Disclosed are topical compositions which comprise from about 0.01% to about 60% by weight of an antiperspirant and/or deodorant active; from about 1% to about 60% by weight of a volatile, nonpolar hydrocarbon liquid having a solubility parameter of less than about 7.5 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.0.5 and a vapor pressure as measured at 25.degree. C. of from about 0.01 mmHg to about 6.0 mmHg; and from about 1% to about 60% by weight of a skin irritation-mitigating material having a vapor pressure equal to or less than that of the volatile, nonpolar hydrocarbon liquid, preferably a silicone-containing liquid; wherein the weight ratio of the volatile, nonpolar hydrocarbon liquid to the mitigating material is from about 5:1 to about 1:50. It has been found that the volatile, nonpolar hydrocarbon liquid as defined herein can cause skin irritation when used in an antiperspirant or deodorant composition, even when used at relatively low concentrations, but that the skin irritation can be reduced or eliminated by the addition of a skin irritation-mitigating material, provided the material has the requisite vapor pressure and weight ratio relative to the volatile, nonpolar hydrocarbon liquid.

There are many types of topical antiperspirant and deodorant products that are commercially available or otherwise known in the antiperspirant and deodorant art. Most of these products are formulated as aerosol or pump sprays, roll-on liquids, creams, emulsions, gels, gel-solids, or other solid or semi-solid stick formulations, and comprise a deodorant (e.g., triclosan) and/or astringent material (e.g. zirconium and/or aluminum salts) incorporated into a suitable carrier. These products are designed to provide effective perspiration and/or odor control while also being cosmetically acceptable during and after application onto the axillary area or other areas of the skin.
Within this product group, antiperspirant and deodorant products containing volatile silicone fluids have become especially popular among consumers. These products can be aqueous or anhydrous and can contain up to 80% by weight of a volatile silicone fluid such as cyclopentasiloxane. The volatile silicone provides the composition with dry skin feel during application, and because of its volatility, it evaporates quickly after application leaving the applied surface feeling smooth and dry with no residual white marks. Volatile silicones are expensive, however, and add substantially to the cost of the finished antiperspirant and deodorant products.
To control the relatively high formulation cost associated with the use of volatile silicone fluids, volatile, nonpolar hydrocarbon liquids have been used in place of some or all of the volatile silicones. Volatile nonpolar hydrocarbon liquids are typically less expensive than the volatile silicones, and like the volatile silicones, also help provide the composition with dry feel during and after application to the skin. Examples of compositions containing volatile, nonpolar hydrocarbon liquids are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,139, issued Feb. 9, 1988 to Palinczar and U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,878, issued May 5, 1981 to Keil.
It has now been found, however, that antiperspirant and deodorant compositions containing volatile, nonpolar hydrocarbon liquids can be very irritating to the skin even when used at relatively low concentrations. It is believed that this irritation problem has not previously been disclosed in the literature as being associated with the use of these materials in deodorant and antiperspirant products. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,139 (Palinczar) teaches that volatile silicones can be replaced with volatile, nonpolar hydrocarbon liquids in antiperspirant sticks since the two materials have similar characteristics, including good cosmetics, high volatility, and low skin irritation. It has now been found, however, that these volatile, nonpolar hydrocarbon liquids when placed in either an antiperspirant or deodorant composition can cause significant skin irritation upon and after topical application even when the concentration of such liquids in the finished product is relatively low.
It has also now been found that antiperspirant and deodorant compositions containing a volatile, nonpolar hydrocarbon liquid can be formulated so as to minimize or eliminate the skin irritation caused by the volatile, nonpolar hydrocarbon liquid. It has been found that this skin irritation can be can be minimized or eliminated by the concurrent use of select solvents that act as skin irritation-mitigating materials (mitigating materials), provided that the weight ratio of the volatile, nonpolar hydrocarbon liquid to the mitigating material is from about 5:1 to about 1:50. The select solvents must have a vapor pressure equal to or less than that of the volatile, nonpolar hydrocarbon liquid. Highly preferred skin irritation-mitigating materials are nonvolatile silicone fluids.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an antiperspirant or deodorant composition which contains a volatile, nonpolar hydrocarbon liquid, and which causes little or no skin irritation when applied topically to the axilla or other area of the skin. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a composition which also contains a skin irritation-mitigating material, preferably a nonvolatile silicone fluid, to help minimize or eliminate the development of skin irritation after topical application.

Low-irritation antiperspirant and deodorant compositions containing a volatile, nonpolar hydrocarbon liquid


Key management for and automount of encrypted files, including recovering a master vault key file from an encoded vault key file, storing the vault key file within a previously mounted crypto key management virtual drive so as to provide a secure scratch pad area for temporary storage of the master vault key file. An open and mount module may then invoke a file mounting procedure by providing the vault key file name and a path corresponding to the crypto key management virtual drive to a virtual drive mounting module. The method of passing the vault key file to the file mounting utility module may comprise passing command line arguments equal to a pathname and filename to the file mounting utility.

Much of today's data storage includes the encryption of the data, whether the data is stored locally in a device memory or hard drive, on a local area network server, or transmitted remotely to another computer system or network for storage. Encryption is desired to protect the data in the event the device with the data is lost or otherwise compromised, or if the data is intercepted while in transmission. With the need for encryption also comes the need to effectively manage the associated cryptographic keys. As a practical matter, good cryptographic keys contain too many characters for a person to commit to memory and must therefore be stored in an electronic form until ready for use. The requirement to store the cryptographic keys for later use, and the transmission of the keys to the encryption software presents challenges in maintaining the security of the keys.

Systems, methods, and devices for encrypted data management


Systems and methods for automatic gain control are disclosed. In one aspect of the invention, a system is provided that comprises a programmable gain amplifier that amplifies an input signal based on a gain signal. The system further comprises an analog-to-digital converter that generates at least one digital output signal from the amplified input signal, and an automatic gain control component that determines an adjustment of the gain signal based on a comparison of the at least one digital output signal to a predetermined maximum amplitude reference level.

Automatic gain control loops are employed in a variety of applications to dynamically control the gain levels of an incoming signal. For example, receivers employ automatic gain control loops to adjust the gain of an incoming analog signal for maximizing the dynamic range of a subsequent analog-to-digital converter. In other words, the amplitude levels of the analog signal are adjusted to be as close to the conversion limits of the analog-to-digital converter, so to fully utilize the resolution of the analog-to-digital converter and hence reduce quantization noise. Automatic gain control loops can employ an automatic gain control component that compares an output signal of the analog-to-digital converter to a reference value that represents the square of the mean energy of the expected input signal in a worst case scenario. Error signals are generated based on the comparison over a plurality of output signal samples. The error signals are multiplied by a step size and accumulated to generate a gain word, which is a signal used to program a programmable or variable gain amplifier that controls the gain of the incoming signal.
Automatic gain control loops that employ a reference value that represents the square mean energy of a signal assume that the energy of the input signal is evenly distributed. However, if this assumption is not correct the operation of the automatic gain control loop will be severely affected. For example, a video signal conforming to National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) or Phase Alternate Line (PAL) has a synchronization portion and a data portion. The synchronization portion has a much stronger energy level than the data level. Furthermore, the data portion does not have evenly distributed energy. Therefore, an automatic gain control loop that employs a reference value that represents the square mean energy of a signal would be inappropriate for this type of signal. Another problem with an automatic gain control loop that employs a reference value that represents the square mean energy of a signal is that the reference value is calculated with respect to a worst case scenario, thus substantial headroom is incorporated into the calculation for a typical case. Therefore, the full dynamic range of the analog-to-digital converter is not employed. Yet another problem with this technique is that the convergence time of the loop is determined on a worst case scenario, which can be much longer than its actual convergence time.


Wire probes are described that resist rotation during assembly into a probe head of a die tester. One example includes probe wires with a protrusion at a pre-determined position along the length of the wire. A probe substrate with pads on one side each to attach to and electrically connect with a probe wire and a pads on the opposite side to connect to test equipment and a probe holder above the substrate with holes. Each hole holds a respective one of the probe wires against the probe substrate. Each hole also has a key to mate with a protrusion of a respective probe wire so that the protrusions engage the keys to prevent rotation of the respective wire.

In the manufacture of microelectronic devices, such as processors, controllers, and memory, the desired structures are formed on a wafer. Individual dies are cut from the wafer and then sealed into a package. The package has an array of pins, pads, or lands that make contact with the rest of the device, typically through a printed circuit, board to allow the die to be operated while within the package. Before packaging, either as part of a wafer or an individual die, each die is tested to determine whether it has been manufactured correctly and operates as intended. In some cases, the dies are also sorted based on performance.
To perform the tests, some dies have lands or pads specifically designed into the die for test purposes. Pins or probes are applied to the lands or pads and signals are sent or received through the pins to test the die. For a more complex die, more pins are used. Similarly for denser circuitry on the die, the pins are closer together.
The test probes are attached to a substrate that holds each probe in the proper position with respect to each other probe so that when the tester is pressed against the pads on the die, each probe will contact its respective pad. The probes are resilient so that when the probes are pressed against the die the pressure of the contact is determined by the resiliency of the probe, not the pressure of from the test equipment. Each test probe has a limited number of die tests that it can perform, after which it must be replaced. The replacement cost of each test probe is therefore a factor in the cost of die manufacturing.
The substrate and the probes are typically separately manufactured using a MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) process, or a process similar to how transistors are made. Once the probes are made, they are assembled onto the space transforming substrate.
The individual probes are each manually inserted into the guide plate to contact the substrate. Each probe has a curve in its middle section so that when pressed against the die it will bend. The probes must all bend in the same direction so that they do not contact each other during use, possibly creating connections that destroy the die or the probe. Several thousand to tens of thousands of probes may be placed into a guide plate to build one sort tester for a microprocessor. This number is expected to increase as die complexity and density increases from today's probe counts. The process is performed manually in part due the shape of the probe. The central curve increases the complexity of the probes being inserted in an automated process.

Anti-rotation for wire probes in a probe head of a die tester


A data processing apparatus comprises a processor having an internal state dependent upon execution of application program code, the processor being configured to generate display data relating to images to be displayed and to buffer display data relating to a most recent period of execution of a currently executing application. The apparatus includes RAM for storing temporary data relating to a current operational state of program execution. The apparatus also includes a data transfer controller configured to transfer data from the RAM relating to the currently executing application, data relating to a current internal state of the processor and buffered display data to suspend data memory, and to transfer data from the suspend data memory to RAM and to the processor to recreate an execution state of an application at a time the suspend instruction was executed, and to retrieve display data relating to the resumed application.

Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates to data processing apparatus and methods.
Description of the Related Art
The "background" description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
In some data processing apparatus there is a need to suspend operation of a particular application program in order to start running another, or to allow the data processing apparatus to be powered down. The suspend operation involves storing a copy of the contents of a working memory and, optionally, details of an internal processor state. Later, at a resume operation, the memory contents and processor state are retrieved and reinstated so that the original application can continue to be executed as before, with effect from the point at which it was suspended.
A technical problem relating to the design of a storage arrangement to hold the suspend data is how to achieve a rapid suspend operation and a rapid resume operation. One reason why speed is desirable is simply to provide convenient operation to the user. But a more subtle reason is that if the suspend and resume operations are carried out very quickly, the user might not even realise that they are taking place at all. In other words, if the suspend and resume operations are rapid and execute smoothly, they can give the impression of a capability to switch from one application to another without stopping execution of the first application, rather than suspending one application and resuming another by using the separately stored suspend data.
This disclosure provides data processing apparatus comprising: a processor having an internal state dependent upon execution of application program code by the processor, the processor being configured to generate display data relating to images to be displayed using the associated display in response to the execution of the program code and to buffer display data relating to a most recent period of execution of a currently executing application; a non-volatile data storage arrangement configured to store program code for one or more applications; a random access memory configured to store temporary data relating to a current operational state of program execution while the processor is executing the program code for the currently executing application; a non-volatile suspend data memory; and a data transfer controller configured, in response to a suspend instruction, to transfer data from the random access memory relating to the currently executing application, data relating to a current internal state of the processor and the buffered display data to the suspend data memory, and configured, in response to a resume instruction, to transfer data from the suspend data memory to the random access memory and to the processor so as to recreate the state of execution of an application at the time that the suspend instruction was executed, and to retrieve the display data relating to the resumed application from the suspend data memory, the processor causing the display to display information to the user based on the retrieved display data while the resume instruction is being completed.
The disclosure provides a separate non-volatile memory arrangement for storing suspend data, which in various embodiments can allow for a higher speed for the suspend and resume operations.
Further respective aspects and features of the disclosure are defined by the appended claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, but not restrictive of, the present disclosure.


A business performs a credit check on a customer's credit card number by utilizing the D-channel of an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) facility. The ISDN facility connects the business to a telecommunications network, which utilizes signaling system number 7 (SS7). Specifically, the ISDN Q.931 protocol is modified to allow the Q.931 FACILITY message to include: a) credit check request, b) a call reference number, and c) the customer's credit card number. This information is sent, via the ISDN D-channel, to the telecommunications network, which passes the information, via an SS7 Transaction Capability Application Part (TCAP) message, to a credit checking data base. A result from the credit checking data based is then passed back through the telecommunications network to the business on the D-channel of the ISDN facility.

The present invention relates to apparatus and methods used to perform validation of credit card numbers.
A commercial transaction conducted by a telephone call between a business and a customer is often concluded by the business accepting the customer's credit card number in order to bill the customer for any product or service sold to the customer. However, before completing the sale, the business normally performs a credit check on the customer's credit card number to ensure that the number is valid. Such credit checking, as is known in the art, is performed by the business using a telecommunications connection to a credit-checking service to which the credit card number is passed for validation.
Usually, the business will subscribe to a number of telecommunication facilities (loop supervision, etc.) in order to provide the appropriate number of communication lines to support the business's communication needs. In the case of the above mentioned commercial transaction, one or more of these lines is used for establishing a connection to the credit-checking service. As a result, in determining the number of communication lines needed to support the business, the business must take into account the use of additional communications lines to perform credit checking. For example, if the volume of credit checks that need to be performed is high, the business may subscribe to a dedicated private line service; or, if the volume is low, the business may occasionally use one of its loop supervision lines for dial-up access to the credit-checking service.


A decoy comprising a hollow body, a head pivotally joined to the body for selective pivotal movement with respect to the body about a generally horizontal pivot axis between a raised position and a lowered position, and a weight that is inside the body, that depends from the head, and that normally biases the head to the raised position.

A turkey decoy is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,887. Other decoys are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,658,530 and 4,885,861.
Attention is also directed to U.S. Pat. No. 2,663,108 illustrating a decoy having movable components. Other decoys including movable components or mechanisms for causing movement of the decoy are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,691,233; U.S. Pat. No. 2,793,456; U.S. Pat. No. 3,059,368; U.S. Pat. No. 3,350,808.


Ester prodrugs of phorbol compounds for the treatment of viral infections, neoplastic diseases, inflammatory reactions, and use as analgesics, wherein the phorbol compounds are derivatized with a -x-o-c(o)-R′ group linked to the 6-carbon of the phorbol residue.

While highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is helping many people with HIV/AIDS live longer, healthier lives, these combination or "cocktail" treatments are not always effective and often cause serious adverse side effects. Even among those who do well on HAART, many patients experience treatment failure within a year or two, often because HIV has developed resistance to the drugs used to inhibit its growth. Drug resistant HIV tends to progressively develop resistance to other drugs in the same class, or even to the entire class of drugs. In addition, many people newly infected with HIV may carry viral strains already resistant to current treatments.
Confounding the resistance challenge is the latency of HIV infection. Despite the success of HAART, medical reports suggest that antiretroviral therapy alone is unable to eliminate the viral infection because the virus can persist in a latent form when infected CD4+ lymphoblasts carrying an integrated copy of the HIV-1 genome revert back to a resting memory state. In this state, CD4 cells are minimally permissive for virus gene expression, and infected memory cells can survive for many years. Following reexposure to the relevant antigen or other activating stimuli, these cells can begin to produce virus again. Though HAART may be effective for an acute infection, it appears unable to eliminate this viral reservoir, which can serve as a permanent archive for wild-type virus and for drug-resistant variants that arise during treatment. Thus, once resistance to a particular drug arises, the patient may always carry that resistant viral strain (Siliciano et al., 2004, J. Antimicrobial Chemo. 54:6-9).
Commonly used anti-HIV therapies generally target two viral enzymes that HIV needs to reproduce: reverse transcriptase and protease. A third therapeutic approach is to target the binding of the virus to the cell, thereby affecting the viral entry phase of the HIV replication cycle. An example of the latter therapy is enfurvirtide (Fuzeon®), a linear 36 amino acid peptide that binds to the heptad repeat in the gp41 viral envelope glycoprotein on CD4+ cells. However, because of the problems associated with drug resistance and virus latency, there is a need for new therapeutic approaches based on anti-viral agents that are structurally and/or mechanistically different from the currently approved compounds. One such approach is represented by the anti-viral properties of phorbol compounds prostratin (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,839) and ingenol (see, e.g., Fujiwara et al., 1996, Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 40(1):271-3).
Prostratin, 12-deoxyphorbol 13-acetate, was first isolated from Pimelea prostrata, a New Zealand plant toxic to livestock (Zayed S., 1977, Experentia 33(12):1554-5). Prostratin was subsequently isolated from Homalanthus nutans, a medicinal plant used by traditional Samoan healers, and shown to inhibit HIV-induced cell killing and viral replication in a variety of cell systems (Cox et al, 1993, J. Ethnopharmacol. 38(2-3):181-8; Cox, P.A., 1994, Ciba Found. Symp. 185:25-36). The potency and degree of cytoprotection is dependent on both viral strain and host cell type (Gustafson et al, 1992, J. Med. Chem. 35(11):1978-86).
Similarly, ingenol compounds were used in traditional medicine for the treatment of skin conditions (e.g., warts, corns, etc.), cancer, and asthma (Green et al., 1988, Australian J Dermatol 29:127-30 and Weedon et al., 1976, Med J of Australia 1:928). Ingenol-3,5,20-triacetate has also been show to have anti-viral properties (Fujiwara et al., supra).
Interestingly, studies suggest that prostratin displays a unique dual effect on HIV biology: inhibiting HIV replication while activating dormant or "latent" HIV that hides in human cells (Kulkosky et al., 2001, Blood. 98(10):3006-15). Prostratin efficiently reactivates HIV expression from latently infected cells generated in a SCID-hu mouse. Reactivation is associated with induction of viral transcription from the HIV long terminal repeat (LTR) and is thought to involve prostratin's property of activating specific protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes. Prostratin also appears to inhibit the entry step of the HIV replication cycle by interacting with a cellular target necessary for viral entry and/or by downregulating HIV co-receptors CCR5 and CXR5 (Witvrouw et al, 2003, Antivir Chem. Chemother. 14(6):321-8). Prostratin's unique mechanism of action is indicated by its effectiveness against different strains of HIV-1, such as HIV subtypes B and D, clinical HIV isolate (L1), HIV-2 (ROD and EHO), and SIV (MA C 251) and effectiveness against HIV strains resistant to polyanionic binding inhibitor dextran sulfate, the fusion inhibitor enfuvirtride, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTs), and protease inhibitor (PIs) (Witvrouw et al., supra). Likewise, ingenols with antiviral activity appear to affect the viral absorption process rather than the viral replication machinery (Fugiwara et al., supra). Studies further suggest that ingenol compounds may also cause reactivation of latent viruses, similar to the effects seen with prostratin (Fujiwara et al., 1998, Arch Virol. 143(10):2003-10)
Although prostratin and related phorbol compounds present an attractive therapeutic strategy for HIV in view of their reactivation and antiviral properties, as well as treatments for other diseases affected through phorbol mediated signal transduction pathways, the therapeutic effectiveness of these phorbol compounds is limited by their low solubility, low oral bioavailability, and low therapeutic index.

Ester prodrugs of prostratin and related phorbol compounds


The present invention is directed to a device for examining the eye, preferably the fundus of the eye, by an optical system and electronic sensors for image recording in different imaging scales. In the device according to the invention, at least two image recording sensors with different shape factors are swivelably arranged in the imaging plane of the device. These image recording sensors have optically active surfaces of different geometric sizes, an approximately identical number of pixels and preferably the same electronic control and evaluation. The invention described herein requires no additional objectives and the optical adjustment is limited to an individual rigid objective. An exact alignment of the image recording sensors in the imaging plane and manufacturing tolerances can be compensated by adapting the image section by means of software. It is particularly advantageous that the imaging scale is influenced without changing the optical parameters of the system.

a) Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a device for examining the eye, preferably the fundus of the eye, by means of an optical system and electronic sensors for image recording, wherein sectional enlargements of the recordings are possible by means of changing the imaging scale.
b) Description of the Related Art
According to the known prior art, the imaging scale in devices of the type mentioned above is usually changed by optical means which are swiveled into and out of the beam path in addition to or in exchange with one another.
The Laid Open Application DE 24 35 548 describes an optical system for photographing the retina with selectable imaging scale in which a plurality of optical changing systems which can be introduced into the beam path individually are provided in addition to the stationary objective systems. These changing systems are axially displaceable together with the aperture diaphragm in order to carry out focusing for eyes with defective vision. This technical solution is realized, for example, in the "FF 450" fundus camera by Carl Zeiss Meditec AG.
The disadvantage of this application consists primarily in the complicated adjustment of the optics and in the fact that the mechanical movement must be carried out very exactly. Since a complete set of optical components is required for every imaging scale, the structural size of the device in its entirety is substantially influenced by the size of the objective turret.
A simple technical solution for digital observation and documentation of the ocular fundus without eyepieces is offered by the "VISUCAM lite" fundus camera by Carl Zeiss Meditec AG. In this fundus camera, a black-and-white sensor and a color sensor are alternately laterally swiveled into the imaging plane of the system. In addition to the color photographs, black-and-white photographs are made using different monochrome techniques (red-free, blue, red) due to a higher sensitivity. To facilitate their comparison, the sensors have identical shape factors. By virtue of its many-sided possibilities for recording, analysis and aftertreatment, this solution provides a basic instrument for ophthalmologic practice and laser treatment.
The disadvantage in this device is that it does not provide for changing the optical imaging scale. In order to achieve this, an additional objective turret would be required. A correction of defective vision (also referred to as focusing) is carried out by a mechanical movement of the sensors along the optical axis.

Device for imaging and observing an eye at a selectable image scale


An image information processing apparatus having an input unit for inputting image information, a synthesizing unit for synthesizing the image information for a plurality of frames inputted from the input unit, and a coding unit for coding the image information synthesized by the synthesizing unit. In particular, the apparatus can synthesize information from the front and the back surfaces of a two-sided original.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image information processing apparatus such as an image information filing apparatus and facsimile apparatus, having a function to process the image information of a plurality of subjects.
2. Related Background Art
After reading a subject having images on (main) and back surfaces thereof with an image reader such as an image scanner, conventionally the images on the main and back surfaces have been maintained independently from each other.
If the image data on both surfaces are maintained independently, the image data of a subject whose correspondence between the both surface images has an important significance, such as the image data of a check with endorsement, cannot explicitly show such correspondence. The image data of either of the two surfaces may be lost accidentally. The maintenance of such image data becomes cumbersome. Further, in sequential retrieving of only the images on a main surface, it becomes necessary to retrieve the images from every second page, resulting in poor operability.

Image information processing apparatus capable of synthesizing front- and back-surface information


A probe card for testing dice on a wafer includes a substrate, a number of cantilevers formed on a surface thereof, and a number of probes extending from unsupported ends of the cantilevers. The unsupported ends of the cantilevers project over cavities on the surface of the substrate. The probes have tips to contact pads on the dice under test. The probe card may include a compressive layer above the surface of the substrate with a number of holes through which the probes extend.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for testing integrated circuits, and more particularly to advanced probe cards and methods of fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
Probe cards are used in the testing of integrated circuits (ICs) by providing an interface between the pads of a bare die or chip formed on a wafer or substrate and test equipment.
One conventional type of probe card uses a large number of cantilevered arms extending obliquely outwardly from the planar surface of a substrate or a printed circuit board (PCB). Probe pins having needle-like tips extend from distal ends of the cantilevered arms to provide electrical contact with the pads on the die. The probe pins or the tips are typically made of a hard material, such as tungsten, to extend the operating life of the probe card. When the wafer is raised beyond the point at which the first pads on the die first come into contact with these tips, the arms flex so as to allow remaining tips on other arms to contact pads on the die, thereby compensating for any small variations in planarity or parallelism between the probe card and die or chip on the surface of the wafer. In addition, movement of the wafer past the point at which the tips contact pads on the die and the resultant flexing of the cantilever arms cause the tips to scrub across their respective pads thereby removing oxide buildup on the pads, and improving electrical contact between the probe card and the die.
One disadvantage of the above conventional approach is that the hardness of the tips of the probe pins and the typically limited movement of the cantilever arms can compensate for only small variations in planarity or parallelism between the surface of the die and the probe card. Moreover, even under ideal circumstances, the wafer typically receives some damage from the probe tip touch down. Thus, if the probe card is pushed against the wafer with a greater than usual force, such as to compensate for non-planarity or lack of parallelism, there is substantial likelihood that the wafer will be destroyed.
Another commonly used type of conventional probe card uses micro spring probes eliminating the need for cantilevered arms, and reducing if not eliminating damage to the wafer from solid tungsten probe pins. However, most spring probes have inherent limitations, such as limited pitch and limited pin count due to the size of the springs. More fundamentally, micro-spring probe cards have a substantially higher cost of fabrication than conventional cantilever probe cards.
Other additional disadvantages of both types of conventional probe cards include high cost, since a new or reconfigured probe card must be produced for each new IC layout, and long lead times required to produce a new or reconfigured probe card resulting in delays in chip production. This last problem arises because the layout or configuration of the probe card generally cannot be determined until the final mask for the IC is produced. Thus, availability of a probe card to test an IC can lag the initial production of the IC by four weeks or more.
Accordingly, there is a need for a probe card and a method using the same that are capable of compensating for significant variations in planarity or parallelism between the wafer and the probe card, without increasing the possibility of damage to the wafer. It is desirable that the probe card has a low cost relative to conventional advanced or high pin count probe cards. It is further desirable that new probe cards having a new configuration can be manufactured quickly, to reduce if not eliminate impact on chip production.


An electronic article surveillance security device securable to an article to be protected from theft where the device includes a strap that is wrapped around or inserted through the article, and then tightly secured within a housing of the device that includes an electronic article surveillance tag. The housing has smooth tamper resistant seams and edges and a locking device for securely holding the strap once inserted therein. The strap includes ribs that are engageable within the housing by locking fingers and lips, all of which define a one-way locking mechanism that allows for insertion of the strap but denies removal once inserted. In at least one embodiment of the invention, a locking mechanism is provided that may be unlocked such that the security device may be reused with various articles.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to article security devices as used by retail and similar stores and outlets. More particularly, the invention relates to electronic article surveillance security devices attachable to articles in a manner substantially impossible to remove or disable absent cutting or other destruction of the device or using a key that releases the devices. Specifically, the invention is an electronic article surveillance security device tightly securable to or around the article to be protected by wrapping a strap therearound or therethrough followed by securing the strap within a housing that includes an electronic article surveillance tag where the housing has smooth tamper resistant seams and edges and a locking device for securely holding the strap once inserted.
2. Background Information
In recent years, the occurrences of shoplifting and other forms of theft of articles of all types has grown significantly. For various reasons including trends or fads, as well as the desire to be or look like sports and entertainment heros, the desire to own by any means certain articles including electronic devices and recorded media, sporting goods, and clothing has become ever more popular and desirable. This is obvious from today's trends of assault and even murder over various trendy forms of clothing, shoes, or athletic equipment. Accordingly, shoplifting and theft have become even more prevalent in the areas of electronic devices and recorded media, sporting goods, and clothing. This is particularly true on high priced articles, many of which are high priced to pay for a name or endorsement.
Correspondingly, the need to prevent, deter, stop and/or catch these thieves has become of utmost importance to every retail store owner. For this reason, various forms of electronic article surveillance have been developed. These new forms are particularly prevalent in the electronic devices and recorded media area where numerous security devices, typically article specific, have been developed. For instance, in the recorded media area numerous article specific security devices such as compact disc/jewel case security devices have been developed that include means of electronic article surveillance while supplying a secure device that further allows for standard display of the article.
In the sporting goods area for instance, the articles are often not of standard shapes and sizes. For example, baseball mitts are available in many different sizes and shapes. For this reason, a standardized security device is not desirable. In addition, many retail store owners would prefer a security device that is usable not only on different models of a given article, but also on different types of articles of varying sizes, shapes, etc., that is on baseball mitts, roller blades, and ski poles for instance.
Often, various prior art electronic article surveillance tags are placed on the article in an attempt to protect the article from theft. Usually some attempt is made to hide the tag within the article, although many articles do not contain sufficient hiding places. Where sufficient hiding places exist, the process of hiding and/or later removing the tag is often cumbersome. In general, these tags have had some success curbing theft.
However, at least some shoplifters and thieves have recognized that these tags are often easy to remove, sometimes as simply as peeling them off, and/or to circumvent often by merely squeezing the tag while exiting through the store detector. For this reason a need exists for a more universal security device usable with different types, sizes and shapes of articles where the device is not readily removed or disabled and is preferably protected yet still allows the article to be displayed in a standard manner which allows for examination and/or use by the prospective purchaser.

Electronic article surveillance security device


A base transceiver station receives first and second reception power values from a plurality of user equipments. The first reception power value is a reception power value at which a user equipment receives a radio signal from another base transceiver station without using a reception beam formation function that allows a radio signal transmitted from a predetermined direction to be selectively received with increased reception sensitivity. The second reception power value is a reception power value at which a user equipment receives a radio signal from another base transceiver station using the reception beam formation function. The base transceiver station selects, from among the plurality of user equipments, a user equipment to be handed over based on the first and second reception power values, and performs handover processing on the selected user equipment.

It has been known that a piece of user equipment (UE) such as a mobile phone changes a base transceiver station (BTS) with which the user equipment is wirelessly communicating, to another base transceiver station, when the user equipment moves. In the description below, changing a base transceiver station with which a piece of user equipment is communicating to another base transceiver station will be referred to as a handover (HO). Further, for ease of explanation, "a piece of user equipment" will be also expressed as "a user equipment" or abbreviated as "a UE".
When many user equipments gather in the area of the particular base transceiver station and the communication load imposed on a particular base transceiver station is increased, the base transceiver station having the increased communication load may hand over some user equipments being located within the area thereof to another base transceiver station having a small communication load. Hereinafter, another base transceiver station to which a handover is performed will be also expressed as "a handover-destination base transceiver station" or abbreviated as "a HO-destination BTS", and a base station from which a handover is performed will be also expressed as "a handover-source base transceiver station" or abbreviated as "a HO-source BTS". In this way, communication loads are leveled between a handover-source base transceiver station and a handover-destination base transceiver station.
In this case, the base transceiver station may select, as a user equipment to be handed over, a user equipment that receives a radio signal from a handover-destination base transceiver station with a large reception power value, from among the multiple user equipments so that a proper wireless communication speed can be ensured after the user equipment is handed over to the handover-destination base transceiver station.
However, in the related art such as Japanese National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2007-525893, selection of a user equipment to be handed over is performed without taking into account differences in reception performance among multiple user equipments.
For example, when multiple user equipments exhibit approximately the same radio signal reception performance, the reception power value of each user equipment reflects the distance between the user equipment and a handover-destination base transceiver station. However, multiple user equipments may include ones having a reception beam formation function by which a radio signal transmitted from a particular direction is selectively received with increased reception sensitivity, and ones not having the reception beam formation function. Accordingly, the multiple user equipments differ from one another in radio signal reception performance.
Further, even user equipments having reception beam formation functions may differ from one another in the performance of the reception beam formation functions. As a result, the user equipments differ from one another in radio signal reception performance. Accordingly, the reception power value of a user equipment may fail to correctly reflect the distance between the user equipment and the handover-destination base transceiver station.
For example, suppose that one of multiple user equipments C and D, which are communicating with base transceiver station A, is handed over to handover-destination base transceiver station B. Assume that the user equipment C is distant from handover-destination base transceiver station B and close to base transceiver station A, and the user equipment C has the reception beam formation function that is oriented to handover-destination base transceiver station B. Also assume that the user equipment D is close to handover-destination base transceiver station B and distant from base transceiver station A, and the user equipment D does not have the reception beam formation function. Since the user equipment C has higher reception performance, the reception power value of a radio signal received by the user equipment C from handover-destination base transceiver station B may be larger than the reception power value of a radio signal received by the user equipment D from handover-destination base transceiver station B. Thus, although user equipment C is more distant from handover-destination base transceiver station B, base transceiver station A may select the user equipment C as a user equipment to be handed over to handover-destination base transceiver station B.
In this case, radio signals transmitted between the user equipment C and handover-destination base transceiver station B may significantly interfere with radio signals transmitted or received by other user equipments belonging to base transceiver station A. For example, base transceiver station A is able to assign wireless resources such as frequencies to user equipments belonging to base transceiver station A so as to reduce interference between the user equipments as much as possible, whereas base transceiver station A is unable to grasp the wireless resources assigned to user equipments belonging to handover-destination base transceiver station B. In addition, there may be many user equipments belonging to base transceiver station A and communicating therewith around user equipment C that is close to base transceiver station A. Further, since user equipment C is distant from handover-destination base transceiver station B, it consumes a large transmission power to transmit a radio signal to handover-destination base transceiver station B. For these reasons, the handover of user equipment C to handover-destination base transceiver station B is considered to significantly increase interference between first radio signals transmitted between user equipment C and handover-destination base transceiver station B, and second radio signals used by the other user equipments belonging to base transceiver station A.
Further, when a user equipment that is close to a handover-destination base transceiver station is simply selected as a candidate user equipment to be handed over, wireless communication may not be favorably performed between the selected user equipment and the handover-destination base transceiver station if the user equipment has poor reception performance.

Apparatus and method for performing handover in a wireless communication network


A web cleaning system for a fuser system includes a web which is biased into contact with a rotating cylindrical member, such as a fuser roll, as the fuser roll is rotated about its axis of rotation. A lateral displacement system displaces the web, relative to the cylindrical member, in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the cylindrical member. In this way, regions of the web which have become contaminated with collected toner are shifted laterally, thus avoiding oversaturation of the web.

The present exemplary embodiment relates to a cleaning system for a cylindrical roller and, more particularly, to a fuser apparatus for an electrophotographic printing device which includes a cleaning system for cleaning the fuser roll of toner particles. It will be appreciated, however, that the web cleaning system finds application in the cleaning or in liquid application treatment of other cylindrical rollers.
In typical electrophotographic image forming devices, such as copy machines and laser beam printers, a photoconductive insulating member is charged to a uniform potential and thereafter exposed to a light image of an original document to be reproduced. The exposure discharges the photoconductive insulating surface in exposed or background areas and creates an electrostatic latent image on the member, which corresponds to the image areas contained within the document. Subsequently, the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive insulating surface is made visible by developing the image with a marking material. Generally, the marking material comprises pigmented toner particles adhering triboelectrically to carrier granules, which is often referred to simply as toner. The developed image is subsequently transferred to the print medium, such as a sheet of paper. The fusing of the toner image onto paper is generally accomplished by applying heat and pressure. A typical fuser assembly includes a fuser roll and a pressure roll, which define a nip therebetween. The side of the paper having the toner image typically faces the fuser roll, which is often supplied with a heat source, such as a resistance heater, at its core. The combination of heat from the fuser roll and pressure between the fuser roll and the pressure roll fuses the toner image to the paper, and once the fused toner cools, the image is permanently fixed to the paper.
Fuser assemblies typically include a cleaning system by which the fuser roll can be automatically cleaned and/or supplied with a lubricant or release agent. In some cleaning devices, a cloth web is urged against the surface of the fuser roll by a spring loaded foam tension roll at a location generally away from the nip formed by the pressure and fuser rolls. The web provides a textured surface for removing particles of toner that remained on the fuser roll after the paper with the toner image has passed through the fuser. The web may also be impregnated to provide amounts of lubricant or release agent to the fuser roll. Release agents generally function to prevent sheets of paper from sticking to the surface of the fuser roll, thus causing a paper jam. The release agents may also serve to minimize the amount of toner that sticks to the fuser roll. After a predetermined number of reproductions have been printed, the web is advanced a few millimeters from a supply roll towards an uptake roll to provide a clean web surface in contact with the surface to be cleaned.
Where high volumes of similar images or high area coverage images are to be printed and fused, there is a tendency for toner to build up on the web and hamper subsequent cleaning of the fuser roll. The problem of short term web saturation is particularly apparent in printing of electronic documents, which have the same layout and spacing so that image lines (e.g., from email headers, text lines, and tables) form layouts and halftone dot patterns where the image is laid down on the sheet with a high accuracy in registration. The toner on a saturated web may be transferred back to the fuser roll and be deposited on a subsequent sheet. This can cause visible defects in the printed copies. Spots and strings of toner can also be deposited on the stripper fingers and temperature sensors of the fuser assembly. The toner can also be transferred to the pressure roll, particularly after a pause in printing when rotation of the pressure and fuser rolls is recommenced. The toner is transferred from the pressure roll to the back side of the first copy and leads a user to request a servicing of the printer.

Axially translating web cleaning system for a fuser


The waterproof structure of an electrical junction box herein prevents water from entering into the electrical junction box. The electrical junction box includes a main body having a groove formed on an outer wall thereof and a tubular wire cover composed of front and rear split covers. Electric wires are passed downward through the wire cover and fixed to a lower portion of the wire cover using a tape. The wire cover is slidably engaged with the groove of the junction box main body. The waterproof structure includes a step portion as a water stop formed on a rear wall of the wire cover. The rear wall is arranged in contact with or adjacent to a back wall of the groove so that the step portion prevents water from entering into the electrical junction box from bottom along the back wall of the groove through the electric wire.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a waterproof structure of a wire cover of an electrical junction box which prevents water from entering into the electrical junction box from bottom through an electric wire extending downward from the electrical junction box.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there have been proposed various wire covers for an electrical junction box. Such wire covers function to lead out an electric wire connected to a connecting portion in the electrical junction box, while protecting the electric wire from water or outside interference by covering the electric wire.
An example of such wire cover is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-320131, wherein a large-diameter electric wire is passed downward through a recess formed on a side wall of an electric junction box main body, in which an upper terminal of the electric wire is bolted to a connecting portion of the electric junction box, and a side cover, i.e. a wire cover, is slidably engaged with grooves on both sides of the recess so that the electric wire is fixed by a band on a partition wall of the side cover.
Furthermore, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-41808, a large-diameter electric wire is passed downward through a recess formed on a housing of an electric junction box, a terminal of the electric wire is connected to a mating terminal in the housing a nut, the electric wire is provided with a waterproof elastic sheet arranged on a circumference of the electric wire, and a wire cover is slidably mounted to the recess of the housing. In such a manner, inside of the wire cover is made watertight with the waterproof elastic sheet.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-93882 discloses an electrical junction box having a junction box main body having a side opening and a side cover, i.e. a wire cover, in which a plurality of small-diameter electric wires are banded together and fixed to the side cover. The side cover is slidably engaged with the side opening of the junction box main body so that the electric wires are lead out of a lower portion of the side cover. The side opening is provided with a downwardly-slanted waterproof wall arranged inside the side opening, thereby preventing water from entering from bottom.
However, the conventional wire cover disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-320131 described above has a drawback that splattered water or high-pressure washing water may enter into the electrical junction box from bottom through the electric wire. Also, the conventional wire cover disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-41808 described above has a drawback that the use of the waterproof elastic sheet causes an increase in the number of components and thus increases the cost. Also, the conventional wire cover disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-93882 described above has a drawback that, since the waterproof wall is provided with a projected end which is in contact with the circumference of the electric wire, the waterproof performance is decreased if the number of the electric wires used is small.
In another conventional wire cover of an electrical junction box shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, a plurality of electric wires 62 is passed through a gutter-shaped side cover or wire cover 61 and fixed to a lower portion of the wire cover 61 using a tape 63, the wire cover 61 is slidably engaged with a junction box main body 64 with the electric wires 62 being placed medially, and the electrical junction box is mounted to a motor vehicle. In this example, there is a problem that if the number of the electric wires 62 is small, then splattered water 66 or high-pressure washing water 66 may enter into the junction box main body 64 from bottom along the electric wires 62 through a space 65 between the electric wires 62 and the junction box main body 64.

Waterproof structure of electrical junction box


A rail car transporting system is used to transport relatively heavy structures by rail car, particularly prefabricated concrete structures. At least one pair of portable retaining devices are configured to retain the structure on the rail car generally at opposite longitudinal sides thereof. Each retaining device includes a base member positionable under the structure with a vertically extending boss member configured on the base member. This boss member has a shape and size so as to fit into a recess defined in the bottom of the structure. Each of the retaining devices also includes at least one securing device that is configured to secure the retaining device to the rail car such that the structure is retained on the rail car by engagement of the boss members within the recesses.

The invention relates generally to an apparatus or system for transporting structures by rail car.
It is desirable, and often the only option, to transport relatively heavy structures, for example prefabricated building structures or modules, by rail car. For example, various types of building structures or modules are formed from precast or prefabricated concrete units. A prime example of this are prison buildings wherein the individual prison cells are modules formed from precast concrete.
These precast units are desirable in the construction industry but, however, are extremely costly to ship. The cost of xe2x80x9cdunnagexe2x80x9d required for securing units on the rail car for shipment can be quite high. For example, typically steel braces are fabricated and welded directly to the rail car for bracing the structures. The cost of fabricating and welding these braces can be tremendous and often prohibitive of the entire process. Additionally, the time element necessary for fabricating and welding the conventional bracing systems is also a significant disadvantage.
The present invention provides a relatively simple, inexpensive, and reusable system for transporting heavy structures, particularly prefabricated concrete structures, by rail car.
It is thus a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus or device for transporting structures via rail car.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide a rail transporting system particularly suited for prefabricated concrete structures or modules.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
The present invention provides a relatively inexpensive, efficient, and reusable apparatus or device for transporting structures, particularly prefabricated concrete structures or modules, on a rail car. The structure to be transported has a bottom side with at least two spaced apart recesses defined therein. At least one pair of portable retaining devices are configured to retain the structure on a rail car at opposite sides of the car. The retaining devices are xe2x80x9cportablexe2x80x9d in that they are not permanently affixed to the rail car and are reusable. Each of the retaining devices includes a base member that is positionable under the structure bottom side proximate to a longitudinal side of the rail car. A vertically extending boss member is formed on the base member. This boss member has a shape and a size so as to fit into one of the recesses in the bottom side of the structure. Each of the retaining devices also includes at least one securing device configured to secure the retaining device on the rail car so that the structure is retained on the rail car by engagement of the boss members of the two retaining devices within the recesses.
In a preferred embodiment, the base member of the retaining devices comprises a metal plate with the boss member formed on an upper surface of the metal plate.
Preferably, the retaining devices include a longitudinally extending edge. This edge is positionable proximate to a longitudinal side of the rail car. Also, each retaining device preferably includes at least two of the securing devices spaced apart along the longitudinal edge.
The securing device may comprise a downwardly extending member, such as a plate or flange member, configured on the base member, for example by being welded to the base member, bolted to the base member, etc. This downwardly extending member is slidable into a pocket or other receiving structure typically provided on a side of the rail car. The securing device further comprises a locking mechanism to lock the downwardly extending member within the pocket of the rail car. In a preferred embodiment, this locking mechanism comprises a relatively simple wedge that can be driven into the pocket and locked within the pocket to secure the retaining device relative to the rail car.
The recesses defined in the bottom side of the structure have a shape and size so as to prevent unnecessary movement of the structure relative to the boss members engaged within the recesses within the recesses. For example, the recesses may be defined as closed end channels. In this embodiment, the boss members may comprise vertically extending cylinders having a diameter generally slightly less than the width of the channels.
The present invention will be described in greater detail below through use of the appended drawings.

Device for transporting structures on a rail car


A distal end side link hub is connected to a proximal end side link hub via three or more link mechanisms such that alteration in posture of the distal end side link hub is allowed. Each of the link mechanisms includes a proximal side end link member, a distal side end link member, and an intermediate link member. A line member is disposed between the link hubs, two ends of the line member being held at line member holding points which are on link hub central axes, respectively. In a state where the link hubs are parallel to each other, when the distance from a midpoint to each spherical link center is defined as (D) and the distance from each spherical link center to its corresponding line member holding point is defined as (H), the relationship H=0.5×D is established.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a link actuation device that is used in a mechanism part for speedily and precisely performing, over a wide range, operations such as handling of articles and complex processing in a three-dimensional space in a robot joint portion and an industrial machine, for example.
Description of Related Art
A link actuation device has been known in which a proximal end side link hub and a distal end side link hub are connected to each other by means of three or more trinodal chain link mechanisms each composed of four revolute pairs. The link actuation device having this configuration can precisely alter the posture of the distal end side link hub relative to the proximal end side link hub over a wide operation range, while the link actuation device is compact in size. In addition, in the link actuation device having this configuration, space is formed inside the arrangement of each link mechanism, and thus, a line member which connects the proximal end side and the distal end side can be inserted in this space. For example, Patent Document 1 suggests that a line member such as an air hose, a wire for transmission of torque and rotation, and an electric wire is inserted into the space inside the link mechanism. According to this suggestion, the line member is prevented from being twisted even when the bending direction of the line member is changed.


A network management system is provided which is capable of reducing a load of processing to be performed by each of nodes when information about a path on a network in each of nodes is acquired.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network management system and more particularly to the network management system being suitable for acquiring information about a path through which a packet has passed in a network which is of a connectionless mode communication type.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a general network management system, for example, a device adapted to manage the network acquires information about connection among transmission paths housed in units making up nodes on the network and about packets having passed through the transmission paths and, based on the acquired information, produces information about a path of a network through which a packet has passed, that is, information indicating contents of the packet having passed through the path and kinds or numbers of the paths through which the packet has passed and holds the information. Such conventional technology is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. Hei 10-224350 and 2000-216830.
However, in the conventional connectionless-type network management system, when the network managing device acquires information about a series of paths existing between a unit which has originally produced a packet and a destination of the packet transmission, processing of having information about the passage of each of packets supplied from all nodes to the network managing device in each of nodes is required, irrespective of whether or not the packet has passed in each of nodes. That is, irrespective of whether or not a packet passes through a node, setting to cause the node to provide information about the passage of the packet is needed, which is wasteful processing. Moreover, the network managing device acquires information about the node through which the packet does not pass, which is also wasteful processing.
In some cases, the network management unit requires that not only the information about the path but also information about delay time in the passage of packets in each of the nodes as information to be used for management be provided. If such the processing is required, when the packet does not pass through the node, it means that further additional wasteful processing is performed.
Furthermore, as the number of nodes to be installed on the network increases, the number of the nodes from which information has to be acquired increases and, as a result, processing that has to be performed by the network managing system becomes complicated.
Same problems as described above occur not only in the connectionless network but also a connection oriented type network in which communications are carried out with the connection being established in advance. That is, it means that the network managing device has to acquire information from all the nodes whose connection has been established.

Abstract: The network management system includes a first edge node serving as an entrance unit to a communication network, second edge node serving as an exit unit, relay node mounted between both the edge nodes and path information acquiring unit to send out a tracing signal used to trace a transfer signal along a transfer route to the first edge node and to obtain information about a path for the transfer signal. Each node is made up of a path information holding unit, tracing signal residing unit, and tracing signal sending unit. The path information acquiring unit acquires the information about the path on a transfer route from one node out of a plurality of nodes.


Disclosed are aqueous mycobacterial concentrate compositions at a pH in the range of 6 to 12 which comprises per 100% weight of a concentrate composition:. a) from about 0.1% wt. to about 25% wt. of a germicidal cationic quaternary ammonium compound; PA1 b) from about 0.25% wt. to about 25% wt. of a solvent selected from: phenoxyalcohol, glycol ethers, or mixtures thereof; and, PA1 c) water.. The concentrate compositions may be used in a ready to use form, or may be further diluted with water to form a disinfecting composition therefrom. The compositions may also include an effective amount of a pH adjusting agent, such as sodium hydroxide or triethanolamine. The compositions featuring reduced amounts of active constituents than those known to the art, and are particularly effective against Mycobacteriuin terrae.

Disinfectant compositions containing quaternary ammonium compounds as cationic active antimicrobial agents are known in the art. Many marketed quaternary disinfectant compositions exhibit broad spectrum bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal activity but they are not mycobactericidal. There are a few known registered disinfectants that contain such quaternary compound and claim mycobactericidal activity but these are generally used in combination with other known active agents (e.g., tributyl tin oxide, isopropanol). Such products contain other active compounds and/or high concentrations of quaternary ammonium compounds and require detailed directions for use in order to avoid possible toxic or other adverse reactions.
Although many virucidal, bactericidal, sporicidal, and fungicidal compositions are known, none is currently available that provides highly efficacious elimination of mycobacteria while providing low toxicity, no odor, non-flammability, low skin irritation and no staining upon contact with a surface. Mycobacteria are resistant to treatment by most bactericidal compounds. Their trilaminar cell walls, composed of 60% lipid, peptidoglycan, arabinoglycan, trehalose 6,6 dimycolate, sulfates and mycosides, accounts for the unusual properties of the organism: (a) relative impermeability to stains, (b) acid fastness, and (c) unusual resistance to killing by acid or alkali.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,145, Eggensperger et al. disclose a mycobactericidal disinfectant concentrate comprising 0.1-50% by weight of a cationic active compound, 10-60% by weight of a phenoxyalcohol mixture, 3-25% by weight of a non-ionic surfactant and 0.1-10% by weight of an organic-nitrogen containing base to effect a pH range of 7.8-11. One disadvantage displayed by this preparation is that relatively high concentrations of the active ingredients in an alkaline pH range are needed to achieve disinfection in a practical short contact time.
For the purpose of disinfecting surfaaces, lower concentrations of the active agents and a neutral pH range are desirable from the standpoint of cost-effectiveness, safety and aesthetics.
It is a principal object of this invention to provide a mycobactericidal disinfectant composition which overcomes one or more of the aforementioned technical shortcomings in the art.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an aqueous mycobactericidal disinfectant composition containing a cationic quaternary ammonium compound and a solvent system that would provide mycobactericidal activity at lower active concentrations and at lower pH ranges than known art mycobactericidal disinfectant compositions.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a mycobactericidal disinfectant composition in the form of a cost effective, safe and aesthetically practical, ready-to-use or dilutable disinfectant product.

Mycobacterial compositions and methods for their use


Boost-type switch-mode rectifiers (SMR) commonly use a resistor or a magnetic current sensor to measure the instantaneous input or inductor current that is used as the feedback to the current controller. A novel current sensorless scheme is described that computes the inductor current from the measured inductor voltage in a single-phase boost-type SMR using an adaptive low pass filter. This calculation requires an estimate of the inductance and the equivalent series resistance of the inductor coil. Both these parameters are dependent on operating conditions and are updated continuously. This is done using an adaptive model of the inductor that computes these parameters of the inductor once in every half cycle of the input current. The adaptation scheme is robust against parameter variations. Simulation and experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed technique which provides comparable performance to standard measured feedback current scheme both under steady-state and transient conditions.

The classical control scheme for a typical switch-mode rectifier as shown in FIG. 1 employs two cascaded feedback control loops; the inner current loop for input current shaping and total harmonic distortion (THD) minimization and the outer voltage loop for output voltage regulation. For minimizing THD average current control is preferred. The inductor current which is used as the feedback signal for average current control is normally sensed using either a resistor in series with the inductor or a magnetic current sensing device such as Hall Effect based current sensor or regular current transformer. Resistor sensing is usually very straightforward, particularly in low power circuits, where the power dissipation in the sense resistor is negligible. However, in many applications, using a current sense resistor in the direct path of the current to be measured is not practical as not only a small value of sense resistor is difficult to implement, but also the power loss in the sense resistor is too high, particularly in large power converters. Also this sense resistor needs connection to the high voltage section of the circuit and hence isolation of the low voltage control circuit can become an issue. Hall Effect current sensors are reliable but suffer from dc offset, higher cost, temperature issues and the need to have a separate power supply. A single ferrite core current transformer (CT) cannot be directly used to sense the inductor current as it has a dc offset. To circumvent this problem two CTs can be used, one for sensing the switch current and one for sensing the diode current. By summing these two currents the true inductor current can be reconstructed [1]. Other options include copper trace resistance sensing with temperature compensation electronics, Rogowski coils, magneto resistance sensors and fiber-optic current sensors. Their applications are limited by isolation issues, high cost, size, incapability of measuring direct currents, low accuracy, or unsuitability for small currents [2,3].
From the above discussion it is clear that there is a need for an accurate, sensorless current measurement or estimation scheme. The vast body of literature related to research on sensorless current estimation techniques also confirms this viewpoint. They are briefly reviewed in the next few paragraphs.
In [4-6], the reference current is generated from input and output voltage without current sensing. The turn-off instant of the switch is calculated based on the maximum value of the reference current in a switching instant. The peak of the ramp carrier signal is proportional to the output dc voltage. The control law makes the peak current in each switching period follow vd. The drive signal delay, sample and hold delays and measured voltage offset error can also be compensated. However compensation technique is utility voltage and load dependent and research is still required to make it tunable for any operating point. The scheme has been implemented using a field programmable gate array (FPGA).
Since under continuous conduction mode (CCM) the input-output relationship of a boost SMR is given by (1), it logically follows that varying a duty cycle, d, which is modulated because of the sinusoidal nature of the voltage waveform vd, would essentially result in a sinusoidal input current; with the output voltage Vo maintained constant by a closed loop controller. Thus researchers followed this lead and came up with many improved versions of this basic scheme [7-11] that add a term which is proportional to the derivative of vd. This is because the derivative of the inductor current iL should be ideally proportional to the instantaneous values of vd as shown by (2). Following FIG. 1, the voltage across the boost inductor L, neglecting the series resistance RL can be written as (3). vQ, the voltage across the switch Q can also be written in terms of the output voltage Vo as (4). Substituting iL and vQ from (2) and (4) respectively in (3) one can obtain an improved version of (1) as shown in (5).
                    ⅆ                  =                      1            -                                          ν                d                                            V                o                                                                        (        1        )                                          i          L                =                              κ            1                    ·                      ν            d                                              (        2        )                                          L                                              ⅆ                              i                L                                                    ⅆ              t                                      =                              ν            d                    -                      ν            Q                                              (        3        )                                          ν          Q                =                              (                          1              -              ⅆ                        )                                          V            o                                              (        4        )                                ⅆ                  =                      1            -                                          ν                d                                            V                o                                      +                                                                                κ                    2                                                      L                                                  V                  o                                                                                ⅆ                                      ν                    d                                                                    ⅆ                  t                                                                                (        5        )
A further improved version of (5) includes the inductor equivalent series resistance, the voltage drop across the rectifier diodes, and also the drops across the switch and the diode in the boost converter [12]. References [13] and [14] sense only the input voltage to implement (5). Discrete time domain versions of (5) suitable for microcontroller implementation with or without compensating for circuit non-idealities using stored or computed duty cycle patterns have also been examined in [15-19].
A different approach is followed in [20-24] to achieve a current sensorless boost-type SMR. The voltage loop output in the form of a phase angle α, is used to control the output voltage along with the shape of the input current, as given by (6). Compensation for circuit non-idealities such as inductor resistance and device drops are also possible. While most of them are single loop, a two loop implementation, with one loop for phase angle and one for mean output voltage control through real power control; using Kalman filters have been implemented [23].
                              d          =                      1            -                                                                                v                    ^                                    d                                                  v                  0                                                                                                            sin                                                        (                                          θ                      -                      α                                        )                                                                                                      ;                              v            d                    =                                                    v                ^                            d                                                                                sin                                                  (                  θ                  )                                                                                                      (        6        )
TABLE IPrior-art in the area of current sensorless control of single phase boost-type SMR.[7][10][13][15][21][4-6][8][9][11][12][14][16][17][18][19][20][22][23][24][25]Takes circuitNoNoNoNoYesNoNoYesNoNoNoYesNoYesNonon-idealities into accountProven to beYes1NoYes2NoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo Yes3No Yes4Noinsensitive toparametervariation1Not verified with experimental results.2Analyzed input admittance for inductance variations.3Experimental results have been obtained with non-nominal inductance and capacitance.4Detailed experimental results have been provided on parameter variation.In [25], the current is indirectly measured by connecting a capacitor in series with a resistor across the boost inductor. If vCs(s) and iL(s) are respectively the capacitor voltage and inductor current in frequency domain, it can be shown that
                                                        v                              C                s                                                                (              s              )                                                          i              L                                                  (              s              )                                      =                                                            R                L                            +              sL                                      1              +                                                sR                                      C                    s                                                                                C                  s                                                              =                                                    R                L                                                                            1                  +                                      s                                                              L                                              R                        L                                                                                1                  +                                                            sR                                              C                        s                                                                                C                                                                        =                                          R                L                                                                            1                  +                                      s                                                                                τ                      L                                                                                1                  +                                      s                                                                                τ                      C                                                                                (        7        )            where RL, RCs are respectively the equivalent series resistance of the boost inductor L and the external resistor connected in series with the current sense capacitor Cs. If τC=RCsCs is chosen so that it matches
            τ      L        =          L              R        L              ,the relation
      v          C      s            i    L  becomes frequency independent, signifying that the sensing preserves the shape of the inductor current. Under this condition, vCs is proportional to the inductor current and therefore can be used in the current control loop. Obviously, the technique is load dependent as both the inductor resistance and the inductor value are influenced by the inductor current. Reference [26] presents a similar technique applied to a dc-dc buck converter using a self-tuning digital filter whose parameters are tuned using a test current sink, consisting of a known resistor in series with a small switch, in parallel with the load. Table I summarizes the prior art in the area of current sensorless control of single phase boost-type SMR.

Current sensorless control of a boost-type switch mode rectifier (SMR) with inductor parameter adaptation


A method for the treatment and/or reduction of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is disclosed. The method uses active amino-aryl-benzamide compounds and methods for the preparation thereof.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in the world and its incidence is increasing due to a close association with obesity and insulin resistance. NAFLD represents a spectrum of liver disease that includes simple steatosis (triacylglycerol (TAG) infiltration in >5 percent of hepatocytes), fatty infiltration plus inflammation, and hepatocellular ballooning degeneration (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, NASH), progressing to liver fibrosis and ultimately cirrhosis (Hardy et al., 2016 Annual Reviews of Pathology). Among those with NAFLD, around 25 percent will progress to the more severe form of NASH, which is a major health issue due to its association with increased cardiovascular mortality, type 2 diabetes, and significant risk of end-stage liver disease, including fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Targher et al., 2010 NEJM). 5-25 percent of NASH patients will develop cirrhosis within 7 years, and 4-27 percent of patients will ultimately develop liver cancer. Indeed, NASH is associated with a greater than 10-fold increased risk of liver-related death, and a doubling of cardiovascular risk (Ekstedt et al., 2006 Hepatology).
In the US, between 30 and 40 percent of adults have NAFLD (Spengler and Loomba, 2015 Mayo Clinic Proceedings), and the prevalence of this condition is rising, possibly due to the increasing number of Americans with obesity (National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, NIDDK). A recent prospective cohort study using ultrasound and liver biopsy approaches suggested the prevalence of NAFLD in asymptomatic middle-aged patients to be 46.0 percent and the prevalence of NASH to be 12.2 percent (Williams et al., 2011 Gastroenterology). As the incidence of cirrhosis due to chronic viral hepatitis decreases, NAFLD/NASH is poised to become the primary indication for liver transplantation globally (Charlton et al., 2011 Gastroenterology).
Until recently, the sequential "two-hit hypothesis" has been widely accepted to explain the pathogenesis of NAFLD/NASH. Indeed, the combined effects of various biochemical and immunological processes ("multiple parallel hits") are attributed to the development of NAFLD/NASH. Sequentially, hepatic steatosis is induced by an early stress response through which lipotoxic free fatty acids (FFAs) are partitioned into relatively stable TAG stores. Lipotoxicity develops when adaptive mechanisms that mitigate the deleterious effects of fatty acid in the liver are overwhelmed, leading to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), ER stress, and cellular dysfunction. Subsequently, cellular damage triggers a mixture of immune-mediated hepatocellular injury and cell death pathways. Once these persist, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are activated, leading to collagen deposition and hepatic fibrogenesis (Hardy et al., 2016 Annual Reviews of Pathology). Eventually, these events cause cirrhosis that may result in liver failure and HCC (Richardson et al., 2007 Gastroenterology).
The main focuses for NAFLD/NASH treatments are reversing hepatic steatosis, as well as reducing progression to advanced fibrosis, cirrhosis and its sequelae, including HCC, metabolic diseases and cardiovascular diseases. At present, there are no approved pharmacological therapies for NAFLD/NASH. The only treatment option is weight loss, associated with lifestyle modifications. However, such treatment methods require a great deal of commitment, and compliance can be difficult. Thus, there is a pressing need to develop novel and effective therapeutics for this devastating human disease. The present invention addresses this need.

Amino-aryl-benzamide compounds and methods of use thereof


A semiconductor package with solder balls and a method for producing the package are disclosed. The package has no outer lead but is provided with the solder balls formed on the mold resin body, thus to allow a plurality of packages to be easily vertically layered when enlarging the memory capacity. The package producing method forms the solder balls through screen printing or dotting, or electroplating and vacuum depositing of solder paste, thus to need no typical forming step and to achieve the thinness of the package. A plurality of holes are provided in at least one of the top section and the bottom section of the mold resin body such that the holes communicate with the inner leads respectively. The solder balls are formed on the holes under the condition that a plurality of conductors are charged in the holes. The solder balls are electrically connected to the inner leads through the conductors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to semiconductor packages with solder balls and a method for producing such packages and, more particularly, to an improvement in structure of such packages as well as to an improvement in the package producing method for removing outer leads exposed to the outside of the packages and for letting the packages be easily layered vertically in order for enlarging memory capacity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a plastic BGA (ball grid arrays) package which is a representative example of typical semiconductor packages with solder balls. In the drawing, the reference numeral 1 denotes a semiconductor chip. The semiconductor chip 1 is bonded to the top surface of a PCB (printed circuit board) 2 using a die bonding epoxy 3. A solder resist 4, which is provided on the bottom surface of the PCB 2, includes a plurality of holes "s" for receiving a plurality of solder balls 5 respectively, which solder balls 5 are electrically connected to the PCB 2 and protrude out of the bottom surface of the solder resist 4, thus to electrically lead the PCB 2 to the outside of the package. The holes "s" of the solder resist 4 are spaced out at regular intervals.
A plurality of pads of the semiconductor chip 1 are electrically connected to a plurality of inner leads 8 of a lead frame by means of a plurality of metal wires 7, which metal wires 7 are bonded to the chip 1 and to the inner leads 8 of the lead frame at their opposed ends respectively. The inner leads 8 include a through hole 6 at a predetermined portion, which through hole 6 is provided with a metal pattern (not shown) therein. A predetermined volume including the semiconductor chip 1 and the metal wires 7 is hermetically packaged by a plastic resin body 9.
The above plastic BGA package is produced by the following process.
The BGA package producing process is started at a die bonding step in which the semiconductor chip 1 is bonded to the top surface of the PCB 2 using the die bonding epoxy 3. The die bonding step is followed by a wire bonding step for electrically connecting the pads of the semiconductor chip 1 to the inner leads 8 of the lead frame by means of the metal wires 7. After the wire bonding step, a molding step for hermetically molding, using the plastic resin, the predetermined volume including the semiconductor chip 1, the inner leads 8 of the lead frame and the metal wires 7 is carried out, thus to form the plastic resin body 9. The molding step is followed by a trimming and forming step in which lead supporting dambars (not shown) are cut and a plurality of outer leads (not shown) of the lead frame are trimmed and formed into a predetermined bent shape.
In the plastic BGA package produced through the above process, the semiconductor chip is electrically connected to the inner leads of the lead frame by means of the plurality of the metal wires, which metal wires are bonded to the chip and to the inner leads in the wire bonding step. In addition, the outer leads of the lead frame are exposed to the outside of the plastic resin body hermetically packaging the predetermined volume including the semiconductor chip, the inner leads of the lead frame and the metal wires. However, the above plastic BGA package has a problem that it is very difficult to achieve the recent trend of diminution and thinness of the package. Furthermore, when a plurality of above packages will be used together in order to enlarge memory capacity, the packages are inevitably arrayed horizontally due to the outer leads exposed to the outside, thus to waste space.

Method of producing semiconductor package having solder balls


A structure and associated method of processing data on a semi-conductor device comprising an input island, a processing island, and an output island formed on the semiconductor device. The input island is adapted to accept a specified amount of data and enable a means for providing a first specified voltage for powering the processing island after accepting the specified amount of data. The processing island is adapted to receive and process the specified amount of data from the input island upon powering the processing island by the first specified voltage. The output island is adapted to be powered by a second specified voltage. The processing island is further adapted to transmit the processed data to the output island upon said powering by the second specified voltage. The first specified voltage is adapted to be disabled thereby removing power from processing island upon completion of transmission of the processed data to the output island.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a structure and associated method to selectively control power to a processing island on a semiconductor device.
2. Related Art
A typical electronic structure requires power to function.
Integrated circuits may comprise a plurality of electronic structures and therefore may require a large amount of power to function. Providing a large amount of power is costly and inefficient. Therefore there exists a need to reduce power consumption by integrated circuits comprising a plurality of electronic structures.

International Business Machines Corporation