A mechanism for the remote distribution/installation of computer programs from a source to a number of target computers. The computer programs are transferred as packages identified in a package list. Attempt numbers for retrying a push mode and a pull mode distribution are pre-specified. A next package is identified in the package list and it is checked if a target computer is available. If it is available then installation of the package on the target computer is started. Otherwise, if at least one push mode attempt is left, a next push mode is resumed and rescheduled and, if no push mode attempt is left, but at least one pull mode attempt is left, a next pull mode distribution is resumed and rescheduled. The mechanism particularly proposes a queue manager that activates a request, i.e., moves the request from a request queue into an active queue, and has implemented throttling that balances the load during a software distribution/installation.

The present invention generally relates to the field of software distribution in a digital computer network and, more specifically, to a method and system for remote distribution and installation of digital computer programs from a source data processing system to at least one target data processing system, wherein the computer programs, in particular, are transferred as packages that are specified in a package list.
A method and system for the distribution of software and data in a digital computer network is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,090. The software and data are combined into single entities referred to as "packages". Software packages are stored in a central package archive and a transfer program accesses the central package archive to schedule transfers of one or more software packages. The transfer program enables a user to specify, besides other attributes, the date and time for the transmission and the installation of the packages. Once a software package is scheduled for transmission to a target computer, an indication is stored in an outbound package queue. A package transfer agent program acts on this indication and transfers the package from the central package archive to the target system. A corresponding package transfer agent on the target system places packages in an inbound package queue. Finally a transfer daemon determines the package type and acts accordingly. If the package type is 'Distribution', then it messages the package to start installation.
Further, known software distribution/installation approaches like the IBM Tivoli Software Distribution product have in general two concepts for bringing software from a software repository to a particular target computer system. These concepts are called 'Push'-Mode and 'Pull'-Mode distribution.
A Push-Mode distribution is initiated by an operator or an automated process from a central point, aiming to force a software installation on all reachable target systems of a desired range. The Push-Mode distribution has disadvantages in large computer environments, especially environments spread over several continents, where the number of reachable target systems may be rather small. This is due to the fact that a standard end-user workstation may be online less then twelve hours a day and there is a lot of planning overhead to make sure a set of targets is online, at the very time the distribution will take place. Time zones, working hours and holidays have to be considered, and often, a software installation is not welcome during office hours. The last fact is not really a problem for server systems, which are generally up 24 hours a day but again for end-user systems, where either the users have to be forced to leave their machines up after work or to wake the systems up by hardware features such as Wake-On-LAN, which may not be available for all target systems in scope.
In contrast to the aforedescribed Push-Mode distribution, a Pull-Mode distribution is initated by a user of a target computer system or the target system itself. The activation of the installation may be initiated in a quiet mode, i.e. automatically during a system or user logon, without user attendence, or by a user interface giving a list of available packages to select from for installation.
The Pull-Mode distribution technique has the advantage over the predescribed Push-Mode technique that the target system is already online when the distribution is started.
But the drawback of the PULL-Mode distribution is that an exact time for the distribution/installation can not be determined in advance. This may result in target systems which are not updated in time since it is not forseeable at which time a login of the target system is performed.
In addition, a peak load in the distribution and network environment on the side of the source system, e.g. when a large number of users is logging into their systems, will cause time delays for starting a distribution/installation or cause a decrease in the overall throughput and thus will drop distribution/installation performance.

Method and system for remote software distribution and installation

International Business Machines Corporation


A device for lifting and holding the front or rear wheels of small to medium size and weight vehicles such as snow blowers, golf carts or lawn mowers is disclosed. The device contains two platform assemblies configured for wedging under the wheels of vehicles and a hoist configured for lifting the wheel to a desired height to provide access to the underside of the vehicle.

A large number of prior art references relating to devices for lifting the wheels of small vehicles have been identified. Vehicle towing embodiments are also related to the present invention since towing also involves raising the front wheels of the automobiles and securing them against falling out or moving.
Many of the prior art devices provide means for towing that require more lengthy and complex setup steps than to simply lift the vehicle wheels. A key difference between the lifting devices of the prior art references is the use of incline ramps for bracing and transporting the wheels of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,434,607 is directed to an improvement in an automobile towing device which includes a support means for rigid attachment to the rear of the towing vehicle and receiving means for receiving a part of a towed vehicle, the receiving means includes a rotatable member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,303 is for a repositionable lift apparatus constructed of a boom pivoted at one end near the upper end of a post. The other end of the boom pivotally supports a platform and a power cylinder is provided to pivot the boom to raise its other end from a loading position to a working position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,629 describes a wheel lift towing apparatus for mounting on the rear end of a tow truck or other towing vehicle for engaging the wheels of an immobilized vehicle to be towed. A rearwardly extending boom assembly is mounted at the rear end of the tow truck. Wheel lift carriages are mounted on the free end of the boom assembly for engaging the wheels of the immobilized vehicle for lifting the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,423 provides for a lift for raising or tilting a small vehicle such as a riding lawn mower including first and second ramps. The ramps each include an angled portion connected to a horizontal portion in turn connected to a vertical portion. The ramps are held by legs which extend from the vertical portion and which in the preferred form are removably pivotably mounted for ease of assembly and storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,196 relates to lift forks for use in lifting equipment such as utility vehicles (e.g., three-wheeled commercial mowers, four-wheeled vehicles, outdoor power equipment, etc.) for inspection, servicing and repair purposes. The lift forks are attachable to tool bars.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,160 refers to a wheel engaging vehicle lift for raising a vehicle relative to the ground and for supporting the vehicle in a raised position includes first and second support columns standing vertically upward from the ground. A first carriage is movably attached to the first support column and a second carriage is movably attached to the second support column. A first pair of arms extend away from the first carriage and a second pair of arms extend away from the second carriage, wherein the first and second pairs of arms are each rotatable about a substantially vertical axis proximate to a first end of the arms. A wheel engaging adapter may be removably secured proximate to an opposite end of the first and second pairs of arms, wherein the adapters are each rotatable about a substantially vertical axis proximate to the second end. The structure of the invention enables a conventional two-post frame engaging lift to be easily and readily converted into a two-post wheel engaging vehicle lift, and vice versa.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,188 relates to a towing apparatus for towing a disabled automobile. The towing apparatus includes an elongated boom having at each end portion a large rectangular aperture. A generally L-shaped wheel support member is also provided, having an elongated arm and a transverse wheel retainer forming an arcuate sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,330,997 is for a lifting apparatus for small vehicles, including a frame assembly, a pair of fabric webs attached to the frame assembly, and a pivotable lift assembly with a pair of spaced-apart wheel holders for receiving and securing the forward wheels of a vehicle such as a lawn or garden tractor, golf cart, or the like. To use the apparatus, the operator positions the wheels of the vehicle on the webs, operably positions the forward wheels in the wheel holders then drives the vehicle over the webs while the lift assembly pivots upwards.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,929,250 teaches a mobile appliance lift tool which includes a cart having a frame and a pair of legs. Each leg has a sleeve pivotally attaching the leg to an end of the frame. Each sleeve is adapted to travel up and down the leg to selectively move the frame between a substantially horizontal configuration and a substantially inclined configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,188,856 is for an apparatus for towing at least one wheeled vehicle that includes a frame including at least one generally vertically oriented support member and at least one generally horizontally oriented support member, the horizontal support member being at least partially hollow and formed with a ramp in a distal end thereof; a mounting arrangement for selectively mounting the frame to a towing vehicle; a vehicle support assembly for receiving and holding a vehicle tire, including at least one generally curved forward tire support member mounted to the horizontal frame member, and a rear support assembly, the rear support assembly including a generally L-shaped frame and a generally curved aft tire support member for removable telescopic engagement with the horizontal support member; and a lifting assembly for moving the vehicle support assembly generally vertically between a first position for loading a vehicle and a second position for towing a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,278,627 relates to a lift and support structure for a lawn tractor which includes a frame with a center lift member secured to and separating a pair of wheel support members. Ramps are secured to the wheel support members to permit the front or rear wheels of the lawn tractor to be rolled onto or off of the lift and support structure. The center lift member is elevated above the wheel support members to permit a floor jack or other lifting mechanisms to be placed under the lift and support structure.


The present invention relates to a method for fabricating a filament type high-temperature superconducting wire in which a thin film type high-temperature superconducting wire is fabricated into a filament shape suitable for use with alternating current. The method includes depositing a conducting ceramic or metal epitaxially on a metal substrate 10 having bi-axially textured property to deposit a conductive thin film layer 20 (S10); depositing silver, copper, nickel, silver and copper, or a nickel alloy epitaxially on the deposited conductive thin film layer 20 to deposit a metal layer 30 (S20); cutting the deposited metal layer 30 into a filament shape having a predetermined width using a laser, a slitter, or etching and separating the cut metal layer from the conductive film layer 20 by selective etching, stress generation, or a difference in thermal expansion coefficients to form a metal filament 40 (S30); coating a single layer or multi-layers of a ceramic buffer layer 41 on the outside of the separated metal filament 40 (S40); coating a superconducting layer 42 on the outside of the ceramic buffer layer 41 (S50); and coating a single layer or multi-layers of a metal protective layer 43 on the outside of the superconducting layer 42 (S60).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for fabricating a filament type high-temperature superconducting wire, and more particularly to a method for fabricating a filament type high-temperature superconducting wire in which a thin film type high-temperature superconducting wire is fabricated into a filament shape suitable for use with alternating current.
2. Description of the Related Art
Superconductive phenomenon refers to which resistance of a substance disappears when the temperature of the substance is lowered. That is, when a substance exhibiting superconductive phenomenon is used electricity can flow without generating heat, thus there is no energy loss. Such a substance is called a superconductor. Superconductive phenomenon is exhibited in certain substances and not influenced by temperature, magnetic field, or current. A superconductor can flow a current without resistance only under the superconductive transition temperature (Tc) and critical magnetic field (Bc). Under these circumstances, the critical current density (Ic), which is the highest current density capable of flowing current without resistance, exists.
In incorporating a superconductor, it is advantageous to fabricate the superconductor into a linear or tape shape and in use by the same applicable equipments manufactured by fabricating transmission lines superconductive magnets and the like can be used. In the case of a thin film type high-temperature superconducting wire, it is made into a tape shape having small thickness. Conventionally, the structure of a thin film type high-temperature superconducting wire is fabricated by coating a single layer or multi-layers of a ceramic layer on a metal substrate having a tape shape, coating a superconductive layer followed by a metal layer on the ceramic layer, as shown in FIG. 1A. Metal substrate used herein is a bi-axially textured metal substrate or a metal substrate having no specifically orientated texture. In the latter case, a bi-axially textured ceramic layer is coated on the metal substrate using ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD). The thin film type high-temperature superconducting wire is fabricated by preparing a metal substrate coated with one or two or more ceramic layers epitaxially on a metal substrate having a bi-axially textured surface, and coating a superconductive layer epitaxially on the ceramic layer. On the surface of the fabricated thin film type high-temperature superconducting wire, a metal layer having good conductivity is coated to thermally and mechanically protect the high-temperature superconducting thin film. Thus, the final thin film type high-temperature superconducting wire is completely formed.
FIG. 1B illustrates the structure of a thin film type high-temperature superconducting wire fabricated by coating a single layer or multi-layers of a ceramic layer on a metal substrate having no specifically oriented texture, coating and IBAD layer having bi-axially textured property followed by a ceramic layer, and then coating a superconducting layer and a metal layer sequentially thereon.
The bi-axially textured metal substrate is prepared via rolling a metal or a metal alloy having a face-centered cubic structure followed by heat treatment, and has a tape shape with small thickness and wide width. Similarly, the metal substrate, which has no specifically oriented texture, while having a bi-axially textured ceramic thin film coated by ion beam assisted deposition or an IBAD layer having bi-axially textured property also has a tape shape with small thickness and wide width. Therefore, the final thin film type high-temperature superconducting wire also has a tape shape with small thickness and wide width.
A superconducting wire can be incorporated into electric power lines, motors, transformers, fault current limiters, MRI magnets, NMR magnets and the like, in these uses, a direct current or alternating current power is used. When using a superconducting wire with alternating current, the direction of the current changes continuously such as to generate AC loss, thereby power loss occurs. Therefore, it is very important to reduce the AC loss of the superconducting wire. As a method for reducing the AC loss of the superconducting wire into a filament shape and twisting the filament may reduce the AC loss dramatically. Also, a multiple core wire is used as the superconducting wire for the stability of the superconductor (Lawrence Dresner, "Stability of Superconductor," Plenum Press, New York, N.Y. (1995)). Superconductive current flows through the superconducting filament in the multiple core superconducting wire.
However, as directed above, in the conventional method for fabricating a think film type high-temperature superconducting wire, there are problems in that it is difficult to use the wire in a twisted form and the AC loss is big because the final shape of the wire has a tape shape with small thickness and wide width; the disadvantage in the formability is generated when incorporating the wire into a solenoid coil, a pancake coil, or a cable; and the cross-sectional area of the superconducting wire occupying the total cross-sectional area of the wire is small.

Method for fabricating filament type high-temperature superconducting wire


A method of saving, retrieving and dynamically establishing a plurality of conference parameters. A desktop conferencing system includes a plurality of nodes connected in a network. A user of the desktop conferencing system is able to manipulate a persistent conference object where a persistent conference object is an object including a plurality of items of information pertaining to a desktop conference. Each of the conference parameters are monitored, updated and saved. It is then possible to retrieve and dynamically establish conference parameters of a conference stored in a persistent conference object by: (1) prompting a user for an identifier identifying a particular persistent conference object on disk; (2) opening the specified persistent conference object by copying it from disk to memory; (3) reading the conference parameters stored in the persistent conference object in memory; and (4) implementing the conference parameters to establish the desired conference environment.

There are numerous software applications and hardware products in the market that store and track information concerning a meeting or conversation.
For example, one such software application is an electronic calendar that may be used to store the time, length, topic, and the participants of a conference. This conference may be a telephone conversation, a live meeting, or an electronic conference via a person's computer.
Another such application is a personal information manager (PIM) that is used widely to record notes and minutes from telephone discussions and/or conversations. PIms also can be used to record the participant's telephone number. A PIM user can quickly obtain information about another party, their telephone number, and a summary of a previous conversation. If a PIM is Telephone Application Programming Interface (TAPI) compatible, then the PIM can place a telephone call on behalf of the user.
There also exist hardware products on the market that will connect up multiple participants for a conference. For example, a telephone bridge can host a multi-party telephone conversation. The various participants call into the telephone bridge and the bridge acts as a host to connect each of the participants into a telephone conference.
Another example is a Multi-Point Control Unit (MCU), which is installed into a computer system. The MCU schedules and initiates telephone conferences between multiple parties. To reserve a "MCU slot", users specify the proposed start time, length and the participants of a desktop conference. The MCU captures this information and stores it as a reservation record. This reservation record is accessible to the computer system and may be used to establish a desktop conference.
Although there have been major strides in this area of software applications to track information about conferences, there are major disadvantages of all the above-mentioned products and/or applications.
First, none of the above discussed systems is adapted to store all the essential characteristics of a desktop conference. Second, none of the above systems allows the user to store all important characteristics of a conference prior to a conference or at any point during a live conference. Third, none of the above systems enables a user to access and retrieve those conference characteristics and automatically resume a prior conference.

Method for saving and accessing desktop conference characteristics with a persistent conference object


A method, apparatus, architecture and computer program product for populating a service request is disclosed. A service request is modeled to determine the steps involved. The data is missing from a service request for each step of the request is assessed. The data sources for the modeled request are identified. The relevant data is extracted from the identified data sources. The service request is populated with the extracted data. A service request is executed by executing at least one process step acting on the populated service request.

Large and small-scale computing systems require changes to be made almost on a daily basis. These changes can be of various types, such as replacing, adding or upgrading software components, and reconfiguration.
The implementation of these changes is performed by generating a service request handled by a change management system. A service request captures the description of the change and its history. The change itself goes through various steps, such as change creation, information gathering, approval, and actioning. Different people or processes typically work on a change at different stages in the process flow. The process flow often is a combination of automated and manual change implementation.
A common problem faced is that a change request has insufficient or missing data. In such situations, the person performing a process step may have to spend a lot of time collecting the required information, which may be spread over many different sources. Sometimes this knowledge resides only in the minds of people working on the computing system in question and is not otherwise captured or recorded anywhere.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide for an automated approach to populating service requests that contain missing data, and to recover at least some of any missing data.


The disclosure provides an X2 handover method and device, the method comprises: after sending a Handover Request Acknowledge message, a target eNB sets, for handed-over UE, a flag for indicating whether or not a Sequence Number Status Transfer message is received and sets the flag to be ‘not received’; and after receiving an RRC Connection Reconfiguration Complete message, the target eNB directly sends a Path Switch Request message to a core network without determining whether or not the Sequence Number Status Transfer message is received. With the technical scheme provided in the disclosure, the problem in the current X2 handover is solved that handover delay is increased as an RRC Connection Reconfiguration completion message is received by a target side prior to a Sequence Number Status Transfer message, thus simplifying the processing of a target eNB and increasing handover speed.

Mobility management is an important attribute of mobile communication systems, and handover is the key of mobility management, a rational handover can reduce the possibility of the sudden loss of the connection of User Equipment (UE) and the interruption of service data and improves system stability and user experience.
In a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, UE is in an RRC_CONNECTED status or an RRC_IDLE status. When the UE in the RRC_CONNECTED status enters another cell from a service cell, a cross-cell handover is trigged to guarantee a service not to be interrupted.
A cross-eNodeB handover is trigged when the UE is handed over from a cell of an Evolved Node B (eNB) to a cell of another eNB. If there is an X2 interface which is located between a handover source eNodeB and a handover target eNodeB, and the handover source eNodeB and the handover target eNodeB are connected with the same Mobility Management Entity (MME), a source eNB will initiate an X2 interface handover, otherwise, the source eNB will initiate an S1 interface handover, according to existing technologies (3GPP protocol, 23.401).
In an LTE system, the data transmission modes of a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer include an Acknowledged Mode (AM), an Unacknowledged Mode (UM) and a Transparent Mode (TM). In the AM, as data needs to be delivered in sequence, each packet is ordered by sequence number, that is, by Packet Data Convergence Protocol Sequence Number (PDCP SN). As there is no need to reset PDCP SNs during a handover, that is, the PDCP SNs need to be successive before and after a handover, a Sequence Number (SN) Status Transfer message is defined in 3GPP protocols to send to a target eNB the PDCP SNs of each E-UTRAN Radio Access Bearer (E-RAB) (service) in an AM for the data transmission between a source eNB and UE so that the user plane of the target eNB can transmit data with the PDCP SNs received to guarantee the continuity of uplink and downlink data.
If the handed-over UE has AM services, in order to guarantee AM data to be received and sent in sequence after a handover, a Sequence Number Status Transfer message must be received by the target eNB prior to the completion of the handover.
According to the description of a protocol (3GPP protocol, 36, 300), an X2 handover flow, as shown in FIG. 1, can be briefly described as follows:
1. a source eNB sends a Handover Request message to a target eNB;
2. the target eNB prepares resources and sends a Handover Request Acknowledge message to the source eNB;
3. the source eNB sends an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message to the UE;
4. the source eNB sends a Sequence Number Status Transfer message to the target eNB;
5. the UE sends an RRC Connection Reconfiguration Complete message to the target eNB;
6. the target eNB sends a Path Switch Request message to a core network;
7. the core network sends a Path Switch Acknowledge message to the target eNB;
8. the target eNB sends the UE Context Release message to the source eNB.
In the above-mentioned flow, for the target eNB, the Sequence Number Status Transfer message is received prior to the RRC Connection Reconfiguration Complete message. However, if the processing of the source eNB or the link of an X2 interface is faulted, the target eNB may receive the RRC Connection Reconfiguration Complete message from the UE prior to the Sequence Number Status Transfer message or the Sequence Number Status Transfer message is lost. Further, according to the description of the protocol (3GPP protocol, 36, 300), if there is no AM service, the source eNB may send no Sequence Number Status Transfer message, that is, the target eNB may receive no Sequence Number Status Transfer message. Thus, the target eNB needs a Sequence Number Status Transfer message when the UE having AM services is handed over, and needs no Sequence Number Status Transfer message when the UE having no AM service is handed over. However, in existing handover flow, the target eNB delays the transmission of a Path Switch Request message if the target eNB receives an RRC Connection Reconfiguration Complete message prior to a Sequence Number Status Transfer message, which increases handover delay and complicates the processing of the handover flow as two timers are started to synchronously wait for the Sequence Number Status Transfer message and the RRC Connection Reconfiguration Complete message. Aiming at the problems above, no effective solution has been proposed.


Electrostatic linear motor comprising a planar stator having a capacitive structure formed by a metal layer and a layer of dielectric material and a runner movable parallel to stator and carrying resiliently deformable projecting feet formed by a thin conductive film, arranged in rolling contact with the layer of dielectric material of the stator. The layer of dielectric material has a non-linear polarization versus the electric field applied by a source for supplying voltage pulses, and is preferably constituted by a film of ferroelectric material with a high value of dielectric permittivity.

The invention generally relates to electrostatic motors having low power and small dimensions adapted for use as actuators in microelectronic technology applications for actuating mechanical devices and the like in conditions in which vibrations and shocks take place, such as in the automotive field.
In such applications, there have been proposed electrostatic motor-actuators of the piezoelectric type, in which the conversion of electromechanical energy is based on the reversed piezoelectric effect. These motors have various drawbacks, among which a relatively high cost of manufacture and insufficient reliability, they require quite high supplying voltages and have an insufficiently high efficiency. As a consequence, the use of these piezoelectric motors is not satisfactory usually for the applications mentioned at the beginning, particularly on board motor-vehicles.
Electrostatic linear reciprocating motors are also known, comprising a planar stator having a capacitive structure formed by a metal layer and a layer of dielectric material and a movable member parallel and spaced apart relative to the stator and carrying conductive thin film means defining resiliently deformable projecting feet arranged in contact with the layer of dielectric material of the stator, and means for supplying voltage pulses for applying an electric field between said feet and said metal layer of the stator so as to resiliently deform said feet by electrostatic effect and cause a translation thrust on the movable member along a direction parallel to the stator.
In electrostatic motor-actuators of this type, the use of a huge number of feet (or "petals" or "cilia") enables a vary rapid electrostatic capture effect to be obtained, which insures a very high reliability in operation which in practice is not affected by vibrations, planarity defects of the stator, presence of dust. For this reason, these motors are considered as being adapted for application to microelectronic systems installed on board motor-vehicles.
The peculiar characteristic of the conversion of electromechanical energy at the basis of the operation of these motors lies in that during rolling of the feet of the movable member along the stator an extremely high concentration of energy takes place at the interface between the feet and the layer of dielectric material, with a force equivalent to a pressure in the order of 100-150 kg/cm.sup.2, and as a result of this, the force by which the movable member is displaced linearly relative to the stator reaches values up to 10N. The efficiency of this energy conversion is much greater than that typical of piezoelectric motors, and reaches values in the order of 90%.
However, the electrostatic motors of the above indicated type have some drawbacks, which may be summed up as follows:
relatively high supplying voltage (usually not lower that 200-300 V); PA1 appearance of partial discharges because of the high supplying voltage and the linear dependency between the intensity of the electric field and the polarization of the layer of dielectric material; PA1 formation of concentrated discharges in the layer of dielectric material, which involves the need of using voltage pulses of different polarities; PA1 insufficiently high energy concentration as a result of low permittivity of a dielectric with linear polarization.

Electrostatic linear motor with deformable feet between a runner and a dielectric layer of a stator


An ignition coil for an internal combustion engine includes a core assembly. The core assembly has a magnetically active core made of sheet-metal strips, a damping element and a sheath surrounding the core and the damping element. Different ways are described for improving the discharge of air trapped in the core assembly during casting of the ignition coil. For example, the damping element is designed with a V-shaped incision or a semipermeable diaphragm.

A core assembly is described in non-prepublished German Patent Application No. DE 10 2004 008986.
When a core assembly is mounted in an ignition coil, the core assembly is positioned in the ignition coil housing during premounting. The premounted ignition coil is then cast in a casting chamber according to a vacuum casting process, using a casting resin made of epoxy resin. Casting takes place in a vacuum to be able to fill all cavities of the ignition coil with the epoxy resin or casting resin and impregnate the windings. Because the core stack is surrounded by a sheath, usually in the form of a heat-shrinkable sleeve, as well as a damping element and a cover on the side of the core assembly diametrically opposed to the damping element, a pressure gradient is produced between the interior of the core assembly and its surroundings upon evacuation of the casting chamber. However, the pressure gradient decreases only very slowly, so that air exits the core assembly even during the ignition coil casting process carried out in a vacuum, which may cause bubbles to form in the cured casting resin or even at its surface. The formation of bubbles may impair the function of the bar-type ignition coil over the course of its life. As a result, an attempt is made to remove the air present in the coil as early as a prevacuum step, which takes place prior to casting. German Patent Application No. DE 10 2004 008986 also describes an air passage in the form of at least one slot provided in the damping element to improve the discharge of air from the core area.
An object of the present invention is to improve the known core assembly through alternative air evacuation means to further minimize or completely prevent the entrapment of air bubbles during casting of the core assembly.

Core assembly, in particular for an ignition coil of an internal combustion engine


In a flexographic printing system, both the process parameters and equipment setup and configuration may play a role in producing the desired printed pattern. One component of the equipment setup is the printer roller assembly which may comprise a roller and a flexoplate as well as tape. The properties of the flexoplate and the tape as well as the relative dimensions of each in the assembly may affect the geometry and quality of the transferred pattern, as well as the ability of the system to produce a pattern on a repeatable, consistent basis.

Flexographic printing involves the assembly of a flexoplate to a roller that is part of a roll-to-roll handling system. Printing microscopic patterns by flexographic printing imay be challenging, especially if those patterns involve intricate geometries. The assembly of the flexographic printing system can be used to control the printing of the microscopic patterns. This disclosure relates generally to the printing of high resolution conducting patterns, specifically to process parameters involving mounting tape.

Flexographic printing using flexographic printing roll configurations


A polymer SP insulator comprising an FRP core 1, a sheath 2 having a plurality of sheds 6 provided on outer periphery of FRP core 1, and metal-end-fittings 3, 4 crimped to upper and lower ends of FRP core 1, in which a flat plate 11 for adjusting the overall length dimension after crimping the metal-end-fitting 4 is assembled in the inner bottom of the metal-end-fitting 4, and the overall length dimension is uniformly adjusted by the thickness of the flat plate 11. Further, a stress concentration portion such as cross groove is provided in the outer bottom of the lower Metal-end-fitting 4, and prevents instability by deformation of flange 8 when crimping the Metal-end-fitting 4. In this configuration, in spite of the structure of crimping metal-end-fittings at upper and lower ends of the FRP core, the overall length tolerance, parallelism and eccentricity can be suppressed. In order to assure the flashover distance economically, preferably, the diameter of sheds of at least highest position and lowest position is larger than the diameter of intermediate shed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polymer SP (station post) insulator used in support of electric power devices such as bus bar and disconnecting switch.
2. Description of the Related Art
For supporting electric power devices such as bus bar and disconnecting switch at a substation, hitherto, porcelain-made SP insulators have been mainly used, but recently polymer SP insulators are also used as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1999-312421. The polymer SP insulator is a support insulator formed by covering the outer periphery of FRP core with a rubber sheath having a shell and a plurality of sheds, and crimping metal-end-fittings to upper and lower ends of FRP core, and it is excellent in quake resistance, and there are its needs in quake-stricken regions and nations.
To be used as support insulator, the polymer SP insulator is demanded to have a high dimensional precision. For example, according to the ANSI standard of the United States where polymer SP insulators are highly demanded, for a polymer SP insulator of overall length of 30 inches (762 mm), the overall length tolerance is within +/−0.8 mm, the parallelism is within +/−0.8 mm, and the eccentricity is within +/−3.2 mm. FIG. 1 shows methods of measuring overall length h, parallelism p, and eccentricity e. The parallelism p is defined as the difference of highest point and lowest point of reference circle of bolt circle diameter at upper end of insulator, and the eccentricity e is defined as deviation of center point of upper and lower ends.
As mentioned above, the polymer SP insulator is formed by crimping metal-end-fittings to upper and lower ends of FRP core. At the time of crimping, deviation or elongation occurs in the metal-end-fittings. Or when cutting the FRP core, fluctuations occur in the cutting length. Due to these reasons, it is not easy to satisfy the strict requirements of overall length tolerance of SP insulator, such as overall length tolerance of ANSI standard.
The metal-end-fitting is an integrally cast part consisting of tubular parts crimped to the upper and lower ends of FRP core and a flange formed at the end, and when the tubular parts are crimped inside at two opposite positions, the crimping effect causes the elongation of the tubular part in axial direction, and the flange may be warped and deformed as shown by exaggeration in FIG. 2. Accordingly, as for the parallelism and eccentricity tolerance, too, it is not easy to settle within the strict tolerance of SP insulator such as ANSI standard.
It is hence an object of the invention to present a polymer SP insulator capable of suppressing the overall tolerance within the ANSI standard requirement etc. in a structure formed by crimping metal-end-fittings to upper and lower ends of FRP core, and also suppressing the parallelism and eccentricity by deformation of flange within the ANSI standard requirement etc.


Methods and apparatus which deal with the management of risk relating to specified, yet unknown, future events are disclosed.. `Sponsor` stakeholders specify a particular product relating to an event or phenomenon for which there is a range of possible future outcomes.. `Ordering` stakeholders then offer contracts relating to the predetermined phenomenon and corresponding range of outcomes. The offered contracts specify an entitlement or (pay-off) at the future time of maturity for each outcome, and a consideration (or premium) payable, in exchange, to a `counter-party` stakeholder.. Independently of the offered contracts, the `counter-party` stakeholders input data as to their view of the likelihood of occurrence of each outcome in the predetermined range into the future, or specifically at the predetermined date of maturity.. Each offered contract is priced by calculating counter-party premiums from the registered data, and a match attempted by a comparison of the offered premium with the calculated premiums.. Matched contracts can be further traded until maturity, and at-maturity processing handles the exchange of entitlement as between the matched parties to the contract.

Individuals and enterprises are continually exposed to risk because of future events beyond their control. The outcome of those events can either positively or negatively impact on their wellbeing. Individuals and enterprises should generally prefer not to face exposure to the possibility of adverse consequences, regardless of their perception of the likelihood of such events occurring. It is in their interest to consider foregoing `resources` they currently possess if doing so would reduce the possibility of being so greatly exposed to future outcomes.
Risk can take many forms in view of the large range and type of future events which might result in adverse consequences. Risk can be categorised, in one instance, as `economic` in nature. Phenomena that constitute economic risk include: commodity prices, currency exchange rates, interest rates, property prices, share prices, inflation rates, company performance, and market event based indices.
Another characterisation of risk concerns `technical` phenomena. This can include things like the breakdown of an electricity generation plant, aircraft engine failure, and the damage to, or failure of, orbiting telecommunications satellites. The outcomes for each of these phenomena will be adverse for the users and/or supplier.
Other forms of risk defy ready characterisation, such as weather-based (viz., rain damage or lightning strike), or other natural occurrences (viz., earthquakes or iceberg collision with sea-going vessels).
There are also less tangible risks associated with, for example, the emission of atmospheric pollutants or the disposal of intractable toxic wastes, in the sense that the future consequences are unknown, save that there is a notion, based on current information, that they could be adverse.
The capability to manage risk is more important today than it was in the past, and is likely to become ever-more important into the future, because there is an ever increasing exposure to a wider generic range of future phenomena beyond the control of individuals or enterprises. There is also a wider feasible range of possible future events, and greater uncertainty about the likelihood of occurrence, associated with any single future phenomenon viz., an increasing volatility.
It is also thought that individuals are now more risk-averse in recessionary times, when there are fewer available discretionary resources to trade-off to protect themselves from such adverse future events.
In the prior art, individuals and enterprises faced with `technical` risk have hedged against future outcomes by mechanisms such as the adoption of quality assurance practices, warranties, increased research and development activity (and associated intellectual property rights such as patents, utility models and registered designs), the purchase of modernised plant and equipment, and improved inventory, occupational health and safety and employer/employee relations practices.
Consider a manufacturer of, say, integrated circuits (ICs), which has many clients wishing to purchase its ICs. The demand may result in a delay in delivery due to limited manufacturing capacity, thereby requiring advance production scheduling for orders already in-hand. Typically, the manufacturer will give a warranty to a purchaser as to measurable performance criteria for its ICs; if a batch does not perform to the specified criteria, the manufacturer is required by contract to replace that batch. That is, a purchaser may have no interest in obtaining monetary compensation for the poor quality ICs, as the purchaser needs the components for their own products. In that case, the `consideration` the warranty makes is the priority scheduling of a substitute batch of that type of IC, possibly displacing other scheduled production runs, or deferring delivery to another purchaser.
Such contractual arrangements are piece-meal in nature, and can only be struck between the manufacturer and each individual purchaser. They also leave the manufacturer exposed to claims from other customers whose orders are delayed by the re-scheduling. The manufacturer has no convenient mechanism available to it to hedge against such claims, perhaps by way of reserving production rights with another manufacturer, in lieu of unavailability of their own manufacturing facility.
In the face of such `economic` risk, it is known for individuals and enterprises to hedge against adverse outcomes by indirect means such as self-insurance, and directly by means such as futures contracts, forward contracts, and swaps.
There are disadvantages or limitations associated with such available economic risk management mechanisms. Particularly, they provide, at best, only indirect approaches to dealing with the risk management needs. The available mechanisms are relatively expensive, and provide limited phenomenon coverage, and therefore cannot meet the requirements of the party seeking to hedge against such wide-ranging future risk. The infrastructure and pay-out costs associated with switching between, say, a commodities market and a stock market are often prohibitive for entities small and large alike. As a consequence, entities find themselves saddled with obligations they have little control over and cannot escape.
In respect of the "less tangible" forms of risk, an example in the prior art of a form of management of that risk is that of `pollution rights` sold by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in March 1993 for the atmospheric emission of sulphur dioxide. This was done by an auction of "allowances" permitting the release into the atmosphere. By the year 1995, any company or organisation emitting sulphur dioxide in the U.S. without enough allowances to cover their total emissions will face prosecution. This means polluters must either buy further allowances, or else modify or replace their plant and equipment to reduce these emissions. The EPA will regulate the total number of allowances able to be obtained. The existing allowances have already become a valuable tradeable `property` as between sulphur dioxide emitters, that is, even before the time when no further allowances will be able to be purchased.
Management techniques for the "less tangible" forms of risk are in their infancy. The existing forms indicate an emerging demand for systems and methods to enable effective management.
Specific examples in the prior art of patents relating to methods and apparatus which deal with various forms of risk management include British Patent No. 2 180 380, in the name of Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner and Smith Incorporated, directed to an Automated Securities Trading Apparatus (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,004, and further related to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,346,442 and 4,376,978). Other examples include U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,478 assigned to Lazard Freres and Co., directed to Methods and Apparatus for Restructuring Debt Obligations, U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,640 assigned to Citibank, N.A., directed to An Automated Investment System, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,752,877, 4,722,055, and 4,839,804 assigned to College Savings Bank directed to Methods and Apparatus for Funding Future Liability of Uncertain Cost.
The present invention comes about in view of the shortcomings of existing risk management mechanisms, and the perceived increasing importance of the management of risk relating to specified, yet unknown, future events.
In this sense, the invention is directed to something having economic value to individuals, enterprises and societies as a whole. Methods and apparatus that provide for the management of risk offer material advantages by, for example, minimising adverse future outcomes, providing both a form of compensation in the event of adverse future outcomes, and forms of risk management not otherwise supported or available in the prior art, and thus have value in the field of economic endeavour.

Methods and apparatus relating to the formulation and trading of risk management contracts

Swychco Infrastructure Services Pty. Ltd.


An actuator system for actuating a high voltage current interrupter is disclosed. The actuator system comprises a transmission link for transmitting kinetic energy from a force provision system to a moveable contact of the current interrupter. The transmission link has a first end which is mechanically connectable to the moveable contact of the current interrupter and a second end facing away from the moveable contact. The actuator system further comprises a damping system comprising a shock-absorbing mass. The shock-absorbing mass is located along the extension of the line of translational movement of the transmission link, at the farther side of the transmission link as seen from the current interrupter, so that upon an opening operation of the current interrupter, the second end of the transmission link will collide with the shock-absorbing mass.

In high voltage systems, it is of great importance that the current through a transmission line can be interrupted in case of a line fault, in order to protect system equipment and system users from damage caused by the fault current. Circuit breakers are therefore provided in order to allow the interruption of a fault current. In direct current (DC) systems, the inductance of a transmission line will only limit the current in the initial transient stage, and the steady state impedance of a transmission line will thus be low. In order to prevent a fault current from growing beyond an acceptable level, a DC circuit breaker is typically connected in series with a large reactor. To maintain system stability and avoid damage to the system, a short breaking time of the DC circuit breaker is desired.
The breaking time of a mechanical DC circuit breaker is largely dependent on the opening time of the mechanical interrupter. Therefore, mechanical interrupters of high opening speed are desired.

High voltage current interrupter and an actuator system for a high voltage current interrupter


An adaptor tool for mounting components onto printed circuit boards. The adaptor tool has two capture members that define an opening sized to receive the component. The capture members are linked together such that the application of torque to the adaptor tool by a torque tool via a connector results in the two capture members frictionally engaging the component and transferring the torque to the component. This allows the component to be mounted to the printed circuit board to a desired degree of torque. The adaptor tool can be sized so as to be able to mount a cylindrical heat sink to a bracket on a printed circuit board to a desired degree of torque.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for mounting generally circular or cylindrical components and, more particularly, concerns a method for mounting electronic components such as cylindrical heat sinks in electronic applications.
2. Description of the Related Art
The increasing miniaturization of electronics has resulted in the ability to fabricate increasingly complex devices. Anyone who is familiar with the circuit boards used in personal computers will recognize that a tremendous number of components have to be mounted on these boards. The components include such things as integrated circuits, discrete circuit components, wiring, and electromechanical devices such as fans, disk drives and the like. The assembly cost of manufacturing a printed circuit board has increased with the increased complexity of the printed circuit board. Further, the actual assembly task is complicated by the greater density of components on the board as there is less room to allow assemblers to correctly position components on the board. This can result in assemblers being less efficient or even misassembling the boards.
One particular problem that occurs during board assembly is that the assembler may over-tighten or over-torque a component that is being mounted on the board. This can result in the component or the mount for the component being damaged. When components or their mounts are damaged as a result of over-tightening, the overall cost of producing the boards is increased as oftentimes the components, the mounts or even the board has to be replaced. Consequently, there is a need for mounting procedures and mounting tools that will allow for components to be mounted on printed circuit boards in such a manner that the components or the mount are not damaged as a result of the mounting process.
One such tool for mounting components is known as a torque tool. A torque tool will torque a fastener, such as a nut or screw, to only a preset amount of torque. This reduces the likelihood of damage to a component or to the board as a result of over-tightening the fastener. While these torque tools are very well suited for attaching fasteners to a board at a desired degree of torque, many components in the electronics field are not attached to the board through the use of such well known fasteners. These types of components generally include integral attachment mechanisms such as threads and the like. Consequently, torque tools cannot be used for these types of components.
An example of one such component is a circular heat sink that is typically mounted on top of an integrated circuit. The circular heat sink is generally cylindrical in shape and includes an attachment mechanism such as threads. The circular heat sink is mounted to the top of an integrated circuit so as to be in thermal contact with the integrated circuit to thereby allow the heat generated by the integrated circuit to be radiated away. Typically, circular heat sinks are mounted to integrated circuits through the use of a bracket. The bracket is initially glued or otherwise attached to the outer casing of the integrated circuit and the bracket defines an opening through which a first end of the circular heat sink is threadably engaged. The assembler grasps the cylindrical heat sink, positions it in the bracket and then twists it so as to tighten it to the bracket.
The overall configuration of the circular heat sink generally precludes the use of well-known torque tools. Consequently, the assemblers of printed circuit boards often screw the circular heat sinks into the brackets by hand. This is a very imprecise way of mounting the heat sink as the assembler is generally not able to determine the extent to which the heat sink has been positioned in the bracket. Mounting the heat sink in the bracket by hand can result in either the brackets being broken when the assembler over-tightens the heat sink, or can result in the heat sink not being properly attached to the bracket and therefore functioning inefficiently.
Hence, there is a need for an apparatus or method of attaching electrical components, such as circular heat sinks, to printed circuit boards in a manner which reduces the likelihood of damage to the printed circuit board or the component and still ensures that the component is properly mounted on the printed circuit board. To this end there is a need for an apparatus for attaching electrical components to printed circuit boards in such a way that the printed circuit board will be attached to a desired degree of torque to the printed circuit board.

Method of mounting components on printed circuit boards


A system and method of computer tomography imaging using a cerium-doped lutetium orthosilicate scintillator are provided. The system includes a high frequency electromagnetic energy projection source to project high frequency energy toward an object, such as a patient. A scintillator array having a plurality of cerium-doped lutetium orthosilicate scintillators therein receives the high frequency energy attenuated by the object and emits light energy based on the attenuated energy received. A photodiode array including a plurality of photodiodes is optically-coupled to the scintillator array and configured to detect the light energy and discharge output to a data processing system to produce a visual display. Each scintillator of the scintillator array is formed into a transparent glass ceramic having a high crystalline phase by combing glass-forming compounds in a glass forming system. A method of combining glass-forming compounds to form the cerium-doped lutetium orthosilicate into a transparent glass ceramic is also provided.

The present invention relates generally to computed tomography imaging and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method of converting x-rays to light energy for use with computed tomography systems.
Typically, in computed tomography (CT) imaging systems, an x-ray source emits a fan-shaped beam toward an object, such as a patient. The beam, after being attenuated by the object, impinges upon an array of radiation detectors. The intensity of the attenuated beam radiation received at the detector array is typically dependent upon the attenuation of the x-ray beam by the object. Each detector element of the detector array produces a separate electrical signal indicative of the attenuated beam received by each detector element. The electrical signals are transmitted to a data processing unit for analysis which ultimately results in the formation of an image.
Generally, the x-ray source and the detector array are rotated with a gantry within an imaging plane and around the object. X-ray sources typically include x-ray tubes, which emit the x-ray beam at a focal point. X-ray detectors typically include a collimator for collimating x-ray beams received at the detector, a scintillator for converting x-rays to light energy adjacent the collimator, and photodiodes for receiving the light energy from the adjacent scintillator.
In one known CT imaging system, each scintillator of a detector array comprises thallium-based cesium iodide (CsI:TI). Thallium-based cesium iodide and other scintillator compositions such as gadolinium sulfate (Gd(SO3)) have significant light output. However, thallium-doped cesium iodide, gadolinium sulfate, and other known scintillator compositions achieve approximately 90% decay in approximately 3-1000 microseconds. This delay in decay results in residual effects that oftentimes cause inefficient light emission and detection, and overall poor performance of the CT system.
It would therefore be desirable to have a scintillator with sufficient light output, but reduced decay time.
The present invention provides a detector for a CT imaging system and method of use that solves the aforementioned drawbacks. The detector includes a focused scintillator for receiving and converting high frequency electromagnetic energy to light energy. The detector further includes a photodiode positioned adjacent to the scintillator and is configured to receive light energy discharged through a light exiting surface of the scintillator. The detector also includes electrical leads connected from the photodiode to a data processing unit. Signal outputs of the photodiodes are transmitted to the data processing unit to facilitate image reconstruction. The CT system provides for a gantry having an output for projecting high frequency electromagnetic energy toward the tapered scintillator.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a detector including a scintillator array is provided. The scintillator array includes at least one scintillator comprising lutetium orthosilicate. The scintillator receives high frequency electromagnetic energy and converts that energy to light energy. A photodiode array comprising at least one photodiode is optically coupled to the scintillator array and is configured to detect light output of the scintillator. Each photodiode of the photodiode array produce outputs that are transmitted by a plurality of electrical interconnects to a data acquisition system.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a computed tomography system is provided. The system includes a rotatable gantry having an opening and a high frequency electromagnetic energy projections source capable of projecting high frequency energy toward an object. A scintillator array includes a plurality of scintillators each comprising lutetium orthosilicate and receives the high frequency electromagnetic energy attenuated by the object. A photodiode array is optically coupled to the scintillator array and is configured to detect light energy emitted therefrom. The photodiode array produces outputs that are transmitted to a data processing system by a plurality of electrical interconnects. The system further includes a computer capable of producing a visual display based upon the photodiode outputs transmitted to the data processing system.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a method of computed tomography imaging is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a scintillator array having a plurality of scintillators wherein each scintillator comprises lutetium orthosilicate. The method further includes directing high frequency electromagnetic energy to the scintillator array and coupling a photodiode array having a plurality of photodiodes to the scintillator array. The method also includes the step of discharging light energy from the scintillator array to the photodiode array and transmitting photodiode output to a data processing system for image construction. The method further includes displaying a constructed image based on the photodiode output transmitted to the data processing system for image construction.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description and the drawings.

System and method of computer tomography imaging using a cerium doped lutetium orthosilicate scintillator


An airbag assembly comprises a mounting member for attachment to part of the vehicle, an airbag secured to the mounting member and a cover for the airbag. The cover is connected to the mounting member at least partly by snap fit fastening. In another aspect, the cover is attached to the member by connecting a bent over flange on the cover to the mounting member. The method of assembly comprises assembling the cover, airbag and mounting member together into an airbag mounting sub-assembly and then attaching an airbag inflator to the sub-assembly.

The invention relates to an airbag assembly for use in a vehicle.
A typical airbag assembly for use in the vehicle comprises a mounting member for attachment to a component of the vehicle, such as a steering wheel, an airbag secured to the mounting member and a cover connected to the mounting members by fasteners.


A chiral ligand system for transition or main group metal catalysts is disclosed. These ligands can be readily synthesized using inexpensive amino acids and diamines as starting materials. Several different transition or main group metals have been inserted into the ligands. The ligands have been shown to have a tetradhedral distortion that may contribute to enhanced chiral transfer from the catalyst to the substrate in chemical modifications of olefins and other reactive substrates. These catalysts have been demonstrated to be effective in catalyzing epoxidation of a variety of substrates.

There is a great deal of interest in developing economical means for the synthesis of useful compounds by the chemical modification of relatively simple organic molecules, such as olefins (alkenes). Organic compounds that lack symmetry have two different configurational forms, or enantiomers. Frequently, a specific configuration or enantiomer may be preferred for a particular application. Chemical modifications can be conducted more efficiently when a catalyst is included. The interest in obtaining specific configurations of organic molecules by efficient means has made the development of catalysts that mediate enantioselective group transfer to relatively unfunctionalized olefins an important goal in organic chemistry.
Catalytic systems are known to the art, but these systems are unsatisfactory because the substrates must have specific functional groups to achieve the pre-coordination required for high enantioselectivity. This restriction is lifted when the stereoselectivity relies solely on non-bonded interactions. Extensive research in the enantioselective atom or group transfer to unfunctionalized olefins has led to the recent discovery of synthetically useful catalysts for a variety of chemical modifications, including for example the addition of hydroxyl groups, epoxy groups, and alkyl groups.
Ligated systems with C.sub.2 -symmetry have been found to be useful for asymmetric reactions and other catalytic transformations. The [14] aneN.sub.4 macrocycles (cyclams) and salen based ligands have been synthesized and found to stabilize unusual geometries and oxidation states of transition or main group metals. These systems are effective in catalyzing epoxidation reactions; however, the synthesis of such ligands is generally a laborious process. This has led to an interest in the development of chiral ligands that can be easily synthesized from inexpensive chiral starting materials. In addition, there is interest in developing an epoxidation method that uses an inexpensive and environmentally safe oxygen atom source.
Chemists and enzymologists have been-studying and attempting to duplicate the high efficiency of metalloproteins for over 70 years. Of particular interest are the metalloporphyrins, which display a wide variety of chemical reactivity, principally due to their ability to complex almost any of the transition or main group metals (Porphyrins and Metalloporphyrins, Smith and Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1975; The Porphyrins, Dolphin, Academic Press, New York, 1979). Most of the metalloporphyrin chemistry has been developed in a "self-governing field" far removed from the practical constraints imposed by the requirements of catalysis and organic synthesis (Menuier, B., Bull Soc. Chim. Fr. 578-594, 1986). Exquisitely powerful and selective catalysts have been designed based on the porphyrin ring system (Holm, R. H., Chem. Rev. 87: 1401-1449, 1987), but the lengthy synthesis required to produce these metal-binding moieties may preclude their widespread use as practical chemical catalysts. Another approach that has been employed in the development of catalysts is to use a peptide backbone (Margerum, D. W., Pure Appl. Chem. 55: 23-34, 1983), or a peptide-derived macrocycle (Hsiao and Hegedus, J. Org. Chem. 62: 3586-91, 1997; Busch, D. H., Acc. Chem, Res. 11: 392-400, 1978) to bind metals.
What is needed in the art is a ligand system that can be readily synthesized and which is capable of catalyzing the enantioselective transfer of an atom or group to an unfunctionalized olefin.

Chiral ligand system for main group and transition metal catalysts


An actuator includes a substrate including an insulating surface, a first electrode positioned on the insulating surface, and a flexible drive plate which opposes the insulating surface. Te actuator also includes a conductive liquid positioned between the insulating surface and the flexible drive plate, and the conductive liquid directly or indirectly contacts the insulating surface and the flexible drive surface. Moreover, the actuator includes a potential application device electrically coupled to the first electrode and configured to apply a potential to the first electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to actuators configured to drive or to actuate a device using electrowetting, and pumps and optical scanners comprising such an actuator.
2. Description of Related Art
Electrowetting is a known phenomenon in which when a potential difference is applied between an electrode covered by an insulating layer and a liquid droplet positioned on a surface of the insulating layer, a wetting or contact angle of the droplet with respect to the surface of the insulating layer is altered due to changes in interfacial tension between the droplet and the surface of the insulating layer. Recently, principles associated with these changes in liquid droplet behavior based on electrowetting have been applied to actuators. Specifically, the driving power of actuators employing electrowetting more readily may be saved than the driving power of actuators employing motors and piezoelectric actuators. Moreover, actuators employing electrowetting may have a less complex structure than actuators employing motors and piezoelectric actuators, which may decrease the size of the actuator.
A known device employing electrowetting, such as the device described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-185090, applies electrowetting to a drive device (actuator) which is driven when a focus of a camera lens is adjusted. The known device includes a first body and a second body which opposes the first body, such that the second body selectively mores closer to and further away from the first body, and a liquid droplet positioned between the first body and the second body, such that the liquid droplet contacts the first body and the second body. The wetting angle of the liquid with respect to a surface of the body which the droplet contacts is altered by electrowetting. Thus, the height of the droplet between the first body and the second body is altered to adjust the distance between the first body and the second structure body.
The drive device drives the first body and the second body, such that they selectively move closer to and further away from each other. Nevertheless, such a drive device may not always be suitable for subtle adjustments of drive amounts.


An apparatus for disposing liquid effluent which has been separated from a fluid system includes a compressor for supplying a compressed fluid to the fluid system. An engine for driving the compressor has an exhaust system which vents an exhaust fluid to an atmosphere external to the fluid system. An aftercooler is flow connected to an outlet of the compressor. A separating means for removing liquid effluent from the compressed fluid is flow connected to the aftercooler. The separating means has a conduit through which the separated liquid effluent flows. A reservoir for collecting the liquid effluent is flow connected in fluid receiving relation to the conduit of the separating means and flow connected in fluid supplying relation to the exhaust system of the engine. During operation, the collected liquid effluent flows from the reservoir into the exhaust system, whereupon entry therein, the exhaust fluid vaporizes the liquid effluent.

This invention relates generally to compressed fluid systems, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for disposing liquid effluent which has been separated from a compressed air system.
During the compression of air, heat is generated. To overcome the detrimental effects of the heat generated by the compression process, typically oil is mixed with the compressed air. Additionally, downstream of the compressor, a heat exchanger is typically employed to cool the compressed air, which thereby condenses any water and oil vapors present within the compressed air.
It has long been recognized that it is desirable to dry compressed air before its use by an object of interest. In this regard, typically a moisture separator is employed to remove the condensed water vapor and oil vapor (effluent condensate) from the compressed air stream. The effluent condensate, comprising both water and oil, is then collected in a sump area where it typically is continuously discharged on the ground surrounding the compressor. Therefore, during a predetermined period of time, it is not unusual for relatively large quantities of oil to be discharged directly into the environment.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present compressed fluid systems which employ a heat exchanger to cool a compressed fluid and a moisture separator to dry the compressed fluid. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.

Apparatus and method for disposing liquid effluent from a liquid system


This invention relates to a method of producing restorations, prosthesis or the like within dentistry and medical service, a measuring device, a computer and a shaping machine being utilized. According to the invention the method is characterized by the combination of the following moments: a measuring probe (3) provided with at least two lighting points (5-7) and being an integral part of a measuring device provided with at least two cameras (1, 2) is conveyed along the treatment area at the same time as the movements of the measuring probe (3) are registered by means of the cameras (1, 2); data from the cameras are collected by and stored in a computer which is specially programmed for this field of use and which on basis of incoming data can determine the form of the treatment area; the data information stored in the computer is utilized for controlling a shaping machine which out of a working piece shapes a suitable restoration or prosthesis.

This invention relates to a method of producing restorations, prosthesis or the like within dentistry and medical service, a measuring device, a computer and a shaping machine being utilized.
According to common technique within dentistry when repairing the teeth the dentist after having drilled the tooth that shall be filled makes an impression of the tooth. Thereafter a model of the tooth is made in plaster, which is utilized by a dental technician as a model when waxing and moulding the restoration. This method is very troublesome and time-consuming and creates many sources of errors. Therefore, new methods of producing restorations and dentures within dentistry have lately began to be developed.
According to a method described in European Patent No. 0 054 785 there is previously known to make an optical reading of the form of the cavity of the tooth. This information is transmitted to a computer, a manual completion of the information being made. The computer controls a milling-machine which shapes a material, whereby a restoration is produced with a form which is similar to the form of the cavity. According to another method which is described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,312 there is previously known to convey a probe around in the cavity of the tooth, the form of the cavity being detected. The information from the probe is transmitted to a shaping machine in a mechanical way, which prepares a restoration with a form which is similar to that of the cavity. None of these two methods, however, gives a satisfactory result but additional working is required.

Method of producing dental restorations and medical prostheses


An on-line shopping system is provided which enables users to do shopping by referring to on-line advertisements posted on home pages. A WWW server and an exchange are connected in one-to-one correspondence. The exchange finally receives a PPP dial-up from a user device and thus can be informed of the originating number of the user device. First information about the connection of the user device to the WWW server is stored in storage unit after the transmitting port number accompanying the first information is converted to a corresponding line number. Also, second information (originating number) about the connection of the user device, obtained at the exchange, is stored in the storage unit together with a line number. In the storage unit, the first information and the second information are combined through the agency of the line number.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an on-line shopping system, and more particularly, to an on-line shopping system which enables users to do shopping by referring to on-line advertisements posted on home pages provided by World Wide Web (WWW) servers on the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
With recent popularization of the Internet, so-called on-line shopping has become available wherein catalogs are posted on home pages provided by WWW servers on the Internet so that users can access home pages and purchase goods or services on-line.
In the field of such on-line shopping, there is a demand for a service that allows traders to automatically make a telephone call to users after the termination of access to home pages, for the purpose of confirming the purchase or persuading users to purchase, etc.
Conventionally, to enable a trader who has an advertisement posted on a home page to contact a user by telephone after the user accesses the home page, a menu for the entry of users' contact telephone numbers is provided on the home page so that users can enter their telephone number on the menu.
However, the conventional method cannot deal with the following cases:
(1) User enters an erroneous telephone number by mistake. PA1 (2) User does not enter his or her telephone number. PA1 (3) User cannot reach the home page because of line busy condition or the like.
In such cases, the trader loses the business chance. Also, users cannot obtain desired information or place an order for goods etc.


The present invention relates to gene silencing, and in particular to compositions of microRNA sequences and vectors and to methods of synthesizing such in vitro and in vivo, and to methods of using such to regulate gene expression.

Recently the field of reverse genetic analysis, or gene silencing, has been revolutionized by the discovery of potent, sequence specific inactivation of gene function, which can be induced by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). This mechanism of gene silencing is termed RNA interference (RNAi), and it has become a powerful and widely used tool for the analysis of gene function in invertebrates and plants (reviewed in Sharp, P. A. (2001) Genes Dev 15, 485-90). Introduction of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into the cells of these organisms leads to the sequence-specific destruction of endogenous RNAs, when one of the strands of the dsRNA corresponds to or is complementary to an endogenous RNA. The result is inhibition of the expression of the endogenous RNA. Endogenous RNA can thus be targeted for inhibition, by selecting dsRNA of which one strand is complementary to the sense strand of an endogenous RNA. During RNAi, long dsRNA molecules are processed into 19-23 nucleotide (nt) RNAs known as short-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that serve as guides for enzymatic cleavage of complementary RNAs (Elbashir, S. M. et al. (2001) Genes Dev 15, 188-2000; Parrish, S. et al. (2000) Mol Cell 6, 1077-87; Nykanen, A. et al. (2001) Cell 107, 309-21; Elbashir, S. M. et al. (2001) Embo J 20, 6877-88; Hammond, S. M. et al. (2000) Nature 404, 293-6; Zamore, P. D. et al. (2000) Cell 101, 25-33; Bass, B. L. (2001) Nature 411,428-9; and Yang, D. et al. (2000) Curr Biol 10, 1191-200). In addition, siRNAs can function as primers for an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, leading to the synthesis of additional dsRNA, which in turn is processed into siRNAs to amplify the effects of the original siRNAs (Sijen, T. et al. (2001) Cell 107, 465-76; and Lipardi, C. et al. (2001) Cell 107, 297-307). Although the overall process of siRNA inhibition has been characterized, the specific enzymes that mediate siRNA function remain to be identified.
In mammalian cells, dsRNA is processed into siRNAs (Elbashir, S. M. et al. (2001) Nature 411, 494-8; Billy, E. et al. (2001) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 98, 14428-33; and Yang, S. et al. (2001) Mol Cell Biol 21, 7807-16), but RNAi was not successful in most cell types due to nonspecific responses elicited by dsRNA molecules longer than about 30 nt (Robertson, H. D. & Mathews, M. B. (1996) Biochimie 78, 909-14). However, Tuschl and coworkers recently made the remarkable observation that transfection of synthetic 21-nt siRNA duplexes into mammalian cells effectively inhibits endogenous genes in a sequence specific manner (Elbashir, S. M. et al. (2001) Nature 411, 494-8; and Harborth, J. et al. (2001) J Cell Sci 114, 4557-65). These siRNA duplexes are too short to trigger the nonspecific dsRNA responses, but they still trigger destruction of complementary RNA sequences (Hutvagner, G. et al. (2001) Science 293, 834-8). This was a stunning discovery, and was followed by its utilization by several laboratories to knock out different genes in mammalian cells. The reported results demonstrate that siRNA appears to work quite well in most instances. However, a major limitation to the use of siRNA in host cells, and in particular in mammalian cells, is the method of delivery.
Currently, the synthesis of the siRNA is expensive. Moreover, inducing cells to take up exogenous nucleic acids is a short-term treatment and is very difficult to achieve in some cultured cell types. This methodology does not permit long-term expression of the siRNA in cells or use of siRNA in tissues, organs, and whole organisms. It had also not been demonstrated that siRNA could effectively be expressed from recombinant DNA constructs to suppress expression of a target gene. Thus, what is needed is more economical methods of synthesizing siRNAs. What is also needed are compositions and methods to express and deliver siRNA intracellularly in mammalian cells, and indeed in other cells as well. Such compositions and methods would have great utility not only as research tools, but also as a potent therapy for both infectious agents and for genetic diseases, by inhibiting expression of targeted genes.

The Regents of the University of Michigan


A ferroelectric memory device includes memory cells using ferroelectric capacitors provided at intersections of local bit lines associated with a main bit line and word lines. The ferroelectric memory device includes: first and second local bit lines associated with a first main bit line; first and second connection transistors for connecting the first and second local bit lines to the first main bit line; first and second grounding transistors for grounding the first and second local bit lines; a first selection line that is commonly connected to gates of the first grounding transistor and the second connection transistor; and a second selection line that is commonly connected to gates of the first connection transistor and the second grounding transistor.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to ferroelectric memory devices.
2. Related Art
In a ferroelectric memory device, a potential appearing on a hit line at the time of normal reading becomes a potential that is voltage-divided by a ferroelectric capacitor and a bit line capacitance. Accordingly, to widen the potential difference of a bit line to secure a sufficient sensing margin, the bit line capacitance is required to be reduced.
As a method to reduce the bit line capacitance, for example, a hierarchized bit line method is known. For example, Japanese laid-open patent application JP-A-2001-167591 describes an example of related art. In the hierarchized bit line method, a plurality of local bit lines, each being connected to a predetermined number of memory cells, is associated with each of main bit lines, and transfer gates that can connect the main bit line and the local bit lines are controlled, whereby any of the local bit lines associated with selected ones of the memory cells is connected to the main bit line. By this method, the junction capacitance of memory cells on the main bit line can be reduced.
However, according to a conventional device structure, when the device structure is miniaturized, an inter-wiring capacitance of adjacent ones of the bit lines greatly influences as a bit line capacitance, such that the bit line capacitance may not be sufficiently reduced. Also, the sensing margin might be deteriorated by noise interference.


A connector, comprising a connector body (11) having a flange (19), a shell (17) forming a contour part, and a reinforcement member (53). The reinforcement member (53) further comprises a reinforcement part (67) in contact with the flange (19) in which screw holes (57) are formed and an engagement part (65) engaged with the shell (17). The reinforcement member (53) is detachably fitted to the connector body (11).

Conventionally, it is usual that, for EMI measure and ensuring mechanical strength, a connector of this type is provided with a tapped metal flange and a frame (panel) on the electronic device side and the flange of the connector are screwed together. As the I/O connector provided at an opening of a panel, a board, or a casing or frame of an electrical device, or the like in this manner, there is conventionally one disclosed in each of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2.
The connector shown in each of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 is a connector called the right angle connection type (hereinafter referred to as Prior Art 1).
The connector according to Prior Art 1 includes a Connector body and a shell forming the contour. On the other hand, on the front side of the shell is provided a flange standing upright integrally with the shell. On the lower side of the shell, project portions are provided which pass through a board and fixed by soldering on the back side. The flange is screwed to an attaching panel on the front side and it is configured that an opening portion of the connector can be observed through an opening of the panel.
On the other hand, an I/O connector called the perpendicular connection type (hereinafter referred to as Prior Art 2) includes a shell forming the contour of a connector body. The shell is integrally provided with flanges at its upper end and provided with projecting portions projecting downward at its lower end. Further, at the upper surface of the connector body, a fitting portion is provided which is adapted to be fitted to a mating plug connector. The flanges are provided on both sides of the fitting portion for fixation by matching an opening portion of a panel. The projecting portions projecting from the lower end of the shell are inserted into through-holes formed in a board and are fixed by soldering or the like. A boss portion is provided so as to project on a surface of each flange opposite to its fixing side and a screw is screwed through the boss portion from the fixing side so as to be provided on the inner surface of the boss portion.
In the case of the connector according to each of Prior Arts 1 and 2, the width of a connecting portion of the flange connected to the shell forming the contour cannot be increased due to restriction in opening shape between fitting portions thereof. Therefore, the screwing is carried out by the use of an electric driver or the like. There has been a problem that, due to strong pushing of the electric driver in device assembly, the flange is bent or deformed before being screwed and hence the screwing cannot be achieved.
On the other hand, in the case of the connector according to each of Prior Arts 1 and 2, if the flange is strengthened, the flange is hardly deformed during the screwing. However, particularly in the case of the miniature connector, even if the strength of the joining portion with the flange is large, there is a possibility that an excessive pushing force with the driver affects the soldered portions of the connector to thereby generate solder cracks.
Further, the connector itself increases in size and also increases in weight due to the flange having such a large strength, which is thus the unnecessary structure for a user who does not strongly push the driver.
Patent Document 1:
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-260528
Patent Document 2:
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H10-340761

Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited


A method for estimating the frequency shift of a CPFSK signal includes scanning the CPFSK signal. Intermediate signal values are determined for the scanned CPFSK signal. An estimated value (ν) is determined for the frequency shift of the CPFSK signal by assessing a predefined number of L0 consecutive intermediate signal values. An integer delay parameter D is specified. Intermediate signal values for intervals k·T+τ are determined in each case from scanning values of the CPFSK signal obtained for intervals k·D·T+τ and [k−1]·D·T+τ, whereby T designates a scanning period of the scanned CPFSK signal, k is a scanning index and τ is a delay constant. The estimated value (ν) for the frequency shift is determined from the intermediate signal values for intervals i·D·T+τ with i=0 . . . L0−1. The integer delay parameter D is variable and is selected depending on the type of CPFSK modulation used for the CPFSK signal.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an estimation method, and more specifically to a method for estimating the frequency shift of a CPFSK signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital receiver systems for frequency or phase modulated signals, in particular for CPFSK signals ("Continuous Phase Frequency Shift Keying") frequently also requite, for correct and highly efficient detection of the transmitted symbols, apart from symbol synchronisation, digital estimation and correction of a possible phase or frequency shift.
For the purpose of estimating the frequency shift intuitive methods are used which employ known signal characteristics or characteristics from signals derived from the incoming signal, as well as methods which are based on the so-called ML principle ("Maximum Likelihood"). In this case basically a distinction is made between data-aided and non-data-aided as well as clock-aided and non-clock-aided methods. In addition a distinction can be made between estimating methods without feed back (feed forward or open loop) and estimating methods with feed back (closed loop).
In "Synchronisation Techniques for Digital Receivers" U. Mengali and A. N. D'Andrea, Plenum Press, New York, 1997 a number of known methods for estimating the digital frequency shift are described whereby in particular a non-data-aided, though clock-aided estimating method for MSK signals ("Minimum Shift Keying") is presented, which relies on the so-called "Delay and Multiply" principle. A differential demodulator is used as an essential component in this case. This known method will be explained below in more detail.
With this known method it is firstly assumed that an MSK incoming signal r(t) is filtered for noise limitation and the resultant filtered MSK incoming signal x(t) is scanned at predetermined intervals kT+τ, whereby k designates the scanning index, T the symbol duration of the incoming signal and τ a delay constant. As described in more detail in "Synchronisation Techniques for Digital Receivers", U. Mengali and A. N. D'Andrea, Plenum Press, New York, 1997, an intermediate signal z(k·T+τ) can be derived from the filtered and scanned complex envelope x(k·T+τ) of the incoming signal (as well as the corresponding conjugated complex signal x*(k·T+τ)) as follows:z(k·T+τ)=x2(k·T+τ)·{x2([k−1]·T+τ)}*={x(k·T+τ)·x*([k−1]·T+τ)}2
This intermediate signal gives the estimated value for the frequency shift ν by assessing an observation interval including L0 receiver symbols:
  v  =                              -                      1                          4                            π                                                                                T                                      ·        arg                          {                              z                                      (              τ              )                                +                      z                                      (                              T                +                τ                            )                                +                      z                                      (                                                2                  ·                  T                                +                τ                            )                                +                                                                .                                                  .                                                  .                                                                            +                              z                                                  (                                                                                [                                                                              L                            0                                                    -                          1                                                ]                                            ·                      T                                        +                    τ                                    )                                                                    }              =                            -                      1                          4                            π                                                                                T                                      ·        arg                          {                              ∑                          k              =              0                                                      L                0                            -              1                                                                                z                                      (                                                k                  ·                  T                                +                τ                            )                                      }
As already mentioned, the method described above however concerns a model developed for MSK incoming signals. During MSK modulation the carrier phase during the time T of a symbol is rotated around the amount
      ±          π      2        ,so that the frequency of the transmitted signal, dependent on the symbol being transmitted, changes between
      ϖ    0    +      π          2      ·      T      and
            ϖ      0        -          π              2        ·        T              ,whereby ω0 designates the nominal carrier frequency.
In the case of angle-modulated signals the phase of the carrier signal is changed in harmony with a phase function q(t) of a suitable phase filter. For MSK signals the phase function is defined as follows:
      q              (      t      )        =      {                            0                                      t            <            0                                                            t            T                                                0            ≤            t            <            T                                                1                                      t            >            T
The phase function q(t) therefore assumes its end value after the duration T of a transmitted symbol.
CPFSK signals however generally possess a phase function, in contrast to MSK signals, which only reach their end value after an interval of time L·T where L>1, that is to say the phase function q(t) for CPFSK signals is defined as follows:
      q              (      t      )        =      {                            0                                      t            <            0                                                            q                                      (              t              )                                                            0            ≤            t            <                          L              ·              T                                                            1                                      t            >                          L              ·              T

Method for estimating the frequency shift of a CPFSK signal