A trailer tongue that can be rolled to an extended and retracted position. The present trailer tongue comprises a housing having and interior portion and an exterior portion. At least one track is located along the interior portion of the housing. In a particularly preferred embodiment, two tracks are welded to on the interior portion of the housing. The trailer tongue further includes a rollaway mechanism that preferably includes at least one wheel for rolling along the track. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the rollaway mechanism includes two wheels for rolling along the tracks welded to the interior portion of the housing. The wheels are positioned to cooperate with the tracks so that the slide mechanism rolls easily along the tracks from an extended position to a retracted position.

The present invention relates generally to trailer tongues and more particularly to trailer tongues attached to a trailer that may be moved either to a shortened position on a trailer to accommodate storage of a trailer in a garage or enclosed shelter, or to an extended operative position for towing behind a vehicle.
Trailers are used to tow a variety of items such as watercraft, vehicles, and equipment. Generally, trailers are connected to the rear of a vehicle by a ball and socket connection. A trailer ball is attached to the rear bumper area of a vehicle. The socket is connected to the trailer and is placed over the ball to secure the trailer to the vehicle. The ball and socket connection is preferred because it allows the trailer to pivot behind the vehicle during a turn. To allow the vehicle to be turned without binding against the trailer, as is known to those skilled in the art, a trailer tongue is positioned at the front of the trailer to provide the space necessary between the trailer and the towing vehicle.
Due to the increasing length of many of the trailers, it has become necessary to devise ways to shorten the trailer length. This is commonly accomplished through a variety of adjustable trailer tongues. Examples of such trailer tongues can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,129, issued to Clark, Jr. and U.S Pat. No. 4,331,346, issued to Walters. However, the inventions taught by those patents have many disadvantages. Clark, Jr. includes numerous component parts and requires a cover to shield the components from the weather. The trailer tongue in Clark, Jr. also does not extend and retract easily due to the pin and slot arrangement. Walters discloses a trailer tongue having an I-beam that requires a pulley system to extend and retract the tongue.
Therefore, there is a need for a trailer tongue that does not include numerous parts and that can be extended and retracted with minimal effort.
The present invention is a rollaway trailer tongue that can be incorporated into most any trailer. The trailer tongue can be rolled with minimal effort to an extended and retracted position by virtue of at least one wheel that rolls along a track. The present trailer tongue comprises a housing having an interior portion and an exterior portion. The housing is preferably made of steel plate or other material used to fabricate a trailer tongue. The housing can be welded or attached to the front end of most any trailer. The steel plate is formed so that it has a C-shaped cross-section having a top portion and first and second legs depending from the top portion. There is at least one track located along the interior portion of the C-shaped housing. Preferably the track is welded to one of the legs. In a most preferred embodiment, a track is welded to each of the first and the second legs on the interior portion of the housing.
The trailer tongue further includes a rollaway mechanism positioned within the interior portion of the housing. The rollaway mechanism preferably is made from square steel tube and has at least one wheel rotatably connected to the steel tubing for rolling along the track. The rollaway mechanism is sized so it can be positioned within the interior portion of the housing. In a most preferred embodiment, the rollaway mechanism includes two wheels rotatably connected on opposite sides of the steel tubing for rolling along the tracks welded to the interior portion of the housing. The wheels are positioned to cooperate with the tracks so that the rollaway mechanism rolls along the tracks from an extended position to a retracted position. As is common in most trailer tongues, a coupler may be positioned between the trailer and the socket connection so that a brake actuator can be included in the tongue to provide braking assistance as described further below.
The described invention and its related embodiments will be better understood in view of the accompanying drawings and following detailed description.


Embodiments of the invention relate generally to computing devices and systems, as well as software, computer programs, applications, and interfaces, and more particularly, to systems, devices and methods to activate telecommunications services. For example, a method may include configuring configuration data for a user account, the configuration data specifying a subset of telecommunications services for one or more user accounts, presenting in an interface an identifier for accessing the subset of telecommunications services, receiving data representing a request to activate the subset of telecommunications services associated with the identifier, the data representing the request including a user identification number, and activating the user account to include the subset of the telecommunications services, wherein configuring the configuration data occurs prior to presenting the identifier.

Conventional techniques for activating telecommunications services typically require users to go through a multiple-stage process. Even for a user who is evaluating a telecommunications service, the user is typically required to experience a multiple-stage process and delays between stages before being able to evaluate a telecommunications service to decide whether to use the telecommunications service. For example, a user is typically asked, in one stage, to provide contact information (e.g., name, address, or other contact information). In the alternative or in another stage, a user is typically asked to provide billing information (e.g., a credit card number). After contact and billing information has been provided, if required, activating a telecommunications service is itself a multiple-stage process.
FIG. 1 depicts an interface 100 typically used in traditional telecommunications service activation techniques. In a typical telecommunications service activation process, a window 102 is presented to a user in response to a request (not shown) to activate a telecommunications service. Window 102 includes an activation option ("Next") 104, which can be a link. As FIG. 1 shows, window 102 transitions to window 112 when the user selects activation option 104. The user then is presented with window ("Provisioning Panel") 112 to provide data to a conventional backend system 115 to provision a telecommunications service. Conventional backend system 115 operates to provision, configure and/or activate telecommunications services, such as a virtual PBX. The user typically experiences a transition back to window 102 if the user desires to review information regarding the telecommunications service. In some conventional backend systems, the user can also experience a delay before being able to proceed to the next step of an activation process, which typically resumes with window 102. To configure the telecommunications service, a user usually is required to transition from either window 102 or 112, by choosing either selection ("Next") 104 or selection ("Next") 106, respectively. Again, the user traditionally experiences another transition to window ("Configuration Panel") 122 to interact with conventional backend system 115 to configure the telecommunications service. Yet again, a user encounters further delays when the user transitions back to window 102, should, for example, the user desires to review information regarding the selected telecommunications service. The back-and-forth activation process continues between window 102 or 122 and window ("Activation Panel") 132 to activate the telecommunications service. By requiring the user to interact with two or more windows 102, 112, 122, and 132, the multiple-stage, back-and-forth process interrupts the user experience during activation. Thus, a user experiences numerous transitions in the process of procuring telecommunications services. It is also expected that, after each stage, some users decide not to continue with the relatively cumbersome activation process, resulting in the loss of potential customers or customers.
Thus, a solution is needed to provide a method and a system for activating telecommunications services, without the limitations of conventional techniques.


A device for transporting objects to a destination has the aim of providing an economical and simplified design of a technical solution for transferring containers in an ergonomic manner such that the operating processes are substantially facilitated. A transfer mechanism contains, on a vertically adjustable platform, a carrier for the object to be transported, which carrier can be extended horizontally in the direction of the destination. There is provided a compulsory linking of the vertical adjustment of the platform and the horizontal adjustment of the carrier and a shared driving element is provided for both adjustments. The device is used for the transport of objects in semiconductor fabricating plants.

a) Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a device for transporting objects to a destination with at least one transfer mechanism for transferring the objects between the device and a receiving element for receiving the objects at the destination.
Such devices can be used mainly in semiconductor fabricating plants and by manufacturers for outfitting such fabricating plants.
b) Description of the Related Art
In semiconductor fabricating plants, it is customary for the substrates that are to be processed to be transported in open or closed containers between various locations and various processing devices by means of transport devices which are especially constructed for this purpose. In so doing, the handling of the containers during the required loading and unloading processes should be effected in an ergonomic manner for the operators. This is particularly important as the size of the substrate to be processed increases and accordingly as the size and weight of the containers increase.
Known simple transport cars have a simple storage capability for the containers and require that the loading and unloading be performed by the operator.
Automatically controlled vehicles require no input on the part of the operator, since these vehicles can move independently by means of their electronic equipment and corresponding auxiliary systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,990 describes a mobile loading device in the form of a cart with a swivelable transport arm having a plurality of members which are pivotally connected with one another by means of joints. The transport arm is fastened at the upper end of a vertically adjustable shaft. The swivelable transport arm serves to transport SMIF containers to a semiconductor processing station and back to the cart. To this end, the containers are grasped by a gripper and set down on the depositing space in the semiconductor processing station by a swiveling movement. The return transport is effected in the reverse manner. The processes are controlled and monitored by communicating means for communication between the semiconductor processing station and the cart.
While the operator must carry out the movements with the transport arm in the x-y plane by rotating the joints between the members of the transport arm without additional support, a motor-driven auxiliary device is provided for movements of the transport arm in the z direction in order to facilitate handling of heavy objects.
It is disadvantageous that separate operating processes are required for different transport movement directions. This makes the work sequence as well as the construction of the transport device more complicated and accordingly more costly.
It is especially important to provide a solution which is as simple as possible when using a transport system as an interim solution for an automatic system because the containers to be transported overstep permissible ergonomic boundaries. Manually operated transport systems are required precisely in the early and middle construction phases in semiconductor fabricating plants in order to optimize outfitting and work sequences. However, such interim solutions rule out the use of automatic systems with complicated and expensive electronics and sensor systems for cost reasons.

Device for the transport of objects to a destination


Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory media for sensing radio frequency signals. For instance, radio frequency data can be received by an apparatus and from at least one wireless device in an environment. Based on the radio frequency data received from the at least one wireless device, the apparatus can determine sensing coverage of the at least one wireless device. The apparatus can further provide the determined sensing coverage and a position of at least one device to a user device.

Wireless sensing devices are capable of providing radio frequency features that can be used to detect objects in a given environment. For example, radio frequency sensing devices can include software and hardware components that can be distributed throughout an environment and can be configured to track users moving throughout the environment. In order to implement various telecommunications functions, wireless sensing devices can include hardware and software components that are configured to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals. For example, a wireless device can be configured to communicate via Wi-Fi, 5G/New Radio (NR), Bluetooth™, and/or ultra-wideband (UWB), among others.

Passive positioning with radio frequency sensing


The influence of a DC offset with a carrier-frequency offset at the same time is reduced in that the values of the assumed or determined DC offset and of the assumed or determined carrier-frequency offset are included in the determination of reliability information for one sub-carrier in the multicarrier system, and the reliability information is corrected in this way. A factor M, where M<1, is defined for each sub-carrier on the basis of the values for the DC offset and for the carrier-frequency offset, and the reliability information for the sub-carriers is multiplied by these factors M.

Within the European DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) system, digital transmission systems have been developed for satellite (DVB-S), for cable (DVB-C) and for terrestrial digital broadcast radio transmission (DVB-T), and appropriate specifications have been worked out for this purpose. As a result of the problematic transmission conditions which occur on the terrestrial radio channel, the OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) transmission method has been specified as the transmission method in the DVB-T specification, which makes it possible to effectively counter the difficult transmission conditions. A further field of application for the OFDM transmission method is formed by high-rate wire-free data transmission networks (WLAN=Wireless Local Area Network), in particular the Standards IEEE 802.11a and IEEE 802.11g, as well as HYPERLAN/2.
The OFDM transmission method is a multicarrier transmission method, in which the datastream is split between a number of parallel (orthogonal) sub-carriers, which are each modulated with a correspondingly low data rate. As is illustrated in FIG. 1, (sub-)carrier frequencies are arranged at equal intervals from one another within a transmission bandwidth K on the frequency scale. The carrier frequencies are located on both sides of and symmetrically with respect to a mid-frequency fc. One OFDM data symbol is formed from the superimposition of all K carrier frequencies. Since the data is transmitted in the form of data blocks of length Tu, which are separated from one another by guard intervals, the time signals in the sub-carriers are multiplied by a square-wave window function. The multiplication of a time signal by a square-wave window function corresponds to convolution of the spectrum with the Si function (si(x)=sin (x)/x, where x=pfTu). The length of a data block, which corresponds to the length of the window, thus determines the interval between the zero points and the Si function, with this frequency interval corresponding to the inverse of the data block length. If the spectrum as shown in FIG. 1 is convolved with the Si function, then this results in the diagram in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows the spectrum before the addition of the separate components of each sub-carrier, with four sub-carrier spectra being illustrated by way of example. The maximum of a sub-carrier in the frequency domain is theoretically located precisely at the zero points of all the other sub-carrier spectra. The amplitudes and phases of the sub-carrier oscillations are thus not corrupted by the adjacent frequencies. The channels are thus orthogonal with respect to one another.
OFDM radio signals can be received and demodulated by means of conventional reception concepts, which are based on the principle of heterodyne reception with subsequent digital quadrature mixing. However, more advanced reception concepts, in which direct-mixing methods are used, are becoming increasingly popular, particularly for reasons relating to lower power consumption and in order to avoid chip-external filters for mirror-image frequency suppression. In the case of direct-mixing receiver concepts (homodyne receivers), the radio signal, which is received via an antenna and is amplified, is split in the front end into an in-phase (I) and a quadrature (Q) path and is mixed directly to baseband in both paths using the output frequency from a local oscillator, with the oscillator frequencies which are supplied to the mixers being shifted through 90° with respect to one another by means of a phase shifter.
However, the occurrence of a direct-current component (DC offset) in direct-mixing receiver structures represents a significant problem, and makes it harder to process the received data, since components can be driven into the saturation range by the DC offset. In the case of orthogonal multicarrier systems, such as OFDM or DMT (Discrete Multi Tone), the addition of a DC offset corresponds in the time domain to the superimposition of an Si function on the spectrum, which corresponds in form and profile to the Si functions of the sub-carriers carrying the data, which maximum occurs at the frequency f=0 Hz. If the sub-carrier in the multicarrier system at the frequency f=0 Hz is not filled with data, this initially has no effects when considered theoretically, since the Si function has zero points at the maxima of all the other sub-carrier frequencies.
However, since a carrier-frequency offset generally also occurs during actual data transmission, this also causes a shift in the transmission spectrum. This means that two effects occur in the event of a DC offset. On the one hand, the maximum of the resultant Si function no longer occurs at the frequency f=0 Hz when the sub-carriers are not filled with data, but at the frequency of the carrier-frequency offset. On the other hand, the shift caused by the carrier-frequency offset results in the zero points of the Si function no longer being located at the sub-carrier frequencies, so that all of the sub-carriers are subject to interference. The individual sub-carriers are in this case interfered with to different extents depending on the profile of the Si function. The greatest interference components occur on the sub-carriers in the vicinity of the maximum of the Si function. In the boundary area, that is to say well away from the maximum of the Si function, the influence of the interference is less, since the amplitude of the superimposed Si function becomes less in these areas. The influence of the DC offset is thus significantly influenced by the amplitude of the DC offset and by the magnitude of the carrier-frequency offset. On the assumption that the amplitude of the DC offset or of the DC interference is constant, it can generally be assumed that the interference will rise as the magnitude of the carrier-frequency offset increases.
Multicarrier systems, in particular OFDM systems, are provided with channel coding for error protection. If a soft input channel decoder is used, the input values to the channel decoder are weighted with reliability information. The value of this reliability information is generally not the same for all of the sub-carriers, and may depend, for example, on the channel states at the sub-carrier frequencies.
German Laid-Open Specification DE 101 14 779 A1 discloses a transmitting and receiving unit which is used in an OFDM multicarrier system. The transmitting and receiving unit is designed such that the interference parameters of an I/Q modulator and of an I/Q demodulator can be detected in an OFDM signal. An OFDM test signal is up-mixed in the transmission path with the carrier frequency from the transmission oscillator to form an RF signal. A frequency interval such as this between the local oscillator and the transmission-end oscillator that corresponds, for example, to a carrier-frequency interval, is chosen in the reception path. The chosen combination of the carrier-frequency interval and of the sub-carriers at the frequency f=0 Hz means that the individual components do not overlap. This means that I/Q components in the transmission path, I/Q components in the reception path, any DC offset in the transmission path and any DC offset in the reception path do not overlap, so that separation is possible in the receiver. It is thus possible to detect and to compensate for the interference components separately from one another with a relatively high degree of complexity, so that DC-compensated signals can be transferred to the channel decoder.

Channel decoding for multicarrier signal transmission by means of DC-offset and carrier-frequency offset-dependent weighting of reliability information


Methods and systems for comparing and organizing color themes and word tag associations. One embodiment comprises a method for determining associated color themes based on an identified color theme by determining the distance between the identified color theme and each color theme of the collection of color themes, wherein each distance includes a color-based distance and the determined subset of associated color themes from the collection is based at least in part on the calculated distances from the identified color theme. Another embodiment comprises a method that allows an application to suggest tags for an identified color theme based on its similarity to color themes and associated tags of the color theme collection. Another embodiment suggests color themes based on an identified tag, and yet another embodiment suggests tags based on an identified tag.

A color theme is generally a set of several colors that are typically thematically related, but may also be defined as a single color. Color themes can be useful for the design of Web pages, print documents, design schemes, interior decorating, clothing lines, etc. Color themes have grown larger and more extensive over the years. It is not uncommon for a computerized collection of color themes to reach five, ten or even fifty thousand color themes, often left unsorted or uncategorized in the digital version of a junkyard. Current methods of using large collections of color themes often involve the use of tags. Generally, tags provide a highly flexible approach to organizing any kind of content. In the color theme context, tags, often a set of one or more words, are typically used to describe the look and feel of a color theme, the purpose of a color theme, or for other descriptive purposes, but may be arbitrarily assigned. For example, a color theme for a child's playroom might be tagged with "playful," "cheerful," or perhaps "Mary," if that is the child's name, to describe the purpose or content of the color theme. Tags may be metadata and can take other forms aside from keywords. Various tags are supported by Adobe® products Photoshop®, Illustrator®, Creative Suite®, Kuler™ and others.
The present version of Kuler™ (http://kuler.adobe.com/), an on-line application helps designers, such as interior decorators, Web page architects, document planners, or even ordinary consumers, choose, create, and share color themes on-line with others, and search for various color themes with associated tags. Kuler™ users can create a color theme for a new home office and associate the color theme with one or more tags, such as "cozy," "rebirth," etc. and then search for that color theme and other available color themes tagged with those exact tags (keywords).
Browsing through color theme collections becomes more difficult as the collection grows. Additionally, current color theme collection applications typically do not allow users to simply search for similar color themes based on an inputted or selected color theme. Present applications also fail to adequately facilitate consistent and relevant tagging of color themes. Generally, users are forced to manually browse through a color theme collection or use exact tag-based searching to view the tags used by others for related color themes.

Methods and systems for comparing and discovering and organizing color themes and word tag associations


Electronic devices may be provided that have antenna traces. The antenna traces may be configured to form an inductive loop that serves as a near field communications antenna. A layer of ferrite may be provided to reduce interference between the antenna and internal device components. The layer of ferrite and the antenna traces may be deposited on a common substrate such as a layer of polymer or a dielectric electronic device housing. A protective layer of polymer may be used to form a coating on the layer of ferrite. Ferrite may be formed on the same side of a substrate as the antenna traces or may be formed on an opposing side of the substrate.

This relates generally to electronic devices, and more particularly, to antennas for electronic devices.
Electronic devices such as portable computers and cellular telephones are often provided with wireless communications capabilities. For example, electronic devices may include cellular telephone circuitry and wireless local area network circuitry. Electronic devices may also be provided with circuitry for supporting near field communications (NFC).
It is often desirable to place a layer of ferrite material between a near field communications antenna and internal device components to reduce interference. This is typically done by laminating a layer of polymer ferrite film to a flexible printed circuit antenna using a layer of adhesive. Ferrite films are also available that use ceramic ferrites sandwiched between a carrier film and a protective film. The ceramic ferrites may be scored in a cross-hatch pattern to promote flexibility.
Using adhesive to attach a ferrite film to a flexible printed circuit antenna structure can add undesired thickness to an electronic device. Lamination techniques may also impose undesired process complexity during device fabrication.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved antenna structures with ferrite layers for electronic devices.

Electronic device antenna structures with ferrite layers


In an automatic medicament dispensing machine, a vial gripper mechanism includes a rotatable first jaw and a second jaw coupled with the output shaft of a jaw motor. In an open position, the jaws are spaced for receiving a medicament vial therebetween. Actuation of jaw motor rotates the second jaw toward the first jaw for gripping the vial therebetween in a gripping position. Continued rotation of the jaw motor causes rotation of both of said jaws and any vial gripped therebetween to a dispensing position for receipt of medicament into the vial from an adjacent dispensing cell.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with the field of automatic medicament dispensing machines. In particular, the invention is concerned with a vial gripper mechanism for use in such a machine including a rotatable first jaw and a second jaw coupled with the output shaft of a jaw motor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,919 discloses an automatic medicament dispensing machine having a plurality of medicament dispensing cells arranged in rows and vertical columns. A manipulator mechanism translates across the face of the cells for positioning a vial adjacent a selected cell for receipt of medicament therefrom. The mechanism includes a rotatable gripper finger coupled with a stationary gripper finger for holding a vial therebetween.
The gripper assembly of the '919 patent does not include the ability to determine whether a vial is present. If a vial is dislodged from the gripper fingers, the machine continues to operate as if a vial were present thereby presenting a malfunction in machine operation. Moreover, vials in different sizes are often needed and the gripper assembly of the '919 patent does not have the ability to determine the size of a vial being gripped between the fingers thereby limiting the utility of this assembly.


Disclosed are coolants comprising brazed metal corrosion inhibitors. In one embodiment, the disclosed brazed metal corrosion inhibitor will comprise a polycarboxylic acid functional compound having the structure:

Transportation vehicles in use today are often powered by internal combustion engines (ICE) using either gasoline or diesel fuel. Due to the need to increase energy efficiency, reduce pollution and lessen petroleum dependence, vehicles using more advanced propulsion technologies are being developed. Of particular interest are alternatives to traditional ICEs such as electric motors, fuel cells and combinations thereof.
For example, hybrid electric vehicles use both ICEs and electric motors in the propulsion system. The ICE in a hybrid electric vehicle, as in any ICE-powered car, produces power through continuous, controlled explosions that push down pistons connected to a rotating crankshaft. That rotating force (torque) is ultimately transmitted to a vehicle's wheels.
The electric motor in a hybrid electric vehicle is energized by a battery. The battery is continuously recharged by a generator that—like the alternator of a conventional car—is driven by the ICE. In conventional ICE vehicles, energy from deceleration is wasted as it dissipates. In some hybrid vehicles, regenerative braking systems capture that energy, store it, and convert it to electricity to help propel the vehicle—hence increasing energy efficiency. Some hybrid vehicles use ultracapacitors to extend the life of the on-board battery system via the capture of power from regenerative braking and its release for initial acceleration.
Fuel cells are a clean and efficient power source. The fuel cells proposed for use in transportation vehicles produce electricity through electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. In fuel cell powered vehicles, hydrogen may be stored as a pressurized gas in onboard fuel tanks. The electricity produced by the fuel cell charges a storage battery (similar to those employed in some hybrid electric vehicles) that energizes the vehicle's electric motor. Thus, a fuel cell vehicle may also be considered as a type of hybrid vehicle.
Despite the differences between traditional ICE powered vehicles and those powered by the various alternative power systems, i.e., electric, fuel cell and combinations thereof, most transportation vehicles require the management and control of excess thermal energy. That is, most transportation vehicles regardless of power source require a cooling system designed to shift or transfer undesirable accumulations of thermal energy or heat.
In most cooling systems, regardless of power source, a coolant is used to the heat from the ICEs, electric motors, fuel cell stacks, and/or other heat generating components in a vehicle. The coolant is then forced to flow through a heat exchanger (e.g., a radiator) to be cooled down by air. The cooled coolant flows back to the coolant tank where it can be pumped back to the heat sources of the vehicle to again remove excess or undesirable heat.
In order to maximize the amount of surface area available for transferring heat between the coolant and the environment, the heat exchanger may be of a tube-and-fin type containing a number of tubes that thermally communicate with high surface area fins. The fins enhance the ability of the heat exchanger to transfer heat from the coolant to the environment.
However, such traditional heat exchanger configurations require significant metal mass. High weight vehicle components are now undesirable in view of environmental standards that require improved fuel economy (mile/gal) and reduced emissions. According, it is now desirable for heat exchangers to be constructed entirely or predominately of lower weight metals, especially aluminum or aluminum alloys.
Several methods have been employed in the manufacture of heat exchangers for use in transportation vehicles.
In the past, mechanical expansion techniques have been used for mass-production of radiators. Mechanical expansion techniques rely solely on the mechanical joining of the heat exchanger components to ensure their integrity. Advantages of these methods include good mechanical strength and avoidance of joining operations that require the use of a furnace operating at high temperature. The disadvantages of these methods include inferior thermal performance and a relatively high final weight for the finished heat exchanger.
To overcome the disadvantages of the mechanical expansion-type heat exchangers, heat exchangers have been increasingly formed by a brazing operation, wherein the individual components are permanently joined together with a brazing alloy. Generally, brazed heat exchangers are lower in weight and are able to radiate heat better than heat exchangers formed by mechanical expansion.
Brazing operations used in heat exchanger manufacturing have traditionally occurring in vacuum furnaces. More recently, a brazing technique known as "controlled atmosphere brazing (CAB)" has become accepted by the automotive industry for making brazing aluminum heat exchangers. Illustrative examples of CAB brazed aluminum heat exchangers as that term is used herein include radiators, condensers, evaporators, heater cores, air charged coolers and inter-coolers.
CAB brazing is preferred over vacuum furnace brazing due to improved production yields, lower furnace maintenance requirements, greater braze process robustness and lower capital cost of the equipment employed.
However, in a CAB process, a fluxing or flux agent is applied to the pre-assembled component surfaces to be jointed. The fluxing agent is used to dissociate or dissolve and displace the aluminum oxide layer that naturally forms on aluminum alloy surfaces. The fluxing agent is also used to prevent reformation of the aluminum oxide layer during brazing and to enhance the flow of the brazing alloy. Illustrative fluxing agents include alkaline metal or alkaline earth metal fluorides or chlorides.
One widely used flux for brazing aluminum is sold under the trademark Nocolok®, which appears to be a mixture of K3AlF6, K2AlF5 and KAlF4. (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,328 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,501). Fluoride-based fluxes are generally preferred over chloride based fluxes for brazing aluminum or aluminum alloys because they are inert or non-corrosive as aluminum and its alloys but are substantially water insoluble after brazing. In fact, due to its non-corrosive nature and tolerance to brazing assembly fit-up and flexible control, Nocolok® flux brazing is a particularly advantageous method of joining of aluminum heat exchangers. It is now commonly used by the automotive industry in the manufacture of aluminum and aluminum alloy heat exchangers.
Unfortunately, it has been found that residual brazing flux remaining on an aluminum or aluminum alloy surface will leach out fluoride ions. It is believed that the leached fluoride ions can lead to localized corrosion on the metal substrate when it is immersed in the coolant of a cooling system. This undesirable localized corrosion resulting from residual flux has been found to occur in a number of currently available commercial coolants, including those containing organic acid based (or extended life) or hybrid-based (i.e., containing a smaller amount of silicate than traditional silicate based coolants and also one or more organic acids) corrosion inhibitors.
Moreover, the coolants employed in fuel cell powered vehicles have special requirements. For example, coolants are required to cool both the fuel cell stack and the "balance of the plant" systems, such as air compressors, electric motors, DC to AC converter, and other systems. However, the coolant used to cool the fuel cell stack must have a very low electrical conductivity, (e.g., less than 5 μS/cm) in order to minimize electrical shock hazard, corrosion and efficiency reduction.
A fuel cell assembly typically includes an anode (a negatively charged electrode where the oxidation reaction of a fuel, e.g., hydrogen, takes place), a cathode (a positively charged electrode where the reduction reaction of an oxidant, e.g., oxygen, takes place), and an electrolyte in between the two electrodes. To produce sufficient power for use as a vehicle engine, a fuel cell based engine needs to have many cells connected in series together to form a fuel cell stack. Each single cell will typically operate at a voltage of 0.6-1.0V DC. The proposed fuel cell stack for use in vehicles often has more than 100 cells connected in series. Hence, the DC electrical voltage across the fuel cell stack can be very high. The typical reported cell voltage in an automotive fuel cell stacks generally ranges from 125-450V DC.
In addition to generating significant electric power, a fuel cell assembly also generates substantial heat due to the exothermic nature of the electrochemical reactions involved and the flow of electrical current.
Thus, a fuel cell stack also contains coolant channels for the circulation of coolant to remove heat from the stack. In circulating a coolant through the coolant channels, the temperature of the fuel cell stack may be controlled at the desirable range for optimal operating conditions. The cooling system surrounding the fuel cell stack, however, is exposed to the same electrical voltage as the fuel cell stack itself. To prevent or minimize electrical shock hazard, the coolant must have very low conductivity. For example, the upper limits for coolant conductivity may be set to less than 5 μS/cm (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,624). Low electrical conductivity for fuel cell coolant is also desirable for the reduction of shunt current in the coolant system and the minimization of system efficiency reduction.
Higher concentrations of fluoride ions in a fuel cell coolant from residual brazing flux produce an increase in the electrical conductivity of the fuel cell coolant. Thus, the interaction of residual brazing flux and coolant is particularly undesirable in a CAB brazed fuel cell heat exchanger, not withstanding the localized corrosion issues present in any CAB brazed heat exchanger.
Accordingly, the widespread use of CAB processes in heat exchanger manufacturing has led to concerns about: (1) localized corrosion of brazed aluminum surfaces due to the interaction of brazing fluxes and currently available coolants and (2) the effects of residual brazing fluxes upon the electrical conductivity of coolants currently used in aluminum based fuel cell heat exchangers, i.e., undesirable increases in electrical conductivity. These issues are of particular concern with regard to fluoride based brazing fluxes.

Methods for inhibiting corrosion in brazed metal surfaces and coolants and additives for use therein

Abstract: wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 are each independently selected from the group consisting of H, OH, COOH, C1-C10alkyl groups, glycol esters, anhydride groups, —COOM, and combinations thereof, wherein M is at least one of H, alkali metal ions, alkali earth metal ions, NH4+, amines, imidazoline, polyalcohol esters, C1 to C12 alkyl groups, and combinations thereof; wherein (1) at least three of R1, R2, R3, and R4 contain the group —COOM, wherein M is defined above; or (2) at least two of R1, R2, R3, and R4 contain an anhydride group, and at least one of R1, R2, R3, and R4 contain the group —COOM, wherein M is defined above.


The present disclosure provides a method (100) in a network device for channel estimation. The method (100) includes: transmitting (110) to a terminal device an instruction to precode each of a number, L, of DeModulation Reference Signals, DMRSs, using a number, N, of linearly independent precoders, respectively; receiving (120) from the terminal device L*N precoded DMRSs; estimating (130) an equivalent channel associated with an uplink channel from the terminal device to the network device based on one or more of the L*N precoded DMRSs; and determining (140) the uplink channel from the equivalent channel based on the N precoders.

Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), particularly Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO) is a technique that can increase system throughput very effectively. Theoretically, when a number, M, of antennas are equipped at a network device (e.g., an evolved NodeB, or eNB), an M-layer MU-MIMO system can be supported or an increase of throughput by a factor of M can be achieved.
In order for a MIMO system to work properly, it is important that the network device knows channels to/from all terminal devices (e.g., User Equipments, or UEs) to be grouped. For example, an eNB can allocate a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) to a UE. Upon receiving the SRS from the UE, the eNB can estimate an uplink channel from the UE to the eNB based on measurement of the SRS. In a Time Division Duplex (TDD) system, in addition to the uplink channel, the eNB can obtain a downlink channel from the eNB to the UE due to channel reciprocity in TDD system.

Methods and devices for channel estimation


A high capacity computer disk drive system operating a micro-hard disk drive is disclosed in which the hard disk rotates at a speed of approximately 2746 r.p.m. and in which the data received from the host computer for storage on the hard disk is converted to 2,7 RLL coding prior to being written onto the disk. The disk drive system disclosed herein has a formatted data storage capacity in excess of 10 MB and an unformatted digital information storage capacity in excess of 12.5 MB, using both sides of the disk. The micro-hard disk drive system is connected to a host computer using a Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) which eliminates the need to provide additional disk controller hardware and software in the host computer. The micro-Winchester disk drive system is particularly suited to meet the needs of a portable computer system.

The present invention relates to a micro-hard disk drive system, and in particular, a micro-Winchester high capacity disk drive with integral controller electronics.
With the rapidly expanding development of personal computers, portable personal computers and desk top data processing systems, there has been a demand for increasing the performance of the disk drive systems of such computers. A major development in that direction has been the introduction of small Winchester disk drives as replacements and enhancements to floppy disk drives for program storage. The Winchester disk drive in general provides higher capacities and faster speeds of operation, factors which are important for the effective use of personal computers running advanced software packages.
The types of Winchester disk drives that have been developed in that regard were based upon the use of hard disks of diameter of approximately five and one-quarter inches, also known as mini-Winchester disks. Such so called "five and one-quarter inch" disk drives have generally developed as an "industry standard." Such Winchester disk drive systems can typically store 5-30 Megabytes of information when designed around an open-loop positioning system using a stepper motor capable of supporting up to approximately 360 data tracks per inch. However, advances made by the assignee of the present invention have expanded the storage capacity of the typical five and one-quarter inch disk drive up to 600 tracks per inch using the same basic type of open-loop positioning system. Such a track density had previously been believed unobtainable with stepper motor technology.
With the introduction of portable personal computers, it is clearly a performance advantage to achieve a high degree of software compatibility with the desk top computing systems. In addition, portability demands special requirements on the incorporation of a hard disk system, for example, light weight, low-power consumption and the capability of withstanding harsher shock and vibration conditions. However, software compatibility also demands performance parameters such as data storage capability, comparable to those available on five and one-quarter inch mini-Winchester disk drive systems.
Among the various advances that have been made in the construction and operation of disk drive systems are those developments made by the assignee of the present application, Rodime PLC, which developments are set forth in the following U.S. Patent and Patent applications. The subject matter of such patent and patent applications is hereby incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,095, entitled "Method of and Apparatus for Generating a Unique Index Mark from the Commutation Signal of a D.C. Brushless Motor," discloses a system for providing a unique index mark relative to the computer disk which is required for avoiding errors in addressing a memory location on the disk surface. That index mark is provided by correlating the commutation signal from a d.c. motor with a synchronizing signal present on one or more discrete tracks of the computer disk.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 332,003, (now abandoned) entitled "Read/Write Head Thermal Compensation System," discloses a thermal compensation system used by Rodime PLC in its five and one-quarter inch disk drive system. The positioning mechanism of that system is shown in FIG. 5 of the present application. That thermal compensation system uses different materials with different co-efficients of thermal expansion for various components of the positioning mechanism for the read/write head used in the disk drive system. In the operation of that thermal compensation system, in response to a change in temperature, a mispositioning of the read/write head is compensated for by a counter-movement due to the selection of various materials with different co-efficients of thermal expansion within the mechanical arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,192, entitled "Ventilation System for a Computer Disk Drive Hub Assembly," discloses a ventilation system for use in a computer disk drive which enables the disk file data storage capacity to be increased for a given volume of chamber housing the disk and improves the disk drive operating performance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,259, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Controlling a Stepper Motor," discloses a system for minimizing oscillations of the stepper motor for a single step, minimizing the time taken for the stepper motor to move between tracks for multi-track seek operations and reducing the angular hysteresis due to the mechanical and magnetic properties of the stepper motor construction. In controlling the operation of the stepper motor, a microprocessor circuit is adapted to drive the stepper motor in accordance with predetermined programs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,988, entitled "Micro-Hard Disk Drive System," discloses a high-density micro-Winchester hard disk system using a hard disk of approximately three and one-half inches and having digital information stored at a density of approximately 600 concentric tracks per inch, and at a storage density equivalent to at least 5 Megabytes per hard-disk. A stepper motor is designed to increment in steps of 0.9.degree. which causes the read/write head to move from one track to the next adjacent track on the hard disk. For many applications, it has now become advantageous to utilize a high performance three and one-half inch Winchester disk drive having a storage capacity in excess of that achieved in the above-disclosed micro-hard disk drive system, namely in excess of 10 Megabytes. Such increased storage capacity allows the use of more sophisticated programs and the storage of data for use therewith than has been possible heretofore.
Such prior art disk drives have almost exclusively used the "industry standard" ST 506 interface to the host system. That interface has the disadvantage that it defines fundamental operating parameters of the disk drive, such as MFM (modified frequency modulation) coding, data transfer rate and disk rotational speed, which limit the storage capability of the disk drive. The ST 506 interface further requires additional controller electronics to be provided by the user to carry out formatting, MFM encode/decode, block address decode, error detection/correction and other functions.
While the invention described herein utilizes an open-loop positioning system to achieve cost effectiveness while still attaining a storage capacity in excess of 10 Megabytes, a more expensive closed-loop positioning system could readily be utilized in place of that open-loop positioning system.


In a system in which a host computer performs lifetime management for components of a plurality of copiers, components whose lifetimes are to be managed can be freely selected copier by copier and, as a result, warning reports can be transmitted with a reduced number of communication sessions. The copiers are each equipped with a device for management, so that counting can be performed for their individual components and interlock counts for such counting can be freely specified. The host computer compares a count received through communication with a threshold value to issue a report within the host computer. Within one copier, during a period after a component PM call is issued and before a component is replaced, even if another component becomes a target of a component PM call, the component PM call is not issued. When a component replacement report is received, a report of a component PM call is automatically deleted from an urgency report list. A component whose component PM call has been exceeded is indicated with a mark requesting replacement.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an equipment management system for systematically performing data communication and managing a network, such as a management system for supporting component-by-component maintenance services for components that require regular replacement such as photosensitive drums and paper feeding parts of electronic photocopiers, and especially relates to an improvement on the method of managing component lifetimes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
These days, between users of photocopiers and a maintenance company that manages those copiers is often operated a copier management system that mainly utilizes telephone lines. Such a management system enables the maintenance company to collectively manage a large number of copiers in terms of, for example, replacement component procurement, machine condition, copy count, paper-jam history, maintenance data, and others, on a copier-by-copier basis.
Generally, in a copier management system of this type, a communications control device is attached to each of the copiers, and a host computer is installed in the maintenance company. The device is linked to the host computer over a telephone line via communications modems provided at each end. Here, the host computer not only receives from the device all data concerning the copier, including data for calling a serviceperson, but it also sets data on that device; for example, the host computer sets the phone number by which it is accessed, the time at which regular periodical dialing is performed, the copy count permitted under contract, and others, in order to initialize the copier. Based on those settings, the device communicates with the host computer. In this way, all the copiers are managed collectively.
In such a management system, the communications control device is conventionally constructed, for example, as follows. The conventional device is provided with a plurality, e.g. 22, of resettable count fields, and those count fields are each allocated to different major components or units that require replacement as a result of exhaustion or wear. Some of these components or units are interlocked with the total count of the copier, and some are interlocked with other signals. For example, in the case of paper-feed units, each paper-feed unit individually performs paper-feed actions, and the total count is incremented every time such a paper-feed action takes place.
It is possible to set threshold values individually for the counts stored in the above described component-by-component count fields provided in the device, so that, when a threshold value is exceeded, the device generates a report indicating that the corresponding component is being used beyond its lifetime, and transmits the report to the host computer. The host computer regularly checks such reports received from the device, so that, if necessary, a serviceperson visits the site where the copier is installed and performs maintenance work for the copier, including replacement of components listed in such reports.
The threshold values are usually set to, for example, 90% of actual component lifetimes, so that the components can be monitored to be protected against use beyond their lifetimes. Furthermore, when a threshold value for a component is exceeded, it is also possible, in addition to transmitting a warning report to the host computer, to transmit all the component-by-component count data at the same time as such a report is transmitted. Note that the counts in the count fields can be reset individually on an occasion of maintenance of the copier.
However, in the above described conventional system, the 22 count fields are individually compared with their respective threshold values, and, every time one threshold value is exceeded, the host computer needs to be accessed through communication. This means that communication occurs 22 times at most. As a result, such a system not only leads to high communication costs, but also makes monitoring tasks difficult because, during periods between regular checking sessions, the host computer becomes heavily loaded with reports from the device, with its screen filled with a large amount of information.
To solve such problems related to communication costs and others, the device may be so configured that, when a threshold value for one component is exceeded, the device transmits the count data for the other components as well. This allows the counts to be reset every time communication takes place, and accordingly only one communication session is required. However, since the counts for components other than that particular component are also reset, it is not possible to know the conditions after the communication session. Thus, this configuration fails to achieve the original aim.
Moreover, even though these 22 count fields are incremented according to signals from the copier that are interlocked with them, the counts for individual components and the signals from the copier that are available in the conventional system are predetermined. Accordingly, each count field corresponds to a particular component, and is distinguished by a generic name such as "photosensitive drum" and "developer". For example, for a five-deck paper feed section, even though the first to fifth paper feed decks are defined separately, counting cannot be performed on a component-by-component basis within the paper feed section.
As described above, since the count fields are fixed fields that correspond one-to-one to particular components, it is impossible to flexibly cope with cases where, for example, the copier is replaced with a new model which has a different construction. Specifically, in the above described example, it is impossible to separately manage the individual components within the same paper feed section. More specifically, the paper feed section has a different number of decks depending on the model, and therefore, if the paper feed section has less than five decks, one or more fields will be left unused and blank. Moreover, it is impossible to cope with a model that includes a new expendable component to which no count field is allocated.

Equipment management system that issues a warning when the lifetime of a component has been exceeded and disables the warning when such a warning is to be generated for a different component


A drinking dramatization glass (1) incudes: a glass body (10) being a bottomed cylinder with a top opening (11); a fixing mechanism (16) for fixing an image display device (80) on the side face of the glass body; a transparent part (12) for viewing, from the exterior of the glass body, an image displayed on an image display part (101) of the image display device; and a beam splitter (30) placed inside the glass body; wherein the image displayed on the image display part is spectrally dispersed into two images (a reflected image 83 and a transmitted image 84) by the beam splitter, and the two images pass through the transparent part and reach the exterior of the glass body.

At parties, receptions, and other events, oftentimes the participants toast by clinking their glasses containing drinks, to share their joy with one another.
In the past, glasses have been developed that offer various functions in addition to containing drinks.
For example, Patent Literatures 1 and 2 disclose an art of using a sensor to detect that a glass has been raised, and then outputting various sounds from a speaker provided in the lower part of the glass.
Patent Literature 3 discloses an art, pertaining to a glass equipped with a means for detecting its tilt angle, of producing voices according to the tilt angle of the glass.
Patent Literature 4 discloses an art of placing a light-emitting piece in an intermediate layer between the interior wall and the exterior wall of a glass, with the light-emitting piece emitting light when the glass is shaken.
Patent Literatures 5 and 6 disclose an art of placing a display device on the surface of a glass and allowing the image displayed on the display device to be changed manually or according to the output of a motion sensor that detects the state of the glass.
Patent Literature 7 discloses an art of placing a display device on the surface of a glass, while placing a control module and connection terminals in a space at the bottom of the glass. By hardwiring it to an external computer via the connection terminals, the control module can download multiple types of image data and display them on the display device.
Patent Literatures 8 to 10 disclose a drinking dramatization glass invented by the inventor of the invention under the present application for patent. This drinking dramatization glass comprises: a glass body; a storage part extending from the bottom part, toward the interior side, of the glass body and used for storing a mobile communication device; and a waveguide part extending from the side face, toward the interior side, of the glass body and used for letting the radio waves from the mobile communication device pass through. This drinking dramatization glass can let the radio waves from the mobile communication device pass through to the exterior to enable wireless communication, even when a drink is filled inside the glass body.
Patent Literatures 11 and 12 disclose a drinking dramatization glass invented by the inventor of the invention under the present application for patent. This drinking dramatization glass comprises an image display device fixed on the side face of the glass using the storage part, and a reflective mirror or half mirror placed inside the glass body, and the glass allows for dramatization based on pseudo-projection of the image from the image display device onto the interior of the glass.

Drinking dramatization glass, drinking dramatization system, remote toast counter system, storage medium and drink freeze container


A method (10) for restoring a microwave link is provided. The method (10) is performed by a network entity (7) and comprises receiving (11) information from a node (3) controlling a microwave antenna (5), the information indicating that an obstacle is at least partly obscuring the microwave antenna (5), and instructing (12), based on the received information, an unmanned aerial vehicle (6) adapted for maintenance work to fly to a given location for removing the obstacle on the microwave antenna (5). A method (40) in a network node (3), a method (70) in an unmanned aerial vehicle (6) and devices are also provided.

Increasing demand for mobile broadband creates increased capacity requirements in air interface as well as in a backhaul network. The backhaul network comprises links interconnecting access nodes (e.g. base stations) and connecting access nodes to core network nodes. Microwave backhaul is one option that can be used for meeting this increasing demand, as microwave backhaul has high performance and low cost of ownership.
One drawback is that microwave link antennas may get icy in cold weather which creates a misalignment of the narrow beams, and hence deteriorate the backhaul link performance. Maintenance personnel then need to get to the antenna for removing the ice and restoring its function, which is a time-consuming and costly handling.


A security management system includes a fusion engine which “fuses” or assembles information from multiple data sources and analyzes this information in order to detect relationships between raw events that may indicate malicious behavior and to provide an organized presentation of information to consoles without slowing down the processing performed by the data sources. The multiple data sources can comprise sensors or detectors that monitor network traffic or individual computers or both. The sensors can comprise devices that may be used in intrusion detection systems (IDS). The data sources can also comprise firewalls, audit systems, and other like security or IDS devices that monitor data traffic in real-time. The present invention can identify relationships between one or more real-time, raw computer events as they are received in real-time. The fusion engine can also assess and rank the risk of real-time raw events as well as mature correlation events.

The nature of a distributed network, such as the internet, makes it vulnerable to attack. The internet was designed to allow for the freest possible exchange of information, data, and files. However, this free exchange of information carries a price: many users will try to attack the networks and computers connected to the internet; many users will also try to invade other users' privacy and attempt to crack databases of sensitive information or intercept information as it travels across intermet routes.
To detect or prevent such computer attacks, intrusion detection systems (IDS) and software programs that gather information and make changes to security configurations of network computers have been developed. However, these conventional intrusion detection systems can typically have many problems and drawbacks. Conventional intrusion detection systems typically comprise hardware that is dedicated to intrusion detection on networks. Other intrusion detection systems can simply comprise programs running on a host computer.
The problems and drawbacks of many conventional intrusion detection systems can be attributed to at least two parameters that are part of any detection design: The first parameter is the speed in which a detector of an intrusion detection system must run in order to be transparent to the data or communication that flows through the detector. Detectors that typically run on dedicated personal computers must be able to handle constantly increasing loads of information traffic, as network speeds increase from 100 megabits per second to gigabit per second speed and beyond. Because of these high speeds, a detector of an intrusion detection system cannot perform complex analysis of the information that flows through the detector for obvious reasons. That is, if a detector were to perform complex analysis of the information flowing through it, then such analysis would fail to keep up with the flow of information that passes through the detector.
A second key parameter that is part of any detection design is typically the volume of information that may pass through a detector. Because of the high speed at which information passes through a detector, a detector must be able to analyze high volumes of data packets.
In light of current network speeds and the corresponding volume of information that is generated as a result of the network speeds, many detectors of conventional intrusion detection systems can provide very limited protection against complex and more sophisticated computer attacks. This limited protection can manifest itself when many false positives are generated by an intrusion detection system. In other words, many conventional intrusion detection systems may generate false alarms based on communications between computers that do not comprise any threat or attacks.
In addition to false alarms, conventional intrusion detection systems are typically not equipped to handle complex analysis because of the limitations on current processing speeds. For example, many conventional intrusion detection systems cannot execute central processing unit-intensive checks such as the well-known L0pht Crack. The L0pht Crack decode can use cryptographic challenge-response data from Windows (SMB) connections to crack passwords in use on a network. The conventional method for executing L0pht Crack is to obtain packets using a packet-capturing tool and then crack the passwords offline. Conventional intrusion detection system typically cannot employ the L0pht Crack method in any real-time analysis.
Another obstacle of conventional intrusion detection systems is that most intrusion detection systems have very limited or short term memory capacity. In other words, long histories of data streams are seldom kept by the detectors in conventional intrusion detection systems.
Another problem of conventional intrusion detection systems is that the detectors of such systems typically only watch or observe a single environment. For example, detectors usually observe only parts of networks. Conventional detectors typically have a limited scope of awareness since they are designed to observe only portions of a network instead of the entire network as a whole. Because conventional detectors typically monitor only portions of a network, they are unable to track more sophisticated computer attacks such as distributed attacks.
In addition to the inability to track more sophisticated computer attacks, many conventional intrusion detection systems do not permit active probing of an attacker or the target of a computer attack. Active probing typically involves making a determination to see whether a computer attack has had an effect on its target. Further, probing can also comprise methods for discovering additional information about an attacker. However, as mentioned above, most intrusion detection systems do not permit active probing since such probing could reveal the location of the detector. And if the location of a detector is revealed, it sometimes may also become a target for a computer attack.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a method and system for managing security information for an entire network. That is, there is a need in the art to log, investigate, respond to, and track computer security incidents that may occur in a network computer system. There is also a need in the art to determine whether security within a network or over a network has been compromised or if an incident is just some odd behavior that should be disregarded by an intrusion detection system. Another need exists in the art for a method and system that can monitor and analyze security information from multiple data sources so that rather complex and sophisticated computer attacks can be identified, stopped, or prevented. A further need exists in the art for a method and system for managing security information in real-time.
Another need exists in the art for a method and system for managing security information such that it can be determined if one or more real-time computer events are related to each other and if they are a part of a larger scheme or sophisticated attack. An additional need exists in the art for a method and system for managing security information where multiple computer events can be correlated together if the computer events are part of a larger scheme or attack. Another need exists in the art for a method and system for managing security information where computer events that are detected can be prioritized so that attention can be focused on those computer events which could cause the most damage to a network or individual computers. Similarly, another need exists in the art for a method and system for managing security information that enables rapid response to existing computer attacks in addition to prevention of the additional computer attacks which may spin off from or be generated from a single computer attack. A further need exists in the art for a method and system for managing security information such that real-time computer events can be classified and ranked according to their respective priorities in the context of the environment in which the event occurred.

Method and system for managing computer security information


An adjusting device for adjusting a light module in a vehicle lighting device. The adjusting device includes an adjusting mechanism into which a rotary motion can be transmitted. The adjusting device also includes a transmission element that can be used to transfer the rotary motion. The adjusting mechanism and the transmission element are connected in a way that transmits torque via a coupling that provides torque overload protection. The adjusting mechanism is embodied with at least two parts and features a first part into which a rotary motion can be transmitted and it features a second part that is embodied as a part of the coupling.

DE 20 2010 011 852 U1 describes an adjusting device for adjusting a light module in a vehicle lighting device, and an adjusting mechanism is specified that is connected to a transmission element via a coupling. The coupling features torque overload protection, which prevents torque from being transferred to the transmission element via the coupling when an end stop is reached or due to another type of blockage when there is a further increase in the torque in the adjusting mechanism. Once the torque reaches a limit value, the essentially coupling snaps together, and the rotary motion of the adjusting mechanism is no longer transmitted to the transmission element. This process achieves torque overload protection, where a simple, torque-transmitting connection between the adjusting mechanism and the transmission element is achieved below the torque limit value using the coupling.
If the headlamp setting is normal, the overload coupling must not be activated. Even if the headlamp settings are normal, the overload coupling should not be activated at increased ambient temperatures. For example, when maintenance is being performed on a hot engine in a workshop or if the response time is longer, the coupling should be able to transmit a specified maximum torque. Particularly for different headlamps with different torque requirements, a coupling that typically only includes plastic components cannot be readjusted. Specifically, manufacturers cannot use uniform couplings for different adjusting devices.
Particularly through the use of plastic for malleable parts, which are formed by the snap arms that surround the knurled detent, it is difficult to configure a specified torque for maximum transmission, even during the design phase. In addition, this results in a low level of thermal shock resistance over time. Specifically, the maximum transmissible torque is reduced frequently over time. The result is that the adjusting device can no longer be operated as required, particularly in older vehicle lighting devices.
On the other hand, the flexibility of the material that is selected cannot be much lower. A user might do this in an effort to make the design of the coupling with several spring arms softer because a tool holder is integrated in the adjusting mechanism. In turn, a tool such as an Allen key can be inserted into the tool holder. If the plastic chosen for the adjusting mechanism is too soft, the tool holder can be damaged when a tool is being used. This substantially limits the material selection for forming the adjusting mechanism.

Adjusting device for adjusting a light module in a vehicle lighting device


There is provided a pellicle 1 for lithography having a frame 12, a film 11 and an agglutinant layer 13 (an adhesive to bond the pellicle on a photomask), in which the agglutinant layer 13 is doped with a luminescence material so as to facilitate the inspection of the quality of the adhesion between the agglutinant layer 13 and the photomask; preferably the luminescence material is a kind that glows in response to UV irradiation, and a preferable dosage of the luminescence material is no less than 0.01 mass % but less than 1.0 mass %.

In the manufacture of a semiconductor device such as a large scale integrated circuit (LSI) and a very large scale integrated circuit (VLSI), or a liquid crystal display panel, a pattern is made by irradiating a light to a semiconductor wafer or an original plate for liquid crystal, but if a dust is attached a photomask or a reticle (hereinafter collectively referred to as "photomask" for simplicity) which is used during the irradiation operation, the dust causes the pattern to have roughened edges or black stains on a base, and thus leads to problems such as damaged dimensions, poor quality, and deformed external appearance.
In order to prevent these problems, the operation of exposing the wafer or substrate is generally conducted in a clean room. However, even so, it is not always easy to keep the photomask dust-free, and hence in order to fend off the dust from the surface of the photomask, a pellicle is attached to cover the exposure photomask. In this manner, the dust is prevented from reaching the surface of the photomask but can only alight on the pellicle membrane so that, if the exposure light is set to focus on the pattern of the photomask, the dust on the pellicle membrane fails to shadow itself in the transferred pattern.
In general, a pellicle is made by tensely adhering a transparent pellicle film made of a highly light transmitting material such as cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, fluorine-containing polymer and the like to one of the two annular frame faces of a pellicle frame made of aluminum, stainless steel, polyethylene or the like, using as the glue either a solvent capable of dissolving the pellicle film, which is applied to said annular frame face (hereinafter this face is called "upper frame face") and then air-dried before receiving the film (ref. IP Publication 1), or an adhesive such as acrylic resin, epoxy resin or the like (ref. IP Publication 2). The other annular frame face (hereinafter called "lower frame face") of the pellicle frame is paved with an agglutinant made of polybutene resin, polyvinyl acetate resin, acrylic resin, silicone resin or the like for attaching the pellicle frame to a photomask, and over this agglutinant layer is laid a release liner (tape) to protect the agglutinant layer.
This pellicle is glued to a photomask (a substrate made of a transparent material such as glass) via the agglutiant layer so as to prevent a foreign particle from adhering to the pattern on the photomask; however, if the agglutinant layer is not completely laid on the photomask but is broken to allow a formation of a leak passage, then a foreign particle could enter the inner space of the pellicle through the leak passage and could affect the pattern on the photomask.
In order to secure that the agglutinant layer of the pellicle is leaklessly bonded to the photomask, one can increase the bonding pressure and/or the length of the pressure application time. But in recent years, the tendency has been such that, when the pellicle is being bonded to the photomask, the bonding pressure is kept relatively low so as to prevent the pattern on the photomask from undergoing deformation, and that the pressure application time is decreased so as to shorten the manufacturing time. For example, IP Publication 3 describes a pellicle for lithography wherein the flatness of the agglutinant layer is heightened and its adhesive strength is reduced to a range of 1 N/m-100 N/m so as to prevent the photomask from deforming.

Agglutinant for pellicle and a pellicle including the same


A steel composition is provided having improved sag resistance and fatigue behavior properties adapting it to be suitable for coil and torsion bar suspension springs for passenger vehicles and light trucks of lesser weight. Critical to the composition is the use of vanadium in an amount of from about 0.05 to about 0.50 wt% or niobium in an amount of about 0.05 to about 0.20 wt%, sufficient nitrogen to ensure that the vanadium or niobium is in the form of vanadium nitride or niobium nitride respectively and the substantial absence of aluminum. The vanadium nitride or niobium nitride ensures fine grain formation and the improved properties. Other components may be present including carbon, silicon and chromium.

A significant use of hot rolled steel bar is in coil and torsion bar suspension springs employed in passenger cars and light trucks. Manufacturers of these vehicles are placing greater requirements on suspension systems than has previously been the case. Vehicles weight reduction, size constraints, handling, performance and styling needs all impacting on the springs design. The two most significant requirements for coil and torsion bar springs are the need for smaller size or "package" and reduced weight. Package refers to the ability of the design to fit under increasingly lower engine hood lines and into shorter chassis frames and to allow increases in the available space passenger and cargo areas. In this regard, new suspension springs must be increasingly smaller than current designs. The desired weight reduction is an accompanying benefit of a smaller spring.
In terms of size and weight, a smaller spring translates into a steel bar of generally decreased diameter and length. These reductions will result in higher working stresses in the spring for the same load and spring rate. The inventors herein have developed a steel composition from which springs may be formed and which meets the size and weight needs while maintaining or enhancing spring performance, i.e. fatigue behavior and sag resistance.
The applicants are aware of certain scientific literature and prior patents relating to spring steel compositions and of certain commercially-available steel grades. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,026 describes a spring steel composition for automobile use comprising 0.5 to 0.7 wt% C, 1.0 to ? .8 wt% Si, 0.1 to 1.0 wt% of Mn, below 0.7 wt% Cr, 0.03 to 0.5 wt% V and the balance iron and normally present impurities, and optionally at least one of Al, Zr, Nb and Ti, each contained in an amount of 0.02 to 0.I wt%. Accordingly, a critical combination of defined amounts of C, Si, Mn, Cr and V is required for this composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,016 describes a steel exhibiting good sag resistance and useful in a vehicle suspension spring comprising 0.5 to 0.80 wt% C, 1.50 to 2.50 wt% Si, 0.50 to 1.50 wt% Mn, plus 0.05 to 0.50 wt% V, 0.05 to 0.50 wt% Nb or 0.05 to 0.50 wt% Mo, with the remainder being iron together with impurities. The steel may further contain a member or members selected from 0.0001 to 0.01 wt% B, 0.2 to 1.00 wt% Cr and not greater than 0.0008 wt% N. Again, a critical combination of defined amounts of C, Si, Mn and V (or Nb or Mo) is required for this composition.

Steel composition for suspension springs


The present invention is a toothbrush which consists of a handle constructed and arranged to receive thereto a removably mountable brushing head. The brushing head is provided with a base having a plurality of bosses which coact with the handle to removably mount the brushing head to the handle for replacement and repair. The handle is formed with an aperture extending therethrough and in registration with the brushing head. A region of the brushing head is in registration with the aperture such that the region is accessible at the aperture for being depressed to release the brushing head from the handle.

The present invention relates to oral hygiene devices and particularly, to toothbrushes constructed and arranged to accept interchangeable brushing heads.
The toothbrush of the present invention includes an ergonomically shaped handle portion with cushionable regions to substantially reduce, if not eliminate, damage to teeth and gums. The toothbrush also includes an interchangeable brushing head with bristles constructed and arranged along the brushing head to reach molars and wisdom teeth.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a toothbrush which includes elements constructed and arranged to facilitate gripping the toothbrush for effective oral hygiene.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a toothbrush with a handle portion having cushionable regions to facilitate gripping the toothbrush and to prevent damage from occurring to teeth and gums.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a toothbrush with an interchangeable brushing head portion so that worn or damaged brushing heads can be replaced.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an interchangeable brushing head which is removably mountable to a handle portion of the toothbrush by one hand operation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a brushing head for a toothbrush having bristles constructed and arranged along the brushing head conducive to reaching molars and wisdom teeth.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a toothbrush with a handle portion constructed with a bulbous region to restrict movement of a user's hand along the handle portion.


Systems and methods are provided for a vehicle roof closure that can prevent pinching of obstructions within a roof opening. Example vehicles include a roof having an opening, a panel disposed adjacent to the opening and moveable by a first motor, a shade disposed below the panel and moveable by a second motor having a lower output than the first motor, and a controller configured to close the shade before closing the panel during a close panel operation, and stop the shade if an obstruction is detected within the opening. Example methods include upon receiving a command to close a panel over an opening, causing a shade motor to start closing a shade disposed below the panel by unrolling the shade; stopping the shade motor upon detection of an obstruction within the opening; and causing a panel motor to start closing the panel upon receiving a shade closed signal.

Commercially available vehicles can include a sunroof or moonroof with one or more moveable elements for exposing or covering an opening in the roof of the vehicle. Additionally, conventional sunroof or moonroof assemblies include an anti-pinch sensor for detecting an obstruction or obstacle in the closing path of the moveable element, in accordance with federal regulations. As will be appreciated, the terms moonroof and sunroof are interchangeable and any reference herein to one of the terms is intended to apply to the other as well.
FIG. 1A depicts one example of an existing moonroof assembly 100 located in a roof 102 of a vehicle body 104. The moonroof assembly 100 includes a moveable element 106 for covering or exposing an opening 108 within the roof 102. In the illustrated example, the moveable element 106 is an at least partially transparent glass panel that is actuated by a motor (not shown) to move fore and aft between a closed position and an open position with respect to the opening 108. The moonroof assembly 100 further includes a roof frame 110 that extends around the opening 108, so as to form a ring. FIG. 1B depicts a detailed view of the roof frame 110, which includes a moonroof track 112 for supporting the moveable element 106 during movement. The roof frame 110 also includes one or more anti-pinch sensors 114 positioned adjacent to the moonroof track 112 for detecting an obstruction within the opening 108 during a closing operation of the moveable element 106. The anti-pinch sensors 114 follow the track 112 around the roof frame 110, so as to also form a ring around the opening 108. When in the closed position, the moveable element 106 adjoins a front beam 115 of the roof 102 located adjacent to a front end of the roof opening 108.
Anti-pinching systems like the illustrated system require a higher level of complexity and cost to ensure proper positioning of the sensors. For example, proper positioning of a ring of anti-pinch sensors requires analyzing the interactions between the sensors located at the side rails and at the front and rear beams of the moonroof track. Further, the roof frame must be extended to accommodate or support the anti-pinch sensors. This can cause the roof frame to occupy a larger portion of the roof opening, which decreases the viewing area or daylight opening provided by the moonroof.

Vehicle anti-pinch moonroof control system and method


A method for forming a uniform and reliable oxide layer on the surface of a semiconductor substrate using projection gas immersion laser doping (P-GILD) is provided. A semiconductor substrate is immersed in an oxide enhancing compound containing atmosphere. The oxide enhancing compound containing atmosphere may include phosphorus, arsenic, boron or an equivalent. A 308 nm excimer laser is then applied to a portion of the substrate to induce incorporation of the oxide enhancing compound into a portion of the substrate. The deposition depth is dependent upon the strength of the laser energy directed at the surface of the substrate. A uniform and reliable oxide layer is then formed on the surface of the substrate by heating the substrate. The laser may be applied with a reflective reticle or mask formed on the substrate. An E.sup.2 PROM memory cell having a program junction region in a silicon substrate is also provided. An oxide layer is positioned between a program junction and a floating gate. The oxide layer is formed by a single or multiple thermal oxidation step(s) to have at least a first oxide thickness due to a GILD oxide enhancing compound underlying a region of the oxide having at least the first oxide thickness.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the process for providing oxidation enhancement dopants into a semiconductor substrate using Gas Immersion Laser Doping ("GILD"), particularly for forming an oxide layer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A prevalent trend in the semiconductor industry is to increase the density of semiconductor devices formed on silicon substrates.
Programmable logic devices (PLD) are circuits which can be configured by a user to perform logic functions or serve as memory arrays. Generally, PLDs include a programmable array of cells and array control circuitry which is utilized to program the array with the desired implementation. The programmable array comprises a series of low-voltage, short channel floating gate transistors which store charge to reflect whether a particular cell is programmed with a bit of data. The programmed array reflects a particular user's individual configuration for the programmable device, allowing users to customize the programmable logic device for a number of different applications.
One type of programmable logic device which has become popular due to its performance and cost characteristics are electrically erasable complementary metal oxide semiconductor (E.sup.2 CMOS) PLDs.
E.sup.2 CMOS technology is based on the concept of a stored charge on a floating gate. Electrons are transferred to the gate through a physical mechanism known as Fowler-Nordheim tunneling. For an electrically erasable cell, a tunnel oxide is present between the source and drain regions and the floating gate that is about one-third of the thickness of a traditional transistor gate oxide. Fowler-Nordheim tunneling involves placing a potential across the tunnel oxide which distorts the electric field and allows electrons to traverse the tunnel oxide upon which they become trapped on a floating gate.
The control circuitry of the cell--the program transistors or so-called write transistors--essentially comprise high voltage transistors capable of sustaining high electric fields. So called read transistors, which operate at low voltage, include a first junction, second junction and gate (defined by the word line of the device). The control gate includes the program junction which is separated from the floating gate by an oxide layer having a thickness of approximately 180 .ANG.. The program transistor includes a first junction, second junction and a gate which also rests on the oxide layer. The memory cell will also include a floating gate, separated from the program junction by a tunnel oxide which may be activated by the control gate. The thickness of tunnel oxide is in a range of approximately 80-100 .ANG..
When programming or erasing the device, a voltage is applied between the program and control gate nodes. The direction of the voltage determines whether the cell is erased or programmed. When erasing, the control gate is given a positive voltage and the program node is grounded. When programming, the program node voltage is elevated and the control gate is grounded.
Several alternative designs of memory cells are utilized. Characteristically, in an E.sup.2 CMOS PLD, four types of transistors are required: high voltage P channel, high voltage N channel, low voltage P channel, and low voltage N channel.
The trend of E.sup.2 CMOS PLD devices has been toward lower and lower supply voltages. Consequently, this has required a corresponding scaling down of the oxide layers in the various transistors and at the program junctions. As the oxide thicknesses have been reduced, it is particularly important that the program junction oxide is uniform and of high quality in order to ensure reliable electrical characteristics.
U.S. Patent Applications entitled AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT HAVING, AND PROCESS PROVIDING, DIFFERENT OXIDE LAYER THICKNESSES ON A SUBSTRATE and MULTIPLE GATE OXIDE THICKNESSES ON A WAFER SUBSTRATE referenced above discloses methods for forming different oxide thicknesses on a semiconductor substrate. In particular, these applications disclose a method for forming a write transistor with a first oxide thickness, a read transistor with a second oxide thickness and a tunnel oxide with a third oxide thickness.
In formation of oxides in general, it is generally known that the provision of phosphorus or arsenic into the silicon substrate prior to forming the oxide by thermal formation in an oxygen atmosphere results in a different growth of oxide between the region overlying the phosphorus or arsenic deposited region and the region of the substrate where no phosphorus or arsenic has been deposited. However, where the oxide thicknesses are relatively small, care must be taken not to damage the surface of the silicon substrate, as growth of the oxide will be impaired.
Conventionally, phosphorus or arsenic may be beam-line ion implanted at a relatively low energy into the substrate. However, ion implantation can cause substrate damage which is difficult to anneal out using conventional methods, and compromise the quality or uniformity of the oxide grown for small thicknesses. Thus, semiconductor device yield and reliability is reduced leading to higher manufacturing costs.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a method for forming reliable high quality and uniform oxide at reduced manufacturing costs. In particular, it is desirable to have a method to form a uniform relatively small thickness oxide layer over a program junction. Further, it is desirable to provide an E.sup.2 PROM memory cell having a uniform relatively small thickness oxide layer over a program junction in order to ensure reliable memory cell operation.

Method to incorporate, and a device having, oxide enhancement dopants using gas immersion laser doping (GILD) for selectively growing an oxide layer


Methods of preparing porous wood products for painting or finishing are described. The methods comprise applying to a porous wood product a UV-curable coating and curing by UV light the top UV curable coating to 70% to 95% cure, preferably 85% to 95% for spray-applied top UV curable coatings to produce a partially cured porous wood product. The methods typically further include the step of sanding the surface of the partially cured porous wood product and painting or staining, for example with a water-based or solvent-based stain or paint.

Painted wood products are in high demand in the market. Traditional cabinet and furniture manufacturers include "painted" products in their offering. The cabinet industry, for example, offers about 40% of the entire offering in painted finishes. These painted finishes take multiple steps to accomplish the final product and are typically produced on hardwood veneer panels for every end panel and some interior panels as well. Hardwood veneers, however, are costly and also not sustainable.
On the other hand, the cost of porous panel products is drastically lower than hardwood veneers. These products are also much more sustainable as they are by-products of the woodworking industry globally. Porous panel products include medium-density fiberboard (MDF), high-density fiberboard (HDF), medium-density overlay (MDO), and high-density overlay (HDO). These boards are being used to replace much more expensive hardwood veneer panels and can provide a much higher finishing capability than the hardwood veneer panels. The porous nature of these products, however, require proper sealing to increase resistance to warping, expansion, shrinkage, or water damage.
Accordingly, there is a need for methods of sealing porous wood products to achieve the same or better results in the final painting process than sealing hardwood while not increasing the finishing steps involved. These methods would also significantly reduce the end user's structural cost. There is also need to provide a method of producing a high-quality, professional look similar to hardwood veneer panels or better. Finally, there is a need for methods that coat porous wood materials with various shapes that mimic the quality and look of finished hardwood.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods of preparing porous wood products for painting and finishing


A body panel is provided for use in the body of a vehicle, comprising: a main panel having a first side and a second side, the main panel including a recess in the first side, the recess having a set shape and a depth less than a thickness of the main panel, and a hole from a bottom of the recess to the second side; a flexible lighting strip formed in the recess, the flexible lighting strip having the set shape and a thickness within ±10% of the depth of the recess, the flexile lighting device being secured in the recess; a power connector connected to the flexible lighting strip; a control connector connected to a device controller; and a clear coating formed on the first side of the main panel over the main panel and the flexible lighting strip, the clear coating having a smooth top surface.

Most vehicles, especially motorized vehicles, such as motorcycles, automobiles, trucks, boats, airplanes, etc. employ lights for a variety of purposes. These lights can include headlights, brake lights, running lights, warning lights, identification lights, decorative lights, etc., and these lights can be located at any position on the vehicle, e.g., on the side, on the front, on the back, on the top, or on the bottom.
Conventionally, when a light is to be provided for a vehicle, a hole is formed in a body portion or a body panel for the vehicle that is the size of the light, or even a little larger. The light and the fixtures to support the light are then pushed through the hole and secured in place to provide the required illumination.
The lights currently used by vehicles tend to be incandescent lights or fluorescent lights, which take up a relatively large amount of space for the amount of light produced, and require bulky fixtures to hold them, and lenses to properly focus the light. As a result, lights on vehicles are currently very obvious and their presence can serve to disrupt the design of the vehicle. In particular, even when a light is off (e.g., in the daytime), the light is still quite obvious to anyone looking at the vehicle.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a vehicle light that was small and unobtrusive, and that would not be visible to nearby observers when not in use.

Lighting device embedded in vehicle panel and method for making the same