A valve-gated injection moulding device, wherein the actuating device of the valve pin comprises a first arm and a second arm. The first arm is hingingly connected in a first end tot he rearward end of the valve pin. The second end of the first arm is hingingly connect to a displacement device, which can be moved along a radial displacement trajectory. The second arm is with its first end hingingly connected to the midpoint of the first arm. The second end of the second arm is connected in a fixed hinge point to a support of the injection moulding device. In this way, using a radial actuating device, only an axial force is exerted on the valve pin. The stroke of the valve pin can easily be adjusted from outside the mould by increasing or decreasing the stroke of the piston. The actuating device is relatively small, and does not require a large re-routing of the melt passage as it is positioned radially outwardly from the longitudinal center line of the valve pin. it can be operated from outside the mould. The adjustment of the height of the valve pin can take place outside the mould.

Such a valve-gated injection moulding device is known from EP-A-282 999. In the known injection moulding device, a mechanically actuated valve pin is used for opening and closing the gate in a so-called hot-runner injection moulding device. In the hot-runner device, heating elements are provided along the melt passage of the nozzle for maintaining the thermoplastic material which is to be injected through the gate into an injection cavity, in a molten state. The valve pin is guided in a guide bushing which also functions as a seal for the thermoplastic material. Therefore there is very little play between the valve pin and the guide bushing such as to maintain a sufficient seal (for instance at a 4 millimetre diameter of the valve pin, only 0.005 millimetre play can be allowed. The valve pin should be very accurately guided to avoid jamming of the valve pin. Thereto it is very important to only load the valve pin in an axial direction and to avoid exerting radial forces thereon. Radial forces exerted on the valve pin cause a friction which should be overcome, requiring more energy in the actuating means for the valve pin, may cause stick-slip phenomena, inaccurate positioning of the valve pin, wear, etc. As the guide bushing of the valve pin cannot be lubricated, the avoidance of radial forces is very important. During the high operating temperatures (200-300.degree. C.) most lubricants will flow out of the lubrication gap, and can leak into the molten thermoplastic material causing contamination.
In the known actuating device of the valve pin as shown in EP-A-0 282 999, the rearward end of the valve pin is cylindrical and is received into a U-shaped bracket of a lever which radially extends towards the valve pin. By pivoting the lever around a pivot point, the valve pin can be moved in the axial direction, while the cylindrical surface of the valve pin head slides with respect to the actuating surfaces of the U-shaped bracket at the end of the lever. The known actuating device has as a disadvantage that radial forces are still exerted on the valve pin head. Accurate guiding of the rearward end of the valve pin is not possible. Furthermore, the stroke of the valve pin is limited and cannot be easily adjusted to prevailing process conditions after mounting the nozzle in the cavity plate.
It is also known to provide actuating devices which are axially aligned with the valve pin. These systems have as a disadvantage that adjustment of the valve pin height after mounting in the cavity plate is no longer possible. Furthermore a large space above the nozzle is required for such axially aligned systems. For single-nozzle systems which are directly connected to the injection moulding device, this space is not available.


A rotary connection for a work machine, such as a crane, includes a rotational axis, an inner bearing ring, an outer bearing ring and at least three bearing body ring arrangements arranged between the bearing rings with a plurality of respective bearing bodies. At least one of the bearing body ring arrangements is configured to at least partially withstand forces directed in the radial direction to the rotational axis. At least two of the bearing body ring arrangements are configured to at least partially withstand forces directed parallel to the rotational axis and are arranged adjacent to and spaced apart from one another along the rotational axis. The at least two bearing body ring arrangements are configured to at least partially withstand forces directed parallel to the rotational axis in each case establish a direction of action and are arranged spaced apart from one another along the direction of action.

Rotary connections for work machines, such as, for example, cranes or diggers have been known for a long time, for example from DE 39 42 847 A1 and are used for the rotary connection, for example, of a crane undercarriage to a crane superstructure. Rotary connections of this type have two bearing rings and bearing bodies arranged in between. To increase the bearing capacity of the rotary connection, raceways in the form of hardened wire races are inserted into the bearing rings. Wire rolling bearings are known from "Rothe Erde, Drahtwälzlager", special edition from the technical "Rundschau" Bern/Switzerland, No. 18, 1957. The bearing bodies are configured there, in particular as balls, which are arranged on spring steel wires, which are placed on the bearing rings. Rotary connections of this type have a high static dynamic load rating, which may be between 25000 kN and 55000 kN, for example, for a load in the axial direction of a rotational axis and may be more than 5000 kN for a load in the radial direction of the rotational axis. This means that the main load is oriented along the rotational axis. The static dynamic load rating is also called the bearing capacity. In order to make such a large bearing capacity possible, large bearing bodies and large bearing rings are necessary in order to be able to withstand the loads to be borne. The diameter of a raceway, along which the bearing bodies are arranged, may be up to 5 m or more. The diameter of an individual bearing body may be 50 mm and more. Rotary connections of this type in particular have a large overall height so the work machines equipped therewith have a high space requirement. The overall size is taken to mean the outer dimensions of the rotary connection, in other words the outer diameter and the overall height. A large rotary connection is heavy and expensive. The production and, in particular, the assembly of wire rolling bearings is laborious and complicated. In particular, such bearings have to be produced without play. The adjustment and calibration of bearings of this type is time-consuming and expensive. Bearings of this type are used, in particular, for precision bearings. The outlay for setting and adjustment is large.
Further rotary connections are known, for example, from DE 10 2009 035 749 A1, EP 1 239 171 A2, GB 988,169, DE 12 02 617 A, DE 20 2007 002 609 U1 and DE 12 01 128 A. Bearings of this type, in particular, have a reduced static dynamic load rating. Rotary connections of this type are not suitable for use in work machines such as, for example, cranes or diggers.


An expansion tool device for pliers used for producing sockets at the ends of pipes made of plastic material or the like used in plumbing systems, includes a cylindrical end piece formed by the closure of several sector-shaped jaws radially mobile under the action of a conical needle operated with pliers and adapted to be axially inserted in a conical recess. It also includes an insert axially mobile between the jaws, and designed to receive the conical needle when the tool is fixed to the pliers, the insert having one end for receiving the conical needle, while its other end has a conical shape adapted to the conical recess of the jaws, the conical parts having substantially identical coning angles, but of different diameters.

In plumbing, pipe joints made of plastic material or the like are made using metal fittings onto which the pipes are inserted. The ends of the pipes are previously widened by means of socket pliers provided with an expansion tool.
After the socket is made, the pipe is immediately inserted onto the fitting and, due to the elastic properties of the plastic material, the pipe tends to resume its initial shape and fits tightly around the fitting, which is sufficient for their making integral, which is however completed by the presence of a widened external collar and at the same time as the end of the pipe.
A socket on a pipe made of plastic material is not made quite in the same way as a socket on a pipe made of annealed copper. One should indeed widen enough the end of the pipe in order to allow the insertion before the recovery of the shape, yet avoiding the creation of a plastic distortion instead of an elastic distortion.
Furthermore, for obvious reasons of strength, the thickness of the pipe wall increases with its diameter, and the more the thickness increases, the quicker the elastic return occurs, which requires a more considerable widening.
As well known, socket pliers, traditionally used for making sockets in pipes made of annealed copper, comprise, on the one hand, an expansion tool including a cylindrical end piece formed of the closure of several sector-shaped and radially mobile jaws and, on the other hand, a conical needle axially moveable by operating two arms, capable of being inserted between said jaws, in a conical recess, in order to cause them to spread apart, the restoring into the initial position occurring through elastic means. Advantageously, the tool is detachable from the pliers, which allows to adapt on the latter the tool corresponding to the diameter of the pipe to be widened and, therefore, to use the same pliers for several diameters.
It should be noted that the pliers can be operated manually or motorized through hydraulic means, for example.
These socket pliers have however limitations, in particular as regards pipes made of plastic material of a large diameter, for example in the range of 40 mm. In order to make a socket on such a pipe, which requires that the widening diameter exceeds the nominal diameter by about 50%, it is necessary to use a special technique as well as an expansion tool having specific features. It is indeed not possible to complete the widening in one single operation, on the one hand because of the force required, on the other hand due to the amplitude of the widening to be made and that, limited, of the displacement of the jaws, and, yet on the other hand, in order to avoid the creation of a plastic distortion.
Therefore, one proceeds to a succession of widening operations together with a progressive penetration of the end piece into the pipe. In order to implement this technique, the end piece has a slightly conical extreme portion that is aimed at being progressively inserted into the pipe.
Frequent cases of leaks have however been found on sanitation installations using pipes made of plastic material of a large diameter, said leaks being caused by sockets of an uneven shape.
Actually, during the first steps of the widening operation, only the end of the tool is acting and, because of the offset of the stress with respect to the action of the conical needle, the jaws bend and are positioned irregularly with respect to each other, thus creating local plastic distortions of the material, which are prejudicial to the elastic recovering and therefore to the tightness of the integral connection.
One could contemplate using specific tools associated to particular pliers, i.e. including a needle of more considerable dimensions, which however disadvantageously constrains the user to multiply the number of necessary pliers.
In order to try to cope with this disadvantage, an adapter device has been provided in FR 2,300,638, aimed at being mounted, as an intermediate part, onto pliers and at receiving an expansion tool. This adapter includes, internally, a member capable of being inserted between the conical needle and the jaws of the expansion tool, it includes for this purpose an end having a conical recess aimed at co-operating with the conical needle of the pliers and, at its other end, it has a conical shape aimed at co-operating with the conical recess of the jaws of the tool, the coning angles being identical, but the diameters being different.
It is therefore possible to choose the adapter device corresponding to the tool one wants to use. However, this device does not allow to fully solve the problem raised, in that, apart from the need for the user to have several adapters and, therefore, to have to transport them to the working site, said user has to regularly change the adapter according to the diameter of the pipe to be widened, being constrained to verify each time whether said adapter fits the tool to be used. In fact, this device corresponds to the above-mentioned solution, i.e. having to use several pliers.
It would be quite possible, in order to avoid using several adapters having different dimensional characteristics, to provide one single adapter having average dimensional characteristics, so that a large number of tools can be adapted thereto, which disadvantageously results into a work far from being optimal for the majority of diameters used.


A range finder for a cap for determining the distance to a golf flag. The range finder has a cap coupling portion having a thin shell portion adapted to conform with the cap and a pair of "u" shaped portions for hooking around an edge of the cap. A base is carried by the cap coupling portion. A first support is pivotally mounted to the base at a first pivot point. A lens is carried by the first support. A second support is pivotally mounted to the base at a second pivot point. An index for viewing through the lens is pivotally carried by the second support. The range finder has a linkage bar pivotally mounted at a third pivot point to the first support and pivotally mounted at a four pivot point to the second support. Moving the lens from a retracted position to a flipped down, in use position moves the index in unison.

In the play of golf, the object is to place a golf ball into a hole in as few strokes as possible. The hole, which is located on a green, is marked with a flag, also referred to as a stick or pin. The golfer selects the desired club to hit the ball towards the hole based on several factors including the type of surface upon which the ball sits (i.e., the fairway, rough, or bunker), and the distance the ball is from the hole.
As is readily known by golfers, the remaining distance to the flag can be determined by referring to permanent distance markers set out along the fairway. These yardage markers are generally set at some yard increments, including a marker at 150 yards. The golfer is therefore required to interpolate or estimate his or her exact location. Furthermore, these fixed yardage markers do not account for variations in the placement of the hole on the green; the hole placement is varied on the green both for increased interest for the golfer who plays the same course often and to reduce wear and tear on the green.
There exist devices which the golfer can carry with her or him to determine the distance to the hole. It is recognized that by comparing the relative height, as viewed by the golfer, of two objects of known height, when the distance to the first object is known, the distance to the second object can be determined. Referring to FIG. 1, the height (h.sub.f) of the flag is a known height, typically seven (7) feet. A range finder device is placed a known distance (d.sub.rf) in front of the golfer's eye. The distance to the flag (d.sub.f) can be determined by positioning the flag pole as seen between spaced marks, defining a known height (h.sub.rf), on the range finder device and reading the distance (d.sub.f) to the flag. The determination is based on a ratio using similar triangles ##EQU1## U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,395 discloses a golf tool which includes a range-finder that works similar to the method described above. One of the problems of previous range-finders is that the range-finder needs to be stored in the golf bag or elsewhere between uses and the golfer is less likely to use the range-finder if the golfer has to pull it out every time she or he wants to use it.
It is desired to have a range finder that is both readily accessible and stores conventionally.


A housing is provided having a plurality of stepped top walls, each including an annular array of hair curling receiving sockets, with each of the hair curlers having a heat retentive silicon gel contained therewithin to retain thermal heating thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to hair curling apparatus, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved hair curling roller apparatus wherein the same is arranged for the positioning of hair curlers about a housing permitting their subsequent heating.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hair curlers of various types are available in the prior art. Such structure is indicated in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,913,492; 4,572,221; 3,696,819; and 4,958,648.
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing for hair curling structure arranged and mounted in an array relative to other such hair curlers for ease of orientation to obtain heat during a heating procedure and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A cleaning device is provided with a conductive fur brush kept in contact with a transfer belt, a conductive brush kept in contact with the transfer belt upstream of the fur brush in the feed direction, and a single of constant-current d.c. power supply. The fur brush is connected to the constant-current d.c. power supply, and the conductive brush is grounded. A current flows from the constant-current d.c. power supply via the transfer belt to the conductive brush.

The present invention relates to a cleaning device and an image forming apparatus. More specifically, the present invention is preferably applied to cleaning devices provided in image forming apparatuses such as laser printers, copying machines, facsimile devices and multi-function machines of these apparatuses.
An image forming apparatus is provided with a cleaning device for collecting toner remaining on the surface of a photoconductor (e.g., photoconductor drum or photoconductor belt) or an intermediate transfer member (e.g., intermediate transfer belt or intermediate transfer drum) as image bearing bodies after transfer of a toner image. The toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing bodies after transfer is partially charged to a reverse polarity, thus being nonuniform in electric charge distribution. In order to effectively collect such residual toner, various cleaning devices have been proposed .
With reference to FIG. 29, a cleaning device disclosed in Japanese utility model application laid-open publication No. H04-112274 is provided with a pair of fur brushes 2A and 2B disposed so as to be contact with the surface of a photoconductor 1. Bias voltages with polarities opposite to each other are applied to each of the fur brushes 2A, 2B by individual power supplies 3A, 3B. The residual toner with a normal charge polarity (negative polarity) is collected by the fur brush 2A to which a positive-polarity voltage is applied by the power supply source 3A. The residual toner with a reverse polarity (positive polarity) is collected by the fur brush 2B to which a negative-polarity voltage is applied by the power supply 3B.
With reference to FIG. 30, a cleaning device disclosed in Japanese patent application laid-open publication No. H08-50437 is provided with one fur brush 5 disposed so as to be contact with the surface of a photoconductor 4. Bias voltage with a polarity (negative polarity) reverse to a normal charge polarity (positive polarity) of the residual toner is applied to the fur brush 5 via a collection roller 6 having conductivity by a power supply 7A. Upstream from the fur brush 5 in the rotating direction of the photoconductor 4, disposed is a charger 8 connected to a power supply 7B. Before being collected by the fur brush 5, the residual toner is charged or discharged by the charger 8, and their charge polarity is unified. A similar cleaning device is also disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2954812.
However, the conventional cleaning device requires a plurality of power supplies. For details, in the case of the cleaning device in FIG. 29, two fur brushes 2A, 2B each require one power supply and so the total two power supplies 3A, 3B are necessary. Similarly, in the cleaning device in FIG. 30, the fur brush 5 and the charger 8 each require one power supply and so the total two power supplies 7A, 7B are necessary. This increases size of the cleaning device and costs.
A charge amount of toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing body varies depending on various conditions such as a current flowing to a transfer portion. As in the case of the cleaning device in FIG. 30, if the charger 8 for the discharging purpose is provided before the fur brush 5 as a cleaning member, the charge polarity and the charge amount of the toner having reached the fur brush 5 can be unified. However, since two power supplies are necessary as described before, the cleaning device grows in size. In the case of the cleaning device without a mechanism for discharge such as the charger 8, a voltage to be applied to the cleaning member needs to be set high for securely collecting toner particles different in charge polarity and charge amount. However, this imposes the following problems. First, an excessive cleaning current flowing to an image bearing body charges the image bearing body and this would cause image failures. Moreover, the excessive cleaning current causes the image bearing body to have a shorter life. Further, if the charge amount of the toner is small, the toner is charged with a polarity reverse to a normal charge polarity due to the excessive cleaning current, which degrades a cleaning capability. Similarly, the amount of the toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing body varies depending on various conditions.
A primary transfer device in an image forming apparatus of intermediate transfer method, which is generally provided with a constant-voltage power supply, transfers a toner image on a photoconductor to an intermediate transfer member by applying a constant voltage with a polarity reverse to a normal charge polarity of the toner image. Accordingly, if a resistance of the intermediate transfer member is decreased by duration, or if a humidity inside the image forming apparatus is high, an excessive current generated in a primary transfer device could flow into the cleaning device via the intermediate transfer member. The excessive current generated in the primary transfer device damages the intermediate transfer member and causes the intermediate transfer member to have a shorter life.

Cleaning device for collecting toner on a surface of an image forming apparatus

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.


A display device includes a display configured to display an image and a controller configured to reduce a blue component in the image when an execution command of a blue light reduction function is received. The controller may detect a preset part or color and perform control such that an amount of reduction of a blue component of an area corresponding to the detected part or color is different from that of the remaining area.

The present disclosure relates to a display device and a method of operating the same and, more particularly, to blue light reduction function executed in a display device.
Blue light is a light source of blue in a wavelength range of 300 to 500 nanometers and has shortest wavelength and strong energy among visible lights. Prolonged exposure to blue light is known to have adverse effects on eyes, such as eye fatigue or dry eye syndrome.
Therefore, a display device such as a smartphone, a computer monitor or a TV tends to provide a blue light reduction function. However, since the blue light reduction function intentionally reduces a blue component, there is a disadvantage in that a screen is output in yellow as a whole. Due to this disadvantage, the blue light reduction function is being disregarded by users.

Display device and method of operating the same


In a semiconductor integrated circuit, a counter counts the number of high-speed clock signals that have been generated in a predetermined number of clock cycles of a low-speed clock signal. In synchronization with the low-speed clock signal, the semiconductor integrated circuit compares the counter value and a predetermined value, and judges whether the frequency of the high-speed clock signal has reaches a predetermined frequency. Since variations in the frequency become smaller as the oscillation of a high-speed oscillator stabilizes, the semiconductor integrated circuit detects that the oscillation is stable when the semiconductor integrated circuit has judged affirmatively a plurality of times.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to technology for early detection of the stable generation of a high-speed clock signal by a high-speed oscillator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, information processing systems that switch between a high-speed clock signal and a low-speed clock signal while operating in order to reduce power consumption are widely used. Specifically, such information processing systems have two operation modes, namely, a normal mode and a standby mode. Normal mode is a mode in which in the information processing system operates with use of a high-speed clock signal supplied by a high-speed oscillator. Standby mode is a mode in which the information processing system stops the oscillation of the high-speed oscillator, and operates with use of a low-speed clock signal supplied by a low-speed oscillator.
When switching from standby mode to normal mode, this kind of information processing system must first detect that the oscillation of the high-speed oscillator is stable, that is to say, that the amplitude and frequency of the high-speed clock signal generated by the high-speed oscillator are stable, before completing the switch to normal mode. This is because if the information processing system operates with use of the high-speed clock signal while the oscillation of the high-speed oscillator is not stable, there will be problems such as the information processing system running out of control since an unstable high-speed clock signal is being supplied.
In view of this, there is conventional technology for detecting that the oscillation of the high-speed oscillator is stable by preliminarily estimating the number of high-speed clock signals that are generated before the oscillation becomes stable, and presuming that the oscillation has stabilized once the high-speed oscillator has generated a sufficient number of high-speed clock signals. For example, the high-speed clock signals generated by the high-speed oscillator are successively input to a counter. After the counter has counted a predetermined number of high-speed clock signal inputs, the information processing system completes the switch to normal mode.
However, due to manufacturing variations etc., high-speed oscillators differ between each other in how high-speed clock signals are generated before the oscillation stabilizes. Examples of such differences include the period of time before oscillation stabilizes, and how the frequency of the high-speed clock signal increases before oscillation stabilizes. Also, external factors such as heat can delay the stabilization of the oscillation of the high-speed oscillator.
In view of this, patent document 1 discloses technology for counting only high-speed clock signals whose amplitudes are stable, instead of counting all of the high-speed clock signals that have been generated. Specifically the technology of patent document 1 includes a semiconductor that only passes signals whose amplitude is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, and makes use of the semiconductor to count the number of signals whose amplitude surpasses the threshold value, that is to say, the number of high-speed clock signals whose amplitude is stable.
Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H03-95606
However, the technology of patent document 1 lacks reliability in the precision of the detection. This is because the technology of patent document 1 cannot actually detect that the frequency of a high-speed clock signal has stabilized. In other words, the fact that a predetermined number of high-speed clock signals has been counted does not necessarily mean that the frequency of the high-speed clock signal has stabilized when the predetermined number is reached. Therefore, there is the risk that the technology of patent document 1 will falsely detect that the oscillation of the high-speed oscillator is stable, even though the frequency of the high-speed clock signal has not actually stabilized.
Also, when a high-speed oscillator begins oscillating, the frequencies of the generated high-speed clock signals rise above and fall below the predetermined frequency of a stable high-speed clock signal, as they gradually converge to the predetermined frequency. Therefore, the fact that the frequency of a generated high-speed clock signal has reached a predetermined frequency does not necessarily mean that the oscillation of the high-speed oscillator has stabilized.
The technology of patent document 1 does not detect that the frequency of the high-speed clock is stable until the predetermined number of clock pulses is counted by the counter, even if the oscillation of the high-speed oscillator has already stabilized. Therefore, even if the frequency of the high-speed clock signal has stabilized, the information processing system cannot switch to normal mode until the predetermined number of clock pulses is counted, thereby causing unnecessary power consumption and delaying the beginning of operation with use of the high-speed clock signal. Particularly in cases in which an information processing system frequently switches between standby mode and normal mode during operation, such as the case of a wireless communication device that performs intermittent reception, there is a desire to minimize the negative effect on battery lifetime that unnecessary power consumption has, the production of heat that accompanies unnecessary power consumption, the delay in processing commencement, etc.

Semiconductor integrated circuit and information processing system


Provided herein is a wavelength converter capable of producing shorter wavelengths by wavelength conversion than in related art. A wavelength converter of the present disclosure includes: a first layer formed of a single crystal represented by general formula RAMO4; and a second layer formed of a single crystal represented by the general formula RAMO4 and having a direction of polarization reversed 180° from a direction of polarization of the first layer, wherein, in the general formula, R represents one or more trivalent elements selected from the group consisting of Sc, In, Y, and a lanthanoid element, A represents one or more trivalent elements selected from the group consisting of Fe(III), Ga, and Al, and M represents one or more divalent elements selected from the group consisting of Mg, Mn, Fe(II), Co, Cu, Zn, and Cd.

A technique for wavelength conversion using the nonlinear optical effect is known as a way of widening a wavelength range such as in lasers. Quasi-phase-matching is one such technique. Quasi-phase-matching is a technique that periodically reverses a direction of dielectric polarization of a nonlinear optical crystal by 180° to match phases in a quasi fashion.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.


An article of clothing (30) includes a body-encircling portion (32) having right and left leg portions (34 and 36), and a crotch portion (38). The crotch portion includes a first flap (40) and a second flap (42). Each flap has a free edge (44 and 46) distal from the corresponding right and left leg portions. The crotch portion is positionable between open and closed positions by opening and closing the first and second flaps. When the crotch portion is in an open position, a gap is created in the crotch area between the free edges of the flaps. When the crotch portion is in the closed position, the first and second flaps overlap to form a covering (54) for an external vaginal area of the user. This covering for the external vaginal area of the user is anatomically-compatible.

Designers and manufacturers of women's clothing have long recognized a need for providing garments which do not need to be removed, either partially or entirely, when it is necessary for a woman to attend to her natural functions.
While men's clothing may have a "fly" that allows a man to relieve himself without removing his clothing, most women's clothing does not have an openable portion in the crotch area that performs a similar function as the fly does for men. For a woman, the act of urinating or attending to personal needs requires removing any clothing covering the lower torso of her body.
An openable crotch is a desirable feature in women's undergarments, especially useful in women's undergarments that are difficult to remove (such as foundation garments or girdles). With regard to underwear, openable crotch garments have generally been designed with little or no closure security at the crotch opening, similar to the fly in men's underwear. Thus, the crotches tend to open on their own without being forcibly opened by a user. However, because the garments are worn underneath an outer layer of clothing, an unintended opening of the crotch is generally of little consequence.
An openable crotch is also desirable in women's clothing that may be worn as outer clothing which itself cannot be removed. For example, a woman might wear this clothing when it is cold and she wants to expose as little skin as possible to the atmospheric elements when relieving herself. Further, a woman might wear this clothing so that she need not partially or completely disrobe to relieve herself, for example, when she is outdoors and away from home or a public restroom. For example, a woman in military field training might use openable crotch clothing. This kind of clothing has generally been designed with zippers or other straight seam closures that are uncomfortable when they rub or bunch up against the external area of a woman's vaginal area.
However, none of the previously-developed openable crotch garments are for use when a woman is engaging in exercise, or otherwise wearing tight-fitting or compression clothing. For example, urinating can be especially difficult and embarrassing for a woman who is, for example, jogging, bicycling, speed-walking, or stretching out in the open in a place where no restrooms are available and other people are around. Further, urinating can also be difficult for people who have trouble removing tight-fitting clothing, for example, if physically impaired or lacking in manual dexterity skills. In these situations, wearing clothing that must be removed to urinate can present an awkward and uncomfortable situation.
Previously developed openable crotches are not comfortable in tight-fitting clothing and/or not secure enough in the closed position to be worn as outerwear. For example, zippers in a straight-seam orientation through the middle of the crotch area and other bulky and/or stiff crotch seams are uncomfortable for a woman when she is engaged in an exercise like bicycling. These straight-seam openings tend to "pucker" and bunch in the crotch area making it uncomfortable for the user. Moreover, underwear without any mechanism for securing the openable crotch in a closed position might spontaneously open to expose a woman's crotch area when she is engaged in athletics.
Therefore, there exists a need for tight-fitting comfortable clothing with a crotch portion positionable in open and closed positions.

Article of clothing with a crotch portion positionable between open and closed positions


A connector (F) includes two partial locks (41) for holding a terminal retainer (15) in a partial locking position with respect to a housing (Fh) and two full locks (42) for holding the terminal retainer (15) in a full locking position. Terminal fittings (5) can be inserted longitudinally into the housing (Fh) when the retainer (15) is in the partial locking position, but are a locked in the housing (Fh) when the retainer (15) is in the full locking position. The partial locks (41) are on opposite sides of the housing (Fh) and are spaced longitudinally. Similarly, the full locks (42) are on opposite sides of the housing (Fh) and are spaced apart longitudinally. The spaced disposition of the locks (41, 42) stabilizes the retainer (15) in response to forces exerted longitudinally of the terminal fittings (5).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector with a housing, terminal fittings in the housing and a terminal retainer for holding the terminal fittings in the housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-40994 discloses a connector with a housing and a plurality of terminal fittings inserted side by side into the housing from behind. A terminal retainer can be mounted in the housing to engage with the terminal fittings and to prevent the terminal fittings from coming out of the housing. The terminal retainer is held in the housing by two locking means that are laterally spaced apart, but that are in the same position with respect to the insertion direction of the terminal fittings. Thus, an external force that acts in a direction to withdraw the terminal fittings from the housing also acts on the terminal retainer. As a result, the terminal retainer may be inclined with respect to the insertion and withdrawal directions of the terminal fittings about the locking position of the locking means.
In view of the above situation, an object of the present invention is to stabilize the orientation of a terminal retainer mounted into a housing.
The invention is directed to a connector that comprises a housing with opposite front and rear ends, a top, a bottom and opposite sides. At least one side-by-side array of cavities extends through the connector housing from the front end to the rear end. The connector further comprises terminal fittings that preferably are inserted into the cavities in a rear-to-front direction. A terminal retainer is mountable in the housing to prevent the terminal fittings from coming out of the housing. At least two locking means are provided to lock the terminal retainer in the housing. The locking means are at different positions relative to the front and rear ends of the housing. As a result, the orientation of the terminal retainer is not inclined with respect to the front and rear ends even if a forward or rearward external force acts on the terminal retainer.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the two locking means are disposed respectively on forward and rearward sides of an engaging position of the terminal retainer with the terminal fittings. As a result, the terminal retainer will not incline when an external force acts on the terminal fittings in the insertion or withdrawal direction of the terminal fittings.
The locking means preferably comprises a pair of partial locking means for holding the terminal retainer in a partial locking position that permits insertion of the terminal fittings into the housing and withdrawal of the terminal fittings from the housing. The locking means preferably further comprises a pair of full locking means for holding the terminal retainer in a full locking position where the terminal retainer engages the terminal fittings to prevent the terminal fittings from coming out of the housing. The partial locking means at one lateral side preferably is more forward than the full locking means with respect to the insertion direction. However, the partial locking means at the other side is more backward than the full locking means with respect to the insertion direction. The spacing of the partial and full locking means in the insertion and withdrawal directions of the terminal fittings, avoids interference between the partial and full locking means in arranging the respective locking means and provides a higher degree of design freedom.
The terminal retainer preferably comprises a terminal lock provided in such a position that a distance from an inner surface of the housing and/or of a front stop wall of the retainer to a front surface of the terminal lock is substantially equal to an entire length of a connecting portion of the terminal fitting.
The partial lock and/or the full lock may comprise a pair of locking projections on one of the retainer and the housing and a locking hole on the other of the retainer and the housing. The locking projections cooperate with the locking hole in the partial and/or full locking position of the retainer. The locking hole preferably is oblong along an insertion and withdrawal direction of the retainer in and from the female housing. As a result, a partial locking projection is engageable with a bottom edge of the corresponding locking hole when the terminal retainer is in its partial locking position, while the partial locking projection is at an intermediate position of the locking hole when the terminal retainer is in its full locking position. Additionally, or alternatively, a full locking projection is engageable with a stepped portion below a bottom end of the opening edge of the corresponding locking hole when the terminal retainer is in the partial locking position while the partial locking projection is locked in the locking hole when the terminal retainer is in its full locking position.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the housing comprises at least one lock arm resiliently engageable with a mating connector for locking the connector with the mating connector. The lock arm comprises a locking projection with at least one shake-preventing portion for contacting a portion of the mating connector to avoiding shaking of the connectors. Preferably, the shake preventing portions comprise slanted surfaces.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings.

Connector with longitudinally spaced locks for retaining terminal fittings


A method of repairing a used electrode device 1 is disclosed wherein the method has the steps of providing a used electrode assembly 1 having an inner conductor 9 with an integral electrode tip 3 encapsulated in an insulator body 8 having an outer conductor 10 and an outer electrode tip 4C; and pressing the inner conductor 9 with integral electrode tip 3 while holding or restraining the insulator body 8 to apply an force sufficient to overcome at least partially the adhesion forces at the mating surfaces of the inner conductor 9 and the insulator body 8. Thereafter by grasping an end 9A of the inner conductor 9 opposite the tip 3 while holding the insulator body 8 and withdrawing the inner conductor 9 from the insulator body 8 the parts can be separated. Then by measuring the amount the inner electrode tip 3 has been burnt as compared to a new tapered tip to establish a cut distance ΔX; and recutting the tip 3 by machining the burnt portion along the tip 3 taper surface toward and into a shoulder 3A of the inner conductor 9 by a distance equal to the cut distance ΔX the electrode tip can be reshaped.

Acoustic shock waves are created when a high voltage discharge spark passes between two coaxially aligned opposing electrode tips. In the presence of a fluid the energy is released by the spark which flashes the water to steam creating an acoustic wave wherein a series of such waves can pass through tissue to break up concrements within the body.
Preferably, the fluid around the electrode tips is a saline solution to enhance electro conductivity. In some electrode assemblies the fluid surrounding the tips is also charged with carbide particles to further increase conductivity. Such a device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,560 entitled "Method and Device For Generating Shock Waves For Medical Therapy, Particularly For Electro-Hydraulic Lithotripsy" issued Sep. 5, 2000.
As can easily be appreciated the spark generated by the voltage discharge can create a large amount of heat which tends to burn the tips of the opposing electrode conductors. As the tips burn, the spark gap distance increases resulting in even higher voltages to create a discharge. At some point this dramatically degrades the shock wave pulses generated rendering the electrode assembly non effective. This situation can occur in a very quick time meaning the replacement of the electrode assemblies is done after every second, third or fourth patient procedure. While these devices are adapted for rapid change over or replacement it is also noted that each assembly can cost as much as several hundred dollars.
Accordingly, the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,560 has been touted as having a longer time of useful capacity and better gap distance maintenance than other similar devices. While this is true, the replacement cost is offset by the high end price demanded for the product.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,849,994 granted Feb. 1, 2005 in a patent entitled "Electrode Assembly for Lithotripters" the same owner of the U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,560 patent describes the need for refurbishing electrode assemblies used in lithotripters by providing easily replaceable tips. In that patent the inventors noted that a prior art electrode with an insulating layer required the insulating layer to be machined off the inner conductor prior to replacement of the discharge tip and then reapplication of the insulating layer, presumably by remolding the plastic insulating layer over the inner conductor. Naturally this was a labor intensive practice that was cost prohibitive. It was their idea to provide threaded replacement tips that could easily been replaced when burnt to refurbish a used electrode assembly. This, they argued, could greatly reduce replacement cost.
The present inventive method has found a simple quick and very precise method to repair those electrode assemblies without removable tips that were believed to be too costly to repair. No grinding or machining of the insulator layer was required.
The number of such used devices is extremely large and therefore an efficient repair process would be invaluable to the physicians using such a lithotripter having those types of electrode assemblies.
The following description and drawings provide a novel way in which repair of such devices is not only feasible but highly efficient.

Method for repairing an electrode assembly


A sensor device may use battery power to operate a sensor node by taking sensor readings and transferring data onto or out of a set of queues. A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag may be used to wirelessly communicate data into and/or out of the sensor device without using power from the battery. The sensor node may be placed in a low-power mode without respect whether the RFID tag is communicating. In some embodiments, the sensor device may be used as a store-and-forward node for other devices by placing data received from one RFID reader into the set of queues and later transmitting the data from the set of queues in response to a poll from another RFID reader.

Sensor nodes may be used to monitor and/or measure various things such as temperature, humidity, vibration, light levels, sound levels, etc., and report the information thus gained to another device, where the information may be transferred, interpreted, used, etc. Some sensor nodes report the measurement information wirelessly by radio transmissions whenever directed to do so by an external device. It is frequently desirable to use such sensor nodes in areas that have no convenient source of electrical power, so battery-powered sensor nodes may be used. However, in many applications it may be infeasible to replace or recharge depleted batteries whenever they become discharged enough to render the sensor node unusable. Extending battery life as long as possible may be a major factor in making the use of battery-powered sensor nodes feasible.
Some sensor nodes may take sensor measurements only at infrequent intervals, and may enter a low-power mode for a long period of time between such measurements to reduce power consumption and extend battery life. If the percent of time the sensor node spends awake (powered up for a sensing operation) is a small fraction of the time it spends asleep (in a low-power inactive mode), then battery power consumption due to the sensing operations may be reduced substantially. However, transmitting the data wirelessly may consume considerable electrical power. In addition, if the sensor node must remain awake, or awaken frequently, to monitor for an indication that it is to transmit its data, battery life may be reduced even further.


An object of the present invention is to provide an embroidery cloth presser which prevents a needle thread from being sandwiched between the embroidery cloth presser and a cloth to allow an embroidery frame to move smoothly and which also prevents inappropriate draw-in of the needle thread, that is, prevents a cross-over thread of the needle thread resulting from long-distance movement of the embroidery frame from remaining on an embroidery surface. An embroidery cloth presser is installed on a presser bar of a sewing machine to press a cloth to be embroidered and which includes a projection provided on a bottom surface of the cloth presser which contacts the cloth around a needle and forming, between the cloth presser and the cloth, a gap through which a needle thread passes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a embroidery cloth presser installed on a presser bar of a sewing machine, and more particularly to an embroidery cloth presser suitable for a sewing machine with a cloth presser mechanism that maintains a predetermined presser height, depending on the thickness of a cloth without moving up or down in synchronization with up-and-down motion of a needle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional embroidery sewing machines, a cloth presser mechanism that presses a cloth to be embroidered moves up and down at a timing synchronized with up-and-down motion of a needle to move an embroidery frame while a cloth presser is elevating from a cloth surface (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-58360).
With the cloth presser mechanism thus operated, the cloth presser lowers onto the cloth surface to hold the cloth while the needle is being inserted into the cloth and elevates when the needle separates from the cloth, allowing the cloth to be smoothly moved.
On the other hand, in recent years, a sewing machine has been proposed which automatically adjusts the presser foot height of the cloth presser. Thus, unlike a conventional cloth pressing mechanism of moving a cloth presser up and down,
for embroidering purposes, sewing machines have also been proposed which have a cloth presser mechanism for lowering the cloth presser onto the cloth surface depending on the thickness of the cloth to be embroidered and maintaining the presser height constant so as to exert an appropriate pressure sufficient to avoid hindering movement of the cloth.
However, a bottom surface of the conventional embroidery cloth presser is compressed against the cloth so that the bottom surface and the cloth are flush with each other as in the case of a presser foot member 4 described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-58360, and thus, a needle thread is sandwiched between the bottom surface of the embroidery cloth presser and the cloth. This may hinder movement of the embroidery frame.
Furthermore, FIG. 6 shows the state of an embroidery cloth presser 1a and a needle thread Ta in which, when the embroidery frame moves a long distance in order to move from a currently sewn block of a pattern to the next block of the pattern to be sewn, a seam of a link formed by the needle thread Ta on a cloth Ca so as to tie both pattern blocks together, that is, a cross-over thread, is cut by an automatic thread cutter (not shown in the drawings) and sewing is then started. However, as shown in FIG. 6, the cross-over thread of the needle thread Ta is sandwiched between a bottom surface 14a of the embroidery cloth presser 1a and the cloth Ca. Thus, disadvantageously, the needle thread Ta, otherwise drawn into an underside of the cloth Ca when a needle 2a is inserted into the cloth Ca, remains on the embroidery surface without being drawn into the underside of the cloth Ca.
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problem and to provide an embroidery cloth presser which prevents the needle thread from being sandwiched between the embroidery cloth presser and the cloth to allow the embroidery frame to move smoothly and which also prevents the inappropriate draw-in of the needle thread, that is, prevents the cross-over thread of the needle thread resulting from long-distance movement of the embroidery frame from remaining on the embroidery surface.


A burst mode compatible semiconductor memory device having a redundancy memory adapted to repair a normal memory is disclosed. Response margin for a redundancy flag signal and redundancy driving method is improved by sensing generation of an internal address corresponding to an embedded address, and generating a redundancy flag signal, such that the embedded address is an address preceding the address of the memory cell of the normal cell array to be repaired by at least one clock.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to semiconductor memory devices. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to semiconductor memory devices adapted to perform a burst operation accessing memory cells in response to sequentially generated internal addresses.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional semiconductor memory devices often include a normal cell array having a plurality of memory cells arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, and a redundant cell array having memory cells used to repair defective memory cells in the normal cell array. Many conventional semiconductor memory devices are also adapted to operate in so-called "burst mode." Burst mode operations are generally characterized by accessing a plurality of data bits, the number of which is defined by a value termed "burst length," in response to a single command.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a flash memory—one common type of conventional semiconductor memory device. Referring to FIG. 1, an address buffer 31 latches and buffers an external address EXADDR provided by an external input/output line or bus (I/O). Further, an address counter 35 generates a sequentially changing internal address INADDRi, based on a buffered address BADDR provided by the address buffer 31. A page buffer/Y-gate 13 associated with a normal cell array 11 is enabled in response to the internal address INADDRi decoded by an address decoding unit 40. A redundancy decider 51 activates a redundancy flag signal REDFL when the internal address INADDRi, which corresponds to an embedded address READDR, is generated.
A data input driver 61 receives data from a buffering input line BDI and provides it to either a normal input line NDI or a redundancy input line RDI in response to an input driving signal DICLK (e.g., a defined clock signal). In this case, the direction (e.g., NDI or RDI) to which the data apparent on the buffering input line BDI is driven is determined by the redundancy flag signal REDFL. In similar vein, a data output multiplexer (MUX) 63 receives data via a normal output line NDO or a redundancy output line RDO and provides the data to a multiplexing (muxing) output line MDO in response to the redundancy flag signal REDFL. In this case, the origin (e.g., NDO or RDO) of the data to be provided to the muxing output line MDO is determined by the redundancy flag signal REDFL.
A data latch buffer 65 provides data received from the external input/output line (I/O) to the buffering input line BDI. Further, the data latch buffer 65 latches data received from the muxing output line MDO, as well as an internal local output line LDO (not shown) in response to an output latch signal DLCLK2. Subsequently, this latched data is provided to the external input/output line (I/O) in response to a read enable signal /RE applied to control logic unit 80.
In fact, the control logic unit 80 receives externally provided and conventionally understood external control signals /CE, /RE, /WE, CLE, and ALE, and generates a plurality of internal control signals, including AICLK, XIA, CNCLK, DICLK, DLCLK1, DLCLK2 and SCON in response to one or more of the external control signals /CE, /RE, /WE, CLE and ALE. The operational timing of the exemplary semiconductor memory device shown in FIG. 1, as well as the relationship between the foregoing control signals will be described in some additional detail in relation to FIGS. 2 and 3 and relative to a data input mode and a data output mode.
In FIGS. 2 and 3, a burst mode operation (e.g., one continuously changing the column address) is illustrated. In this example, a column address at which the burst operation starts is assumed to be ADDR(N). As shown in FIG. 2 and with reference to FIG. 1, it is assumed that a redundant memory cell in the redundant cell array 21 is accessed, instead of a memory cell of the normal cell array 11 corresponding to a column address of ADDR(N+1). As shown in FIG. 3 and with reference to FIG. 1, it is further assumed that another redundant memory cell in the redundant cell array 21 is accessed, instead of a memory cell of the normal cell array 11 corresponding to a column address of ADDR(N+2).
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, at intervals p21 and p31 during which a command latch enable signal CLE is "activated" (i.e., transitions to a logically high (H) state or level, or "goes high"), a command controlling the operational mode of the semiconductor memory device is received. At intervals p22 and p32 during which an address latch enable signal ALE is activated, the external address EXADDR is latched by address buffer 31.
Thereafter, in the data input mode illustrated in FIG. 2, input data is stored in the page buffer 13 of the normal cell array 11, or in the page buffer 23 of the redundant cell array 21. Analogously, in the data output mode illustrated in FIG. 3, output data is latched in the page buffer 13 of the normal cell array 11, or in the page buffer 23 of the redundant cell array 21.
Thereafter, data from the memory cell of the normal cell array 11 corresponding to the internal address INADDRi decoded by the address decoding unit 40 is provided to the normal output line NDO, while data from the memory cell of redundant cell array 21 is provided to the redundancy output line RDO.
In the input mode illustrated in FIG. 2, the redundancy flag signal REDFL is activated in response to the internal address INADDRi generated as ADDR(N+1) at time t21. In response to the internal address INADDRi generated as ADDR(N+2), the redundancy flag signal REDFL is deactivated (i.e., transitions to a logically low (L) state or level, or "goes low") at time t22. In the output mode illustrated in FIG. 3, the redundancy flag signal REDFL is activated in response to the internal address INADDRi generated as ADDR(N+2) at time t31, but deactivated in response to the internal address INADDRi generated as ADDR(N+3) at time t32.
When the operating frequency of the foregoing exemplary semiconductor memory device increases or when the operating voltage (e.g., VCC) supplied to thereto decreases, the response speed of the redundancy decider 51 will generally slow. In this case, the response margin associated with the redundancy flag signal REDFL will become markedly decreased.
Within the data input mode of the conventional semiconductor memory device, the response margin associated with the redundancy flag signal REDFL, as measured from the time the internal address INADDRi is generated, is limited to a period t21 of about ½ the clock cycle of the input driving signal DICLK. There is a problem in that, if the activation timing of redundancy flag signal REDFL lags, for example, from t21 to t21′ and from t22 to t22′, data D2 corresponding to the address ADDR(N+2), rather than data D1 corresponding to the address ADDR(N+1) will be driven onto the redundancy input line RDI at t23′ and t24′, etc.
Further, within the output mode of the conventional semiconductor memory device, data on the muxing output line MDO depends on the response speed of the redundancy flag signal REDFL. That is, if the response speed of the redundancy flag signal REDFL lags, for example, from t31 to t31′ and from t32 to t32′, the data transfer window assigned to data DO2 on the muxing output line MDO and corresponding to the address ADDR(N+3) will be compressed. In this case, there is a problem that data DO2 from the normal cell array 11, rather than data RDO from the redundant cell array 21, is latched in response to the clock of the output latch signal DLCLK2 corresponding to the address ADDR(N+2), and data RDO from the redundant cell array 21, rather than data DO3 from the normal cell array 11, is latched in response to the clock of the output latch signal DLCLK2 corresponding to the address ADDR(N+3). That is, the conventional semiconductor memory device is problematic in that the precision with which data is latched in response to the output latch signal DLCLK2 decreases.
Consequently, the conventional semiconductor memory device suffers from several problems associated with the response margin of the redundancy flag signal, as defined in relation to the generation timing of an internal address INADDRi.

Semiconductor memory device for improving response margin of redundancy flag signal and redundancy driving method for the same


The invention is directed to an electrical ignitor for a model rocket, including two insulated lead wires, with each lead wire having an uninsulated end. An element wire interconnects the uninsulated ends from each lead wire. The element wire forms a plurality of turns around one of the insulated lead wires. A pyrogen compound surrounds the element wire.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ignitors for model rockets, and, more particularly, electrical ignitors for model rockets.
2. Description of the Related Art
Model rockets include a motor made from a solid propellant which is ignited to cause the model rocket to be propelled into the air. It is known to use an electrical ignitor to ignite the solid propellant. Such an electrical ignitor includes a pair of lead wires which are connected to a tiny printed circuit board. A nichrome wire forming a small loop at the distal end of the ignitor includes opposing ends which are soldered to the printed circuit board. Because of the physical position of the nichrome wire at the end of the ignitor, the ignition event (i.e., combustion of the solid propellant) occurs at the end of the ignitor. A problem with this is that the ignitor may be shot out of the rocket by the ignition event. This is similar to the movement of a piston in a cylinder.
Another problem with a conventional electrical ignitor is that the nichrome is an alloy of nickel, chrome and iron with a melting point of about 2500 degrees Fahrenheit. The nichrome wire cannot be soldered with a regular rosin core solder. A special flux with hydrochloric acid must be used, which may pose health concerns. Moreover, such a solder connection is generally mechanically weak. Yet another problem with using nichrome wire is that its melting point is high enough that it may continue to drain the battery connected to the ignitor after the rocket launch has been completed.
What is needed in the art is an electrical ignitor with an element wire that is solderable and does not drain an attached battery after ignition. The ignitor should not be propelled out of the rocket by the ignition event.

Electrical model rocket ignitor and method of manufacturing the same


A semiconductor memory card stores a plurality of audio objects (AOBs) that compose a plurality of tracks and playlist information showing a reproduction order for the tracks. The semiconductor memory card also stores, as resume information (PLMG_RSM_PL), (1) a Playlist_Number showing which playlist information was used the last time playback was performed for the semiconductor memory card, (2) a Track_Number showing the last track to be played back, and (3) a Playback_Time showing a position at which where playback was stopped as a time expressed in relation to the start of the track.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory card that stores audio data, still image data and control data, and to a playback apparatus, recording apparatus, playback method, recording method, and computer-readable recording medium relating to such a semiconductor memory card. In particular, the present invention relates to improved storage of audio data and control data distributed as contents by a content distribution service, such as an electronic music distribution service.
2. Description of Background Art
Electronic music distribution enables users to purchase and receive music contents (e.g., songs and albums) via the Internet. Such technology has the potential to greatly increase the market for recorded music and is gradually becoming possible as the necessary hardware infrastructure is implemented. One way to store music contents that are obtained from an electronic music distribution service is on semiconductor memory cards whose portability makes them ideal. Accordingly, a great increase is expected in the demand for such cards.
Various kinds of semiconductor memory cards are available, such as Flash ATA cards and Compact Flash cards. Music contents can also be stored onto disc media, such as CD-R (Compact Disc-Recordable) or MiniDisc (MD). While there are a great variety of recording media that can be used for recording music contents, there are only a limited number of methods for indicating where the playback of a music content (track) should start. This operation is generally performed according to one of the following patterns.
When a music album is composed of a plurality of music contents (tracks), there are two main methods for indicating where the playback should start. The first method has the playback start from the first track in the album. The second method has the user indicate a track number and then has the playback start from the beginning of the indicated track.
In the first of these methods, the playback always starts with the same track and continues through all of the tracks in the album in the same order. If the user stops the playback midway through the album, recommencing the playback according to this method will result in the playback apparatus returning to the first track. The user will therefore end up having to listen to tracks that have just been played.
In the second method, the playback starts from the track indicated by the user. When the user stops the playback at a given point in the album and then starts playback once again, the user can have the playback restart from any track, such as the track following the track where playback was stopped. This means that the user does not have to listen to the tracks from the start once more. In this latter case, however, the user will still have to make several operations, such as inputting a track number. This can be troublesome, especially if the user does not know which track corresponds to which track number. In such cases, the user may indicate the wrong track, which will then be played back by the playback apparatus.
As described above, when playback is stopped and then recommenced, the two methods currently used either force the user to listen to all of the tracks in order from the beginning or to input a track number for the track from which the playback should start. This is far from ideal.
The following two methods are also sometimes used to indicate a position at which playback should commence. A third method has the user indicate a move of the playback position to a desired start time within a desired track using a forward or backward search function provided by a playback apparatus. A fourth method has the user indicate a desired track and a desired position within this track using a jog dial (or the like) and then commences reproduction from this position. Since both methods have the user indicate how far the playback previously progressed, they have the same drawback as the second method described above.
Current MiniDisc (MD) playback apparatuses use a reproduction method that indicates the playback position in a more user-friendly manner than the first to fourth methods given above.
When the user stops the playback of an MD, resume information showing the position where playback stopped is recorded in a nonvolatile memory in the MD player. When the user indicates playback of the same MD, the playback of the tracks recorded on the MD starts at the position given in the resume information.
The resume information is recorded in the MD player in a nonvolatile manner so that an interruption to the power supply does not result in the loss of the information. This means that the user can listen to part of a music album, turn off the player, and still have the playback resume at the position where playback was stopped. In this case, the user does not have to repeatedly listen to the tracks at the start of the album as in the first method, or to have to input a track number as in the second method, making this an ideal way to listen to all of the tracks included in an album.
With an MD, however, the resume information showing how far an album has been played back is stored within the hardware of the MD player. Accordingly, there is the problem that when an MD is ejected from a player and inserted into another player, the second player will play back the tracks on the MD starting from the first track in the album, in the same way as the first method.
As a specific example, when a user listens to some of the tracks on an album using a first playback apparatus, stops the playback, and then transfers the disc to another playback apparatus, this second playback apparatus will not store resume information showing the position reached by the playback of this disc. As a result, the playback will start from the start of the album and so make the user listen to the same tracks again.
Since discs are rarely transferred from one player to another during the playback of an album, the playback returning to the start of the album may not be such a significant problem. When the album is subjected to electronic music distribution before being recorded onto a recording medium, however, it is believed that there will be many cases where an album will be partially played back on one player and then transferred to another.
Electronic music distribution is achieved by having a computer owned by the user download a music album from a server computer operated by a record label. The user can then have the downloaded album played back on their computer. Since modern personal computers are capable of playing back music contents, users can listen to albums they have bought on their computer. Assume that the user listens to the album on a portable playback apparatus after listening to it on his/her computer.
In this case, the portable playback apparatus cannot know how far playback by the computer progressed, so that the album will be played back once again from the start. As the user will be subjected to the same songs that were played back by the computer, the user is likely to tire of the album quicker than if all of the tracks were played back.
As recording media become smaller and lighter, though larger in capacity, it becomes increasingly possible to record albums containing large numbers of tracks onto a single recording medium. It is believed that such a recording medium will often be transferred between playback apparatuses. If the playback returns to the beginning after a large number of tracks have been played, this will be very annoying for listeners.

Semiconductor memory card, playback apparatus, recording apparatus, playback method, recording method, and a computer-readable storage medium

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


In one embodiment, a client device accesses an online application via a browser executed by the client device. The client device makes an assessment as to whether the online application uses Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) security headers that satisfy a security header policy. The client device generates scoring for the webpage based on the assessment. The client device presents the generated scoring to a user of the client device.

The Internet and the World Wide Web have enabled the proliferation of web services available for virtually all types of businesses. Due to the accompanying complexity of the infrastructure supporting the web services, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the highest level of service performance and user experience to keep up with the increase in web services. For example, it can be challenging to piece together monitoring and logging data across disparate systems, tools, and layers in a network architecture. Moreover, even when data can be obtained, it is difficult to directly connect the chain of events and cause and effect.
In addition, even in this day and age of cybersecurity breaches—there are still websites that use HTTP (clear text) and allow JavaScript access to local cookies as well cookies related to sessions are transmitted over HTTP. In every case, this is due to how the application is designed—poor security at the application essentially results in security breaches for its end users who are at the mercy of the application vendor's security. The lack of security in the application eventually manifests itself in the end user's browser.
To combat this, there have been numerous advances in security options for the end user to circumvent the liability from the application. These are in the form of HTTP headers transmitted in the application response. Sadly, many of the applications today still don't use these headers—leaving end users exposed to security breaches. By simply including these headers—the application could dramatically reduce the exposure that its end users have to security breaches.


A circuit element for protecting a load circuit includes a signal input for applying a signal, a signal output, a signal path connecting the signal input to the signal output, and an interruption means for irreversibly interrupting the signal path upon the reception of a control signal at the same.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit element and a method for protecting a load circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
An object becoming more and more important in electronics, especially under safety aspects, consists in how individual devices or circuit parts can be shut down in targeted, permanent and as-inexpensive-as-possible manner, so as to prevent greater consequential damage.
This topic is to be examined in greater detail on the basis of two embodiments according to the prior art.
Today, power semiconductors are employed to a great extent for switching electric loads, such as lamps, valves, motors, heating elements, etc., but increasingly also in the field of power management for switching off individual circuit parts, e.g. to reduce the energy consumption of battery-operated devices. The two typical arrangements of switch and load are illustrated in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13.
FIG. 12 shows a so-called low-side switch. A voltage terminal 5, a switch 10, which is embodied as a field-effect transistor here, for example, a load 20, a fuse 30, and a course of the load current 40 are illustrated.
Since the switch 10 lies in the plus line to the ground line, it is considered as a low-side switch. Here, it is important for low loss power in the switch 10 that the switch has by far lower electric resistance in the on-state than the load 20. FIG. 13 shows a high-side switch. The switch 10 here lies in the plus line to the load 20. This is the only difference as opposed to the low-side switch illustrated in FIG. 12.
It also applies to the high-side switch that the loss power in the switch 10 should be low compared with the power in the electric resistor, which here forms the load 20, which means that the resistance of the switch 10 should be low compared with the resistance of the load 20.
Power MOSFETs have largely prevailed as electronic switches for these voltage applications. In the last few years, a very rapid development toward ever-lower pass resistivities, which can be seen from the calculation Rds(on)XA, with Rds(on) representing the pass resistivity and A symbolizing the area, has made it possible that today currents of many amperes are manageable with semiconductor switches directly mounted on the circuit board without special cooling measures.
But one problem arises when complete switch-on no longer takes place through faults in the semiconductor switch or in its control. The switch then no longer reaches its low nominal pass resistance, so that the loss power in the switch also increases very strongly. In the worst case of the power matching, i.e. when the pass resistance of the switch comes into the range of the value of the load resistance, the loss power in the switch may reach up to one fourth of the nominal load power. An example can make this clearer:
In a power MOSFET with a pass resistance of 10 mΩ, which is employed as a switch for a load of 120 watts at 12 volts, a loss power of 1 watt develops in the nominal operation. The cooling of the MOSFET will be designed for this loss power in a concrete circuit.
In the embodiment of the prior art, if the pass resistance, however, increases by a fault, which may for example occur in the control, the loss power in the switch may reach values of up to 40 watts. With a cooling designed for 1 watt, this will very quickly lead to dangerously high temperatures up to a fire hazard of the circuit board, for example. Common protection elements, such as fuses 30, cannot compensate for this fault case, because no overcurrent of any kind occurs.
The load 20 always limits the current 40 to a value not exceeding the nominal operating current. Arbitrary monitoring circuits, which detect this fault, also would not be of any help here, because switch-off of the load current by means of the power switch would no longer be possible at every assumed defect in the control circuit or in the power switch.
FIG. 14 explains a further embodiment according to the prior art. The voltage terminal 5, the fuse 30, a varistor 50, a multilayer ceramic capacitor 60 and a tantalum electrolytic capacitor 70 are illustrated. FIG. 14 shows a series connection of the fuse 30 with a parallel connection including the varistor 50, the multilayer ceramic capacitor 60 and the tantalum electrolytic capacitor 70. The safety-critical devices, such as the varistor 50, the multilayer ceramic capacitor 60 and the tantalum electrolytic capacitor 70, are directly present at the supply voltage 5 via the fuse 30. In the operational state, these devices have a negligible leakage current at the nominal operating voltage, and hence a negligible static loss power. But if the leakage current increases in the fault case, or if a plate contact occurs especially in multilayer ceramic capacitors due to mechanical stress, the static loss power increases very strongly and may lead to extreme overheating of the device.
Especially in larger, centrally protected assemblies, there is the problem that although the current occurring in this fault case is sufficient to generate extreme overtemperatures with fire hazard locally, the current does not rise high enough to make the central protection element trigger, which is implemented in the fuse 30 here. The varistor 50, the multilayer ceramic capacitor 60 and the tantalum electrolytic capacitor 70 in this embodiment only symbolically represent a series of further devices very likely to become low-ohmic at the end of their life at overload or premature failure. All theses devices pose a risk with reference to the above-mentioned facts.
In this connection, a disadvantage of the prior art again becomes obvious that here an externally activable protection element is missing, which would enable separating safety-critical devices from electric voltage in targeted manner. In numerous cases, with this at least an emergency operation functionality of an assembly could be maintained.
According to the prior art, largely fuses can be employed for protection against damage by too high currents. These may also be obtained in most varied constructions and trigger characteristics. At the same time, even as overcurrent protection, there are cold conductors, such as PTC elements, finding broad application on ceramic or polymer basis, such as a poly switch™. But if such a fault case that no overcurrent occurs happens, as described above, these fuses are not suited as protection elements. These fuses are also not suited for the protection of safety-critical devices due to their constructive size, costs and trigger characteristics. In capacitors, for example, the AC operating current may lie significantly above the DC trigger current to be demanded, a requirement that cannot be met with a classic fuse.
Apart from that, in embodiments according to the prior art, also temperature sensors are employed to monitor circuits with respect to temperatures. But this kind of monitoring also cannot offer protection in the described case of a defective, no longer controllable semiconductor. The recognition of an overtemperature is of no use here, since the current flow can indeed no longer be interrupted by intervention into the control voltage of the defective switch. This also poses a high risk for the assemblies to be protected.
A further variant according to an embodiment of the prior art consists in the employment of a crowbar switch. A crowbar switch is a powerful short switch capable of triggering a present central fuse. Due to the high costs and the required space need, crowbar solutions in embodiments according to the prior art are not suitable for decentralized protective measures. A central crowbar very strongly limits the possible fields of application, since in many applications it is not tolerable to shut down the entire system instead of only a single load current path in the fault case.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,371 teaches a circuit element with a fuse, an input pin and an output pin. The input pin and the output pin are connected to each other via doped zones. The doped zones are arranged so that a thyristor or field-effect transistor are formed. The thyristor may be ignited by a positive signal at a gate of the field-effect transistor. Following igniting of the thyristor, the thyristor effects melting of the fuse.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,757,599 teaches a protection element in a circuit device. The protection element is connected in parallel to the circuit device. If the operating parameters of the circuit device are exceeded, the protection element causes a short of the circuit device by an irreversible short in a thyristor.
DE 19805785C1 teaches a power semiconductor module, in which a power semiconductor device is connected in electrically conducting manner via output lines. The power semiconductor module comprises interruption means irreversibly interrupting the output lines if a predetermined operating temperature threshold is exceeded. The interruption means is characterized by a volume-expanding or exploding characteristic.

Circuit element and method for protecting a load circuit

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.


The present invention is a method for estimating software operation and performance measures using a goal/question/metric paradigm. In the present invention, each goal is associated with questions and metrics and stored to memory as a tree. The nodes in the tree are then interconnected in accordance with boolean logic relationships. A minimal path is determined through the tree. Probabilities are then assigned to each node and used in assigning an overall probability to the top node or goal. A percentage contribution to the overall probability is then assigned to each node. The probabilities, minimal path and percentage contributions are then used in determing an action plan to use during development of the software to ensure software operation and performance accordingly.

A driving need in analyzing and improving software operation and performance is for measures such as Software Reliability to mature the "physics of failure" and design aspects related to software reliability. This type of focus would then enhance one's ability to effect reliable software in a predictable form. A major challenge is that software reliability, in essence, requires one to measure compliance to customer/user requirements. Customer/user requirements can range over a wide spectrum of software product attributes that relate directly or indirectly to software performance. Identifying and measuring these attributes in a structured way to minimize risk and allow pro-active preventive action during software development is no easy task. The Goal-Question-Metric paradigm, discussed by Basili see V. R. Basili, "Software Modeling and Measurement: The Goal/Question/Metric Paradigm", University of Maryland at College Park Computer Science Technical Report UMIACS-TR-92-96, 1992 Sep, pp 1-24 (herein referred to as "Basili")!, is one popular and effective approach to measurement identification. However, in practice, additional challenges in using this approach have been encountered. Some of these challenges, though, seem to be alleviated with use of a reliability technique called success/fault tree analysis. Experience has shown that the Goal-Question-Metric paradigm is conducive to the building of G-Q-M trees which may be analyzed using reliability success/fault tree logic.
A number of working sessions were held to identify an initial, standard set of software metrics for use across our projects. Participants included software team leaders, software managers, software engineering process group members and software quality assurance staff. It was decided that the software measures should be goal-driven to ensure that there was both an "owner" of the metric and a method of determining if, and when, the metric had outlived it's usefulness. Basili's Goal/Question/Metric paradigm was used as a process guide within the working sessions. However, during facilitation of these sessions, a number of obstacles were encountered. These obstacles included the following:
1) Participants had different definitions of reliability and quality; PA0 2) Participants had different organizational perspectives on the same goal, question or metric; PA0 3) Participants wanted a way to quantitatively assess, overall, how they were progressing when faced with a large number of product attributes related to quality and reliability; PA0 4) Participants were not current on the literature related to definitions of reliability metrics and relationships of metrics; PA0 5) Participants were quite often short on patience in brainstorming compatible Goals, Questions and Metrics that fit their situation; PA0 6) Participants quickly saw complexities such as goal tradeoffs, competing and conflicting goals, and the need for a dynamic model to handle changing Goal/Question/Metric desires; PA0 7) Participants realized that different Questions and Metrics, related to reliability and quality, were sometime heavily influenced depending on the data already collected by the projects; PA0 8) Participants desired the ability to select Goal/Question/Metric groupings that would minimize the total number of data primitives to be collected; and PA0 9) To save time and frustration, participants desired a strawman of a Goal/Question/Metric taxonomy to aid in preparation prior to each working session. PA0 1) Support for project planning and control; PA0 2) Determination of strengths and weaknesses; PA0 3) A rationale for the adoption and refinement of various software engineering techniques or methods; PA0 4) Permits assessment of the impact of changes in techniques and methods; and PA0 5) Support for evaluation of both software processes and products.
From this experience, several lessons-learned were apparent. First, the need to become more knowledgeable of the detailed workings of the Goal/Question/Metric paradigm see Basili!. Second, the need to identify a goal flow-down methodology within the organization so that the paradigm could be applied within organizational levels. Third, the need for a detailed process for determining how to originate questions for specific goals, and how to originate metrics for specific questions. Fourth, the need for a way to make the Goal/Question/Metric result actionable in a variety of situations.
The Goal/Question/Metric paradigm see Basili! is directed at the development of a set of corporate, division and project goals related to different business measures such as customer satisfaction, quality, financial progress, technical performance, etc. The paradigm includes: 1) a process of identifying goals followed by 2) the generation of questions that help define the goals which is then followed by specifying 3) specific measures to answer the questions. Inherent in the paradigm is the additional focus on developing mechanisms for data collection, validation and analysis, and taking action on the results.
Organizations implementing this paradigm in the development of their measurement program gain lift in many ways:
However, an important benefit of implementing this paradigm is that it keeps the focus on why the metrics are being collected.
In practice, goals are specified at an organizational level and then tailored and integrated into the organizational process and product models - based on the needs of the organization. In this manner, goals may be traced to data and data may be interpreted to understand goal performance. Templates are identified in Basili to provide guidance in the formulation of the goals, questions and metrics.
Goals were identified to possess five attributes: 1) the object of interest, 2) the purpose of studying the object of interest, 3) the focus with regard to characteristics of the object of interest, 4) who's perspective is to be supported by the goal, and 5) within which context or environment the object is to be studied.
After goal setting, a set of questions are identified for each goal to provide corroboration, clarity, and coverage of the different aspects of the goal. After question development, multiple metrics are identified for each question in the same manner. See FIG. 1 for an example of a Goal/Question/Metric tree related to Software Reliability using a known definition of software reliability see J. A. McCall, "Specifications of Software Quality Attributes, Vols I, II, III", U.S. Rome Air Development Center Final Technical Report RADC-TR-85-37, 1985 Feb (herein referred to as "McCall")!.
By following the above paradigm, the resulting measurement framework is goal-driven and maintainable via feedback from the "owners" of the goals, questions and metrics.

Method for estimating software operation and performance using a goal-question-metric paradigm