Provided is a method that constructs an MPM group including three intra prediction modes, determines the intra prediction mode of the MPM group specified by the prediction mode index as the intra prediction mode of the current prediction unit if the mode group indicator indicates the MPM group, and derives the intra prediction mode of the current prediction unit using the prediction mode index and the three prediction modes of the MPM group if the mode group indicator does not indicate the MPM group. Accordingly, additional bits resulted from increase of a number of intra prediction mode are effectively reduced. Also, an image compression ratio can be improved by generating a prediction block similar to an original block.

In image compression methods such as MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, one picture is divided into macroblocks to encode an image. Then, the respective macroblocks are encoded using inter prediction or intra prediction.
In intra prediction, a current block of the picture is encoded not using a reference picture, but using values of reconstructed pixels spatially adjacent to the current block. An optimal prediction mode with little distortion is selected out of a plurality of intra prediction modes by comparing a prediction block generated using the adjacent pixel values with an original block. Then, using the selected intra prediction mode and the adjacent pixel values, prediction values of the current block are calculated. Differences between the prediction values and pixels values of the original current block are calculated and then encoded through transform coding, quantization and entropy coding. The intra prediction mode is also encoded.
According to H.264 standard, there are nine modes in 4×4 intra prediction. The nine modes are a vertical mode, a horizontal mode, a DC mode, a diagonal down-left mode, a diagonal down-right mode, a vertical right mode, a vertical left mode, a horizontal-up mode and a horizontal-down mode. One mode is selected among the nine modes to generate a prediction block of the current block, the mode information is transmitted to the decoder.
In HEVC standard under development, the number of intra prediction modes increases to 18 or 35, the size of coding unit lies between 8×8 and 128×128. The coding unit has similar purpose to the macroblock of H.264/AVC.
Accordingly, if the intra prediction mode is encoded using the same method of H.264/AVC, the coding efficiency deteriorates because the number of intra prediction modes is greater than that of H.264/AVC. Also, as the size of the coding unit increases and the number of intra prediction modes increases, quantization method and scanning method should be modified to enhance the coding efficiency.

Method and apparatus of deriving intra prediction mode using most probable mode group


The present invention is related to a method for issuing a credit card to a customer in combination with providing credit management information services for the customer. The exact terms of the credit account offered depend on the creditworthiness of the customer. The customer also receives credit management information services including information as to what actions the customer could take to improve the customer's credit rating and improve the terms of the credit account. After a credit account is issued to the customer, the customer receives additional and on-going credit management information services, including credit management information based on the customer's use of the credit account.

The present invention relates generally to a financial business method, and particularly to a method for providing a credit offering in combination with credit management information services.
In general, banks provide credit cards to individuals wherein the individual is granted a certain limit of credit, for a certain annual fee, to be paid back at a certain annual interest rate. In return, the cardholder agrees to pay accumulated charges and interest according to the terms of the credit card. The exact terms of the credit card offering to an individual depend on the credit rating of the individual. In general, the better an individual's credit rating, the more favorable credit card offer the individual will receive.
As is known, one approach sometimes taken by financial institutions in a credit offering is to offer, for example through a mailing, an individual a pre-approved line of credit, at an inflated interest rate. If the individual does not accept the offer at the inflated interest rate within a predetermined period of time, then a subsequent credit offering may or may not be made at a lower interest rate, or at otherwise more favorable terms.
Once an individual has obtained or established a credit account, regardless of the manner established, the credit account terms generally remain fixed unless the individual takes proactive measures. It is known that individuals may contact a financial institution, with which the individual has a credit account, and request more favorable terms, particularly if the individual has held the account for some time. However, absent proactive measures by the individual, the terms of the account generally remain fixed.
Various commercial services provide credit counseling to individuals for a fee. These commercial services may provide an individual with a credit rating or some other indication of the individual's creditworthiness at that instant in time. However, none of these services or credit card companies provide individuals with complimentary tools for credit management in combination with a credit card account. Additionally, the commercial credit services are limited in that they provide only an indication of the creditworthiness of an individual at an instant in time, rather than on an on-going basis. Finally, the commercial credit services cannot guarantee that the individual will receive better terms as a result of their services.
Therefor there is a need for a method addressing these and other related and unrelated problems.

Method for providing credit offering and credit management information services

CompuCredit Intellectual Property Holdings Corp. III


A storage compartment and integrated tailgate worksurface is disclosed. The storage compartment is easily retrofitable to any standard or light duty pick-up truck bed. A parallel linkage mechanism and integrated power unit can raise and lower the storage compartment without rotation, thereby keeping objects in an initial desired orientation and placement within the compartment. The parallel linkage system also facilitates adjustment of the integrated tailgate work surface to convenient working heights.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the automotive light truck accessory field primarily to accessories which enhance the practical utility of the truck for additional uses such as the storage and organization of tools and equipment, and the convenient assess and use of such tools and equipments, and transport of cargos particularly suited to such trucks.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Pick-up type trucks are an essential tool for both transportation to and from job sites, and for tool and equipment storage and organization, and can also provide a convenient workplace to conduct job related task and activities. Most pick-up trucks in production today have uncovered beds to which is attached a hinged tailgate panel. This tailgate typically is hinged to allow the tailgate to fold flat with the plane of the truck bed in order to facilitate easy access for loading and unloading cargo. This horizontal surface can also serve as a convenient height work surface for assembling and working on a variety of objects in the field. Popular today also are truck storage containers, which either mount inside of the pickup truck bed, straddle across the bed width, or mount along the length of the bed. Usually these are of heavy-duty construction, and are accessible by standing inside of the bed, or alongside of the truck. There are numerous practical disadvantages to their use, since open easy access is usually not possible due to the increasing height of the trucks today, the accessibility of objects and tools placed at the bottom or the center of these containers is impossible unless one climbs onto the bed of the pickup and bends over . . . tasks which are inconvenient and which are susceptible to worker injury. Also, unlocking and opening the covers to these cargo boxes can be made difficult by their height and inconvenient location
Another disadvantage of units presently available is their incursion and use of cargo volumetric space, limiting the useful load carrying space available, such as carrying 4 ft by 8 ft plywood sheets, large building materials, etc. Additionally, the design aspects of currently available tool storage boxes do not integrate into the vehicle's design appearance, and often detract from the vehicle appearance. Accordingly, these prior approaches have failed to meet many of the needs of pickup truck owners.


Substituted thieno[3,4-b] thiophene polymers and copolymers are disclosed. Adjusting the type and quantity of substitution allows for the intricate control of the resulting polymer's conductivity, optoelectronic properties, and/or solubility. A process for preparing such polymers and use thereof are also provided.

Intrinsically conducting polymers are of wide utility in applications such as electronic packaging, organic light-emitting diodes (LEDs), electrochromic windows, volatile organic gas sensors, and the like. Intrinsically conducting polymers of particular interest possess a relatively low band gap (Eg), which refers to the energy difference between two electronic energy levels (the conduction band and the valence band). The band gap exhibited by a given polymer depends upon a variety of factors, including the structure of the monomer(s) used to form the polymer. For example, intrinsically conductive polymers formed from thiophene and substituted thiophene monomers are known. Poly(thiophene) has a band gap of 2.1 electron volts (eV), poly(2-decylthieno[3,4-b]thiophene) has a band gap of 0.92 eV, and poly(2-phenylthieno[3,4-b]thiophene) has a band gap of 0.85 eV. Intrinsically conductive polymers comprising polymerized units of thieno[2,3-b]thiophene and thieno[3,2-b]thiophene are also known.
Unfortunately, there are a number of drawbacks associated with many of the intrinsically conducting polymers currently available. The Eg of many polymers is undesirably high, and/or the polymers are not stable. Transparency is difficult to achieve, limiting their use in optical devices. Those consisting solely of aromatic repeat units in the backbone are typically not soluble in water, requiring manufacture and processing in organic solvents.
Of course, replacement of organic solvents with aqueous solvents in the synthesis, use, and processing of intrinsically conductive polymers would be highly desirable from an environmental and cost standpoint. U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,575 discloses dispersions of poly(thiophenes) that are suitable for use as antistatic coatings for plastic moldings. The poly(thiophenes) are prepared by polymerizing a di-substituted thiophene (e.g., 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) in the presence of a polyanion and oxidizing agents, oxygen and/or air. The resulting linear polymer is purified using both anion and cation exchange resins wherein poly(styrene sulfonate) serves as a charge compensating dopant. The resulting polymer forms a colloidal dispersion in water, presumably because poly(styrene sulfonate) is soluble in water and demonstrates a strong ionic interaction with the cationic poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy)thiophene backbone. The resulting polythiophenes have an Eg of 1.7 eV.
There remains a continuing need in the art, however, for intrinsically conducting polymers that exhibit useful band gaps for industrial applications, that can be readily dispersed or dissolved in water, and for the convenient adjustment of the conductivity and/or optoelectronic properties such as the band gap and energy levels of the valence band and the conduction band of such polymers to meet the needs of a particular application.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Substituted thieno[3,4-B]thiophene polymers, method of making, and use thereof


An upconversion laser system that uses solid state components throughout and achieves such operation with a continuous or quasi-continuous single band infrared pumping source using successive energy transfers between the sensitizer and activator in the host of the lasant upconversion material.

This invention relates to lasers that produce coherent radiation that has a shorter wavelength than the wavelength of the pumping radiation, and more particularly to lasers that use a rare earth doped solid state lasing medium under ambient temperature conditions to provide upconverted laser radiation in the blue, green, red and infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Laser systems that produce wavelengths in the blue and green portions of the visible spectrum are highly desirable for a variety of applications. These applications include laser based video display systems and optical systems wherein the higher resolutions afforded by short optical wavelengths are important, such as optical storage systems.
Although laser systems have been developed that produce outputs in the blue and green portions of the visible spectrum, the value of such systems have been diminished by one or more factors that include high cost, critical alignment and high maintenance. For instance, rare gas ion lasers have both a high purchase price and a high degree of maintenance. Frequency doubling or summing lasers that employ a nonlinear element require critical alignment and high maintenance.
A laser source that uses solid state components throughout and employs a single diode pumping source is a desirable configuration for a low cost, low maintenance system, but such lasers have never been able to achieve operation in the blue and green regions of the visible spectrum under normal ambient temperature operating conditions. Furthermore, the prior art has not been able to achieve such operation with a continuous or quasi-continuous pumping source.

Rare earth ion upconversion laser system


A combustion system is provided having a liner, a flow sleeve, a flow-obstructing element, and a venturi. The liner is disposed around a combustion region. The flow sleeve is disposed around the liner. The liner and the flow sleeve cooperate to create an air passage having an airflow located between the liner and the flow sleeve. The flow-obstructing element is disposed within the air passage, and generally obstructs the airflow in the air passage to create wakes in the airflow. The venturi is disposed downstream from the flow-obstructing element, and generally restricts and diffuses the airflow in the air passage to reduce wakes in the airflow.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a combustion system, and more specifically to a combustion system with an air passage defined by a liner and a flow sleeve, and a venturi generally restricting and diffusing airflow in the air passage.
Gas turbines include a compressor that supplies compressed air to a combustor. Specifically, compressed air is supplied through a gap or space between a liner and a flow sleeve of the combustor. There are typically different types of structures that may be disposed within the space between the liner and the flow sleeve such as, for example, a crossfire tube or a flame detector. Flow disturbances, which are typically referred to as wakes, may be created as the compressed air flows past these structures.
A wake is a zone of aerodynamic disturbance created by a component such as a crossfire tube, and represents a region of re-circulating flow located downstream of the structure. The presence of wakes in the space between the liner and the flow sleeve may create several issues. For example, fuel injected downstream of the structure may be pulled into the wake. Fuel may accumulate in the wake and cause flame holding, which in turn decreases gas turbine performance. Wakes may also cause hardware issues in the gas turbine, which may potentially cause the gas turbine to shut down. Wakes may also create a higher pressure drop across the liner. In an effort to improve features such as gas turbine flame holding performance, a relatively wake free flow field is provided.

Combustion system having a venturi for reducing wakes in an airflow


A new head and neck support for abdominal exercise for properly supporting a user's head and neck while performing crunches. The inventive device includes a base member having an elongated stem pivotally coupled to and extending upwardly therefrom. The stem has a notch formed within a free end thereof. An upper member has a forward edge hingedly coupled with a forward edge of the base member. The upper member has a plurality of apertures therethrough for selectively engaging the notch in the elongated stem to fix an angle of the upper member with respect to the base member. The upper member has an open rearward edge. A handle portion is adjustably received within the open rearward edge of the upper member. An adjustable strap is secured to a rearward edge of the base member. The adjustable strap has branched outer ends. A head harness is secured between the branched outer ends of the adjustable strap.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exercise devices and more particularly pertains to a new head and neck support for abdominal exercise for properly supporting a user's head and neck while performing crunches.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of exercise devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, exercise devices heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art exercise devices include U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,336 to Lahman; U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,547 to Sterling; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 277,219 to Johnson; U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,513 to Habing et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,626 to Lambert, Jr.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,631 to Seal.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new head and neck support for abdominal exercise. The inventive device includes a base member having an elongated stem pivotally coupled to and extending upwardly therefrom. The stem has a notch formed within a free end thereof. An upper member has a forward edge hingedly coupled with a forward edge of the base member. The upper member has a plurality of apertures therethrough for selectively engaging the notch in the elongated stem to fix an angle of the upper member with respect to the base member. The upper member has an open rearward edge. A handle portion is adjustably received within the open rearward edge of the upper member. An adjustable strap is secured to a rearward edge of the base member. The adjustable strap has branched outer ends. A head harness is secured between the branched outer ends of the adjustable strap.
In these respects, the head and neck support for abdominal exercise according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of properly supporting a user's head and neck while performing crunches.

Head and neck support for abdominal exercise


A KeyScreen includes a touchscreen for providing an output position signal indicative of location thereon, with a keypad disposed over the touchscreen. The keypad has a plurality of articulated keys to operably engage the touchscreen upon depression thereof and thereby provide tactile feedback to the user.

The present invention relates generally to data entry keyboards, and, more specifically, to touchscreens.
The digitally programmable computer has become ubiquitous in every day life. It is found in various forms from simple to complex for performing various functions. In common applications, the computer is joined to a display monitor for presenting useful information to the intended user, and allows the user to interact with the computer through a communicating keyboard. Data may be entered into the computer by touching keys on the keyboard and viewed on the monitor. The specific software loaded into the computer controls the specific functionality of the computer for any desired purpose.
For example, common computer systems are found in retail stores, supermarkets, and automated teller machines (ATMs) for use by customers or employees as applicable.
A typical mechanical keyboard, or keypad, includes a plurality of individual keys or buttons which are individually depressed by the user for entering corresponding data into the computer. The keys are typically preprinted with a specific indicia such as a letter or number for fixed-function use. Some keys, however, may have different functions depending upon the assignment thereof which may be varied by the specific software programmed in the computer. Such keyboards are relatively easy to use and provide tactile feedback to the user since they have a three-dimension (3-D) contoured shape and typically include a mechanical switch therebelow which provides a limited snap depression of the individual key with a self-restoring movement, and with or without an audible click or speaker-generated beep.
Another type of data entry device is a touchscreen which provides a transparent interface over the display monitor. Touchscreens are found in various conventional formats including a resistive touchscreen, capacitive touchscreen, infrared (IR) touchscreen, and acoustic wave touchscreen for example. Each touchscreen design has the capability to accurately determine a two dimensional location of a finger or stylus positioned thereon in accordance with a predefined location grid or array.
For example, in both the resistive and capacitive touchscreens, a user may place a finger at any location on the screen, and an output position signal is generated by the touchscreen which corresponds to the location being touched. In the resistive touchscreen, the contact force alone effected by the finger determines the screen location. In the capacitive touchscreen, a capacitive circuit is formed between the screen and the user, who is typically grounded, for determining the location of the finger.
A particular advantage of the touchscreen is that an independent keyboard is not required for data entry. And, most significantly, is the ability to dynamically define a visual or virtual keyboard on the display monitor for data entry. The touchscreen is operatively joined to a host computer which drives the display monitor. The specific software controls the information displayed on the monitor which is used to communicate with the user. If data entry is required, the computer displays the desired indicia on the monitor which is transmitted through the transparent touchscreen disposed thereover.
For example, the computer may display a numeric keypad with the numbers 0-9 arranged in a virtual keypad with corresponding virtual key areas thereon. By touching the touchscreen at any one of the corresponding virtual keys, the touchscreen identifies the exact touch location and communicates this to the computer which matches the position signal with the location of the displayed virtual keypad for determining which virtual key has been selected.
Since it is an easy matter to program the computer to visually display any desired information and coordinate that information with the touchscreen, the touchscreen provides the ability to enter data using any defined virtual keypad displayed on the monitor which may change dynamically as often as desired.
However, since data entry into the computer through the touchscreen is simply based on the 2-D virtual keypad displayed on the monitor, the virtual keys are without depth or any feel other than the simple pressure reaction atop the flat touchscreen. The touchscreen surface is plain without surface differences, and the user must therefore carefully aim to touch the desired virtual key. Unlike a conventional remote keyboard, the touchscreen has no capability to provide tactile feedback to the user which limits its usefulness and accuracy in use.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide tactile feedback in a touchscreen for matching the benefits of a mechanical keyboard.
A KeyScreen includes a touchscreen for providing a position signal indicative of location thereon, with a keypad disposed over the touchscreen. The keypad has a plurality of articulated keys to operably engage the touchscreen upon depression thereof and thereby provide tactile feedback to the user.


Multi-layer biaxially oriented polylactic acid (BOPLA) film with a novel formulation improves the heat seal initiation temperature and heat seal performance of BOPLA films while maintaining good optical clarity. The film may include a core layer including polylactic acid base polymer resin, and a heat sealable layer including amorphous polylactic acid base polymer and a modifier comprising polycaprolactone or poly(butylene-adipate-co-butylene terephthalate).

Biaxially oriented polypropylene films are typically used for packaging, decorative, and label applications and often performs multiple functions. In a lamination, they provide printability, transparent or matte appearance, or slip properties. The films sometimes provide a surface suitable for receiving organic or inorganic coatings for gas and moisture barrier properties. The films sometimes provide a heat sealable layer for bag forming and sealing, or a layer that is suitable for receiving an adhesive either by coating or by laminating.
However, in recent years, interest in "greener" packaging has been strongly developing. Packaging materials based on biologically derived polymers are increasing due to concerns with renewable resources, raw materials, and greenhouse gas generation. Bio-based polymers are believed—once fully scaled-up—to help reduce reliance on petroleum, reduce production of greenhouse gases, and can be biodegradable or compostable as well. Bio-based polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA)—which is currently derived from corn starch (but can be derived from other plant sugars) and thus, can be considered to be derived from a renewable resource—is one of the more popular and commercially available materials available for packaging film applications. Other bio-based polymers such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and particularly polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), are also of high interest, and are starting to become commercially available at the time of this writing.
Typically, biaxially oriented polylactic acid (BOPLA) films are transparent with a high clarity and high gloss. In some packaging applications, this is very desirable for printing graphics with high visual appeal—or "pop"—and to provide high resolution of the desired images. Polylactic acid (PLA), being a polar polymer, naturally has a high surface energy that helps enable good wettability of the types of printing inks and colors used in packaging. In addition, multi-layer BOPLA films can be formed via coextrusion of several melt streams of PLA-based resins. One example could be a two-layer coextruded film structure in which a base or core layer including a crystalline PLA and a thinner "skin" layer including amorphous PLA is coextruded upon one side of the core layer and then biaxially oriented into a film. The amorphous PLA layer is often used to provide heat sealability to the film as it is less crystalline and generally has a lower melting point than the higher crystallinity core layer.
For such a bio-based polymer to be fit-for-use for many snack food-packaging applications, it is desirable that the bio-based polymer film match as many of the attributes possible that BOPP is well known for, such as heat sealability, printability, controlled COF, metallizability, gas barrier, etc. Since BOPLA film tends to have poorer thermal dimensional shrinkage properties in the machine and transverse direction orientations than BOPP film does, a BOPLA lamination may not perform as well on a packaging machine optimized for BOPP laminations. It has been noted that bag-making on a packaging machine designed for BOPP laminations has certain expectations for heat seal setpoints and bag-making speeds. It has also been found that replacing an all-BOPP lamination with an all-BOPLA lamination can—in some cases—result in distortion of the bag around the heat-sealed areas, namely the end seals of the bag and the back seal of the bag. Although the typical amorphous PLA used as a heat seal layer in BOPLA films generally has a lower melting point and lower seal initiation temperature than conventional propylene-based heat seal resins (e.g. copolymers of propylene, ethylene, and/or butylene), in a typical packaging machine designed for BOPP laminations, the heated sealing bars are generally too hot for BOPLA laminations causing distortion in the sealed areas.
This is aesthetically unacceptable to many food packaging companies. Solutions to circumvent the distortion issue with BOPLA laminations involve reducing the heat sealing bar temperature setpoint or lowering the bag-making speed of the packaging machine. However, it has been found that temperature control and consistency of the heat sealing bars are highly variable and insufficient to reliably control the distortion problems, especially across a large fleet of packaging machines that may include different models and designs; and lowering the bag-making speed is generally unacceptable due to unit cost issues of the bagged product. One solution could be to improve the thermal stability of BOPLA films; another solution could be to improve the seal range of BOPLA films by lowering the seal initiation temperature of the amorphous PLA sealant layer such that high bag-making speeds can be maintained with lower setpoint temperatures on the sealing bars.
Thus, it is often desirable to have heat sealable films and laminations with a low sealing initiation temperature. Lower sealing temperatures can improve productivity of packaging machines and help lower overall product costs. By being able to seal packages at lower temperatures, the packager can reduce energy usage and costs. Further, by having packages made with low seal initiating materials, productivity can be improved by the ability to run packaging machines at a higher speed or higher number of packages per minute. This is due to a reduced dwell time required for sufficient thermal transfer of heat energy from the packaging machine's sealing bars to the sealant resin.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,128,969 describes a film composed of a base layer of PLA with a minority component of a thermoplastic or polyolefin such as polypropylene or polyethylene, typically less than 1% by weight of the base layer. Such a formulation is particularly suitable for thermoforming or biaxial stretching by means of pneumatic drawing or other mechanical forming. However, the invention is not suitable for high transverse orientation rates in excess of 6 TDX; the highest TDX cited in the examples is 5.5. Such polyolefins typically have a higher melting point that amorphous PLA and in addition, are petroleum-based and are non-compostable or degradable.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,368,160 describes a multi-layer coextruded biaxially oriented PLA film which uses an amorphous PLA resin that is heat sealable. However, there is no teaching for further improving the heat sealing properties or characteristics of such a film.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,649,732 describes a single layer extruded cast or oriented PLA film coated with a gas barrier material such as silicon oxide. The patent discloses that the film may be coextruded with a second resin but is silent on the nature of the second resin and does not indicate its improvement of heat-sealing properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,713,175 describes a single-layer biaxially oriented PLA film that is heat sealable using a PLA resin of a certain storage elastic modulus at 120° C. of 100-230 MPa. However, the patent is silent on improving further the heat seal properties of such a film. Moreover, the use of a single-layer heat sealable film can give rise to other issues in terms of film handling, processing, and sticking to equipment parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,276 describes a heat sealable PLA-based polymer laminate having an amorphous PLA layer and a crystalline PLA base layer. However, the patent is silent on methods to improve further the heat sealable properties of amorphous PLA.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,390,558 describes multi-layer biaxially oriented PLA film composed of two layers of varying blends of crystalline and amorphous PLA wherein one layer has the amorphous PLA as a majority component and the second layer has the amorphous PLA as a minority component. The heat sealable layer would presumably be the layer containing a majority of amorphous PLA. It would be expected that the heat seal initiation temperature of a blended layer of amorphous PLA and crystalline PLA would be worse than that of a wholly amorphous PLA layer.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/333,047 describes a method to produce biaxially oriented PLA films at high transverse orientation rates using a specific processing aid such as an ethylene-acrylate copolymer. This reference is incorporated in its entirety in this application.
The inventors seek to address the above issues of making improved heat sealable biaxially oriented PLA films.

Biaxially oriented polylactic acid film with improved heat seal properties


Incoming calls on a plurality of lines (L.sub.i) are distributed to a plurality of resources (R.sub.n) by a queuing and distribution system which associates with each of the possible resource/line combinations a so called "pleasure value" that indicates the desirability of making the line/resources connection according to predetermined criteria, such as waiting time, resource type, type of incoming call and other factors. The pleasure values are set up in a matrix which is scanned repetitively in order to determine the highest value and the runner up, and call connections are made on the basis of the outcome of the scanning process.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for distributing concurrent incoming calls on a plurality of lines to a plurality of resources.
2. Description of the Related Art
For a number of customer services, incoming telephone calls need to be distributed to a finite number of resources and difficulties have arisen hitherto in prioritizing the calls for connection to the resources. For example, in a telephone directory assistance service, incoming calls need to be connected to a fixed number of resources in the form of manual telephone operators. A number of approaches have been adopted previously to optimize the connection of incoming calls so as to minimize queuing. Reference is directed to "The Edgeley Electronic Queuing Equipment" D. R. Donnelly and R. J Hirst, British Telecommunications Engineering, Vol. 1, part 3, October 1982, p 155. More sophisticated systems have been proposed, to include multiple queues, priority lines, alternative routings and calendar time of day routing plans. The previous approaches have all used rules-based algorithms in order to meet customers requirements. However, as the number of incoming lines and resources is increased, the rules required for the algorithm become very complex and difficult to optimize in themselves. An example of a rules based procedure is set out in FIG. 1 and comprises a series of IF statements IF1, IF2, etc. Each IF statement is designed to provide a specific test for incoming calls. The chevrons < > indicate customer specified tests or values to enable individual customers to be connected depending on their priority or their particular needs. Different priorities may be given to different telephone numbers, for example.
While a call is waiting, the IF statements are read from the top down repetitively until one of the IF statements becomes true, and then the action specified in the statement is carried out.
However, it will be seen that this configuration becomes unwieldily and unduly complicated when a large number of incoming calls are to be processed and connected to a large number of resources. The rules based system shown in FIG. 1 permits calls to be allocated to different queues. The resources answering the calls may support more than one queue i.e. be able to deal with enquiries of more than one type, so that balancing the incoming call load to the individual resources becomes a complex problem usually requiring manual intervention by a network supervisor. The present invention provides an alternative approach which seeks to overcome the restrictions associated with the prior rules-based systems.

British Telecommunications Public Limited Company


A hybridization detecting unit which includes a reaction region in which hybridization takes place, a plurality of sites (e.g., the surface of electrodes) arranged in the reaction region to which is fixed a nucleic acid for detection, and means for sequentially moving by dielectrophoresis the target nucleic acid introduced into the reaction region according to the order of arrangement of the sites to which is fixed a nucleic acid for detection. A sensor chip provided with the hybridization detecting unit. The detecting unit compulsorily moves the target nucleic acid into the region where a probe nucleic acid for detection exists, thereby increasing the probability of hybridization taking place.

The present invention relates to a technique to detect hybridization. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technique to detect hybridization which is so designed as to move by dielectrophoresis a target nucleic acid to a site where a nucleic acid for detection is fixed.
It has recently become common practice to use an integrated substrate for bioassay which has DNA molecules of prescribed species minutely arranged thereon by microarray technology. The integrated substrate, which is called DNA chip or DNA microarray (the former terminology is used in the present invention), is used to analyze gene mutation, SNPs (simple nucleotide polymorphism), and gene expression frequency. It will find use in broad areas including drug development, clinical diagnosis, pharmacogenomics, evolution research, and legal medicine.
The DNA chip is a glass substrate or silicon substrate on which are integrated a variety of and a large number of DNA oligochains or cDNA (complementary DNA). Consequently, the DNA chip of the invention permits comprehensive analysis of hybridization. The background and related art of the present invention will be described in the following.
JP-A-2001-507441 discloses a tiny electrophoresis chip which is designed to move or separate charged molecules such as nucleic acid, through a channel formed in a substrate, the channel having tiny electrodes arranged therein which produce an electric field to move or separate the charged molecules in the channel. This related art technology suggests that electrophoresis is commonly used to move or separate charged molecules such as nucleic acid.
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2003-75302 (particularly claim 1 and Paragraph 0027) discloses an apparatus to move a charged substance with polarity. This apparatus consists of a substrate and a plurality of electrodes arranged in a prescribed direction. A voltage with a reverse polarity of the charged substance is applied to a section of the electrodes. This procedure is repeated sequentially for adjacent sections, so that the charged substance is moved in the direction in which the electrodes are arranged. Further, the configuration in which a surface of an electrode to be used is covered with an insulating film is also disclosed.
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-135512 discloses an apparatus which has scanning electrodes arranged in the reaction region, such that when a voltage is applied across adjacent electrodes, nucleic acid molecules are attracted and fixed to the electrode edges as if they span from one electrode to another.

Hybridization detecting unit relying on dielectrophoresis and sensor chip provided with the detecting unit


A system and method to programmatically generate an integration interface by executing a pre-defined, generic program code in place of the program code or instructions in an interface specification of a software module that is to be integrated with a larger software system. The generic program code functions as a plug-in code for the interface specification, thereby automatically converting the interface specification into the desired integration interface. The plug-in code is supplied with dynamic parameters/values obtained from the analysis of the interface specification, thereby generating a customized integration interface for the software module. Even when the developer of the software module does not fully understand the various application programming interfaces of the software system and how to integrate with them, the automated creation of the integration interface through execution of the generic code effectively rectifies programming errors, deficiencies, or inconsistencies in the integration specification provided by the software module's developer.

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems (IHS). An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Modern information handling systems include many different types of consumer and commercial electronic devices such as, for example, personal computers (e.g., desktops or laptops), tablet computers, mobile devices (e.g., personal digital assistants (PDAs) or smart phones), corporate (or small business) server and data processing systems, and the like. These devices may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. In any event, almost all of these modern devices are equipped with relevant hardware and software to allow their users to access a number of different websites over the Internet and perform online transactions.
With large software systems, integrating a software module with the existing software can be a difficult task. First, the creator of the software module may not fully understand the various application programming interfaces (APIs) and how to integrate with them. Second, the integration specification provided by the creator of the software module may contain errors or may not be programmatically consistent with the software platform of the provider of the larger software system. For example, different software developers/creators may use different programming techniques and, hence, may provide inconsistent specifications even if their software modules relate to the same application (e.g., a data storage application, an invoice processing application, a sports news application, and the like). Thus, if these errors or inconsistencies cause a software module to behave badly due to improper integration with the provider's software system, the software module may cause the entire system to crash.

System and method for programmatically converting interface specification to generic plug-in code


A method of verifying defect management area (DMA) information of an optical disc upon initialization without certification, and a test apparatus for performing the same. The method includes generating as test information, defect management information, which is generated after performing initialization without certification on a blank test disc to which no data is written, and verifying the test information using reference test information for the initialization without certification to provide a test result. Accordingly, it can be easily verified that a recording and reproducing apparatus properly translates and processes DMA information which is generated after initialization without certification, using a blank test disc.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical disc recording and reproducing technology, and more particularly, to a method of verifying defect management area information of a recordable and reproducible optical disc upon initialization without certification, and a test apparatus for performing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital versatile disc-random access memory (DVD-RAM) discs have a defect management function of replacing defective areas with normal recordable areas, and storing information necessary for the defect management in a portion referred to as a defect management area (DMA) thereon. DMA information is repeatedly recorded in four portions on a disc: two portions in a lead-in area and two portions in a lead-out area. DMA information is composed of a disc definition structure (DDS), a primary defect list (PDL) and a secondary defect list (SDL).
DMA information includes information on a spare area and important information on the start logical sector number of each zone, in addition to information on defects, which are detected during certification performed while a disc is being initialized or during use of a disc.
Some information included in the DMA can be immediately read and used. On the other hand, the DMA includes information, which varies with the positions and the number of defects on a disc. That is, some information, for example, the position information of the start logical sector number of each zone or the position information of a first logical sector number, can be obtained only by performing complex computation according to a given algorithm based on defect information registered in the DMA.
Since such DMA information is closely related to a physical data recording position, a recording medium such as an optical disc, which can be used in a given recording and reproducing apparatus even if DMA information on the disc has been generated or updated in another recording and reproducing apparatus, may not be compatible with both recording and reproducing apparatuses when the DMA information is wrong. To overcome this problem, an apparatus and method of verifying that a recording and reproducing apparatus correctly reads DMA information from a disc and correctly records DMA information on the disc is desired.

Method of verifying defect management area information of optical disc upon initialization without certification and test apparatus for performing the same


Embodiments of the invention provide methods for forming conductive materials within contact features on a substrate by depositing a seed layer within a feature and subsequently filling the feature with a copper-containing material during an electroless deposition process. In one example, a copper electroless deposition solution contains levelers to form convexed or concaved copper surfaces. In another example, a seed layer is selectively deposited on the bottom surface of the aperture while leaving the sidewalls substantially free of the seed material during a collimated PVD process. In another example, the seed layer is conformably deposited by a PVD process and subsequently, a portion of the seed layer and the underlayer are plasma etched to expose an underlying contact surface. In another example, a ruthenium seed layer is formed on an exposed contact surface by an ALD process utilizing the chemical precursor ruthenium tetroxide.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to methods for depositing materials within a feature, and more specifically to methods for depositing a seed layer prior to filling a contact plug with a copper-containing material by an electroless deposition process.
2. Description of the Related Art
Reliably producing nanometer-sized features is one of the key technologies for the next generation of very large scale integration (VLSI) and ultra large scale integration (ULSI) of semiconductor devices. However, as the fringes of circuit technology are pressed, the shrinking dimensions of interconnects in VLSI and ULSI technology have placed additional demands on the processing capabilities. The multilevel interconnects that lie at the heart of this technology require precise processing of high aspect ratio features, such as vias and other interconnects. Reliable formation of these interconnects is very important to VLSI and ULSI success and to the continued effort to increase circuit density and quality of individual substrates.
As circuit densities increase, the widths of vias, apertures, trenches, contacts, and other features, as well as the dielectric layers between them, decrease to nanometer dimensions, whereas the thickness of the dielectric layers remain substantially constant. Therefore, the aspect ratios of the features increase with the duration of time. Many traditional deposition processes have difficulty filling nanometer-sized structures where the aspect ratio exceeds 4:1, and particularly where the aspect ratio exceeds 10:1. Therefore, there is much effort directed at the formation of substantially void-free, nanometer-sized features having high aspect ratios.
Currently, copper and copper alloys have become the metals of choice over aluminum for nanometer-sized interconnect technology. Copper has a lower electrical resistivity (about 1.7 μΩ-cm compared to about 3.1 μΩ-cm for aluminum), a higher current carrying capacity, and significantly higher electromigration resistance than aluminum. These characteristics are important for supporting the higher current densities experienced at high levels of integration and increased device speed. Further, copper has a good thermal conductivity and is available in a highly pure form.
Electroless deposition processes, unlike electroplating processes, utilize autocatalyzed chemical deposition instead of an applied current to induce chemical reduction. An electroless deposition process typically involves exposing a substrate to a solution by either immersing the substrate into a bath or spraying the solution over the substrate. An electroless deposition process of a copper-containing material within nanotechnology requires a surface capable of electron transfer for nucleation of the copper material to occur over the surface, such as a catalytic seed layer. Non-metallic surfaces and oxidized surfaces are examples of surfaces which usually do not support electron transfer. A barrier layer containing tantalum, tantalum nitride, titanium, or titanium nitride may provide for a poor nucleation surface to a subsequently deposited copper-containing material. Native oxides that are easily formed on the barrier layer may cause the poor nucleation.
An electroless deposition process may utilize a seed layer as both a catalytic surface as well as an adhesion surface. A seed layer may serve as a surface capable of electron transfer during an electroless deposition process to deposit copper-containing material. However, if there are discontinuities in the seed layer across the surface, then a subsequently deposited copper-containing layer may not form uniformly to cover the seed layer. A seed layer may also function as an adhesion layer to the underlying barrier layer or contact surface. For example, a copper layer deposited on a tantalum nitride barrier layer without an intermediate adhesion seed layer is easily peeled away during a standard tape test.
Therefore, there exists a need to deposit a seed layer within a feature on a substrate surface prior to filling the feature with a copper-containing material by an electroless deposition process, wherein the seed layer adheres the copper-containing layer to the underlying surface and the copper-containing layer is free of defects.

Process for electroless copper deposition


A sports hoop is provided for a motor vehicle. The sports hoop includes a one-piece internal frame, an outer cover received over an outer surface of the internal frame and an inner cover received over an inner surface of the internal frame. Slip joints and expansion joints are provided to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction to maintain a more aesthetically pleasing appearance.

A sports hoop is a large load box mounted spoiler for a pickup truck or similar motor vehicle. This document relates to a new and improved sports hoop incorporating a one-piece internal frame clad in a lightweight cover and incorporating slip joints and expansion joints so as to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance under substantially any ambient temperature conditions to which the sports hoop might be exposed when in use.


A timepiece includes a dial plate including a first index on a radial virtual line outwardly extending from a center; and a circular case ring disposed outside of the dial plate, the circular case ring including a second index arranged in series with the first index on the line, wherein the second index includes a proximal end facing the first index; and a distal end opposite the proximal end, wherein a width of the proximal end is wider than that of the distal end in a plan view as seen in a height direction of the dial plate, and wherein the width of the proximal end of the second index is wider than that of a proximal end of the first index facing the second index.

A timepiece indicates time by pointing at markers or indicators with hands such as an hour hand and a minute hand. The markers include smaller markers disposed in positions which are separated each other with one-minute intervals (corresponding to one minute of the minute hand which rotates once in every sixty minutes) and larger markers (hereinafter referred to as indices) disposed in positions which are separated each other with five-minute intervals (corresponding to one hour of the hour hand which rotates once in every twelve hours).
In addition to the markers or indices on a dial plate, the indices may be disposed on a circular member such as a case ring which is provided on the outer circumferential part of the dial plate or in a position outward from the dial plate. Further, the indices may be disposed both on the dial plate and the circular member. In the timepiece where the indices are disposed both on the dial plate and the circular member, the indices of the dial plate and the indices of the circular member are arranged in series on a line which radially extends from the center (the rotational center of the hands) of the dial plate, which gives a viewer or user an impact in terms of its design (see Patent Literature 1: JP2007-124011A, for example).
The dial plate and the circular member are separate parts, so that the dial plate and the circular member may be displaced or misaligned relative to each other when the timepiece is assembled. For example, after the dial plate is fixed to a case of the timepiece, the circular member is placed within the case and then a grass or crystal is fixed to the case. A waterproof seal is generally provided between the crystal and the case. When the crystal is fixed to the case, the crystal is compressed into the case, which elastically deforms the seal. At this time, the movement of the crystal and the seal slightly rotates the circular member unexpectedly.
As a result, the indices of the dial plate and the indices of the circular member, which are supposed to be arranged in series on the line radially extending from the center of the dial plate, are displaced or misaligned relative to each other in a rotational direction (circumferential direction). The indices of the dial plate and the indices of the circular member may also be displaced relative to each other as described above due to machining accuracy of the circular member, the indices on the circular member and the like even if another positioning structure is used for the circular member. The displacement or misalignment between the indices on the dial plate and the indices on the circular member deteriorates quality in the appearance of the timepiece.
The present disclosure has been made in view of the above issues, and accordingly an object of the present disclosure is to provide a timepiece which can suppress deterioration of quality in the appearance of the timepiece even if the indices on the dial plate and the indices on the circular member are displaced or misaligned relative to each other.


A method for configuring IP addresses of a router broadcasts a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) discover packet over a network for receiving a DHCP offer packet sent from the modem. The DHCP offer packet comprises the private IP address of the modem. The method further obtains the private IP address of the modem from the DHCP offer packet, and configures IP addresses of a WAN port and a LAN port of the router according to the private IP address of the modem, so as to allow the private IP address of the modem to be in the same network segment with the IP address of the WAN port but in different network segments with the IP address of the LAN port.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to network equipments and methods for establishing networks, and more particularly to a router and a method for configuring internet protocol (IP) addresses of the router.
2. Description of Related Art
A router is a device that connects two different network segments together. A network segment is a portion of a computer network where every device communicates with each other using the same physical layer. Occasionally, a network segment refers to a subnetwork.
Usually, a router may have one wide area network (WAN) port and at least one local area network (LAN) port. The WAN port of the router is an Ethernet port that is wired to its counterpart port on a cable or DSL modem. The LAN port of the router accommodates wired Ethernet computers, or printers, for example.
A modem is a device that enables a computer to transmit information over, for example, telephone or cable lines. Computer information is stored digitally, whereas information transmitted over telephone lines is transmitted in the form of analog waves. The modem converts between these two forms.
If multiple computers around the home or office want to be networked together to share the Internet connection via telephone or cable lines, the multiple computers need to be connected to a modem linked to the Internet via a router. In addition to the connection, internet protocol (IP) addresses of the router and the modem need to be configured correctly. That is, the IP address of a LAN port of the modem must be in the same network segment with the IP address of a WAN port of the router and in different network segments with the IP address of a LAN port of the router.
At present, a common used method of configuring the IP addresses of the router and the modem is manual, which is troublesome and time wasting.

Router and method for configuring IP addresses of the router


A combination tray and box for storing a plurality of paint colors therein, the apparatus comprising an elongated substantially rectangular housing being generally defined by a planar bottom and four sides, the housing having an open top whereby a storage tray insert may be removably fitted within the interior of the housing, the insert having a plurality of paint storage wells and transverse raised ribs defined along the longitudinal extent of the top surface thereof and juxtaposed between adjacent wells, the insert further having an exterior perimeter less than the interior perimeter of the housing so as to define a channel therebetween for accumulation of excess paint and water residue, the housing further including a cover associated therewith for protecting the tray contents when not in use.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an apparatus for storing and dispensing liquids, and more particularly, to a combination paint tray and storage box for storing a plurality of water color paints in adjacent paint wells, the tray having integral means for preventing paint intermixture and further having a channel for drawing away excess paint and water residue.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Painting sets or containers for storing a plurality of paints are known in the art and embodied in a vast array of different configurations. Because painting with water colors is a favorite hobby and occupation of youngsters and adults alike, numerous types of painting sets have been made available which simplify the task at hand. Typically, these sets are small, and have individual colors of paint stored in a plurality of wells located in very close proximity to one another. One of the problems designers have been confronted with, is the undesirable intermixture of paint between wells during use. As a remedy, different configurations have been tried with varied success. One approach is to segregate the apparatus into wells bounded by raised areas or ribs to prevent such mixing of paint therebetween.
An example of a paint set which uses functional ribs is embodied in U.S. Pat. No. 2,565,912, issued to Davis. The Davis reference teaches a circular palette which includes a plurality of radially located raised ribs, each of which extends vertically a nominal distance, disposed between adjacent paint wells. Another device employing raised ribs is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,888, issued to Meth. Yet another invention for storing a plurality of paint colors in a number of wells is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,945, issued to Thomas.
A related problem associated with water color paint sets, is the accumulation of paint and water residue in the area immediately surrounding each well. When a user removes a particular color of paint with a moist brush, the excess paint must be wiped off prior to its application on a painting surface. Typically, the artist wipes the brush on flat areas proximal to the well edge. Eventually, excessive amounts of paint and water accumulate where spillage between adjacent wells, intermixture of paint and messy overflow can occur, notwithstanding the presence of elevated ribs. Remedial measures to drain this excess liquid away from the well area have been tried in the art.
In the Davis patent, the circular palette is situated atop a cylindrincal water vessel in fluidic communication therewith. Excess liquids are gravity drained away from the annular surface surrounding each well and into the water vessel. However, this apparatus suffers from a major drawback in that the relatively bulky water vessel must be used to accumulate excess paint and water. Moreover, no means are provided for covering and protecting the paint when the tray is not in use.
Still other types of receptacles for storing paint are disclosed in U.S. pat. No. 3,023,884, issued to Schwartz, U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,973 issued to Canning et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,188,036 issued to Sprung. These all teach sealable containers for paint storage in multiple receptacles. However, none of these function as a paint tray where excess paint and water may be drained away into the device and discarded at a later time.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to overcoming the aforementioned shortcomings apparent in the prior art, by providing a combination paint tray and storage box which includes integral means for preventing paint intermixture, draining excess paint and water residue, and covering the tray while not in use.


High speed reading of fiscal information from memory is enabled while complying with financial regulations. Including fiscal memory 10 that stores fiscal information, a first control unit 5 that controls communication with the host computer 2 and operates at a first processing speed, and a second control unit 7 that controls operation of the fiscal memory 10 and operates at a second processing speed that is lower than the first processing speed, the second control unit 7 performs a write process writing fiscal information received from the host computer 2 to fiscal memory 10, and the first control unit 5 executes a read process reading the fiscal information stored in the fiscal memory 10 without involving processing by the second control unit 7.

In addition to simply printing text similarly to a common printer, fiscal printers also have a function for storing and holding payment information (fiscal information) such as the collected tax amount and the total sale amount related to sales transactions of products and services, for example, and are used as cash register printers in POS systems, for example.
Because the fiscal information that must be stored is determined by local law (referred to as "financial regulations" below) and may be used for tax audits, for example, it is stored in fiscal memory devices, which are nonvolatile memory devices that are protected to prevent external access and tampering with stored content.
A fiscal printer typically has a communication control unit that controls communication with a host computer such as a POS system computer, and a memory control unit that controls writing and reading fiscal information in fiscal memory.
The communication control unit has an application CPU with a function for controlling data communication with the host computer. Financial regulations also prohibit the application CPU from directly writing fiscal information to fiscal memory in order to prevent tampering. The memory control unit therefore has a memory control CPU that writes fiscal information to fiscal memory separately from the application CPU.

Fiscal memory control using two controllers


A vibration motor assembly includes a vibration motor, an end cap having electrical contacts configured for supplying electrical power to the vibration motor, the end cap having a first connecting structure connecting the end cap to the vibration motor, and a capsule connected to the end cap to define a cavity. The vibration motor further has a shaft, and an eccentric mass is connected to the shaft. The vibration motor is configured to use electrical power to rotate the shaft and the eccentric mass to create a vibration effect. The end cap further has a second connecting structure connecting the capsule to the end cap. The vibration motor and eccentric mass are enclosed by the so-connected end cap and capsule, so as to enable the vibration motor assembly to withstand fabrication conditions.

Vibration motors are used in a wide variety of applications, including many electronic devices. As examples, vibration motors are used in tablet or laptop computers, cell phones, smart phones, PDAs, portable media/music players, and watches. In certain such devices, there are limited options for placement of such vibration motors, due to various reasons, e.g., the devices have internal space constraints and/or the device's functionality may be impeded or disrupted by the vibration motor, and/or the vibration motor may drain limited battery-sourced energy capacity. Accordingly, a need exists for technologies that provide enhanced options for placement and use of vibration motors in such devices, particularly devices having a small form factor or otherwise constrained internal space.
Moreover, a need exists for vibration motors for use in electronic devices, which motors are able to withstand more extreme conditions employed in the device's fabrication. For example, a need exists for vibration motors that, in a fabrication process, can withstand a molding process implicating high pressure and/or temperature, including pressures ranging up from, e.g., 3000 psi.
The present device and method are provided to address the problems discussed above and other problems, and to provide advantages and aspects not provided by prior vibration motors. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.


Systems, methodologies, media, and other embodiments associated with processing network communications are described. One embodiment of a method includes processing data requests including changing an input/output (I/O) communications type for processing the data requests.

Delivering web-based documents with optimal performance can be difficult due to highly varying bandwidths and latencies of each network connection.
In computer networking, the term bandwidth refers to the data rate supported by a network connection or interface. Bandwidth can refer to both actual and theoretical throughput. For example, a standard dialup modem supports up to 56 Kbps (kilobits-per-second) of peak bandwidth, but due to physical limitations of telephone lines and other factors, a dialup connection cannot practically support more than 53 Kbps of bandwidth in practice. Likewise, a traditional Ethernet network theoretically supports 100 Mbps (megabits-per-second) of bandwidth, but this maximum throughput cannot reasonably be achieved nor sustained due to overhead in the computer hardware and operating systems, as well as other factors such as hardware switches, bridges and routers. Consequently, networks generally do not operate at the "advertised" bandwidth.
Latency is another element that contributes to overall network speed. The term latency refers to delays that may occur in the processing of network data requests. A low-latency network connection is one that generally experiences small delay times, while a high-latency connection generally suffers long delays. Other than propagation delays, latency may also involve transmission delays (properties of the physical medium) and processing delays, such as passing through proxy servers or making additional network hops on the internet.
Although the theoretical peak bandwidth of a network connection is fixed according to the underlying technology used, the actual bandwidth obtained varies greatly over time and is affected by high latencies. Excessive latency creates bottlenecks that prevent data from saturating the network pipe, thus decreasing the effective bandwidth. The impact of latency on network bandwidth can be temporary (lasting a few seconds) or persistent (constant) depending on the source of the delays.
A cache server can operate as a network acceleration product and may reside in the middle of these propagation latency bottlenecks. In general, the cache server is configured to operate in such ways that it not be the source of additional processing latency. However in practice, the cache server does have processing latencies. More efficient techniques for operating a cache server or other network device may be desired.

Changing I/O types for processing data requests


A sea vessel exploration and production system is provided, wherein the system includes a drilling station formed from at least one section of a first sea vessel hull; and a docking station, which is also formed from at least one section of a second sea vessel hull. A mooring system suitable for connecting the drilling station to the docking station is also provided. Means for anchoring the vessels to the seafloor, and for attaching them to turret buoys, are also considered. Various exploration and production packages, as well as equipment required to deploy and control a self-standing riser system in either deep or shallow waters, are also described.

Offshore drilling is quickly becoming the prevalent method of exploring and producing oil and gas, especially in Western countries where land operations are frequently inhibited by environmental concerns. There is, however, a serious shortfall of offshore drilling units called Mobile Offshore Drilling Units, or MODUs. The relative unavailability of MODUs has resulted in significant delays in many drilling projects. Consequently, the cost of obtaining either a new or existing MODU for an exploration and production operation has dramatically increased over the past decade.
As will be readily appreciated by those of skill in the art, MODUs are utilized during the early testing phase required to evaluate oil, gas, and other hydrocarbon discoveries. However, due to the lack of floating production facilities and the high cost of MODUs, early testing is seldom accomplished, which often results in unnecessary delays and inaccurate predictions of economic assessments, project development schedules, etc. Moreover, procurement of offshore production and storage facilities required to operate offshore projects in a timely manner can be quite difficult. In extreme circumstances or in especially remote regions, the lag time between hydrocarbon discovery and the production phase can reach 10 years or more.
Meanwhile, self-standing riser assemblies supported by buoy devices are becoming a more common method of performing oil and gas exploration and production related activities. Compared to the large scale riser assemblies typically serviced by MODUs, the self-standing riser provides for lighter and less expensive riser tubulars (e.g., drilling pipe, stack casing, etc.). Self-standing risers also admit to the use of lighter blowout preventers, such as those used by land drilling rigs.
Moreover, the top buoy of a self-standing riser system can be positioned near the surface of the water in which it is disposed (for example, less than around 100 ft. below surface level), allowing for efficient drilling in even shallow waters. Furthermore, where riser systems are tensioned and controlled with associated buoyancy chambers, buoy-based systems can be used successfully in much deeper waters.
However, as those of skill in the art have learned in the field, buoy-based systems utilizing general purpose vessels for riser and buoyancy chamber deployment are deficient in that large-scale operations (e.g., deployment in very deep or turbulent waters, or projects involving multiple combinations of riser strings and buoyancy chambers, etc.) are very difficult to control, and thus installation, operation and maintenance of the resulting system is significantly impaired.
There is, therefore, a need for a custom vessel that admits to efficient deployment of large-scale riser systems in a manner similar to the manner of a MODU even when a MODU is not available.

Docking and drilling stations for running self-standing risers and conducting drilling, production and storage operations


A flat panel display, a display driving apparatus thereof and a shift register thereof are disclosed. The shift register is adapted for driving a flat panel display. The shift register receives an input signal and a clock signal. The shift register includes a delay unit and a buffer unit. The delay unit is used to delay the input signal for a half period of the clock signal and then output the delayed input signal. The buffer unit receives the delayed input signal, and provides an extra driving power accordingly. The buffer unit is operated by a fixed first voltage and a fixed second voltage.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a shift register. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flat panel display, a display driving apparatus thereof and a shift register thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
As the flat panel display (for example, liquid crystal display (LCD)) has such characteristics as being light, thin, small, low radiation and power saving, these features help save the space usage of office or home, and reduce the feeling of eye tiredness after a long time viewing. Therefore, the flat panel display has characteristic to fully substitute the conventional cathode ray tube (CRT).
FIG. 1A is a circuit diagram of a conventional shift register, which is implemented upon a glass substrate using low temperature poly silicon (LTPS) technology. Referring to FIG. 1A, the shift register can be adapted for the driving circuit of the flat panel display, for example, the gate driver for vertical scan of the liquid crystal display. FIG. 1A includes 5 stages of same shift registers, SR1, SR2, SR3, SR4, and SR5, respectively. Each shift register includes an input terminal In, clock signal input terminals CKA and CKB and an output terminal Out. FIG. 1A includes four clock signal wires respectively inputting a first clock signal CK1, a second clock signal CK2, a third clock signal CK3 and a fourth clock signal CK4. In addition, FIG. 1A also includes a start pulse wire SP.
FIG. 1B is a detailed circuit diagram of the conventional shift register SR1 in FIG. 1A, which is implemented upon a glass substrate using the low temperature poly silicon (LTPS) technology. The circuit comprises thin film transistors (TFT) 101, 102, 103 and a capacitor 104. The first source/drain of the TFT 101 is the input terminal In of the SR1. The second source/drain of the TFT 101 is coupled to the gate of the TFT 102. The gate of the TFT 101 is the clock signal input terminal CKA, and the gate of the TFT 101 is coupled to the gate of the TFT 103. The first source/drain of the TFT 102 is the clock signal input terminal CKB. The second source/drain of the TFT 102 is the output terminal Out of the SR1. The first source/drain of the TFT 103 is coupled to the second source/drain of the TFT 102. The second source/drain of the TFT 103 is the low level voltage input terminal VSS.
FIG. 1C is a clock diagram of the circuit in FIG. 1A. Referring to FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, and FIG. 1C simultaneously, we presume that the low level of the voltage amplitude of the clock signal equals to VSS, and the high level of the voltage amplitude of the clock signal equals to VDD, and VDD>VSS. First, a start pulse on the start pulse wire SP is provided to the input terminal In, and at this time, the clock signal CK1 is at high level voltage (VDD). Accordingly, the TFT 101 and the TFT 103 are conducted so that the high level voltage is stored in the capacitor 104. When the clock signal CK1 turns to low level from high level, the clock signal CK3 also turns to high level from low level at the same time. As the capacitor 104 stores the high level voltage, the gate of the TFT 102 receives the high level voltage so that the high level voltage VDD on the clock signal CK3 is conducted to the output terminal Out. Accordingly, the next shift register SR2 starts to receive the high level voltage output from the output terminal Out.
Although the conventional technology has provided an architecture of shift registers, however, the architecture has one disadvantage. Referring to FIG. 1B, it can be learned from FIG. 1B that the clock signal CKB must be input from the source/drain of the TFT 102. Accordingly, the clock signal generator should have very strong driving power; however, the increase of the driving power would cause the increase of the layout area.

Flat panel display, display driving apparatus thereof and shift register thereof


Pill pack packaging that monitors and reports on pill compliance is disclosed. The pill pack packaging includes a circuit disposed on the cover of pill receptacles. A processor monitors the changes in electrical signals from the circuit. When the electrical signals change, the processor records the time and date. The processor may also report the time and date of pill receptacle opening to a mobile device via wireless transmission. The device may also be capable of providing alerts regarding lack of compliance or loss of the pill pack.

A wide range of studies have shown that people struggle to take medication—even lifesaving drugs such as cancer medication—on a consistent basis. The rate of successful compliance with a medication schedule varies significantly depending on the number of daily doses. As you increase the number of daily doses or include multiple medications, there is a substantial drop-off in compliance.
With a single daily dose of a medication, the mean compliance rate is typically around 79%. If the same medication requires two doses per day, the patient will follow the dosing schedule around 69% of the time. If the patient has to remember four different doses of medication in a day, such as breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bedtime, the compliance rate drops to around 51%. In conditions where patients have to remember to not just take a medication but to also take it at a specific time, compliance also drops significantly, to a mean of around 59%.
The lack of compliance presents a significant risk to global healthcare. Even the better medications in the world are less effective if people fail to take them. Detection of adequate compliance with medication schedules is crucial for effective treatment. Numerous counts, and therapeutic outcomes. These methods, however, involve significant time delays and are often subject to significant reliability issues.
Thus, there is a need to ensure adequate compliance from day to day throughout a patient's treatment regimen. A direct method of monitoring compliance and providing reminder-based support may be more effective at producing positive outcomes.
Low medication compliance rates may also pose a significant challenge to researchers. It may be impossible to assess the efficacy of a treatment regimen if it cannot be known with any certainty that a medication is actually being taken as prescribed. Direct monitoring and patient support may provide a critical mechanism for increased certainty in research and drug trial data collection.
There have been attempts to provide tracking systems for drug (medication). These systems, however, are often large container systems and/or cumbersome to implement. For example, container systems have been designed to be used with printing conductive ink onto packaging. These systems are designed to print onto paper backing and/or direct print, which may limit pack (e.g., pill pack) production capability to organizations that have the ability to print on their own.
Based on the foregoing, current technologies and processes associated with ensuring compliance with treatment regimens may be enhanced and improved upon. In particular, such enhancements and improvements may facilitate easier tracking, more accurate data, faster monitoring capabilities, increased compliance with treatment regimens, improved health outcomes, among other benefits.


A portable communication terminal having an image-taking function is composed of a camera unit that takes an image of a subject through a photographic lens, and two displays, the first display being positioned on same a front surface of housing of the portable communication terminal as the photographic lens and being visible in a same view as the photographic lens, and the second display being positioned on a back surface of the housing. The mobile communication terminal has a function of having the image taken by the camera unit displayed on at least one of the displays.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a folding mobile communication terminal that has an image-taking function.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In recent years mobile communication devices such as mobile telephones have become increasingly multi-functional, and more recently mobile telephone devices having a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera are becoming common. Such cameras use a semiconductor photodetector element that converts light to an electric signal.
In such a portable telephone having a camera, the CCD camera is positioned on the back of the main body of the portable telephone, and an image of the subject taken by the CCD camera is displayed on an LCD screen positioned on the front of the main body. Therefore, the user can confirm through the screen display that the desired subject is in the view of the CCD camera before actually taking an image.
Note that "take an image" is used to denote forming an image of the subject on the photodetecting surface of the semiconductor photodetector through the lens of the camera and converting the formed image into image data.
However, since the LCD that displays the image of the subject taken by the CCD camera is positioned on the front of the main body of the portable telephone and the CCD camera is positioned on the back of the main body, when the user attempts to take an image of him/herself, he/she cannot look at the LCD to check in advance that the subject (i.e., the user) is in a position for an image to be taken as desired. This gives rise to a problem that the user cannot take an image of him/herself as desired.
Such a problem can be solved by making the camera rotatable to face the subject, but this results in an increase in the size of the portable telephone and highs costs because a flexible circuit board must be provided in the rotating unit. This is undesirable in portable telephones since importance is placed on compactness, light weight and low cost.


An internal combustion engine includes: a variable valve train mechanism, configured to receive a cam displacement of an inlet cam so as to vary a driving output for driving an inlet valve continuously from a maximum valve lift to a minimum valve lift so as to match the driving output with a running condition of the internal combustion engine; and a control part, configured to control the variable valve train mechanism so as to set a valve lift of the inlet valve to a starter valve lift when starting the internal combustion engine in a cold state. The starter valve lift is formed so that a valve opening period of the inlet valve is set to encompass an overall area of an induction stroke period of the internal combustion engine from a top dead center to a bottom dead center of the induction stroke period.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine in which the valve characteristics of an inlet valve are made variable by the use of a variable valve train.
2. Description of the Related Art
A good startability is required for a reciprocating engine (internal combustion engine) which is mounted on a motor vehicle (a vehicle). In particular, a high startability is required for a cold engine in which fuel is difficult to vaporize.
On the other hand, there is an engine disclosed in JP-A-2003-129812 in which a variable valve train of a variable valve lift type is mounted on a cylinder head for variably controlling the valve characteristics of an inlet valve so as to match them with a running condition of the engine in which variable valve train a valve lift of the inlet valve is made to vary continuously from a maximum valve lift to a minimum valve lift based on a maximum lift center position with a valve opening period narrowed.
Specifically, according to the varying function of the variable valve train, as is indicated by chain double-dashed lines in FIG. 10, the valve lift of the inlet valve varies continuously towards the small valve lift based on the maximum lift center position thereof with the valve opening period narrowed.
Because of this, in determining a starter valve lift, a method is used in which initially, a fast idle valve lift suitable for fast idle when the engine is in a cold state, or specifically, a large valve lift α is determined which large valve lift α is determined in a wide valve opening period extending from a point near a top dead center to an area spreading further than a bottom dead center of an induction stroke period, and based on this large valve lift α, a starter valve lift β for use for a cold start is then determined. Namely, the valve lift amount is reduced based on the maximum lift center position from the valve lift α so as to set the small starter valve lift β. Specifically, to ensure an actual compression ratio, the small starter valve lift β is set by a lift curve in which a valve closing position of the inlet valve is disposed near the bottom dead center of the induction stroke period. Fuel is made easy to vaporize for a cold start of the engine by this lift curve (by a rise in temperature in the cylinder).
However, as is shown in FIG. 10, since the small starter valve lift β is obtained by reducing the fast idle valve lift based on the maximum lift center position by the use of the variability of the variable valve train, in the event that the valve closing position of the inlet valve is positioned in the vicinity of the bottom dead center of the induction stroke period, a valve opening position of the inlet valve delays largely from the top dead center of the induction stroke period or the valve lift amount of the inlet valve becomes somewhat too small.
When the valve opening position of the inlet valve delays, there is formed a blank period like a period m shown as extending from closure of the inlet valve to opening of the same in FIG. 10, that is, a period when a vacuum or depression is formed in the cylinder. Because of this, there is caused a fear that oil is caused to enter the cylinder from the circumference of the piston due to the depression so produced in the cylinder. In addition, the valve lift amount of the inlet valve which is slightly too small tends to easily call for insufficiency of intake air by volume, leaving many problems in the engine. In addition, although it is considered to advance overall the valve lift for elimination of the time period m in FIG. 10 so as to position the valve opening position in the vicinity of the top dead center, as this occurs, the valve closing position results in a point lying forwards of the bottom dead center, whereby there is a period when a depression is formed within the cylinder.
As a countermeasure against the problem above, there is proposed a technique for filling the period when the depression is formed within the cylinder by the use of a separate approach as is shown in FIG. 11 in which the phase of an exhaust valve is delayed by a variable valve train of a variable phase type and the valve opening position of the inlet valve is advanced by increasing the valve lift amount of the small valve lift β.
By the use of the technique so proposed, the formation of depression is suppressed in an ensured fashion, and the valve lift amount is increased. As is shown in FIG. 11, however, since the starter valve lift β is set in such a way that the valve lift amount is increased based on the maximum lift center position, the valve closing position is delayed largely to a point in the area spreading further than the bottom dead center of the induction stroke period. This then causes a fundamental problem that the actual compression ratio within the cylinder is reduced. Moreover, since a period when the exhaust valve is opened and the inlet valve is closed is formed in an area spreading further than the top dead center of the induction stroke period, a behavior is generated in which combustion gases are retaken in from an initial combustion on, and combustion tends to become unstable easily, resulting in a fear that a misfire may take place. Because of this, conversely, there is also caused a fear that the startability of the engine is reduced. On top of that, the delay of the phase of the exhaust valve delays the opening of the exhaust valve, this also leading to a problem that the effect is eliminated of increasing the temperature of a catalyst for purifying exhaust gases of the engine.
In addition to the variable valve train having the construction in which the valve lift of the inlet valve is made to vary continuously from the maximum lift to the minimum lift based on the maximum lift center while narrowing the valve opening period, there is also known a variable valve train having a construction in which the valve lift of an inlet valve is made to vary continuously from a maximum valve lift to a minimum valve lift while advancing the advance angle and further narrowing a valve opening period. However, with the variable valve train having the construction described above, although valve characteristics matching running or operating conditions of the engine can be obtained, it becomes difficult due to its variability that a valve lift for a fast idle of a cold engine is compatible with a valve lift for starting the cold engine.

Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha


A double-edged snowboard (10) is disclosed. The snowboard includes a middle portion with a core, a tail (14) at the rear end of the middle portion, a shovel (12) at the front end of the middle portion, and a base (18) along the bottom of the middle, tail, and shovel portions of the snowboard. The base includes a central running surface (24), two outer running surfaces (26 and 28), first and second outer edges (34 and 36), and first and second inner edges (30 and 32). The central running surface is lower than the outer running surfaces. The first and second outer edges surround a portion of the perimeter of the first and second outer running surfaces, respectively. The first and second inner edges are disposed between the central running surface and the first and second outer running surfaces, respectively. The outer edges are generally symmetric about the longitudinal axis of the snowboard, whereas the inner edges may be positioned in a number of ways, depending on the desired performance characteristics of the snowboard. Asymmetric arrangements of the inner edges are disclosed that help accommodate for a skewed foot position on the snowboard. The disclosure also includes a method for manufacturing a dual-edged snowboard consistent with the above description.

Snowboards are somewhat similar to surfboards in appearance and riding style. They are used to ride on snow rather than surf. A snowboard has a tip or "shovel", a central contact zone, and a tail. The outer sides of boards capable of easily carving turns through the snow have sidecuts, giving the boards a slight hourglass configuration. The base of the snowboard is typically similar to that of snow skis, with steel edges circumscribing the outer shape of the base. A rider stands substantially sideways on the board with his feet skewed toward the shovel of the board. The rider applies pressure to the side of the board corresponding to the desired direction of turn. This causes the board to tilt into the snow on edge and the shovel and tail of the board to flex upwardly relative to the midrunning surface. The radius of curvature of the tilted edge (the "turning edge") causes the board to carve a turn.
Because of the wide running surface of snowboards riders may have difficulty properly tilting a board on edge to carve a turn. To avoid toe or heel drag when turning on edge, the midsection width of the board is approximately equal to the length of the boots of a rider. The shovel and tail are somewhat wider. One approach to overcoming the difficulty in tilting the board to edge is using a narrower board and skewing the feet further to avoid toe or heel drag. However, this approach is limited by the rider's desire to have a substantially sideways stance. The average preferred foot angle from directly sideways is about 27 degrees.
One attempt to provide a narrower base to help a rider to more easily edge, while still avoiding toe or heel drag, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,760 to Remondet. The Remondet snowboard has an upper portion substantially as wide as the rider's boots are long and a significantly narrower (110 mm narrower) lower portion projecting well below (7 to 8 mm below) the bottom surface of the upper portion. With this narrower running surface the rider can tilt the board to initiate a turn on the narrower base with less force. If the rider continues to tilt the board he can ride on both the inner and outer edges or on the outer edge only. The Remondet board, while being easier to tilt, suffers from snow accumulation between the upper and lower portions. This tends to make the board skid as edge control is lost, especially when tilting the board from an inner to an outer edge. The Remondet configuration also increases friction between the board and the snow surface due to height of the sidewalls of the narrower base. Constructing a board in the configuration taught by Remondet results in a thick board that is too rigid to properly flex for carving. Also, the narrowness of the lower portion of the board and the resulting high angle between the upper and lower portions results in overtracking and makes the board unstable when landing after a jump.
Remondet also teaches that the outer configuration of the board is to be asymmetric for proper force application to the sidecuts, due to a skewed foot stance. However, the skewed upward curvature of the shovel creates a problem. When varying snow conditions, bumps, or depths are encountered, the skewed shovel tends to kick the front of the board in a toe-side direction, which is disconcerting to the rider because it upsets the rider's balance.
As another approach to help overcome edging difficulty, some boards have a slightly convex base (i.e., the base along the longitudinal centerline of the running surface is slightly lower than the edges). This allows the rider to slightly "rocker" the board for smoother edge-to-edge transitions.
While convex bases may be one solution to the difficulty of edging, they create other problems. Convex-based snowboards tend to skid or slide sideways before the edge is fully set, cutting rider speed and control. The board is sloppier since the edges don't bite as readily into the snow. Also, straight-line stability is greatly sacrificed.
An ideal snowboard should maximize the desired advantageous characteristics of the convex base for edge-to-edge board tilting to the outer edges to carve turns, while eliminating the skidding that takes place before a convex base board is tilted enough to firmly set the outside edges. Additionally, poor straight-line stability, inherent in the convex-based boards, should be improved. This invention is directed to providing such a board.