A rotary cutting tool. The tool has a body with outside diameter (OD), and outer surface, and a longitudinal axis, a plurality of flutes, helical in some embodiments. Flutes include a narrow leading edge land portion with circular segment profile and having flute cutting edge portions along a substantially uniform circumferential location, with an eccentric relief margin rotationally rearward of the narrow leading edge land portions. Face portions are provided with face cutting edge portions, and with a first dish portion adjacent each of the cutting edge portions sloping inwardly and downwardly generally toward a central longitudinal axis at a first dish angle alpha (α). Corner blend portions extend from flute cutting edge portions to the face cutting edge portions. Corner blend portions are provided in a variety of profiles, including an embodiment wherein the profile of the corner blend portions are truncated before the segment of curvature becomes tangential to the face cutting edge portions. Large core diameters of cutting tools are provided, which gives high strength at when working with axial depths of cut of about three times outside tool diameter or less.

In the machine tool industry, those of skill in the art will recognize that end mills are generally provided as cylindrically shaped cutting tools with a shank end and a cutting end having flutes (with or without helix design) that define side cutting edges which intersect with the end of the end mill, generally with a slight concave dish of from about 1 to about 3 degrees of inward dish angle (that is, from the radial edges inward toward the center of rotation). The existing end mill cutting tools of which we are aware are provided based on designs that are generally capable of plunging or pecking with multiple small axial steps, or which are capable of ramping at relatively slight angles, such as between about one-half (½) degree to about three (3) degrees. The actual degree of ramping achievable is often primarily dependent upon the machineability of the material being cut. In many such machine tool designs, exceeding such just mentioned ramping angles during machining on a workpiece causes elevated cutting forces, and possibly catastrophic failure, due to excessive tool to part contact. Such failures are, in part, due to inefficient geometry of cutting face design of such prior art tools.
To avoid such problems, various techniques have been developed, and such prior art techniques are presently widely used in machining workpieces. For example, the technique of pocketing may be utilized, wherein one first uses a drill to manufacture a hole, and then the end mill is inserted into the hole, and subsequently a slot is machined in a lateral direction. Another method, namely slotting, may be utilized, where an open end allows machining to start at an outside or exposed edge, and multiple slot cuts of shallow depth are utilized. The first approach, i.e. pocketing, requires the use of two tools—a drill and an end mill. Both techniques require multiple machining steps. Thus, both of those techniques are inefficient. Extra time is consumed during parts manufacture by the use of such processing techniques. And, in many respects, high or excessive cutting pressure may decrease tool life. Also, the cutting pressure or heat generated in such prior art techniques may decrease the quality of the part made from the workpiece being machined.
One relatively recent patent, namely U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,780, issued Aug. 20, 2002 to C. M. Flynn for a Rotary Cutting Tool has made an attempt at reducing forces encountered during end milling. However, only material listed in the published test results was 6061-T85 aluminum, which material is very easy to machine. Thus, such test results do not show the that such designs are qualified to avoid problems which are inevitably encountered when ramp machining the many and various harder or higher tensile strength materials. In the tool disclosed in that patent, an end mill having a shank end and a cutting end having flutes defining side cutting edges is provided. However, a periphery end edge portion is defined that slopes at an angle which in various embodiments may be somewhere in the range of about two (2) degrees or slightly more, and an interior edge portion is defined that slopes at an angle in the range of five (5) to twenty five (25) degrees. Thus, while such an end mill design may help to reduce the forces while ramping, such design is faced with the problem of chipping or plastic deformation of the workpiece at the working face, e.g., the outer most corner of rotation of the tool. Further, it does not provide geometry for dampening or reducing the effects of model coupling (the effect of which would be tool chatter). When ramping at angles greater than about three (3) to five (5) degrees, the result in simultaneous multi-axis machining with such a tool is that the combined directional movements form a single chip at two adjacent shear zones. These zones are located around eighty six (86) degrees from each other at the outer most tip of the cutting edges of the radial diameter, where it meets the end cutting edge forming a sharp point or tip. In the case of that tool, the chip formed is in the same shear zone at the dish end of the end mill and the outside periphery, both intersecting at the tip or corner. When those two opposing faces form a simultaneous chip at the same shear zone or chip path, they collide and compress as their directional paths intersect each other. The effect of creating two chips simultaneously in the same shear zone is more than doubling in both heat and cutting pressure at such point of intersection. When such phenomenon occurs, chips are forced and buckled as neither the shear zone near the tip or at the tip itself has a clear path for chip flow. This leads to additional strain and increased forces as the chip is then cold formed in the gullet of the flutes, resulting in additional tool pressure and heat. At this point of intersection both the heat and cutting pressure or strain is increased at the weakest point of the tool, i.e., the corner of the tool. Also, such prior art tool design does not control or allow for sufficient room for chip flow. With no specific geometry for accommodating chip formation or chip removal paths, during use, such a tool would lead to higher tool pressure at such shear zones, leading to chipping of the corner of the workpiece, or wear of the workpiece due to plastic deformation from the resulting strain and heat.
Consequently, there still remains an as yet unmet need for an end mill tool design, and a method for operation of milling machines when using such end mill tools, that takes full advantage of improved mechanical design components with respect to cutting angles and cutting speed of the improved rotary cutters disclosed and claimed herein.
Moreover, it would be advantageous to accomplish such goals while providing an rotary cutting tool suitable for use in existing milling equipment, and while providing a procedure for modification of existing parts manufacturing programs, in order to increase productivity of manufacturing operations of machined parts, and especially, those machined parts that would benefit from high speed rough end milling operations.


The present invention provides a rubber composition for a tire which makes it possible to consider an effect on environment, prepare for decrease in supply quantity of petroleum in future and improve weather resistance and rubber strength in good balance, and a tire prepared by using the rubber composition. The rubber composition of the present invention comprises not less than 20 parts by weight of a silica, not more than 5 parts by weight of a carbon black and 2 to 20 parts by weight of a turpentine soot and/or lamp black having an average particle diameter of not more than 1,000 nm, based on 100 parts by weight of a rubber component comprising a natural rubber and/or an epoxidized natural rubber, and a tire prepared by using the rubber composition.

The present invention relates to a rubber composition and a tire using the same. Generally, raw materials such as carbon black derived from petroleum resources are used for a rubber composition for a tire. When carbon black is used as a reinforcing agent for a rubber, weather resistance can be also improved together with its reinforcing effect.
However, environmental problems have been recently emphasized and regulations on carbon dioxide emission have been made more rigorous. Further, since the amount of petroleum deposits is finite and there is a limit in using raw materials derived from petroleum resources, there is required development of a rubber composition for a tire comprising raw materials derived from non-petroleum resources that replace a portion or all of raw materials derived from petroleum resources used at present. Consequently, for example, raw materials such as silica derived from non-petroleum resources have been used as a material replacing carbon black. However, when silica is used as a reinforcing agent, there cannot be kept shielding and absorption effects of ultraviolet rays that carbon black has. Therefore, cracks are easily generated in the rubber by ultraviolet rays.
JP2003-63206A discloses ecological tires prepared by using raw materials derived from resources other than petroleum such as a natural rubber, silica, and sericite, thereby making it possible to consider an effect on environment and prepare for decrease in supply quantity of petroleum in future. Further, the disclosed ecological tires have performances bearing comparison with those of tires prepared by using raw materials derived from petroleum resources as main components. In those tires, silica is used as a material replacing carbon black, however, no consideration was made as to the point that when carbon black is replaced with silica, weather resistance is deteriorated.


A female coupling element includes two superposed coaxial rings, a locking ring and safety ring which are rotatably mounted about a body of the coupling element. The locking ring is axially immobilized with respect to the body while the safety ring is able to slide with respect to the locking ring and with the body. The locking ring (2) has at least one locking slot for receiving a projection of a second element inserted within the coupling element and a notch to lock the projection axially with respect to the coupling element, and the safety ring includes at least one safety slot having a notch which locks the projection circumferentially in the notch of the locking ring.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coupling element and to a coupling intended for removably joining two pipes.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
EP-A-1 164 327 teaches the connecting of two elements of a coupling using locking ramps with over-travel formed in a ring of a first element and intended to accept radially projecting lugs of the second element. The two elements of the coupling comprise shut-off valves associated with springs, which tend to push the elements apart. The locking is obtained by pushing the elements closer together against the action of the valve springs until an over-travel zone is reached in which the valve springs push the lugs of the second elements into notches. In this device, the lugs are locked exclusively by the valve springs. As a result, there is a risk that the elements will become disconnected if the pressure in the fluid circuits coupled drops and there is at the same time a relative rotation of the elements, for example under the effect of vibrations, tending to cause the two elements to move closer together and to drive the lugs into the over-travel zones of the locking ramps, in the unlocking direction.
FR-A-1 580 284 also teaches the coupling of male and female elements using a slit ring mounted with the possibility of rotating about a body of the female element. The slit ring comprises two juxtaposed series of slits, a first series of slits being intended to accept radially projecting tenons of the male element, while the second series of slits is intended to accept internal lugs of an outer ring that fits over the slit ring. The two series of slits are arranged in such a way that the slit ring is made to rotate about the body of the female element when the male and female elements are moved axially closer together. By rotating the slit ring it is possible simultaneously to lock the tenons of the male element in circumferential notches of the first series of slits and the internal lugs of the outer ring in inclined notches of the second series of slits. In this device, introducing the tenons of the male element into the first series of slits entails aligning these slits with axial slits in the body of the female element. Now, as the slit ring is mounted with freedom to rotate about the body of the female element, these slits are liable to become shifted relative to one another. They can be aligned by exerting a backward force on the outer ring beforehand, against the action of a spring. The locking of the male and female elements is therefore not automatic.
Elsewhere, U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,716 describes a female coupling element comprising two superposed rings including an inner ring welded to a body of the female element and an outer ring able to move axially with respect to the inner ring. The inner ring comprises slits for accommodating radially projecting lugs of a male element able to be pushed into the female element, each lug being designed to be secured in a slit of the inner ring by means of a corresponding semicircular slot in the outer ring. In this device, connecting the male and female elements entails moving the outer ring back with respect to the inner ring and rotating the male element with respect to the female element in order to cause the lugs of the male element to travel along the slits in the inner ring. A device such as this does not allow the coupling elements to be locked automatically in a single movement on the part of an operator.

Coupling element for removably joining pipes


A piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric material film made of BiFeO3. The piezoelectric element can be used in an ink jet recording head which includes a cavity with a variable internal volume, wherein the internal volume of the cavity changes depending on deformation of the piezoelectric material film included in the piezoelectric element.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a piezoelectric element including a BiFeO3 piezoelectric film, an ink jet recording head, an ink jet printer, a surface acoustic wave element, a frequency-dependent filter, an oscillator, an electronic circuit, a thin film piezoelectric resonator and an electronic apparatus.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-181153, filed Jun. 25, 2003, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-308967, filed Sep. 1, 2003, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
An ink jet printer is known as a high-resolution and high speed printing printer. The ink jet printer is provided with an ink jet recording head which comprises a cavity with a variable internal volume, and, in the ink jet printer, printing is carried out by ejecting ink droplets from nozzles while the head scans. A piezoelectric element made of ceramic as represented by PZT (Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O3) is conventionally used as a head actuator in the ink jet recording head for such an ink jet printer (see, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-223404).
It has been confirmed in recent reports that BiFeO3 as a ferroelectric material has a high ferroelectric characteristic of dielectric polarization moment Pr of 60 to 70 μC/cm2 (see, e.g., Science, Vol. 299, 1719–1721, 2003). For this reason, BiFeO3 is a good piezoelectric material and BiFeO3 is anticipated to be used. In this report, upper and lower electrodes between which a ferroelectric layer is sandwiched are made of SrRuO3, and the ferroelectric layer made of BiFeO3 has a perovskite structure in a tetragonal system. Characteristics of a surface acoustic wave element, a frequency filter, an oscillator, an electronic circuit, and the like are expected to be improved, and therefore this new piezoelectric material is anticipated to be employed therein.

Ink jet recording head and ink jet printer with piezoelectric element


A failure diagnosis apparatus for a fuel level sensor that detects a fuel remaining quantity within a fuel tank including at least a first tank and a second tank includes: a range deter mining unit for determining a range of a fuel remaining quantity on the basis of an output value of the fuel level sensor, the range being classified into a plurality of ranges in accordance with an output characteristic of the fuel level sensor; and a range failure diagnosis unit for carrying out failure diagnosis of the fuel level sensor for each range by comparing a fuel consumption quantity since the ranges are changed with a failure determining threshold value individually set up for each range. In a dead zone range in which a change in the output value of the fuel level sensor becomes small when a fuel consumer is switched from the first tank to the second tank, the range failure diagnosis unit sets the failure determining threshold value to a value corresponding to a fuel consumption quantity required to pass through the dead zone range.

A conventional failure diagnosis apparatus for a fuel level sensor described in JP10-184479A has determined that the fuel level sensor failed (broke down) in a case where an amount of change in an output value of the fuel level sensor when to consume predetermined fuel is smaller than a predetermined failure determining threshold value.

Failure diagnosis apparatus for fuel level sensor and failure diagnosis method for fuel level sensor


A method of flotation processing ores and other mineral materials containing soluble nonferrous base metal and sulfide minerals involves dissolving the soluble nonferrous base metal and precipitating the soluble nonferrous base metal in the form of a floatable precipitate that is collected as part of a sulfide concentrate. The use of an oxygen-deficient flotation gas, such as nitrogen gas, promotes the precipitation of the floatable precipitate. A method for removing dissolved nonferrous base metal from solution involves contacting the solution with a particulate containing sulfide minerals under conditions promoting precipitation of the nonferrous base metal onto the sulfide mineral.

A variety of techniques are used to recover nonferrous base metals from base metal ores. For some ores, the base metals of interest are directly leached from the ore into a leach solution, and the base metals are then removed from the leach solution to recover base metal values. For example, some copper ores are processed by dump leaching. Dump leaching involves leaching copper from the ore into an acidic leach solution. The copper is then recovered from the leach solution, such as by solvent extraction and electrowinning. If present, other base metals dissolved into the leach solution may be recovered before or after removal of the copper. For example, if the leach solution contains an appreciable quantity of dissolved zinc, the zinc may be recovered, following recovery of the copper, by solvent extraction or selective precipitation.
One problem with dump leaching is that the process results in a low recovery of copper when the ore contains significant amounts of copper that are not in an acid soluble form. Consequently, the dump leach process is normally limited to use on ores with appreciable quantities of acid soluble copper. Also, the solvent extraction process is expensive and not economic for use with many ores.
Another method of recovering base metals from base metal ores is to prepare a base metal ore concentrate by flotation and then further process the base metal ore concentrate, such as by smelting. During the flotation, it is important to produce a concentrate of sufficiently high grade for the smelting operation without losing excessive quantities of the valuable base metal to the flotation tail. For some ores, there is an added complication when significant quantities of the valuable base metal in the ore are in a form that is soluble in the flotation liquid. During flotation, such soluble base metals are susceptible to dissolving into the flotation liquid and then precipitating in a non-floatable form, such as a nonfloatable oxide or hydroxide precipitate. This nonfloatable precipitate is then lost to the flotation tail, representing significant loss of base metal value. One approach to address this problem is to pre-leach the ore to dissolve the soluble base metal, and separately remove the soluble base metal from the leach solution. For example, a copper ore may be pre-leached with water or with an acidic leach solution to dissolve soluble copper. The soluble copper is then recoverable from the leach solution by solvent extraction and electrowinning, in the same way as previously discussed for dump leach operations. However, the additional pre-leach process is expensive and is often not economical.
Another proposed method to recover base metals is pressure oxidization, especially when a significant portion of the base metal value is contained in sulfide minerals. During pressure oxidation, a slurry of the ore is subjected to high temperature and high pressure in an autoclave in the presence of oxygen gas, causing decomposition of sulfide minerals and permitting most or all of the base metals of interest to dissolve into aqueous liquid of the slurry. For example, this process has been proposed especially for processing copper ores that contain a substantial amount of primary copper sulfide minerals, such as chalcopyrite. One consideration for pressure oxidation as a processing option is that it is expensive. Also, it is often desirable to first prepare a sulfide concentrate from the ore prior to pressure oxidation, to increase sulfide sulfur content in the autoclave feed to provide sufficient fuel for the pressure oxidation. If the ore contains significant quantities of base metal in soluble form, there is a potential for significant losses of base metal values during flotation, in a manner as discussed above. The soluble base metal content could be removed prior to flotation by pre-leaching of the ore, but as noted above such pre-leaching is expensive and often not economical.

Flotation processing including recovery of soluble nonferrous base metal values


A movable mold is disposed so as to face the stationary mold and to be advanceable and retractable. The movable mold forms a cavity in cooperation with the stationary mold when mold clamping is performed. A sprue is disposed to face the cavity and has a concave portion formed at a front end thereof. A cut punch is reciprocatively disposed to face the cavity at a position corresponding to the concave portion. The cut punch enters the concave portion when advanced. A drive section is provided to advance and retract the cut punch when driven. A controller drives the drive section such that during the mold clamping, the cut punch is advanced at a predetermined extension force in order to perform gate cutting and such that the extension force is made no greater than a preset value before the mold is opened.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cutting apparatus and method for molding, and more specifically, to a gate cut apparatus and method for a disc molding apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in an injection molding machine, resin heated and melted within a heating cylinder is charged into a cavity formed in a mold apparatus. After the molten resin is cooled and solidified within the cavity, a molded product is removed from the cavity.
For injection of resin, a screw is disposed within the heating cylinder. When the screw is advanced, the resin is injected from an injection nozzle disposed at the front end of the heating cylinder. The injected resin then enters the cavity via a sprue and a gate.
A disc molding apparatus for molding a disc is provided with a gate cut apparatus. After resin is charged into a cavity, the gate cut apparatus is operated in order to separate a molded substrate within the cavity from the gate and to form a hole at the center of the molded substrate.
More specifically, before the resin within the cavity solidifies, the gate cut apparatus is operated in order to extend a cut punch. Subsequently, the mold is opened while the extension force of the cut punch is maintained, and a disc is then removed.
However, in the conventional gate cut apparatus for a disc molding apparatus, since the extension force is maintained even when starting the opening of a mold, the opening of a mold cannot be performed with accurate timing and speed. Therefore, molding defects due to an improper mold release are sometimes produced.
An improved cutting apparatus for a molding apparatus is provided, comprising: a cutting apparatus for a molding apparatus, comprising: a first mold; a second mold disposed so as to face said first mold and to be advanceable and retractable, said second mold forming a cavity in cooperation with said first mold when the movable mold is abutted against the stationary mold during mold clamping; a cut punch reciprocatively disposed to advance into and retract from the cavity; a drive section adapted to advance and retract said cut punch when driven; and a controller controlling the driving of said drive section such that during the mold clamping, said cut punch is advanced at a predetermined extension force in order to perform a cutting of a portion of a molded product within the cavity and such that the extension force is made no greater than a preset value before the mold is opened.

Gate cut apparatus and method for a disc molding apparatus


The invention described herein is a fire protection device in the form of an insert designed to be quickly installed in new or existing electrical boxes located in firewalls. This insert is comprised of a material designed to withstand high direct heat and serve as a barrier to the passage of direct heat or smoke and gases through firewalls rated under ASTM E-119. The insert features a flanged open end which overlaps any gaps between the existing electrical box and the wall. The back wall of the insert box may have either openings to permit wires to pass through to the electrical device or a plug-harness assembly which obviates the use of holes in the back of the insert box.

The invention described herein is designed to solve a common problem faced in building construction; namely, the placement of electrical boxes containing electrical or electronic devices such as duplex receptacles, switches or media plugs into mandated fire walls in commercial buildings. Local, state, and national fire codes place constraints on where such boxes can be located and the ASTM E-119 vertical wall test is used to test the resilience of these firewalls against direct heat, smoke, and gases. What is needed is a quickly and easily retrofittable fire safety device that will allow new and already-existing electrical boxes in firewalls to pass the ASTM E-119 one and two-hour fire tests.


Method and device for fracturing the interface between dental structures that have been secured together, and for adhesive removal and cleaning of the teeth. The device comprises an ultrasonic tool for providing hi-directional movement of a preferred amplitude and frequency. The tool is applied against one of the dental structures at an acute angle with respect to a plane in which the interface between the dental structures lies. Alternatively, the dental tool is applied against the adhesive on the tooth surface for removal thereof. In another alternative, the dental tool is utilized with a liquid layer to provide cavitation of the liquid, thereby cleaning and polishing the enamel surface.

In the dental and orthodontic field it is often necessary to break an adhesive bond that has been formed between two dental structures. For example, the removing of orthodontic bands or brackets from teeth at the completion of treatment. Typically, orthodontic brackets are removed by mechanical devices with the application of a force. These devices generally comprise various types of orthodontic pliers or mechanical arms that can be used as levers. Orthodontic bracket removing instruments generally apply force to the interface between the bracket and the tooth that contains an appropriate orthodontic adhesive. In the situation of typical metal orthodontic brackets, the force that is applied deforms the orthodontic bracket which is substantially more ductile than the tooth or adhesive. Deformation of the bracket creates microcracks on and within the adhesive layer which ultimately results in bond failure. While such techniques have been generally accepted in removing metal orthodontic brackets, the debonding of ceramic brackets (for example, brackets made of alumina) is not easy to accomplish. This is due in part to the high rigidity of the ceramic materials used to form the bracket, thus deformation of the ceramic bracket does not occur. Therefore, the force needed to debond a ceramic bracket is substantially greater since tensile or shear mode of failure must occur as opposed to the peeling type of removal that occurs in metal type brackets. Additionally, ceramic brackets frequently use a chemical bonding system which provides extremely high bond strengths. The typical forces used to debond ceramic brackets can lead to substantial trauma to the patient, as well as the possibility of removing enamel from the tooth, which is highly undesirable.
Several methods have been suggested in the prior art in order to minimize enamel damage and patient trauma during debonding of such brackets. One such method includes the application of heat to soften the adhesive. An example of this is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,965. Another method is a thorough cleaning of the bracket base periphery by dental burrs prior to debonding. Yet a third method requires use of a lever arm for applying a torsional load to the bracket. However, none of these proposed methods have been successful in either reducing patient trauma and/or reducing the possibility of enamel damage.
There has also been suggested in the prior art the removing of orthodontic brackets through ultrasonic devices of the magneto-restrictive type. However, such devices are not very efficient as they require the application of the ultrasonic tool for time periods upwards of 30 to 40 seconds per bracket. This is a substantial amount of time for the orthodontist to remove a bracket and generally results in substantial patient trauma and discomfort.
The present invention provides an improved orthodontic tool and method for fracturing the bond between two dental structures that is quick and does not cause any significant trauma to the patient. The tool and method are also useful for removing adhesive from tooth enamel, polishing the enamel and cleaning the sub-gingiva.


A process for forming a syrup product that is suitable for use in a food product. A base formulation is prepared having a major amount of an oat material or waxy barley hybrid. The base formulation is mixed with water to form a slurry. At least one enzyme is mixed into the slurry. The slurry is cooked to convert the slurry into an intermediate product. The intermediate product is evaporated to produce a syrup product having a solids level of at least 65 Brix.

Consumers are increasingly concerned about purchasing and consuming products that the consumers view as being more healthful. For example, products possessing higher levels of complex carbohydrates and fiber, especially soluble fiber, are becoming more popular with consumers.
In addition, products containing lower levels of fat and cholesterol as well as a decreased caloric content are becoming more popular with consumers. Many consumers also desire products made from all-natural components that contain no stabilizers, emulsifiers, or other exogenous additives, such as refined sugars or artificial sweeteners.
One drawback of food products produced for the health conscious market is that they tend to be less sweet than conventional food products. One technique that has been used to overcome this drawback and thereby make such food products appeal to a greater portion of society is to add sweeteners, such as sucrose, glucose syrup, and high fructose corn syrup.
Even though the addition of the sweeteners increases the appeal of the food products to some segments of the health conscious market, these products are not desired by consumers who exclude refined or artificial sweeteners from their diet.
An article by Janet Raloff (Beyond Oat Bran, Food Technology 1991 vol. 8, page 62) describes the physiological benefits of consuming an oat-based product, which is identified by the name Oatrim. The oat-based product is formulated from either oat bran or oat flour. The article indicates that the odorless and nearly tasteless oat-based product is particularly suited as a fat replacement in low-temperature applications, such as frozen confections.
Oat-based food products are described in Inglett, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,996,063 and 5,082,673. A mixture of oats and water is gelatinized by passage through a steam injection cooker at a temperature of between 138° C. and 143° C. After the pH of the mixture is adjusted, alpha-amylase is added to hydrolyze the starch in the mixture.
Once hydrolyzation is complete, soluble fiber is separated from the mixture. Finally, the soluble fiber is dehydrated to provide the oat-based food product. Examples in the Inglett patents indicate that the oat-based food product is mixed with additional components, such as milk and sugar, to formulate the frozen confection.
Mitchell et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,992, discloses using a dual enzyme method, which includes liquefying and saccharifying rice, to produce a high glucose syrup. Examples in the Mitchell et al. patent indicate that when the syrup is incorporated into a frozen confection, vegetable oil in a concentration of approximately 10 percent by weight of the frozen confection as well as stabilizers are added to provide the frozen confection with a creamy texture. Mitchell et al. also indicates that liquefaction is performed at a temperature of approximately 80° C.
Whalen et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,685,974; 6,589,589; 6,395,314; 5,989,598 and 5,723,162 each describe a process for preparing an oat-based functional syrup and then forming an oat-based frozen confection from the oat-based functional syrup. The contents of the preceding patents are expressly incorporated herein by reference.


A connector terminal which twist mounts to one or more electrical conductors. A terminal fitting includes a number of prongs and a terminal end. The terminal end is selected to accommodate a particular one of a variety of terminations. The prongs are staked within an insulated housing and are conically flared outward to fit mating recesses at the housing. A spiral wound spring having a compound tapered longitudinal surface is screw fitted to the staked prongs and housing. Edges of the spring windings bite into the prongs and housing to permanently secure the termination end and spring to the housing. Connectors having alternative terminal ends are disclosed for making a wide variety of electrical connections.

The present invention relates to electrical terminations and, in particular, to a "twist-on" type of connector terminal which non-permanently mounts to one or more conductors for electrically joining the conductors and making an electrical connection to a variety of termination points without undue time and conductor preparation.
Electrical terminations can be created in various fashions. A rudimentary connection can be achieved by merely touching or securing an exposed end of a conductor to an appropriate connection, such as by fastening an exposed conductor beneath a screw or inserting the conductor end into a mating fastener. Frequently, multiple conductors are spliced together, for example, by twisting or soldering exposed ends together before covering the joint with tape, shrink tubing or another electrically insulating cover.
A "twist-on" connection is commonly used to electrically join or splice multiple conductors within an insulated housing. Depending upon the type of twist-on wire, the conductors can be secured to the housing with screw fasteners or can be directly screwed to the housing to compress the conductor ends together. Many twist-on wire connectors contain a spiral wound spring that expands to secure the conductors together under compression. A variety of twist-on wire connectors of differing constructions are commercially available, but all of which merely connect a number of twisted wires together without accommodating a further connection to a terminal. Such other terminal may also require a custom terminal end.
The latter type of connection is frequently required when it is necessary to connect multiple conductors to a single, common termination point, such as when making control circuit connections. One solution is to connect the individual conductors to a terminal strip and from which a conductor having an appropriate termination end can be routed to the termination point. Multiple conductors can also be spliced together with a custom prepared pigtail having an appropriate terminal end. An oversized connector terminal having an appropriate terminal end may also be secured to a number of conductors. Such connector terminals frequently require the conductors to be secured with solder or included crimp or screw fasteners. In all cases, an appreciable amount of time is required to prepare a custom termination from a number of parts that are specially adapted to the particular wiring problem.
A connector terminal which addresses the foregoing problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,618 and wherein a twist-on type of terminal connector is disclosed. A conical, spiral wound spring is provided at the connector to permit a twist mounting to one or more conductors. The connector terminals include a variety of termination ends, which are permanently secured to an internal spring. Electrical continuity between the spring and terminal end is obtained, for example, by brazing or soldering the terminal end directly to the spring. Terminal ends extending from integral springs are also suggested. Either alternative provides suitable electrical continuity, although the alternative used can affect the cost of the finished connector terminal.
The present invention provides connector terminals wherein a discrete terminal fitting and spring provide an improved fastening between the spring and termination end. A durable connection is made, which assures electrical continuity and which can be readily effected in a high volume manufacturing setting.
A variety of types of terminal ends are particularly disclosed wherein various terminal ends include a collar and from which a number of prongs extend. The prongs are fitted to grooves at a housing molded from an appropriate electrical insulator and flared or staked to the housing. A tapered spring, in turn, is fitted to the housing to create a permanent, non-removable connection between the terminal end, spring and housing.


A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having a compound semiconductor layer that is provided on a substrate and includes a cladding layer of a first conductivity type, an activation layer, a cladding layer of a second conductivity type that is the opposite of the first conductivity type, includes the steps of: forming a diffusion source layer on the compound semiconductor layer; forming a first diffusion region in the compound semiconductor layer by carrying out a first heat treatment, so that the first diffusion region includes a light emitting facet for emitting light from the activation layer; removing the diffusion source layer; forming a first SiN film having a refractive index of 1.9 or higher on the compound semiconductor layer; and turning the first diffusion region into the second diffusion region by carrying out a second heat treatment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an optical semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the optical semiconductor device. More particularly, the present invention relates to an optical semiconductor device having a diffusion region that includes a light emitting facet and has impurities diffused therein, and a method for manufacturing the optical semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, optical semiconductor devices such as laser diodes (LDs) that emit light are used in the fields of optical communications and optical storage media. In high-power laser diodes, optical damage called COD (Catastrophic Optical Damage) has become a problem and caused decreases in reliability. COD is caused when the light emitting facet through which laser light is emitted serves as an absorbing area for the laser light.
To prevent COD, there has been a technique by which the bandgap of the activation layer of the light emitting facet for emitting laser light is made wider than the activation layer located on the inner side of the light emitting facet. By this technique, absorption of the laser light on the light emitting facet is prevented, and COD can be prevented accordingly. To widen the bandgap of the activation layer of the light emitting facet, a diffusion region having impurities diffused therein is often formed.
However, if the impurity concentration in the diffusion region is too high, the light absorption by the free carriers becomes large, and the problem of COD arises again. Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 5-218593 and 2006-303211 disclose techniques by which the diffusion region having impurities diffused therein is subjected to another heat treatment.
In optical semiconductor devices, breaking on the light emitting facet caused by COD is often found through an APC (Auto Power Control) reliability test and pulse I-L measurement carried out to evaluate optical output power characteristics. As a result, the problem of poorer reliability arises.
With a technique of subjecting the diffusion region to another heat treatment as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 5-218593 and 2006-303211, there is the problem of defects formed in the surface of a compound semiconductor layer such as a cladding layer or an activation layer formed on the substrate.

Optical semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same


A digitally programmable protecting mechanism and a programmable key for a mechanical rotary lock for providing enhanced protection and enabling user to change mechanical and electronic security code configuration at any time without involving of special tools. The device includes a mechanical digitally configurable key where the protecting binary code configuration is formed by cylindrical binary coding members put on a central core of the key, and an electronic programmable digital module attached to a mechanical rotary lock for capturing the key code configuration, verifying, and releasing the lock if the verification proves that the key coding configuration and the electronic module coding are matched.

It is known in the prior art of locking devices a class of inexpensive mechanical rotary locks with rotatable operating elements borne in the lock housing and operated by a key inserted in the key way of the lock. Such locks normally contain internal protecting mechanism which is mechanically set up to a specifically ciphered protective configuration responsively matching mechanical configuration of the associated key. Typically the ciphering configuration of this type of mechanical locking devices is provided by a plurality of few mechanical tumblers within the lock. The protective ciphering property of such a lock is achieved by variations of the tumblers' lengths, which are compensated by the mechanical configuration of the associated key. This kind of locks are commonly used as the door locks, the car ignition locks, the filing cabinet locks, etc. Though widely used, such locks have certain shortcomings due to its fundamentally mechanical nature, which cannot be easily overcome within the known art.
Said shortcomings are:
relatively limited degree of protecting ability of such locks due to limitation of number of applied tumblers in the lock, and due to the analog nature (rather than digital nature) of the tumblers protecting operation which allows marginal approach to the counterfeiting attempts; PA1 inability to operatively change protective configuration of the lock and the associated key by the user. PA1 substantial increasing of protective security rate of the locking devices due to digital nature of protective coding; PA1 significant increasing of protective capability of the lock application due to possibility of changing the digital protective configuration of the lock and the key by the user when needed, and as frequent as needed; PA1 eliminating necessity of changing the lock when the owner of the installed lock is changed, which is achieved by the lock reconfiguring procedure; PA1 allowing controlled access to the same locking device at different time with plurality of differently configured keys by changing at different time the lock coding configuration, matching the differently configured keys. PA1 It is a further object of this invention to provide a digitally programmable protecting means for mechanical rotary locking devices that will allow easy changing its protective coding configuration by the user; PA1 It is a further object of this invention to provide such a digital protecting means that is easy to install and maintain; PA1 It is still a further object of this invention to provide a key, associated with such a protecting means for locking devices, that can be easily configured and reconfigured by the user.
The first aforementioned shortcoming related to the limited protecting security can be overcome without departing from the price range of the lock by retaining the inexpensive rotatable operating element within the lock, but replacing the mechanical tumbler protecting mechanism by a binary programmable digital coding means with electronic verification, providing controllable high security rate for the protective mechanism.
The shortcoming related to immutability of the mechanical rotary lock can be overcome within the field of digital technology by applying binary bit oriented changeable key coding members.
There are obvious advantages in application of the low cost mechanical locking devices with digitally configured electronically controlled protective means and the digitally mechanically configurable key. They are:
However, in spite of all the aforementioned teachings, a void currently exists within the technology of mechanical rotary locks that provides for the producing of inexpensive digitally coded rotary locks with enhanced protective capability and with the ability to be configured and reconfigured by the user.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a digitally programmable protecting mechanism for mechanical rotary locking devices which will render controllable and very high level of protecting security;
It is further object of this invention to provide digital protecting means and a digital key for mechanical rotary locking devices that will be inexpensive and suitable for mass production.
Further and other objects of this invention will become apparent to a person skilled in the art when considering the following summary of the invention and the more detailed embodiments of the invention illustrated herein.

Digitally programmable protecting means and a key for mechanical rotary locking devices


A method for enabling a security device to access a service protected by a conditional access system, wherein the service has associated with it two conditional access (CA) system identifier pairs. The device extracts the two CA identifier pairs and automatically identifies the pairs based on a predefined convention, for example, the order in which the identifier pairs are sent. The identifier pairs may comprise a conditional access entitlement control message identifier and a local entitlement control message identifier.

ISO/IEC 13818-1 is an international standard that specifies the coding of one or more elementary streams of audio and video as well as other data into single or multiple streams suitable for storage and transmission. Two forms of coding are recommended: Program Stream (PS) coding and Transport Stream (TS) coding. In the coding process, Audio-Visual (A/V) streams are first compressed and packetized to obtain Packetized Elementary Streams (PES). The PS combines one or more streams of PES packets with a common time base into a single stream. The TS combines one or more programs with one or more independent time bases into a single stream. PS packets may be of variable length, and TS packets are 188 bytes in length. Each TS packet has a 4-byte header with a packet ID (PID) that identifies the type of data contained in the packet. In addition to PES packets, a TS contains Program Specific Information (PSI) tables to demultiplex and present programs. A Program Map Table (PMT) is a table that provides the mappings between the program numbers and the elements that comprise them. It includes a list of PIDs associated with each program.
The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has adopted the Simulcrypt architecture for its Conditional Access (CA) system for terrestrial broadcast. In this architecture, each service is transmitted with Entitlement Management Messages (EMMs) and Entitlement Control Messages (ECMs) for a number of different proprietary systems. This way, decoders using different CA systems can decode the service using a common framework for signaling the different entitlement messages. Each service is comprised of audio and video packets. Any one decoder picks out the packets it needs and ignores the others in the stream.
In a Simulcrypt based CA system, a digital audio/video processing system, such as a Digital Television (DTV) parses the PMT and extracts the service and ECM PIDs using a CA system identification (ID) obtained from the CA module. Normally, each CA module supports only one CA system, and therefore has only one CA system ID. The PIDs of the A/V packets and the PIDs of the ECMs carrying the Control Words (CWs) are sent to the CA module, which descrambles programs having proper purchase entitlements.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,420,866 to Wasilewski describes a method for providing conditional access information to a plurality of different decoders which is very similar to a Simulcrypt system. Wasilewski describes using a CA system identification parameter CA_System_ID to identify the different CA providers, and hence the different decoders (see col. 12, lines 12-16).
Additionally, an article entitled "Wunderkiste des digitalen Fernsehens" by Daniel Kramer mentions the Simulcrypt technique (Kramer D: "Wunderkiste des digitalen Fernsehens", Bull. SEV/VSE, CH, Schweizerischer Elektrotechnischer Verein, Zurich, Vol. 88, No. 3, pp. 27-30).

Method and system for handling two CA systems in a same receiver


A telescoping cable trough section is provided including first and second U-shaped trough sections which are slideably received with each other. One trough section includes slots, and the other includes flanges received in the slots for mating the two trough sections together to form the telescoping cable trough section.

In the telecommunications industry, the use of optical fibers for signal transmissions is accelerating. With the increased utilization of optical fiber systems, optical fiber cable management requires industry attention.
One area of optical fiber management that is necessary is the routing of optical fibers from one piece of equipment to another. For example, in a telecommunications facility, optical fiber cables may be routed between fiber distribution equipment and optical line terminating equipment. In buildings and other structures which carry such equipment, the cable routing can take place in concealed ceiling areas or in any other manner to route cables from one location to another.
When routing optical fibers, it is desirable that a routing system will be easy to assemble, readily accessible and adaptable to changes in equipment needs. Accordingly, such routing systems include a plurality of trough members such as troughs and couplings for forming the cable routing paths. The trough system members are joined together by couplings. U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,678 to Henneberger et al dated Nov. 26, 1991 concerns a cable routing system that includes a plurality of troughs and fittings. The '678 patent further discloses a coupling (element 250 in FIG. 1 of the '678 patent) for joining trough members and fittings. With best reference to FIGS. 6-7 of the '678 patent, a plurality of hardware is disclosed for joining the trough members. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,316,243 and 5,752,781 show additional examples of couplings.
Several concerns arise with cable routing systems, including the ease of installation of the troughs, couplings, and fittings. A further concern is removing components at a later date, such as to substitute different functional elements into the system. Rigid systems provide adequate fiber support and protection. However, such prior art systems can be somewhat difficult to install, and modify later.

Method of assembling a cable routing system


A method for separating high density lipoproteins from blood serum or plasma. The method involves contacting the blood sample with an absorbant material comprising porous silica or silicate to adsorb the high density lipoprotein in preference to other lipoproteins in the blood sample. When combined with means for removing very low density lipoproteins and chylomicrons from the blood sample, the remaining low density lipoproteins can be measured directly.

This invention is in the field of clinical assay techniques and involves the measurement of low density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Lipoproteins are complex particles comprising proteins and lipids which are found in the circulatory system. One of their functions is to carry water insoluble substances, such as cholesterol and cholesterol esters, for eventual cellular utilization. While all cells require cholesterol for growth, the excess accumulation of cholesterol by cells can lead to certain diseases including atherosclerosis. It is known that the amount of total serum cholesterol can be correlated with the incidence of atherosclerosis.
There are several classes of lipoproteins in serum, for the most part, classified by their density. These classes include very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL). All of these lipoproteins contain varying amounts of cholesterol. A total serum cholesterol determination is the sum of the amount that each lipoprotein contributes to the total lipoprotein population of the serum. This determination is further complicated by the presence of chylomicrons (cholesterol bearing precursors to lipoproteins) which can be present in the blood of individuals who have not fasted prior to having their blood drawn.
It has long been suspected that specific lipoprotein types were more closely associated with the progression of heart disease, including atherosclerosis, than others. More recent studies have implicated LDL as the class of lipoprotein responsible for the accumulation of cholesterol in the cells whereas HDL has been shown to be active in the removal of excess cholesterol from cells. Accordingly, various systems have been proposed for the measurement of cholesterol bearing lipoproteins in general and LDL in particular.
Amorphous silica, i.e. that form of SiO.sub.2 which lacks a crystal structure, has been used as an adsorbant since at least as early as World War I when it was considered for use as an absorbant in gas masks. Amorphous silica is broadly divided into three categories: vitreous silica or glass made by fusing quartz; silica M made by irradiating either amorphous or crystalline silica with high speed neutrons and microporous silica and microparticulate silica. The microparticulate silicas include pyrogenic silicas and silicas precipitated from aqueous solution. Pyrogenic silicas are formed at high temperature by condensation by of SiO.sub.2 from the vapor phase, or at lower temperature by chemical reaction in the vapor phase followed by condensation.
Silica formed in aqueous solution can occur as sols, gels or particles. A gel has a three-dimensional, continuous structure, whereas a sol is a stable dispersion of fine particles.
Silica gels are classified into three types. Regular density gel is made by gelling in an acid medium, which gives very small particles with high surface area (750-800 m.sup.2 /g). The average pore diameter is 22-26 .ANG., and the pore volume is 0.37-0.40 mL/g. Regular density gel contains about 6 wt% water as surface hydroxyl groups, which imparts a high propensity for adsorption of water and other polar molecules. Regular density gel exhibits a high selectivity for polar molecules and a large percentage of small pores. Intermediate density silica has a lower surface area (300-350 mg.sup.2 /g) but larger pore volume (0.5-1.1 mL/g). The average pore diameter is 120-160 .ANG. and the particles are larger than those of regular density gel. Because of the large pore size, intermediate density gel has a large capacity for water absorption at high humidities. Low density silica gel has a lower surface area (<200 m.sup.2 /g), larger pore diameter (>180 .ANG.) and a larger pore volume (>1.5 mL/g) than the other types. It is usually prepared as a very fine powder of extremely low density. When silica is used as an absorbent, the pore structure determines the gel adsorption capacity. Pores are characterized by specific surface area, specific pore volume (total volume of pores per gram of solid), average pore diameter, pore size distribution and the degree to which entrance to larger molecules is restricted by small pores. These parameters are derived from gas or vapor adsorption isotherms, mercury penetration studies, low angle X-ray scattering, electron microscopy, and gas permeability or measurement of the volume of imbibed liquid.
The most common way of preparing silica gel involves acidification of sodium silicate to a pH less than about 10. Silica can be gelled in spherical form by spray-drying, or by spraying droplets onto an immiscible liquid.
Microporous silica gels are obtained by heating a hydrated gel at 1000.degree. C. for about 10 hours. Siliceous materials can be made with extremely small pores such as is the case with impervious silica, porous glass and silica used as an adsorbent for certain specific materials which are determined by the surface composition and pore size of the silica gel. The present invention is concerned with the use of large pore silicas and silicates such as microporous silica, silica gel and controlled pore glass as selective adsorbant materials for HDL from blood serum or plasma.
Precipitated silica (also called particulate silica) is composed of aggregates of ultimate particles of colloidal size that have not become linked in a massive gel network. Precipitated silicas are either formed from the vapor phase (fumed or pyrogenic silicas) or by precipitation from solution. In the preparation of pyrogenic or fumed silica, sand is vaporized at about 2000.degree. C. On cooling, anhydrous amorphous silica powders form in the presence of a reducing agent such as coke. The amorphous silica sublimes at about 1500.degree. C. to provide Si which is then oxidized to produce particulate SiO.sub.2. Pyrogenic or fumed silica is typically used as a thixotropic agent in polyester-glass reinforced plastics; as a reducing and thickening agent in rubber, plastics, silicone and epoxy resins as well as a thickening and gelling agent.
Pure silica is composed of the elements silicon and oxygen. Materials are still referred to as "silicas" after metals, metal oxides or metal salts are added; e.g. flint is a silica with added iron oxide. Glass has a defined composition between (K,Na).sub.2 O, (Ca,Pb)O, 6SiO.sub.2 and 5(K,Na).sub.2 O, 7(Ca,Pb)O and 36SiO.sub.2 with a general formula of (K,Na)O-Si.sub.n O.sub.2n-1 (CaPb)O-Si.sub.n O.sub.2n-1 -O(K,Na). While all silica based glasses can be called silicas, not all silicas are glass. The HDL adsorbant materials useful in the present invention are porous silica or silicates as the terms are used in their broadest sense.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,872 discloses the use of fumed silica for the selective adsorption of lipoproteins from plasma. The patentees point out that this procedure was known before their invention but claim the improvement of selectively desorbing HDL from the fumed silica by incubating with a detergent containing formulation. The commercially available fumed silica such as Cab-O-Sil from Cabot Company and Aerosol from Degussa are mentioned as being useful in this procedure.
The diameter of the LDL particle and VLDL particle are estimated at 220-250 .ANG. and 300-800 .ANG. respectively with chylomicrons being larger. Since the dimensions of a fumed silica such as Aersol 380 are less than about 70 .ANG. and the HDL particle is estimated at 100 to 150 .ANG. in diameter it can be concluded that this binding of lipoproteins as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,872 is based solely on non-specific surface adsorption. Particle size exclusion of the relatively larger lipoprotein particles is not a factor in that method since LDL and VLDL particles are too large to fit in any pores which may exist in the 70 .ANG. silica particles. This technique achieves its selectivity by desorption in a separate step. The present invention involves the selective adsorption of the smaller HDL particles by the silica gel which, when combined with a mechanism for the separation of VLDL and chylomicrons, provides a fluid sample which can be analyzed for the remaining LDL without further treatment.

Method for the separation of high density lipoprotein from blood samples


In a method for controlling radio systems designed for transmission/reception of signals based on at least two radio standards with different time patterns, with signals based on one of these radio standards being processed in each radio system, at least one synchronization signal is produced in the first and/or second radio system for synchronization, respectively, is transmitted to the respective other radio system and system information associated with that particular radio system is in each case stored in that radio system to which the synchronization signal is transmitted. The stored system information can be read by the respective other radio system via an interface, and times for transmission of signals can be calculated by means of the information which has been read. The transmission of signals or the production of events in a radio system can be enabled or inhibited by means of a signal from the other radio systems.

A large number of actions have to be initiated and control signals produced in transmitting and receiving devices in mobile stations, and these are correlated in time with a special time pattern, which is specific to the mobile radio standard.
A number of different standards have become established in the mobile radio field in recent years, and have been developed further or will be replaced by new standards in the future. Known examples of mobile radio standards are GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication), the 8 PSK (8-Phase Shift Keying) further development of GSM which is referred to as the EDGE (Enhanced Data Services for GSM Evolution) Standard, and various standards based on the CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) transmission method such as UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System). Another radio standard for the fourth generation is currently already being developed as the MBS (Mobile Broadband System).
The requirements for mobile stations for mobile radio are growing with the presence of different and competing standards. Mobile stations which can support two or more mobile radio systems or standards at the same time are desired. This is dependent on the mobile station being able to produce the different time patterns for the individual standards, and being able to carry out suitable event control processes based on them.
The transmission methods, for example CDMA and TDMA, for these two different mobile radio standards are based on different symbol clock frequencies, with the transmitted data normally being structured in transmission frames, which each have a predetermined length. This structure and/or length of each transmission frame in a continuous signal sequence is predetermined, and is identified by the mobile station. The mobile station has to align its time sequence control to this structure. One difficulty that occurs in this case is that different mobile radio standards use generally incommensurable time patterns, that is to say the time patterns can generally not be changed to one another by simple clock division. Particularly in cellular mobile radio systems, the mobile station also has to carry out further functions other than the transmission and reception of data, which cannot be carried out at the same time, at least during operation of only a single receiving device. By way of example, a mobile station which supports two or more mobile radio standards, in a cellular radio communications system in which the base stations in different cells transmit at different frequencies has to measure, from time to time, whether it can receive radio signals from a different base station with sufficient reception quality. To do this, the mobile station sets its receiving device to a different frequency than that frequency at which it is currently receiving data. The data is in this case sent, for example using a UMTS system, from a base station to a receiving mobile station by interrupting the transmission at predetermined times such that it is possible for the receiving mobile station to carry out other functions, such as an adjacent channel search (search for specific data packets which are transmitted from an adjacent base station) during one or more interruption phases and, in particular, also to carry out measurements. In order to avoid loss of data, the base station transmits its data in advance at a higher transmission rate than the generally constant continuous transmission rate. In order that this increased transmission rate does not lead to higher bit error rates, the transmission power is also increased during this time period in which data is being transmitted at an increased transmission rate.
The frequency with which interruption phases are repeated as well as the time duration of the interruption phases depend on the respective radio system, and also on the respective operating mode of this radio system. One disadvantage in this case is that, as the number of inserted interruption phases increases, the transmission power on the one hand becomes higher, and the transmission quality on the other hand deteriorates.

Method and device for controlling combined UMTS/GSM/EDGE radio systems


An image processing apparatus acquires a first region image by eliminating a non-X-ray irradiated region and a direct irradiated region from an X-ray image, and decides an initial region in the first region image by analyzing the first region image. The initial region is enlarged by using a region growing processing to obtain a second region in the first region image.

Owing to progress in the digital processing of image information in recent years, it is now common to apply digital processing even to medical X-ray images. In particular, sensors that are capable of outputting X-ray image data in digital form have been developed to take the place of X-ray photography using conventional film. The digital processing of medical X-ray images is essential in an X-ray imaging apparatus that uses such a sensor. There are various types of digital processing that can be applied to images captured by a sensor or camera. One important example of such image processing is gray level transformation processing, which converts acquired data to an image having easier-to-observe density values by applying a gray level transformation to the captured data.
FIGS. 11A and 11B are X-ray images of a knee joint, in which reference numeral 1201 denotes the entire image and reference numeral 1202 indicates the state in which the knee joint, which is the subject region, and the area peripheral thereto have been extracted from the entire image. In a case where data that has been captured by some image sensing apparatus such as a sensor or camera as mentioned above is displayed on a monitor screen or X-ray diagnostic film, the general practice is to apply a gray level transformation to the captured data to thereby transform the captured data to density values that are easy to observe. For example, in a case where X-ray image data such as that of a knee joint is displayed on X-ray diagnostic film, a feature (e.g., an average density value) for the gray level transformation is extracted from the X-ray image data and a transformation is made in such a manner that the extracted feature attains a predetermined value (e.g., a predetermined density value).
One general method for performing the above-described gray level transformation will now be described with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B. The image region (subject region) 1202 in which the object of interest is present is acquired by eliminating a direct irradiated region from the X-ray irradiated region in image 1201. A feature is calculated by performing a statistical investigation regarding the pixel values within the acquired subject region 1202. For example, a histogram of pixel values is created and the created histogram is analyzed to calculate the feature, or a statistical quantity such as an average pixel value within the acquired subject region 1202 is calculated. The gray level transformation is performed based upon the feature or statistical quantity.
However, in a case where the pixel-value distribution within the subject region is not ordinary, e.g., in a case where a radiopaque object typified by a metal such as screw or artificial joint is present in the subject region, as illustrated in FIGS. 11C and 11D, the image of this radiopaque object has an influence upon the feature or statistical quantity with the method described above. As a result, a problem which arises is that the image after the gray level transformation is unstable. In order to perform the gray level transformation, therefore, a pure subject region from which the radiopaque object has been eliminated is acquired.
Known methods of acquiring a pure subject region include a method of executing binarization processing using a threshold value that has been set based upon experience, and a method of creating a histogram 1301 of a subject region 1204, as shown in FIG. 12A, detecting a pixel value of a valley portion between peaks by histogram analysis, and separating the image of the radiopaque object and the image of the subject using this pixel value as a boundary (FIG. 12B) (see "Image Processing Engineering—Introduction", edited by Yoshiharu Taniguchi, Kyoritsu Publishing K.K. (1996), Chapter 5 (pp. 79-97), Segmenting of Images).
However, with binarization processing that employs a threshold value based upon experience, there is the possibility that the threshold value will be inappropriate in the event that the photographic conditions of the X-ray examination change, and it may no longer be possible to separate the radiopaque object and the subject (object of interest) correctly. Further, with the method of performing histogram analysis shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, a threshold value can be set appropriately to some degree. However, a problem which arises is that the radiopaque object and the subject cannot be separated in the case of a disease where the pixel values of the radiopaque object and subject approximate each other or change places.


Disclosed are payload formatting and deformatting methods for burst data loss recovery. The payload formatting method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: generating an XOR operation packet by performing an XOR operation on the basis of a base layer packet and any one of enhancement layer packets of a group of pictures (GoP), the GoP including the base layer packet and the enhancement layer packets; and adding the XOR operation packet to the GoP.

1. Technical Field
Example embodiments of the present invention relate in general to data loss recovery in a communication system and more specifically to payload formatting and deformatting methods for recovering errors and losses which occur during multimedia data transmission.
2. Related Art
In view of characteristics of a mobile communication service environment, terminals may not receive data when they pass through a shaded area such as a back side of a building or an inside of a tunnel. Accordingly, there is a situation in which a burst loss may not be avoided. In this case, a method of constructing a forward error correction (FEC) packet in a payload is used to recover the loss.
FEC is a technology for recovering an error at a data receiving side, which is used to protect data from corruption. Many communication systems have one-way channels without backward channels and thus cannot request retransmission. The communication systems have a delay time even if the retransmission is allowed. Thus, the data receiving side uses FEC to actively correct errors that occur during transmission.
However, an existing payload format, which uses FEC having a function for recovering the burst loss, has a problem in that a transmission bandwidth is greater when a channel condition is good, but the losses cannot be perfectly recovered when errors have collectively occurred in a group of data.

Method for payload formatting and deformatting for burst loss recovery

ELECTRONICS & TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A job scheduling management method is provided for managing job schedules. The management method includes the steps of monitoring an operating state of each of a plurality of computers to which one or more jobs are allocated, determining if the operating state meets a predetermined condition, if the operating state meets the predetermined condition, detecting an uncompleted job at a time when the predetermined condition is met from the jobs allocated to the computer, extracting another computer among the computers that is available to execute the detected uncompleted job based on information about one or more resources required for executing the detected uncompleted job, and allocating the detected uncompleted job to the extracted other computer.

The present invention relates to a job operation and management system for operating and managing a job. More particularly, the invention relates to job scheduling management method, system and program.
There has been known a technique of assembling as one job a series of related processes from a plurality of processes to be executed by a computer and causing a plurality of jobs to be executed in accordance with a schedule. In this type of technique, when a fault occurs, it is necessary to recover a job as fast as possible. In order to cope with occurrence of a fault, there has been known a technique of pre-specifying a plurality of computers that enable to execute the same job and selecting the most appropriate computer for fault recovery from the pre-specified computers when the job is to be re-executed. (For example, refer to JP-A-11-353284).
As another technique, there also has been known a technique of pre-specifying a plurality of computers that enable to execute all job steps with respect to a job composed of the job steps depending on one another, selecting from the pre-specified computers the most appropriate computer to executing the following job step while one job step is in execution, and causing the selected computers to execute the following job steps without causing the all job steps to be executed by a single computer. For example, refer to JP-A-2001-166956.
Moreover, there also has been known a technique of calculating a scheduled time of a process end of a job that has not been executed before a fault occurrence among the jobs registered in fixed correspondence with the computers respectively, assigning an execution sequence to only the jobs whose scheduled time of a process end is before the time when each job is to be ended in accordance with the sequences of the jobs extracted along the priority of each job, reconfiguring the schedule in accordance with the execution sequence of the jobs, and executing the jobs along the reconfigured schedule. For example, refer to JP-A-2001-350637.
The foregoing prior arts are intended to use a specific computer recognized in fixed correspondence with a specific job as a computer that enables to execute the specific job in place of another computer in which a fault occurs or a processing load is concentrated. In these prior arts, the job schedule is reconfigured in the specific computer recognized to execute the specific job. Hence, these prior arts are not intended to properly extract and select the replaceable computer in scheduling the job in accordance with the quality of the job such as one or more resources required for the corresponding execution with each job and the operating condition of the job. The job intended for reconfiguring the schedule concerns only a fault job and another job depending on the fault job.
Further, since the schedule is reconfigured in consideration with only the fault job and the job depending on the fault job, in the disclosures of these prior arts, no consideration is given to a job allocating state (for example, the allocated job that is independent of those jobs) of the replaceable computer when reconfiguring the schedule.

Job scheduling management method using system resources, and a system and recording medium for implementing the method


A multiplex transmission system for vehicles having a plurality of multiplex nodes connected to a transmission path in order to communicate information therebetween for controlling a vehicle. Each of the multiplex nodes a priority code which indicates a priority of the signals to be transmitted with the data when a plurality of multiplex nodes concurrently transmit data and accordingly the signals therefrom collide with each other. The priority data includes a first priority which attaches importance to high responsiveness for the engine and a second priority which attaches importance to safety. A detector is provided for detecting the traffic condition in the multiplex transmission path. A priority changer is provided for changing the priority respectively in accordance with the traffic condition, so that proper control of both response and safety can be reconciled.

The present invention relates to a multiplex transmission system for a vehicle. Particularly, to a system in which a priority code, which is a code for priority control, is changeable in accordance with a traffic condition of the multiplex transmission path.
The greater use of electronics in vehicles has been accompanied by a number of serious problems, among which are the enlargement in size and the complexity of wire harnesses that interconnect the electronic components. Multiplex communication has become a means for solving these problems, particularly in the automotive field. Multiplex communication refers to transmission, by time-division multiplexing, and basically employs serial transmission.
For example, an EGI multiplex control node for an engine control system, a 4WS multiplex control node for a four wheel steering system, and an ABS multiplex control node for an anti-lock braking system are connected to the multiplex transmission path.
In this multiplex transmission system for vehicles, information for the vehicle, for example, operating information and driving information, are transmitted in units of a frame F each having the frame format as shown in FIG. 2. This frame F consists of an SD (Start Delimiter), a priority code, a frame ID code, data length, data 1 to N, and a check code.
First, the "SD code" is a special code indicating the beginning of the frame F. The reception-side multiplex control node recognizes the start of the frame F upon receiving the SD code.
The "priority code" is a code for indicating the priority of the frame F to be transmitted as a transmission on the multiplex transmission path. If a plurality of multiplex control nodes send the respective frames to the multiplex transmission path at the same time, (i.e., collision of signals happens), each multiplex control node judges whether it should keep sending its frame or not, by comparing its priority to another frame's priority. The multiplex control node sending the frame with a lower priority stops sending its frame at the time of judging its order of priority. Meanwhile, the multiplex control node sending its frame with a higher priority keeps sending its frame, so that this frame with a higher priority is transmitted as a transmission on the multiplex transmission path.
The "frame ID code" is a code for indicating the kind of data which is to be assigned to each bit of a data area. In other words, it indicates the control node in which the frame is used.
The "data length" of FIG. 2, is the number of data which are written in that frame. When there are N number/numbers of data, "N" is sent as a data length. A multiplex control node that receives this frame reads out as much data as corresponds to the data length and a field that follows the data is a CRC check code (error detection code). By confirming this code, it can be confirmed that the end of the frame has been reached.
An explanation will now be given of the reception confirmation signal area (ACK field) of FIG. 2. This field is made up of a plurality of bits, for instance, 16 bits. A predefined bit area has been assigned to each of the multiplex control nodes. The control nodes on the transmission side check whether a reception has been made normally on the reception side based on each bit of this ACK field. The procedure for using the ACK field will now be explained in more detail. It is assumed that in the ACK field of FIG. 2, control nodes A, B, and C are assigned to bits 1, 2, and 3, respectively. A certain control node on the transmission side sets the bit of the 16-bit ACK field at a position corresponding to the control node itself to "0" and sets the other bits to "1". That is, the control node transmits one "0" bit and fifteen "1" bits following the transmission frame with a predetermined gap to the transmission path. The multiplex control nodes on the reception side check whether or not the contents of the received frame are correct using a check code. If the multiplex control nodes have found no errors, each of the control nodes transmits the corresponding ACK bit which is set to "0" as a reception confirmation signal. As a result of the above procedure, a control node whose ACK bit is "0" indicates that the control node has properly received the frame.
The control of the transmission of the ACK bit is not directly related to the present invention, but it is explained in detail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 426,399 (filed on Oct. 25, 1989). U.S. patent application Ser. No. 426,399 is incorporated into the present application by reference.
The priority code can be determined by various policies. For example, in the present technology for an automotive vehicle, response to transmitting vehicle information is employed. The EGI control node receives information from each of the sensors frequently, and transmits corresponding information to the other control nodes immediately. The EGI control node has a high priority. On the other hand, 4WS control node and ABS control node which carry out control related to safety, do not have such a high response priority as is in the case of the EGI control node, since their information is not changed as often. Therefore, in the present technology as mentioned above, higher priority to EGI control node and lower priority to 4WS control node and ABS control node are given by a policy to attach importance to their responses. This priority is fixed and can not be changed.
The multiplex transmission system explained above has the following disadvantage.
When a vehicle runs on a winding road, signals from the 4WS control node are transmitted more frequently than in the case of a straight road. As a result, traffic on the transmission path increases and the transmission of the information from 4WS control node, which has a lower priority than that of the EGI control node, is delayed. Furthermore, when the braking control is operated, a signal from the ABS control node is transmitted more frequently. As a result, traffic on the transmission path increases, and the transmission of the information from ABS control node, which has a lower priority than that of the EGI control node, is delayed.
However, control of the 4WS control node and the ABS control node is important to maintain safety of a vehicle. In this regard, it is required to transmit the information from the 4WS control node and the ABS control node as soon as possible, even when the traffic on the transmission path is crowded. On the other hand, fixing a lower priority for the EGI control node than the 4WS control node, results in a disadvantage of losing responsiveness from the engine control.

Multiplex transmission system for vehicles


This disclosure may generally relate to drilling operations and, more particularly, to systems and methods for sidetracking an existing well. Specifically, examples of the present disclosure may include creating a window by introducing a pH-modifying fluid downhole to degrade a portion of a casing string, thereby creating the window through which a secondary wellbore may be drilled. A method for creating a window in an oilfield tubular may comprise of providing a pH-modifying fluid in the oilfield tubular disposed in a wellbore and contacting a degradable section of the oilfield tubular with the pH-modifying fluid to degrade at least a portion of the degradable section and form an exit window in the oilfield tubular.

Wells may be drilled into subterranean formations to recover valuable hydrocarbons. Various operations may be performed before, during, and after the well has been drilled to produce and continue the flow of the hydrocarbon fluids to the surface.
A typical operation concerning oil and gas operations may be to drill a secondary wellbore away from an original wellbore, often referred to as "sidetracking." Sidetracking a well may include creating a window, or a hole, in the casing of the original wellbore and drilling out of that window through subterranean formations to form a secondary wellbore. This may be done intentionally or accidentally. There may be a number of reasons why it may be desirable to sidetrack a wellbore. The operation may be required if there is an object or tool stuck in the original wellbore that cannot be fished out, the wellbore has collapsed, there is a desire to bypass a section of the original wellbore, or a new subterranean formation is to be explored nearby wherein a lateral wellbore may increase the contact with a reservoir and thereby increase the rate of production. Traditionally, the process of sidetracking a wellbore may require multiple tool assemblies and steps that take time for completing the operation, and the casing strings that line the drilled-out wellbore may be made of strong, durable material. Typically, a milling assembly may be used to create the window by drilling through the casing strings. It may be suitable to replace the milling operation with a different process as the milling operation requires an additional trip of disposing a separate tool downhole and creates mill cuttings from the material of the casing strings.

Degradable window for multilateral junction


A switch has at least one fixed and one moving contact located on a contact arm. The fixed contact is connected to a loop-shaped conductor segment, such that when current flows through the conductor segment, there is an electrodynamic magnetic force which acts on the contact arm. The force, above a specified current intensity, results in an opening movement of the contact arm. To open the moving contact more rapidly and in a simple manner the loop-shaped conductor segment is realized so that it is wound in a coil shape, and consists of at least two turns, and that the coil axis of the coil segment runs perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the contact arm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switch which has at least one fixed or stationary contact and one moving contact located on a contact arm or wiper. The fixed contact is connected to a loop-shaped conductor segment, such that when current flows through the conductor segment, there is an electrodynamic magnetic force which acts on the contact arm. The force, above a specified current intensity, results in an opening movement of the contact arm against the force of a contact compression spring.
2. Background Information
A switch of this type is described, for example, in European Patent No. 0 560 696 A1. On this known switch, the fixed contact is connected to a conductor segment which is bent in the shape of a loop. The loop-shaped conductor segment is thereby bent so that when current flowing through the conductor segment exerts a magnetic force on the contact arm, the current strength above a specified level, the short circuit current, results in an opening movement of the contact arm and thus also of the moving contact.

Coil shaped terminal for an electrodynamically operated circuit breaker


A photographing device configured to photograph a plurality of images consecutively by changing an exposure value is provided. The photographing device may include a control-range-determination unit configured to determine a control range which is a range where the exposure value is varied, and an interval-calculation unit configured to calculate a control interval which is an interval between photographing-exposure values that are exposure values existing in the control range and that are exposure values of the photographed images so that the photographing-exposure values are uniformly distributed over the control range according to a number of the photographed images.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photographing device, a photographing method, and a program, and particularly relates to a photographing device, a photographing method, and a program that are provided to photograph a plurality of images with different brightness levels consecutively.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, when photographing is performed according to an auto-exposure method by using a photographing device such as a digital camera, the photographing device is provided with a function of performing the so-called auto-exposure (AE)-bracket photographing. During the AE-bracket photographing, a plurality of images obtained through different exposures is photographed at the same time, where the images correspond to a reference-exposure value calculated by a processor or the like provided in the photographing device, a value lower than the reference-exposure value by as much as a predetermined amount, and a value higher than the reference-exposure value by as much as the predetermined amount.
During the AE-bracket photographing, a user specifies the brightness quantity with reference to reference brightness so that photographing is performed while increasing and/or decreasing the reference brightness by as much as predetermined quantity.
As a technology achieved by using the above-described images obtained through the different exposures, a photographing device performing the so-called overlap photographing had been proposed, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-92378, for example. The overlap photographing is performed to generate the composite image corresponding to a wide-dynamic range by merging the image signals corresponding to a plurality of images with different exposure amounts, for example.

Photographing device, photographing method, and program for photographing a plurality of images consecutively by changing an exposure value