A separated power ESD protection circuit is disclosed. The separated power ESD protection circuit is coupled between a first and a second power lines. The separated power ESD protection circuit has a first diode, a second diode and a MOS transistor. The first diode has an anode and a cathode, wherein the anode is coupled to the first power line. The source of the MOS transistor is coupled to the second power line. The anode of the second diode is coupled to the second power line and cathode is coupled to the first power line. The first diode and the MOS transistor form a parasitic silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) so as to provide a discharge route for ESD.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electro-static discharge (ESD) protection circuit, and more particularly to a separated power ESD protection circuit.
2. Description of Related Art
For the integrated circuit, the static charges due to touch of human bodies are often flowing into the internal circuit of the integrated circuit chip via the I/O pins. The static charges usually cause the high voltage pulse and this instant high voltage pulse would cause the damage to the integrated circuit. In order to prevent the integrated circuit from damage due to high voltage electrostatic pulse, electro-static discharge (ESD) protection circuits are disposed between the input pads and the internal circuit, so as to provide a discharge route for ESD, leading ESD currents to the power line.
For a mixed-mode signal integrated circuit, which comprises analog circuits and digital circuits, the power lines respectively used by the analog circuits and the digital circuits are separate, so as to avoid noises. For this design of the separated power lines, noises generated on the power lines for the digital circuit due to fast transition of the states of the digital circuits are not transmitted to the power lines of the analog circuits. FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a prior art ESD protection circuit. Referring to FIG. 1, when ESD event occurs in one I/O pin to another I/O pin or one power pin to another power pin, the ESD current does not only flow through the widest metal line in the integrated circuit. When it occurs on the interface circuit between the two separated power lines, the ESD current usually flows along the weakest route. The interface circuit may get damaged due to ESD. Accordingly, the design of the separated power lines in the bus undermines the robustness of the integrated circuit.
FIG. 2 is a schematic circuit showing a charged-device model (CDM) ESD protection circuit. The design of the circuit has the big problem on the separated power in integrated circuit either. In the ESD event on CDM protection circuit, static charges are stored in the bulk of the integrated circuit from the beginning. Then the static charges are discharged to the pad, which is grounded. This prior art CDM ESD protection circuit provides two routes. One route is through the CDM clamp circuit; the other is through the bi-direction diode string between the power lines VDD_I/O and VDD_Internal, and between VSS_I/O and VSS_Internal. If there is no the bi-direction diode string, under a high ESD current, some CMD current would damage the gate oxide layer in input.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing an ESD protection circuit disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,075,686. The circuit comprises two diode strings with diodes coupled in opposite direction and in parallel, between the first power line and the second power line. In addition, FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing showing an ESD protection circuit disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,968. Two diodes connected in parallel with opposite direction are disposed between the first and the second power lines. The application of these diodes, however, does not efficiently protect the circuit from ESD.

Separated power ESD protection circuit and integrated circuit thereof


Systems and methods for protecting at least one client from becoming part of at least one botnet. The system may comprise virtual machines deliberately infected with malicious content and operable to record botnet communications to and from criminal servers. The virtual machines are in communication with a processing unit configured to index data collected. Data related to the prevalence of cyber threats may be presented to users in response to queries.

Internet security is challenging, and the types of threats computers are exposed to are rapidly increasing. Software infecting computers is commonly known as malware. Malware types include examples such as worms, bankers, proxy, DDoS, password stealers, fake anti-virus, spammers, downloaders and the like.
The term 'worms' is given to self-replicating malware which uses a computer network to send copies of itself to other computers on the network. The term 'bankers' is given to malware which steals banking information.
The term 'proxy' is given to malware which sets the infected computer as a proxy between other computers (for example as used for Fast Flux and the like).
The term 'DoS' is given to malware which is used for Denial-of-Service attack against websites or networks.
The term 'password stealers' is given to malware which steals any type of information.
The term 'Fake Anti-Virus' is given to malware which misleads users into paying for a fake removal of malware.
The term 'Spammers' is given to malware which uses an infected computer to send spam emails.
The term 'Downloaders' is given to malware which downloads other malware to an infected computer.
Malware types may be differentiated according to criteria such as self-distribution, point of control, data stealing, level of protection and the like. The self-distribution is the capability of the malware to spread itself to other computers. Point of control refers to the capability of the malware to be controlled by a central remove server, for example its vulnerability to receiving commands, sending information, automatic updating and the like. Data stealing refers to the capability of the malware to send information from the computer to a remote server.
The level of protection of malware refers to the systems put into place by the malware author in order to decrease detection by end point security products, such as anti-virus software, malware detection software, and the like, and gateway protection software, such as firewalls and the like. For example, some malware is designed to be polymorphic, for example changing executable signature, while maintaining the malware payload. Some malware may use encryption of the network communication between the malware and a drop zone at a criminal server.
Cyber criminals use different methods to infect machines with malware. Examples include the social engineering, exploitation of specific vulnerabilities, use of exploit kits, distribution of email attachment and the like.
Social engineering is one method for deceiving users into downloading malware. In one example a website which offers to show a video. In order to view the video the user is required to download software purporting to be an update for commonly used software such as Adobe Flash or the like. In reality the update is an executable file installing malware onto the host.
Specific vulnerability may be identified and exploited, certain malicious webpages, for example, exploit known vulnerabilities of a browser, application or operating system in order to install the malware surreptitiously.
Exploit kits are a collections of exploits traded in the underground, and used by cyber criminals to increase the probability of installing the malware surreptitiously.
Email attachments are often used to distribute malware to unsuspecting recipients. For example, executable files may be attached to spam email or email purporting to be from a member of the user's contact list. A botnet generally comprises a set of malware infected computers, or bots, all connected to a common criminal sever, also known as a bot server, or a bot server set comprising a plurality of bot servers. The bot server or bot server set may include a command and control module, which is able to control all the infected computers, an update module which updates the malware code in the infected computers, and a drop zone for collecting data received from the infected computers.


An artifact for osseous repair includes a bioresorbable porous cage defining an internal space, and a biocompatible composite which includes a plurality of mineralized collagen-mimic fibrils filled in the internal space of the bioresorbable porous cage.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an artifact for osseous repair and a method for forming the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,449 discloses a process for making a composite involving the inclusion of acidic polymers to a supersaturated mineralizing solution, in order to induce an amorphous liquid-phase precursor to an inorganic mineral, which is then absorbed (pulled by capillary action) into an organic matrix. By such process, the inorganic mineral crystals can be embedded within collagen fibers of the organic matrix.
European patent application publication no. 2458044 discloses a product for enhancing tissue growth and/or tissue adhesion. The product includes a carrier material that is built up from electrospun nanofibers. Polarised or charged nanocrystals are chemically and/or physically bonded to the carrier material.
Methods for producing mineralized collagen fibers are, for example, disclosed in: (1) Michele Iafisco et al., "Electrospun Nanostructured Fibers of Collagen-Biomimetic Apatite on Titanium Alloy," Hindawi Publishing Corp, Bioinorganic Chemistry and Application, vol. 2012, Article ID 123953, 8 pages; (2) Amir A. Al-Munajjed et al., "Development of a Biomimetic Collagen-Hydroxyapatite Scaffold for Bone Tissue Engineering using a SBF Immersion Technique," Published online 29 Jan. 2009 in Wiley InterScience; and (3) Sang-Hoon Rhee et al., "Nucleation of Hydroxyapatite Crystal through Chemical Interaction with Collagen," J. Am, Ceram, Soc. 83 [11] 2890-92 (2000).

Artifact for osseous repair and method for forming the same


A photosensitive composition comprising: a sensitizing dye represented by the following formula (1):

Hitherto, a PS plate having a construction wherein a lipophilic photosensitive resin layer is provided on a hydrophilic support has been widely used as a lithographic printing plate. With respect to the plate making method thereof, in general, a desired printing plate has been obtained by mask exposure (surface exposure) via a lith film and dissolution and removal of a non-image area.
In recent years, the digitalizing technology for electronic processing, accumulating and outputting of image information by using a computer has become widespread, and a variety of new image outputting systems corresponding thereto have been put into practical use. As a result, the computer-to-plate (CTP) technology for scanning light having high directivity such as laser beam according to digitalized image information and directly producing a printing plate without using a lith film is desired, and it is an important technical problem to obtain a printing plate precursor adaptive therewith.
As one of systems for obtaining a lithographic printing plate which can be subjected to scan exposure, a construction wherein a photopolymerization based composition having excellent photosensitive speed is used in an ink-receptive photosensitive resin layer (hereinafter referred to as "photosensitive layer") to be provided on a hydrophilic support has hitherto been proposed and already marketed. A precursor having such a construction bas desired printing performance such that not only it is simple in development treatment, but also it is excellent in resolution, inking properties, printing resistance, and staining resistance.
The foregoing photopolymerizable composition is basically composed of an ethylenically unsaturated compound, a photopolymerization initiation system, and a binder resin, and the image formation is achieved by the matter that the photoinitiation system absorbs light to generate an active radical and cause addition polymerization of the ethylenically unsaturated compound, thereby insolubilizing the photosensitive layer.
The majority of conventional proposals regarding a photopolymerizable composition capable of being subjected to scan exposure disclose the use of a photoinitiation system excellent in photosensitivity and are described in, for example, Bruce M. Monroe, et al., Chemical Revue, Vol. 93 (1993), pp. 435-448, and R. S. Davidson, Journal of Photochemistry and Biology A: Chemistry, Vol. 73 (1993), pp. 81-96.
With respect to a conventional CTP system using a photopolymerizable composition composed of such an initiation system and a visible light source having a long wavelength such as Ar laser (488 nm) and FD-YAG laser (532 nm) as a light source, for the sake of enhancing productivity of the plate making step, it is desired to undergo writing at a higher speed. However, its object has not been achieved yet because an output of the light source is not sufficiently high and sensitivity of the photographic material is not sufficiently high.
On the other hand, in recent years, for example, semiconductor laser which can undergo continuous oscillation in a region of from 350 nm to 450 nm by using an InGaN based material is in the stage of practical use. In a scan exposure system using such a short wavelength light source, since the semiconductor laser can be cheaply produced from the structural standpoint, it has an advantage that while it has a sufficient output, an economical system can be constructed. In addition, it is possible to use a photographic material, the photosensitive region of which is present in a short wave side and which can be worked under a brighter safe light, as compared with the conventional system using FD-YAG or Ar laser.
However, a photoinitiation system having sufficient sensitivity against scan exposure in a short wavelength region of from 350 nm to 450 nm has not been known up to date.
Additionally, what a photoinitiation system having high sensitivity is obtained is a more earnestly desired technology widely in the imaging field (for example, see JP-A-2000-258910, J. P. Faussier, Photoinitiated Polymerization-Theory and Applications: Rapra Review., Vol. 9, Report, Rapra Technology (1998), and M. Tsunooka, et al., Prog. Polym. Sci., 21, 1 (1996)). A photoinitiation system composed of a sensitizing dye and an activator can generate an acid or a base in addition to the foregoing active radical by choosing the activator. For example, such a photoinitiation system is utilized for the image formation such as optical fabrication, holography, and color hard copying, the fabrication field of electronic materials such as photoresists, and photo-curable resin materials such as inks, paints, and adhesives. In these industrial fields, for the sake of causing decomposition of the activator with good efficiency, it is eagerly desired to find out a sensitizing dye having excellent light absorptivity and sensitizing ability.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Abstract: in which A represents an optionally substituted aromatic ring or an optionally substituted hetero ring; X represents an oxygen atoms a sulfur atom, or —N(R6)—; and R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, and R6 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent non-metal atomic group; an activator compound being capable of causing a chemical change due to a mutual action with light absorption of the sensitizing dye represented by the formula (1) so as to generate at least one of a radical, an acid and a base; and a compound being capable of reacting with at least one of a radical and an acid so that physical or chemical characteristics thereof change irreversibly.


Disclosed herein are embodiments of systems and methods for selecting partitions for reclustering based on distribution of overlapping partitions. In an example, a database platform makes a determination to at least partially recluster a database table that includes data stored across a plurality of partitions. The database platform responsively selects a subset of the partitions. The selecting of the subset includes identifying a point on a domain of a clustering key that corresponds to a local maximum of overlapping partitions, and also includes selecting the subset from among a group of overlapping partitions. The group includes at least one partition that overlaps the identified point on the domain of the clustering key. Each partition in the selected subset is above a reduction goal of overlapping partitions. The database platform at least partially reclusters the selected subset based on the clustering key.

Databases are widely used for data storage and access in computing applications. A goal of database storage is to provide enormous sums of information in an organized manner so that it can be accessed, managed, and updated. In a database, data may be organized into rows, columns, and tables. Different database storage systems may be used for storing different types of content, such as bibliographic, full text, numeric, and/or image content. Further, in computing, different database systems may be classified according to the organization approach of the database. There are many different types of databases, including relational databases, distributed databases, cloud databases, object-oriented and others.
Databases are used by various entities and companies for storing information that may need to be accessed or analyzed. In an example, a retail company may store a listing of all sales transactions in a database. The database may include information about when a transaction occurred, where it occurred, a total cost of the transaction, an identifier and/or description of all items that were purchased in the transaction, and so forth. The same retail company may also store, for example, employee information in that same database that might include employee names, employee contact information, employee work history, employee pay rate, and so forth. Depending on the needs of this retail company, the employee information and the transactional information may be stored in different tables of the same database. The retail company may have a need to "query" its database when it wants to learn information that is stored in the database. This retail company may want to find data about, for example, the names of all employees working at a certain store, all employees working on a certain date, all transactions for a certain product made during a certain time frame, and so forth.
When the retail company wants to query its database to extract certain organized information from the database, a query statement is executed against the database data. The query returns certain data according to one or more query predicates that indicate what information should be returned by the query. The query extracts specific data from the database and formats that data into a readable form. The query may be written in a language that is understood by the database, such as Structured Query Language ("SQL"), so the database systems can determine what data should be located and how it should be returned. The query may request any pertinent information that is stored within the database. If the appropriate data can be found to respond to the query, the database has the potential to reveal complex trends and activities. This power can only be harnessed through the use of a successfully executed query.
However, further to the above example, the retail company may have a database table storing an enormous sum of information. It can be challenging to execute queries on a very large table because a significant amount of time and computing resources is required to scan the entire table. Therefore, it can be desirable to execute a query without scanning the entire table. In some implementations, the query may be executed by only scanning particular sections of the table that include pertinent information for responding to the query. This implementation is most effective if the particular sections of the table are organized well and can easily be identified.
In light of the foregoing, disclosed herein are improved systems, methods, and devices for automatic database partitioning and clustering. The systems, methods, and devices of the disclosure can be leveraged to improve database performance and particularly to improve table scanning and query execution performance in database systems.

Selecting partitions for reclustering based on distribution of overlapping partitions


Provided is an image sensor. The image sensor can include a readout circuitry on a first substrate. An interlayer dielectric is formed on the first substrate, and comprises a lower line therein. A crystalline semiconductor layer is bonded to the interlayer dielectric. A photodiode can be formed in the crystalline semiconductor layer, and comprises a first impurity region and a second impurity region. A via hole can be formed passing through the crystalline semiconductor layer and the interlayer dielectric to expose the lower line. A plug is formed inside the first via hole to connect with only the lower line and the first impurity region. A device isolation region can be formed in the crystalline semiconductor layer to separate the photodiode according to unit pixel.

An image sensor is a semiconductor device for converting an optical image into an electrical signal. The image sensor is roughly classified as a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor (CIS).
In an image sensor, a photodiode is formed in a substrate having readout circuitry using ion implantation. As the size of a photodiode reduces more and more for the purpose of increasing the number of pixels without an increase in a chip size, the area of a light receiving portion reduces, so that an image quality reduces.
Also, since a stack height does not reduce as much as the reduction in the area of the light receiving portion, the number of photons incident to the light receiving portion also reduces due to diffraction of light, called airy disk.
As an alternative to overcome this limitation, an attempt of forming a photodiode using amorphous silicon (Si), or forming a readout circuitry in a Si substrate and forming a photodiode on the readout circuitry using a method such as wafer-to-wafer bonding has been made (referred to as a "three-dimensional (3D) image sensor). The photodiode is connected with the readout circuitry through a metal line.
Meanwhile, a bonding surface of a wafer including a circuitry has two kinds of layers including material for a line and an interlayer dielectric at a wafer-to-wafer bonding interface. Because the materials of the interface are not uniform (same material at surface) according to a related art, the bonding force of the bonding surface may reduce, and accordingly, a dark current may be generated.
Also, according to a related art, a dark defect may be generated in a photodiode by the etching of a trench in a shallow trench isolation (STI) process for device isolation between pixels, resulting in incomplete device isolation between pixels.
According to a related art, since both the source and the drain at the sides of the transfer transistor are heavily doped with N-type impurities, a charge sharing phenomenon occurs. When the charge sharing phenomenon occurs, the sensitivity of an output image is reduced and an image error may be generated. Also, according to a related art, because a photo charge does not swiftly move between the photodiode and the readout circuitry, a dark current may be generated or saturation and sensitivity reduce.

Image sensor comprising a photodiode in a crystalline semiconductor layer and manufacturing method thereof


In a switchgear in which cables are used on both of the input side and the output side for connection between a main circuit and an external main circuit, a circuit breaker and connection conductors of the switchgear are stored in a box-shaped pressure tank together with insulating gas; an operating mechanism that performs opening and closing operation of the circuit breaker and a first cable connection portion that is connected to the connection conductors are attached to one face of the pressure tank; and a second cable connection portion that is connected to the connection conductors is attached to the other face of the pressure tank, the other face being parallel with respect to a direction connecting the operating mechanism and the circuit breaker.

In a gas insulated switchgear for use in power facilities of equal to or higher than 10 kV class, conventionally, when main circuit connection to external equipment such as a transformer is made by cables, a configuration is made such that a cable connection place for leading in or leading out a main circuit to the switchgear is provided to perform at only the front side or the back side of the switchgear from a standpoint of a balance between securement of insulation distance necessary for corresponding to withstand voltage performance and avoidance of an increase in size of a system. Accordingly, when both of the lead-in and the lead-out of the main circuit need to be performed by cables in one switchgear, connection portions of a plurality of cables need to be arranged in a state to be stacked in stages in the height direction of the switchgear and thus correspondence is made by increasing the height of the switchgear (for example, see Patent Document 1).
Furthermore, there also exists one in which a cable connection place for leading in or leading out a main circuit is provided to perform at both of the front side and the back side of a switchgear. However, a space for connecting cables is secured at both of the front side and the rear side of the switchgear; and accordingly, the size in the depth direction of the switchgear is increased (for example, see Patent Document 2).


Novel chip compositions comprise alkylene glycol, benefit agent and thickening agent (e.g., fumed silica). Use of chips comprising excess of alkylene glycol over benefit agent and thickening agent has been found to allow significant deposition of benefit agent without compromising processing. In a second embodiment, the invention comprises bar compositions comprising mixtures of the chips of the invention and chips containing defined surfactant systems. A process for forming the chips of the invention and a method of enhancing deposition without compromising processing using the chips of the invention are also disclosed.

It has long been a desirable goal to deliver some kind of benefit agent (e.g., silicone or other oils) to the skin through a personal wash composition.
In liquid cleansers, for example, cationic hydrophilic polymers such as Polymer JR.RTM. from Amerchol or Jaguar.RTM. from Rhone Poulenc have been used to enhance delivery of benefit agents (EP 93,602; WO 94/03152; and WO 94/03151). In applicants' copending application, U.S. Ser. No. 08/412,803 to Tsaur et al., now abandoned, separate hydrogel particles act as a structure to entrap the benefit agent in concentrated form.
In the subject invention, entrapment of benefit agent is achieved by producing compositions comprising emollient wherein the medium in which the emollients are found (e.g., polyalkylene glycol) is thickened with a thickening agent (e.g., fumed silica) so that the droplets are entrapped in the polyalkylene glycol. More specifically, and without wishing to be bound by theory, the polyalkylene glycol is believed to act as a matrix entrapping the emollient and the thickener is believed to stop emollient from escaping from the matrix.
The emollient-containing thickened carrier compositions may be inserted into bars in concentrated forms (as in copending application U.S. Ser. No. 08/828,443 to Rattinger et al. filed on same day as subject application) or dispersed throughout the bar. The thickened carrier composition should be prepared separate from the base bar composition (and the separate chip compositions should be coextruded).
Delivery of benefit agents (e.g., silicone) in bar compositions has proven more difficult in bars for a number of reasons. If the benefit agent does not remain sufficiently discrete from other components in the bar composition, for example, the generally hydrophobic benefit agent can contact hydrophobic materials in the bar mix rather than deposit on the skin or other substrate. Thus, little or no benefit agent will be present in the final bar (after milling, plodding and extrusion of chips) to be delivered to the skin. If the benefit agent is too viscous, on the other hand, it tends to get in the processing equipment and become too difficult to process.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,849 to Visscher et al. teaches bar compositions containing a silicone skin mildness/moisturizing aid component. In one embodiment, the silicone component may be mixed with a carrier which is selected to facilitate incorporation of the silicone. Preferred carrier is said to be polyethylene glycol. At column 16, the reference describes that silicone is mixed into melted Carbowax (polyethylene glycol), that the mixture is cooled to form flakes, and that the flakes are preferably added to an amalgamator.
It is clear, however, that the Visscher et al. reference contemplates a silicone/carrier system different from the benefit agent/carrier/thickener system of the subject invention. First, the Visscher patent does not teach thickener (e.g., fumed silica or water soluble starch), a critical component of the emollient containing compositions and one which is believed to provide the structure required to retain and engulf the benefit agent (e.g., silicone) in the carrier. Second, as suggested above the structure of the carrier/silicone chip is distinct. The Visscher et al. composition does not contain the silicone in discrete droplets, but rather the silicone oozes and surrounds the carrier. By contrast, the benefit agent droplets of the invention are discrete droplets retained within the chip. This helps to ensure the silicone does not ooze and interfere with processing.
The discrete particles of the invention, in turn, are present for two reasons, it is believed. The first, as noted above, is presence of thickening agent (e.g. water soluble starch or fumed silica) which, while not wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed helps to thicken the carrier (e.g., PEG) such that the viscosity of the carrier is minimum 800 centipoise (cps), preferably greater than 1500 cps, more preferably greater than 3000 cps and can thereby entrap the silicone. The second reason is that, unlike the Visscher et al. system, the present invention requires there be an equal amount or more of carrier relative to the benefit agent. By contrast, it appears from Visscher et al., where eleven pounds of silicone (column 15, lines 1-2), are mixed with 5 to 6 pounds of Carbowax (column 15, line 29) that there is probably an excess of silicone to PEG and, at the least, there is no recognition of the criticality of having an equal amount or more of PEG to silicone.
In short, the chips of the Visscher reference are extremely difficult to process both because there is no control over the amount of silicone used and because there is no use of thickened carrier.

Bar composition comprising entrapped emollient droplets dispersed therein


A single virtual storage device file system that abstracts multiple RAID groups of physical storage devices into one virtual device and one first blockset having a plurality of data blocks in a contiguous linear address space is converted into a multiple virtual device file system that abstracts the multiple RAID groups of physical storage devices as separate multiple virtual storage devices each having a separate second blockset and address space, by migrating data in allocated blocks at boundaries of the physical storage device groups to free blocks, partitioning the first blockset at the boundaries into the multiple second blocksets, updating the block metadata of each block, and rebuilding the file system using the block metadata to generate second blockset metadata.

This invention relates generally to file system conversion, and more particularly to a file system upgrade in a data integrity storage system.
Primary storage systems are generally optimized for performance and system availability, not for data invulnerability; they make design tradeoffs that favor speed over data recoverability. Even most backup appliances that are intended for data backup and archiving inherit the design philosophies of their primary storage predecessors. They are typically built using similar commodity disks and other components, and are not designed robustly to support long term data backup and data invulnerability. Most backup systems tend to be optimized for performance rather than data invulnerability. They assume that data is stored correctly to begin with. They do not have file systems that perform careful data writes, such as, for example, reading back data written to disk to verify the data was written correctly as this would impact speed and performance.
Storage systems such as used for backup and archive typically have a file system that organizes a plurality of disks into a logical disk groups from which RAID arrays are created. The physical disks groups are contained in enclosures referred to as shelves. These systems generally concatenate disk groups into a storage layer comprising a logical, contiguous, linear address space partitioned into one set of fixed sized blocks as a blockset over which the file system is formatted. Such a file system is referred to herein as a single virtual storage device file system because the file system abstracts multiple physical disks into one virtual storage device. An ordered list of disk groups, their sizes and their unique offsets in the linear address space is maintained, and the file system allocates fixed-size data blocks to users to store user data and metadata. Each disk and disk group has an embedded offset that is associated with its location in the address space. Accordingly, removal of any of the fixed-size blocks of the linear address space would result in "holes" (missing blocks) in the file system address space. Likewise, removal of a shelf would also result in holes. Neither the file system nor the RAID controllers can handle such holes, and the system cannot function with them. Thus, it is very difficult to remove or replace a shelf. There is no straightforward way of migrating user data and metadata off of a shelf and onto a new one without replicating all data to a replica system, destroying and re-creating the file system without the shelf that is removed, and replicating all of the data back onto the remaining disks. This is a manual, slow and expensive process, and one that risks data loss and corruption. Accordingly, it is difficult to upgrade such backup systems.
It is desirable to provide systems and methods that address the foregoing problems of upgrading data backup and recovery systems, while providing for data invulnerability and recoverability. It is to these ends that the present invention is directed.

Invulnerable data movement for file system upgrade


A hydro-mechanical transmission system. The system includes an engine having a drive shaft that extends into and supplies power to a gear box having a first and second planetary gear set, wherein the first and second planetary gear set includes a sun with a first ring gear fixed and a carrier coupled to the drive shaft through a double clutch, a hydraulic pump driven by the engine and hydraulically coupled to a hydraulic motor, a low pressure accumulator coupled to the motor and the pump, a high pressure accumulator coupled to the motor and the pump, wherein the hydraulic motor couples to the suns of both planetary gear sets, wherein the engine drives the carrier of the second planetary gear set with the ring of the second planetary gear set coupled to the drive shaft through a double clutch.

This application pertains to a hydro-mechanical transmission that incorporates synchronized shifting and hydraulic energy recovery.
Transmissions have been used to extend the speed-torque envelope of an engine to achieve motive power. Recently, hybrid electric and hybrid hydraulic transmissions have been developed to allow vehicle kinetic energy to be recovered and reused by the vehicle.
There is much research directed to this area, and improvements in this technology are desirable.


A communication system consists of a satellite constellation including a number of NGSO satellites, one or more gateways and a control center. The satellites facilitate communication for multiple user terminals. Each gateway communicates with the satellites and user terminals and provides connectivity to the terrestrial networks, and the control center controls operation of the satellites, the gateways and the user terminals. The satellites, the user terminals, the gateways and the control center include hardware that may be software-defined network (SDN) enabled to ensure efficient admission control, precision handover management and quality-of-service (QoS) enforcement algorithms.

A non-geosynchronous orbit (NGSO) satellite networks have the potential to provide very high throughput, low-delay services to end-users, allowing them to effectively complement or even compete with terrestrial fiber and the wireless service offerings. However providing these high throughput services is extremely challenging given the dynamic nature of an NGSO constellation wherein the user-terminal-to-gateway (non-processed satellite constellation), user-terminal-to-satellite, gateway-to-satellite, and satellite-to-satellite connectivity is continually changing given the nonstationary aspects of the satellites in relation to the earth. Link connectivity changes also occur due to events such as user terminal mobility, user terminal experiencing blockages and network node hardware failures.
The dynamic connectivity presents unique challenges for ensuring conformance to information rate and QoS guarantees required by end-users. In the case of NGSO networks, with satellites that utilize on-board switching, another challenge is the processing constraint that limits the QoS solutions that can be implemented.

Information rate and quality-of-service configurations for end-to-end data flow in an NGSO satellite network


For the production of a multilayer pipe of thermoplastic material, in particular polyolefine, an extrusion equipment is provided, extruding at least one tube in a direction of production. A calibrating arrangement for forming a pipe of externally profiled shape is provided downstream of the extrusion equipment. The calibrating arrangement is followed by a preheater for heating to welding temperature the outer surfaces of the externally profiled shape. Furthermore, a coextruding head is provided, having an extruder for coextruding a tube around the pipe, the coextruding head having a partial vacuum connecting line for the tube and the outer surfaces to be welded together under the difference pressure between ambient pressure and partial vacuum.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for the production of a multilayer pipe of thermoplastic material, in particular polyolefine, and an installation for putting the method into practice.
2. Background Art
Multilayer pipes, in particular three-layer pipes, are known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,538,209 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,676.
German published patent application 20 42 031 teaches a method and an apparatus for the production of three-layer pipes of thermoplastic material, a twin-wall pipe provided with an exterior corrugated pipe being produced in usual manner. A tube is injection-molded around this twin-wall pipe in a coextruding head, the tube being vacuum-calibrated in a downstream external calibrating arrangement. Three-layer pipes produced in this way can be used as protective pipes, in particular as cable ducts and drain channels, if they are not exposed to any substantial pressure from the inside. The problem with this way of producing multi-layer pipes resides in that no reliable welding is obtained between this tube for the production of an exterior pipe or a skin and the pipe produced and externally shaped in advance. In particular when polyolefines, such as polyethylene, are used, the pipe produced and externally shaped in advance can exhibit considerable tolerances in outside diameter, there being no defined conditions for the known external vacuum calibration.

Method of producing multilayer thermoplastic pipe


A stack support loading and/or offloading system includes a carriage mobile in translation between a retracted position in which the carriage is moved away from the machine and an advanced position in which the carriage is close to the machine, the direction of movement of the carriage being substantially horizontal. An arm pushes or pulls a support, having at its free end a shape suitable for the support to be moved, and mounted on the carriage and articulated about a substantially vertical shaft between a deployed position in which the free end of the arm is on the trajectory of a support and a retracted position folded toward the carriage. A spring return system spring-loads the arm toward its deployed position. Applications include a loading and offloading station, for example for a machine for printing compact discs.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for loading and/or offloading objects that can be stacked and a loading and/or offloading station including this kind of system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention relates, for example, to loading and unloading supports for stacks of objects that can be stacked for use in a machine for printing the objects. The stack supports usually pass first through a loading station which moves a stack support from a conveyor belt or similar conveyor to a transfer station. At the transfer station the objects are unstacked to place them on the printing machine. The transfer system includes a robot, for example, with holding means for picking up a stacked object to put it down at a station of the printing machine.
An object of the present invention is to provide the simplest possible loading and/or unloading system between a system for feeding stacked object supports and a machine. The same system in accordance with the invention preferably loads and unloads stacked object supports.
To this end, the present invention proposes a system between a conveyor and a machine for loading and/or offloading a support for objects adapted to be stacked.
According to the invention, the system includes:
a carriage mobile in translation between a retracted position in which the carriage is moved away from the machine and an advanced position in which the carriage is close to the machine, the direction of movement of the carriage being substantially horizontal,
an arm adapted to push or pull a support, having at its free end a shape suitable for the support to be moved, and mounted on the carriage and articulated about a substantially vertical shaft, between a deployed position in which the free end of the arm is on the trajectory of a support and a retracted position folded toward the carriage, and
a spring return system spring-loading the arm toward its deployed position.
This provides a ratchet system of simple design that is easy to use. It suffices to orient the carriage substantially in the loading or offloading direction. In an initial position, the arm is positioned relative to a support to be moved and then, when the carriage moves, the support is entrained with the carriage toward its destination. At the end of the travel of the carriage, the support is no longer entrained and the carriage returns to its initial position. If during this return movement to the initial position the arm encounters a new support brought up by a conveyor, it folds toward the carriage and passes the obstacle without being impeded. Because of the return spring system, the arm returns automatically to its deployed position and is therefore in the correct position to entrain the new support with it the next time the carriage moves.
In some machines there is a difference in height between the plane in which the objects, in this instance the supports, are conveyed and the working plane of the machine. In such cases, the system according to the invention has the carriage cooperate with a platform intended to receive the support for objects to be stacked when the latter is loaded onto the machine or offloaded from it, either the carriage or the platform having an inclined plane with which the other cooperates. The platform then serves as an elevator. In this advantageous embodiment it is not necessary to provide a xe2x80x9cmotorxe2x80x9d for the elevator. The drive system of the loading and/or offloading device then moves the platform; either the carriage or the platform advantageously has an idler wheel adapted to cooperate with the inclined plane of the other one.
The loading and/or offloading system preferably includes a rotating transfer plate provided with housings each of which is adapted to receive a support adapted to be moved from the conveyor to the transfer plate or vice versa.
The present invention also proposes a loading and offloading system that includes two systems as described above, the carriages of the two systems being interconnected and moved by a common actuator. With this system a single actuator (piston and cylinder actuator, motor or the like) handles loading and offloading, which is highly advantageous. It saves space and reduces costs compared to prior art systems.
In one advantageous embodiment each carriage is mounted to slide on a guide rail and the two guide rails are fastened together by a base. The base is substantially triangular, for example. The carriages can then be placed on respective opposite sides of the base and their guide rails form two sides of the triangle. Each carriage is then advantageously connected by a link of variable length to a mobile central block moved by an actuator.
The mobile central block advantageously includes at the front, i.e. on the same side as the machine, an idler wheel adapted to cooperate with an inclined plane disposed under a platform intended to receive the support for objects to be stacked when the latter is loaded onto the machine or offloaded from it. There is then no need to provide a toothed wheel on each carriage.
The present invention also relates to a station for loading and offloading supports for objects intended to be stacked, the station including a conveyor, a rotating transfer plate provided with housings each adapted to receive a support, and a system for moving a support from the conveyor toward the transfer plate or vice versa.
In accordance with the invention, the system for moving a support includes a loading and/or offloading system as described above or a loading and offloading system as described above.
In the case of a loading and offloading station including a system for loading and offloading simultaneously and in which the supports to be moved each have a base having a circular cylindrical foot on which is placed a circular plate of greater diameter than the foot, the housings of the transfer plate adapted to receive a support advantageously open onto the periphery of the plate, thus providing a lateral opening for each housing, the resulting openings enabling radial introduction of a support foot but preventing radial introduction of a circular support plate. This kind of plate facilitates introducing supports onto the plate. The prior art plates have housings that do not open onto the periphery, which necessitate a relatively large vertical travel of the support to accommodate it on the plate, but the embodiment proposed here significantly limits the vertical movement necessary to place the support in its housing.
In this advantageous embodiment, each housing has a peripheral shoulder, defining two bores with different diameters; the larger diameter bore is adapted to receive a support plate with as little clearance as possible and the smaller diameter bore is adapted to receive a support foot. The support is therefore perfectly retained in its housing.
As already mentioned above, the loading and offloading station can include a platform under the transfer plate, facing the loading and offloading system, and having a substantially horizontal upper face adapted to receive a support and mobile in translation in a substantially vertical direction between a top position, in which the upper face of the platform is substantially in the plane in which the supports are conveyed, and a bottom position, in which the upper face is below a support foot, without touching the latter when the support is placed in its housing on the rotating plate.
The present invention also proposes a printing machine including a circular contour printing table which has a plurality of object-stations regularly distributed around its periphery each adapted to receive an object to be printed, a loading station and an offloading station, wherein at least one loading and/or offloading station includes a loading and/or offloading system as described above or a loading and offloading system as described above.
In the latter case, the printing machine advantageously includes two transfer plates, each transfer plate is advantageously associated with a loading and offloading system as described above, a conveyor is preferably provided for feeding supports to a first loading and offloading system, a system is advantageously provided for conveying empty supports offloaded from the first transfer plate by the first loading and offloading system to the second loading and offloading system in order to be loaded onto the second transfer plate, and a second conveyor is provided, for example, to transport away the filled supports offloaded from the second transfer plate by the second loading and offloading system.
The following description with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings explains further the objects and advantages of the invention. It is clear that the description is given by way of example only and is not limiting on the invention.

Stack support loading and/or offloading system and a corresponding loading and/or offloading system


Light emitted from an obliquely angled LED source is directed by peripheral light tube walls which extend vertically toward media displaying printed indicia. The emitted light provides an illuminated area surrounding the printed indicia, while the light tube walls shield the printed indicia from excessive external light, so that a sensor measures the intensity of emitted light directly reflected from the media through a protective aperture.

This invention relates generally to plotters, and more specifically to monitoring and controlling the quality of markings on plotting media.
A typical plotter comprises a pen for producing markings on a medium in response to instructions from, for example, a computer. The medium such as paper is movable in a first direction along the X-axis and the pen on a main carriage is movable in a second direction along the Y-axis which is perpendicular to the first direction. Thus, by appropriate control of the drives for the pen and paper movement, any desired graphical representation can be produced on the medium. The writing system also typically comprises a plurality of pens, for example pens of different colors. A pen handling mechanism is provided which permits a pen to move into position on the carriage for plotting on the medium and replaces that pen by another one, for example when a different color is desired.
Writing systems such as the above-mentioned pen plotter are typically used for producing rather complex graphical representations, for example circuit layouts or construction diagrams, which are electronically stored in a computer on which they may also have been created by a user. Once the plotting of those electronically stored drawings has been initiated by a user, the plotting continues automatically and the user only has to take the completed drawing from the plotter. In practice, however, the completed drawings have not always been satisfactory. As a consequence thereof, the entire drawing generally had to be plotted again.
Thus, a considerable amount of time is wasted and the efficiency of the plotting is decreased. Usually these problems are resolved by perfecting the components of the plotter.
Despite such attempts for perfection of the writing components, writing failures may still occur.
More recently, the full color inkjet printer/plotters which have been developed comprise a plurality of inkjet pens of diverse colors. A typical color inkjet printer/plotter has four inkjet pens, one that stores black ink, and three that store colored inks, e.g., magenta, cyan and yellow. The colors from the three color pens are mixed to obtain any particular color.
The pens are typically mounted in stalls within an assembly which is mounted on the carriage of the printer/plotter. The carriage assembly positions the inkjet pens and typically holds the circuitry required for interface to the heater circuits in the inkjet pens.
Full color printing and plotting requires that the colors from the individual pens be precisely applied to the media. This requires precise alignment of the carriage assembly. Unfortunately, mechanical misalignment of the pens in conventional inkjet printer/plotters results in offsets in the X direction (in the media or paper axis) and in the Y direction (in the scan or carriage axis). This misalignment of the carriage assembly manifests as a misregistration of the print images applied by the individual pens. In addition, other misalignments may arise due to the speed of the carriage, the curvature of the platen and/or spray from the nozzles.
However, the integration of the optical and electronic components in the optical sensor, as well as positioning the optical sensor on the carriage have been complicated, expensive and to some extent imprecise in prior printers/plotters. The need for reliability and precision is even greater in recent inkjet printers/plotters which print high resolution color graphics and images, often on very large poster-size printouts.

Optical path optimization for light transmission and reflection in a carriage-mounted inkjet printer sensor


In one embodiment, a switch includes first and second mated substrates defining therebetween a number of cavities. A plurality of electrically conductive elements extends to near at least a first of the cavities. A switching fluid, held within at least the first of the cavities, serves to electrically, but not physically, couple and decouple at least a pair of the electrically conductive elements, in response to forces that are applied to the switching fluid. A passivation layer covers at least a first of the electrically conductive elements and i) separates the first of the electrically conductive elements from at least the first of the cavities, and ii) is a dielectric for a capacitor formed between the first of the electrically conductive elements and the switching fluid. Other switches, and methods for making same, are also disclosed.

A fluid-based switch such as a liquid metal micro switch (LIMMS) comprises a switching fluid (e.g., mercury) that serves to electrically couple and decouple at least a pair of electrically conductive elements in response to forces that are applied to the switching fluid. Typically, the forces are applied to the switching fluid by means of an actuating fluid that is heated or pumped.

Fluid-based switch, and method of making same

Avago Technologies ECBU IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.


Disclosed is a cleaning composition that contains at least two surfactants selected from a cationic surfactant, a nonionic surfactants, a linear alkyl benzene sulfonate salt, a sulfated alcohol ethoxylate, an amine oxide, and an amphoteric surfactant; and a fragrance compound. The cleaning composition has composition has a Cup test value of at least about 70% of the standard reference formula and a QFR value of at least about 20%. Also disclosed are related methods of fragrance delivery including application and use of the composition.

When doing household chores, such as dish washing, dusting or laundry, many consumers may wish to experience a pleasant fragrance or odor as well as to recognize the cleaning attributes of their selected cleaning compositions. For example, in dish washing liquids, consumers value cleaning efficacy; however, given the choice between equally efficacious formulations, one of which promise to deliver fragrance and one of which does not, some consumers will select the formulation that promises fragrance delivery as an additional benefit.
Prior approaches to improving fragrance delivery include the inclusion of dish fragrances able to develop blooming or intense odors in to, e.g., dish washing liquids. However, these fragrances may overpower the consumer or linger to long of the cleaned surfaces. Other approaches include lowering the total surfactant level of the dish washing liquid; this approach has the disadvantage of reducing the cleaning efficacy of the dish washing composition.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a cleaning composition that delivers fragrance in an acceptable manner and exhibits a cleaning efficacy that is similar or better than the prior art compositions.

Cleaning compositions that provide grease removal and fragrance delivery


A connector apparatus having a reduced total packaging height despite the presence of mounting receptacle connectors on each the surfaces of a mount board is disclosed. The mount board is formed from a flexible printed circuit bonded to a support plate. The mount board is bent in a stepped or offset relation to an axis extending perpendicular to the surface of the board mount to provide a pair of opposed step sections, lower and upper. A receptacle connector is mounted to the upper and to the lower step section of the mount board; that is, to the side of the board mount having the flexible printed circuit board side and one to the side of the board mount having the support plate. The upper and lower receptacles extend in mutually opposed directions along the axis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector apparatus in which a receptacle connector is mounted on both opposed surfaces of a mount board, the connector apparatus being used as an interface board for an electronic apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is growing demand for electronic apparatus having a disc drive therein for use in lap top, palm top, and notebook computers. Surface mount technology (SMT) receptacle connectors are used to mount a large number of electronic components on a printed circuit board in high density and to arrange them in a narrow spacing. The receptacle connectors are mounted on both surfaces of an interface board for circuit interconnection through headers to, for example, a plurality of peripheral circuits. Since connectors are mounted on both opposite surfaces of the board, the total packaging height is not reduced, making it difficult to obtain a relatively compact profile for the disc drive.
In view of the foregoing it is believed advantageous to provide a connector apparatus having an SMT receptacle on each surface of a board yet still exhibits a relatively thin, compact height dimension.


A wellbore rig top drive is disclosed. The wellbore rig top drive can include a main bearing housing. The wellbore rig top drive can also include a main bearing supported by the main bearing housing. The main bearing can be configured to support a weight of a wellbore string and facilitate rotation of the wellbore string about an axis. The wellbore rig top drive can further include a quill supported by the main bearing and configured to rotate about the axis. The quill can be coupleable to the wellbore string. In addition, the wellbore rig top drive can include a drive motor disposed below the main bearing and supported by the main bearing housing. The drive motor can be coupled to the quill to provide torque to rotate the quill about the axis.

A top drive is used in oilfield operations to manipulate a wellbore string, such as a drill string or a casing or liner string. The top drive is typically supported in a rig, such as a mast or derrick, via a supporting apparatus that includes a pulley system with a traveling block coupled to the top drive via a becket, a bail, and upper links. The top drive provides torque to the wellbore string to drill a borehole. The top drive can also move vertically up and down the rig via the pulley system to string or remove pipes.
Conventional top drives have a drive motor that applies torque to a wellbore string via a drive quill. The drive motor and the drive quill are often mechanically coupled by a gear system or other such drive train. Typically, top drive arrangements have the hoisting load path components placed together as compact as possible, with the propulsion motor located above the thrust bearing housing. Indeed, in a typical top drive, the drive motor is located on top of a main housing or support structure that is configured to support the weight of the wellbore string and enable rotation of the string (i.e., a swivel). In this arrangement, the drive quill is typically supported below the drive motor and/or laterally offset from the drive motor in top drives that utilize gearing to couple the drive motor and the drive quill.
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.


In a circuit arrangement for analyzing a clocked signal reflected from an object, particularly an optical signal, wherein at least one radiation emitter which, for providing the clocked signal, is connected to a clocking signal generator, and at least one radiation receiver which receives radiation pulses emitted by the radiation emitter and reflected from the object, and a comparator by which the output signal pulses of the radiation are compared with reference pulses whose amplitudes depend on output signals of the comparator, are provided, the reference signal pulses occur concurrently with the radiation impulses received by the radiation receiver and the impulses received by the radiation receiver are compensated for each by a respective internal reference impulse before their analysis in the circuit arrangement.

The invention resides in a circuit arrangement for analyzing a clocked signal reflected from an object, particularly an optical signal, including at least one radiation emitter which is connected to an oscillator for the delivery of the clocked signal, at least a radiation receiver which receives radiation pulses delivered by the radiation emitter and reflected from the object, and a comparator by means of which the output signal pulses of the radiation receiver are compared with reference signal pulses, wherein the amplitude of the reference signal pulses depends on the output signal of the comparator.
Such a circuit arrangement is known, for example, from DE 100 01 943 A1. In the known arrangement, a clocked optical signal sent out by a radiation emitter and reflected by an object is received by a radiation receiver. The radiation receiver further receives directly a blocked optical signal which is sent out by a second radiation emitter and which is phase-shifted relative to the optical radiation signal sent out by the first radiation emitter by 180°. This means that, whenever there is a gap between the signal sent out by the first radiation emitter and reflected from the object, the radiation receiver receives a radiation pulse of the second radiation emitter.
The signal development present at the output of the radiation receiver depends therefore on the height of the amplitude of the received signal. If the amplitude received by the radiation receiver of the signal of the first radiation emitter reflected by the object is as large as the amplitude of the signal of the second radiation emitter received by the radiation receiver, the radiation receiver delivers at its output a DC voltage.
If the distance of the object from the first radiation emitter or, respectively, the radiation receiver changes, also the amplitude of the signal of the first radiation emitter reflected from the object and received by the radiation receiver changes. As a result, a rectangular voltage is provided at the output of the radiation receiver. In a circuit arrangement connected to the radiation receiver, a control voltage is formed from this rectangular voltage by way of which the strength of pulses emitted from the second radiation emitter is set.
The circuit arrangement is so designed that the control value counteracts the difference between the amplitudes of the reflected signal and the reference signal. That is, the amplitude of the reference signal is adapted to the amplitude of the reflected signal so that the square voltage present at the output of the radiation receiver is almost zero.
In the known circuit arrangement, it is a disadvantage that a second radiation emitter is required and that the light emitted by the second radiation emitter becomes stronger when the reflection is improved, that is, when the reflected light received by the radiation receiver becomes stronger. As a result, the energy requirements are relatively high.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,222 A, a circuit arrangement for the automatic level adjustment for optical sensors with pulsed radiation for example for surveillance apparatus is known in which, by means of changes in the radiation conditions between a pulsed IR emitter and an IR receiver whose clocked output amplitude is adjustable in accordance with emission pulses, alarm signals are generated and the adjustable receiver output signal voltage is compared with the reference signal voltage derived from the emitter in a comparator which is clocked by the pulse frequency of the emitter. After the comparator there is a control voltage generator with an integration stage for a control member which controls the output amplitude of the receiver, and an evaluation logic stage to which alarm generators and an adaptation indicator are connected.
It is the object of the invention to provide a circuit arrangement of the type as discussed initially but which has substantially reduced energy requirements.

Circuit for analyzing a signal reflected from an object


An electronic device includes a carriage on which an image sensor is mounted, a motor that drives the carriage, and servo-control-containing printed matter provided in one or more detection areas of the image sensor or one or more independently provided optical sensors. The servo control information is used for speed control and initial position detection of the carriage. A servo controller performs the servo control on the motor via a motor driver based on the read servo control information. The printed matter is provided on a rear or underside surface of a support structure in areas irradiated by a light source for the image sensor. Printed matter for speed control may be provided in one area and printed matter for initial position detection in another. Servo control information on the printed matter may be read using a dummy pixel region of the image sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic devices with printed matter containing servo control information located such that it can be sensed and used to perform servo control.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic devices such as image scanners, facsimile machines and copy machines use an image sensor, i.e., Charge Coupled Device (CCD), Contact Image Sensor (CIS), or Bucket Brigade Device (BBD), to read images. A carriage on which an image sensor is mounted is driven by a motor that is servo-controlled by a servo controller. A variety of conventional techniques have been employed for the servo control.
However, in the past, a rotary encoder with a linked gear attached to a motor shaft and a photo interrupter that detects rotations of the rotary encoder have been used to control the speed of the carriage. Also, a position sensor to detect an initial position (home position) of the carriage is separately provided to control the initial position of the carriage. The additional parts, including separate sensor and associated parts, increases the complexity of the devices, makes it more time-consuming to assemble at factory, and poses an obstacle to lowering the cost of such electronic devices.


The invention relates to anti-EGF like domain multiple 6 antibody (anti-EGFL6 antibody) and cancer detection (or diagnosis) and treatment using the anti-EGFL6 antibody. The present invention creates anti-EGFL6 antibodies, particularly, a single-chain antibody fragments (scFv) and humanized antibody, which have ability in binding to EGFL6 and in inhibiting angiogenesis and cancer cell growth.

Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells anywhere in a body. The abnormal cells are termed cancer cells, malignant cells, or tumor cells. Early diagnosis of a cancer often increases the likelihood of successful treatment or cure of such disease.
A biomarker is a potential tool in the detection of a cancer. EGFL6 is a member of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) repeat superfamily proteins and consists of an EGF-like repeat region and an integrin association motif (RGD). EGFL6 promotes endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis. George Yeung et al. report that EGFL6 encodes a predicted signal peptide, suggesting that it is secreted, and that its transcripts are expressed in brain and lung tumor and fetal tissues (George Yeung et al., Genomics 62, 1999, pp. 304-307). A study is conducted to identify the molecule profile of ovarian tumor vasculature showed that tumor vascular markers may serve as potential biomarkers and molecular targets for ovarian cancer, wherein EGFL6 is one of the markers (Ronald J. Buckanovich et al., Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2007, Vol. 25, No. 7, pp. 852-861). However, an article reports that EGFL6 mRNA was found in high levels in ovarian cancer, comparable to that in benign meningioma and when compared with fibroblastic meningioma, EGFL6 mRNA levels were significantly decreased in all other investigated tumors including glioma, lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, pancreatic carcinoma, gastric cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer and bladder cancer (Xuanchun Wang et al., PLOS ONE; 2012, Vol. 7, Issue 12, e52707).
It is also reported that EGFL6 is overexpressioned in W1TR cell line and is a secreted protein that promotes endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis (Radoslaw Januchowski et al., Oncology Reports 32: 1981-1990, 2014). Another article reports that EGFL6 is a candidate tumor vasculature ligand in breast cancer (Benjimin M Larimer, J. Mol Biomark Diagn. 2014, 5(3): doi: 10.4172/2155-9929.1000178). WO2009057849 discloses a diagnostic composition for colon cancer, comprising an agent measuring mRNA or protein levels of one or more genes selected from KLK6, CKS2, IFITM1, SPP1, DPEP1, CST1, CDH3, ANLN, CXCL1, MELK, CDCA1, CTHRC1, CEACAM6, MMP1, LCN2, HS6ST2, EGFL6 and CA9.
However, no EGFL6 alone is actually applied in clinical cancer diagnosis. Moreover, there is also a need to develop an anti-EGFL6 antibody for cancer treatment.

Anti-EGF like domain multiple 6 (EGFL6) antibodies

Changhua Christian Medical Foundation Changhua Christian Hospital

National Research institute of Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Health and Welfare


Betaine/cocoamide complexes are produced by providing an aqueous solution of a cocoamide selected from the group comprising coconut oil fatty amides and an alkaloid selected from the group consisting of betaines and emulsifying said aqueous solution to form the betaine/cocoamide complexes. Surfactant compositions are produced by combining the betaine/cocoamide complexes with a surfactant. The betaine/cocoamide complexes provide improved lather and conditioning properties and lower cloud/clear points to the compositions produced.

Coconut oil fatty amides of the di or monoethanol types are widely known and used as viscosity builders, coemulsifiers and foam boosters in a variety of anionic surfactant products including shampoos and hand dishwashing liquids. Cocodiethanolamide is most widely used in shampoo compositions since it is a liquid at room temperature and requires no heat in formulations. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,877 to Russell et al.
Alternatively, cocomonoethanolamide is used in shampoo compositions to enhance foam. It's use is limited, however, since it is a solid, and requires melting and often special solubilizing techniques. It is commonly used in pre-emulsified form with ammonium or sodium xylene sulfonates. It can also be pre-emulsified in minor formula amounts of hot, anionic surfactant. U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,500 to Drakoff discloses the use of cocomonoethanolamide in shampoo formulations as a "suds" booster.
Cocoamidopropyl betaine is also a common shampoo ingredient used as a conditioning agent or foam booster to enhance the richness of the lather. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,355 to Desai. However, betaines are amphoteric compounds and when used in shampoo compositions form deposits on the hair follicles giving the appearance of greasy, unclean hair.
The prior art has disclosed shampoo compositions which contain cocoamides and betaines. U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,953 to Pena et al. discloses a conditioning shampoo comprising a fatty alcohol sulfate or fatty alcohol ether sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine and cocoamide diethanolamine. As shown in Pena cocamidopropyl betaine and coconut oil derived amine oxides are typical examples of surfactant based conditioning agents. Thus it is shown that both betaine and certain cocoamides provide mild conditioning properties to the hair. These conditioning agents in addition to being substantive to the hair, frequently serve a dual role as a foam booster.
The present invention is directed to a method for producing novel betaine/cocoamide complexes. In particular, it concerns a method for producing a conditioning agent comprising a betaine/cocoamide complex for use in surfactant compositions. The betaine/cocoamide complexes provide conditioning properties and superior synergistic properties to compositions not offered by either the betaines or cocoamides alone. It will be appreciated that advantage over known compositions is obtained by providing such compositions which improve lather and conditioning characteristics as well as lower cloud/clear points for producing clear products.
Accordingly, it is a broad object of the invention to provide betaine/cocoamide complexes and methods of making the same.
A more specific object of the invention is to provide a conditioning agent comprising a betaine/cocoamide complex for use in surfactant compositions which improve lather and conditioning characteristics as well as lower cloud/clear points for producing clear products.
Another object of the invention is to provide surfactant compositions with improved lather and conditioning characteristics.
Another specific object of the invention is to provide a method for manufacture of surfactant compositions comprising a betaine/cocoamide complex and a surfactant to produce compositions with desired properties.
A further specific object of the invention is to provide a simplified process for producing surfactant compositions with improved lather and conditioning characteristics as well as lower cloud/clear points for clear products.

Surfactant compositions comprising betaine/cocoamide complexes and method of making the same


A wheel lifting device for facilitating removal of a flat tire and positioning of a replacement tire includes a base bar being positionable on a support surface adjacent a tire. Each of a pair of arms is coupled to the base bar. Each of the arms has one of a pair of rollers rotatably coupled thereto. Each of the rollers is positioned between the arms to engage a tread of the tire. The rollers permit rotation of the tire to allow a rim to be rotated to properly align the rim with a wheel hub.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wheel pulling and transporting devices and more particularly pertains to a new wheel pulling and transporting device for facilitating removal of a flat tire and positioning of a replacement tire.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of wheel pulling and transporting devices is known in the prior art. While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a device that has certain improved features that allow for a tire and a rim to be easily rotated so that the rim lines up with studs on a wheel hub. Additionally, the device may have arm that are pivotal to permit a more compact storage of the device.


A low-cost high precision twisting measuring device comprising a tool body; the tool body comprises a handle having a display; at least one end of the handle having a driving portion; each connection between the handle and each driving portion having a piezoelectric ceramic sensor; the piezoelectric ceramic sensor being connected to the display through a conductor; the piezoelectric ceramic sensor serving to convert mechanical power due to operation of the spanner into electric power with a form of voltage signals; the voltage signal being transferred to the display through the conductor.

Currently, there are many hand tools need to know the twisting force of the tool applied to an object so that the user can well control the operation of the tool. Thereby there are many tools which are equipped with the twisting force measuring tool. In one prior art, a measuring rod interconnected to the driving head so that when the driving head is driven, the measuring rod will displace so that the twisting force can be got from the displacement of the measuring rod.
In another prior art, springs and rolling shafts are embedded into the handle of an open ended spanner so as to achieve the object of measuring the twisting force.
In above two prior arts, the structure is complicated and thus the cost is high and the assembly work is laborious. Thereby it is necessary to be improved.
Thereby electronic twisting force measurement devices are developed. One is the electronic twisting force measuring spanner, wherein a bridge circuit strain gauge is developed for sensing the deformation of the spanner. The strain gauge has a preferred effect to sense the twisting force, but the strain gauge is expensive so that this kind of prior art can be not widely accepted.

Low-cost high precision twisting measuring device


A fixing temperature controller comprising a heater for heating a fixing roller, a measuring circuit for detecting the fixing temperature of the fixing roller to produce detected temperature data, a first register for storing reference data for designating a fixing temperature for the fixing roller, a control circuit for comparing the reference data with the detected temperature data from the measuring circuit, and selectively activating the heater based on the comparison result. Particularly, the controller further comprises a second register for storing second reference data lower than the first reference data, and a selector for selecting one of the first and second reference data. The selector selects the first reference data and the control circuit activates the heater when it is detected that the detected temperature data<the reference data, and the selector selects the second reference data and the control circuit deactivates the heater when it is detected that the detected temperature.gtoreq.the reference data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixing temperature controller for thermally fixing a developer image transferred on paper from a photosensitive body in, e.g., a laser printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows an arrangement of a conventional fixing temperature controller.
This temperature controller has an 8-bit register 32 for storing reference data set beforehand by, e.g., a microprocessor. This reference data is used to hold the surface temperature of a heat roller 15 at a predetermined temperature required for fixing. The surface temperature of the heat roller is detected by a temperature sensor and supplied as a voltage signal corresponding to the detected temperature to a sample-and-hold circuit 33. The circuit 33 holds the analog voltage signal from the temperature sensor circuit 31 and supplies the signal to an A/D (analog/digital) converter 34. The A/D converter 34 converts the voltage signal into a digital value. A digital comparator 35 compares the reference data stored in the register 32 with the detected temperature data supplied from the A/D converter 34. If reference data>detected temperature data, the comparator 35 supplies a HIGH-level signal to a noise reduction circuit 36. If reference data .ltoreq.detected temperature data, the comparator 35 supplies a LOW-level signal to the noise reduction circuit 36.
As shown in FIG. 2, the noise reduction circuit 36 has n series-connected D flip-flops 37.sub.1, 37.sub.2, 37.sub.3, . . . , 37.sub.n which operate in synchronism with clocks from a clock generator 38. An output signal from the comparator 35 is input to the first flip-flop 37.sub.1, and output signals from the flip-flops 37.sub.1 to 37.sub.n are supplied in parallel to a majority decision circuit 39. The circuit 39 detects which of the HIGH or LOW level is larger in number in the n input signals and generates an output signal corresponding to the logic level larger in number. This output signal is supplied as an output signal from the noise reduction circuit 36 to a heater driver 30.
In the fixing temperature controller having the above arrangement, if the detected temperature data from the A/D converter 34 changes as indicated by (A) in FIG. 3, the comparator 35 generates an output signal which goes to HIGH level when reference data>detected temperature data and goes to LOW level when reference data.ltoreq.detected temperature data, as indicated by (B) in FIG. 3. In correspondence with this change in output signal from the comparator 35, the noise reduction circuit 36 generates an output signal as indicated by (C) in FIG. 3. The heater driver 30 supplies power to a heater lamp 14 of a fixing unit when the output signal from the noise reduction circuit 36 is at HIGH level and cuts off the power supply to the heater lamp when it is at LOW level.
In the above noise reduction circuit 36, however, since the majority decision circuit 39 uses the result of operations of the flip-flips 37.sub.1 to 37.sub.n, a comparatively long delay is generated from a timing at which reaching of the surface temperature of the heat roller 15 to a predetermined temperature is detected to a timing at which the power supply to the heater lamp 14 is stopped. As a result, the surface temperature of the heat roller 15 is considerably overshot. Therefore, the fixing temperature cannot be controlled with high precision.

Fixing temperature controller for controlling a heater relative to two preset temperature levels


Embodiments of the present invention relate to medical devices that provide signals to diagnostic equipment such that functionality of an implantable member can be determined. In particular, various designs and structures are utilized to signal tissue growth on an implantable member such as a stent. The tissue growth can limit flow through the stented lumen. If the growth has a thickness above a certain limit, a signal can be detected by diagnostic equipment such that a proper diagnosis can be made.

The present invention relates generally to devices for use in vascular treatments. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices used in vascular treatments that provide signals to diagnostic equipment.
Vascular stents are known medical devices used in various vascular treatments of patients. Stents commonly include a tubular member that is moveable from a collapsed, low profile, delivery configuration to an expanded, deployed configuration. In the expanded configuration, an outer periphery of the stent frictionally engages an inner periphery of a lumen. The deployed stent then maintains the lumen such that it is substantially unoccluded and flow therethrough is substantially unrestricted.
Some percentage of stents that are implanted suffer from luminal loss due to thrombosis, encrustation, or neointimal hyperplasia restenosis. If the patient develops symptoms associated with these situations, diagnostic procedures will be used to determine if the stented lumen is adequately functional, if another disease condition has presented itself, or if the stented lumen has become inadequately functional. The diagnostic procedures may include initial non-invasive techniques such as radiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and/or measurement of chemistry, temperature, pressure and other parameters. Additionally, the diagnosis may include minimally invasive procedures such as angiography. However, angiography procedures can disrupt a patient's recovery and can be uncomfortable and painful to endure. Even so, the diagnostic procedures may be inaccurate, imprecise, and inconclusive as to determining the accurate functionally of the implanted stent.


A system for steaming clothes is disclosed. A steamer is connected through a hose to a steaming component having a plurality of connecting tubes, where the steaming component having the plurality of connecting tubes, where the plurality of connecting tubes connects to a plurality of detachable ventilating tubes, where the plurality of the detachable ventilating tubes have a plurality of holes to expel steam. The steaming component with the plurality of connecting tubes are configured to hold an article of clothing that fits around the steaming component and the plurality of connecting tubes, where the steaming component is configured to receive the steam from the steamer to expel the steam through the plurality of holes to entirely steam an entire portion of the article of clothing.

Generally, when a person wants to get wrinkles out of their clothes they steam the clothes themselves. Usually, a person would use a steam iron to get the wrinkles out of their clothes. A steam iron similar to a regular iron has a cord that is plugged into an electrical outlet. However, the steam iron includes a compartment that holds water that is changed to steam when it is heated by a typical heating element connected to the cord of the iron. The steam from the steam iron is used to get the wrinkles out of the clothes.
When a person utilizes a steam iron it may be time-consuming in that the person may be rushing to work and/or trying to get his/her children ready for school so the person may not have time to steam his/her clothes. Also, if the person is not careful the person may burn the person's hands or the clothes when using the steam iron. Currently, there's no hands free steam iron that allows a person to walk away from the steam iron without having to watch it to make sure an entire portion of the clothes are steamed.
Even when a steam iron is used there's a tendency that all portions of the clothing may not be thoroughly steamed because the amount of steam differentiates as you move the steam iron from one portion of clothing to another. There are also steamers that are used to steam clothes, but often they're bulky and cumbersome to utilize. Often these steamers sit in a house or an apartment without being utilized by anyone because they're too cumbersome to use and they don't easily allow someone to evenly simultaneously steam all portions of the clothes.
Therefore, there is a need for a steaming device which includes a detachable steaming component that is easy to use and hands free that enables anyone to simultaneously steam an entire portion of their clothes.

Detachable steaming component connected to a steaming system


The invention concerns an apparatus for dispensing cylindrical objects, the apparatus having a dispensing device comprising a device housing having a dispensing opening, a storage magazine disposed within the device housing for storing the objects, and a dispensing drum rotatably borne in the device housing and having a recess for accepting the objects, the recess communicating with the storage magazine and the dispensing opening. The drum has an axis of rotation substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the objects, and teeth disposed at the recess to push objects seating on the drum away from the drum. The apparatus is particularly well-suited for dispensing rolls of coins without damage to same and without jamming.

The invention concerns a device for dispensing cylindrical objects, in particular rolls of coins, having a storage magazine for the objects and with at least one rotatably mounted at least partially drum-shaped dispensing device for receiving the objects which leads to a dispensing opening, wherein the axis of the drum is substantially parallel to the axis of the objects and the dispensing drum has at least one recess for accepting at least one of the objects.
A dispensing device of this type for rolls of coins is e.g. known in the art from G 90 02 363.3.
The device for dispensing rolls of coins known in the art through G 90 02 363.3 stores the rolls of coins which are to be dispensed and introduces one roll of coins at a time via a dispensing device to a dispensing opening.
Under certain circumstances, rolls of coins proximate to the dispensing drum opening in the storage magazine can become jammed in such a fashion that it is no longer possible for a roll of coins to gain entrance into the recess for dispensing to a user. This leads to an error message in the machine for dispensing rolls of coins.
It is therefore the purpose of the invention to create a device of the above mentioned kind whose susceptibility to failure when dispensing the stored objects is reduced.

Device for dispensing cylindrical objects


Waste disposal mechanisms, particularly a glass grinding machine for disposal of glass bottles or the like. The glass bottles are advanced through an inclined feeding chute onto a rotor having transverse blades which shatter the glass into fragments, and urge the glass fragments through a lower, arcuate grinding grate. Glass particles retrieved beneath the arcuate grinding grate may be used as building material or transported in their comminuted form to landfills at greatly reduced savings in bulk and handling.

1. Field of the Invention
Hard waste disposal, particularly a rotor and grinding grate for disposal of glass containers, such as soft drink bottles, beer bottles and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
______________________________________ MOST PERTINENT PATENTS JOHNSON et al. 2,558,255 BEITER 3,224,688 LUSCOMBE 3,655,138 BENSON 3,703,970 LEWIS 4,934,614 BACKGROUND PATENTS HOWES 1,973,074 MORGAN et al. 3,151,814 THOMA 4,796,818 COOK 5,076,503 ______________________________________
The foregoing patents are being discussed in an Information Disclosure Statement, being submitted separately.


A cover element for greenhouses or the like is formed as a panel-like element that includes a first substantially transparent layer having alternate strips with optical means for deviating and concentrating light that are alternated with optically neutral strips, and a second partially opaque layer having optically neutral and substantially transparent strips that are alternated with opaque strips and that include a photovoltaic element.

Elements of such type are known and widely used. Although such elements solve their function in a satisfactory way, they have some drawbacks.
Cover elements for greenhouses can be provided as a cover panel arranged on or constituting the greenhouse roof.
As it is known, greenhouse roofs are generally composed of two inclined pitches formed by aligning transparent panels, generally made of glass, supported by a plurality of horizontal members and inclined members. During the summer greenhouses are usually covered by special nets and/or painted to limit light penetrating therein, thereby preventing overheating. This involves an increase of material and labor costs.
Covering the greenhouse with such prior art devices causes the sunlight to be reflected, preventing sunlight from entering and overheating the greenhouse.

Cover element for greenhouses or the like


A high speed imaging apparatus for CCD based scanners comprises a housing having separate compartments which complement modular assemblies installed therein. A decoder compartment houses components associated with locating and decoding an image. An optics compartment houses the mirrors and associated optics for reflecting the subject image onto the CCD detector. A lighting compartment includes high intensity lamps and the associated components for illuminating an object to be imaged. The lighting compartment includes a heat management system which removes the heat from the high intensity lamps and prevents heat from migrating to other compartments within the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for illuminating coded information symbols. More particularly, the present invention relates to a high speed imaging apparatus for CCD based scanners.
2. Description of Prior Art
There are many difficulties associated with imaging objects or bar code symbols and other machine readable symbologies on packaging. Erroneous imaging of a human or machine readable symbology may be the result of poor printing of the symbology on a label or extraneous markings or contaminants located on the label. However, erroneous imaging is often the results of poor lighting conditions. Proper illumination is one of the most important requirements for any machine imaging system.
The illumination of an object or a label is particularly critical for high speed scanning systems that employ CCD detectors. As is well known by those skilled in the art, the ability of CCD scanning systems to accurately detect an object depends upon the amount of light that is reflected from the region of interest onto the CCD detector. The amount of light detected by the CCD detector is a function of both the integration period and the intensity of illumination.
Many current imaging systems in the material handling field include variable speed conveyors, wherein the conveyor speed varies with the volume of packages handled by the system. If a low intensity illumination level is selected for low speed conveyor operation, the same illumination level may be insufficient for accurate imaging when the conveyor speed is increased. If a high intensity illumination level is selected, the light may saturate the CCD detector when the conveyor is operating at low speeds.
High intensity illumination sources have also been known to generate tremendous amounts of heat, thus creating xe2x80x9cwave distortionsxe2x80x9d which may inhibit the ability of a CCD detector based system to accurately resolve the image. Additionally, the high intensity sources create an annoyance and even a safety hazard to nearby operators.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an illumination assembly which provides the desired illumination for operation of a conveyor at any speed.
The present invention is a high speed imaging apparatus used for CCD based image acquisition systems. The apparatus comprises a housing having separate compartments which complement modular assemblies installed therein. A decoder compartment houses a CCD camera head unit and components associated with locating and detecting and decoding an image. An optics compartment houses the mirrors and associated optics for reflecting the image onto the CCD detector. A lighting compartment includes high intensity lamps and the associated components for illuminating the object to be imaged. The lighting compartment includes a heat management system which removes the heat from the high intensity lamps and prevents heat from migrating to other compartments within the housing.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an illumination assembly which provides the optimum amount of illumination according to the demands placed upon the system.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a high speed imaging apparatus with an effective heat management system.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment.

High speed imaging apparatus for CCD based scanners