A method and a system for providing a service in a network, is provided. In one embodiment, a first modem with a first address, which is identical to a second address of a second modem, requests for services in the network. A modem termination system (MTS) checks whether the first modem is a clone of the second modem. If the first modem is identified to be the clone of the second modem, then, the first modem is restricted from obtaining the requested service. However, the second modem is continuously provided services.

1. Field of Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate, in general, to cable networks. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems for detecting a cloned cable modem in a cable network.
2. Description of the Background Art
A cable network is a programming service, which includes a number of cable modems. The cable modems operate according to an international standard known as Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS). A cable modem termination system (CMTS) and the cable modems together constitute the primary components of the DOCSIS. In a DOCSIS-based cable network, each cable modem has a specific Medium Access Control (MAC) address, which is globally unique. Each cable modem is configured in the cable network according to the MAC address.
A cable modem has to complete steps as specified in the Baseline Privacy Interface Plus (BPI+) security negotiation process. The cable modem may be further authenticated by proving private key certificates, stored in the cable modem, valid via cryptographic key exchange. Moreover, the CMTS inserts a cryptographic signature in a Message Integrity Check (MIC) field. The MIC allows a one-time registration of the cable modem. The MIC matches the cryptographic signature and allows registration of the cable modem. This feature is known as cable dynamic-secret, which is also known as DMIC. The purpose of DMIC is to ensure that if a cable modem with a MAC address "M" tries to access the network, must only utilize parameters assigned by provisioning to the cable modem whose MAC address is "M. Therefore, the DMIC protects against re-registration of the cable modem with the same cryptographic signature.

Method and system for cloned cable modem detection


A feeding bottle has a first layer and optionally a second layer. The feeding bottle offers an improved user experience by mitigating against spills, leaks, improving feeding comfort, or offering information to the user about the feeding environment. The feeding bottle has a reusable liner that is compatible with breast pumps. The liner stores fluid such as breast milk in the freezer. The liner is adaptable to feeding bottle holders, collars, and/or nipples and thus facilitates feeding infants. The liner is adaptable to breast pumps, a liner cap, and one or more of a bottle holder, collar and nipple, such that the liner offers a pump, store, feed solution that is reusable and simplifies the number of parts required for any/all of pumping, storing and feeding activities.

Baby bottles are well known and typically include a bottle, a nipple, and a collar to secure the nipple to the collar. Known bottles are made from plastic materials and glass. As infants and babies require numerous feedings a day, bottles endure significant use and wear. Plastic bottles can warp, crack, scuff, obsoleting them or rendering them unattractive. Glass bottles can also crack, rendering them not only useless but hazardous. As such, a need exists for a resilient bottle, a bottle having improved durability.
Infant feeding can be a further challenging for working moms who can't directly feed baby and need to pump. While certain pump-to-feed systems exist, they include multiple parts requiring further maintenance, cleaning and storage. As such, a need exists for simplified pump-to-feed solution, particularly a cost-effective solution friendly to the environment. Infant feeding is further challenging in view of reflux, an ailment common to infants. Providing a bottle that reduces air ingestion can alleviate reflux symptoms.


In a two-dimensional image display device, speckle noise is reduced by a simple construction. A two-dimensional image display device for displaying an image by projecting coherent light onto a projection plane is provided with at least one coherent light source (1a), (1b), (1c) for outputting coherent light, a polarization state modulator 6 for modulating at least one of a polarization state and a phase of the coherent light emitted from the coherent light source, and a birefringent diffusion plate (7) for spatially varying the phase of the coherent light emitted from the polarization state modulator. The polarization states of light spots in the respective pixels of the image displayed on the projection plane are spatially and temporally varied, thereby forming various speckle patterns.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a schematic structure of a conventional laser display.
The laser display 900 includes laser sources 901a˜901c corresponding to three colors of R, G, B, and light modulators 905a˜905c for intensity-modulating laser lights La˜Lc emitted from the laser sources 901a˜901c according to primary color signals Sa˜Sc of an input video signal. Further, the laser display 900 includes a mirror 903 for reflecting the laser light La modulated by the optical modulator 906a, a dichroic mirror 902a for multiplexing the laser light La reflected at the mirror 903 and the laser light Lb modulated by the light modulator 906b, a dichroic mirror 902b for multiplexing the laser light La from the dichroic mirror 902a and the laser light Lc modulated by the light modulator 906c, and a condenser lens 904 for condensing the laser light multiplexed by the dichroic mirror 902b. Further, the laser display 900 includes a polygon scanner 906 for scanning the laser light condensed by the condenser lens 904, on a screen 908 in x direction, and a galvanometer scanner 907 for scanning the light from the polygon scanner 906 on the screen 908 in y direction so as to form a two-dimensional image. A two-dimensional beam scanning means of this laser display 900 is constituted by the polygon scanner 906 and the galvanometer scanner 907.
Next, the operation will be described.
The laser lights La˜Lc from the laser sources 901a˜901c corresponding to the three colors of R, G, and B are intensity modulated by the light modulators 905a˜905c in accordance with the respective primary color signals Sa˜Sc of the input video signal, and multiplexed by the optical system comprising the mirror 903 and the dichroic mirrors 902a and 902b, and the multiplexed light is applied to the condenser lens 904. Further, the laser light condensed by the condenser lens 904 is scanned in the x direction of the screen 908 by the polygon scanner 906 and is scanned in the y direction of the screen 908 by the galvanometer scanner 907, whereby a two-dimensional image can be displayed on the screen 908.
In the laser display 900, since the lights from the R, G, B light sources are high output monochromatic lights, respectively, a bright image of a high chromatic purity can be displayed by using laser sources of preferable wavelengths.
Another characteristic of the two-dimensional scanning type laser display shown in FIG. 9 is that uniform illumination can be obtained, without using a complicated optical element such as an integrator, in the optical system from the two-dimensional beam scanning means to the screen 908. For example, in a projector using a discharge tube or the like as a light source, which is presently available in the market, illumination intensity is made uniform using a light integrator comprising two lens arrays. However, the two-dimensional scanning type laser display can realize uniform illumination, regardless of the intensity distribution of the beam emitted from the light source, without using a large optical element for making the illumination intensity uniform.
Still another characteristic of the two-dimensional scanning type laser display is that, since the two-dimensional beam scanning means is used, a high-resolution and high-luminance image can be obtained. In a laser display using a spatial light modulator, a liquid crystal panel is generally used as a spatial light modulator. In this case, however, the beam power of the light source decreases due to scattering and absorption of light by the liquid crystal, and thereby the luminance of the light from the light source on the screen is deteriorated. On the other hand, in the laser display using the two-dimensional beam scanning means, a high-resolution image can be obtained by increasing the beam scanning rate. Further, since the laser display includes no optical system that decreases the laser power, the utilization efficiency of the laser power is high, and thereby a high-luminance image can be obtained.
In this laser display, however, there occurs a problem of so-called speckle noises in which bright-dot and dark-dot patterns are distributed at random, which are caused by that the high-coherence laser sources are used as light sources. The speckle noises are minute uneven noises which are caused by interferences of light beams which are scattered at the respective portions on the screen 908, when the laser light is scattered on the screen 908.
As a method for removing such speckle noises, there has conventionally been adopted a technique of changing the speckle patterns in a time shorter than the rewrite time of a display that can be sensed by human beings to average the speckle patterns, thereby preventing eyes of an observer from sensing the speckle noises.
For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Published Patent Application No.Sho.55-65940) discloses a method of eliminating speckle noises by vibrating a screen. Further, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Published Patent Application No.Hei.6-208089) discloses a method of eliminating speckle noises by disposing a diffusion element for diffusing coherent light on an optical path of the coherent light, and vibrating and rotating the diffusion element with an external force. Further, Patent Document 3 (Japanese Published Patent Application No.Hei.3-109591) discloses a method of preventing occurrence of speckle noises by applying particles of a birefringent crystal body to a screen, and projecting laser light whose polarization state is temporally varied, onto the screen.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A communication terminal includes a housing carrying therein a radio antenna element, a speaker, and a chamber that acts as an electromagnetic resonance cavity for the antenna and as an acoustic resonance cavity for the speaker. The speaker is mounted inside the chamber and is coupled to the outside of the housing through a sound channel. The terminal includes a user interface on a front side of the housing and the speaker is placed behind the user interface as viewed from the front side, with the sound channel extending from a channel inlet at the speaker to a channel front outlet at the front side.

The mobile phone industry has had an enormous development both regarding quality of service and transmission capabilities, as well as the technology for producing advanced communications terminals. In only a couple of decades the communication systems have gone from analogue to digital, and at the same time the dimensions of the communication terminals have gone from briefcase size to the pocket size phones of today. Still today, mobile phones are getting smaller and smaller and the size is generally considered to be an important factor for the end customer: The development in electronics has made it possible to miniaturize the components of the terminals, at the same time making the terminals capable of performing more advanced functions and services. The development of new transmission schemes, the so-called 3rd generation mobile system standing at the door and the 4th generation to be expected maybe ten years later, also provides the possibility to convey more advanced data to the wireless communication terminals, such as real time video.
In order to benefit from the capabilities of the transmission system, the future generation of phones will have a large display in order to perform multimedia input and output, and the picture quality will be of high importance. Still, the keypad or keyboard must be large enough to allow people to press one key at a time.
FIG. 1 discloses a typical example of a state of the art mobile phone or communication terminal 1, carried by a housing or chassis 2. The size of a keypad 4 and a display 3 basically sets the limit of how small the terminal 1 can be. However, to be able to work as a standard phone for voice interaction, the terminal 1 also includes a microphone 5 and a speaker 6, preferably arranged at opposite ends of the terminal 1. FIG. 3 discloses a different embodiment of a state of the art communication terminal 1, wherein the display 3 occupies a larger portion of the front side of the terminal. Several of the functions of the keypad 4 have been included in a graphical user interface applicable to the display 3, rendering a data input interface having less keys. Those keys 4 may also be moved to the side of the communication terminal in order to allow for the display 3 to occupy a larger portion of the front side of terminal 1. A specific tool 8 may be provided for inputting data on a touch-sensitive screen of the display 3. FIGS. 1 and 3 show two typical examples of state of the art communication terminals 1, whereas the skilled persons will realize that combinations of the two are also well known as well as other designs.
With the development of the communication systems and the capabilities of multimedia functions, the demands on the sound quality from the terminals will also increase. In the next generation of terminals using Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) technique, it will be possible to user a wider audio frequency band. The speaker of the terminal may also be used as a ringer instead of a traditional buzzer, for a single tone or polyphonic ring signals, and as a hand free speaker built into the phone. Normally, these functions are performed by a second speaker mounted in the back of the phone, but combined speakers for two or all three of these functions exist.
In the state of the art communication terminal a terminal output 7 is mounted on the front of the terminal above the display with the speaker 6 immediately behind the output 7, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. This means that even with a smallest available speaker used today, with a diameter of about 13 mm, the terminal would be approximately this much longer in its longitudinal extension than what would have been the case if only the display 3 and/or keypad 4 had defined the length of the terminal 1. The antenna of the terminal is generally located at the upper portion of the backside of the terminal, the lower backside being occupied by a battery. Placing the speaker 6 behind the display 3 would therefore increase the thickness of the terminal 1 since it would have to compete with the antenna for the relevant space.
The performance of the speaker is to a high extent dependent on the back volume, i.e., the acoustic resonance cavity behind the speaker. For best performance, the back volume should be sealed. In a normal case the whole phone is used as a back volume, but it is almost impossible to seal a phone. As mentioned above, almost every phone today has the speaker position in the upper parts of the front of the terminal above the display and keyboard. This means that the height of the speaker, display and the keyboard determines the length of the phone. Since the speaker performances is highly dependent on the dimension, reduction of the speaker size results in less good acoustics. There is also a general desire to have larger displays in the communication terminal, not just wider by also longer, and with the common layout of the keyboard such as disclosed in FIG. 1 and which people are used to, the height of the terminal can basically not be reduced more than today without resulting drawbacks to the display 3 or keypad 4.
A solution to this problem of miniaturization of communication terminals is proposed in WO 00/38475, in which the acoustic resonance chamber of the speaker is completely or partly located in the electromagnetic resonance chamber of the antenna. The use of a single resonance chamber instead of two separate ones makes it possible to manufacture smaller communication devices. According to the proposed solutions the speaker is placed outside the resonance chamber, the backside of the speaker being connected to the resonance chamber by at least one acoustic channel. However, the arrangement of the speaker beside the resonance chamber has some drawbacks. First of all the acoustic channel has to be properly sealed. Furthermore, the speaker and chamber will both add to the thickness of the terminal, and at the same time the height of the speaker will contribute to the length of the terminal.

Speaker arrangement for communication terminal


A system and method for providing multiple modes of parallel communications between a host and a peripheral. In the system and method, a driver provides support for a plurality of transfer modes while satisfying the streams requirements of a host kernel during both forward and reverse transfers. The driver begins in a known mode and negotiates the host and peripheral into a best mode supported by both the host and the peripheral. The driver satisfies streams requirements, thereby permitting high level handshaking and use of ioct1s in UNIX based systems. When data is to be transferred, a message is placed on a queue to be serviced in the order received. The type of the message is indicative of the direction of the desired transfer. Each message is serviced in turn, and the transfer conducted using the most efficient mode available.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to parallel port device drivers. More specifically, the invention relates to the device driver which can be used to implement the IEEE 1284 bi-directional parallel peripheral interface standard.
(2) Related Art
Parallel port communications have been generally well-known for some time. Throughout the 1980's, a unidirectional parallel communication between hosts and printers or hosts and other peripheral devices was commonly used. This unidirectional mode of communication became known as Centronics.RTM. communications after the company which first introduced it, Centronics Data Computer Corporation. Centronics.RTM. is an 8 bit parallel unidirectional communication link between the host and a peripheral with data only flowing in a forward direction, i.e. from the host to the peripheral. Centronics.RTM. was so widely used, it became a de facto standard in the industry. Unfortunately, Centronics.RTM. suffers from one major shortcoming which limits its utility in a network environment, specifically, it is unidirectional It is also relatively slow.
Accordingly, as networks have become more prevalent, there has been a push in the industry to develop a standard method for bi-directional parallel communications between hosts and peripheral devices. In response to this push, IEEE has promulgated a standard signaling method for a bi-directional parallel peripheral interface for personal computers, IEEE 1284 specification ("1284"). The 1284 defines a signaling method for bi-directional parallel communications between hosts and peripheral devices. It is also asynchronous and fully interlocked. By virtue of the fact that there were a number of divergent interests in the working group preparing the standard, the standard defines five distinct modes of operation. Specifically, compatibility mode, nibble mode, byte mode, enhanced parallel port mode (EPP mode) and extended capabilities port mode (ECP mode) are all defined under the umbrella of a "single" standard.
Compatibility mode is basically the former Centronics.RTM. mode, which provides an asynchronous byte-wide forward (host to peripheral) channel with data and status lines used according to the prior definitions. Compatibility mode has the effect of making 1284 backward compatible.
Nibble mode is a peripheral to host unidirectional protocol which can be used in conjunction with compatibility mode for a full bi-directional interface. Data is transferred to the host four bits at a time over four control signals defined in the Centronics.RTM. parallel port. The nibble protocol employs a program input/output (PIO) interface to work with existing parallel port controllers. The data transfer rate is quite slow.
Byte mode is a peripheral to host unidirectional protocol which can be used in conjunction with compatibility mode for a full bi-directional interface. Bytes are transferred to the host over the eight data lines. Byte mode is twice as fast as nibble mode, but is still a PIO interface and, consequently, relatively slow. Moreover, the byte mode protocol required an expanded definition of the data lines from the existing Centronics.RTM. standard.
Expanded parallel port mode defines a bi-directional protocol in which bytes are transferred in either direction by an interrupt driven PIO interface. Either the host or the peripheral may fill a 4 byte buffer and await a signal to indicate the transfer was completed. While this mode is faster than byte or nibble mode, it is still an interrupt driven PIO which is relatively slow and has not gained wide acceptance.
Extended compatibility port mode is a high speed bi-directional protocol in which bytes are transferred in either direction by a DMA driven interface. This mode is the fastest and most efficient of the IEEE 1284 modes.
While the electrical signaling and cabling requirements for each mode are well-defined in the IEEE 1284 specification, and chip manufacturers have provided the hardware necessary to implement these various modes, the issue of 1284 device drivers has been largely ignored. Significantly, each mode defines a separate and distinct protocol with different signaling and phase requirements which would arguably justify implementing each protocol as a separate driver. However, because any single device must have only a single driver, the 1284 specification creates a unique problem of requiring the implementation of multiple distinct protocols within the single driver. This is particularly true given that the specification requires that to be 1284 compliant, a device must support at least compatibility mode and nibble mode.
A portion of the host kernel is the streams environment. The streams environment has many special requirements which are detailed in full in the Streams Programmer's Guide Sun OS 5.3 (1993). Particularly in the context of a 1284 device driver, a streams interface allows handshaking with upper level modules to provide effective coordination of data transfers. Additionally, the streams environment provides required support for ioctls making such ioctls available for use with the driver.
Therefore, it would be desirable to develop a device driver which is 1284 compliant and readily interfaces with the streams environment.

Method and apparatus for driving a parallel part to provide multiple modes of communications between a host and a peripheral


Loop abstraction includes determining an original loop within the source code. The original loop includes a control statement and a loop body such that the original loop causes the loop body to be repeatedly executed based on the control statement. Further, output variables in the original loop and a number of blocks associated with the original loop are identified. The number of blocks is indicative of a count of unconditionally executed statement sets in which at least one output variable is computed. An abstract loop corresponding to the original loop is generated by adding a modified expression for accelerated assignment for each output variable in a subset of the output variables, and replacing the control statement with a bounded control statement. The original loop is replaced with the abstract loop for generating an abstract source code for the model checking.

A computer program is a sequence of codes written in a programming language to perform a specified task in a computing device, such as a computer and a laptop. The computer program, also referred to as a program, usually includes one or more execution statements that are executed for performing the specified task. The statements are generally provided in a sequential form with the program execution beginning from execution of a first statement and ending with execution of a last statement. However, in complex programs, the statements may be provided in the form of loops such that a particular set of statements is executed in a given sequence repeatedly until a loop termination condition is reached. On execution of the last sequential statement in such cases, it is first determined whether the termination condition has been achieved or not. If the termination condition is not achieved, the given sequence starting from the first statement is executed again, otherwise the loop in the program is terminated. Further, a loop may be configured to run for a specified loop bound. The loop bounds may be understood as the maximum number of times a loop has to be executed.


A disk drive apparatus includes actuator arms, each with a load beam mounted thereon, and a head mounted to a side of the load beam, with a lift rod mounted to that side of the load beam. An electrical conductor is connected to the head and extends along that side of the load beam. Each actuator arm defines a bore, and an annular member is included, having a first portion which is dimensioned to be an interference fit with a bore of the actuator arm, and a second portion adapted to cooperate with a portion of the actuator arm to hold a portion of the load beam therebetween with the first portion of the annular member positioned in the bore of the actuator arm. The disk drive apparatus includes a base and first and second covers on either side thereof, and a disk drive motor mounted to the base and extending from adjacent the first cover to adjacent the second cover. A voice coil actuator assembly extends from adjacent the first cover to adjacent the second cover.

Integrated circuit cards have become popular as a means of conveniently adding memory capacity to personal computers, particularly palm top, lap top, and notebook-size computers, as well as other devices such as modems, serial ports, cellular phone links, facsimile machines, application read-only memories, and the like. To promote compatibility among memory cards, physical, interface and software standards have been adopted by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA or PC-CARD) in the United States and by the Japan Electronics Industry Development Association (JEIDA). The PC-CARD Standard Release 2.01, published November, 1992, provides for three physical sizes, designated Type I, Type II and Type III, which are distinguished from each other primarily by specifying card thicknesses of 3.3, 5.0 and 10.5 millimeters maximum respectively. The memory cards are provided with a 68 pin socket connector at one end and are typically guided into place by a pair of channel guides which engage the side edges of the card.
With the Type III card thickness of 10.5 mm maximum specified above, a disk drive configured as a PC-CARD using three disks, as opposed to two as used in the past, would permit a substantially larger memory capacity to be added to the host computer. Heretofore, such a three disk approach within the constraints of the PCMCIA Type III dimension has proven difficult because of the numerous physical packaging constraints which have prohibited incorporating an increased number of heads and disks in the space available.

Disk drive load beam structure having lift rod and head mounted on same side thereof


A push-in wire connector has an enclosure made of left and right housings. Each housing has a wire entry port and a wire receptacle box aligned with a respective wire entry port and receptacle box of the other housing. The wire entry ports face in opposite directions. A terminal is disposed within the enclosure and includes a busbar which is positioned between the wire ports. A spring member has spring fingers for biasing inserted conductors into engagement with the busbar.

This invention relates to push-in wire connectors. Push-in connectors operate, as the name implies, by simply pushing a stripped end of two or more wires or conductors into the connector. Once the wires are pushed into the connector no closing, crimping, twisting, insulation displacement or other manipulation of the connector is required to finish the connection, making the push-in connector advantageous from the standpoint of time needed to install it. The push-in connector must perform several tasks including electrically isolating its conductors from the surrounding environment, retaining the conductors in the connector, and providing good electrical conductivity between the conductors.
The electrical isolation function is typically performed by a housing made of electrically insulating material. The housing has a generally hollow interior. Openings in the housing provide access to the interior for the stripped ends of two or more electrical conductors. Once inside the housing the bared ends of the conductors are fully surrounded by the insulating housing.
The function of providing electrical conductivity is performed by an electrically-conductive shorting member. The shorting member, often called a busbar, is inside the housing and is disposed so as to be engageable with all conductors inserted into the housing. The shorting member provides a conductive path between all inserted conductors. Since the primary job of the busbar is conduction, it is typically made of a highly conductive material such as copper or tin-plated copper. But even a highly conductive busbar will not provide good conductivity between conductors if those conductors are not held firmly in contact with the busbar. Thus it is common to include a spring member which works in concert with the busbar to hold the conductors firmly against the busbar. Various arrangements of the spring member are possible, including building it into the housing, building it into the busbar, or making it a separate component in the interior of the housing. In any case, the spring member urges all conductors into solid mechanical and electrical engagement with the shorting member.
The function of holding the conductors in the housing is performed by a retention member that engages the ends of the inserted conductors and prevents axial retraction from the housing. As in the case of the spring member, the retention member could be built into the housing. Alternately, the retention member and spring member can be configured as a combined unit inside the housing. In either case the retention member grasps the conductors and prevents unintentional removal of the conductors from the housing. In some embodiments the retention member is releasable so that conductors may be selectively removed from the housing without damage to any of the components. In other embodiments where it is desired that the conductors not be removed from the connector under any circumstances the retention member is intentionally made to be non-releasable.
As just mentioned, the retention member is often configured in combination with the spring member to apply a force that urges the inserted conductor into contact with the shorting member and prevents retraction of the conductor. A common configuration is to have a resilient metal retention member having spring fingers formed therein. As a conductor is inserted into the housing it engages a spring finger and causes it to flex away from its rest position. The resulting deflection of the spring finger generates a compressive force on the conductor that presses it into solid contact with the busbar. The spring finger is angled to permit insertion of the conductor past the finger in one direction but withdrawal of the conductor in the opposite direction is not permitted due to the self-locking configuration of the spring finger. Thus, engagement of the spring finger with the conductor provides the dual functions of pressing the conductor into the busbar and preventing withdrawal of the conductor from the housing.
The pressing of the conductor into the busbar, of course, requires a stable structure for resisting the compressive force of the spring finger. While firm support for the busbar can be provided either by the spring member or the housing, or both, a problem can arise when the connector is used with stranded wire. Stranded wire tends to flatten out or splay when subjected to the compressive force of the spring finger. Since the compressive and resistive forces of the spring finger are only created upon deflection of the spring finger, the splaying of the stranded wire reduces or even eliminates this deflection which can then defeat the dual purpose of the spring finger. The present invention addresses this problem.
Another problem with some conventional push-in wire connectors is that while they are arranged to receive various numbers of wires, the connector housings are arranged to receive all incoming wires from the same direction. In other words, the openings in the connector housings all face the same way. If there are wires approaching the connector from opposite directions, the ends of at least some of them have to be bent back 180° to enable the wire to enter the connector. This requires additional time to install the connector. U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,238 is an example of this type of connector. However, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,093,052 and 4,133,595 are examples of connectors that have wire ports facing different directions.
Other problems with existing push-in connectors include the fact that they tend to be rather bulky. This makes them more difficult to install in tight quarters. It also uses extra material in manufacture, thereby raising costs. A related problem is the amount of comparatively costly metals used in prior art push-in connectors. Some connectors have complicated contacts or terminals therein made of copper and the like. These contacts are often made from blanks by making multiple folds or bends, sometimes leading to overlapping layers of material. The blanks themselves have complex shapes that require stamping from sheets in a manner that leads to excessive generation of scrap. Many of these contact designs are wasteful of these materials, thereby needlessly increasing the overall cost of the connector.


A refrigerating system includes: an evaporator (2) for performing a cooling operation as a refrigerant is evaporated; a compressor (4) for compressing the refrigerant discharged from the evaporator as a mover is reciprocally moved; a condenser (86) for changing the refrigerant compressed in the reciprocating compressor to a liquid refrigerant; and a capillary tube (8) for decompressing the refrigerant discharged from the condenser and transferring it to the evaporator. Hydrocarbon consisting of carbon and hydrogen, a sort of natural refrigerant, is used as the refrigerant, and a paraffin-based lubricant, a sort of a mineral oil, is used as the lubricant, so that a lubricating performance and a performance of the refrigerating system can be improved.

As chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), a refrigerant used for a refrigerator, an air-conditioner or the like, has been known as a source material damaging an ozone layer of the stratosphere, research on a substitute refrigerant is being actively conducted.
The CFC comprises R11 (trichloromonogluoromethane), R12 (dichlorodifluoromethane), R13 and the like, of which R12 mainly used as a refrigerant for a refrigerator is one of regulation-subject materials as being a source material causing an ozone layer reduction and generating a global warming effect. Thus, researches on a natural refrigerant is being actively conducted as a substitute refrigerant.
The natural refrigerant refers to a material used as a refrigerant which naturally exists in the globe such as water, ammonia, nitride, carbon dioxide, propane, butane and the like, not an artificial compound. Known that it does not have a bad influence on the global environment, application of the natural refrigerant as a refrigerant is positively reviewed.
Among the natural refrigerants, hydrocarbon comprises only carbon and hydrogen and includes methane (R50), ethane (R170), propane (R290), butane (R600), isobutane (R600a), propylene (R1270) or the like. The hydrocarbon is not toxic, chemically stable and especially exhibits an appropriate solubility in a mineral oil.
In addition, the hydrocarbon has a zero ozone depletion potential and a very low global warming index. That is, when a global warming index of carbon dioxide is admitted as '1', a global warming index of R12 is 7100, R134a is 1200, while propane is very low, 3.
Especially, isobutane (R600a) is an environmental-friendly natural gas which does not damage the ozone layer and has no influence on a greenhouse effect. That is, isobutane (R600a), a sort of a natural gas obtained by refining hydrocarbon gas created in an oil refining process to a high degree of purity, is a refrigerant containing no environmentally detrimental factor.
However, with all those advantages, isobutane (R600a) is hardly combined with refrigerant oil currently used for a refrigerating system due to its chemical and electrical properties. Therefore, a refrigerant oil suitable for isobutane (R600a) is in need of development. Especially, necessity of a refrigerant oil usable for a reciprocating compressor for compressing isobutane (R600a) comes to the front.
FIG. 1 illustrates a construction of a refrigerating cycle of a general refrigerating system.
As shown In FIG. 1, a currently used refrigerating cycle includes: an evaporator 2 for performing a cooling operation as a low temperature and low pressure liquid refrigerant is evaporated; a compressor 4 for compressing the low temperature and low pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the evaporator 2 to a high temperature and high pressure gaseous refrigerant; a condenser 6 for changing the high temperature and high pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 4 to a high temperature and high pressure liquid refrigerant; and a capillary tube 8 for decompressing the refrigerant discharged from the condenser 6 so as to be easily evaporated and transferring it to the evaporator 2.
The refrigerant used for the refrigerating system is a natural refrigerant, and hydrocarbon is especially used.
Since the lubricant 50 used for the reciprocating compressor of the refrigerating system is used as a refrigerant oil for the compressor compressing a natural refrigerant, its physical and chemical characteristics should be in good harmony with the natural refrigerant.
Namely, the lubricant used as the refrigerant oil of the reciprocating compressor needs to have characteristics that it can protect well an oil film even though the refrigerant is dissolved, and should be thermally and chemically stable so as not to react in spite of being in contact with the refrigerant and an organic material metal at a high temperature or at a low temperature, and should have a high level thermal stability so as not to generate a carbon sludge or not to be oxidized at a high temperature part of the compressor.
In order to satisfy those characteristics, characters of the lubricant, such as a kinematic viscosity, a pour point, a density, a total acid number, a water content or the like, work as critical factors.
Therefore, if the lubricant used for the reciprocating compressor compressing the natural refrigerant is not well harmonized with the refrigerant of the refrigerator, the oil would be leaked. Then, oil circulation is deteriorated to degrade a heat transfer performance of the refrigerator and a lubrication performance, resulting in that frictional portions of each motional part are abraded and thus each part is damaged.

Refrigerating system having reciprocating compressor


A haptic switch includes: (a) a force sensor responding a mechanical stimulus by providing a sensing signal; (b) a processing circuit receiving the sensing signal and providing a control signal; and (c) an electromechanical polymer (EMP) actuator receiving the response control signal and providing a haptic response. The force sensor and the EMP actuator may each be provided on a flexible circuit covered by a protective layer overlying the flexible circuit. The haptic switch may include a graphic layer on which is provided a symbol representing a key. In that haptic switch, the symbol, the light source, the EMP actuator and the force sensor are aligned such that the light source illuminates the symbol and such that, when a user pushes on the symbol, the user's push applies a pressure on the force sensor and the EMP actuator's haptic response is provided in the vicinity of the force sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultra-thin mechanical transducer. In particular, the present invention relates to an ultra-thin mechanical transducer implemented using electromechanical polymer (EMP) technology.
2. Discussion or the Related Art
EMP transducers are particularly applicable to tactile haptic user interfaces in many consumer electronic devices (e.g., cellular telephones and tablet computers). Such applications are described, for example, in copending U.S. patent applications ("Copending Applications") (i) Ser. No. 13/683,980, entitled "Haptic System with Localized Response," filed Nov. 21, 2012, and (ii) Ser. No. 13/683,928, entitled "EMP Actuators for Deformable Surface and Keyboard Application," also filed on Nov. 21, 2012. The disclosures of the Copending Applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
One further advance in the EMP transducer disclosed in these Copending Applications is that although they have a thin profile, they are capable of providing a relatively large surface deformation, which allows their use in an embossed keyboard application. Such an application is described, for example, in U.S. patent application ("Embossed Key Application"), Ser. No. 13/735,804, entitled "Thin Profile User Interface Device and Method Providing Localized Haptic Response," filed on Jan. 7, 2013. The disclosure of the Embossed Key Application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.


A candle holder mount is provided for holding electrical candle simulations firmly to a window sill of a home without the simulated candle being dragged off the sill by the weight of the electrical cord used to power the simulating device. The candle holder mount is affixable to window sills of various materials either in a permanent or removable fashion.

The placement of candles in the windows of homes has been a longstanding tradition. In particular, the Christmas season has typically been a time for home decoration and the placement of candles in one or more windows as a decorative touch. In more recent history, with the use of various window treatments, the danger of fire posed by the use of wax candles, with their attendant flames, has led to the use of electrically simulated candles with decorative light bulbs having a shape intended to imitate the shape of a flame.
These electrical candle simulations typically comprise a base portion and a cylindrical portion affixed to the top of the base portion. An electrical cord is disposed through the base portion so as to feed electrical wires to a standard socket mounted in the top portion of the cylindrical wax-candle-simulating portion. These sockets accommodate bulbs having standard bases to provide a screw-in connection. The electrical cord includes a plug to accommodate a standard A/C wall outlet. In higher end designs, these candle simulators also include an in-line ON/OFF switch.
Accordingly, these candle simulators typically include a base portion intended to simulate a conventional candle holder mount, a cylindrical portion intended to simulate a traditional wax or paraffin candle, and a socket/bulb combination intended to simulate a flame. These candle simulators are intended for placement on the sill of a window. Unfortunately, the candles simulators are provided with electrical cords that extend downwardly in sufficient lengths to cause an unstable situation. In other words, the typical design of such "candles" is such that the weight of the electrical cord tends to pull such candles off of the windowsill. This causes a significant risk of falling, breaking of the bulb and a possible fire or at least some burn damage resulting from the exposure of the incandescent bulb filament. In addition, even without cords, candles placed on windowsills are subject to being easily displaced, toppled and broken by activities such as dusting, or operation of the windows, drapes and blinds.
It is noted that some designs of simulated candles incorporate a battery supply for the light emitting element. However, the batteries do not last long and have to be replaced multiple times in the course of even a short holiday display season. Additionally, one is also left with a battery disposal problem. These candle simulators typically employ an LED (Light Emitting Diode) as the light source. While these sources lack the electrical cord problem, the present invention improves stability of these candle fixtures designs also.
From the above, it is therefore seen that there exists a need in the art to overcome the deficiencies and limitations described herein and above.
Accordingly, it is seen that it is desirable to provide a mechanism for mounting candle devices, particularly those powered from standard A/C outlets, in a window or on another surface so as to prevent them from easily being dislodged.


The state estimator provides parametric estimates for operating states not readily measurable with production powertrain and driveline hardware, such as real-time torque values of axles and dampers. This facilitates implementation of torque oscillation damping control schemes which use multivariable feedback. A control parameter is estimated for a powertrain system having multiple torque-generative devices operably connected to a transmission device having a torque output to a driveline. This includes establishing a plurality of equations operable to estimate the control parameter and other operating parameters based upon torque inputs. The operating parameters comprise operating speeds of the powertrain system and driveline. The operating parameters that comprise operating speeds of the powertrain system and driveline are determined. Coefficients of the plurality of equations are adjusted based upon the operating speeds of the powertrain system.

Various hybrid powertrain architectures are known for managing the input and output torques of various prime-movers in hybrid vehicles, most commonly internal combustion engines and electric machines. One such hybrid powertrain architecture comprises a two-mode, compound-split, electro-mechanical transmission which utilizes an input member for receiving power from a prime mover power source and an output member for delivering power from the transmission. First and second motor/generators are operatively connected to an energy storage device for interchanging electrical power between the storage device and the first and second motor/generators. A control unit is provided for regulating the electrical power interchange between the energy storage device and the first and second motor/generators. The control unit also regulates electrical power interchange between the first and second motor/generators.
Engineers implementing powertrain systems encounter driveline vibrations, which typically range from unnoticeable to objectionable to an operator. Driveline vibrations are customer dissatisfiers, and may reduce service life of one or more driveline components. Typically, engineers attempt to manage driveline vibrations by implementing systems which operate to cancel torque oscillations at one specific frequency, or over a range of frequencies, or a set of frequencies chosen based upon gear ratio at which the driveline is currently operating. Such torque cancellation systems typically pass driveline inputs through signal conditioning filters, which slow system responsiveness. Slow system response often leads to a bump or overshoot that occurs when there is an aggressive operator torque request, due to delays in transient responses required to develop filters. Such systems often use a single feedback variable, typically engine speed, and command a single control signal, typically engine torque. However, single feedback/single control vibration control systems do not provide adequate damping in a system having multiple devices operable to generate vibrations in a driveline.
A hybrid powertrain system is exemplary of a system having multiple devices operable to generate vibrations in a driveline, which therefore drives a need for an alternative method and apparatus to control driveline vibrations. Feedback from such a driveline system which has multiple, varying operating states can be accomplished with a plurality of sensing devices operable to monitor and determine parameters for the operating states. However, some operating states may be difficult to sense directly, due to a lack of ability to directly sense certain operating states, e.g. torque, and added cost and complexity required to implement such sensing systems.
Therefore, there is a need to for a method and apparatus to estimate parameters of operating states of a hybrid driveline system, especially for operation of a vehicle equipped with a hybrid driveline that incorporates manual transmission configurations such as direct connection between an engine, torque-generative electric motors, and transmission input shafts.


A wheel brake includes at least two brake disks; a brake fluid feed for feeding brake fluid under pressure; and a pressure system connected to the brake fluid feed and acting on the disk brakes. At least one of the brake disks is made of metal, while at least one other of the disks is made of carbon. The pressure system includes actuators respectively associated with the metal disk and with the carbon disk and fed with brake fluid via respective parallel connections; and also a pressure interruption system responsive to the action of the pressure of the brake fluid to take the actuator associated with the metal disk out of communication with the brake fluid feed when the fluid pressure exceeds a predetermined value.

It is known that a disk brake for a wheel comprises one or more disks constrained to rotate with the wheel, together with an actuator capable of applying axial pressure on the disks to brake the wheel. Generally, when the brake includes a plurality of disks, at least some of them, while remaining constrained to rotate with the wheel, are nevertheless mounted so as to be capable of sliding parallel to the axis of said wheel.
Essentially two types of disk brake are known that differ with respect to raw material, namely brakes with metal disks and brakes with carbon disks.
In brakes with metal disks, the said disks are made of steel, cast iron, copper, etc. . . . , and an actuator presses brake linings against said disks which brake linings may be made, for example, of asbestos fiber and phenol resin, a vitrified compound, a ceramic-metal compound, etc. In brakes having carbon disks, the said brake linings are likewise made of carbon.
Each of these two types of disk brake has its own advantages and drawbacks.
With brakes having metal disks, wear performance is good at low power per cm.sup.2, and the cost of brake lining material is low. In contrast:
wear performance falls off rapidly when braking at high power per cm.sup.2 ; and
energy storage for given mass is low because of the specific heat and the poor refractory nature of the material used for the linings and for the disks.
In brakes having disks and linings made of carbon: at low power per cm.sup.2, wear performance is of the same order as that of the linings in brakes having metal disks;
at high power per cm.sup.2, wear performance is considerably better than that of the linings in brakes having metal disks; and
energy storage for given mass is high because of the refractory nature and the high specific heat of carbon.
In contrast, the cost of carbon is high, and as a result each braking operation is expensive.
An object of the present invention is to remedy the above drawbacks and to provide a disk brake having the advantages both of brakes having metal disks and of brakes having carbon disks, but without their drawbacks.

Societe Anonyme dite: Aerospatiale Socitet Nationale Industrielle ayant son siege social


An elongate spine plate is arranged to include a support block at its first end, with the support block having a first semi-cylindrical recess spaced from and parallel to a second semi-cylindrical recess to position and secure first and second cables. The spine plate includes an attached support housing at its second end, the support housing including a housing insert to secure the first cable in a coaxially aligned relationship relative to the support block.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to cable clamp structure, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved cable clamp and spacer assembly wherein the same is arranged to secure and space cables relative to one another to avoid electrical interference between such cables.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cable spacer and clamp structure is exemplified in the prior art and set forth in such patents as U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,414 to Artvauer having a spacer for high voltage cables configured as a ring member. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,523 to Hildebrand, et al. sets forth a further ring-like structure for spacing of a cable. U.S. Pat. No. 3,924,055 to Moore sets forth clamp structure to effect spacing of a plurality of cables relative to one another, as does U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,982 to McSherry.
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing for cable alignment and spacing structure to include clamping of the cables in an efficient and effective manner not addressed by the prior art and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A method and system for electronically scrolling a document with a data processing apparatus uses an input device, e.g., a mouse, to permit position based scrolling without first accessing a scroll bar or other scrolling functionality element. In a page positional scrolling (PPS) mode useful for scrolling short distances, a displayed document is scrolled one pixel per one pixel of motion of the mouse. In a second mode (document positional scrolling—DPS), the document is scrolled a distance per pixel of mouse movement corresponding to the ratio of the document length (or width) to the page length (or width). In a further embodiment (smoothed document positional scrolling—SDPS), as the mouse is moved away from a starting position the system begins scrolling in PPS, transitions smoothly from PPS to DPS, and then continues to scroll in DPS.

The present invention relates generally to user-actuated navigation of a document using a data processing apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to enhancing electronic scrolling of a document through use of a cursor control device.
The computer mouse has simplified the computer-human interface. Before the computer mouse, many users were confined to interacting with a computer through the use of a command line interface (CLI as is known in the art). The computer mouse (also commonly referred to simply as a "mouse") has, in recent years, been improved upon with the inclusion of a wheel on the top of the mouse. An example of a wheeled mouse is shown in FIG. 1. The function of the wheel 106 is to scroll the text or document or image located below a displayed cursor 113 shown on a visual display device 112. The wheel is linked to an optically encoded wheel for sensing the rotational location of the wheel 106. To allow for feedback to the user, the wheel contains a number of notches (not shown for simplicity). When rotated, a user is presented with tactile feedback of the distance rotated through sensing the number of notches rotated by the wheel. The function of wheel 106 is interpreted through signals sent from mouse 101 through a cable 110 to a computer 109 having a memory 114 and a processor 115. Shown for completeness is a keyboard 116, which is generally used in combination with mouse 101 for various operations as are known in the art. For example, rotating the wheel away from the user may scroll the underlying displayed content down so as to show another portion of the displayed content immediately preceding the originally displayed content. Likewise, rotating the wheel toward the user may scroll the underlying displayed content up.
Other features of a wheeled mouse and alternative techniques of navigating a display through the use of the wheeled mouse are disclosed in U.S. Ser. No. 09/212,898, filed Dec. 16, 1998, for "System and Method of Adjusting Display Characteristics of a Displayable Data File Using An Ergonomic Computer Input Device." The contents of this application are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
When a user desires to move long distances through a document displayed on a computer, various methods can be used. Using a typical computer keyboard, the user can use cursor arrows or page up and page down keys. Referring to FIG. 2, a GUI of a known word processing application shown an exemplary display window 200. Associated with window 200 are a vertical scroll bar 202 and a horizontal scroll bar 204. On each scroll bar 202, 204 there is a thumb 206, 208, an associated trough 210, 212, and a pair of navigation arrows (214a, 214b), (216a, 216b). Using a mouse or other conventional input device, e.g., trackball or touch pad, a user can interact in various ways with the scroll bars 202, 204. However, the use of scroll bars can be time consuming and distracting. The user must divert his/her attention away from the open document while an element of the scroll bar is acquired. As the user scrolls, the user must continuously divide his/her attention between the document and the scroll bar itself. In addition, some users may consider conventional scroll bars to be overly complicated, by virtue of the three different scrolling functionality elements utilized. The thumb 206, 208 of the scroll bar may be dragged in order to move quickly from one end of the document to the other. The navigation arrows (214a, 214b), (216a, 216b) may be clicked in order to move one line at a time. The trough 210, 212 of the scroll bar may be clicked in order to scroll up or down one screen at a time.
Scrolling through a computer document using wheel 106 on wheeled computer mouse 101 is helpful in that it provides useful document handling without the need to access the keyboard or displayed scroll bars. In a known wheel scrolling system, for every notch indent of rotation of the wheel, the screen display may scroll only one line. While this is effective for scrolling short distances, it is tedious and time consuming for scrolling longer distances.
A known "rate based" (position-rate mapping) scrolling system uses a mouse wheel or other button for scrolling through a displayed computer document. When the user clicks the wheel button and then drags the mouse, scrolling is carried out at a speed (rate) proportional to the displacement of the mouse from the point where the dragging motion was initiated. The scrolling continues until the user clicks the mouse wheel a second time. Alternatively, rate-based scrolling occurs while the wheel is clicked and held, until released. Many users find that precision scrolling is difficult with this "rate based" scrolling control. Studies have shown rate based scrolling as implemented with a mouse to be non-intuitive and slower as compared with other known cursor control schemes.
Some computer applications, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader®, employ a technique that allow the user to "grab" a document with the mouse and move the document in relation to the movement of the mouse. This technique has a number of drawbacks. The grabbing technique moves the document in the same direction as the mouse is moved, which is inconsistent with the use of the scroll bar and thus potentially confusing to users. Also, while the grabbing is being performed, the mouse cursor is visible and limited in movement by the edges of the display window. Grabbing may be an optional mode of an application. Thus, the user may be required to click on a menu button to activate the grabbing mode, which takes the user's attention away from the open document. Likewise, if the user has activated another mode, such as zooming, then grabbing is no longer available unless the user again activates a menu button to switch modes. Additionally, the grabbing functionality is implemented by specific applications and is not performed system wide. Also the grabbing mode offered in applications, such as Adobe, allows the user only to scroll within a displayed page; the mode is thus cumbersome and inappropriate for scrolling through multiple pages.
A less time consuming, less distracting and less complicated system for electronic scrolling of documents would represent a significant advancement in the art, as would a more accurate system for scrolling that is easier to control and which combines multiple functional modes for scrolling both long and short distances.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Disclosed are a high-density fiber connector and an assembly method thereof. The connector, adapted for use with a fiber adapter, comprises a connector casing, a ferrule, a spring and a boot, wherein the connector casing has a cross width of 2.5 mm to 4.5 mm. The connector casing comprises a front casing and a rear casing, which lock up one another to form a cavity. The tail of the connector casing is connected with a boot. On the connector casing are sequentially arranged a guide block and an elastic arm from the front toward the back. A fixed end of the elastic arm is oriented toward the tail of the connector, while a free end faces an insert end of the connector and includes a retaining bump. The ferrule 2 is fastened with the ferrule tailstock 3 and penetrates through a through hole at the front of the connector casing. The spring is compressed between the ferrule tailstock and a thrust block formed by inner walls of the connector casing. The provided fiber connector has a significantly reduced cross width of between 2.5 mm and 4.5 mm at the engaging surface without, however, compromising the structural strength and utility functions, such that the fiber connector may be more densely installed.

Fiber communication, which has grown into one of the main types of modern communications, plays a critical role in the modern telecommunication network. With the development of network technology, fibers are used widely as a transmission media for high-speed broadband digital communications. A fiber connector is a device serving for a detachable (removable) connection between fibers. Specifically, it precisely abuts the end surfaces of two fibers so that the light energy outputted from a transmit fiber can be maximally coupled to a receive fiber while minimizing the impact caused to a system due to its intervention into the optical link. Currently, common fiber connectors may be classified into, for example, a Ferrule Connector (PC), Subscriber Connector (SC), Straight Tip (ST), Lucent Connector (LC), D4, DIN, Miniature unit Coupling (MU) or Mechanical Transfer (MT) type, depending on the structure thereof.
The FC fiber connector, which was first developed by NTT from Japan, is externally strengthened by a metal sleeve and fastened by a turnbuckle.
The SC fiber connector, which has a cuboid casing, uses an inserting pin and a coupling sleeve of the same structure and dimension as those in the PC fiber connector, and may be fastened by a bolt.
The ST fiber connector is different from the SC fiber connector exposing its core, while the core of the SC connector is concealed within the joint.
The LC fiber connector, which was studied and developed by the famous Bell Labs, employs a modular Registered Jack (RJ) latch mechanism that is easy for operations. The inserting pins and the sleeve of the LC fiber connector have a width of 1.25 mm, nearly half of that of the common SC or FC fiber connector, and the area of the corresponding end surface is 4.5 mm*4.5 mm, thereby increasing the density of the fiber connectors installed in an optical fiber distributing frame. Currently, the LC connector has become dominant in the area of single-mode Small Form Factor (SFF), and its multi-mode applications are also rapidly expanding.
The Miniature Unit Coupling (MU) connector is so far the smallest single-core fiber connector in the world, which was developed by NTT based on the most commonly used SC fiber connector. It employs an aluminium pipe with a diameter of 1.25 mm and a self-holding mechanism. The MU connector is advantageous for its suitability for high-density installation, but still requires an end surface with an area up to 6.5 mm*4.5 mm.
With the large-scale progress of Fiber To The Home (FTTH), the fiber network is required to have a broader bandwidth and a larger capacity, and more and more fibers need to be connected into an optical access network. Correspondingly, hardware devices need to accommodate more connections, as a result of which, the fiber connectors need to be more densely installed and have a smaller volume. Particularly, the cross width of the end surface of the connector needs to be reduced as much as possible, so as to increase the installation density of the fiber connectors without demanding any changes to the physical volume of the existing equipment. However, the aforesaid structures of the conventional fiber connectors and the assembling processes thereof fail to meet these needs.

High-density fiber connector with front casing defining engagement recess and rear casing including hook engaging with each other


In a case of ultrasonic bonding of a bonding wire to a metal pad provided on a semiconductor substrate, the vibration amplitude of a tip end of the bonding tool is set to be smaller than the film thickness of the metal pad, and the vibration frequency of the bonding tool is set to be higher than 70 kHz. According physical damage, such as cracks produced in a portion beneath the metal pad, can be prevented.

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic bonding method and an ultrasonic bonding apparatus for connecting bonding wires to metal pads on a semiconductor device.
In a semiconductor device having the form of an ultra-large scale integrated circuit, it is required to connect bonding wires to a large member of metal pads provided at given positions on a substrate of the semiconductor device through bonding to form circuits.
An ultrasonic bonding method using an ultrasonic bonding apparatus is generally utilized for the bonding. In the ultrasonic bonding method, when a bonding wire is bonded to a metal pad on a substrate of a semiconductor device, ball-bonding or wedge-bonding is performed while an ultrasonic vibration having a frequency of 60 kHz or 120 kHz is being applied to the bonding wire.
The most general bonding method in the prior art is a method in which a bonding wire is ball-bonded to a metal pad on a substrate of a semiconductor device while an ultrasonic vibration having a frequency of 60 kHz is being applied to the bonding wire. In an ultrasonic bonding apparatus which is used for such ultrasonic bonding, the maximum vibration amplitude of the bonding tool tip end of the apparatus is above 5 .mu.m.
In the case of using such an ultrasonic bonding apparatus, it is preferable to use a gold (Au) wire having a diameter of 25 .mu.m to 38 .mu.m as the bonding wire; and the ultrasonic bonding is performed under a condition in which the connecting portion (work) is pre-heated above 200.degree. C., and the vibration amplitude of the bonding tool tip end is selected to be 2 .mu.m to 3 .mu.m in order to perform high strength ultrasonic bonding.
Another ultrasonic bonding method in the prior art is a method in which a bonding wire is wedge-bonded to a metal pad on a substrate of a semiconductor device while an ultrasonic vibration having a frequency of 120 kHz is being applied to the bonding wire. In an ultrasonic bonding apparatus used in such ultrasonic bonding, the maximum vibration amplitude of the bonding tool tip end of the apparatus is above 4 .mu.m.
In the case of using the ultrasonic bonding apparatus, the vibration amplitude of the bonding tool tip end is selected to be 2 .mu.m to 3 .mu.m in order to perform high strength ultrasonic bonding, the same as the vibration amplitude employed in the general bonding method.
The principle of the ultrasonic bonding in the ultrasonic bonding method of the prior art is as follows. The bonding is performed by effecting contact between two materials in solid state which are to be bonded to each other, that is, by causing a metallic material forming the bonding wire, for example, a gold (Au) wire, to come into contact with a metallic material forming the metal pad, for example, an aluminum (Al) pad, and then applying frictional vibration to the gold (Au) wire to bond it to the aluminum (Al) pad.
As the materials are pressed into contact with each other, a metallic coupling is produced between the metallic materials so that these metallic materials become attached to each other closely up to an atomic interval level, while a bonding interruption substance and an oxide film attached on the bonding surface portions of the two metallic materials are being removed, whereby the desired bonding is accomplished.
In general, the metal pad provided on the semiconductor device, such as an ultra-large scale integrated device, that is, the aluminum (Al) pad, is an aluminum (Al) alloy film having a thickness of several thousands .ANG. to several .mu.m provided on a silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) insulator film, which has a thickness of several hundreds A to one thousand and several hundreds .ANG. and is provided on a silicon (Si) semiconductor substrate.
In the aluminum (Al) pad having such a construction, there are some cases where silicon (Si) is deposited inside the aluminum (Al) alloy film depending on the kind of aluminum (Al) alloys, and nodules of silicon (Si) are formed in the aluminum (Al) pad by the deposition of silicon (Si).
In a case where a gold (Au) bonding wire is ball-bonded to an aluminum (Al) pad through ultrasonic bonding, the bonding is performed by applying a vibration to the gold (Au) wire and the aluminum (Al) pad while a ball portion formed at the end portion of the gold (Au) wire is pressed to the surface of the aluminum (Al) pad using the ultrasonic bonding apparatus.
While performing the ultrasonic bonding, a high shear stress and an internal strain are applied to the internal portion of the aluminum (Al) alloy film, which is being pressed by the ball portion, and the interface portion of the aluminum (Al) alloy film and the silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) insulation film.
When the magnitudes of the shear stress and the internal strain exceed certain values, micro-cracks are produced inside the silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) insulation film, and in an extreme case cracks are produced inside the silicon (Si) semiconductor substrate.
In a case where cracks are produced inside the silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) insulation film or inside the silicon (Si) semiconductor substrate, if nodules of silicon (Si) are formed in the aluminum (Al) alloy film, shear stress, which is produced in the aluminum (Al) pad when the aluminum (Al) pad is pressed by the gold (Au) ball, is concentrated at the peripheral portion of the nodule of silicon (Si), and fine cracks are easily produced in the silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) insulator film, even if the pressing force for a friction vibration is comparatively small and is under a low loading condition.
Further, in a case where the silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) insulator film is thinner than a given thickness, or in a case where the silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) insulator film is of a multi-layer structure having a layer of a different kind of material formed under it, fine cracks are easily produced in the silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) insulator film, even if the pressing force for the friction vibration is comparatively small and is under a low loading condition, as described above.
In a case where fine cracks are formed in the silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) insulator film, the fine cracks are apt to produce large cracks so as to cause pealing of the ball bonding after that.
Furthermore, in a case where the semiconductor substrate is made of a comparatively brittle material, such as gallium-arsenic (GaAs), phosphorous-indium (InP) or the like, even if the pressing force for the friction vibration is small at the time of performing the ultrasonic bonding, there is a possibility to produce cracks which are sufficiently large to reach the semiconductor device substrate soon after completion of the ultrasonic bonding.
As described above, in the ultrasonic bonding method of the prior art, there are problems in that cracks are produced in the silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) insulator film provided on a substrate of a semiconductor device, so that the various kinds of characteristics necessary for the semiconductor device are damaged, and then the reliability the semiconductor device is lost or the productivity is decreased.

Ultrasonic bonding method and ultrasonic bonding apparatus


A method of providing a visualization of states of a process includes identifying a set of potential states that can occur during the process and a corresponding set of colors, with each color in the set of colors corresponding to one of the potential states. A fixed ordering is established for the set of colors. A timeline graph including a plurality of colored vertical bars is displayed. Each colored vertical bar corresponds to a time interval of the process and includes at least one color selected from the set of colors based on at least one state occurring during the time interval corresponding to the vertical bar. The plurality of colored vertical bars includes a set of multiple-color vertical bars that each include a plurality of colors appearing in a vertical order based on the fixed ordering.

One method of representing the states that occur in a process is with a timeline in a graphical user interface with every time period or time interval of the process represented by a pixel of a certain color, and with the different states represented by different colors (e.g., green for execution, red for waiting, blue for yielding, etc.). Because computer displays have limited resolution and because the process being represented may have a larger set of state transitions than pixels, the time period corresponding to any given pixel may contain more than one state, and representing the time period with a single color results in a loss of information. The loss of information can be detrimental to the utility of the visualizations in identifying interesting aspects of the behavior of the process.


An ignition apparatus for providing energy to a spark plug (601) is described including electromagnetic means (121, 103, 133, 119) having a north pole (137) and an opposing south pole (139). A piezoelectric crystal (129) is located between the north pole (137) and the opposing south pole (139). The electromagnetic means (121, 103, 133, 119) compresses the piezoelectric crystal (129), thereby causing an ignition energy to be provided from the piezoelectric crystal (129) for igniting the spark plug (601).

In conventional, or regenerative ignition systems, a voltage multiplier and storage device, typically an autotransformer, is cyclically charged from a battery. The stored energy is then distributed to a spark plug through a resistive cable and depleted across a spark gap providing ignition of an air-fuel mixture. Although widely applied, this type of ignition system has many undesirable characteristics. These include; significant energy losses due to the inefficiency of the autotransformer and resistive cable, the transmission of high voltage and energy across a significant distance providing substantial electromagnetic wave emissions, the short reliable life of the autotransformer and resistive cable, the power burden the autotransformer induces on its driving circuitry, the varied quality of the energy delivered to the spark plug due to parametric variation of the autotransformer characteristics, and weight and size of the autotransformer.
Some have attempted to solve some of these problems by providing individual autotransformers mounted on or near each spark plug. This approach still suffers from; significant energy losses due to the inefficiency of the autotransformer, the short reliable life of the autotransformer, the power burden the autotransformer induces on its driving circuitry, the varied quality of the energy delivered to the spark plug due to parametric variation of the autotransformer characteristics, and weight and size of the autotransformer.
Yet others have suggested the use of piezoelectric ignition elements in distributors and individual spark plug applications. One such patent is U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,151, issued Oct. 25, 1983 to Elwood G. Norris. While overcoming the losses inherent to autotransformers these approaches, including the Norris patent, have other problems. For instance, a piezoelectric crystal can generate the required high voltage necessary to ignite a spark gap, however, especially with the advent of lean burn requirements, the ignitable air-fuel ratio's require substantially more energy than a piezoelectric crystal can supply. Additionally, these piezoelectric elements have been driven by energy wasting or inaccurate methods. For instance, piezoelectric elements have been driven by mechanized striking mechanisms. The mechanical type strikers do not compensate for wear and are therefore inaccurate. The electromechanical strikers waste energy to overcome the inertia of a striking mechanism.
All of these approaches suffer from poor efficiency and still have substantial electromagnetic wave emissions.
Earlier attempts at providing electromagnetic shielding on ignition system components have been expensive and difficult to manufacture. An example of an electromagnetic shield is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,128,139, issued Apr. 7, 1964 to S. E. Estes. The Estes patent shows a tubular electrically conductive housing 13 surrounding an elastomeric boot 20 and is grounded to a hexagonal shoulder 14 of a spark plug 11 by a spring clip 29. This is a complex assembly requiring many individual parts and is difficult to manufacture.
Finally, it's important to note that the operating environment for ignition system components is very hostile from a thermal, vibration and chemical aspect. These components must operate above 135.degree. Celsius, to below 40.degree. Celsius and will be subjected to oil, gasoline, antifreeze, brake fluid, water, salt and other highly corrosive chemicals. The vibration can exceed 5 Gs in 3 axes with transients to thousands of G's. Operating on weighty and bulky components this vibration is fatal. The combination of the vibration, chemicals and thermal range reduces the reliable life of ignition components significantly.
In summary, prior art approaches have many deficiencies including; energy inefficiency, substantial electromagnetic radiation, short reliable life, excessive power burden on the driving circuitry, varied quality of energy provided to the spark gap, lack of sufficient energy for lean burn requirements, excessive weight and size, and insufficient sealing.
What is needed is a considerably smaller, lighter weight, low electromagnetic wave emission, high power, sealed, reliable, high quality of energy, and energy efficient ignition system for internal combustion engines.

Ignition apparatus for an internal combustion engine


A magnetic element comprising a thin film having a uniaxial magnetic anisotropy partly disposed on a polymer substrate. The magnetic element exhibits a discontinuous magnetic reversal under an applied magnetic field having a magnitude that is not smaller than a predetermined value. Despite its simple structure, the magnetic element exhibits excellent magnetic characteristics. Furthermore, the magnetic element exhibits little variation in magnetic characteristics and its magnetic characteristics are therefore high reproducible.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic element which exhibits a rapid change in magnetization with a change in an externally applied magnetic filed.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are many devices which utilize the magnetization behavior of a magnetic material. In addition to devices which exhibit a continuous response to a change in an external magnetic field such as a magnetic induction type magnetic head, magnetic materials which exhibit a rapid magnetic reversal and a discontinuous response when the intensity of the applied magnetic field exceeds a predetermined value have recently been employed. When a pickup coil is disposed in the vicinity of such a magnetic material, a steep voltage pulse can be produced in the coil upon a discontinuous magnetic reversal of the magnetic material. The use of such a magnetic element can provide a simplified apparatus which is widely applicable to the measurement of magnetic fields such as the earth's magnetic field, rotational speed, flow rate, etc.
Furthermore, in recent years, electronic article surveillance systems or identification systems for preventing the theft of merchandises or for rapidly processing the flow of materials have become more widely used. These devices employ identifying markers such as a transmitting circuit, an LC resonance circuit, a magnetostrictive vibrating material and a high magnetic permeability material, as well as the above-described magnetic material which exhibits a discontinuous magnetic reversal. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,660,025, 4,686,516 and 4,797,658 disclose a system employing a marker made of a fine amorphous Fe based alloy wire. The magnetization of the foregoing fine metal wire material is extremely stable in the longitudinal direction and thus exhibits a very sudden 180.degree. magnetic reversal when the magnetic field reaches a predetermined magnitude. This characteristic is often called a large Barkhausen discontinuity. When the intensity of an alternating magnetic field which has been transmitted as an inquiry signal in a monitor zone reaches a critical value, the fine metal wire exhibits a discontinuous magnetic reversal, thereby causing a detection coil to produce a steep pulse voltage. The waveform of the pulse voltage thus produced is then subjected to a frequency analysis in which the intensity and proportion of high harmonics are determined to identify the marker or to judge if it is necessary to sound an alarm. This system is advantageous in that the marker is inexpensive and provides an identifying capacity higher than that of other systems.
Magnetic materials have been found which exhibit a discontinuous magnetization response besides the foregoing fine amorphous metal wire. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,980,670 and 5,313,192 disclose a material obtained by annealing a slender amorphous metal ribbon in a magnetic field. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,020 discloses a thin film having a strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy formed on a polymer substrate such as a plastic film which exhibits a discontinuous magnetic reversal. This material exhibits excellent rectangular hysteresis characteristics similar to the fine metal wire.
In order to practically use a thin film having a strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy formed on a plastic polymer substrate as a magnetic element (e.g., as a sensor and marker), the thin film must be cut into a desired shape together with the substrate. However, when the laminate is mechanically cut by a cutter, scissors or the like, unnecessary stress is applied to the thin film even if a relatively sharp blade is used. This stress occasionally disturbs the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy of the thin film. Accordingly, the resulting magnetic element is disadvantageous in that its magnetic characteristics can vary widely.


A method for picking up and handling filled, closed rectangular bags, film packs and pouches, which have a bottom side, and two longitudinal sides, and are provided on the bottom side with a bottom fold. The pouches, standing on one of the longitudinal sides, are arranged in parallel to one another in a row and in each case are picked up with a gripper mechanism having comb-like, finger-like gripper elements on an opposite (upper) longitudinal side with the gripper elements being moved between the upper longitudinal sides of adjacent pouches. The gripper elements are moved in the longitudinal direction of the upper longitudinal sides, from the base side and pass the same, between adjacent longitudinal sides.

This invention relates to a method for picking up and handling filled and sealed, rectangular bags or film packs, also known as pouches, which have a bottom side provided with a bottom fold and two longitudinal sides. In the sense of the present invention the term "handling" relates to any random conveying, supplying, transferring, sorting, intermediate storing, etc.
The invention is in the field of the manufacture and further processing of pouches filled with (animal foods. The previously manufactured tubular pouches are filled in special filling and sealing mechanisms with an ingredient or component and are then closed and sealed and subsequently usually undergo a sterilization before the finished products are packed.
Since it has proved advantageous for various reasons for the pouches to stand during sterilization on one of the longer lateral edges or longitudinal sides, i.e., with a main extension plane containing the pouch lateral edges being substantially vertical and the longer lateral edges substantially horizontal, the problem arises of simultaneously reliably mechanically gripping or picking up a plurality of parallel pouches arranged in a row, in order to hold the pouches or perform a handling movement therewith.

Method for seizing rows of bag packings (pouches)


Provided are methods for fabricating a semiconductor device. A gate dielectric layer is formed on a substrate including first through third regions. A first functional layer is formed on only the first region of the first through third regions. A second functional layer is formed on only the first and second regions of the first through third regions. A threshold voltage adjustment layer is formed on the first through third regions. The threshold voltage adjustment layer includes a work function adjustment material. The work function adjustment material is diffused into the gate dielectric layer by performing a heat treatment process with respect to the substrate.

1. Field of the Inventive Concept
The present inventive concept relates to a method for fabricating a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A semiconductor chip may include a combination of transistor types having different threshold voltages. For example, a logic transistor and a RAM transistor, such as an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) or DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) transistor, may be combined and used on the same semiconductor chip, and may have different threshold voltages.

Method for fabricating semiconductor device having multiple threshold voltages


A lubricating oil composition including 100 mass parts of (A) an ester compound, 0.05 to 1.5 mass parts of (B) an amine salt of an acidic phosphoric ester and 0.01 to 0.50 mass parts of (C) a monoesterified compound, wherein (A) the ester compound is an ester compound of trimethylolpropane, a straight-chain saturated fatty acid having a carbon number of 8 to 10 and adipic acid; (B) the amine salt is an amine salt of an acidic phosphoric ester; and (C) the monoesterified compound is a monoesterified compound of an alkane diol having a carbon number of 3 to 8 and of succinic acid having an alkyl group having a carbon number of 8 to 18 or an alkenyl group having a carbon number of 8 to 18.

Recently, it is demanded new trials for environmental preservation as important mission worldwide. Such mission is also demanded in the field of a lubricant oil, and it is further demanded a lubricant oil capable of reducing environmental load more than ever. As a lubricant oil capable of reducing the environmental load, a biodegradable lubricant oil draws attention, as the lubricant oil is susceptible to decomposition in natural world to reduce its effects on ecosystem even in the case that the lubricant oil is leaked out.
Many of biodegradable lubricant oils are used as a countermeasure in the case of leakage into rivers and oceans. Its use is mandatory in some regions and applications. For example, in European countries, the use of the biodegradable lubricant oil is mandated in 2-cycle engine oil in an outboard motor for use in lakes regions, hydraulic oil for construction machinery used near a river for taking drinking water, or the like. In the United States, the use of the biodegradable lubricant oil is mandated in a lubricant oil used in wetted parts of a ship or the like
Various kinds of studies have been performed as to the biodegradable lubricant oil. For example, according to patent document 1, it is disclosed a 2-cycle engine oil composed of polybutene, a polyol ester, a paraffin-based hydrocarbon solvent and an ashless detergent. According to patent document 2, it is disclosed a hydraulic oil, which is composed of a complex ester of a polyvalent alcohol, a straight-chain saturated fatty acid and a straight-chain saturated polycarboxylic acid, an antioxidant and a load-bearing additive and excellent in biodegradability, oxidation stability, wear resistance and low-temperature fluidity. According to patent document 3, it is disclosed a stern tube bearing oil, which is composed of a water-soluble (poly)alkylene glycol, a water-soluble thickener and a water-soluble rust-prevention agent and excellent in compatibility with sea water, lubricating property and biodegradability.


An electrochemical reformer 1 using reactant feed structures having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions to provide mechanisms for the wicking of liquid reactants into reformer 1 and for the separation and removal of gaseous products from reformer 1. The electrical reformer 1 may be combined with a fuel cell, a portion of the output of which is used to power reformer 1, to create a compact, portable power source.

The present invention relates generally to hydrogen reformers and fuel cells and more particularly, to electrochemical hydrogen reformers for producing hydrogen and fuel cells for converting the hydrogen to electricity and the combination of electrochemical hydrogen reformers and fuel cells. 2. Background Art
Two methods are typically used to generate hydrogen—water electrolysis and thermal reforming. The water electrolysis method uses electrical energy and an electrochemical reactor to decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen. The electrochemical reactor can be based on either an acidic or a basic electrolyte. The thermal reforming method uses thermal energy and a catalytic reactor to decompose water and hydrocarbon fuels into hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. This is typical of a steam reformer type reactor, but other reactors can also include oxygen, which are known as autothermal reformers and partial oxidation reformers. An electrochemical reformer is a hybrid process that uses electrochemical processes to reform hydrocarbon or alcohol fuels.
What are needed are improved electrochemical reformers, with greater efficiency and long term performance, improve fuel cells and improved combinations of electrochemical reformers and fuel cells.

Electrochemical reformer and fuel cell system


A Reduced State Sequence Equalizer (RSSE) is implemented using a butterfly hardware accelerator (58) in the form of a butterfly to increase the efficiency of computing branch metrics (24) and the ACS (add, compare and select) function (26). Multiple path metrics between a first state and a second state may be computed responsive to the received symbols and reference constellation symbols and determining a best scenario at the second state using said butterfly circuitry. The received symbols may be rotated by a predetermined angle for computation of all minimums of two cosets in an 8-PSK constellation.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates in general to communications and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for optimizing RSSE calculations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Compared to binary modulation commonly used in 2G standards, advanced wireless communication systems may use high-level modulation schemes. From a system point of view, this results in spectral efficiency at the expense of an increase of Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI).
In order to mitigate ISI, efficient equalizers need to be implemented on the receiver side. The optimal solution to this problem is known as Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimation (MLSE). The goal of this method is to subtract every possible sequence of L constellation points weighted by the channel estimation factors from the received symbol vector in order to determine the most probable symbols. L corresponds to the channel estimation length.
The concept behind MLSE is to choose the minimum error square between the received symbol yk and every possible linear combination of the last L symbols âk-i weighted by the channel response samples hi, all values being complex. In a mathematical form, the approximated symbol frame of length Lframe is given by:
            a      _        ^    =      arg              {                        min                                    a              _                        ^                                                        ∑                          k              =              0                                                      L                frame                            -              1                                                                                (                                                                                                y                    k                                    -                                                            ∑                                              i                        =                        0                                                                    L                        -                        1                                                                                h                        i                                                                                a                            ^                                                                                k                            -                            i                                                                                (                          s                          )                                                                                                            2                        )                              }
This inner term of the equation, the branch metric, can be rewritten as:
                        y        k            -                        ∑                      i            =            1                                L            -            1                                                                                h            i                                                                        a                ^                                            k                -                i                                                                (              s              )                                          -                        h          0                                                            a              ^                        k                                          (            s            )                                    2
The branch metric (bm) is composed by three terms. The first one is the soft value of the received symbol, the second one is the estimated contribution of the ISI coming from the L-1 preceding symbols and the third one is the supposed received symbol multiplied by a channel coefficient.
The âk-i(s) for i=1, . . . ,L−1 fully determine a state of the MLSE in a trellis representation. Thus, the number of possible combinations or states, taking into account that âk-i(s) belongs to a set of M symbols and that K=L−1 with the channel response being of length L, is equal to MK. Furthermore, M transitions output each state. This makes MLSE too complicated for implementation in terminals receivers.
A more adapted method, the Reduced State Sequence Equalizer (RSSE) is derived from MLSE. The simplification lies in the reduction of the number of states. Like for the MLSE, the RSSE method consists in minimizing a sum of square values (branch metrics) among all the symbols of the frame under consideration. Therefore, a trellis structure is well adapted to carry out this task. Compared to convolutional decoding, there are, for the general case, no redundancy properties among the branch metrics.
For each symbol received, i.e. on trellis transition, the following units are executed: (1) Branch Metric Computation (BMC) Unit: Compute individually one branch metric per transition, (2) Add Compare and Select (ACS) Unit. With more than two transitions per state and (3) Post-Processing. Current implementations do not use generic structure to perform the BMC and ACS functions. Each branch metric is computed, added to the previous state value and the minimum path is selected for all next states.
While RSSE requires only a fraction of calculations required by MLSE, it still is computation intensive, using significant processing resources. Therefore, a need has arisen for a method and apparatus for performing RSSE computations efficiently.

RSSE optimization using hardware acceleration