A process for the production of a split cannula (10), and such a cannula having predetermined break lines (18) which run in the lengthwise direction (12) and preferably are diametrically opposite, are proposed, with the predetermined break lines (18) being produced by non-metal-cutting shaping.

The invention concerns a split meal cannula with at least one predetermined break line extending lengthwise, but preferably concerns a split cannula with two predetermined break lines extending lengthwise. The invention also concerns a process for the production of at least one predetermined break line extending in the lengthwise axis of a split cannula by processing of an extendable or extended tube.
So-called "split cannulas," which have predetermined break lines along the long axis of the cannula, are required in medicine, for example to introduce catheters (DE-C 2 104 211). These predetermined break lines are designed to offer the possibility, after insertion of the cannula and of the catheter that is inserted through it, for disassembling the cannula by hand into two pieces after it is pulled out. Disassembly needs to be possible with as little force as possible, while at the same time ensuring that "ripping" occurs over the entire length, in other words so that a portion of the cannula does not break off. This problem can occur, however, if the walls within the predetermined break lines do not have well-defined residual wall thicknesses. This can also cause one half of the cannula to bend, making further handling very problematical.
The predetermined break lines of known split cannulas are produced by metal-cutting processes, e.g. by milling. Because of the danger of infection from diseases such as AIDS, the user specifies that the cannulas must be free of sharp edges or burrs.
As already mentioned, the residual wall thicknesses within the predetermined break lines, which may be only a few hundredths of a millimeter thick, must also be uniform over the length of the cannula. In particular, the residual wall thicknesses of the opposite predetermined break lines must be identical, to permit easy and homogeneous ripping.
Complex manufacturing processes and regular destructive testing of finished split cannulas are needed in order to meet all these criteria. Since, in addition, manufacturing and handling are performed manually, production costs are high.

Split cannula and process for the production thereof


A new cultivar of Dianthus plant named ‘BRIGHT EYES’ that is characterized by compact habit, grey-green foliage, and double flowers that are predominantly white in color with deep plum-red centers. In combination these traits set ‘BRIGHT EYES’ apart from all other existing varieties of Dianthus known to the inventor.

This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(f) of the earlier application for European Community Plant Breeders Rights, Application Number 2007/1925 filed Sep. 3, 2007.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dianthus that is grown for use as a flowering plant for pots and containers and as a hardy perennial for the garden and landscape. The new cultivar is known botanically as Dianthus×hybrida and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name 'BRIGHT EYES'.
'BRIGHT EYES' is a complex hybrid plant that is the product of a long term breeding program conducted in a greenhouse environment in Houndspool, Dawlish, Devon, United Kingdom. The primary focus of the breeding program is to produce new cultivars of Dianthus that exhibit unique growth habit and flower colors. The inventor selected 'BRIGHT EYES' in 2002 for its double flowers which are colored white with a deep plum red center.
'BRIGHT EYES' resulted from the controlled pollination between an unreleased and unpatented Dianthus previously raised by the inventor and known by its code name Dianthus 'Tricia' as female parent plant, and an unknown Dianthus as male parent plant.
'BRIGHT EYES' is distinguishable from the female parent whose flowers are pale pink with a dark eye. The male parent is unknown and cannot be described.
The varieties of Dianthus which are considered by the inventor to most closely resemble 'BRIGHT EYES' are Dianthus 'Cranmere Pool' (unpatented) and Dianthus 'Lady Madonna' (unpatented). The flowers of 'Cranmere Pool' are more double and are larger than the flowers of 'BRIGHT EYES'. The margins of the flower petals of 'Lady Madonna' are more deeply fimbriated than the margins of the flower petals of 'BRIGHT EYES'. 'BRIGHT EYES' is also a more vigorous plant than 'Lady Madonna'.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by the inventor in 2002 in a cultivated area of Houndspool, United Kingdom. The method of asexual propagation used was vegetative cuttings. Since that time the characteristics of the new cultivar have been determined stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.


This application relates to new process that utilizes electrodes that incorporate acids that facilitate upgrading of methane and other low molecular weight alkanes to higher order hydrocarbon molecules, such as paraffins, olefins, and aromatics, at temperatures less than 250° C. A primary focus of the invention includes methane conversion to ethylene. The first step of the process includes acid containing electrodes that facilitate the activation of the alkane in the anode layer of the electrochemical reactor. Subsequent steps include the separation of protons from produced longer chain hydrocarbons followed by subsequent electrochemical reduction of the protons to yield hydrogen at the cathode or protons combined with oxygen at the cathode to yield water. The reaction steps in the anode upgrade methane to higher order hydrocarbon products.

Technological advancements in the extraction of methane from shale layers have led to a "methane boon" in the energy sector for stationary electricity generation. New predictions indicate natural gas could supply 40% of the world's energy demands for the next 200 years. This represents an enormous shift in the global energy outlook; however, the usefulness and versatility of methane (the principal component of natural gas) is limited by its relatively low reactivity. Traditional upgrading of methane occurs through steam reforming to produce hydrogen (critical for ammonia synthesis) and making synthetic (syn)gas. The syngas is then fed to a Fisher-Tropsch process for making other chemicals (e.g., methanol). The existing process for upgrading methane is costly and complex because of the multiple unit operational processes involved at elevated temperatures and pressures. Converting this abundant and low-cost feedstock with fewer processing steps and with less energy consumption to liquid fuels and other commodity chemicals offers the prospect to transform the global chemical industry.
Another relevance of the process disclosed by this application relates to the use of anhydrous or humidified ion-containing polymers in the project. These polymers are converted into polycation ionomer materials, or blends of PBI-polycations, that i.) provide proton conduction under dry conditions and in the temperature range of −20 to 230° C. and ii.) acidity for catalyzing methane coupling in the anode. Achieving adequate proton conductivity, shown as high as 0.28 S cm−1, under dry conditions and at elevated temperatures is a challenging proposition because the ionomers typically require condensed water for dissociating the counterion. Overcoming this limitation has been achieved by preparing polycation polymer with acids, polycation-PBI blends with acids,—making acid-cation ion pairs. PBI doped acid can also be used too. The polycation polymers are typically used as anion exchange membranes that conduct anions, but the incorporation of excess acid within the polycation membranes facilitates excellent proton conductivity (up to 0.28 S cm−1) at elevated temperatures (up to 230° C.). The acid-cation ion pair approach is more effective than doping PBI with H3PO4 (i.e., acid-base pair approach) because the more basic quaternary ammonium, imidazolium, or phosphonium cations (and other possible tethered cations) in the polycation foster better acid retention through the acid anion-cation electrostatic interactions (which are stronger than acid-base interactions) leading to greater stability.
Direct oxidation of methane to higher order carbons was a hallmark achievement of Nobel Laureate George C. Olah. His seminal 1968 paper reported the use of a new liquid superacid mixture, antimony (V) pentafluoride (SbF5) combined with fluorosulfonic acid—labeled "magic acid," that protonated the very stable methane molecule to give a fairly stable carbonium pentahydrogen species (CH5+) that enabled structural studies of carbon cation intermediates that were elusive to carry-out because of their short lifetimes. Olah's methane oligomerization reactions were conducted in HSO3F—Sb5F mixtures (also known as 'magic acid') at 50-60° C.; however, there were relatively little quantitative product results reported and methane oligomerization was difficult to replicate. Some drawbacks of 'magic acid' include its extremely corrosive properties and its liquid state that makes it difficult to employ in large-scale processes. Over the following two decades, Olah and co-workers prepared solid superacids conducive for use in plug flow reactors. Unfortunately, these solid superacids did not promote methane oligomerization; though, co-feeding a halogen gas results in formation of methyl halides. Because halogen moieties are good leaving groups, they were useful intermediates for methanol synthesis or higher hydrocarbon synthesis in subsequent processes. At a practical level, the process to make methyl halides necessitates chlorine or bromine and these add to the overall cost and complexity of upgrading methane. Chlorine, for example, can account for about 1% to 3% of developed countries' energy consumption because it is produced from the energy-intensive chlor-alkali process. Hence, upgrading methane to hydrocarbons without halogenated intermediates would simplify methane upgrading and reduce overall costs.
The elusive pursuit of electrochemical oxidation of methane to hydrocarbons can be traced back to the 1970s and 1980s. Brilmyer and Jasinski proposed hydrofluoric acid (HF) mixed with antimony pentafluoride (Sb(V)F5) liquid electrolytes. They proposed graphitic carbon electrodes, in addition to Au and Pt, to couple and oligomerize CH5+ into ethane, ethylene, or other hydrocarbons in Teflon® lined reactors. It is important consider that Sb(V)F5 is electrochemically active and interfered with the electrochemical oxidation of the low molecular weight alkanes. Brilmyer and Jasinski's strategy worked with alkanes such as ethane, propane and aromatics; however, methane oxidation was not observed.
Fleishcmann and Pletcher, Brilmyer and Jasinski ascribed the inability to couple methane electrochemically to the following possibilities: i.) methane was not very soluble in the superacid electrolyte, ii.) methane was not activated at 0° C. with fluorosulfonic acid, and iii.) the reaction occurred slowly and the working electrode was not sensitive enough to detect small electrical currents.
In 1992, Hamakawa et al. reported electrochemical oxidation of methane to ethylene and ethane using a 900° C. electrochemical reactor. Although the production rates and Faradaic efficiencies were low (e.g., 0.5 to 2 μm mol min−1 cm−2 and Faradaic efficiency value of 5%), methane oxidation and coupling were observed. Furthermore, the cell devised by Hamakawa performed oxygen reduction at the cathode. Thus, this cell could be operated in galvanically, yielding water and a net power output. Unfortunately, the extremely high temperature of the reactor spurred coking and led to catastrophic cell failures. It is also important to mention a related report by Ding et al. showing electrochemical dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene at 400° C., which is ˜450° C. cooler than typical steam-based ethane crackers (and ˜500° C. cooler than Hamakama's reactor). This report further highlights the promise that electrochemical routes offer for upgrading low molecular weight alkanes, but Ding's article did not attempt to upgrade methane and the efficiencies for ethane conversion were not given.
A room temperature electrolytic reactor recently reported by Mustain and co-workers activated methane to several different oxygenates using a bifunctional nickel oxide-zirconia electrocatalyst and a carbonate anion. The bifunctional catalyst fostered direct oxygenation from the carbonate anion to methanol in one proposed mechanism, while another potential mechanism takes methoxide (produced from the first mechanism) to formaldehyde that reacts with methane to produce ethanol. Mustain's report does not report energy and Faradaic efficiency values and it does not give production rates, but the oxygenates identified by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and NMR were methanol, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, ethanol, isopropanol, acetetate, acetone, carbon dioxide, and formate. A similar report by Ma et al. improved on the aqueous methane conversion process with carbonate anions by using a zirconia-cobalt oxide electrocatalyst; however, these aqueous methane oxidation reports also showed relatively low conversions (<1%) to C1 oxygenates.
Barnett and co-workers and Herring and co-workers have shown direct electrochemical oxidation of methane to carbon dioxide in solid oxide and polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell devices. The use of fuel cell enables allows one to potentially overcome thermodynamic limitations for extracting energy from combustion of methane—due to Carnot cycle. However, these technologies are in their infancy and they do not upgrade methane to higher order alkanes or alkenes or aromatics—which is what this invention does.

Electrochemical reactor for upgrading methane and small alkanes to longer alkanes and alkenes

Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University


Devices, systems, and methods for determining a distance between at least two points are disclosed and described, wherein interferometry technology is utilized to determine such distances.

Interferometry is a measurement technique that involves the superimposition of waves. One of the many advantages of interferometry includes the ability to achieve measurements with nanometer scale accuracy. Hence, it has been used extensively in metrology, micro-fabrication, quantum mechanics, and numerous other fields. Interferometry can also be useful for measuring displacement, refractive index changes, and numerous other variables.

Interferometry system and associated methods


Failover processing that accommodates failures of backup computing nodes and resources, such as data storage units and printers. Failure of a computing node that controls resources causes another computing node to assume control of the resources controlled by the failed node. Failure of the primary computing node causes another computing node, at either the same or at a different site, to be selected as the new primary node. Failure of a resource at the primary site causes the site with the next highest priority backup resource to become the new primary site. Failure of a backup computing node causes a new backup node at the same site as the failed backup node to replace the failed backup node as host for the site's resources. Backup mirroring data flows are then adjusted to reflect the new functions of the affected nodes.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to operation of automated data processing equipment and, more specifically, to failover processing of automated data processing equipment which utilizes redundant processors and resources.
2. Description of Related Art
Automated data processing applications often execute on processing systems that have multiple processors. These multiple processors are frequently organized as groups and all of the members or nodes within the group operate in a cooperative manner. An example of a tightly integrated group of processors is a multiple processor computing cluster. One or more of these processors within a group can be referred to as a "node," where a node is defined as one or more processors that are executing a single operating system image. A node that is part of a group is referred to herein as a member of the group or a member node. The various members within a group are connected by a data communications system that supports data communications among all of the group members.
The members within a group are sometimes divided among different physical locations. A particular member that is part of a physically disperse group generally has direct access to resources, such as data storage devices, printers, and other shared peripheral devices, that are collocated with and electrically connected to that member. The resources that are used in current group operations are referred to as primary resources. These groups many times also maintain redundant resources, referred to as backup resources, that contain duplicates, or mirrors, of the primary resource and that can be quickly configured to become primary resources if required. Maintaining redundant resources in a group avoids single point failures for the group's operation. Computing system groups communicate all data changes in a primary resource to one or more backup resources in order to maintain a consistent mirror of the primary resource at the backup resource.
A group that has a number of members typically defines one member to be the primary member for that group. The primary member is the primary point of access for the group and hosts the primary resources used by the group.
Groups sometimes maintain multiple backup resources, such as backup data storage units, for each primary resource. This further improves reliability and allows for greater geographical dispersion of backup resources. Conventional group processing is configured to efficiently handle substituting, i.e., perform failover processing for, the replacement of the primary member (e.g., computing node) with a backup member. The use of conventional group processing, although useful, is not without its problems.
One problem is the handling of failures of backup members and backup resources. Failures of primary resources generally result in the failover of a primary member to a backup member. However, a failure of a backup member generally results in the loss of backup processing for the group.
Another problem is the failover of a primary resource with mirroring to a backup resource. Often times the failover of a primary resource causes mirroring data routing, which is configured to communicate mirroring data from the failed primary to the one or more backup members, to become obsolete, often requiring manual reconfiguration of the mirroring data processing.
Therefore a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above, and particularly for a way to more efficiently handle failure of resources and backup nodes in group computing environments.

Primary-backup group with backup resources failover handler

International Business Machines Corporation


A device for drawing a web of material into a machine, such as a printing press includes a draw-in mechanism that can be advanced along a draw-in path, and to which the web of material can be coupled. The draw-in mechanism can be driven by an electric motor that can be regulated or controlled in response to measurement data which is determined during the draw-in process. The motor can be regulated or controlled in synchronism with another unit of the machine, which other unit is mechanically driven independently of the electric motor.

Web drawing devices are employed in printing presses for conveying the start of a web of material along a desired draw-in path through the printing press. This is required, for example, for a draw-in in connection with a new production. This is also always required in the case where a web of material was torn during the printing process, because then the start of the new web of material cannot be pulled through in the manner of a flying roll change. Furthermore, in modern printing presses the printing groups can be reached by the web to be printed along different conveying paths in order to be able to obtain correspondingly different printing results. In case of a change-over in the conveying path, the fresh web of material must be drawn in along the appropriate draw-in path.
A device for drawing a web of material into a processing station is known from DE 94 15 859 U1. The draw-in mechanism, which is in the shape of a tape, can be rewound from a winding roll at the inlet of the processing station to a winding roll at the outlet of the processing station.
A device for drawing webs of material into rotary printing presses is known from DE 22 41 127 A1. The draw-in mechanism, which is embodied in the form of a spring steel strip, can be pushed from the outlet of the printing press along different draw-in paths, between which switching can be performed by the use of shunts. In this case, the draw-in mechanism is driven by a stationarily arranged drive wheel, which drive wheel comes into positive contact with the draw-in mechanism and pushes the draw-in mechanism along its entire length through the printing press.
EP 0 418 903 A2 discloses a device for drawing in a web of material. A draw-in mechanism is driven by a motor which is controlled as a function of measured data obtained in the draw-in process. Control is performed with a view to a constant draw-in speed, or to a constant number of revolutions.
A device for drawing in a web of material is disclosed in DE 94 09 390 U1. A draw-in mechanism is driven by a step motor. A conveying distance already traveled by the draw-in mechanism is detected by sensors.

Devices for drawing in a web of material


The disclosed embodiments relate to a secure configuration space for a computing device. Each of the configuration resisters in a configuration space are divided into security bits and configuration data bits. The security bits are assigned a predetermined value. When reading from or writing to a given configuration register, the data in the bit positions corresponding to security bits must match the predetermined values or read/write access is denied.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to providing a secure operating environment for a computer system and, more particularly, to providing a secure way of reading from and writing to the computer system's configuration registers.
2. Background of the Related Art
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art which may be related to various aspects of the present invention which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Since the introduction of the first personal computer ("PC") over 20 years ago, technological advances to make PCs more useful have continued at an amazing rate. Microprocessors that control PCs have become faster and faster, with operational speeds eclipsing the gigahertz (one billion operations per second) and continuing well beyond.
Productivity has also increased tremendously because of the explosion in development of software applications. In the early days of the PC, people who could write their own programs were practically the only ones who could make productive use of their computers. Today, there are thousands and thousands of software applications ranging from games to word processors and from voice recognition to web browsers.
In addition to improvements in PC hardware and software generally, the technology for making computers more useful by allowing users to connect PCs together and share resources between them has also seen rapid growth in recent years. This technology is generally referred to as "networking." In a networked computing environment, PCs belonging to many users are connected together so that they may communicate with each other. In this way, users can share access to each other's files and other resources, such as printers. Networked computing also allows users to share internet connections, resulting in significant cost savings. Networked computing has revolutionized the way in which business is conducted across the world.
Not surprisingly, the evolution of networked computing has presented technologists with some challenging obstacles along the way. Large, geographically diversified computer networks are susceptible to attacks by hackers who desire to gain access to information stored on those computer networks. Such hackers are sometimes motivated by nothing more than the pride they feel when they accomplish a difficult and technically challenging goal in the face of significant efforts to repel their efforts. Sadly, however, many hackers seek to compromise network security for material gain.
The data stored on modem computer networks ranges from military and corporate secrets to personal information, including social security numbers, bank records or information about credit card accounts. This information is obviously very valuable. If a conniving hacker successfully breaks into a network environment where such data is stored, the hacker may use the data directly or sell it to others who would not hesitate to use the information to the disadvantage of its rightful owner. The theft of supposedly secure data could subject the company that stored the data to falling customer confidence resulting in declining business opportunities. Failure to adequately protect the confidential information of others can even give rise to legal liability in some cases.
The complexity of modem computer networks and the equipment that comprises those networks provides hackers with many, many avenues to access secured data. Hackers frequently seek to take advantage of operational quirks of computer hardware and software (such as browser software) that the designers of that hardware or software did not intend or foresee. Even aspects of computer equipment that are intended to provide new features and additional security give imaginative hackers opportunities to compromise network security and steal confidential data.
Configuration registers are a favorite target of the attention of malicious computer hackers. All computers have configuration registers that contain control data to govern their operation. Examples of information that may be stored in the configuration registers of a computer are (1) the location of secured areas in the computer system's memory map (i.e. locations of data that are secured from outside access); (2) control information that configures peripherals; and/or (3) control information that places the computer system in certain modes of operation and otherwise governs the operation of the computer system. Data is typically written to the configuration registers of a computer system when the computer system is initialized. Data may, however, be written to configuration registers when the computer system is in operation. Additionally, data may be read from configuration registers by users or devices desiring to know the set-up of the particular aspect of the computer's operation that is controlled by the configuration register being read.
The data stored in the configuration registers of a computer system are extremely important in controlling the overall operation of the computer system. Configuration register data also controls the behavior of the computer system as part of a networked environment. Accidental or malicious overwriting of a device's configuration registers could cause that device to malfunction or cause the computer network or bus on which the computer system is resident to also malfunction.
If a hacker gains the ability to read and/or write data to the computer systems configuration registers, he/she may wreck havoc in the computer system in a number of ways. Examples of such havoc include unlocking and accessing highly confidential data stored on the computer system, changing the operational parameters of the computer system or writing data to the configuration registers to cause the computer system to crash or otherwise compromise its operation.
Previous methods of preventing improper access to a computer's configuration registers exist, but they suffer from known weaknesses. In a first known method, a user must write a correct password to a known location or configuration register to unlock the configuration registers for read/write access. After the user has completed reading from and/or writing to the configuration registers, the user must again write to the specific location to lock the configuration registers against future read/write access. In a second known method, a key mechanism is employed in which the user must include a particular binary pattern before writing to a configuration register. The binary pattern is used as a prefix to the write data provided for that register.
Users of the first method described above (hereinafter, "Method 1") may unlock access to a device's configuration space by writing the password, perform the required reads and writes to the registers, and then lock access to that space. The problem with this method is that another user can, either accidentally or intentionally, overwrite the unlocked space while the original user is still performing their updates. To reduce the period of vulnerability, users of Method 1 may require that the unlock operation be performed for each configuration access to the device. That approach is inefficient because it requires a leading (unlock) and trailing (lock) write for every configuration access. In addition, Method 1 requires an increased number of lock/unlock reads and writes, which could be monitored by a hacker with partial access to the computer system to identify the unlock messages. The hacker may then be able to discern the password to the unlocking register, and then subsequently gain access to overwrite the configuration space of the device.
The second method referred to above (hereinafter, "Method 2") only applies to write accesses and does not provide any means of protection against unauthorized read accesses. Nonetheless, an unauthorized user could intercept the write pattern to the configuration registers and figure out the pre-fixed key. With this knowledge, the unauthorized user could subsequently overwrite the configuration space of the system.
An improved way to provide security for the configuration registers of a computer system in order to minimize the accidental or malicious reading from and/or writing to the control registers of the computer system is desirable.

Secure read and write access to configuration registers in computer devices

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A vertical GaN-based LED and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The vertical GaN-based LED can prevent the damage of an n-type GaN layer contacting an n-type electrode, thereby stably securing the contact resistance of the n-electrode. The vertical GaN-based LED includes: a support layer; a p-electrode formed on the support layer; a p-type GaN layer formed on the p-electrode; an active layer formed on the p-type GaN layer; an n-type GaN layer for an n-type electrode contact, formed on the active layer; an etch stop layer formed on the n-type GaN layer to expose a portion of the n-type GaN layer; and an n-electrode formed on the n-type GaN layer exposed by the etch stop layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vertical gallium-nitride (GaN)-based light emitting diode (LED), and more particularly, to a vertical GaN-based LED that can prevent the damage of an n-type GaN layer contacting an n-electrode. Thus, the vertical GaN-based LED can stably secure the contact resistance of the n-electrode, reduce the operating voltage, and improve the luminous efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, GaN-based LEDs are grown on a sapphire substrate. The sapphire substrate is rigid and electrically nonconductive and has a low thermal conductivity. Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the size of the GaN-based LED for cost-down or improve the optical power and chip characteristics. Particularly, heat dissipation is very important for the LEDs because a high current should be applied to the GaN-based LEDs so as to increase the optical power of the GaN-based LEDs.
To solve these problems, a vertical GaN-based LED has been proposed. In the vertical GaN-based LED, the sapphire substrate is removed using a laser lift-off (hereinafter, referred to as LLO) technology.
A method of manufacturing a vertical GaN-based LED according to the related art will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1D.
FIGS. 1A to 1D are sectional views illustrating a method of manufacturing a vertical GaN-based LED according to the related art.
Referring to FIG. 1A, an undoped GaN layer 101 and a lightly doped n-type GaN layer 102 are sequentially grown on a sapphire substrate 100. A heavily doped n-type GaN layer (that is, an n-type GaN layer 103 for an n-type electrode contact), a GaN/InGaN active layer 104 with a multi-quantum well structure, and a p-type GaN layer 105 are sequentially grown on the lightly doped n-type GaN layer 102. Then, a p-electrode 106 is formed on the p-type GaN layer 105.
A plating seed layer (not shown) is formed on the p-electrode 106. A support layer 107 is formed on the plating seed layer by electrolyte plating or electroless plating. The plating seed layer serves as a plating crystal nucleus when the plating process is performed for forming the support layer 107. The support layer 107 supports the final LED structure and serves as an electrode.
Referring to FIG. 1B, the sapphire substrate 100 is removed using an LLO process.
Referring to FIG. 1C, the undoped GaN layer 101 and the lightly doped n-type GaN layer 102 exposed by the process of removing the sapphire substrate 100 are removed to expose the n-type GaN layer 103 for the n-type electrode contact. By removing the undoped GaN layer 101 and the lightly doped n-type GaN layer 102, the n-type GaN layer 103 (that is, the heavily doped n-type GaN layer) contacts an n-electrode 110, which will be formed later. Therefore, the contact resistance of the n-electrode 110 is reduced and the operating voltage is reduced. The removing process may be achieved by a general etching process.
Referring to FIG. 1D, an n-electrode 110 is formed on the exposed n-type GaN layer 103. Prior to the formation of the n-electrode 110 on the n-type GaN layer 103, an n-type transparent electrode 108 for improving the current spreading effect and an n-type reflective electrode 109 for improving the light efficiency may be sequentially formed on the n-type GaN layer 103.
However, the method of manufacturing the vertical GaN-based LED according to the related art has the following problems. FIG. 2 is a sectional view for explaining the problems of the related art.
When etching the undoped GaN layer 101 and the lightly doped n-type GaN layer 102 exposed by the removal of the sapphire substrate 100, there is almost no difference of the etching selectivity in the lightly doped n-type GaN layer 102 and the n-type GaN layer 103 and thus the surface of the n-type GaN layer 103 is partially etched as illustrated in FIG. 2. Therefore, the entire thickness and surface state of the n-type GaN layer 103 are not uniform. Furthermore, if the n-type transparent electrode 108 or the n-electrode 110 are formed on the n-type GaN layer 103 whose surface is damaged, the contact resistance and the operating voltage of the electrode contacting the n-type GaN layer 103 is increased, resulting in the degradation of the luminous efficiency.

Method of manufacturing vertical gallium-nitride based light emitting diode


A drawer pull-out guide including an automatic retraction device having a pawl component with a receptacle that receives a catch on a running rail as the rails move relative to the guide rail when approaching a closed position and an entraining rocker. During a final part of retraction movement of the pawl component, the entraining rocker being coupled to and movable with the pawl component; and during an initial displacement path of the pawl component the entraining rocker being decoupled from the pawl component and retained against longitudinal displacement in the pawl housing. A first spring biasing the pawl component into a first end position and locking the pawl component; and a second spring for biasing the entraining rocker in a direction of retraction engages on the entraining rocker.

Drawer guides which are provided with an automatic retraction device and by which during the closing movement before the completely closed position is reached a drawer held so that it can be pulled out on a cupboard carcass is forcibly retained by the tensional force of a biased spring in the closed position of the drawer and secured against inadvertent outward movement—for example by the reaction of the impact of the front drawer panel on the cupboard carcass or by displacement of air within the cupboard carcass when adjacent drawers are pushed in or pulled out—have been introduced to an increasing extent in recent years (e.g. DE 4 020 277 C2). Because modem drawer guides have a very easy action due to the mounting of the rails by means of anti-friction bearing or rollers, the bias of the biasing springs used for retraction must be such that the appertaining drawers can be securely retracted even in the event of relatively heavy loading and on the other hand drawers which are less heavily loaded are not accidentally opened even in the event of air currents in the carcass. In this case it has been shown that it is difficult to design the bias of a spring which is optimal and takes account of all requirements. As a rule, therefore, the tensional force of the spring is designed with a safety margin, but the consequence of this is that at least lighter drawers are speeded up on the retraction path and strike the cupboard carcass if it is not intentionally slowed down by the a person operating the drawer. Many furniture purchasers object to this jerky slamming or snapping shut, so that in recent years furniture manufacturers have changed over to the provision of dampers which are additionally effective between the drawers and the cupboard carcass during the automatic retraction process and which prevent the possibility of the drawer also being speeded up excessively by the spring of the automatic retraction device with its relative bias. In order for the design expenditure which is increased by the use of such additional damping and also the production expenditure—increased due to the necessary installation work—it has already been proposed that the damper which becomes effective during the automatic retraction movement should be integrated into the retraction device (DE 202 04 860.8). On the other hand, however, due to the use of dampers it is also necessary to increase the spring force of the automatic retraction device further in order to ensure that the associated drawer is closed exactly. This also produces the disadvantage during opening of the drawer that due to the usual longer spring path the spring force increases significantly, which results in unpleasantly high pull-out forces.

Drawer opening guide comprising an automatic retracting device with an integrated damping mechanism


An ophthalmic lens package comprises a shell having an internal cavity accessible through an opening in the shell and a drainage member that divides the internal chamber into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The drainage member is permeable to aqueous liquids and is arranged to allow drainage of liquid from the upper chamber to the lower chamber. This arrangement of the ophthalmic lens package allows the consumer to retrieve the lens from the upper chamber without handling any significant amount of saline solution.

Soft contact lenses have become increasingly popular since they were first introduced in the 1970's. Due to progressive reductions in manufacturing costs, soft contact lenses are now an attractive and economical choice for the consuming public. Such lenses may be frequently replaced by the consumers (e.g., on a daily or weekly basis) and do not need to be cleaned or sterilized as often as traditional contact lenses. Of course, the consumer desires to keep a supply of lenses on hand that is commensurate with the frequency with which the lenses are replaced. Therefore, consumer demand for disposable soft contact lenses has led to a need for disposable packages that are easy to use and inexpensive. The packages should be constructed to provide safe storage and shipping for the lenses. It is also desirable that the individual packages be as small as possible, so that they may be easily and unobtrusively stored and carried.
Soft contact lenses are often packaged and stored in a hydrated state, which requires that they be sealed in packages with a storage solution. One widely-used package is the "blister pack", which, in general, comprises a rigid plastic container having a flat upper surface with a concave-shaped well that contains a single ophthalmic lens with a quantity of solution. The well is covered with a flexible cover that is sealed along the perimeter of the upper surface. The blister packs are boxed for shipping and storage until a lens is needed by a consumer. The consumer then peels back the flexible cover from the blister pack to expose the ophthalmic lens. The consumer then pours the lens out into his or her hand, together with the saline solution, and places the lens on the tip of his or her finger for application to the eye.
A need remains for ophthalmic lens packaging systems that include a solution for storage and shipping of the ophthalmic lenses, but allow the solution to be separated from the lens at the time that the lens is removed from the package.

Ophthalmic lens package with internal drainage member


The present invention discloses systems and method for storing and organizing UFDs (USB flash drives) on a storage pole, and for configuring UFDs to accommodate storage on a storage pole. Various embodiments also include configurations of the UFDs and/or storage poles which prevent rotation of the UFDs on the storage pole, thereby providing aligned stacking of the UFDs. Some embodiments include more than one pole for storage and/or alignment of the UFDs. Some embodiments do not require a pole for storage and/or alignment of the UFDs. In addition, systems which allow extraction of a single UFD from a stack of UFDs while maintaining the order of the UFDs are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a system and method for storing and organizing UFDs on a storage pole, and for configuring UFDs (USB flash drives) to accommodate storage on a storage pole.
Mechanical means for organizing small items on a desktop are well-known in the art of office accessories. A common device for organizing and holding small notes is a storage pole, available from Office Depot, 2200 Old Germantown Road, Delray Beach, Fla. 33445 (shown in FIG. 1A).
In order for a device of this type to be useful, the organized items need to have a tunnel through them that is larger than the diameter of the spindle. When the organized items are pieces of paper of different sorts, the tunnel can be made in the paper upon pushing them onto the pole.
However, when using a storage pole for organizing items other than paper (or similar items which can be pierced), the tunnel in the item needs to be made in advance. A prior art example of a storage pole for items that have tunnels to enable their organization on a pole are "dome cones", available from Goal Sporting Goods, Inc., 37 Industrial Park Road, P.O. Box 236, Essex, Conn. 06426 (shown in FIG. 1B).
UFDs are well-known in the art of digital computing as a means for portable data storage. Until recently, UFDs were relatively expensive. People would generally own a single UFD at the most. People would typically use a UFD for a variety of applications and carry the UFD with them during the day.
Recently, UFDs have become an inexpensive commodity. People can now afford to use them for dedicated purposes, and own a several UFDs. Typically, while a person would carry with him the specific UFD that he intends use, his desktop and drawers would most likely accommodate a large number of UFDs. It would be useful to have a handy and well-organized way to store UFDs, while maintaining visibility and accessibility.
A storage pole would be a convenient means for storing and organizing UFDs, if UFDs were produced with a sufficiently large tunnel around the center area of the device. Unfortunately, UFD devices are traditionally designed to be small and compact. Their circuitry is typically designed on a solid, rectangular printed circuit board. They are generally not manufactured with a sufficiently large tunnel, and cannot be drilled after production without damaging them.
For the growing community of UFD and portable data storage devices users, it would be useful to have a system for filing, organizing, sorting, and retrieving multiple UFD devices in a device similar to a storage pole.

USB flash drive and system and method for storing USB flash drives


Tape printing device 1 is provided with the second and third screen modes M1 and M2, in which the input document and its layout can be simultaneously displayed on the same screen. These modes can be switched by operating layout image simultaneous display key 23. The user can enter a document while viewing its layout image displayed on the same screen to obtain the desired layout. Thus, the present invention provides a user-friendly character information processing device in which the user can enter a document while viewing the layout image on screen to obtain the desired layout.

This invention relates to a character information processing device that is provided with a layout display function for displaying an input document in the image to be actually printed, and that prints out the input document or performs imprinting.
Generally speaking, Japanese or English wordprocessors are provided with various functions for simplifying document entry and editing tasks. One of these functions is a layout function. Switching the screen from a document display mode to a layout display mode displays the document being worked on in the layout that will be actually printed, in a graphic display format such as dot columns and lines. By viewing this layout display, the user can evaluate the actual print-out image on the screen.
This type of layout display function was disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. H5-108630, for example. The layout display function disclosed in this publication allows correction and editing of the document data on the screen while the screen is in the layout display mode.
Recently, small printing devices, referred to as label printers or label wordprocessor, have come into use. This type of printing device prints information onto a tapeshaped printing medium possessing an adhesive bottom surface, and is usually provided with a function to cut the printed medium to the desired length after the printing is completed. The piece of printing medium that has been cut to the desired length can then be pasted as a label in a desired location.
As is the case with ordinary wordprocessors, this type of printing device is also provided with a display function for displaying input document data. Therefore, it would be convenient if the actual print-out on a tape-shaped printing medium with a predetermined width can be determined in advance. Given such a consideration, some printing devices have been proposed that are provided with a layout function, and in which pressing a layout key switches the screen from a document input mode to a layout display mode, as in ordinary wordprocessors.
A layout display function is a convenient function which enables the user to verify information such as the position of the print content of the label being created, by displaying such information on the screen without actually printing the input document on an expensive tape-shaped printing medium. This layout display function is intended to be used after the entry of the document to be printed is completed. However, the user may wish to verify the layout even during the document input. For example, when entering a document consisting of three lines, the user may wish to verify whether or not the first two lines entered are acceptable. In such a case, a conventional layout display function requires that the screen be switched from the input mode to the layout display mode. When the layout display shows that the layout of the entered document is different from the intended layout, the user must first switch back to the input mode, adjust attributes such as character spacing, character size, and tape margin, and then again switch back to the layout mode to verify the updated layout.
As explained above, when using a conventional layout display function, it may be necessary to repeatedly switch the screen between the input mode and the layout mode until the desired layout is obtained. Such operations are cumbersome and should be eliminated.
A function that allows correction of input documents in the layout display mode has been proposed, as mentioned above. However, generally speaking, the input characters in the screen are more difficult to view in a layout display mode than in an input mode, and the operations for correcting/modifying those characters are cumbersome.
Such a problem has arisen in tape printing devices, as well as in character information processing devices that perform printing or imprinting and that possess a high degree of freedom in attributes such as character spacing, character size, and tape margin. For example, the above-mentioned problem has occurred in stamping devices that use a UV-hardening resin whose unhardened areas are removed using a rinsing solution, as the stamping surface, and that expose said stamping surface to light rays patterned according to the input character string.
In such stamping devices, the action of exposing the stamping surface to light rays patterned according to the input document is referred to as imprinting. In this Specification, the word xe2x80x9cprintingxe2x80x9d is used to include such imprinting in some cases.
The object of this invention is to propose a user-friendly character information processing device equipped with a layout display function, that allows the user to enter documents easily in order to obtain the desired layout (printed image).
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the character information processing device of the invention is provided with a key input means for entering document data and a display means for displaying the document data; and is configured to comprise a layout data generation means for generating the data required for forming the layout image of the document to be displayed by the display means, a layout image generation means for expanding said generated layout data into layout image data which can be displayed by said display means, and a display control means for controlling said display means in a simultaneous layout image display mode in which said display document and said layout image corresponding to said display document is simultaneously displayed on the display screen of said display means.
Here, it would be preferable to configure the device such that it is possible to change the ratio between the display areas used for said display document and the display area used for said layout image during simultaneous display.
Furthermore, if a display screen that can display a multiple-line document is used for said display means, at least one line of display area can be allocated as the display area for said layout image during said simultaneous display.
In this case, the display area ratio within said display screen can be changed by changing the number of lines allocated to the display area of said display document and to the display area of said layout image.
It would be preferable to use a configuration in which said key input means is provided with a layout image simultaneous display key for specifying simultaneous display of the layout image, in which said display control means is provided with a counter for counting the number of times said layout image simultaneous display key has been used, and in which said display control means changes said ratio according to the counter value in said counter during said simultaneous layout display. When such a configuration is used, the operation for changing said display ratio can be simply performed by repeatedly pressing a single key.
In this case, a ring counter can be used for the counter, and the device can be set up such that only said display document will be displayed on said display means when the value in said ring counter reaches a preset value. This configuration is preferable since it simplifies the switching between document-only display and simultaneous layout image display.
A document usually consists of at least one paragraph, and said paragraph consists of at least one line, and said line consists of an actual line comprising at least one character or a blank line without any characters. It is possible to configure said layout data such that it comprise 5-layer hierarchical data that consists of the document handler for specifying a document, the document layer data containing the information on the document, the paragraph layer data containing the information on individual paragraphs comprising the document, the line layer data containing the information on individual lines comprising each paragraph, and character layer data containing the information on individual characters comprising each line.
Note that individual document data contained in said document layer data comprises at least the document size, a document data pointer for specifying the document that follows, and a paragraph handler for specifying paragraph layer data contained in said document data. Individual paragraph data contained in said paragraph layer data comprises at least paragraph position and size, a paragraph data pointer for specifying the paragraph that follows, and a line handler for specifying line layer data contained in said paragraph data. Individual line data contained in said line layer data comprises at least line position and size, a line data pointer for specifying the line that precedes or follows, and a character handler for specifying character layer data contained in said line data. Furthermore, individual character data contained in said character layer data comprises at least character position, and a character data pointer for specifying the character that precedes or follows.
In a character information processing device according to the present invention, when document data is inputted, a layout data generation means generates layout data required for displaying a layout image by a display means which presents how the document data looks if actually printed out. Based on the generated layout data, the layout image generation means generates layout image data required for displaying the layout data on an actual display screen of said display means. And, an input document and its layout image can be simultaneously displayed in the display screen of the display means, under the control of the display control means. Consequently, the user can perform document entry while viewing the layout image being displayed; in other words while verifying how the actual printout would look.
In this way, the invention improves user-friendliness of character information processing devices by simplified the operation of entering a document to obtain the desired layout.

Character information processing device equipped with a layout display function


A buoyancy system for a deep water floating platform includes at least one composite buoyancy module coupled to the a riser having a length greater than 1000 feet and an associated weight. The composite buoyancy module is sized to have a volume to produce a buoyancy force at least as great as the weight of the riser. The composite buoyancy module may include a vessel with a composite vessel wall. The buoyancy module or vessel may have a non-circular cross-section defining an area which is greater than approximately 79 percent of an area defined by a square with sides tangent to the vessel wall to maximize buoyancy. A second buoyancy module may be directly coupled to the first buoyancy module to achieve a desired buoyancy.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a composite buoyancy module or can for supporting a riser of a deep water, floating oil platform. More particularly, the present invention relates to a buoyancy module formed of composite material, and with a circular or non-circular cross-sectional shape to maximize buoyancy, or make optimum use of the space available.
2. The Background Art
As the cost of oil increases and/or the supply of readily accessible oil reserves are depleted, less productive or more distant oil reserves are targeted, and oil producers are pushed to greater extremes to extract oil from the less productive oil reserves, or to reach the more distant oil reserves. Such distant oil reserves may be located below the oceans, and oil producers have developed offshore drilling platforms in an effort to extend their reach to these oil reserves.
In addition, some oil reserves are located farther offshore, and thousands of feet below the surface of the oceans. Certain floating oil platforms, known as spars, or Deep Draft Caisson Vessels (DDCV) have been developed to. reach these oil reserves. Steel tubes or pipes, known as risers, are suspended from these floating platforms, and extend the thousands of feet to reach the ocean floor, and the oil reserves beyond.
It will be appreciated that these risers, formed of thousands of feet of steel pipe, have a substantial weight which must be supported by buoyant elements at the top of the risers. Steel air cans have been developed which are coupled to the risers and disposed in the water to help buoy the risers, and eliminate the strain on the floating platform, or associated rigging. One disadvantage with the air cans is that they are formed of metal, and thus add considerable weight themselves. Thus, the metal air cans must support the weight of the risers and themselves. In addition, the air cans are often built to pressure vessel specifications, and are thus costly and time consuming to manufacture.
In addition, as risers have become longer by going deeper, their weight has increased substantially. One solution to this problem has been to simply add additional air cans to the riser so that several air cans are attached in series. It will be appreciated that the diameter of the air cans is limited to the width of the well bays within the platform structure, while the length is merely limited by the practicality of handling the air cans. For example, the length of the air cans is limited by the ability or height of the crane that must lift and position the air can. One disadvantage with more and/or larger air cans is that the additional cans or larger size adds more and more weight which also be supported by the air cans, decreasing the air can""s ability to support the risers. Another disadvantage with merely stringing a number air cans is that long strings of air cans may present structural problems themselves. For example, a number of air cans pushing upwards on one another, or on a stem pipe, may cause the cans or stem pipe to buckle.
It has been recognized that it would be advantageous to optimize the systems and processes of accessing distant oil reserves, such as deep water oil reserves. In addition, it has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a system for reducing the weight of air cans, and thus the riser system and platforms. In addition, it has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a system for increasing the buoyancy of the air cans.
The invention provides a modular buoyancy system including one or more buoyancy modules. The buoyancy modules are vertically oriented, disposed at and below the surface of the water and coupled to a riser or stem pipe to support the riser. The one or more buoyancy modules are sized to have a volume to produce a buoyancy force at least as great as the riser.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the riser may be over 10,000 feet long with an associated weight, and the buoyancy module advantageously may include an elongated vessel with a composite vessel wall. Preferably, the composite vessel wall advantageously has a decrease in weight when submerged between approximately 25 to 75 percent; and more preferably a decrease in weight when submerged between approximately 40 to 60 percent. In addition, the composite vessel wall preferably has a density less than the density of the riser. Furthermore, the composite vessel wall preferably has a coefficient of thermal expansion less than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the riser; and may have a coefficient of thermal expansion between approximately xe2x88x924.4xc3x9710xe2x88x928 to 8.0xc3x9710xe2x88x926 in/in/xc2x0 F. The composite vessel wall also may have a thermal conductivity less than a thermal conductivity of the riser.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the buoyancy module may include a stem pipe which extends concentrically within the vessel, with an upper end of the vessel coupled to the stem pipe. The riser is received through the stem pipe. Alternatively, the buoyancy vessel or module may be coupled directly to the riser.
A spider structure may be attached to the vessel to position the stem pipe concentrically within the vessel. The spider structure may have an annular member with an aperture receiving the stem pipe therethrough, and a plurality of arms attached to and extending between the vessel and the annular member.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the buoyancy module or vessel advantageously may have a noncircular cross section to maximize buoyancy. The buoyancy module may be disposed in a floating platform with a grid structure with at least one individual square compartment through which the buoyancy module or vessel is disposed. The square compartment has a cross-sectional area. The non-circular cross-section of the buoyancy module or vessel advantageously defines an area greater than approximately 79 percent of the cross-sectional area of the square compartment. Preferably, the cross-section of the buoyancy module of vessel advantageously includes a polygon, such as hexagon, with an area greater than approximately 86 percent of the square compartment, or an octagon.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a bumper advantageously is disposed between the square compartment and the buoyancy module or vessel.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, more than one buoyancy modules advantageously may be limited to manageable sized but coupled together to achieve a desired buoyancy. A second elongate vessel may have an upper end directly attached to the lower end of the first elongate vessel. The first and second elongate vessels may have different lengths, and different volumes.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, which together illustrate by way of example, the features of the invention.


A method for manufacturing disk drive head suspensions of the type for supporting a transducer head in a loaded state at a fly height above an information storage disk. A desired loaded state side profile for the suspension is determined, for example, by experimental or numerical techniques. The nature and location of one or more weakening structures on the suspension are then determined. The weakening structures will cause the profile of the suspension to change as the suspension moves from an unloaded state to the loaded state, and to have the desired loaded state side profile when in the loaded state at the fly height. Experimental and empirical techniques can be used to determine the nature and location of the weakening structures. A plurality of the suspensions, each having the weakening structures, are then manufactured. Suspension manufactured by the method can be optimized for resonance and other performance-related characteristics.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the design and manufacture of disk drive head suspensions. In particular, the present invention is a head suspension having weakening structures for causing the profile of the suspension to be optimized for resonance performance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Head gimbal assemblies (HGAs), also sometimes known as head suspension assemblies (HSAs), are commonly used in rigid magnetic disk drives to support magnetic heads in close proximity to the rotating disk surfaces. Suspension assemblies of this type typically include an air bearing head slider assembly, also sometimes known as a transducer assembly, mounted to a suspension. The suspension includes a load beam having a mounting region on its proximal end and a gimbal or flexure on its distal end. When incorporated into a disk drive the mounting region is mounted to an actuator or positioning arm which supports the suspension assembly over the rotating disk. A baseplate is typically welded to the mounting region to increase the rigidity of the mounting region and to provide a mechanism for securely mounting the suspension assembly to the positioning arm. The load beam is an elongated and often generally triangularly-shaped member which includes a spring region adjacent to the mounting region, and a relatively rigid region which extends from the spring region. The flexure can be manufactured as a separate member and welded to the distal end of the load beam, or formed as an integral member in the distal end of the load beam. The air bearing head slider assembly contains a magnetic head and is typically bonded to the flexure by adhesive. The flexure allows the head slider assembly to move or "gimbal" (about rotational pitch and roll axes) with respect to the distal end of the load beam and thereby follow variations in the surface of the spinning disk. To enable the pivotal flexure movement, the surface of the flexure to which the head slider assembly is bonded is typically spaced from the adjacent surface of the load beam by structures known as load point dimples or formed offsets.
Suspensions are commonly manufactured by chemically etching flat or unformed load beam blanks from thin sheets of stainless steel. Flat and unformed flexure blanks are etched in a similar manner from sheets of stainless steel. During subsequent manufacturing operations side rails, load point dimples and any other structures which extend upwardly or downwardly from the web or generally planar surface of the load beam are formed on the load beam blanks by mechanical bending procedures. Any dimples, offsets or other structures on the flexures requiring deformation of this type are formed in a similar manner. After forming, the flexures are welded to the distal end of the load beams. Baseplates are also welded to the suspensions following the forming operations.
The product of these etching, welding and forming operations are generally flat suspensions (i.e., the mounting region, spring region and rigid region of the load beam are generally coplanar and at the same height. During subsequent manufacturing operations the spring region of the load beam is rolled around a curved mandrel or otherwise bent in such a manner as to plastically bend or permanently deform the spring region. The rolling operation imparts a curved shape to the spring region and causes the flexure to be offset from the mounting region when the suspension is in its unloaded or free state, and impart a "gram load" (described below) to the suspension. The profile can be generated by forming, stamping, rolling, warping (through use of a laser or other techniques for localized heating). The gram load imparted to the suspension also affects the suspension profile. Typically, the load beam will require multiple forming or heating steps to deform the load beam to the "optimal" profile with the desired gram load.
As noted above, the suspension supports the slider assembly over the magnetic disk. In reaction to the air pressure at the surface of the spinning disk, the slider assembly develops an aerodynamic force which causes the slider assembly to lift away from and "fly" over the disk surface. To counteract this hydrodynamic lifting force, the head suspension assembly is mounted to the disk drive with the suspension in a loaded state so the bent spring region of the suspension forces the head slider assembly toward the magnetic disk. The height at which the slider assembly flies over the disk surface is known as the "fly height." The force exerted by the suspension on the slider assembly when the slider assembly is at fly height is known as the "gram load."
An important performance-related criteria of a suspension is specified in terms of its resonance characteristics. In order for the head slider assembly to be accurately positioned with respect to a desired track on the magnetic disk, the suspension must be capable of precisely translating or transferring the motion of the positioning arm to the slider assembly. An inherent property of moving mechanical systems, however, is their tendency to bend and twist in a number of different modes when driven back and forth at certain rates known as resonant frequencies. Any such bending or twisting of a suspension can cause the position of the head slider assembly to deviate from its intended position with respect to the desired track. Since the head suspension assemblies must be driven at high rates of speed in high performance disk drives, it is desirable for the resonant frequencies of a suspension to be as high as possible. The detrimental effects of the bending and twisting at the resonance frequencies can also be reduced by minimizing the extent of the bending and twisting motion of the suspension (also known as the gain) at the resonant frequencies.
Common bending and twisting modes of suspensions are generally known and discussed, for example, in the Yumura et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,208 and the Hatch et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,734. Modes which result in lateral or transverse motion (also known as off-track motion) of the head slider are particularly detrimental since this motion causes the head slider to move from the desired track on the disk toward an adjacent track. The three primary modes which produce this transverse motion are known as the sway, first torsion and second torsion modes. The sway mode is a lateral bending mode (i.e., the suspension bends in the transverse direction along its entire length). The first and second torsion modes are twisting modes during which the suspension twists about a central longitudinal axis which extends from the mounting region to the flexure through the suspension's center of rotation. The first and second torsion modes produce transverse motion of the head slider if the center of rotation of the suspension is not aligned with the head slider.
Various techniques for compensating for the detrimental effect of resonance modes are known. The Yumura et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,208, for example, discloses load beam structures having a shear center at the gimbal contact point between the flexure and load beam. The Hatch et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,734 notes that the position, shape and size of the roll or bend in the spring region of the suspension, characteristics sometimes referred to as the radius geometry or radius profile of the suspension, can affect resonance characteristics. The Hatch et al. patent also discloses a fabrication method which uses computational finite element analysis to optimize the suspension radius region and dynamically decouple the head slider from the torsional motion of the rest of the suspension and/or to maximize the resonant frequency of the sway mode.
Oftentimes, the geometry of the side rails incorporated into a suspension do not provide optimal resonance characteristics (gain or frequency). To provide optimal resonance characteristics, the discrete cross sectional center of gravity and shear center can be specifically adapted to the application. However, volume constraints, wire routing and other complications usually dictate compromises which result in the use of non-optimal rail configurations (e.g., the commonly used "L"-shaped rails). As noted above, in these instances the profile of the suspension (e.g., the position, shape and size of the roll in the spring region) is used to move the center of gravity and shear center locations to enhance the resonance characteristics.
It is evident that there is a continuing need for suspensions having improved resonance characteristics. Suspensions optimized for several resonance characteristics would be particularly advantageous. To be commercially viable, the suspensions must be efficient to manufacture.

Method for designing a suspension having weakening structures for resonance-optimized side profile


A sprinkler device for distributing water comprising a body, a nozzle, a nozzle housing rotatably and slidably mounted in the body, a fluid flow interrupter for intermittently redirecting the stream of fluid exiting from the nozzle, an interrupter drive, a flow control assembly including a free floating valve for controlling water flow to the sprinkler head, reversing mechanism for reversing the direction of movement of the nozzle housing, and a nozzle positioning system for controlling sprinkler rotation speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to irrigation sprinklers, in general, and to an improved impact sprinkler unit, in particular.
2. Prior Art
Many regions of the world today use irrigation systems for the artificial distribution of water. One of the most widely used irrigation systems, particularly where water is not abundant or plentiful, is the sprinkler system wherein one or more sprinkler units are positioned about a land area for distributing water over the surface of the land area. Such systems are widely used in most developed countries for lawns, golf courses, playing fields and many field crops.
Impact sprinklers, in general, are well known in the art. Such sprinklers have been used for many years. Impact sprinklers are, generally, of two broad varieties or types. The first type is the open or common riser mounted sprinkler which is merely attached to the end of a riser stem or pipe formed by a water conduit. The second type is a similar sprinkler unit which is mounted within a housing which is, in turn, frequently buried beneath the surface of the ground so that the sprinkler is a "pop-up" unit.
The first type of sprinkler is most often used in open areas such as flower beds or the like which do not require close trimming, for example by a lawnmower of the like. These units extend upwardly from the surface and are somewhat obtrusive and unattractive. Consequently, they are used in areas where they are not readily observed.
The second type of sprinkler is most often used in lawn settings and is mounted within housings (or wells) which are buried underground. The top of the housing is substantially flush with the surface which can be easily mowed. The sprinklers, per se, are arranged to "pop-up" (or rise above the housing and the ground surface) when water is supplied. In this fashion, the sprinklers remain out of sight until activated.
However, the housings for this type of sprinkler, being open by design to accomodate the standard impact sprinkler arm, tend to become filled with debris such as dirt, grass clippings and the like. Any of the above hamper the ability of the sprinkler to pop-up, to retrace and the arm's ability to drive the sprinkler.
Also, known in the art are gear driven sprinklers wherein the nozzle is, effectively, rotated by a gear driving mechanism which is activated by the water applied to the sprinkler. These sprinklers have the advantage that their housings are closed by nature avoiding the open or well design of an impact sprinkler. However, it has been determined that these sprinklers are frequently subject to failure due to debris becoming engaged in the gear drive mechanism. As a consequence, a new design of sprinklers is needed.


A joint assembly and method of utilizing the same. The joint assembly includes a first joint member drivingly connected to a second joint member by using one or more third joint members. At least a portion of a cage member is interposed between the first and second joint members. When the first joint member is plunged in a first direction, at least a portion of one or more first engagement portions of the first joint member are in direct contact with at least a portion of one or more first engagement portions of the cage member. When the first joint member is plunged in a second direction, opposite the first direction, at least a portion of one or more second engagement portions of the first joint member are in direct contact with at least a portion of one or more second engagement portions of the cage member.

Various constant velocity joint assemblies are known in the art. Conventional constant velocity joint assemblies, such as cross-groove plunging constant velocity joint assemblies, have a maximum plunging distance that is restricted by an interference between the plurality of balls and a plurality of windows in a cage. In order to increase the plunging distance, the plurality of windows in the cage need to increase in size which decreases the amount of material between each of the windows. By decreasing the amount of material between each of window in the cage, the overall strength, durability, and life of the cage and the constant velocity joint assembly as a whole is drastically reduced. As a result, in order to provide a constant velocity joint assembly with a larger plunging distance, the diameters of the various components of the constant velocity joint assembly needs to increase to provide a cage that can accommodate the increased plunging distance while at the same time having the desired strength, durability, and life. This results in a constant velocity joint assembly that is heavier, has an increased packaging size, and is more expensive to manufacture.
It would therefore be advantageous to develop a constant velocity joint assembly that is lighter, has an improved plunging distance, has an improved packaging size, has improved crash characteristics, has an improved overall amount of energy absorption, is more cost efficient, and is customizable thereby allowing a single constant velocity joint assembly to be used in a wide variety of applications.

Constant velocity joint assembly and method thereof


According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of preparing second protocol data for transmitting over a first protocol network comprising the steps of compressing the data to be transmitted in accordance with the first protocol, to produced first protocol compressed data and encrypting the first protocol compressed data in accordance with the first protocol to produce first protocol compressed and encrypted data. The invention consists of a means for the client to indicate to the first hop proxy that it wishes S/MIME encryption to be applied to part of an outgoing message. The first hop proxy then applies this encryption on behalf of the client. The encryption is therefore applied after the message has traversed the end terminal link. On the first proxy link, the message is sent without S/MIME encryption and can therefore benefit from compression (before the first hop IPSEC encryption is applied). A second aspect of the invention allows the support of end-to-end compression to be negotiated between end devices so that SIP compression can be applied to data before it is encrypted using S/MIME by the end system.

There is currently a trend of migrating packet data communication onto low bandwidth networks such as cellular wireless networks, for example those specified by 3GPP. These networks can be used for multimedia sessions which are typically controlled by a protocol known as SIP (Session Initiation Protocol). SIP is an IETF standard which dictates the nature of messages which are transferred between multimedia devices in the network.
Multimedia devices may exchange SIP messages directly, or more often via network intermediates known as proxies. SIP proxies assist by routing SIP messages to the correct end point. End multimedia devices (which can send or receive) usually have a Default Proxy through which all outgoing and incoming SIP messages are routed. This default proxy can handle incoming messages when the device itself is not available (eg. route to voicemail server etc).
The SIP protocol includes end-to-end security capabilities (S/MIME) (Secure Multipurpose Interent Mail Extentions) which allow part of a message to be encrypted using a Public Key of the intended recipient. Other parts of the message remain unencrypted in order that they can be processed by intermediate entities (proxies) which assist in routing the message to the intended recipient.
In order to understand this more fully, it is useful to understand the SIP message format. FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a SIP message format. The SIP message 10 includes message headers 12 and a message body 14,14′ etc.
The SIP message follows common internet application layer message format and is similar to Internet Mail and HTTP. Message headers carry routing information and protocol machinery and are used by the proxies. Message bodies carry information end-to-end between multimedia devices, e.g. session parameters. The message is text encoded and the message bodies are formatted using MIME and security protected using S/MIME.
The S/MIME standard has predominantly been developed for securing Internet Mail. It allows the message body to be signed and therefore integrity protected and/or encrypted and therefore confidentiality protected. The proxies do not look at the message bodies, so the content and any associated encryption is transparent to proxies. Three common types of S/MIME protected message body are the Session Description Protocol (application/SDP) and SIP messages themselves (message/sip) or fragments of SIP messages (message/sipfrag).
The Session Description Protocol contains session parameters (media type, format, addresses etc.), possibly including encryption keys for the media.
Message bodies may also contain a copy of (parts of) the SIP Message Headers which can be compared with the received message headers to see if anything has been modified by the proxies or indeed if there have been any attacks on the SIP message.
Integrity protection is one of the most important applications. In addition, Encryption is needed for SDP to protect encryption keys and may be needed for SIPFRAGS's which contain additional headers for end-to-end use.
Key exchange protocols, e.g. MIKEY, can be embedded in SDP. MIKEY does not require secure transport, but does support an 'unprotected mode' for operation over secure transport such as S/MIME protected SDP
The effect of S/MIME on a SIP message can be seen schematically in FIG. 2. The protected SIP message 20 includes message headers 22 and at least one message body wrapper 24. The message body wrapper includes an encrypted body 26 and a digital signature 28. The encryption and integrity protection afforded by this S/MIME is base on Public Key Technology. This requires that a certificate of the sender in included in the integrity protected message along with the signature and the certificate of the recipient is needed before the encrypted message can be sent.
3GPP have adopted SIP for their IP Multimedia Subsystem and it is likely that S/MIME will soon be adopted although there are some problems associated with this which will be addressed in greater detail below.
Another vital part of the SIP protocol which is relevant to this invention is SIP compression.
SIP messages use a highly inefficient text encoding method and as such are very verbose. SIGCOMP is a standardised compression mechanism for SIP messages, including their SDP bodies. This standardised compression mechanism has been found to be especially useful for low-bandwidth links as such as cellular wireless as used in the 3GPP IMS standard. SIGCOMP is used link-by-link i.e. between an end device (UA) and first proxy or between pairs of proxies. In order for SIGCOMP top be used for the first message sent, the sender must know, a priori, that the receiver or proxy supports SIGCOMP.
The SIGCOMP Messages have a number of features that are of relevance to this invention.
The first SIGCOMP message contains instructions for the recipient to decompress the message. These are in the form of a special bytecode to be run on a 'Universal Decompressor Virtual Machine' (UDVM). Typically the instructions are between 30 and 300 bytes, depending on the compression scheme chosen by the sender. Subsequent messages rely on the state at the receiver created by previous messages, including the decompression code uploaded with the first message. The compression efficiency increases greatly as more messages are sent and more state is built up. Some 'initial state', in the form of a static dictionary of common SIP/SDP phrases, can also be assumed.
At present, SIP messages between a 3GPP client and the first proxy benefit from encryption over the wireless link according to the 3GPP wireless packet data standards. Standard techniques defined by the IETF such as IPSEC or TLS can also be used to confidentiality protect the message between client and first proxy. 3GPP has adopted a compression scheme for SIP messages to reduce the bandwidth used by SIP signalling on the radio link between client and first proxy. This compression would be applied after any partial end-to-end encryption (S/MIME) but before the first-hop encryption (3GPP radio encryption and IPSEC or TLS).
In the drive for 3GPP to adopt SIP encryption and compression as currently defined in the SIP protocol a number of problems have been identified.
Use of end-to-end S/MIME encryption within the 3GPP IMS effectively negates the effectiveness of SIP compression on the radio link. The gains from SIP compression are expected to be very significant (SIP is very compressible), and so compression is expected to be essential in delivering reasonable message transmission times and hence reasonable call setup times.
In addition, compression relies on patterns and repeated text in the message to be compressed and encryption removes any such patterns/repetition. Thus, encrypted parts of the message will not compress. This is a major barrier to the introduction of S/MIME encryption into 3GPP IMS or other low-bandwidth applications.


The plastic optical element has such a characteristic that it will gain a mass increase of no more than 0.1 mass % upon moisture absorption when it is left to stand for 30 days in an atmosphere with a temperature of 40° C. and a relative humidity of 20% and then left to stand for an additional 30 days in an atmosphere with a temperature of 40° C. and a relative humidity of 90%. The plastic optical element includes a plastic substrate and a multi-layered film covering the plastic substrate. The multi-layered film includes a lower inorganic layer formed over the plastic substrate and an upper organic layer formed over the inorganic layer.

This invention relates to the technical field of optical elements such as lens and prism and, more particularly, to plastic optical elements that undergo extremely small changes in characteristics upon absorbing moisture (water).
Conventionally, optical elements such as camera lens or viewfinders, various other kinds of lenses and prisms that are employed in copying equipments, printers, projectors and optical communications, as well as optical elements including eyeglass lens, contact lens and magnifier are in most cases manufactured from glass. However, with recent advances in the plastic forming technology, it has become popular to manufacture lenses and prisms from plastics that can be mass-produced from inexpensive starting materials and which are lightweight.
However, plastics have the disadvantage that their refractive indices and shapes will change upon moisture absorption. Because of these constraints, plastics are not suitable for use as the material of optical elements that require high precision, an example of which is a lens in a high-quality single-lens reflex camera.
With a view to solving this problem, attempts have been made to develop plastic materials having high moisture-proof quality (absorbing less moisture) through polymer structure design and other strategies; however, the kinds of promising plastic materials are so few that the degree of freedom in the design of optical elements is quite limited in various terms including cost. It is known to coat a surface of an anti-reflective layer of optical parts with a different material than the anti-reflective layer to a thickness of 0.5-20 nm and apply a water- and oil-repelling treatment on the anti-reflective layer (JP 2002-148402 A).
However, what is applied in this treatment is a single-layered coat of a silane coupling agent and it has no ability to prevent moisture absorption although it can repel water. In order to make plastic optical elements having moisture-proof quality, it is often attempted to add hydrophobic substances into the optical element as it is being molded or else, or cover the molded optical element with a barrier film impermeable to moisture. However, these methods are still incapable of producing plastic optical elements having adequate moisture-proof quality.


Portable folding tables which are particularly adapted for massage and other body therapy uses wherein each table includes two top sections which are hingedly connected at one end and which are supported by legs which are pivotally connected thereto. Each leg is reinforced by either a longitudinal pivotally folding brace, a guide assembly or a positive stop member. The legs, and reinforcing braces when used, are automatically deployed and stabilized by cable systems which extend both longitudinally and diagonally relative to the table legs.

The present invention is directed to portable tables of the type which are particularly adapted for use for massage and physical therapy and which include hingedly connected top sections which are supported by pivotal leg assemblies. The leg assemblies are designed to be collapsed into a stored position beneath the top sections so that the two top sections may be folded into a compact and portable configuration. Further, the present invention is directed to cable truss systems which automatically deploy the table leg assemblies when the top sections are unfolded relative to one another and the cables thereafter positively reinforcing and stabilizing the leg assemblies while providing maximum leg clearance beneath the tables.
Portable tables of the type which are utilized by massage and other body therapists not only must be lightweight to facilitate portability but also must be durable enough to provide a safe support for those receiving treatment. In this respect, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,638 to Gillotti, a massage worktable is disclosed which includes a reinforcing truss system incorporating cables, cords or wire ropes which connect each leg to an area adjacent a pivot joint of foldable tabletop sections with the cables extending generally parallel along each side of the table. Such a structure decreases the overall weight of the portable table, however, the truss design associated therewith is insufficient to provide adequate reinforcement to the table legs and further obstructs clearance for the practitioner beneath the table. A similar cable reinforcing structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,041 to Romein.
To further increase stability of foldable massage tables, U.S. Pat No. 4,833,998 to Everett et al. discloses providing pivotable leg braces for connecting each of the legs of a table to a point adjacent a hinge joint of the top sections of the table. With the Everett et al. structure, flexible cables are utilized to secure the upper portion of the legs adjacent their pivot point to an intermediate portion of an adjacent leg brace with the cables extending beneath additional cable supports that are mounted at the mid-point of the table such that the cables extend generally parallel with respect to one another along the opposite sides of the table. The leg braces associated with the Everett et al. structure provide increased rigidity, however, the cable system, like that of the cable system disclosed in Gillotti, requires that the cables extend along each of the elongated sides of the table in such as a manner as to possibly interfere with the movement of the practitioner about the table. Further, the cable system only provides rigidity lengthwise of the table but not laterally with respect to the length. Somewhat similar structures for cable trusses are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,009,170 to Spehar, 5,524,555 to Fanuzzi, and 5,676,062 to Lloyd.
Although many foldable therapeutic massage tables utilize reinforcing cable trusses that extend adjacent to and along the elongated sides of a table, U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,128 to O'Brian discloses a foldable massage table wherein the legs are reinforced by two sets of diagonal leg braces, one of which extends toward the center portion of the table and one which extends to a central portion of an adjacent end of the table. The cable system in the patent incorporates cables which extend diagonally between laterally oriented reinforcement braces provided adjacent each end of the table to a diagonally opposite leg of the table adjacent its upper pivot connection to the top section of the table. Although this type of cable system does provide some lateral stability and also provides for increased clearance beneath the top of the table when compared as to other portable massage tables, the cable truss reinforcement does not provide adequate stabilization in the area of the longitudinal braces associated with each leg.
In view of the foregoing, there remains a need to provide a lightweight portable massage or therapy table which incorporates cable reinforcing for the legs or leg assemblies which not only provides maximum clearance beneath the table, so as to not interfere with the practitioner, but also provides longitudinal and lateral rigidity for the leg or leg assemblies during use of the table.

Portable tables for massage and physical therapy


Described are methods of detecting G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) activity in vivo and in vitro; methods of assaying GPCR activity; and methods of screening for GPCR ligands, G Protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK) activity, and compounds that interact with components of the GPCR regulatory process.

The actions of many extracellular signals are mediated by the interaction of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory proteins (G proteins). G protein-mediated signaling systems have been identified in many divergent organisms, such as mammals and yeast. GPCRs respond to, among other extracellular signals, neurotransmitters, hormones, odorants and light. GPCRs are similar and possess a number of highly conserved amino acids; the GPCRs are thought to represent a large 'superfamily' of proteins. Individual GPCR types activate a particular signal transduction pathway; at least ten different signal transduction pathways are known to be activated via GPCRs. For example, the beta 2-adrenergic receptor (βAR) is a prototype mammalian GPCR. In response to agonist binding, βAR receptors activate a G protein (Gs) which in turn stimulates adenylate cyclase and cyclic adenosine monophosphate production in the cell.
It has been postulated that members of the GPCR superfamily desensitize via a common mechanism involving G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK) phosphorylation followed by arrestin binding. Gurevich et al., J. Biol. Chem. 270:720 (1995); Ferguson et al., Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol. 74:1095 (1996). However, the localization and the source of the pool of arrestin molecules targeted to receptors in response to agonist activation was unknown. Moreover, except for a limited number of receptors, a common role for β-arrestin in GPCR desensitization had not been established. The role of β-arrestins in GPCR signal transduction was postulated primarily due to the biochemical observations.
Many available therapeutic drugs in use today target GPCRs, as they mediate vital physiological responses, including vasodilation, heart rate, bronchodilation, endocrine secretion, and gut peristalsis. See, e.g., Lefkowitz et al., Ann. Rev. Biochem. 52:159 (1983). GPCRs include the adrenergic receptors (alpha and beta); ligands to beta ARs are used in the treatment of anaphylaxis, shock, hypertension, hypotension, asthma and other conditions. Additionally, spontaneous activation of GPCRs occurs, where a GPCR cellular response is generated in the absence of a ligand. Increased spontaneous activity can be decreased by antagonists of the GPCR (a process known as inverse agonism); such methods are therapeutically important where diseases cause an increase in spontaneous GPCR activity.
Efforts such as the Human Genome Project are identifying new GPCRs ('orphan' receptors) whose physiological roles and ligands are unknown. It is estimated that several thousand GPCRs exist in the human genome. With only about 10% of the human genome sequenced, 250 GPCRs have been identified; fewer than 150 have been associated with ligands.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.