Methods of adjusting a resistance of a buried resistor in a semiconductor are disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes using a silicidation blocking mask to define the buried resistor in the semiconductor; adjusting a size of the silicidation blocking mask to adjust a resistance of the buried resistor based on test data from a previous processing lot including a substantially similar buried resistor; and forming silicide on an area not covered by the silicidation blocking mask. The adjustment may be made by balancing the amount of the resistor that is covered with silicide versus un-silicided semiconductor to achieve the desired total resistance. The adjustment may be made according to an algorithm.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to integrated circuit (IC) chip fabrication, and more particularly, to a method of adjusting buried resistor resistance.
2. Background Art
In the integrated circuit (IC) chip fabrication industry, circuits often times require buried resistors. One type of buried resistor is an OP resistor, which is formed by implanting in polyconductor or active regions of an IC chip. OP resistors are inexpensive to generate because they use implants and process parameters already required for other devices. Since control of the generation of the other devices is critical for overall operation of the circuit, the control of the OP resistor may suffer. In particular, as manufacturing processing proceeds, adjustments are often times made between wafers and/or lots to control the properties of, for example, field effect transistors (FETs). During these adjustments, OP resistance is typically a secondary concern. As a result, as adjustments are made to control the structure as the prime devices dictate, OP resistance tends to drift. Consequently, matching of the resistance to design values is problematic. One approach to address this situation is having a dedicated implant for the OP resistor. However, this approach imposes increased expense and complexity.

Method of adjusting buried resistor resistance

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and system to create a recovery image of firmware stored in a firmware storage device of a computer system. A recovery image of firmware is created and stored at a target location, wherein the target location includes a magnetic disk. The firmware storage device to store Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) firmware and/or Non-Volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM) Data of an Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) compliant computer system. In one embodiment, the firmware of the computer system is recovered from the recovery image.

During a computer system start-up, the computer system is self-tested and initialized through loading and execution of system firmware. Under personal computer (PC) architectures, this firmware is commonly referred to as the system's Basic Input/Output System (BIOS). In a typical PC architecture, the BIOS is generally defined as the firmware that runs between the processor reset and the first instruction of the Operating System (OS) loader. This is commonly referred to as the pre-boot phase and precedes the OS boot phase. At the start of a boot, very little of the system beyond the processor and firmware is actually initialized. It is up to the code in the firmware to initialize the system to the point that an operating system loaded off of media, such as a hard disk, can take over.
In today's computer systems, the BIOS is stored in a non-volatile memory device, such as a flash memory device. If the non-volatile memory device should fail or the firmware stored thereon become corrupted, then the computer system may become unusable. While operating systems offer the ability to create a "rescue disk" to load minimal files necessary for running an operating system in a safe mode, the firmware of a computer system offers no corresponding ability to create such a "rescue disk" for the pre-boot phase of a computer system.
Manufactures of computer systems and peripherals may enclose an original firmware image, for example stored on a CD-ROM, with the purchase of a product having firmware. If the firmware should become corrupted, the user can recover the firmware by re-loading (e.g., re-flashing) the firmware from the original firmware image. However, when the original firmware image is re-loaded, configuration settings and firmware updates subsequent to the purchase of the platform will be lost. In the case of updating the BIOS of a computer system, when the user recovers the firmware, the platform may not function properly because the boot block of the original firmware image no longer matches the configuration of the platform. Additionally, with the proliferation of many computer system configurations and customizations within a single product line, the ability to disseminate and manage firmware code for each particular platform has become untenable.

Recovery images in an operational firmware environment


A method of avoiding substrate noise in an integrated circuit includes steps of receiving as input an integrated circuit design that includes at least a portion of a block for placement and routing on a substrate and an outer boundary of the block. An end cell is selected from a set of end cells for terminating the block in an outer area that extends from the outer boundary to an end cell boundary outside the block. The selected end cell is placed in the outer area to isolate the block electrically from the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the design and manufacture of integrated circuits. More specifically, but without limitation thereto, the present invention is directed to methods of avoiding substrate noise in integrated circuits.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A typical design for an integrated circuit die includes N-type devices formed in N-type wells (N-wells) in a P-type substrate (P-substrate). The N-type devices are organized into APR (automatic placement and routing) blocks to perform a specific set of functions. Multiple N-type devices that are formed in the same P-substrate may receive and transmit switching noise through N-well openings through a surface boundary and through a side boundary of the P-substrate to adjacent N-type devices. The switching noise in the P-substrate is referred to as substrate noise. In a conventional design flow, the spacing between APR blocks is manually increased to reduce the substrate noise, which increases the parasitic resistance of the P-substrate and attenuates the substrate noise level between the N-type devices.

Method and end cell library for avoiding substrate noise in an integrated circuit


A hand operated injection molding machine apparatus constructed from prefabricated sub-assemblies and a desired mold clamping means attached to a main support structure, and then electrically integrated with each other.

Hand operated injection molding machines have been around for decades. One of the first machines commercialized was built by Arburg, Inc. in 1954. It was originally designed for internal use to fabricate a particular part. However, in 1956 the company decided to sell the machines outright, ultimately selling over 10,000 units. Although the early Arburg machines were probably fine machines in their day, their mode of construction wouldn't provide the manufacturing versatility needed in today's globally competitive environment.
More recently, within the last 35 years or so, a number of other hand-operated injection molding machines have been built and marketed by various companies. For example, Educational Machinery Corporation (EMCO) produced a hand-operated injection molding instructional device, which was primarily sold to schools to demonstrate the basic process of injection molding. Honetech, Inc. produced the Honejector Injection Molder, which was very similar to the EMCO machine, except for minor differences in style. NRK Mfg. & Engineering Co. produced the Plasticor Jr. along with some molds to make plastic toy figures. Presumably the NRK machine was intended as a novelty or toy. There have also been numerous inventors and entrepreneurs who have built their own hand-operated injection molding machines over the years, with various levels of success. Many of these machines have been very basic in design, where flat and angled metal plates were simply welded together to construct the support frame, and then the individual components were then attached to it one after another until the machine is built. A popular book on the market, Secrets of Building An Injection Molding Machine (ISBN 1-878087-19-3) describes in detail how to build a basic injection molding machine exactly that way. What is missing from the prior art machines heretofore is that none are constructed in a way that facilitates an efficient and economical method of mass production. What is also missing from the prior art machines heretofore is that they lack the functional improvements and manufacturing versatility demanded in today's marketplace. It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved injection molding machine apparatus and method of constructing the same to obviate the prior art shortcomings.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Injection molding apparatus and method of constructing the injection molding apparatus


This invention provides a method of treating pain in a mammal that includes administering to a mammal in need of such treatment a pain treating effective amount of a compound of the formula (I):

Pain has been characterized and described in various different ways in the literature. For example, pain can be intense, localized, sharp or stinging, and/or dull, aching, diffuse or burning in nature. Pain can also be centralized, taking place in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, the brain stem and brain, or peripheral, taking place at the injury site and surrounding tissue. Pain that occurs for extended periods of time (i.e., persistent) is generally referred to as chronic pain. Examples of chronic pain include neuropathic pain, inflammatory pain, and cancer pain. These pains can be related to hyperalgesia and/or allodynia, where hyperalgesia refers to an increase in sensitivity to a typically noxious stimulus and allodynia refers to an increase in sensitivity to a typically non-noxious stimulus.
A type of chronic pain that currently lacks adequate pharmacological treatment is neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain is generally thought of as a chronic pain caused by damage to or pathological changes in the peripheral or central nervous systems. Examples of pathological changes related to neuropathic pain include prolonged peripheral or central neuronal sensitization, central sensitization related damage to nervous system inhibitory and/or excitatory functions and abnormal interactions between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. A wide range of clinical conditions may be associated with or form the basis for neuropathic pain including for example diabetes, post traumatic pain of amputation, lower back pain, cancer, chemical injury or toxins, other major surgeries, peripheral nerve damage due to traumatic injury compression, nutritional deficiencies, or infections such as shingles or HIV.
There are various types of agents currently being used to treat pain such as for example, non-narcotic analgesics such as aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID); narcotic analgesics such as morphine, hydromorphone, fentanyl, codeine or meperidine; steroids such as prednisone or dexamethasone; tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline, desipramine, or imipramine; antiepileptics such as gabapentin, carbamazepine, topiramate, sodium valproate or phenytoin; or combinations of these different agents. However, these agents are typically unsatisfactory for treating pain of a chronic nature, and can have adverse effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, weight gain, memory impairment, and/or orthostatic hypotension.
Of more recent interest has been the use of inhibitors of the N-methyl-D-aspartate ("NMDA") receptors to treat pain (hereinafter called "NMDA receptor antagonists"). It has been shown that NMDA receptors are involved in a wide range of processes including, neuronal death following ischemia, synaptic plasticity associated with memory formation and central sensitization during persistent pain. It is believed that glutamate, which regulates NMDA receptors, plays a key role in pain and especially chronic pain.
NMDA receptors are localized throughout the central nervous system. NMDA receptors are ligand-gated cation channels that modulate sodium, potassium and calcium ions flux when they are activated by glutamate in combination with glycine. Structurally, the NMDA receptor is thought to be comprised of heteromultimeric channels containing two major subunits designated as NR1 and NR2. These subunits contain a glycine binding site, a glutamate binding site and polyamine binding site. For the NR1 subunit, multiple splice variants have been identified, whereas for the NR2 subunit, four individual subunit types (NR2A, NR2B, NR2C, and NR2D) have been identified. The NMDA receptor also contains a Mg++ binding site located inside the pore of the ionophore of the NMDA receptor/channel complex, which blocks the flow of ions. Phencyclidine, as well as other compounds, appear to bind to this Mg++ site. In order for PCP to gain access to the PCP receptor, the channel must first be opened by glutamate and glycine (i.e., use dependence).
Various NMDA antagonists have been developed to interact with these sites of the NMDA receptor. For example, NMDA receptor glutamate site antagonists refer to those antagonists that interact with the glutamate binding site of the NR2 subunit. Examples of NMDA receptor glutamate site antagonists that have been shown in preclinical models to suppress pain include CGS-19755 (Selfotel; cis-4-phosphonomethyl-2-piperidine carboxylic acid), CPP (3-(2-carboxypiperazinyl-4-yl)propyl-1-phosphonic acid) and AP5 (D-2 amino 5-phosphonopentanoic acid). See e.g., Karlsten and Gordh, Drugs and Aging 11: 398–412, (1997). Other NMDA receptor antagonists have been identified that interact at the strychinine-in-sensitive glycine site (glycineβ) such as L701324 (7-chloro-4-hydroxy-3-(3-phenoxy)phenyl-2(1H)-quinoline) and at the polyamine site such as ifenprodil. Noncompetitve NMDA receptor channel blocking antagonists that have been found effective in suppressing pain include dextromethorphan, ketamine, memantine, and amantadine. See e.g., Hao et al., Pain 66:279–285 (1996); Chaplan et al., J. Pharmacol. Exper. Ther. 280:829–838 (1997); Suzuki et al., Pain 91:101–109, (2000); Bennett, J. Pain Symptom Management 19: S2 (2000); Sang, J. Pain Symp. Manag. 19 (1): S21, (2000).
NMDA receptor antagonists have been used in clinical settings to treat pain. For example, ketamine has been used to treat postherpetic neuralgia pain, phantom limb pain, post nerve injury pain, postoperative pain, and burn pain. Also, for example dextromethorphan has been used to treat diabetic neuropathy pain, and postoperative pain; and amantadine has been used to treat pain in cancer patients.
Clinical usefulness of these NMDA receptor antagonists have been limited by adverse effects such as headache, disturbances of motor function such as ataxia, sedation and/or psychotomimetic effects such as dizziness, hallucinations, dysphoria, or disturbances of cognitive function at analgesic doses. See e.g., Hao et al., Pain 66:279–285 (1996); Chaplan et al., J. Pharmacol. Exper. Ther. 280:829–838 (1997); Suzuki et al., Pain 91:101–109, (2000); Bennett, J. Pain Symptom Management 19: S2 (2000); Sang, J. Pain Symp. Manag. 19 (1): S21, (2000). For example, the high affinity NMDA receptor channel blocker ketamine, which is occasionally used for burn related pain has reported adverse effects that has limited its use in patients (Pal et al., Burns 23: 404–412, 1997). Additionally, development of the NMDA receptor channel blocking antagonist dizocilpine (MK-801) was terminated because of psychotomimetic effects similar to those produced by phencyclidine (i.e., PCP). It has been suggested that lower affinity channel blockers such as dextromethorphan, amantadine and memantine might have fewer adverse effects than the high affinity blockers (Rogawski, Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 14:325, 1998). In support of this view, dextromethorphan had analgesic effects in patients suffering from diabetic neuropathy with fewer side effects than ketamine (Sang, J. Pain Symp. Manag. 19 (1): S21, 2000). Similarly, amantadine relieved surgical neuropathic pain in cancer patients with fewer side effects (Hewitt, Clin. J. Pain 16: 573, 2000).
However, even with the lower affinity noncompetitve NMDA receptor channel blocking antagonists, like the higher affinity noncompetitive antagonists, there have been undesirable psychotomimetic effects which have hampered development. For example, in preclinical models, NMDA receptor channel blockers of varying affinities consistently produce PCP-like discriminative stimulus effects in rats trained to discriminate between saline and PCP. Memantine, ketamine and dizocilpine all substitute for the PCP-like discriminative stimulus effects in rats (Nicholson et al., Behav. Pharmacol. 9(3): 231–243, 1998; Mori et al., Behav. Brain Res. 119:33–40, 2001). Moreover, like PCP, memantine maintains self-administration in monkeys suggesting that it might have abuse potential in humans (Nicholson et al., Behav. Pharmacol. 9(3): 231–243, 1998). Use dependent NMDA receptor channel blockers can also increase heart rate and blood pressure, which can further limit their clinical utility.
Although NMDA receptor glutamate antagonists do not have the degree of psychotomimetic side effects in humans or PCP-like discriminative stimulus effects in non-humans (see e.g., Baron and Woods, Psychopharmacol. 118(1): 42–51, (1995); Mori et al., Behav. Brain Res. 119:33–40, (2001); France et al., J. Pharmacol. Exper. Ther. 257(2): 727–734, (1991); France et al., Eur. J. Pharmacol. 159(2): 133–139, (1989)), they have been shown to have many undesirable side effects. For example, the NMDA glutamate antagonist CGS-19755 has been shown to have a transient, reversible induction of vacuoles in some layers of the cingulate and retrosplenial cortices of mice and rats at behaviorly effective doses (i.e., effectiveness/vacuolization ratio of 1). See e.g., Herring et al., Excitatory Amino Acids Clinical Results with Antagonists, published by Academic Press, Chptr 1 (1997). Although the functional implications of vacuolization are unclear, previous studies suggest that this vacuolization correlates with the psychotomimetic effects produced by NMDA receptor antagonists (see e.g., Olney et al., Science, 244: 1630–1632, 1989; Olney et al., Science 254: 1515–1518, 1991) and might lead to limited neuronal cell death as in the case of dizocilpine (Fix et al., Exp. Neurol. 123: 204–215, 1993).
Thus, it would be desirable to find alternative compounds effective in treating pain. Preferably these compounds would have reduced adverse side effects and/or be more effective in treating pain.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,103 to Kinney et al. (hereinafter "Kinney") discloses certain [[2-(Amino-3,4-dioxo-1-cyclobuten-1-yl)amino]alkyl]-acid derivatives useful as neuroprotectant and anticonvulsant agents. These [[2-(Amino-3,4-dioxo-1-cyclobuten-1-yl)amino]alkyl]-acid derivatives are disclosed as competitive NMDA antagonists useful to treat certain central nervous system disorders such as convulsions, brain cell damage and related neurodegenerative disorders.
Side effects of one of the compounds disclosed in the Kinney patent, [2-(8,9-dioxo-2,6-diazabicyclo[5.2.0]non-1(7-en-2-yl)ethyl]phosphonic acid, were previously evaluated in healthy volunteers in a phase I study conducted in Europe. This study was in connection with developing this compound for treating stroke-related ischemia in patients (Bradford et al., Stroke and Cerebral Circulation abstract, 1998).
The present inventors have found that the cyclobutene derivatives in Kinney are effective in treating pain in a variety of preclinical pain models. For example, the present inventors have found that these cyclobutene derivatives can relieve pain under conditions where comparitor NMDA receptor antagonists tested herein do not. Additionally, these cyclobutene derivatives surprisingly do not have the degree of adverse side effects exhibited by known NMDA receptor antagonists at dosages needed for pain relief.
For example, the present inventors, as described in more detail hereinafter, have found that compounds disclosed in Kinney, such as [2-(8,9-dioxo-2,6-diazabicyclo[5.2.0]non-1(7-en-2-yl)ethyl]phosphonic acid, did not produce ataxia or sedation in comparison to other reported competitive glutamate antagonists (CGS-19755), competitive polyamine antagonists (ifenprodil) and use dependent channel blockers (MK-801, memantine; dizocilipine, ketamine) at doses needed to relieve pain in preclinical models. Additionally, as mentioned previously, some NMDA receptor antagonists, such as CGS-19755 were found to exhibit a transient, reversible induction of vacuoles in some layers of the cingulate and retrosplenial cortices of mice and rats. In contrast to CGS-19755, which caused vacuolization at behaviorally effective doses, cyclobutene derivatives such as [2-(8,9-dioxo-2,6-diazabicyclo[5.2.0]non-1(7-en-2-yl)ethyl]phosphonic acid had an effectiveness/vacuolization ratio as large as 16. Moreover, unlike the NMDA receptor channel blocking antagonists previously mentioned herein, the cyclobutene derivatives such as [2-(8,9-dioxo-2,6-diazabicyclo[5.2.0]non-1(7-en-2-yl)ethyl]phosphonic acid did not substitute for PCP in rats, suggesting that this compound would not be associated with PCP-like psychotomimetic effects or contain PCP-like abuse liability. Additionally, [2-(8,9-dioxo-2,6-diazabicyclo[5.2.0]non-1(7-en-2-yl)ethyl]phosphonic acid was devoid of many PCP-like effects up to doses 4–10 times higher than those effective in an ischemia model.

[[2-(Amino-3,4-dioxo-1-cyclobuten-1-yl)amino]alkyl]-acid derivatives for the treatment of pain

Abstract: where R1 is H, alkyl or phenylalkyl; R2 is H, alkyl, alkenyl or phenylalkyl; or R1 and R2 taken together as Z are —CH2CH2—, —CH2(CR6)(R7)CH2— or —CH2C(R8)(R9)—C(R10)(R11)CH2—, where R6, R8 and R10 are, independently, H, alkyl or hydroxyl and R7, R9 and R11 are, independently, H or alkyl; A is alkylene or alkenylene; X is CO2R3, P(O)(OR4)(OR5), 3,5-dioxo-1,2,4-oxadiazolidin-2-yl or 5-tetrazolyl in which R3, R4 and R5 are, independently, H or alkyl, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions for treating pain containing a pain treating effective amount of the compound of formula (I).


A camera system is disclosed. The camera system includes a camera that employs interchangeable fixed lenses. By replacing one lens cap with another lens cap, the field of view can be changed since each lens cap has a different fixed lens. The camera can also record images or video in a forward and a backward direction at the same time.

In a digital single-lens reflect (DSLR) camera, a single lens with variable magnification is provided. DSLR cameras are typically quite large and heavy and not particularly portable when out in the field. Furthermore, DSLR cameras and in particular, the single variable lens is quite sensitive and not very robust when exposed to the outside elements. Such disadvantages are enhanced by such cameras, especially with the single variable lens being quite expensive.
What is needed is a camera system that can be made smaller, lighter, and less costly and that can be taken outdoors and exposed to the elements without being damaged. What is also needed is a camera system that can provide different magnifications or points of view without the extraordinary expense of a DSLR single variable lens.

Camera system using interchangeable fixed lenses


A plumber's tool for the removal of snap-mount faucet-type handles without damaging the finish of the faucet handle. The tool includes a support member, a lever handle and a wire that can be secured to both the support member and the lever arm such that the wire can be looped around a snap-mount faucet handle and positioned in the gap between the faucet handle and faucet body. When the lever handle is pivoted and tension is increased, the loop in the pop-off wire is positioned in a gap between the faucet body and the faucet handle, causing the faucet handle to separate from the faucet body without scratching or damaging the finish of the faucet.

Plumbers frequently encounter great difficultly when removing snap-mount faucet handles. This invention relates to a plumbing tool, more particularly, to a snap-mount faucet removal tool that provides for easy removal of snap-mount type faucet handles without damaging the finish of the faucet handle.
Snap-mount faucet handles are typically very difficult to remove by hand. Snap-mount faucet handles are secured in place by a friction bond or locking mechanism between a plastic retaining hub in the faucet and the handle. The bond between the plastic retaining hub and the handle is considerable. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to remove the snap-mount faucet handle from the retaining hub by hand or without the use of a leverage enhancing device. To currently remove snap-mount faucet handles, plumbers typically insert a screwdriver in the gap between the base of the faucet and the faucet handle to obtain sufficient leverage to pry the faucet from the plastic retaining hub. This procedure often scratches the finish on the faucet handle, which over time, results in deterioration of the finish of the faucet. A scratched faucet handle cannot be restored and must be replaced. Since the faucet handles typically have expensive finishes such as brass or enamel, replacement of a scratched handle can be quite costly. Moreover, a scratch in the finish of the faucet handle detracts from the aesthetic value of the faucet if not replaced.
The current invention provides for a plumbing tool that will remove the faucet handle from the plastic retaining hub without damaging or affecting the finish of the snap-mount faucet handle.


An AC-DC power converter is provided with two pairs of self-driven synchronous rectifier switches in addition to, or in place of, diode bridge rectifiers for boosting efficiency and reducing cost. An AC sensing circuit is coupled to AC input terminals, and a DC level shifting circuit applies a DC offset to an AC input signal received via the sensing circuit. A comparator circuit determines positive and negative half waves of the AC input signal relative to the DC offset value. Gate drive signals are provided for driving a first set of parallel rectifier switches during a positive half cycle of the AC input signal, and for driving a second and opposing pair of parallel rectifier switches during a negative half cycle of the AC input signal. In an embodiment, high side gate drive signals may be electrically isolated from the active rectifier control circuitry.

The present invention relates generally to switch-mode power converters. More particularly, the present invention relates to power supplies using synchronous rectifier circuitry in place of a diode bridge. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to control circuitry for driving synchronous rectifiers according to input voltage phase.
Various switch-mode power converters as conventionally known in the art include bridge rectifiers to convert an alternating-current (AC) input voltage into a rectified direct-current (DC) voltage. However, losses on such a bridge rectifier may be significant. The voltage drop for typical bridge diodes may range from about 0.7 volts to about 1.0 volts. Hence, the diode voltage drop may be as much as 2 volts as in a bridge rectifier there are two diodes conducting for every half cycle of the AC input signal.

Power converter with self-driven synchronous rectifier control circuitry


A method for processing user-input that may include a command to abort a previously requested operation and typed-ahead data entered in anticipation of completion of the previously requested operation is disclosed. The user-input is represented by a value queued in a first queue by an operating system. According to the present invention, the value is removed from the first queue and examined to determine if it represents a command to abort the previously requested operation. If the value represents a command to abort the previously requested operation, the previously requested operation is aborted. If the value does not represent a command to abort the previously requested operation, the value is queued in a second queue, and, after completion of the previously requested operation, the value is removed from the second queue and associated with a display window to which user-input is focused at that time.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to processing user-input. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for processing type-ahead input and operation-abort input in an application program which must perform time-intensive operations.
(2) Art Background
Most computer-users are familiar with type-ahead capability. Occasionally, the computer gets busy performing one operation or another and does not respond to user-input such as mouse clicks or keyboard entry. Then, after the computer has finished doing whatever caused the non-response, the computer rapidly processes the input to "catch up" with the user. Two familiar examples of type-ahead include typing in a word-processing application while the computer is busy saving, repaginating or printing a document, and entering data in a data-entry program while the computer is busy sending or retrieving data from a database server. The common characteristic in both cases is that type-ahead capability permits the user to submit input without having to wait for a previously initiated operation to complete. Since a fundamental goal of any user-interface design is to minimize the amount of time a user must spend waiting on the computer, type-ahead capability is clearly a desirable feature.
Operation-abort capability is also familiar to most computer users. Occasionally, after requesting the computer to perform an operation, such as printing a word-processing document or searching a database, a computer-user will want to abort the operation before it is completed. This is typically accomplished by pressing a predetermined set of keys, such as "control-C" or "control-Break" (accomplished by holding down the "control" key and then pressing the "C" or "Break" key, respectively). Without operation-abort capability the user would be forced to await completion of the previously requested operation despite the fact that the result of the operation is no longer desired. Since, as mentioned above, a fundamental goal of a user-interface design is to minimize the amount of time a user must spend waiting on the computer, and since it is obviously inefficient to force a user to wait for completion of an unnecessary operation, operation-abort capability is a desirable feature in any application program which must perform time-intensive operations.
Despite the dear advantages of providing a computer-user with both operation-abort and type-ahead capabilities, developers of application programs written for Microsoft Windows.TM. 3.x operating systems have had to sacrifice type-ahead capability in order to provide operation-abort capability. Due to difficulties inherent in the design of the Windows 3.x operating system, when operation-abort capability is provided in prior-art Windows 3.x application programs, type-ahead capability is disabled.
The Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows NT operating systems (hereinafter referred to collectively as 32-Bit Windows) provide a possible solution to the problem of implementing both the type-ahead and operation-abort features. Unfortunately, the solution works only in application programs designed for and run on the 32-Bit Windows platform and is not backward-compatible with the older Windows 3.x platform. This is significant because there is still an enormous base of Windows 3.x installations and it is commercially desirable to target application programs for both the Windows 3.x and the 32-Bit Windows operating systems. For developers of application programs intended to run on both Windows 3.x and 32-Bit Windows, the inability to provide both type-ahead and operation-abort capability is still a problem. This problem is overcome by the present invention.

Method for processing type-ahead input and operation-abort input


A housing box according to an embodiment includes an outer frame, a top panel, and a bracket. The outer frame has a bottom wall and a pair of side walls continuous to the bottom wall and facing each other, and is an aluminum sheet metal having an opening on one side facing the bottom wall. The top panel is made of iron, and covers the one side of the outer frame. The bracket is made of iron, is disposed along the inner surface of the bottom wall and the inner surfaces of the pair of side walls, and is attached to the top panel.

Conventionally, provided has been a lighting apparatus capable of changing the direction of light emission, such as that of a spot light, to any orientation. In such a lighting apparatus, various components such as a power supply unit are housed in a housing box mounted on the ceiling surface, for example, and a lamp head is supported by the housing box.


An apparatus simulates motion in a virtual environment. The apparatus has a constraining structure mechanically coupled to an adjustable user support system. Rotational movement of the human user is accommodated by rotation of the adjustable user support system within the constraining structure. A stationary friction reducing platform is proximate the constraining structure. A foot platform is configured to be worn on a foot of a human user. The foot platform is configured to engage the stationary friction reducing platform to simulate motion. A motion simulating device is proximate a foot of the human user. The motion simulating device is communicatively coupled to an electronic foot speed measurement device and an electronic measurement device. A measurement system communicatively coupled to the electronic measurement device and the electronic foot speed measurement device. The adjustable user support system is a user support and belt system.

The present invention relates to the simulation of movement in a virtual environment based on measuring actual movement in a constrained environment.
Previous devices used to simulate in game movement have either been comprised of exercise equipment such as stationary bikes or treadmills that may be driven by motors, or a confined space or seat. These devices often allow very limited or unrealistic walking or running simulation and may have a very unstable walking surface that could prove hazardous for an inexperienced user; such as the concave, low friction platform of Williams' U.S. Pat. No. 7,470,218, or the large spherical apparatus used in Latypov's U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,134. Virtual reality devices in particular are very disorienting for some users. The obvious difficulty here is that it is very easy for a person running on an unstable surface to fall or suffer injury.

Apparatus for simulating motion in a virtual environment


A method and an arrangement are described by means of which a pitch in a signal (s(t)) can be determined. In fact the probability density function (pdf) of the pitch is determined as a function of frequency. A pitch can then be derived from this probability density function. First a frequency spectrum A(f) is derived from a signal portion situated in a specific time interval T. Then, the probability contribution (K.sub.1i, K.sub.1j, . . . . ) is determined for a number of frequency components (f.sub.i, f.sub.j, . . . ), stating the relative probability that a pitch at a frequency (f.sub.1) is the result of a frequency component (f.sub.i, f.sub.j, . . . ). The probability contributions (K.sub.1i, K.sub.1j, . . . ) are multiplied by one another to obtain a probability density (K.sub.f1). This procedure is iterated for successive frequencies (f.sub.2, . . . ) to obtain at least a second probability density. The probability densities K.sub.f1, K.sub.f2, . . . are each a measure of the relative probability that a pitch occurs at the frequencies f.sub.1, f.sub.2, . . . , respectively. The probability density function (pdf) from which one or more pitches can be derived (FIG. 4 a) can be determined from the computed probability densities (K.sub.f1, K.sub.f2, . . . ).

The invention relates to a method of determining a pitch in a signal, deriving from the signal a probability density function of the pitch as a function of frequency and subsequently determining the pitch from the probability density function, as well as an arrangement for implementing the method.
Such a method and arrangement are known from the publication "An optimum processor theory for the central formation of the pitch of complex tones" by J. L. Goldstein, J.A.S.A., Vol. 54, No. 6 (1973), pp. 1496-1516.
It is a known fact that persons are able to recognize different pitches in a complex tone. Experiments have shown that pitch is a non-deterministic, subjective magnitude which is to be modelled stochastically. For a sine tone the probability density function of the experienced pitch is unimodal. This is to mean that no more than one maximum is found in the curve. This probability density function can be modelled as a Gaussian curve having a mean value corresponding with the frequency of the sine tone and a specific standard deviation .sigma..
For a complex tone the situation is more complicated. Persons are able to perceive two kinds of pitches in a complex tone, depending on whether they perceive the sound as a whole (synthetic listening) or listen to the individual partial tones (analytic listening). In the case of synthetic listening we may hear pitches that correspond with frequencies that do not occur in the signal. These virtual pitches are described by a multimodal probability density function. If one takes, for example, a complex tone constituted by two sines having frequencies of 1200 Hz and 1400 Hz, one will not only perceive a pitch of 200 Hz (basic tone) but also pitches at 173 Hz and 236 Hz. In this case the probability density function is trimodal, thus has three maximums. This perceptive behavior is described among other things by the model for pitch perception proposed by Goldstein in his aforementioned article.
Goldstein's model is based on a stochastic formulation predicting the multimodal probability density function of the perceived virtual pitch. In his model each spectral component in the perceived signal is represented by a stochastic variable which has a Gaussian probability density function having a mean value corresponding with the frequency of the spectral component. The standard deviation of the probability density function is a free parameter of the model which function only depends on the spectral frequency. In Goldstein's model, when a complex tone is presented, a sample is determined from each Gaussian probability density function. With these samples a pattern recognizing means performs an estimate of the (lacking) basic tone. This process then results in a multimodal probability density function of the virtual pitch. Although the model can be employed reasonably well for describing the virtual pitch in signals, it does have Several serious disadvantages. For example, the probability density function can only be computed for signals constituted by no more than two sines. For signals constituted by more than two sines the probability density function can be determined only by means of a Monte Carlo simulation. The model can further be used only for determining the probability density function if one knows in what octave the pitch is located.

Method and arrangement for determining signal pitch


A method and system for communication over a wireless network has a plurality of communication channels formed between a plurality of transmitters and at least one receiver and is especially beneficial in a multiuser environment having a plurality of receivers. A characteristic is determined for each channel and then a set of weighting factors is selected to be applied to the transmitters based on the channels characteristics. The weighting factors are selected for optimizing the signal power at a receiver and a quality indication is determined for each channel based on the selected weighting factors. The indication is used to prioritize the allocation of the channels.

The explosive growth of wireless communications along with the associated applications and services that have developed as a result, require communication channels having greater bandwidths for supporting such data intensive applications. Traditionally, one of the biggest bottlenecks in data packet transmissions has occurred in the air interface between the base station and the mobile stations, the so-called radio access network.
Third generation wireless communications (3G) include many standards and techniques which try to increase packet data transmission rates. One such technology, WCDMA HSPDA (High Speed Data Packet access) is envisaged to boost the capacity of downlink data transmission channels to a level capable of supporting the most demanding of multimedia users. For example, at the time of writing it is envisaged that data rates in excess of 20 Mbps will be available for MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) systems. Similar concepts are standardized for cdma2000 systems in the US. In particular within the 1XEV-DV specification (see 3GPP2, The physical layer standard for cdma2000 spread spectrum systems—Release C, TS C. S0002-C, May 2002). Similar data throughput or spectral efficiency targets are envisioned for 4G (Fourth Generation) systems.
Moreover, many modern applications require a certain QoS (Quality of Service) to be established for the application to be correctly supported. For example, a real-time streaming video application to be sent to a user will want to establish that there is a communication channel or channels available to the user which can adequately support the required bit-rate for the relevant time. In addition, the QoS targets can be negotiated between the transmitter and the receiver.
One of the characteristics central to any wireless communication system is the so-called multipath fading effect, which results in constructive and destructive effects being produced due to multipath signals. That is, a transmitted signal may develop a plurality of secondary signals which bounce off or are delayed by certain media, for example buildings, and result in multiple signal paths being created and received.
A method for dealing with such multipath effects is by introducing so-called "diversity" into the system. That is, a plurality of independent paths are created between the transmitter and receiver. These paths can be obtained for example: over time by interleaving coded bits, over frequency by the combining of multipaths in CDMA systems, and over space by using multiple transmit antennas (transmit diversity) or receive antennas (receive diversity). Transmit diversity has been achieved in known systems using open loop space-time codes like STTD (Space Time Transmit Diversity) currently in the WCDMA Release 99 and Release 4 specification (3GPP, Physical Layer General Description, TS 25.202, 2002). The advantages of various diversity techniques have been identified for 3G and even 4G wireless communication systems. Diversity techniques alleviate the effects of poor channel conditions in providing a plurality of other independent channel options.
R. Knopp and P. Humblet in an article entitled "Information Capacity and Power Control in a Single Cell Multiuser Communications" published in the Proceedings of the IEEE ICC in Seattle in June 1995, discuss the so-called "multiuser diversity" effect. Multiuser diversity makes use of the fact that in a wireless communication system having many users, each having independent time-varying fading channels, it is likely that at any point in time there is a user with a much better channel conditions than the average. Thus, by scheduling transmissions to mobile stations according to the relative strength of the channels, the overall system performance is improved.
To implement multiuser diversity in a system it is necessary that the transmitter knows the link quality between the transmitter and each of the receivers. In Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems this can provided with a feedback control channel, wherein each mobile station tracks its signal quality which is fed back to the base station. It is also necessary that the base station is capable of scheduling transmissions to the relevant base stations and can adapt the transmission criteria as a function of the feedback channel quality. For example, if a mobile station returns channel information that is better than for other channels, the base station scheduler will prioritise transmission over that channel next and based on the quality of the channel will decide what transmission rate to use.
HSDPA relies on link adaptation where the transmitting element has the ability of adapting the transmission parameters to compensate for changing channel conditions. The channel conditions can be estimated based on information fed back from the receiver element. In HSDPA a parameter known as the CQI (Channel Quality Indicator) provides information on the transport format (for example: the coding, modulation, etc) to be used at the base station for transmitting to the mobile station. However, the current HSDPA specification merely describes that a CQI is chosen based on channel information received or measured at the mobile station. It has to be assumed that this channel information would typically be some sort of standard channel quality measure such as the received SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) or FER (Frame Error rate). Although the Release 4 WCDMA specification (referenced above) does support the use of closed-loop transmit diversity techniques, the Release 5 specification for HSDPA (3GPP, UTRA high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA)—overall description, TS 25.308, 2002). Nor do the Release 5 specifications describe channel allocations means for supporting such techniques.
An International patent application published on 21 Mar. 2002 with publication number WO 02/23743 describes a system for scheduling mobile stations to download data and/or to control the transmission rate from a base station to a mobile station as a function of the downlink channel conditions. The channel conditions are measured at the mobile station and then fed back to a base station for scheduling. This system describes applying random complex scaling factors to different transmitting antennas and then receiving a resulting composite signal at a receiver.
However, the system described in WO 02/23743 does not adequately address the problems encountered for allocating channels in a multiuser environment. Specifically FIG. 1 shows a system with three users 100, 102, 104. Since the scaling factors are not carefully selected, it is apparent that more than one user may be transmitting over a particular channel at an optimal power at any point in time. In FIG. 1 if the window of the scheduler was chosen to span 30 symbols it becomes apparent that this system would not be able to allocate the optimal received power for each user since each user would have part of their maximum in the scheduled interval period. The horizontal lines 106, 108 and 110 indicate the respective maximum received power for the three users 100, 102 and 104 respectively. If the scheduling window lies from symbol numbers 40 to 70 it would catch all three of the maximum received powers for each of the three users and therefore the scheduler in this system would not be able to allocate the optimal received power Rx for each user. FIG. 1 shows that each user falling within this scheduled period of transmission will have to suffer receiving at a less than optimal power Rx as shown by 112, 114 and 116 respectively.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a method and system for increasing the throughput of a multiuser system with multiple transmitters so that multiuser diversity and channel allocation is improved.


An embodiment of a method of restoring a communication state of a process includes creating a new socket for a socket saved as part of a checkpoint of the communication state. The new socket is initialized with an adjusted transmission control protocol state saved as part of the checkpoint. The adjusted transmission control protocol state indicates that a send buffer and a receive buffer are empty. Send data saved as part of the checkpoint is written into the new socket. Receive data saved as part of the checkpoint is written into a restart buffer. While at least a portion of the receive data remains in the restart buffer, a socket read system call for the new socket is redirected to read the receive data that remains in the restart buffer.

A computer in operation includes hardware, software, and data. The hardware typically includes a processor, memory, storage, and I/O (input/output) devices coupled together by a bus. The software typically includes an operating system and applications. The applications perform useful work on the data for a user or users. The operating system provides an interface between the applications and the hardware. The operating system performs two primary functions. First, it allocates resources to the applications. The resources include hardware resources—such as processor time, memory space, and I/O devices—and software resources including some software resources that enable the hardware resources to perform tasks. Second, it controls execution of the applications to ensure proper operation of the computer.
Often, the software is conceptually divided into a user level, where the applications reside and which the users access, and a kernel level, where the operating system resides and which is accessed by system calls. Within an operating computer, a unit of work is referred to as a process. A process is computer code and data in execution. The process may be actually executing or it may be ready to execute or it may be waiting for an event to occur. The system calls provide an interface between the processes and the operating system.
Checkpointing is a technique employed on some computers where processes take significant time to execute. By occasionally performing a checkpoint of processes and resources assigned to processes, the processes can be restarted at an intermediate computational state in an event of a system failure. Migration is a technique in which running processes are checkpointed and then restarted on another computer. Migration allows some processes on a heavily used computer to be moved to a lightly used computer. Checkpointing, restart, and migration have been implemented in a number of ways.
In The Design and Implementation of Zap: A System for Migrating Computing Environments,Proc. OSDI 2002,Osman et al. teach a technique of adding a loadable kernel module to a standard operating system to provide checkpoint, restart, and migration of processes implemented by existing applications. The loadable kernel model divides the application level into process domains and provides virtualization of resources within each process domain. Such virtualization of resources includes virtual process identifiers and virtualized network addresses. Processes within one process domain are prevented from interacting with processes in another process domain using inter-process communication techniques. Instead, processes within different process domains interact using network communications and shared files set up for communication between different computers.
Checkpointing in the technique taught by Osman et al. records the processes in a process domain as well as the state of the resources used by the processes. Because resources in the process domain are virtualized, restart or migration of a process domain includes restoring resource identifications to a virtualized identity that the resources had at the most recent checkpoint.
While the checkpoint, restart, and migration techniques taught by Osman et al. show promise, several areas could be improved. In particular, communication state that exists outside of the process domain at checkpoint may need to be restored.

Method of restoring communication state of process

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A transistor diagnostic circuit includes a protection transistor output terminal, a fault terminal, and circuitry coupled to the protection transistor output terminal and the fault terminal. The protection transistor output terminal is adapted to be coupled to a current terminal of a protection transistor. The transistor diagnostic circuit is configured to, at start-up, load the protection transistor output terminal to test the protection transistor, and to generate a fault signal at the fault terminal responsive to a voltage on the protection transistor output terminal exceeding a threshold.

In electronic systems, including automotive and industrial systems, field effect transistors (FETs) are frequently used to switch power to a load circuit. A gate driver circuit may be used to turn the FET on and off. To protect the load circuit from latent failure of the FET in case of over-voltage, the gate driver circuit may include diagnostic circuitry.


A method of dispensing a strip product using a strip fabrication assembly, by entering arm positions for guide arms of the assembly into a guide arm controller device, moving the corresponding guide arms of the strip fabrication assembly to the respective arm positions using the guide arm controller device, and feeding different strip materials through the assembly using the guide arms, after moving them to the entered arm positions. The guide arms are coupled to threaded rods, and are moved by actuating servo motors which are coupled to the threaded rods. The guide arm controller device may include a programmable logic controller, which has been programmed to control the servo motors in response to entry of guide arm positions. The controller may further provide for the listing and searching of different sets of previously entered arm positions on a display device of the guide arm controller device, and selection of one of the previously entered sets of arm positions as a current set of arm positions, using an input interface. Multiple sets of arm positions corresponding to different strip product orders can be stored for later use.

The present invention generally relates to manufacturing processes and process control technology, and more particularly to a method and system for positioning guide members in a mechanical assembly that is used to dispense various strip materials, such as yarns, strings, tapes, webs, and ribbons, where the guide members are positioned by electromechanical servos (servomechanisms) that are managed by a microcontroller having a user interface.
There are many conventional machines and mechanisms for dispensing strip-or string-like materials such as tapes, webs, ribbons and yarns. These machines typically include a series of rollers and supports or plates that are used to bring different layers of the end product together along an assembly path, or to apply other materials, such as adhesives, to one or more surfaces of the substrate strip material.
In this type of machinery, it is usually important to have a relatively precise positioning of the strip materials that are to be integrated, and to properly align any applicators that coat the substrates with other materials. Guide arms or guide members of varying designs are often employed for this purpose. One laminating machine that changes the position of tape guide arms to vary the position of tape in relationship to the web is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,837 (Clausen et al.) wherein a plurality of ribbons are fed through a guide member onto a sheet-like web. The guide is a reciprocating bar having eyelets for receiving a plurality of ribbons, and the bar places the ribbons onto the web in a serpentine pattern to provide continuous reinforcement of the substrate in both the machine direction and the transverse direction. The machine uses a ribbon that is pre-coated with a substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,339 (Hartman) discloses a machine for adjusting the position of tape dispensing arms between the webs of a laminating machine using a reciprocating belt to change the position of the dispensing arms and a transducer to identify the position of each dispensing arm.
In PCT Application No. WO 88/04272, (Persson) an arrangement is disclosed for applying longitudinally extending tapes to a moving web having a plurality of tape holders and a plurality of tape applicators for guiding the tape into contact with web. The tape applicators are carried by and are capable of being positioned along mutually separate beams of a beam structure that extends transversely to the direction of web travel. The applicators can be adjusted positionally in relation to an applicator-setting beam, which extends transversely to the direction of web movement, and can be locked to this beam in selected positions therealong. The applicator-setting beam is, in turn, carried for longitudinal movement by a stationary carrier beam, which extends parallel with the applicator-setting beam. The applicator-setting beam can also have graduations provided along the length thereof to show the position of the applicators. The applicator-setting beam is moved in relation to the fixed carrier beam by the tape applicators carried thereby, the carriages of the tape applicators being provided to this end with rotatably journalled wheels that support the applicator-setting beam. Longitudinal movement of the applicator-setting beam is effected by means of a threaded spindle that engages a screw-threaded bore in a nut rigidly connected to the applicator-setting beam. The spindle is journalled, but is locked against axial movement in a stationary frame part. The single treaded spindle moves the applicator-setting beam and the tape applicators.
In many of these prior art machines, the position of one or more parts is sensed electronically, and (when the machinery is off-line) a positioning or guide member is moved and adjusted by actuating an electromechanical motor that is coupled to the guide member, i.e., a servo motor or servomechanism. Servomechanisms are used in a wide variety of applications. By using electronic sensors and servos, process controls for these fabrication systems may be automated, at least in part The sensors and servos may be managed by a microcontroller having a user interface.
Allen-Bradley Co. (Rockwell Automation) sells a line of microcontrollers and related products that may be used for industrial automation. To microcontrollers include the family of small programmable controllers available under the trade designation SLC500. These controllers are one of a type of integrated circuit known generally as a programmable logic controller (PLC). PLCs use a plurality of logic elements and associated interconnect resources that are easily programmed by the end-user to implement user-defined logic operations. They can be programmed using a personal computer (PC) or similar workstation, with appropriate software and a device programmer. Therefore, unlike fully-customized (application-specific) integrated circuits that require a protracted layout procedure and an expensive fabrication process to implement a user's logic operation, a PLC may be utilized to implement the logic operation in a relatively quick and inexpensive manner. Once programmed, these controllers can be operated in conjunction with a user interface (display and keyboard) to automate manufacturing processes in a customized manner.
Unfortunately, these automated process controls have proved inadequate for the manufacture of strip materials. Adjustments of positioning in the machinery, such as tape placement, often require stopping the machinery, i.e., interruption of the actual strip fabrication. There is also a great deal of manual involvement required, such as moving final guides for termination of the strip. It would, therefore, be desirable to devise an improved method of automating the positioning of guide arms for mechanical assemblies used to dispense strip materials. It would be further advantageous if the method could be implemented.

Method and system for positioning guide arms in a strip fabrication assembly


A composite tube structure is disclosed in which the end of the composite tube is either flared out at the end or is tapered in at the end and the flared or tapered portion is accurately formed to its final dimension so as to require no machining to size. An end assembly is applied to the end of the tube which has inner and outer portions fitting precisely into the inner and outer surfaces of the end of the tube. The inner and outer end pieces are drawn axially together to secure the tube in the end assembly between the inner and outer portions under a predetermined radial stress. The tube is secured to the end assembly without the use of pins or other fasteners which require severing the fiber strands of the tube.

The present invention relates generally to composite tubular structural members having attachment means at their ends. In particular, this invention relates to such a composite tubular structure in which the end of the tube is precisely formed in a flared or tapered configuration to close dimensional tolerances. A method for fabricating such a tube is thoroughly described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,152 describing a cone control method for fabricating composite tubes. In this referenced patent, a composite tube is formed by means of winding preimpregnated composite materials on a mandrel having a desired shape and the dimensions desired for the finished tube. In particular, this referenced patent describes a means of forming a precision flared or tapered end on such a tube for means of adapting it to a coupling system.
This invention describes such a composite tubular strut and in particular the means of attaching to the ends of the tubing an end structure for allowing attachment of the strut into the next assembly. As will be described, the strut may be manufactured to a precise length strut with its end fitting without requiring incorporation of metallic ends in the tube or drilling or otherwise cutting the fibers of the tube in assembly. Additionally, the end fittings may be removed and replaced without damaging the tube.
In the prior art of composite tubular assemblies, attachment of the end assemblies has required that means for such attachment being incorporated in the tube. For example, an end attachment ring may be wound into the end of the tube when the tube is fabricated and cured. In these assemblies, the difficulty is in assuring secure attachment of the metal fitting to the composite tube. The failure of such assemblies is usually caused by the composite member separating from the metallic end piece. To prevent such failure, it is common practice to drill matching holes through the tube and its end piece and secure them together using rivets, threaded members or other conventional fastening means. This method assures the integrity of the metal to composite attachment, however, drilling holes through a composite tube cuts the fibers drilled and causes a weakness in the tube possibly reducing its useful life. In addition, the presence of holes and fasteners in the metal fitting subject it to fretting fatigue failures. Additionally, these methods of applying an end piece to a tube do not allow the end piece to be replaced or changed to an alternate method of attachment.
It would be desirable to have a composite tubular strut with an attachment fitting in which the fittings may be changed or the tube changed without damage to any of the other parts. It is also desirable to provide an end attachment to a composite tube without cutting or drilling the tube fibers to make such an attachment.


A push type scanner apparatus according to the present invention can transmit image data read by the push type scanner apparatus through a network to a desired personal computer only by operating the push type scanner apparatus without transmitting any operation command from the personal computer. In the push type scanner apparatus, for transmitting image data, a destination address is specified; a mail to be transmitted to the specified destination address is created; an appended file comprising the image data read by the scanner apparatus and appended to the mail is created; and the created mail and appended file are outputted to the network.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a push type scanner apparatus capable of transmitting image data of an original, which the scanner apparatus has read, trough a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), the Internet or the like to a specified destination, and to an image data transmitting and receiving system including the push type scanner apparatus at a terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In offices and companies, a printer or a digital copying machine has been connected to a LAN to be shared.
When such a connection is adopted, in order to print out a document or image data created in a personal computer, the data are transmitted from the personal computer through the LAN to the printer or the copying machine, and the printer or the copying machine receives the data, then prints the data on a paper sheet and outputs the same.
Further, sometimes a scanner apparatus (including a digital copying machine usable as a scanner) is connected to the LAN. Such a scanner can be also shared similarly to the printer or the copying machine. The scanner can operate on the basis of a command from the personal computer. On the basis of a command from the personal computer, the scanner reads image data and outputs the image data to a personal computer receiving the command.
When such a scanner apparatus is connected, the conventional system operating only by a command from a personal computer PC1 has a disadvantage that it is not easily usable. When a user uses the scanner apparatus, the user, after setting an original to be read on the scanner, has to operate the user's personal computer to give an operation command to the scanner apparatus. Further, after the scanner apparatus reads the original, the user has to go to the scanner apparatus to take back the original. These operations are complicated.
Otherwise, in a structure in which the scanner apparatus preliminarily reads the original and the data read by the scanner apparatus can be stored in a memory of the scanner apparatus, the user has to operate the personal computer so as to read out the image data stored in the scanner apparatus. These operations are also complicated.
An object of the present invention is to provide a push type scanner apparatus capable of transmitting image data, which the scanner apparatus itself has read, through a network.

Push type scanner apparatus and image data transmitting and receiving system


Embodiments provided herein relate to methods and compositions for next generation sequencing. Some embodiments include the preparation of a template library from a target nucleic acid using one-sided transposition, sequencing the template library, and capturing the contiguity information.

Several next generation sequencing technologies are available for fast and economical determination of a genome's entire sequence. Typically, a library of template nucleic acids is prepared from a target genomic DNA sample prior to sequencing. The sample preparation usually includes a DNA fragmentation step that breaks the larger DNA strands into smaller DNA fragments that are more amenable to next generation sequencing technologies. Oftentimes adaptors are attached to the ends of the DNA fragments, which can be accomplished by DNA end repair followed by adaptor ligation, or more recently by using a transposome system. The use of transposomes, which is a complex of a transposase and transposon nucleic acids, allows for simultaneous genomic fragmentation and adaptor ligation of fragments thereby simplifying library preparation. However, fragmentation of genomic DNA can lead to a loss in information with regards to individual nucleic acid molecules for contiguity, phasing and haplotype. Therefore, a need exists for alternative library preparation methods.

Methods and compositions using one-sided transposition


A shatter resistant mirror includes a frangible mirror material for reflecting an image which has a coating of an elastic adhesive material which bonds a rigid backing material to the frangible mirror body. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the adhesive was one of a water-based synthetic polymeric material or a hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive. The rigid support member preferably is a fiberboard material. In some embodiments of the invention, the composite mirror structure includes multiple layers of composite fiberboard material to provide spacing for mounting the mirror in a particular application.

The present invention pertains to a mirror construction for automotive interior applications such as vanity mirror visors and particularly to a shatter resistant construction for such mirrors.
For several years, visors have included vanity mirrors for the personal grooming of passengers. Some vanity mirrors include illumination means for use under low ambient light conditions such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,404. In many instances, the vanity mirrors include a cover which covers the vanity mirror when not in use such that the driver is not distracted by reflections from the mirror. Also, when covered, the mirror poses no safety hazard in the event of an accident.
Vehicle mirrors such as visor vanity mirrors, rearview mirrors and the like must meet minimum safety standards for vehicles in the United States and in the European Economic Community (EEC). One standard for the EEC includes that glass shards from a broken mirror must remain on a mirror backing and there be no greater than a 0.010 inch step between adjacent glass shards in the event a mirror is broken during impact. Presently, existing mirror backing materials for glass mirrors do not meet these standards. European vehicles frequently use metal mirrors which are very costly and provide relatively poor images in order to meet such standards. Plastic mirrors also can meet the standards but they are too costly, provide a relatively poor image and are subject to warping under temperature extremes. Some glass mirrors have been covered with a mylar protective film which, however, is very costly and presents a surface subject to scratching with use. Efforts have been made to provide a polypropylene visor core which supports the mirror sufficiently to eliminate breaking. However, adding significant additional weight and material cost to a visor is a commercially unattractive option.
Backing materials which have been used in an effort to meet United States impact standards have included paper with an adhesive layer, mylar tape, masking tape, polyethylene foam adhered to the mirror back and finally latex film which has been adhered to the mirror back. One visor patent suggests a combination of a polyurethene foam material and a backing plate (U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,470). Although these existing backing materials for glass mirrors retain mirror shards on the backing material, they have not proven effective in meeting newer safety requirements nor have they been resistant in preventing shattering of the mirror in the first instance.


A two-gang low voltage bracket that enables rapid mounting of one or two low voltage electrical components to a wall. The two-gang bracket includes a front plate with an opening therein and a circular peripheral wall surrounding the opening and extending from the rear surface of the plate. Mounting fasteners extend through oversize holes in the plate and include clamp arms rigidly secured to their ends. The circular peripheral wall is of a diameter that is slightly less than the diameter of a standard size hole-saw. The clamp arms can be rotated to either a retracted or extended position. The peripheral wall is provided with open areas or recesses to fully accommodate the clamp arms when retracted thereby enabling the peripheral wall and clamp arms to pass easily within the wall opening created by the standard size hole-saw.

With the proliferation of digital components in homes there has been an increase in the amount of low voltage cables installed in the homes, such as communications cables, coaxial cables for cable TV, and various cables for digital videodisc players, game stations, surround sound systems, and various other auxiliary devices. Large amounts of low voltage cables can be unattractive as they clutter up the floor and become unsightly.
One common method of dealing with these large amounts of cables is to route them through the walls of the home. Conventional low voltage mounting devices typically are installed by first cutting a rectangular hole in the wall. Frequently, this involves finding the location of a stud, cutting the rectangular hole next to the stud, and then attaching the low voltage mounting device to the stud.
Although the aforementioned procedure provides a means of mounting a low voltage device to a wall, it usually requires a substantial amount of time to locate a stud and prepare an appropriately sized rectangular hole to accept the mounting device. U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12/319,648, 12/012,907, and 12/008,120, the entire contents of which have been incorporated herein by reference thereto, all discloses electrical mounting devices that could be mounted in a fraction of the time required for most conventional electrical mounting devices. The significant savings in installation time of the mounting devices presented in these related applications was a result of a simplified wall preparation procedure which required that only a simple circular hole be formed in the sheetrock of the wall. This significantly reduces wall preparation time as a conventional hole-saw can be used to prepare the installation site. Conventional hole-saws are easily obtainable at any hardware store and simply consist of a circular mandrel with cutting teeth that can be attached to a conventional hand held drill.
Although the related applications presented an improved device for mounting electrical components on the wall, they were limited to mounting a single electrical component per mounting device. The present invention provides a mounting device that is capable of mounting two low voltage electrical components side by side in a single mounting device.

Two-gang low voltage mounting bracket with front plate and retractable clamp arms for rapid mounting using hole saw


Flowable graft materials are provided which comprise collagen powder and a liquid in an amount sufficient to impart a flowable consistency to the material. The graft materials are sufficiently formable and pliable so as to provide both superior contact with and easier access to a surgical site than typical, more rigid grafts such as collagen sheets. These flowable materials may also be in a fluidized, paste-like and/or gel-like state and may be moldable and/or ejectable. The flowable collagen materials reduce and/or eliminate post implantation problems associated with other materials, e.g. synthetic dural sealants (hemostasis products), such as product swelling after application and implantation. The flowable graft materials are particularly useful as a dural graft.

The human brain and spinal cord are protected, preserved and enveloped by a meningeal system comprising meningeal membranes. A meningeal membrane is composed of an intricate network of three overlapping tissue layers: the dura mater (or dura) outermost layer, the arachnoid middle layer, and the pia mater innermost layer. The outermost layer is tough and waterproof. The innermost layer follows along and contacts the entire surface of the brain and spinal cord, carrying blood vessels to service them. The middle layer acts as a gliding system between the inner and outer surfaces. Any damage to this network causes acute problems to the central nervous system.
Repairing damaged meningeal membranes has largely focused on implantable and/or resorbable constructs known as dural substitutes. These dural substitutes are grafted to the damaged dura mater and are designed to replace and/or regenerate the damaged tissue. A number of synthetic and animal based dural repair products are currently available. However, most of these are categorized into either suturable or onlay (sutureless) grafts, typically available in sponges, sheets, nonwoven matrixes or combinations thereof. In some instances, these products can be difficult to apply, and in some cases limited pliability, or moldability, may not enable them to adequately reach the entire damaged area.
Synthetic gelatin and polymeric dural sealants have also been disclosed. However, with these synthetic sealants, certain problems persist as well. Some are porous, therefore not creating a tight seal. They may also be nonelastic and/or insoluble, thus leading to time consuming application. Furthermore, most are subject to swelling once applied and/or implanted because they must be hydrated or mixed at the surgical site rather than being prepared in advance of the procedure. Swelling of the material, post implantation, can be detrimental to the patient, for example, where such swelling causes compression of brain tissue, a nerve root or the spinal cord.
Thus, there is a need for a dural graft material that is especially adapted for use in those areas or locations where it is difficult to apply conventional dural grafts. Furthermore, there is a need for a dural graft material which minimizes or eliminates post implantation swelling as well as reduces the quantity of implant material necessary to repair the damage. Finally, a dural graft material is needed which simplifies the procedure in terms of mateability, risks and time duration as compared with conventional dural graft products.

Flowable collagen material for dural closure


Tampering with an assembly that includes an integrated circuit is detected by measuring a change in at least one property of a conductive molding formed over at least a portion of the integrated circuit. For example, the conductive molding can be a mixture of resin with conductive powder and/or fibers. The molding can be formed as a continuous region or as strips of conductive material. Conductive contacts are positioned to provide and receive current through portions of the conductive material. For example, the property of the molding can be an impedance of a portion of the conductive molding. A significant change in the impedance measured through one or more conductive contacts indicates tampering with the assembly.

Point of sale (POS) terminals allow customers to make payments using a variety of payment instruments, such as credit cards, debit cards, smart cards and ATM cards. To ensure that the payment information transmitted from the POS terminals to a payment center is not accessed by unauthorized recipients, this information is typically encrypted and secured (e.g., using digital authentication) during transmission. However, confidential payment information entered by the user into the POS terminal could still be intercepted by tampering with the integrated circuits of the POS terminal. Thieves can use such information fraudulently to receive payment. It may also be desirable to maintain confidentiality of integrated circuit device layouts to prevent thieves from copying integrated circuit designs. Clearly the need to prevent unauthorized access to integrated circuits is present.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,288 describes a technique to prevent unauthorized access to a memory device through the use of a conductive mesh outside of the memory device. To access the memory device, a thief must cut through the conductive mesh. Cutting through the mesh, however, alters the conductive properties of the mesh. Altering portions of the conductive mesh can change impedances, create short circuits, and/or create open circuits. Detection of a change in an impedance, short circuits and/or open circuits is associated with tampering and in turn causes the memory to become erased. Thereby, unauthorized access to memory is prevented. However, use of such a mesh wire bond cage is expensive. Purchasers of integrated circuits are often very cost sensitive.

Intrusion detection using a conductive material


A slide bearing comprising a copper-nickel-tin alloy consisting essentially of. ______________________________________ 4-8% by wt nickel, 4-8% by wt tin, 0.005-1.0 by wt zinc, 0.005-0.5 by wt iron, 0.005-1.0 by wt lead, ______________________________________. the remainder being copper and common impurities, the alloy having a multi-phase granular state with a preferred linear orientation and including:. at least one of discontinuous gamma phase precipitations and continuous gamma phase precipitations, the precipitations being formed followed cold forming of the alloy by heat treatment at a temperature of 300.degree. to 450.degree. C. for 10 minutes to 50 hours so as to provide about 0.1 to about 30 volume % of the gamma phase in the alloy, PA0 up to 15 volume % of highly concentrated tin and nickel grain areas (GSnNi) characterized by the atomic formula Cu.sub.43 Ni.sub.17 Sn.sub.40, PA0 up to 15 volume % of highly concentrated tin and nickel grain areas (GSn) characterized by the atomic formula Cu.sub.80 Ni.sub.6 Sn.sub.14, PA0 a highly concentrated lead-containing phase, and PA0 the remainder a mixed copper crystal.

There exists a great need for copper alloys for use as slide beating materials.
The following characteristics are, among others, demanded from a good slide bearing material.
A high resistance to wear, good anti-seizure properties, good low friction properties, a high stress characteristic, a high fatigue strength, a good embedding capability, a good resistance to corrosion and a low tendency to welding.
Tin bronze (for example Cu.sub.92 Sn.sub.8) or special admiralty brass (for example Cu.sub.68 Zn.sub.31 Si.sub.1, Cu.sub.58 Zn.sub.40 Al.sub.2) have among others been used so far as a slide bearing material. However, the demands cannot be met with one single material.
Therefore the basic purpose of the invention is to provide a copper alloy, which has a particularly favorable combination of characteristics especially for the mentioned purpose of use.

Copper-nickel-tin alloy for slide bearings


An electronic musical instrument for reproducing chords or pure tones in a fixed interval scale, called Modified Eastern Music Tru-Scale Octave Transformation by the inventors, without overtone collision. The instrument includes a memory for storing and reproducing the 24 octave frequency interval system. The inventive instrument reproduces single or multiple notes with an interval system which eliminates dissonance, and allows complete modulation in all key signatures and pure tone relationships without altering the keyboard. The invention also contemplates the use of the Modified Eastern Music Tru-Scale frequencies with all MIDI interface compatible instruments or devices, in conjunction with a suitable frequency generator, or through internal or external memory sources. The invention also can be applied to a fretted stringed musical instrument which provides a novel fretboard for generating overtone collision-free tones with complete modulation of the Modified Eastern Music Tru-Scale Octave Transformation. Generation of these frequencies might be acoustical or "direct" (to an amplifier) electronic production. The string length, determined by a ratio, is calculated to produce a closed number relationships for independent time-space frequencies.

This invention relates to providing a Tru-Scale Octave Transformation for the Eastern Musical System (24 frequency octave), which is contrasted with the Western Musical System (12 frequency octave) with overtone collision free tones produced by both electronic instruments and fixed fretted stringed instruments of the acoustic or electronic type, and is a follow-on to, and an improvement of an invention which is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,624, and of copending, commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 07/404,385, filed Sep. 8, 1989. The disclosures of that U.S. Patent and that U.S. application are incorporated herein by reference.
As stated in the New Harvard Dictionary of Music (1986), p. 778, South Asia is centered on India, and includes countries on its periphery. The treatise deals with the Great Tradition of music (as opposed to the Little Tradition which is more localized):
Among the aspects of musical theory described in the treatise (Natya Sastra, 5th century) is a tuning system of 22 intervals (Sruti) in the octave from which two heptatonic species of octave (grama) are derived. . . . After the 16th century, theoretical treatises reflect a split of the Great Tradition into two styles, now called Hindustani and Carnatic systems....The Carnatic approach emphasized a method of scale (mela) construction that would allow classification of the ragas according to their pitch content. All 72 scales possible in the 12 tone division of the octave. . .In Hindustani music, however, Bhatkhande devised a different scheme based on a group of 10 scales derived from fretting arrangements for the sitar (thata). PA1 Tru-Scale tuning involves new mathematic principles of a standard unit of measurement, related to a new measure of periodicity of wave transmission. When applied to the sound production components of an electronic instrument, primary or secondary, or other wave producing equipment, this tuning system can profoundly enhance the equipment's sound or performance. The enhancement is accomplished by eliminating the amount of dissonance caused by overtone collision by providing simultaneous frequencies with independent timespace relationships. PA1 The Tru-Scale tuning system solves the problem of dissonance by using a new mathematical base. The new base incorporates the curve imposed by nature on all moving objects, including sound waves. Current mathematics, which is used in all prior tunings, is calculated on a two dimensional plane. Tru-Scale tuning is based on a three dimensional mathematical mode. (This system takes into account the natural curve of wave travel). Therefore, intervals between waves can be calculated to move in unison with no dissonance or overtone collision. This cannot be done with current mathematical theory due to improper calculations of wave movement. Such improper calculations yield harmonic dissonance. . . PA1 The overall effect of Tru-Scale tuning creates a much cleaner and stronger sounding interval system, which in turn creates better sounding chords. The mathematical foundation behind the Tru-Scale tuning can also be used to enhance all forms of wave production, transmission and reception. PA1 The location of frets on the fingerboard provides a fixed set of tones which can be generated on any one instrument. The available tones from such an instrument is called its tonal scale. PA1 Another novel feature of this invention is a difference in the standard straight fret placement for the 12 tone, Western Music, tonal scale for a six string guitar. For equal temperament, string length is 26.2 inches (U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,143), whereas for Tru-Scale the string length is 24 inches.
The Eastern music system has posed a mathematical question for which many solutions have been offered. Some say that 22 sruti-s and 7 notes are closely related to the ratio of the circumference and radius of a circle (22/7). Some are of the opinion that this is a small number which does not introduce much error when we change ratios into additive numbers!
U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,624 teaches that:
In the present production of electronic sound, a controlled electric impulse is sent to an oscillator, in which the impulse is turned into a specific assigned frequency. It is important to note that the initial impulse, which ultimately ends up as a predetermined frequency, is determined by mathematical computations using logarithms based on the present imperfect mathematical system. These various divisions of sound, such as Equal Temperament, Just Intonation, Meantone, and Pythagorean, represent many prior attempts to divide sound into a non-dissonate interval system. The present Eastern Music system (Sruti-Scales) is said by most scholars to be based on Just Intonation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,624 teaches further:
With reference to the fretted stringed musical instrument, U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,143 teaches that:
A fretted musical instrument employs one or more elements, termed frets, which function to shorten the length of a vibrating string by stopping at a precise point to thereby alter the pitch or frequency of the sound produced by the vibrating string. Fretted musical instruments may be generally divided into two categories: those having fixed frets and those having moveable frets.
Further U.S Pat. No. 4,137,813 teaches that:
As disclosed in copending, commonly assigned application Ser. No. 07/404,385:
As previously noted, the string length of the Vina (Bin), Eastern Music's main melody instrument, is at present 22 inches long, with twenty-four fixed frets. This invention provides a novel Tru-Scale string length of 24 inches, but for a 24-note scale for Eastern music, as compared to a 12-note scale for Western music, as is the subject of the copending application.

Electronic keyboard musical instrument or tone generator employing Modified Eastern Music Tru-Scale Octave Transformation to avoid overtone collisions


An electronic weight scale includes: a main scale module including a main weight sensor disposed in a main housing and outputting an output corresponding to weight acting on the main housing and sensed thereby, a controller operable in one of folded and unfolded modes in response to a control signal from an input unit, and a display unit mounted on the main housing; and an auxiliary scale unit connected pivotally to the main scale module and including an auxiliary scale module that has an auxiliary weight sensor disposed in an auxiliary housing and outputting an output corresponding to weight acting on the auxiliary housing and sensed thereby. The controller outputs weight information, that indicates the output from the main weight sensor when in the folded mode and that indicates a sum of the outputs from the main and auxiliary weight sensors when in the unfolded mode, to the display unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a weight scale, more particularly to an electronic weight scale.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional electronic weight scale 1 is shown to include: a housing 11 having a supporting surface; a weight sensor 12 disposed in the housing 11 for sensing weight that acts on the supporting surface of the housing 11 and for outputting an output corresponding to the weight sensed thereby; a control circuit 14 disposed in the housing 11, coupled to the weight sensor 12, and outputting weight information that indicates the output from the weight sensor 12; and a display unit 13 coupled to the control circuit 14 for displaying the weight information from the control circuit 14 thereon.
In use, a user to be weighted usually stands on the supporting surface of the housing 11. However, the conventional electronic weight scale 1 is not suitable for a user who cannot stand properly, for example, a baby, a sick person, or a physically handicapped person.


An electric toothbrush holder which comprises a elongate casing and an electric motor vibration unit supported within the casing, the casing forming a elongate cavity having an opening at the forward end of the casing for insertion of the handle of a toothbrush, in which opening there is provided a clamping structure having at least two clamping surfaces which are resiliently biassed together by a resilient member so as to clamp or hold a said toothbrush at its handle automatically when the toothbrush handle is inserted into the cavity through the opening.

The present invention relates to an electric toothbrush holder.
Electric toothbrush holders are known and usually designed to hold interchangeably a number of toothbrushes or toothbrush heads, whether different or not, to serve different persons, or to provide different functions or to suit different operating conditions. Such toothbrushes or toothbrush heads are specially designed to be connected to a particular brand of toothbrush holders and therefore they are inevitably expensive. In addition, such toothbrushes or toothbrush heads generally have a relatively short stems, and because of this construction the connection between them and the corresponding holders are usually complicate and thus expensive for manufactury.
The invention seeks to mitigate or at least to alleviate such disadvantages.

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