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrophotographic photosensitive member typically has a support and a photosensitive layer formed on the support. Also, an electrically conductive layer, an under coat layer (intermediate layer), and the like may be provided between the support and the photosensitive layer, and a protective layer may be provided on the photosensitive layer.
For producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member, methods for forming a layer such as a photosensitive layer on a support include, for example, a dip coating method, a roll coater method, a spray method, an electrostatic coating method, and the like. Among these, the dip coating method may be advantageous where an object to be coated has a three-dimensional shape, such as a cylindrical shape, a seamless belt shape, or the like. In addition, the dip coating method is advantageous in mass production because a single coating apparatus (dip coating apparatus) is capable of simultaneously coating a plurality of objects. Thus, the dip coating method has been widely employed for the production (mass production) of electrophotographic photosensitive members.
FIG. 6 shows an example of a coating apparatus (dip coating apparatus).
In the coating apparatus shown in FIG. 6, a coating liquid 20 is sent to the lower portion of a coating bath 9 via a collection tank 2 and a filter 4 with the aid of a liquid transport unit 3 such as a pump or the like. Also, the coating liquid 20 in excess of the capacity of the coating bath 9 falls into an overflow vessel 10, and then is sent to the collection tank 2 via piping. The reference numeral 6 indicates the liquid surface of the coating liquid 20. Using the coating liquid circulator described above, the coating liquid 20 circulates within the coating apparatus. Also, a cover cap 7 that is provided with a through port 8 for the passage of an object to be coated 1 therethrough covers the coating bath 9. The cover cap 7 suppresses the entry of foreign substances into the coating liquid 20 and the solvent volatilization from the coating liquid 20. The object to be coated/coated object 1 is partially gripped by a lowering and lifting unit (not shown), is dipped into the coating liquid 20 contained in the coating bath 9, and then lifted up therefrom, whereby a coating film (wet coating film) is formed on the surface of the object to be coated 1. Also, a hood 5 prevents the coating film from being affected by the ambient conditions after being lifted out. The hood 5 is installed above the through port 8 of the cover cap 7.
During intervals of producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member or the like, the circulation of the coating liquid within the coating apparatus may be temporarily stopped in order to exchange a filter at regular intervals or maintain a lowering and lifting unit and a liquid transport unit. While the circulation of the coating liquid within the coating apparatus is stopped, a solvent is evaporated from the liquid surface of the coating liquid in the coating bath, resulting in an increase in the viscosity of the coating liquid. Consequently, a partially semi-solid film (hereinafter referred to as "semisolid film") may be formed on the liquid surface of the coating liquid. When the circulation of the coating liquid is resumed, a semisolid film is caught by, and stays at, the upper-end edge portion of the coating bath, resulting in the retention thereof. A semisolid film remaining on the upper-end edge portion of the coating bath makes the flow of the coating liquid in the coating bath (the overflow of the coating liquid from the coating bath) non-uniform, whereby coating defects such as unevenness in film thickness or the like may occur.
As a method for suppressing the retention of foreign substances at the liquid surface of the coating liquid in the coating bath, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-323778 discloses a method for providing a notch part or a stop part at the upper-end portion of the coating bath.
Also, as a method for maintaining a uniform overflow of the coating liquid from the coating bath, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-132258 discloses a coating bath in which a sloped surface 14, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, sloping toward outside from a upper-end surface 12 is provided relative to the shape of the typical coating bath as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B.
However, the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-323778 is effective for air bubbles but substantially ineffective for semisolid films. Furthermore, the flow of the coating liquid near the notch part or the stop part becomes non-uniform, resulting in the occurrence of coating defects.
Also, the coating bath disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-132258 may reduce the risk of the retention of the semisolid film to some extent, but still is not sufficient for suppressing the retention of the semisolid film.

Coating apparatus, method for producing electrophotographic photosensitive member and method for mass-producing electrophotographic photosensitive members


A recording apparatus is arranged to control a file name of recorded moving image file and a file name of the recorded still image file, so as to, after a recording stop instruction, in accordance with the file name of at least one of the moving image file and still image file recorded in a period of time from a recording start instruction to the recording stop instruction, change the file name of at least one of the moving image file and still image file recorded in that period so that the file names of the plurality of moving image files recorded in that period have consecutive file numbers corresponding to recording order of the moving image files and the file names of the plurality of still image files recorded in that period have consecutive file numbers corresponding to recording order of the still image files.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and, more particularly, to a recording apparatus and a recording method for recording a moving image file and a still image file.
Description of the Related Art
In the related arts, a recording apparatus for recording moving image data and still image data into a recording medium has been known. In such a type of recording apparatus, the recorded moving image data and still image data are managed as files in accordance with a predetermined file system.
As a naming method of file names at she time of recording moving image and still image files, for example, a method of including numbers into the file names like a DCF (Design rule for Camera File system) standard has been known. Generally, consecutive numbers are added to the file names in recording order.
A construction in which a file is recorded in such a manner that the file is divided during the recording of the moving image data so that a file size does not exceed an upper limit size specified by the file system has also been proposed (for example, refer to the Official Gazette of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-183248).
An apparatus which can also record still images during the recording of a moving image signal is also widespread.
In the case where the consecutive numbers are added to the file names and a moving image is recorded in such a manner that the file is divided as mentioned above, if a still image is recorded during the recording of the moving image, the next number of the file name of the moving image which is being recorded at that point of time will be allocated to the still image.
Therefore, the number of the moving image file after the file division becomes the next number of the number allocated to the still image, and a state where it is not consecutive to the number of the moving image file before the file division happens.
If the moving image and image recorded as mentioned above are reproduced in order of the file numbers, there is such a problem that a plurality of moving image files which are consecutively photographed are not consecutively reproduced and the still image is reproduced between the reproduced moving image files.
In consideration of the foregoing problems, it is an aspect of the invention to realize a consecutive reproduction of a plurality of moving image files recorded during the recording of one time even in the case where a still image is recorded during the recording of a moving image.

Recording apparatus, recording method, and program


An inertial spring latch with a contact post is disclosed for use in latching an actuator assembly of a data storage device. The actuator assembly includes a contact arm that cooperates with the contact post to restrict movement of the actuator assembly when the data storage device is in a non-operating mode. The inertial spring latch includes a latch body adjacent the actuator assembly, a forward arm extending in a first direction from the latch body and a spring member extending from the forward arm, the spring member supporting the contact post. The contact post inhibits movement of the actuator assembly by decelerating the movement of the actuator assembly upon impact of the contact arm with the contact post. Both the contact post and the spring member deflect to dampen the energy of motion of the actuator assembly, upon impact of the contact arm with the contact post.

The present invention relates generally to the field of disc drive data storage devices, and more particularly but not by way of limitation, to an inertial spring latch assembly for limiting the movement of an actuator while dissipating energy following contact of the actuator with the inertial spring latch assembly in a data storage device.
Disc drives are data storage devices that enable users to rapidly store and retrieve data. Typically, a head/disc assembly (HDA), which houses requisite mechanical portions of the drive and a printed wiring assembly (PWA), which supports requisite electronic portions of the drive comprise a disc drive.
The HDA includes a base deck to which various components are mounted and a top cover cooperating with the base deck to form a sealed housing to reduce particulate contamination. Within the housing, a disc stack is typically formed from a recording disc axially aligned about a spindle motor that rotates the recording disc at a constant, high speed, such as 10,000 revolutions per minute during normal disc drive operation.
A rotary actuator assembly is mounted adjacent the disc stack and includes a ridged arm supporting a flexible suspension assembly, which in turn supports a read/write head communicating with a recording surface of the disc.
The read/write head is typically position-controlled over a pre-selected data track of the recording surface through the interaction of the actuator assembly and a voice coil motor. For data storage devices utilizing magnetoresistive head technology, the read/write head typically includes a thin-film inductive write element to write data to the recording surface and a magneto-resistive (MR) read element to read previously written data from the recording surface.
When the disc drive is not in use, the read/write head is typically landed and brought to rest in a parking zone, which is generally located near the inner diameter of the recording surface. In landing the read/write head, the read/write head is flown over the parking zone and the rotation of the spindle motor is stopped.
Once the heads are positioned in the parking zone, it is typically advantageous to secure the actuator assembly by a latching arrangement to prevent the read/write head from subsequently moving out onto the data storage zone of the disc while the disc drive is non-operational. Latching arrangements are generally practiced in the art and have included various configurations of springs, solenoids and magnets to secure and release the actuator. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,627 issued Feb. 16, 1993, to Hickox et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,000 issued Jun. 29, 1993, to Casey et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,556 issued Jul. 27, 1993, to Blanks.
While operable, such prior art latching systems suffer from several limitations. Mechanical latches typically are complex while electromechanical latches require substantial electrical power to operate. Many magnetic latches with open magnetic circuits exert considerable force when the actuator is near the magnetic latch, while the read/write head remains over the data region, thus resulting in increased power consumption. Moreover, such force can limit the maximum holding force generated by the latch.
Still other prior art latches such as inertial latching mechanisms can be ineffective upon application of a mechanical shock to the system. In particular, the contact surfaces of the latch mechanism and the moving portion of the actuator are encouraged in opposing directions in response to applied mechanical shocks. Therefore, the accelerations imparted to the latching mechanism and to the moving portion of the actuator can cause the contact surfaces to meet with a greater degree of force, resulting in xe2x80x9cbouncexe2x80x9d at the contact surface, which tends to overcome the latching mechanism and thereby disengage the latching mechanism.
In conjunction with providing effective latching of the actuator as the disc drive comes into the non-operational mode, it is often advantageous to limit the actuator movement to prevent inadvertent actuator arm/gimbal assembly and disc contact. It is generally important to control the extent of actuator travel relative to the non-data zones; otherwise, an actuator that travels beyond the desired extent of radial travel likely results in damage to the read/write head. The inner extent of radial travel allows the read/write head to travel inwardly past the inner most data track to the landing zone where the read/write head can be parked on the disc surface when the disc drive is inoperable. Inward travel beyond this inner extent of travel can result in damaging contact of the read/write head with a hub of the spindle motor. The outer extent of radial travel allows the read/write head to access the outer most data track of the recording surface. Outward travel beyond this outer extent of travel can result in the read/write head moving beyond the outer edge of the data disc, which can damage and disable the read/write head.
As requirements for faster data processing demand ever increasing actuator speed and associated deceleration rates during seek cycles, the likelihood of overshooting the target track increases. Such an overshoot near the extents of travel can result in damage to the read/write head. Also, control circuit errors are known to create xe2x80x9crunawayxe2x80x9d conditions of the actuator wherein the actuator fails to decelerate at the appointed time. To protect the read/write head from catastrophic failure, it is well known and practiced in the art to employ positive stops which limit the actuator travel to locations only between the desired extents of travel.
In providing such a positive stop, or limit stop, it is necessary that the limit stop decelerate the actuator quickly and in a short distance, but without damaging the actuator assembly. Applying a general dampened braking impulse is known in the art, such as by the use of an air cylinder type dampener as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,692 issued to Okutsu. In this approach fluid is displaced by a piston that is responsive to a stop member that obstructs the movement of the actuator beyond the desired extent of travel. The dampened braking impulse provides a resistive force for decelerating the actuator, but without the typical sudden deceleration of a rigid stop member, such as a rigid stop pin.
Manufacturability and cost constraints have urged the art toward more simple mechanisms. The use of a resilient pad is widely known, such as that of the teaching of U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,176 issued to Casey et al. and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Spring members, too, are widely used in the art, such as that according to the teaching of U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,151 issued to Hazebrouck. The primary objection to resilient pads and springs, however, is the relatively long stopping distances necessary to compress the responsive member sufficiently so as to develop an effective braking force.
One attempted solution is to provide a preload force to the resilient member, such as is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,206 issued to Phillips et al. Another approach is to provide cantilever members that elastically deflect in response to the impact force of the actuator, such as is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,134,608 issued to Strickler and U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,516 issued to Phillips et al. and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Where the resilient member provides a superior initial impact response in not significantly increasing the peak deceleration rate, the relatively large amount of disc space necessarily reserved for stopping distance runs counter to the efforts in maximizing disc space utilization.
Consequently, there has not been available a latching device nor a limit stop which will universally meet the ever increasing demands of disc latching and actuator movement control in reducing the susceptibility of damage to the disc drive. It is to such ends that the present invention is directed.
As exemplified by preferred embodiments, an inertial spring latch with a contact post is used for latching an actuator assembly of a data storage device. The actuator assembly includes a contact arm that cooperates with the contact post to restrict movement of the actuator assembly when the data storage device is in a non-operating mode. The inertial spring latch comprises a latch body adjacent the actuator assembly, a forward arm extending in a first direction from the latch body and a spring member extending from the forward arm, the spring member supporting the contact post. The contact post inhibits movement of the actuator assembly upon contact of the contact arm with contact post and decelerates movement of the actuator assembly by deflecting upon impact of the contact arm with the contact post. In addition to the deflection of the contact post, the spring member also deflects upon impact of the contact arm with the contact post. The deflection of both the contact post and the spring member controllably decelerates the movement of the actuator by damping the energy of motion of the actuator assembly upon impact of the contact arm with the contact post.
The advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the drawings and appended claims.

Inertial spring latch assembly in a disc drive


In some embodiments, an anode cooling system for a rotating-anode type X-ray tube includes a heat pipe arrangement comprising an evaporator part coupled to an anode, a condenser part coupled to a bearing of the anode, and a plurality of heat pipes arranged in mutually opposing configuration, in-between the evaporator part and the condenser part, wherein the resultant dynamic force on the heat pipes is substantially zero. In some embodiments, an anode cooling system for an X-ray tube, comprises a first heat pipe configured for operating at a predetermined high first temperature range near an anode, a second heat pipe configured for operating at a predetermined low second temperature range coupled to the first heat pipe, and a heat sink coupled to the second heat pipe, and a liquid metal filled in-between the heat pipes and the anode to transfer heat from the anode to the heat pipe by convection.

Generally, in a rotating-anode type X-ray tube that operates at an average load of about 3 KW or more, the target temperature, bearing temperature and the rotational speed of the anode tend to increase beyond safe limits. A typical application of the X-ray tube at such operating load includes generation of X-rays in medical imaging. At a peak power of about 80 kW, the focal spot temperature of the anode is likely to increase to about 3000 deg C., which may cause target melt and bearing failure in an X-ray tube operation. Therefore, for a safe and failure-free operation of the X-ray tube, an efficient cooling system for the anode becomes necessary.
Known systems for cooling the anode in a rotating-anode type X-ray tube includes providing a means for facilitating heat transfer from the anode to a location away from anode especially via, individual or combined conduction, convection and radiation.
Typically, a means for transferring the heat from the anode to a location away from the anode includes a heat pipe mechanism coupled to the anode. However, these known heat pipe mechanisms suffer from problems associated with poor thermal efficiency, poor rotation balance of anode and environmental and health and safety issues.
Thus, there exists a need for an anode cooling system for an X-ray tube, wherein the cooling system (i) provides for excellent thermal efficiency, (ii) does not create dynamic imbalance in the rotating anode, (ii) provides improved bearing life (iv) provides a substantially noise-free operation, (iv) poses no issues in terms of environment, health and safety.


A register file is disclosed. The register file includes a plurality of registers and a decoder. The decoder may be configured to receive an address for any one of the registers, and disable a read operation to the addressed register if data in the addressed register is invalid.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to register files, and more specifically, to methods and systems for providing energy efficient register files.
2. Background
An embedded processor design typically includes temporary storage such instruction caches, data caches and register files, etc. These storage components are relatively small, high speed memories that increase the speed of the processor by reducing the number of times the processor has to access slower external memory. Unfortunately, these storage components tend to consume a lot of power due to the switching capacitive loads. Larger components tend to switch more capacitive loads than smaller components, and therefore, consume more power. For example, after instruction and data caches, register files that are used as general purpose registers typically tend to consume more power than most of the other smaller components in an embedded processor design.
When an instruction is executed, appropriate source operands are first retrieved from the corresponding register file(s). After the instruction has been executed, results, if any, are written back into the register file(s). However, before these results are written back into the register file(s), one or more of these results are often needed for a subsequent instruction as a source operand and are thus taken by a forwarding network for further processing. The longer the pipeline the more likely that the source operands will be delivered to the forwarding network instead of the register file; furthermore, the more often the results are taken by the forwarding network, the longer the corresponding register file(s) have to wait before they are updated with the latest data. One ramification is that invalid data remain in the register file(s) for longer periods of time. If subsequent read operations are performed on register file(s) having invalid data, such read operations would produce incorrect results if used for instruction execution. In addition, power expended on such operations would be wasted. Hence, it would be desirable to provide an energy efficient means to prevent invalid read operations.

Method and system for providing an energy efficient register file


The present invention is directed to a panned confectionery product comprising a chocolate piece having a color adherent coating on a surface of the chocolate piece, wherein the coating comprises a color adherent coating solution selected from the group consisting of a chocolate polish and a confectionery glaze and at least one edible colorant adhered to the coating solution.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a panned confectionery product having a chocolate piece that is coated with a color adherent coating solution and an edible colorant. More particularly, in the present invention, the color adherent coating solution is applied on a surface of the chocolate piece, and the edible colorant is applied to adhere to the color adherent coating solution.
Description of the Related Art
Applying a sugar shell coating around a chocolate center is well known in the art. The sugar shell coating provides a colored surface over the chocolate center, forming a colorful product with a crunchy texture.
However, a crunchy texture is not always desirable. Moreover, the process for creating a sugar shell is very complicated and rather time consuming. A chocolate panned confectionery product having a colored surface that is not a sugar shell would provide an alternative product design that is aesthetically pleasing and that need not be crunchy.
Another method of imparting color to chocolate is by taking white chocolate and adding a colorant to the white chocolate. However, this has its drawbacks, since the colored chocolate will not meet the Code of Federal Regulations Standard of Identity for chocolate in the U.S. and therefore cannot be labeled as chocolate.
The present inventor, while attempting to find new ways of completely coloring the outside surface of chocolate pieces, discovered that the surface of chocolate pieces could be colored in a random non-continuous adhesive pattern by employing the methods described below.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A charge pump circuit for charging/pumping charge into/out of a charge pumping capacitor. Charge is pumped from the capacitor to turn on one of a pair of MOSFET transistors formed in an integrated circuit for driving a load. The MOSFET transistors are connected at a node in series with one another. The charging capacitor has one end connected at the node and the other connected through a diode to one side of a power supply which is also applied across both transistors. An input signal turns the MOSFETs on and off in a complementary fashion. Each MOSFET has a gate which is discharged to ground when the MOSFET is turned off. A zener diode prevents the capacitor from pumping excess charge to the gate of the MOSFET to which it is connected. Another zener diode prevents damage resulting from excessive voltage external to the integrated circuit.

Prior art charge pump circuits have been provided on a semiconductor chip to generate a higher voltage using an on-chip power supply voltage. Most of such conventional charge pump circuits utilizes a switching method of high frequency oscillation. Such a charge pump circuit is illustrated in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, the above charge pump circuit has a charge pumping capacitor CP, an oscillation circuit 10 connected between an on-chip voltage source Vcc and a ground. Circuit 10 pumps electric charge out of the capacitor at a rate dependent upon the oscillation frequency. A power supply circuit 20 generates another voltage in response to voltage levels of an input signal Vin to always maintain a constant voltage at a connection point P1 between the capacitor CP and the output of the power supply part 20. A MOSFET (metal oxide field effect transistor) drives a load circuit 50 and a constant current source 30 supplys a constant current to a control terminal (i.e., a gate terminal) of the MOSFET.
The oscillation circuit 10 has two switching elements 12 and 13 which are operated complementary to one another. If the switching element 12 is switched on and switching element 13 is off, the on-chip voltage is applied through the switching element 12 to the capacitor CP thus charging the capacitor CP. If not, i.e., when the switching element 13 is switched on and switching element 12 is off, the capacitor CP is discharged through the switching element 13 to ground. When the on-chip voltage is applied through switching element 12 to the capacitor CP at the point P1, a voltage of about Vcc+12 V is maintained. This is because a voltage of 12 V is applied via the MOSFET 21 to the point P1 by means of the MOSFET 21 to be activated in response to the input signal V1.
As described above, a conventional charge pump circuit requires a high frequency oscillating circuit to charge or discharge the capacitor CP.

Charge pump circuit for controlling a pair of drive transistors


A slot-type shadow mask is provided, which enables one to avoid the problem termed the "phosphor-stripe loss" to thereby improve the quality. This shadow mask includes a plate-like body having slots for selectively allowing electron beams to pass through the mask. The slots are located in a rectangular slot area of the body. Each of the slots has a vertically elongated shape. The slots are arranged horizontally at a specific horizontal pitch and vertically at a specific vertical pitch. The slots form first to m-th slot columns, where m is a natural number. A part of the slots included in the first slot column and a part of the slots included in the m-th slot column have a first width. A part of the slots included in the second slot column and a part of the slots included in the (m-1)-th slot column have a second width. The remaining slots have a third width. The first width is smaller than the third width and the second width is larger than the third width.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shadow mask and more particularly, to a slot-type shadow mask used for a color Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT).
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 2 schematically shows the typical configuration of a shadow-mask type color CRT.
As shown in FIG. 2, a shadow-mask type color CRT 11 has a glass valve 12. The front part of the valve 12 constitutes a face panel 13 on which an image is displayed. A phosphor screen 14 is formed on the inner surface of the panel 13 within the valve 12. The screen 14 extends along the inner surface of the panel 13. A lot of stripes of phosphor materials for red (R), green (g) and blue (B) colors are horizontally and vertically arranged in the whole screen 14. Each of the stripes is usually of a vertically elongated shape, i.e., of a vertically extending strip.
A shadow mask 15 is fixed apart from the face panel 13 and is opposed to the phosphor screen 14 in the valve 12. The mask 15 has a large number of slots allowing selectively electron beams 17 to arrive at the phosphor screen 14 through the mask 15.
In the neck of the valve 12, three electron guns 16 for generating and emitting the electron beams 17 for R, G and B colors are loaded to be horizontally arranged in line. In other words, the guns 16 have the in-line structure.
A deflection yoke 18 is provided around the valve 12 in the vicinity of the neck of the valve 12, which deflects horizontally and vertically the electron beams 17, respectively.
The electron beams 17 for R, G and B colors, which are emitted from the corresponding electron guns 16, are deflected by the horizontal and vertical deflecting magnetic fields generated by the deflection yoke 18, and are scanned in the horizontal and vertical directions X and Y of the face panel 13 over the whole phosphor screen 14. The beams 17 passing through the slots of the shadow mask 15 strike the corresponding stripes of the phosphor materials on the screen 14 and excite them, thereby displaying a color image on the face panel 13.
To enhance the basic performance (i.e., contrast, brightness, and so on) of the CRT or imaging device, a black matrix film (not shown) is located on the inner surface of the face panel 13. The black matrix film is formed to be integrated with the phosphor screen 14. Specifically, the phosphor pixels for the R, G, and B colors are regularly arranged in a plane along the face panel 13. A black material such as graphite is coated to cover the remaining, exposed areas from the phosphor pixels in the same plane.
To reflect the irradiated light from the phosphor pixels effectively, a metal back film (not shown) is further located in the valve 12 apart from the screen 14 to extend along the inner surface of the screen 14. The metal back film is opposed to the shadow mask 15.
The conventional shadow mask 15 shown in FIG. 2 typically has a configuration as shown in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, the shadow mask 15 has a plurality of slots 23 allowing selectively the electron beams 17 emitted from the electron guns 16 to arrive at the phosphor screen 14 through the mask 15. The slots 23, all of which have the same roughly rectangular shape, are regularly arranged in a rectangular slot area to form a mosaic in the horizontal and vertical directions X and Y on the face panel 13.
Between any vertically adjacent slots 23, bridge areas 24 are formed to maintain the mechanical strength of the shadow mask 15, respectively. The bridge area serve as electron-beam stopping areas.
The slots 23 are vertically elongated along the Y direction. Each of the slots 23 has the same length H. Each of the slots 23 has the same width L.sub.S, except the slots 23 located at the edges of the slot area. The width L.sub.S may be changed regularly.
The slots 23 are arranged horizontally at a specific horizontal pitch P.sub.H and vertically at a specific vertical pitch P.sub.V in the rectangular slot area. The slots 23 constitute slot columns extending along the vertical direction Y. Horizontally adjacent two ones of the slots 23 are vertically shifted at a specific value (for example, a half of the length H of the slot 23).
The slots 23 are formed in the following way.
A patterned photoresist film is formed on the surface of the metal plate on the phosphor screen side, and then, the metal plate is selectively etched by using the photoresist film. Another patterned photoresist film is formed on the opposite surface of the metal plate to the phosphor screen, and then, the metal plate is selectively etched by using the photoresist film, thereby forming penetrating holes in the plate. The penetrating holes serve as the slots 23, respectively.
The phosphor screen 14 is formed on the inner surface of the face panel 13 in the following processes.
A photoresist film is formed on the inner surface of the face panel 13 and then, the shadow mask 15 is fixed to the valve 12 to be opposite to the face panel 13. Next, the inner surface of the face panel 13 is exposed to light three times for R, G, B colors, and developed. Thus, the unexposed areas of the photoresist film, on which a black matrix is formed, are selectively removed, thereby forming a patterned photoresist film.
Subsequently, a black matrix film is coated on the patterned photoresist film thus formed, and then the remaining photoresist film is developed. Then, the remaining, exposed areas of the photoresist film and the black matrix film located thereon are selectively removed. Thus, the black matrix film is selectively left in the areas where the phosphor pixels for the R, G, and B colors are not formed.
Further, a specific phosphor material for R, G, or B color mixed with a photoresist material is coated on the inner surface of the face panel 14, and then, is exposed to light through the shadow mask 15. The exposed phosphor material is then developed. Thus, the phosphor pixels for R, G, or B color is formed on the inner surface of the panel 14. The coating process of a phosphor material and the developing process thereof are repeated three times for R, G, and B colors.
As a result, the phosphor pixels for R, G, and B colors and the black matrix are formed on the inner surface of the panel 14.
Although the shadow mask 15 has the slots 23, the obtained black matrix has a pattern of vertically extending stripes (not slots). This is because the length H of the slots 23 of the shadow mask 15 is larger than the width B.sub.w of the bridges 24, and consequently, the exposed regions of the black matrix film exposed to the light passed through the adjacent slots 23 in each slot column are combined together to form a single stripe.
For this reason, the exposure process for forming the phosphor screen 14 is affected by the slots 23 of the shadow mask 15.
With the conventional shadow mask shown in FIG. 1, the regions of the phosphor screen 14 corresponding to each slot column of the shadow mask 15 except for the first and last slot columns are exposed to not only the main light beams passed through the slots 23 included in the corresponding slot column but also the additional light beams passed through the slots 23 included in the adjacent two slot columns.
However, the regions of the phosphor screen 14 corresponding to the first or last slot columns of the shadow mask 15 are exposed to only the additional light beams passed through the slots 23 included in the second or next-to-last slot column, together with the main light beams passed through the slots 23 included in the corresponding slot column. Therefore, these regions tend to be deficiently exposed.
Such deficient exposure of the phosphor screen 14 will cause the unwanted black regions or stripes to be left on the phosphor screen 14. In other words, the wanted phosphor pixels or stripes are not formed on the screen 14. The formation of unwanted black regions are termed the "phosphor-stripe loss".


A method of manufacturing an automobile high voltage wire harness includes setting a shrinkable tube which has a color to make the wire harness recognized as a high voltage one outside a metal pipe body which is an exterior member of one or a plurality of high voltage electrical pathway(s) wired in an automobile, making the shrinkable tube shrink to cover part of or all of the outer surface of the metal pipe body, and bending the metal pipe body to a predetermined position to be formed into a three-dimensional shape.

A wire harness disclosed in the following PTL1 includes three high voltage electric wires, and three metal protecting pipes for accommodating and protecting the three high voltage electric wires respectively. The high voltage electric wires are included to connect a motor that is carried in the front of an automobile and an inverter which is carried in the middle of the automobile or at the back side of the automobile.
The wire harness is adapted to be wired along and under an automobile body floor which is at the outside of an automobile body frame. Therefore, the metal protecting pipes are formed so that the high voltage electric wires can be protected from a stone splash and a water splash. The metal protecting pipes protect the high voltage electric wires from a stone splash and a water splash, have rigidity to prevent the high voltage electric wires from being bended, and have an electromagnetic shielding function because the metal protecting pipes are made of metal.
The wire harness is manufactured by inserting the high voltage electric wires into the metal protecting pipes which are in a straight state, and, after the insertion has been performed respectively, bending the metal protecting pipes along the wiring path of the wire harness under the automobile body floor. After the wire harness is manufactured as above in the factory of a harness manufacturer, the wire harness is conveyed to an assembly plant of the automobile manufacturer and is assembled to a predetermined position of an automobile, and thereby the wiring is completed.

Method of manufacturing an automobile high voltage wire harness


A switch network for switching network inputs to network outputs includes an initial terminal, an intermediate, and a final terminal layer of switches. The initial terminal layer of switches provides fan-out of the network inputs to widely separated locations in the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer of switches includes two sublayers: a first sublayer providing horizontally aligned fan-outs to the final terminal layer of switches and a second sublayer providing vertically aligned fan-outs to the final terminal layer of switches. The final terminal layer of switches includes a left sublayer and a right sublayer. The left sublayer provides fan-in from the vertically aligned fan-outs and the horizontally aligned fan-outs to the network outputs; the right sublayer provides fan-in from the vertically aligned fan-outs and the horizontally aligned fan-outs to the network outputs; and the fan-in provided by the left sublayer is orthogonal to the fan-in provided by the right sublayer.

The present invention generally relates to transmitting communication signals in radio frequency energy beams in wireless communication systems and, more particularly, to time sharing of radio frequency energy beams among a number of different communication channels.
Communication systems on modern satellites and other wireless communication platforms often employ a large number of narrow spot energy beams for communicating radio frequency (RF) signals. The narrower the spot beam, the smaller the user's antenna can be for a given bit rate, or data speed, to be effectively communicated. In a typical such communication system, the wireless communication platform has fewer communication paths (each path corresponding to a transponder) than the number of spot beams, and therefore the paths are time-shared. This time-sharing goes by the name of beam hopping, since conceptually a limited number of active beams are hopping around to serve a larger number of cells. A switch network typically performs the hopping function, selecting a communication path (or no communication path) for each cell, with the selections changing rapidly as the beams hop.
High-power RF signals are difficult to switch rapidly. Even a small insertion loss in the switch element can cause the switch element to heat rapidly and fail. With power levels above a few watts, switchable circulators containing ferrite are typically used. An electrical current pulse switches the magnetization of the ferrite and hence the direction of the circulation, directing the RF signal to either the left or right output port of the circulator. The basic switch element is thus equivalent to a single pole, double throw (SPDT) switch in the waveguide.
A small switch network was included in the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) Ka-band satellite, which was recently decommissioned. The ACTS ferrite switch network was relatively small with only two active beams hopping over 30 and 18 cells, respectively. Nevertheless, the packaged network was relatively bulky. In addition to ACTS, similar ferrite switch networks have been flown on non-commercial satellites.
As can be seen, there is a need in wireless communication systems for the outputs from several high-power amplifiers to be time-shared among a larger number of cells. Moreover, there is a need for a switch network the packaging of which is efficient enough to support 100 or more cells within a mass and size that are practical for a satellite or stratospheric platform payload.

Compact high-power beam hopping switch network


A beverage dispensing system and method employs a beverage concentrate, and optionally liquid sweeteners, and beverage flavorings to provide a tailored single beverage output of high volume. A venturi mixing device is utilized with water as the motive force to mix the beverage components together. Control valves are provided for each component to regulate the amounts and ratios to produce a desired beverage.

In the field of dispensing beverages, it is known to use a venturi mixing device for mixing beverage components together to produce an output.
One problem with present systems is that many are not geared for high volume output. In addition, systems lack the capability of producing a single customized output using one or more beverages or beverage concentrates. Accordingly, a need exists to provide improved beverage dispensing methods and systems.
The present invention solves this need by providing a method and system, which provides a single flavored, and sweetened/unsweetened beverage output using a single beverage base or concentrate or a combinations of such bases.

System and method for dispensing beverages


A method for managing the assignment of addresses in a cellular network is described. Messages are sent to connected, but inactive, subscribers causing them to disconnect and then to reconnect. This occurs without the user knowing of the disconnection.

General packet radio services (GPRS) are commonly used to provide data services over cellular networks. Often, the cellular provider assigns a private Internet address to each of the subscribers as the subscribers log onto the service. Problems can occur in managing these addresses, particularly where a limited number of addresses are used by a cellular provider.

Managing subscribers on a cellular network


An object is to manufacture a semiconductor substrate having a single crystal semiconductor layer with favorable characteristics, without requiring CMP treatment and/or heat treatment at high temperature. In addition, another object is to improve productivity of semiconductor substrates. Vapor-phase epitaxial growth is performed by using a first single crystal semiconductor layer provided over a first substrate as a seed layer, whereby a second single crystal semiconductor layer is formed over the first single crystal semiconductor layer, and separation is performed at an interface of the both layers. Thus, the second single crystal semiconductor layer is transferred to the second substrate to provide a semiconductor substrate, and the semiconductor substrate is reused by performing laser light treatment on the seed layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a single crystal semiconductor layer. In addition, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor substrate including a single crystal semiconductor film and a method for reprocessing a semiconductor substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Integrated circuits using an SOI substrate where a thin single crystal semiconductor layer is formed on an insulating surface, instead of a bulk silicon wafer, have been developed. The use of an SOI substrate can reduce parasitic capacitance between a drain of a transistor and a substrate; thus, SOI substrates are attracting attention for their ability to improve performance of semiconductor integrated circuits.
A Smart Cut method is known as one of methods for manufacturing an SOI substrate (e.g., see Patent Document 1). An outline method for manufacturing an SOI substrate by a Smart Cut method is described below. Hydrogen ions are implanted into a silicon wafer to form a microbubble layer at a predetermined depth from the surface. The silicon wafer into which hydrogen ions have been implanted is bonded to another silicon wafer with a silicon oxide film interposed therebetween. After that, by performing heat treatment, the microbubble layer is to be a cleavage plane, and the wafer into which the hydrogen ions are implanted is peeled in a thin film state. A Smart Cut method is also called a "hydrogen ion implantation separation method".
In Patent Document 1, in order to improve the planarity of the surface of the single crystal silicon layer and repair a defect in the single crystal silicon layer, CMP treatment and/or heat treatment at high temperature (about 1200° C. or lower) is performed after the single crystal silicon layer is formed.
Further, a method for reusing the silicon wafer after a single crystal silicon layer is peeled off and transferred from a silicon wafer by a Smart Cut method is known (e.g., see Patent Document 2). In Patent Document 2, after the single crystal silicon layer is peeled off from the silicon wafer, the silicon wafer is planarized by CMP treatment or the like.
[References]
[Patent Documents]
    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2003-017671    [Patent Document 2] Japanese Published Patent Application No. H11-097379

Method for manufacturing semiconductor substrate and method for manufacturing semiconductor device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A circularly folding display stand that includes a plurality of sector-like partitioned, that can be compressed into storage mode by folding the partitions together to minimize sector area, and can be opened into a display mode by opening the partitions to maximize sector area.

Display systems made of plastic material are known in the art. These systems are usually made from plastic boards. These boards feature flexibility that allows bending as well as folding. To save on transportation volume, plastic boards display system are assembled on site, which is time-consuming and requires training. Erroneous assembly creates a shaky display system that eventually collapses under the weight of the displayed items. There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have a method and a system for foldable display system devoid of the above limitations.


Digital signal decoder which decodes coded data, for example, a coded digital video signal, that has error-correcting data such as C1/C2 convolutional Reed-Solomon type data added thereto. The decoder stores in a memory the coded data, detects correctable errors in the stored coded data, ascertains positions of the detected errors in the coded data, and supplies error correction patterns that correspond to those errors. A second memory stores the ascertained positions of the errors as well as the error correction patterns, and coded data that correspond to the positions of the errors are read from the first memory and decoded by using the error correction patterns stored in the second memory so as to produce corrected decoded data. A digital signal reproducing apparatus embodying the above decoder also is disclosed.

The present invention relates to apparatus and method for decoding a coded digital signal and, more particularly, to apparatus and method for decoding and error correcting a coded digital video signal having error correction data added thereto reproduced from a record medium, e.g., a compact disk.
As is known, moving pictures, i.e., motion video, is digitized, encoded and recorded at a variable rate on a record medium in accordance with various video standards, for example, the MPEG (Moving Pictures Expert Group) standard. The MPEG standard calls for three types of encoded pictures: intra-encoded pictures (I pictures or I-frames); forward predictive-encoded pictures (P pictures or P-frames); and bidirectionally predictive-encoded pictures (B pictures or B-frames). A combination of these three types of pictures form what is known as a group of pictures or a GOP. Although the MPEG standard also generally is applied to audio (e.g., voice) data, other forms of encoding, for example, ATAC (Additive Transform Acoustic Coding), are also used to digitize and compression-encode voice data.
Referring first to FIG. 1, a data reproducing apparatus 1 for reproducing data at a variable rate from a compact disk is shown. Data reproducing apparatus 1 includes a pickup device 3 which provides a laser beam onto an optical disk 2 to reproduce the data recorded thereon in a manner well known in the art. Pickup device 3 supplies a reproduced signal S1 to a demodulating circuit 6 included in a demodulating system 5 which is controlled by a system controller 4. The reproduced signal S1 is demodulated and supplied via a sector detector circuit 7 to an ECC (error correction code) circuit 8 which detects and corrects errors in the supplied signal. Sector detection circuit 7 detects new sectors in the reproduced signal, but if a sector number or address is not detected, a sector number error signal is supplied to a track jump determination circuit 9. Similarly, an error signal is supplied to track jump determination circuit 9 if ECC circuit 8 detects an uncorrectable error in the signal.
ECC circuit 8 detects an d correct s errors in the supplied data in a manner to be discussed and supplies the error corrected data to a ring buffer memory 10 which stores the data at addresses therein in accordance with a write pointer WP supplied from a ring buffer control circuit 11. Memory 10 also reads the data stored therein from addresses in accordance with a read pointer RP supplied from control circuit 11. As is well known, control circuit 11 generates the write addresses (write pointer WP) from sector signals supplied from sector detection circuit 7 and generates the read addresses (read pointer RP) in response to control signals supplied by system controller 4 and a code request signal R10 supplied from a data separating circuit 13.
Ring buffer memory 10 supplies the data stored therein to a header separation circuit 14 in data separation circuit 13 which separates a pack header from each pack of data supplied thereto and also separates a packet header from each packet contained in the data, and the separated headers are supplied to a separation circuit controller 15. Circuit controller 15 supplies a switcher control signal to a switching circuit 16 to cause video data supplied to input terminal G to be supplied via terminal H1 to a video code buffer 17, and to cause audio data supplied to input terminal G to be supplied via terminal H2 to an audio code buffer 19. Stream identification information (stream ID) included in the headers identify the type of data (e.g., video or audio) included in the packets.
Video code buffer 17 stores the supplied video data therein and generates and supplies a code request signal R1 to data separation circuit 13 in accordance with the amount of data that is stored in buffer 17. Video code buffer 17 outputs to a video decoder 18 the stored data in response to a code request signal R1' supplied from video decoder 18. Video decoder 18 decodes the read video data to produce a digital video signal and supplies the digital video signal as an output at output terminal OUT1.
Similarly, audio code buffer 19 stores the supplied audio data therein and generates and supplies a code request signal R2 to data separation circuit 13 in accordance with the amount of data that is stored in buffer 19. Audio code buffer 19 outputs to an audio decoder 20 the stored data in response to a code request signal R2' supplied from audio decoder 20. Audio decoder 20 decodes the read audio data to produce a digital audio signal and supplies the digital audio signal as an output at output terminal OUT2.
As previously mentioned, demodulating system 5 demodulates the reproduced signal S1 by means of demodulating circuit 6. Demodulating circuit 6 converts signal S1 that is supplied from pickup device 3 to a binary signal using the well-known RF processing so as to detect an EFM+ synchronization pattern (e.g., 8, 16 conversion). A "rough" servomechanism based on the constant linear velocity (CLV) method operates on signal S1 based on detected synchronization patterns. Then, after sector detection circuit 7 detects an EFM+ sync header in signal S1, a PLL (Phase Locked Loop) servomechanism operates on the sync header, and when several sync headers are continuously detected by detection circuit 7, data S2 supplied from detection circuit 7 is deinterleaved in ECC circuit 8.
Referring to FIG. 2, a block diagram of ECC circuit 8 is shown, in which ECC circuit 8 is comprised of four random access memories, RAM 24, RAM 26, RAM 28 and RAM30, and three error correction code (ECC) decoders 25, 27 and 29. As will be discussed, decoders 25, 27 and 29 detect and correct errors in data S2 using the three error detection/correction sequences data C11 (also known as the first C1 sequence), data C2, and data C12 (also known as the second C1 sequence) which includes C1/C2 convolutional Reed-Solomon codes (i.e., CIRC Plus codes). The data sequences are included in the EFM+ demodulated data S2. Data S2 is supplied to RAM 24 which stores the data therein in the address order of 00, 01, . . . , A8, and A9 (called herein as an "EFM+ Write"), and after two frames of S2 data are stored in RAM 24, RAM 24 supplies the first-stored frame of data to decoder 25 from the address order of 00', 02', . . . , A8', 01, 03, . . . , A9 (called herein as a "C1 read") so as to de-interleave the C1 sequence of data, such as shown in FIG. 3. Decoder 25 receives the read-out data and corrects errors in the S2 data by identifying the error positions and correction patterns of the data, reading the erroneous data from RAM 24 (i.e., the C1 read), exclusively logically adding the read data to the correction patterns, and writing the resultant data to RAM 26 (called herein as a "C1 Write"), such as shown in FIG. 4. Decoder 25 decodes the C1 sequence of data (and thus error detects/corrects the S2 data) over the C2 code sequence length.
After C1 sequence data is decoded (over the entire C2 code sequence length), the C2 sequence of data is then "ECC" decoded. The data stored in RAM 26 is read therefrom at the address order of 00', 01', 02', 03', . . . , A9' (called herein as a "C2 read") and the read-out data is supplied to decoder 27 which subsequently decodes the read-out C2 sequence of data. Decoder 27 generates an "uncorrectable error" flag for each frame of data that is uncorrectable and supplies the uncorrectable error flag to decoder 29 in synchronism with the supply of the decoded S2 data so as to allow the uncorrectable data to be erased (i.e., removed) from the data stream. Error detection/correction in decoder 27 is similar to that of decoder 25, and a C1 uncorrectable error flag is generated when data is uncorrectable.
After decoder 27 decodes the data using the C2 data, the decoded data is stored in RAM 28 (called herein as a "C2 Write"), such as shown in FIG. 5. Thereafter, RAM 28 reads the data including the C12 sequence of data stored therein from the address order of 00', 01, 02, 03, . . . , A9 (called herein as a "C12 read") and supplies the read-out data to decoder 29. Similar to the C2 uncorrectable error flag, a C12 uncorrectable error flag is generated and utilized for the purpose of erasing (i.e., removing) uncorrectable errors based on the C12 sequence of data. Decoder 29 error detects/corrects the data (using the C12 data) and stores the data in RAM 30 in the order of 00, 01, 02, 03, . . . , A9 (called herein as a "C12 write"), such as shown in FIG. 6. The data stored in RAM 30 is read therefrom in the order of 00, 01, 02, 03, . . . , A9 (called herein as an "OUT read"), descrambled and supplied to ring buffer memory 10, as previously discussed.
Storage addresses RA at which data are stored are generated from the following equations and using a data order Dn in the direction of the C1 data and the frame numbers Fn in "C1 code units" that are based on the data addresses of RAMs 24, 26, 28, and 30, such as shown in FIG. 7. All numbers in the equations hereinafter are in hexadecimal notation.
Dn: data No. (00-A9) PA1 Fn: frame No. (00-B9) PA1 RA: RAM address (0000-7FFF) EQU Fna=Fn+46+01 EQU IF (ECC MODE=C2), Fna=Fna+Dn EQU IF (Fna>FF), Fna=Fna+46-100 (1) EQU (Dn=00) AND (00<Dn<80) EQU RA=(Fna).times.80!+Dn 6:0! (2) EQU (Dn=80) AND (80<Dn<A0) EQU RA=(Fna+18).times.20!+Dn4:0! (3) EQU (Dn=A0) AND (80<Dn<AF) EQU RA=(Fna+BA-100).times.10!+Dn3:0! (4)
As previously discussed, the CIRC Plus code is error detected/corrected decoded utilizing decoders 25, 27, and 29 which decode the C11, C2, and C12 sequences of data, respectively, and the resultant decoded data are reordered in RAMs 26, 28, and 30. However, since the timing for outputting the error-corrected data is not fixed, two counters are needed to provide for the transfer of the data and for the correction of the errors, which results in an unnecessarily complicated structure. Furthermore, using three separate memory devices, i.e., RAMs 24, 26 and 28, to separately decode the C11, C2, and C12 sequences of data results in an undesirable large memory storage capacity.
Referring to FIG. 8A, timing diagrams for several different signals are shown. If a single memory device is utilized to transfer two frames of C11 data within one clock period of a read frame clock (signal RFCK in FIG. 8A), then two separate frame counters are required to perform the separate functions of transferring data and correcting errors. Still further, separate frame counters also are required when data is transferred and when errors are corrected even if the clock is output only during data transfers, such as shown in FIG. 8B.

Apparatus and method for decoding a coded digital signal


A radiotelephone (100) comprises a user interface module (102) including a membrane sheet layer (302), user interface circuitry (304) and a flexible circuit sheet layer (306), and a radio circuitry module (104) including radio circuitry (308) and a radio housing (310). The user interface circuitry (304) includes an earpiece electroacoustic transducer (322), microphone electroacoustic transducer (324), a keypad (326) and an electronic display (328) being disposed between the membrane sheet layer (302) and the flexible circuit sheet layer (306). The radio circuitry (308) is electrically coupled to the user interface circuitry (304) via electrical conductors (330-344) on the flexible circuit sheet layer (306) permitting many marketing options for the user interface module (102) and efficient manufacturing of the radiotelephone (100). The radio housing (310) encloses the radio circuitry (308) and is mechanically coupled to the user interface module (102). The user interface module (102) integrates the earpiece electroacoustic transducer (322) and the microphone electroacoustic transducer (324) as electroacoustic transducer sheet layers (402 and 414) in the user interface module (102), and includes hinge mechanisms (702, 902, 904) to produce a credit card sized radiotelephone (FIGS. 7-10).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to radiotelephones, and more particularly to a radiotelephone having a user interface module.
2. Description of the Related Art
Advances in computing, wireless transceivers, displays, input devices, batteries, materials and mechanics have promoted the miniaturization and weight reduction of portable communication devices, such as cellular and cordless radiotelephones. A user interface portion of a portable radiotelephone typically includes a display, a keypad, an earpiece transducer and a microphone transducer. Conventional radiotelephones construct the user interface portion using one or more molded plastic housings to provide a structure for mounting and retaining a display lens, the keypad, the earpiece transducer and the microphone transducer. Wires from the earpiece transducer and the microphone transducer are routed through the housing for attachment to a printed circuit board. However, as portable communication devices become smaller and lighter, the structure of a conventional portable radiotelephone user interface portion of a radiotelephone inhibits size and weight reductions of the portable radiotelephone. Moreover, physical changes to the user interface portion of the portable radiotelephones to promote differentiation in the consumer market have a relatively limited number of arrangements and are time consuming to implement in production.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved structure for the user interface portion of a portable communication device yielding size and weight reductions. Additionally, the improved structure should improve manufacturability, reduce cost and offer a variety of market differentiation options with minimum design cycle time.

Radiotelephone having a user interface module


A carrier assembly including a label, coupon, booklet or the like for application to a container or other receiver which has an elongated flexible carrier web having opposed faces, one face being equipped with adhesive, the other face being equipped with release material, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced web-units attached to the one face, the carrier web being convolutely wound with the space between the web-units exposing said adhesive.. Also disclosed is the method of preparing and the method of using wherein the wound roll is unwound and one web-units sequentially dispensed as by severing a segment from the carrier web and applying the same to a receiver.

This invention relates to linerless adhesive-equipped carrier assembly and method and, more particularly, to a product and method which is especially adapted for providing information web-units such as coupons, booklets, and the like as label assemblies for various products.
The invention includes the use of a roll of linerless label stock consisting of paper or clear poly film that has been produced by using conventional manufacturing processes, e.g., a label press equipped with print towers, silicone coater and an adhesive applicator. The linerless label stock may or may not be slit, perforated or punched--as may be useful in assisting of the removal of the booklet, coupon, card, etc. This roll of linerless paper/film may also have aligning holes or preprinted registration marks for achieving register.
The linerless carrier roll is advantageously mounted on an unwind stand of a mailer type collator and webbed, i.e., advanced, with the adhesive side up and with the web passing underneath a diecut tipping station, for example. Single or multiple plies from the mailer collator are webbed through the diecutter and tipped onto the adhesive side of the linerless label. In lieu of a diecutter/chipout unit, a label applicator or tipper could also tip inserts or web units onto the linerless label. After the inserts are tipped in register on the moving linerless paper/film, the web is wound into a roll in longitudinally spaced locations. The plies/inserts that are tipped sequentially in register onto the linerless ply can be, among other things, single I.D. cards, coupons, booklets, postcards, business reply envelopes, etc.
An advantage of using a collator is that the various plies can be different paper weights and colors. They can also be plowed before going through the die cut station.
After the completion of the web-unit-equipped linerless ply, it is wound to form a linerless adhesive-equipped carrier assembly in convolutely wound form with adhesive being exposed between adjacent web-units. This permits direct application of the web-unit-equipped segment of the carrier directly to a receiving surface, such as a container--and without the need for removing a release liner at the time of application. Exemplary of the prior art featuring folded inserts on a carrier ply wherein a release liner must be removed before application to a receiving surface is U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,214 and European Patent Application publication 192 444.
According to the invention, the roll resulting from the convolute winding normally is relocated for advantageous use in conjunction with a stream of products. The products may vary widely from milk cartons to shipping boxes to bottles and containers of all sorts--in other words, anything whether filled or not which can make use of a removable information-containing web-unit. As the containers to be equipped with the web-units are advanced, the linerless carrier is likewise advanced and selectively severed to provide transferrable items for application to the stream of containers.
Then, when the container or other item bearing the web-unit reaches its final destination, the recipient is easily and readily able to remove the web-unit from the container for the information it is intended to convey.
Other objects and advantages of the invention may be seen in the details of construction and operation set forth in the ensuing specification.

Linerless adhesive-equipped carrier assembly and method


The instant invention relates to a spinning device, in particular a spinning or winding device. The device comprises a pressure circuit with a valve installed therein to control the pressure. The valve can be actuated pneumatically. A device for rapid aeration of the valve is provided with the valve. The valve is actuated by compressed air acting upon a side of a cup seal away from a pressure chamber, causing the cup seal to close off an aeration opening. The compressed air streams past the cup seal and fills the pressure chamber, whereby a passage cross-section of the valve is reduced or closed off by means of a closing element acting upon the pressure in the pressure chamber in opposition to a restoring force. As the pressure on the side of the cup seal away from the pressure chamber is reduced, the pressure on the side of the cup seal towards the pressure chamber is increased. As a result the cup seal moves in direction of lower pressure and the aeration opening is again opened. The closing element returns in this manner rapidly into its original position under the effect of its restoring force.

The instant invention relates to a spinning device, in particular a spinning or winding device with a pressure circuit and with a valve in the pressure circuit to control the pressure.
The connection of a spinning rotor connected via a suction circuit to a negative pressure circuit and the installation of a valve in the suction circuit to release and shut off the negative spinning pressure is known from DE 37 26 531 C1. The valve is made in form of a hose diaphragm valve. The negative spinning pressure is released and shut off by means of a clamping lever which can be swivelled transversely to the valve. In this manner the hose diaphragm is pressed against the wall of the valve by a clamping end. By shutting off the negative spinning pressure and switching on aspiration at the fiber sliver opener roller, the fibers loosened from the fiber sliver do not reach the spinning rotor but the aspiration opening. By again opening the valve and terminating suction, the fibers again enter the spinning rotor. This deflection of the fiber stream is used during the yarn piecing process in order to achieve uniform yarn piecing joints. The opening characteristic of the valve is a disadvantage in the known device. The valve opens relatively slowly due to the inertia of the components to be moved. Because of the negative spinning pressure increases gradually, only gradual availability of the maximum fiber stream is possible. Because of the mechanical components, a uniform opening time over several opening cycles and at different spinning devices is not always ensured. Furthermore much space is required to control the valve via the lever.

Rieter Ingolstadt Spinnereimaschinenbau AG


In one embodiment, a device obtains traffic for an application to be sent to a plurality of hybrid Information-Centric Networking clients. The device divides the plurality of hybrid Information-Centric Networking clients into active hybrid Information-Centric Networking clients and passive hybrid Information-Centric Networking clients, based in part on whether a given hybrid Information-Centric Networking client is sharing content with the plurality of hybrid Information-Centric Networking clients via the application. The device sends, to the active hybrid Information-Centric Networking clients, the traffic using a first transport mechanism that guarantees a level of end-to-end latency between the device and the active hybrid Information-Centric Networking clients. The device sends, to the passive hybrid Information-Centric Networking clients, the traffic using a second transport mechanism that does not guarantee the level of end-to-end latency between the device and the passive hybrid Information-Centric Networking clients.

Real-time communication is challenging to scale as participating devices increase in terms of network resource usage because of stringent latency requirements that it imposes for interactivity. Current solutions provided by various protocols forward content, information, data, etc. to end users that are not actively participating in real-time communication sessions. In the end, these solutions necessarily introduce a measure of latency to content that is streamed to an end user. Additionally, these protocols require a server that provides audio/video encoding or decoding, where the server oftentimes has to distribute content in different formats.

Real-time transport (RTC) with low latency and high scalability


A mass spectroscope includes a mass analysis device having a surface provided with metallic members capable of exciting plasmons when irradiated by laser light, the mass analysis device allowing an analyte to be attached to the surface, a light radiation unit for irradiating the surface of the mass analysis device with laser light to ionize the analyte attached to the surface and desorb the analyte from the surface, and a detection unit for detecting a mass of the analyte ionized and desorbed from the surface of the mass analysis device from a time of flight of the analyte. The light radiation unit includes a polarization adjusting mechanism for adjusting a polarization direction of the laser light.

The present invention relates to a mass spectroscope for detecting an analyte.
Among mass spectroscopy methods used for the identification of an analyte or other like purposes is a mass spectrometry whereby an analyte is irradiated by laser light to ionize and desorb the analyte, and the desorbed analyte is detected according to mass.
Among the methods of ionizing an analyte used in the mass spectroscopy are, for example, the MALDI (matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization) method and the SALDI (surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization) method, as described in "Analytical Chemistry," Volume 77, Number 16, pp. 5364 to 5369.
The MALDI method is a method whereby a sample prepared by mixing an analyte into a matrix (e.g., sinapic acid or glycerin) is irradiated by light to allow the matrix to absorb the energy of the light with which the sample was irradiated, the analyte is vaporized together with the matrix, and the proton transfer is allowed to take place between the matrix and the analyte, achieving ionization of the analyte.
The SALDI method is a method whereby no matrix is used and the surface of a substrate upon which a sample is placed is instead given functions similar to those of a matrix so that the analyte is ionized directly upon the surface of the substrate. Analytical Chemistry referred to above describes a DIOS method wherein the substrate is a porous silicon plate having pores each measuring hundreds of nanometers.
JP 2007-171003 A describes a mass spectroscope using a mass analysis substrate wherein at least part of the surface upon which an analyte is placed (i.e., detection surface) is adapted to be a rough metallic surface capable of exciting localized plasmons upon irradiation with laser light. That mass spectroscope detects the mass of an analyte by irradiating the detection surface of the mass analysis substrate with laser light to desorb the analyte from the detection surface and trap the analyte desorbed from the detection surface.
Mass spectroscopes are required to be capable of a high-accuracy mass detection of an analyte and an efficient ionization thereof with less energy.


A road surface condition estimation apparatus (1) is provided with a collecting device (111) for collecting, from vehicle (2), behavior information relating to a behavior of the vehicle; a determining device (112) for determining on the basis of the behavior information whether or not an abnormality condition is satisfied, the abnormality condition being set on the basis of a specific behavior that is expected to be taken by the vehicle when the vehicle encounters a road surface abnormality; and an estimating device (112) for estimating a condition of the road surface on the basis of a determined result of the determining device.

A Patent Literature 1 discloses a method of estimating a condition of a road surface by frequency-analyzing a wheel speed signal to thereby calculate a vibration gain, calculating a resonance gain correction coefficient corresponding to a difference between a reference pressure and an inner pressure of a tire, calculating a corrected vibration gain on the basis of the vibration gain and the resonance gain correction coefficient, and comparing the corrected vibration gain with a threshold value, for example. A Patent Literature 2 discloses a method of executing a filtering process for extracting a high frequency component from a wheel acceleration rate and determining on the basis of a dispersion value of the filtering-processed wheel acceleration rate whether a road condition is bad or not. A Patent Literature 3 discloses a method of collecting, as a road surface condition data, a calculated result of a level of a high frequency component of a detection signal from a vibration detecting device when a tread surface of a tire at which the vibration detecting device is placed hugs (in other words, contacts) a road and then estimating a condition of a road surface on the basis of the road surface condition data.
A Non Patent Literature 1 discloses an application (a road and infrastructure deterioration diagnosis application) that detects, on the basis of a probe data collected from a vehicle, a deterioration of a road surface including presence of a potential pothole and rough road surface location, and provides recommendation of road location needing maintenance to a maintenance manager and vehicle operator. This application matches the probe data including a speed and a location of a vehicle against a digital road map to estimate a location at which a road surface deteriorates (a location of deteriorated pavement and uneven surface, for example).

Road surface condition estimation apparatus and road surface condition estimation method


Various embodiments are generally directed to operation of a computing device powered with first and second sets of energy storage cells, the cells of the first set structurally optimized for higher density storage of electric power, and the cells of the second set structurally optimized for providing electric power at a high electric current level. A battery module includes a casing, a first cell disposed within the casing to store electric energy with a high density, and a second cell disposed within the casing to provide electric energy stored therein with a high current level. Other embodiments are described and claimed herein.

Current portable computing devices tend to place diametrically opposed requirements on their batteries. Much of the time, such portable devices operate in a so-called "standby" or lower power mode in which they consume electric power at a highly reduced rate with the expectation that doing so will result in far longer runtimes for their batteries. Yet, between lengthy periods of operation in such a lower power mode, there are also shorter periods of time in which such portable devices operate in a so-called "turbo" or higher power mode in which they consume electric power at a highly elevated rate.
Usually, such higher power modes entail operating at least one processor circuit (often the "central" processor circuit, but could be a specialized graphics or other processor circuit) at a higher clock rate, with more processor core components active, and/or with other processing-related features active. Often, a component of an operating system and/or logic within the processor circuit itself determines when to switch between such lower and higher power modes. Also, the impetus to switch from a lower power mode to a higher power mode is often the detection of a type of processing and/or an amount of processing required. Such an impetus is frequently supplied by the start of a particular type of task (e.g., floating point or vector math, video compression or decompression, etc.).
In recent years, several new battery technologies have come to be put in wide use, each usually able to offer higher densities of storage of electric power than its predecessors. Thus, it has become increasingly feasible to produce physically small batteries of a shape and size that are highly desirable for use in portable computing devices that also store a considerable amount of electric power such that lengthy runtimes in a lower power mode are frequently provided.
However, achieving such high energy storage densities to enable such lengthy runtimes in a lower power mode has lead to the cells of which batteries are composed having a construction that has a reduced ability to provide high power output (specifically, electric power output at high current levels) for even short periods of time. Further, some newly developed cell technologies also intrinsically have a high energy storage density, yet low current output capability. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the embodiments described herein are needed.

Mixed cell type battery module and uses thereof


Provided herein are inventive enopeptin compounds of Formula (I): and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and pharmaceutical compositions thereof. Further provided are methods of preparation, use, and treatment.

Infectious diseases are the third leading cause of death in developed countries and the second leading cause of death worldwide (see, e.g., World Health Organization (WHO) Geneva, World Health Report (2002); Nathan, Nature (2004) 431:899). The efficacy of many antibacterial drugs has been compromised by the emergence of drug resistant, pathogenic bacteria (see, e.g., National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) System, Am. J. Infect. Control (2004) 32:470). The Infectious Disease Society of America has recently outlined the deadly implications of a growing number of drug-resistant pathogens (see, e.g., Boucher et al., J. Clin. Infect. Dis. (2009) 48:1). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), and penicillin-resistant Streptococcus epidermis are especially worrisome in clinical settings. Unfortunately, the prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria has made antibiotics of last resort, like vancomycin, the first-line of therapy. The capacity of bacteria to routinely develop resistance to virtually any antibacterial agent necessitates a continuous search for new drugs. There is much evidence in the literature that natural products derived from microorganisms will continue to be a source of novel antibacterial drugs (see, e.g., Clardy, Nat. Biotechnol. (2006) 24:1541). Although natural products often have chemical properties that are incompatible with chemotherapy, it is possible to use medicinal chemistry as a means to enhance their biological activity and/or pharmacological properties (see, e.g., von Nussbaum et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (2006) 45:5072).
A recent case where medicinal chemistry was used to improve the activity of a natural product was that of the enopeptins (see, e.g., Hinzen et al., Chem Med Chem (2006) 1:689; U.S. 20050107288). The parent compounds were isolated from the soil-dwelling bacterium Streptomyces sp. RK-1051 and are defined by a 16-membered peptidolactone consisting of five L-amino acids to which a lipophilic polyene side chain is appended (see, e.g., Osada et al., J. Antibiot. (1991) 44:1463). A group of closely related compounds, called A54556 A and B, were isolated from Streptomyces hawaiienesis by a research group at Eli Lilly (U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,650). The enopeptins attracted attention because of their potent activity against drug-resistant bacterial pathogens, including MRSA and VRE (see, e.g., Brötz-Oesterhelt et al., Nat. Med. (2005) 11:1082). The apparent lack of cross-resistance for all antibacterial agents on the market or those in clinical development has been ascribed to a peculiar mechanism of action. The enopeptin antibiotics inhibit cell division and cause cell death by binding and deregulating the activity of the casein lytic protease (ClpP) (see, e.g., Brötz-Oesterhelt, supra). Under normal conditions, this fourteen-subunit protease selectively degrades proteins through a physical and functional association with accessory ATPases that recognize and unfold its substrates (see, e.g., Maurizi et al., Biochemistry (1999) 37:7778; Singh et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA. (2000) 97:8898; Baker et al., Trends Biochem. Sci. (2006) 31:647; Hsiung et al., FEBS Lett. (2007) 581: 3749). In the presence of the enopeptins, ClpP indiscriminately degrades folded cytoplasmic proteins, which ultimately causes cell death (see, e.g., Brötz-Oesterhelt, supra). Recent structural studies indicate that the enopeptins bind the ClpP core structure and cause it to undergo a conformational change that exposes the enzymatic active sites of its subunits (see, e.g., Lee et al., Nature Structural Biology (2010) 17:471-479).
Although the enopeptin natural products have remarkable antibacterial activity in vitro, their chemical lability and poor solubility limit their efficacy in vivo (see, e.g., Hinzen et al., Chem Med Chem (2006) 1:689). Therefore, this continues to be a need for the development and study of new and improved enopeptin compounds.

Enopeptins, uses thereof, and methods of synthesis thereto


A rowing oar handle comprising a first portion and a second portion, in which the first portion and the second portion are axially rotatable to one another, and in which in use the point of rotation is located between a user's hands.

This invention relates to a rowing oar handle, for use particularly but not exclusively in the sport of competitive rowing.
In rowing the oars are feathered between strokes. At the end of the stroke the user rotates the oar through about 90 degrees such that the blade is parallel with the water, and just prior to the beginning of the stroke the oar is rotated back so the blade can enter the water vertically.
Rowing oar handles are commonly made of wood, which is provided with a roughened surface to aid grip in the wet conditions. The action of rotating the oar to feather the blade is therefore very tough on the hands and often leads to blisters and other injuries.


A motorized blind having a pull cord. The pull cord is mechanically connected to an electrical switch in a headrail of the blind, the switch being electrically connected to an electric motor within the headrail. The pull cord also extends outwardly of an end of the headrail and then outwardly and downwardly of the blind through a hole in the front of an end cap on the headrail.

In known motorized blinds, manually-operated, electrical switches have been provided on the front of their headrails for allowing the owners of the blinds to turn on and off electric motors in the headrails to raise and lower window covering fabrics, slats or cells of the blinds. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,990,646. However, it has been rather inconvenient for owners of such motorized blinds to have to reach up to the switches on the headrails of such blinds each time that they wish to raise and lower the window coverings of the blinds.

Pull cord on headrail for operating a motorized blind


The invention relates to a dielectric filter for mounting to a printed wiring board wherein the edges of the filter's electrodes are covered with a protective film to prevent the peeling of edges of electrodes. The dielectric filter is a dielectrics (1) having a through hole (2) extending from its top to bottom face, an external electrode (3a) disposed on the outer face of the dielectrics (1) except for the top face, an internal electrode (3b) disposed inside the through-hole (2), island-like input/output electrodes (6) which are disposed on the outer side face of said dielectrics (1) and surrounded by a non-electrode portion (5) of the external electrode (3a). An electrode protection film (8) covers an outer edge of said input/output electrode (6), the non-electrode portion (5) of the external electrode (3a) disposed around the input/output electrode (6), and an inner edge of the external electrode (3a) contacting the non-electrode portion (5).

The present invention relates to a dielectric filter used in communications equipment and a method of manufacturing the dielectric filter. Also, the present invention relates to a protection film for covering the edges of the filter's electrodes
Conventionally, dielectric filters have an island-like input/output electrode, isolated from an external electrode, disposed on the outer side face of dielectrics having multiple through holes from the top to bottom.
One problem faced with a conventional dielectric filter is the peeling of the outer edge of the input/output electrodes and the inner edge of the external electrode of the dielectric filter, which may occur due to external stress, such as heat and twist applied to printed wiring boards when the dielectric filters are mounted to the printed wiring boards.

Dielectric filter with protective film covering the edges of the input/output electrodes and external electrode

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.