A method and apparatus for reducing runtime memory requirements of a virtual machine. The invention involves analyzing object code compiled from source code. The object code includes at least two load-units that each contain a load-unit specific constant pool. Each load-unit is analyzed to determine which constants are actual constants and then those actual constants are analyzed to determine where commonality exists among the load-units. If a constant is determined to be redundant it is rewritten to a global constant pool. The references to the constant in the load-unit specific constant pool are rewritten to point to the value in the global constant pool. The memory allocated to the constant in the individual load-unit is then reallocated, either by a programmed routine or by memory management tools.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to reducing runtime memory requirements of a virtual machine running a dynamically-linked language. More specifically, the invention relates to a global constant pool that allows for the deletion of load-unit specific constant pool entries.
2. Description of Related Art
The execution or running of a computer program causes certain areas of memory to be allocated for use by the program. For example, whenever an object is created, a certain area of memory having a certain address is set aside for that object. It is difficult to predict how much memory an application program will require (conditions can vary each time the application is run). Thus, computing environments are designed with tools to manage the changing memory requirements of application programs.
In general, memory management involves two related tasks: allocation and recycling. As noted, allocation occurs when the program requests a block of memory. When a request is made, the memory manager must allocate that block of memory out of the larger block of memory it has received from the operating system. The tool that performs this task is known as the "allocator." Recycling involves reusing memory blocks that contain data that is no longer required by the program. The tool that performs this task is often referred to as a "garbage collector."
Java and other programming languages can be implemented in a computing environment that includes a virtual machine. A virtual machine is software that acts like a hardware processor and that runs on top of a host computer's operating system. In a Java environment, the virtual machine includes an interpreter. An interpreter translates and runs a program at the same time. Specifically, the interpreter translates one line of programming, executes that line of code, and then proceeds to the next line of code. Generally, an interpreter translates programming code that has been compiled from source code. For example, before Java source code is interpreted, the source code is translated or compiled into byte code by a compiler. The interpreter converts the byte code to machine language at run time.
Programs that require virtual machines, including programs written in Java and other dynamically-linked languages, are useful in a variety of areas. These programs are often written with the assumption that they will be run on devices with powerful processors and large amounts of memory. However, there is an ever-increasing demand by consumers for electronic gadgetry that is small in size, high in performance, and reasonably priced. However, the small size and power considerations for these devices typically result in small memory footprints. Examples of highly popular devices with small memory footprints include mobile telephones and personal digital assistants. In many cases, the size of the memory available on these devices limits the size and type of applications that can be run on them. In other cases, abbreviated or limited-functionality versions of application programs are developed and installed on small memory footprint devices. Neither situation is acceptable.

Global constant pool to allow deletion of constant pool entries


A steam turbine plant includes an extraction system and a control system for controlling the steam extraction. The extraction system includes an extraction steam flowmeter and a stop valve. The control system sets a warning flow and an extracted steam stop flow for the extracted steam. When the extracted steam flow reaches the warning flow, a warning is issued and after a lapse of a predetermined time period, the stop valve is opened to restrict the extracted steam flow. When the extracted steam flow reaches the extracted steam stop flow, the stop valve is closed to stop steam extraction. A steam turbine plant can thus exercise extraction control to stably supply extracted steam while avoiding turbine trip, even if not equipped with a high-performance and expensive valve device such as an extraction steam control valve.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a steam turbine plant and more particularly to steam extraction control for an extraction turbine plant which extracts a portion of main steam from an intermediate stage of a steam turbine and delivers it to a demander.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a steam turbine plant extracts a portion of main steam from an intermediate stage of a steam turbine having a plurality of stages and delivers the extracted steam to a demander (e.g., turbine auxiliary machinery such as a feed-water heater and a deaerator, or a warming process in a power plant or various processes in factories attached with a power plant for personal use). Extracting steam from the intermediate stage of a steam turbine as described above means that a steam-reducing action in a steam turbine is used to provide steam with pressure needed by a steam demander.
Such an extraction turbine plant involves a problem with a turbine trip resulting from steam extraction. FIG. 3 represents the relationship between steam extraction structure and stage inlet/outlet steam differential pressure resulting from steam extraction. As seen from the figure, extracting steam from an intermediate stage increases stage inlet/outlet steam differential pressure. In such steam extraction structure, if an extracted steam flow exceeds a given level because of an abnormal increase in demanded amount of extracted steam, a pressure difference is excessively increased between a steam inflow portion and a turbine stage to which an extraction steam supply pipe is connected in a turbine. The stage inlet/outlet steam differential pressure produces stress on a turbine blade in such a manner that the turbine blade is pulled toward the downstream side of the turbine. If the stage inlet/outlet steam differential pressure exceeds the given level, the stress resulting from the stage inlet/outlet steam differential pressure exceeds the design intensity, which probably damages the turbine blade. In order to avoid such damage to the turbine blade, differential pressure between turbine stages has heretofore been monitored by a post-turbine-first-stage pressure gauge and an extracted steam pressure gauge. In general, if the differential pressure exceeds a predefined limit value, then the turbine is tripped.
In an extraction turbine plant used for power generation, shut-down of a steam turbine due to turbine trip causes a large economical loss. Therefore, steam extraction control is needed which can preferably avoid a turbine trip. On the other hand, in the steam extraction control it is important to stably supply extracted steam to a demander. The technique disclosed in JP-A-2000-257405 is known as a technique addressing such problems.
The steam turbine plant operating method disclosed in JP-A-2000-257405 targets the operation of a steam turbine plant which includes a flowmeter which measures extracted steam flow; an extraction steam control valve which controls the extracted steam flow; an extraction steam stop valve which stops extraction of steam; a post-turbine-first-stage pressure gauge which detects steam pressure at the steam inlet portion of the turbine; and an extracted steam pressure gauge which detects extracted steam pressure. In the normal state, the opening of the extraction steam control valve is feedback controlled based on the measurements of the extraction steam flowmeter and the demand plan amount of extracted steam. On the other hand, a difference between the respective measurements of the post-turbine-first-stage pressure gauge and extracted steam pressure gauge are constantly monitored. If the pressure difference exceeds a preset specified value, since the turbine runs into danger, one or both of the extraction steam control valve and extraction steam stop valve are fully closed to stop steam extraction. This can avoid tripping the turbine.
It is to be noted that steam extraction in a steam turbine is disclosed by JP-A-7-180507, JP-A-10-110602, JP-A-7-34809, JP-A-2000-161009 and JP-A-8-312309 as well as by JP-A-2000-257405.


Described are nanoparticulates comprising a metallic nanoparticle core and a peptide coating or shell encapsulating the nanoparticle core and being covalently bonded thereto. The coating is formed from a plurality of branched, amphipathic peptides, each comprising a polar/positively charged C-terminal segment, a branch point, and two hydrophobic N-terminal segments extending from the branch point. Methods of forming and using the nanoparticulates are also described. When a plurality of first and second peptides are added sequentially to the nanoparticle core, the peptides they self-assemble to form an interlocking peptide network bilayer where the respective hydrophobic segments of the peptides form beta-sheet structures in which the opposed sequences interlock to form a zipper-like structure in three dimensions.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to synthetic peptide-coated nanoparticles, and particularly peptide bilayer-coated nanoparticles.
Description of Related Art
In previous studies we have demonstrated that branched amphiphilic peptides (BAPs)-spontaneously co-assemble at room temperature to form bilayer delimited poly-cationic capsules (BAPCs) or vesicles having a liquid-receiving hollow core. The BAPCs are readily taken up by cultured cells through the endocytic pathway, escape the late endosomes and ultimately accumulate in the perinuclear region, persisting there without apparent degradation. To date we have entrapped small proteins and solutes as well as stably encapsulated alpha particle emitting radionuclides within the BAPCs. The earlier work used 20-30 nm peptide bilayer delimited capsules (BAPCs) that can be coated with DNA. FIGS. 1(A)-(C) show TEM images and cartoon images of the BACP:DNA assemblies at N:P=20.8.

Multifunctional metallic nanoparticle-peptide bilayer complexes

Kansas State University Research Foundation


A sensing coil is provided for optically guiding counter-propagating light beams in a fiber optic gyroscope. The sensing coil comprises a plurality of layers of an optical fiber having a winding direction. The plurality of layers comprises inner layers, middle layers, and outer layers. The middle layers comprise first and second input ends configured to receive the counter-propagating light beams. At least one of the inner layers, middle layers, and outer layers is coupled with a different one of the inner layers, middle layers, and outer layers while maintaining the winding direction. A method is provided for winding an optical fiber, having first and second connecting ends, to form a sensing coil for a fiber optic gyroscope having a winding direction. The method comprises excluding first and second segments from a middle layer of the sensing coil to produce first and second inputs and third and fourth connecting ends respectively adjacent to the first and second inputs, and coupling each of the connecting ends with a different one of the connecting ends while maintaining the winding direction.

Gyroscopes have been used to measure rotation rates or changes in angular velocity about an axis. A basic conventional fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) includes a light source, a beam generating device (e.g., a beam-splitter), a coil of optical fiber coupled to the beam generating device that encloses an area, and a light detector. The beam generating device transmits light beams originating from the light source into the coil of optical fiber, and these light beams propagate in a clockwise (CW) direction and a counter-clockwise (CCW) direction through along the core of the optical fiber. After propagating through the coil, the two counter-propagating (e.g., CW and CCW) beams are combined and directed to the light detector by the beam generating device. When the FOG is rotated about an axis, the CW and CCW beams experience different pathlengths while propagating through the coil, and the difference between the two pathlengths produces a phase difference between the two counter-propagating beams that is proportional to the rotational rate.
Many FOGs utilize a glass-based optical fiber to conduct light along a solid core of the fiber over long distances with low loss and distortion. This optical fiber has a glass/silica core surrounded by a plastic jacket, or buffer, and may be wound into a cylindrical structure, such as a coil, and affixed to a coil-supporting structure, such as a cylindrical hub, to form a sensing coil. The hub and fiber optic coil are both substantially cylindrical structures oriented about a center axis, and the hub has a relatively smaller radius than the radius of the fiber optic coil. An adhesive coating between the outer surface of the hub and inner surface of the fiber optic coil may be used affix the fiber optic coil to the hub.
The glass/silica core and the plastic buffer of the optical fiber may each respond differently to a variety of environmental factors and thereby adversely affect the pathlength difference between the two counter-propagating waves. The sections of fiber in the coil that are closest to the beam generating device are typically the most sensitive to environmental factors. Some of these environmental factors include temperature and mechanical strain. In this event, the output of the sensing coil yields a phase difference between the two counter-propagating waves that is indistinguishable from a rotation-induced phase difference (i.e., a bias error).
One proposed technique for minimizing this bias error is to wind the sensing coil fiber in a pattern symmetric with respect to the mid-point of the optical fiber length. A variety of winding patterns have been developed having symmetry to the mid-point of the optical fiber length. In general, these winding patterns position the mid-point of the optical fiber length at the inner radius of the cylindrical sensing coil and locate the first and second ends of the optical fiber at the outer radius of the cylindrical sensing coil. A bobbin and/or adhesive may affix the fiber wound in this pattern and leave free pigtails (e.g., a relatively short length of the first and second ends of the fiber) for routing to other components in the optical circuit (e.g., beam-splitter). Despite applying these winding patterns to sensing coils, some environments continue to produce thermally induced strains in these sensing coils that cause temperature sensitivity.
During operation, a FOG may be placed in an environment having a fluctuating ambient temperature. Temperature variations affect the sensing coil because the sensing coil undergoes mechanical strain as a result of a differential thermal expansion. A Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) mismatch between the glass/silica core and the plastic buffer may result in an axial expansion of the fiber optic coil that is significantly larger than the circumferential expansion of the fiber optic coil. Because of the non-isotropic structure of the fiber optic coil, the circumferential expansion of the fiber optic coil, constrained by the glass/silica core of the optical fiber, is significantly smaller than the axial expansion of the fiber optic coil that is dominated by the large CTE of the plastic buffer. Additionally, the glass core generally constrains circumferential expansion of the plastic buffer and forces the plastic buffer to radially expand, and the radial expansion of the plastic buffer may affect the expansion or contraction of adjacent coil layers. Further, the outer diameter of the fiber optic coil generally expands radially away from the center axis of the fiber optic coil while the inner diameter of the fiber optic coil generally expands radially toward the center axis of the fiber optic coil.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a winding pattern for a sensing coil in a fiber optic gyroscope that minimizes the temperature sensitivity of the sensing coil from thermally induced strains. Additionally, it is desirable to provide a method for winding a sensing coil for a fiber optic gyroscope that minimizes the temperature sensitivity of the sensing coil from thermally induced strains. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.

Method for winding sensing coils and sensing coil for fiber optic gyroscopes


Disclosed herein are a metal oxide paste composition comprising a carboxylic ester dispersant and/or a phosphate dispersant, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor electrode for solar cells using the same. The disclosed metal oxide paste composition improves the dispersibility of metal oxide nanoparticles. Thus, if it is used to manufacture a semiconductor electrode for solar cells, it will allow the increased adsorption of a dye, thus improving the photoelectric efficiency of the resulting solar cell.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a metal oxide paste composition comprising a carboxylic ester dispersant or a phosphate dispersant, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor electrode using the same. More particularly, it relates to a metal oxide paste composition having excellent dispersibility, which comprises a carboxylic ester dispersant or phosphate dispersant having a tail structure of hydrophilic or hydrophobic blocks, as well as a method for manufacturing a semiconductor electrode using the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Solar cells, which are photoelectric conversion elements that convert solar light into electricity, are sustainable and eco-friendly, unlike other energy sources, and thus are of increasing importance. In an early stage of development, monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon solar cells were mainly used. However, silicon solar cells require large-sized expensive systems and equipment to manufacture them, are manufactured at high cost due to high raw material costs, and are limited with respect to the efficiency with which they convert solar energy into electrical energy. For this reason, a new alternative has been studied.
As an alternative to the silicon solar cells, attention is being concentrated on organic material-based solar cells that can be manufactured at low cost. Particularly, dye-sensitized solar cells having low manufacturing costs are receiving much attention.
The dye-sensitized solar cell is a photoelectrochemical solar cell comprising a semiconductor electrode having metal oxide nanoparticles adsorbed thereon, a counter-electrode, and a redox electrode disposed in the space between the two electrodes.
The photoelectric efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cell depends on the amount of dye adsorbed on the surface of a metal oxide layer. Because the dye adsorbed on the surface of the metal oxide layer absorbs light with a high efficiency when it is present as a monomolecular layer, the absorption of solar light increases as the surface area of metal oxide having dye molecules adsorbed thereon increases. Thus, in order to obtain a high-efficiency solar cell, it is necessary to maximize the surface area of a metal oxide semiconductor film, such that it can have a maximum amount of the dye adsorbed thereon.
Accordingly, nanocrystalline materials having many anchoring sites capable of adsorbing dye particles can be used. However, because the nanocrystalline materials have high surface free energy, the metal oxide nanoparticles may show a strong tendency to cohere to each other. If the metal oxide nanoparticles cohere to each other in this way, the packing density achieved when forming the light-absorbing layer of a solar cell will be reduced, and thus the photoelectric efficiency of the resulting solar cell will also be reduced.
In an attempt to solve this problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-50413 discloses a technique for forming a photosemiconductor layer, comprising mixing photosemiconductor powder with a surfactant and a dispersant, such as polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, hydroxypropyl cellulose, polyvinyl pyrrolidone or polyacrylic acid, calcining and pulverizing the mixture to prepare porous photosemiconductor particles, and mixing the prepared porous photosemiconductor particles with conventional photosemiconductor particles.
However, the dispersant disclosed in the above prior art cannot provide sufficient dispersion of the metal oxide, and thus is limited in that it cannot sufficiently improve the photoelectric efficiency of a solar cell manufactured using the same.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Metal oxide paste composition and method of manufacturing semiconductor electrode using the same


Cold temperature performance of a pump for a controlled braking systems is enhanced, and internal flow restrictions of the pump are minimized, by placing the poppet return spring in a separate cavity out of the flow path through the pump. The separate spring cavity also allows travel of the poppet to be limited, thereby also limiting the loss of volumetric efficiency due to flow forces generated by cold, viscous fluid pushing the poppet an increasing distance from the seating area.

This invention relates to a pump with improved cold temperature performance for use in controlled vehicle braking systems, such as adaptive braking systems, traction control systems, and vehicle stability enhancement systems.
Controlled braking systems, such as adaptive braking systems, traction control systems, and vehicle stability enhancement systems, use a pump to force brake fluid to the vehicle brakes during such controlled operation. The pump must be self priming and must be able to force brake fluid, even cold viscous brake fluid, to one or more of the vehicle brakes in a relatively short time period. For example, a driver performing a quick steering maneuver which causes the vehicle to oversteer will require a counter-braking moment on the opposite front wheel to occur almost instantaneously in order to correct the skid condition. Accordingly, the pump must quickly extract brake fluid from the reservoir and force it to the appropriate brake under increasing pressure loads. The problem of quick response is particularly acute during cold weather operation, where the viscosity of the brake fluid places severe limitations on pump performance. Accordingly, to enhance cold weather performance, it is desirable to minimize internal restrictions within the pump, provide a pump having a relatively high compression ratio, and limit the travel of the pump inlet poppet.
According to the present invention, internal flow restrictions of the pump are minimized because the poppet return spring is placed in a separate cavity completely out of the flow path through the pump. The spring is a simple compression spring instead of the complex barrel spring used in prior art designs. Any viscous drag created by the spring and separate spring cavity is minimized by incorporating a slotted head on the poppet stem, in addition to grooves on the stem that permit fluid displacement between the spring cavity and the flow path through the pump. The spring cavity is closed by a wear button which extends from the piston and is engaged by an eccentric bearing to drive the pump piston, thereby enabling the rest of the assembly to be made of a softer steel. Poppet travel is limited by a step on the poppet stem or separate poppet retainer which contacts a corresponding face on the housing. Accordingly, the problem of the poppet continuing to open more and more at cold temperatures in response to increased brake fluid viscosity and resulting flow forces on the poppet is eliminated.

Pump with improved cold temperature performance


Embodiments of the present invention provide a recording disk capable of curtailing the amount of servo data to be stored thereon, and a disk drive. According to one embodiment, servo data area sets each of a first servo data area and plural second servo data areas arranged in that order in a read direction HR are arranged successively on each of tracks of a magnetic disk. Stored in a second sector data section included in the second servo data area is data representing a distance in the read direction HR from the position of the first servo data area to that of the same second servo data area. The amount of data stored in the second sector data section is less than that of data stored in a first sector data section included in the first servo data area.

In a disk drive, such as a hard disk drive, a recording disk has circular tracks formed in its major surface and storing user data and servo data. The servo data is used for controlling the movement of a head for writing or reading operations. The servo data includes track data on the tracks, and sector data identifying sectors in the tracks.
The storage capacity of recording disks has been progressively increased in recent years. The ratio of the servo data to all the data recorded on the recording disk has increased as the storage capacity increases. There is a possibility that such increase of the servo data reduces the capacity for storing user data.
For example, when the width of tracks is reduced to provide a recording disk of a large storage capacity, head positioning accuracy needs to be increased. Therefore, the number of servo data areas in the tracks is increased and sampling frequency at which servo data is sampled is increased. Consequently, bit length for sector data increases and servo data increases.
When the number of tracks is increased to increase the storage capacity of the recording disk, bit length necessary for track data and servo data increase.

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


A method of forming a cutting element for an earth-boring tool. The method includes providing diamond particles on a supporting substrate, the volume of diamond particles comprising a plurality of diamond nanoparticles. A catalyst-containing layer is provided on exposed surfaces of the volume of diamond nanoparticles and the supporting substrate. The diamond particles are processed under high temperature and high pressure conditions to form a sintered nanoparticle-enhanced polycrystalline compact. A cutting element and an earth-boring tool including a cutting element are also disclosed.

Earth-boring tools for forming wellbores in subterranean earth formations may include a plurality of cutting elements secured to a body. For example, fixed-cutter earth-boring rotary drill bits ("drag bits") include a plurality of cutting elements that are fixedly attached to a bit body of the drill bit. Similarly, roller cone earth-boring rotary drill bits may include cones that are mounted on bearing pins extending from legs of a bit body such that each cone is capable of rotating about the bearing pin on which it is mounted. A plurality of cutting elements may be mounted to each cone of the drill bit.
The cutting elements used in such earth-boring tools often include polycrystalline diamond compacts ("PDC"), which act as cutting faces of a polycrystalline diamond ("PCD") material. PCD material is material that includes inter-bonded grains or crystals of diamond material. In other words, PCD material includes direct, inter-granular bonds between the grains or crystals of diamond material. The terms "grain" and "crystal" are used synonymously and interchangeably herein.
PDC cutting elements are generally formed by sintering and bonding together relatively small diamond (synthetic, natural or a combination) grains, termed "grit," under conditions of high temperature and high pressure in the presence of a catalyst (e.g., cobalt, iron, nickel, or alloys and mixtures thereof) to form a layer (e.g., a compact or "table") of PCD material. These processes are often referred to as high temperature/high pressure (or "HTHP") processes. The supporting substrate may comprise a cermet material (i.e., a ceramic-metal composite material) such as, for example, cobalt-cemented tungsten carbide. In some instances, the PCD material may be formed on the cutting element, for example, during the HTHP process. In such instances, catalyst material (e.g., cobalt) in the supporting substrate may be "swept" into the diamond grains during sintering and serve as a catalyst material for forming the diamond table from the diamond grains. Powdered catalyst material may also be mixed with the diamond grains prior to sintering the grains together in an HTHP process.
Upon formation of the diamond table using an HTHP process, catalyst material may remain in interstitial spaces between the inter-bonded grains of the PDC. The presence of the catalyst material in the PDC may contribute to thermal damage in the PDC when the PDC cutting element is heated during use due to friction at the contact point between the cutting element and the formation. Accordingly, the catalyst material (e.g., cobalt) may be leached out of the interstitial spaces using, for example, an acid or combination of acids (e.g., aqua regia). Substantially all of the catalyst material may be removed from the PDC, or catalyst material may be removed from only a portion thereof, for example, from a cutting face of the PDC, from a side of the PDC, or both, to a desired depth. However, a fully leached PDC is relatively more brittle and vulnerable to shear, compressive, and tensile stresses than is a non-leached PDC. In addition, it is difficult to secure a completely leached PDC to a supporting substrate.
To improve the thermal stability, the mechanical durability, and bonding characteristics of the PDC, nanoparticles (e.g., particles having an average particle diameter of about 500 nm or less) may be provided in the interstitial spaces of the PDC. However, disadvantageously, as higher concentrations of nanoparticles are incorporated into the interstitial spaces, the "sweep" of catalyst material from the supporting substrate during subsequent HTHP processing is inhibited, resulting in formation of a nanoparticle-enhanced ("nanoparticle-enhanced") PDC that may be poorly sintered at positions distal from an interface of the nanoparticle-enhanced PDC and the supporting substrate.

Methods of forming a cutting element for an earth-boring tool, a related cutting element, and an earth-boring tool including such a cutting element


An asset management system includes one or more information processors having a communication function and a management device, the information processor includes a search unit which searches for a network address converter for converting between a local IP address and a global IP address in a network, and a position information transmitting unit which transmits positional information including at least one of the global IP address of the searched network address converter and a domain name corresponding to the global IP address and identification information of the information processor to the management device, the management device includes a positional information registration unit which records the positional information received from the information processor in a position recording unit.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a technique for managing the position of an information processor that is asset of a company, and particularly to a system and a method for managing the geographical position of the information processor against the lost or stolen case.
2. Background Art
As a system for managing the position of an information processor having a communication function such as a portable personal computer, there has been proposed a system in which a position detector such as a GPS position detector is mounted on the information processor and a position information reporting mail including the position information of this processor detected by the position detector and the identification information (ID inherent in the device) of this processor is transmitted to a management device through the Internet, hence to manage the above position of each information processor on the side of the management device (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).
As a system for managing the position of electronic equipment such as IC card having no power source, there has been proposed a system in which a GPS position detector is mounted on the electronic equipment and, when this electronic equipment is installed in an access device such as a personal computer and power is supplied, the position information including the position of this equipment detected by the position detector and the IP address of an access device and the identification information of this equipment (equipment ID) are uploaded to a management device through the Internet, hence to manage the position of each electronic equipment on the side of the management device (for example, refer to Patent Document 2).
As a technique for controlling a network connection in order to ensure security of a network, there has been proposed a technique for transferring the device information of this processor (MAC address, name of machine, IP address, and the like) to a management device through the network at the timing when the information processor communicates with other device through the network, calculating a risk value based on the device information received at the side of the management device, and controlling the propriety of connection from the information processor to the network according to the calculated risk value (for example, refer to Patent Document 3).    Patent Document 1 Japanese Patent Publication Laid-Open No. 2003-234828    Patent Document 2 Japanese Patent Publication Laid-Open No. 2006-31244    Patent Document 3 Japanese Patent Publication Laid-Open No. 2006-66982
The system which controls the position with the position detector such as the GPS position detector mounted on an information processor, has a benefit that the geographical position of the information processor lost or stolen may be detected with high precision, but it has a problem that the cost is high.
Though the system which uses IP address as the positional information as shown in the Patent Document 2 is difficult to detect the position with high precision, it may reduce the cost because the position detector is not necessary. However, since the IP address assigned for an information processor is the local IP address in the environment in which the NAT (Network Address Translation) operates, the local IP address may be transferred to the management device as the positional information. The local IP address is an address which can be used freely in a plurality of network organizations and it does not correspond to the geographical position in one to one. Therefore, it is impossible to manage the accurate position of an information processor.

Asset management system, asset management method, information processor, management device, and program


Medical devices including a proximal tubular member, a distal tubular member, and an intermediate tubular member connecting the proximal tubular member to the distal tubular member, and related methods.

Medical devices, such as balloon catheters, are used for a variety of medical procedures. Balloon catheters can be used, for example, to widen an occluded body vessel, as in angioplasty, to position an endoprosthesis, such as a stent or a graft, or to selectively block a passageway. A balloon catheter may include an inflatable and deflatable balloon positioned on a long and narrow catheter body. Initially, the balloon is folded around the catheter body to reduce the radial profile of the balloon catheter for easy insertion into the body.
During an angioplasty procedure, the folded balloon is positioned at a location in a vessel occluded by a stenosis by threading the balloon catheter through a guide catheter and over a guide wire emplaced in the vessel. The balloon is then inflated, e.g., by introducing a fluid into the interior of the balloon. Inflating the balloon can radially expand the stenosis to permit an increased rate of blood flow through the vessel. After use, the balloon is deflated and withdrawn from the body.

Medical devices and related systems and methods


Techniques for sterilizing a fomite are disclosed. A UV sterilization apparatus includes a housing for enveloping a fomite inside the housing. The housing is composed of a material that prevents transmission of electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet range. Attached to the housing is a closure element, and the closure element is also composed of a material that prevents transmission of electromagnetic radiation in the UV range but allows transmission of electromagnetic radiation in the visual range. An ultraviolet light source is attached to an internal surface of the housing or an internal surface of the closure element, and the light source sterilizes the fomite enclosed inside the housing by transmitting ultraviolet electromagnetic radiation towards the fomite.

Fomites are inanimate objects that can carry infectious pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, spores, viruses, and fungi. Depending on the nature, use and location of the fomites, certain fomites are more susceptible to be carriers for disease causing microorganisms. For example, a hospital is an environment with multiple sources of disease carrying infectious pathogenic microorganisms. The possible cross contaminations include patient to staff, staff to staff, and staff to patient. While some fomites in a hospital can be easily sterilized, sterilizing electronic fomites such as a keyboard or a telephone can be problematic. A keyboard or a telephone cannot be autoclaved due to the sensitive electrical elements housed inside the plastic outer shell. While an alcohol wash can be applied, extreme care is required to avoid short circuiting the electrical elements with the alcohol liquid and thus rendering the fomites permanently damaged.

UV sterilization of user interface fomites


A tool cart having a frame, a lifting device for lifting the frame, a locking device to lock the tool cart horizontally relative to a work station or a packaging machine (collectively referred to below as the “packaging machine”), and a stop element that may engage with an underside of the packaging machine when lifted. The lifting device and locking device operate independently. A method for transferring a tool component including one or more of the steps of: aligning the tool cart relative to the packaging machine; locking the tool cart in position relative to the packaging machine; lifting a frame of the tool cart by way of a lifting device until the stop element engages an underside of the packaging machine; and transferring the tool component between the tool cart and the packaging machine may be included.

Packaging machines, especially when used for processing foods, are often set up in installation areas which have an inclination to prevent the accumulation of liquid and to ensure, for example, that cleaning fluids drain off in an orderly manner. Due to suitable apparatuses on the frame of the packaging machines, their conveyor lines are aligned horizontally. Accordingly, tool carts for receiving tool components from work stations of such packaging machines must also be appropriately aligned to the respective work station in order to be able to safely receive such tool components.
In order to ensure safe transfer of the tool component between the tool cart and the work station, the position of the tool cart relative to the work station during the transfer must be determined by suitable devices. A tool cart is known from EP 1 598 275 A1 which, during vertically alignment, i.e. when the cart is lifted vertically, is locked also in the horizontal direction in that positioning elements on the cart are inserted into corresponding positioning elements on the packaging machine. Since the final positioning occurs during the insertion of the positioning elements into one another, the tool cart disclosed therein is still displaceable while being lifted, which may be disadvantageous in terms of safety at work.
A tool cart which is adapted to be hooked in at the corresponding packaging machine is known From EP 1 878 633 A2. For this purpose, rollers of a chassis are first extended, so that a frame of the cart is lifted. The frame is then tilted while being lowered such that it hooks in at the packaging machine, so that the wheels lose contact with the installation surface when the chassis is further retracted. Here as well, the horizontal determination therefore takes place during the vertical motion of the tool cart, which can be disadvantageous, for example, for occupational safety when tilting, since it becomes more likely that the cart tips over.

Method and tool cart for transferring a tool component


A computer implemented method for estimating manufacturing target bias for products in manufacturing tools. The method first establishes a first data set according to manufacturing target bias history based on a correlation with tools used. The manufacturing tools comprise a first manufacturing tool and other manufacturing tools. Next, a testing operation is executed for a predicted product in the first manufacturing tool to obtain a first predicted manufacturing target bias. Finally, manufacturing target bias of the predicted product in the other manufacturing tools is calculated according to the first data set and the first predicted manufacturing target bias.

The present invention relates to manufacturing control technology and in particular to a method for estimating manufacturing target bias.
In high-technology manufacturer, such as in integrated circuit (IC) product manufacturer, before quantity production, testing operation for products must be executed, that is a pilot run, for examination. An important object of the testing operation is acquisition of a manufacturing target bias for the product. Manufacturing target bias accommodates hardware limitations of manufacturing tools. For example, if a target width of an IC product is 130 nanometers, and testing operations in a specific manufacturing tool show 132 nanometers, thus, a manufacturing target bias is designated as 2 nanometers for the tool, which is then applied in the specific tool for ongoing production.
Accurate manufacturing target bias is an essential requirement for product manufacturing, especially for non-reworkable manufacturing tools. In a non-reworkable manufacturing tool, the manufacturing process operated therein cannot be repeated, such as etching. Conventionally, manufacturing target bias must be established for each tool even tools operating in the same manufacturing conditions, i.e. using the same recipe for the same IC product. Manual preparations must take place before ongoing production, a time-consuming and human resource intensive requirement.
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a pilot run in IC product manufacture, in which, three specific etching tools use the same recipe for an IC product, and each manufacturing tool has three chambers. The product, accordingly, must undergo a pilot run in each tool and each chamber to generate manufacturing target bias, a total of nine trials. Generally, the number of the manufacturing tools in an IC product manufacturing factory is large, such that the pilot runs for a product entail a complicated process.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,480,794 discloses a method for allocating products to be tested to machines on a manufacturing line, providing a standard test time with minimized total test time, forming a supply demand matrix table for products and machines to which the products are to be allocated, determining the grid location with a minimum testing time Tij. The method does not disclose estimation of manufacturing target bias, despite utilizing a pilot run. Other inventions are concerned with specific manufacturing processes, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,673, which discloses a simple method for calculating the optimum amount of HDP deposited material to be removed during CMP (without introducing dishing), but, is not applicable to the mentioned manufacturing target bias estimation problem.

Method and system for estimating manufacturing target bias

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


One aspect of an electronic component is an electronic component comprising an element body having a mounting surface and a plurality of side faces, the electronic component further comprising a first terminal electrode formed on the mounting surface and one of the plurality of side faces, a second terminal electrode formed on the mounting surface and another side face in the plurality of side faces, a metal film disposed on a surface of a mounting part of the first and second terminal electrodes formed on the mounting surface, and an oxide film covering at least a part of surfaces of side face parts of the first and second terminal electrodes formed on the side faces.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic component equipped with a terminal electrode.
2. Related Background Art
It has been required for electronic components to become further smaller in size as electronic devices to be mounted therewith have been attaining higher performances and smaller sizes. The electronic components thus made smaller in size have further been demanded to be mounted to printed wiring boards and the like at higher density with solder in a reflow step (a step of placing the electronic components on a board coated beforehand with a solder paste and collectively performing soldering in a continuous furnace), so as to be used in electronic devices and the like.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a cross section of a typical electronic component mounted on a printed wiring board 10. In this electronic component 1, inner electrode layers 3 are stacked alternately with ceramic layers 4 within an element main body 2 (hereinafter referred to as element body 2). Foundation electrode layers 5 of terminal electrodes 7 are formed so as to cover surfaces of the element body 2 where the inner electrode layers 3 are exposed. The foundation electrode layer 5 has an cuter surface formed with a Ni plating layer 6a which, together with a Sn plating layer 6b formed thereon, constitutes a two-layered plating layer 6.
Further, the electronic component 1 is joined through solder 8 to pads 9 on the printed wiring board 10. Heat treatment in the reflow step causes the solder 8 to run the Sn plating layers 6b and wet the surfaces of the plating layers 6, so as to form an intermetallic compound with the Sn plating layers 6b, thereby joining with the pads 9 on the board.
On the other hand, as terminal electrodes of electronic components, those of LGA (Land Grid Array) type may be employed in order to be mounted on printed wiring boards and the like at high density with solder. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a cross section of a typical electronic component employing the LGA for its terminal electrodes.
The electronic component 11 illustrated in FIG. 2 has a plurality of patterns of ceramic layers 13 and inner electrode layers 12 stacked alternately with each other with the inner electrode layers 12 shifting alternately to one side or the other and connecting with their corresponding through-hole electrodes 14 penetrating therethrough in the stacking direction at the shifted parts. Outer connection electrodes 15 are formed as terminal electrodes at respective end parts of the through-hole electrodes 14 and arranged so as to be connectable to a board or the like on one surface of the electronic component 11. Examples of such electronic component 11 equipped with LGA type terminal electrodes have been proposed in Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-045209) and the like.
In the electronic component 1, however, the terminal electrodes 7 are formed on the lower face of the element body 2 (the surface opposing the printed wiring board 10; hereinafter referred to as mounting surface) and side faces of the element body 2 adjacent to the mounting surface. At the time of soldering, the solder wets not only the surfaces of the mounting parts of the terminal electrodes 7 formed on the mounting surface of the element body 2, but also the side faces extending substantially perpendicularly to the mounting parts of the terminal electrodes 7, which makes it difficult for the mounting area to become smaller on the printed wiring board 10. When electronic components have a very small distance therebetween, side face parts of the terminal electrodes 7 may come into contact with each other, thereby causing a short circuit, which puts a limit to reducing the mounting area.
In the electronic component 11, on the other hand, terminal electrode parts can be formed as the outer connection electrodes 15 on the lower face alone, which makes it easier to reduce the mounting area. However, it necessitates complicated steps of making through-holes, filling the through-holes with conductive pastes, and so forth at the time of forming the electronic component 11, which makes it hard to further thin the ceramic layers 13 and inner electrode layers 12 or increase the number thereof. The existence of the through-hole electrodes 14 makes the effective electrode area smaller than that of the conventional electronic component 1, thereby making it harder to produce an electronic component having a Large capacity. Hence, there has been a limit to reducing the mounting area, which has been advancing together with demands for making these electronic components smaller, whereby it has been required to reduce the mounting area without lowering the capacity of the electronic component.


The present invention generally relates to a method and an apparatus for stimulating the production of an existing well. In one aspect, a method of treating a well is provided. The method includes inserting a selective treatment assembly and a plug assembly into a partially lined wellbore until the selective treatment assembly is positioned proximate an area of interest. Thereafter, the selective treatment assembly is activated to isolate and treat the area of interest. Next, the selective treatment assembly is deactivated and urged toward the surface of the well until the plug assembly is seated in a polished bore receptacle disposed in a string of casing. At this point, the treated portion of the wellbore is separated from the untreated portion. Thereafter, the pressure in the untreated portion of the wellbore is equalized with the surface of the well and then the selective treatment assembly is removed from the wellbore while the plug assembly remains in the polished bore receptacle. Next, a string of production tubing is disposed in the wellbore and attached to the polished bore receptacle. The plug assembly is then removed from the polished bore receptacle and the well is produced. In another aspect an apparatus for treating a portion of a wellbore is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method and an apparatus for increasing the productivity of an existing well. More particularly, the invention relates to treating a portion of the existing well to stimulate production.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the drilling of oil and gas wells, a wellbore is formed using a drill bit that is urged downwardly at a lower end of a drill string. After drilling a predetermined depth, the drill string and bit are removed, and the wellbore is lined with a string of steel pipe called casing. The casing provides support to the wellbore and facilitates the isolation of certain areas of the wellbore adjacent hydrocarbon bearing formations. The casing typically extends down the wellbore from the surface of the well to a designated depth. An annular area is thus defined between the outside of the casing and the earth's formation. This annular area is filled with cement to permanently set the casing in the wellbore and to facilitate the isolation of production zones and fluids at different depths within the wellbore.
Historically, wells have been drilled with a column of fluid in the wellbore designed to overcome any formation pressure encountered as the wellbore is formed. This "overbalanced condition" restricts the influx of formation fluids such as oil, gas. or water into the wellbore. Typically, well control is maintained by using a drilling fluid with a predetermined density to maintain a hydrostatic pressure in the wellbore at a higher pressure than a formation pressure. In the overbalanced condition, formation damage may occur as the hydrostatic pressure forces the drill cuttings, and "fines" into the formation. Additional damage occurs if the drilling fluid flows into the formation. This flow of fluid into the formation can cause pores in the formation to become obstructed with drilling fluid and associated particulate matter. That obstruction can decrease formation permeability. Additionally, the cuttings or other solids form a wellbore "skin" along the interface between the wellbore and the formation. The wellbore skin restricts the flow of the formation fluid and thereby damages the well.
One method of addressing the damage to the wellbore or the lowered productivity of the well as described above is with some form of hydraulic fracturing treatment such as an "acid frac" operation. In the acid frac operation, an acid, such as hydrochloric acid, is used in a formation to etch open faces of induced fractures and natural fractures. When the treatment is complete, the fracture closes and the etch surfaces provide a high conductivity path from the formation to the wellbore. In some situations, small sized particles are mixed with fracturing fluid to hold fractures open after the hydraulic fracturing treatment. This is known in the industry as prop and frac. In addition to the naturally occurring sand grains, man made or specially engineered proppants, such as resin coated sand or high strength ceramic material, may also be used to form the fracturing mixture used to "prop and frac". Proppant materials are carefully sorted for size and sphericity to provide an effective means to prop open the fractures, thereby allowing fluid from the formation to enter the wellbore.
The hydraulic fracturing treatment may be employed both in a wellbore lined with casing and an open hole wellbore. Generally, if the wellbore is lined with casing, a perforating gun is used prior the fracturing treatment to form a fluid path between the formation and the interior of the wellbore. The perforating gun is a device used to perforate the casing of an oil or gas well at an area of interest. Preferably, the perforating gun is located at a desired location adjacent a formation and then is activated by triggering a series of explosive charges to perforate the casing, thereby forming the fluid path between the formation and the casing. Thereafter, the perforating gun is typically moved to another area of interest where treatment is desired and subsequently removed from the wellbore after each area of interest is perforated.
After the fluid path between the formation and the casing is established, fracturing fluid, such as a specially engineered fluid, is pumped at high pressure and rate into the formation being treated, thereby causing the fracture to open. For example, the wings of a vertical fracture extend away from the wellbore in opposing directions according to the natural stresses within the formation. As previously discussed, proppants, such as grains of sand of a particular size, are mixed with the fracturing fluid to keep the fracture open after the treatment is complete. In this manner, hydraulic fracturing creates high-conductivity communication with a large area of formation and bypasses any damage that may exist in the near-wellbore area and increases productivity.
One problem associated with using the hydraulic fracturing treatment relates to damaging the treated area after the hydraulic fracturing treatment is complete. For instance, the vertical portion of the wellbore is typically filled with fluid to maintain well control before the fracturing equipment is removed from the wellbore. However, the fluid in the vertical portion creates a hydrostatic head due to the density of the fluid which will typically force existing wellbore fluid into the newly formed fractures and thus "killing" the well by stopping the flow of formation fluid or by restricting the formation fluid flow into the wellbore. Another problem arises due to the cost of the operation. For instance, the fracturing fluid is expensive and the volume required to treat a wellbore creates logistical issues to achieve the desired result. Additionally, the cost is magnified when the hydraulic fracturing treatment is conducted on a deep wellbore. In this situation, jointed pipe is typically required in conjunction with the coiled tubing to reach the area of interest in the deep wellbore. By deploying jointed pipe in the wellbore, additional costly equipment is required to maintain well control, such as a snubbing unit which is well known in the art. Furthermore, another problem associated with using the hydraulic fracturing treatment is related to the degree of control of limiting the treatment to a selected region of the wellbore. It is often difficult for the operator to ensure that the fracturing fluid is only used to treat the selected region of the wellbore.
There is a need, therefore, for controlling the hydrostatic head in the wellbore to prevent the killing of the well upon the completion of the hydraulic fracturing treatment. There is a further need for a method for limiting the treatment to a specific region of the wellbore. There is yet a further need for a cost effective method to increase the productivity of an existing well.

Method and apparatus for treating a well


A system and method for controlling a plurality of home appliances provided in a building, wherein home appliance built-in communication modules are each adapted to convert information in an Ethernet standard format into that of a home appliance standard format and adapters are provided to connect the home appliance built-in communication modules to a phoneline network alliance (PNA) provided in the building to transmit and receive information therebetween. The home appliances can be controlled over a network using an existing telephone line. The adapters allow interconnection of the plurality of home appliances with no distance limitations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for controlling home appliances, and in particular to a system and method for controlling a plurality of home appliances through a phoneline network alliance (PNA) provided in a building.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known home appliance networking system includes a plurality of home appliances interconnected via an internal network of a home or building, which is in turn connected to an external Internet network, thereby enabling a user to control the home appliances from anywhere inside or outside of the home or building.
In the known home appliance networking system, particularly, the user can access status information of a specific home appliance at any place inside of the home or building, and can control a specific home appliance using control means, such as a computer, at any place outside of the home or building. In this regard, the known home appliance networking system has obtained favorable responses from many consumers, and thus has become widespread in its application.
However, the above mentioned home appliance networking system has a disadvantage in that a local area network (LAN) must be constructed in the home or building to interconnect the home appliances via the internal network of the home or building and control the interconnected appliances in an integrated manner, resulting in a great cost being incurred.
In other words, in the known system, even though a user may wish to install home appliances in an existing building and control them via the internal network of the building, the user will be unable to control the home appliances so long as the internal network is not equipped with a system such as a LAN line. In order to control the home appliances, a separate network must be constructed in the building, thereby increasing the cost required for installing the home appliances.
Furthermore, even in a case where the internal network of the building is already equipped with a system such as a LAN line, the home appliances must be interconnected via hubs at limited distances, as shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional home appliance control system. As shown in this drawing, an Internet network outside of a building (referred to hereinafter as an "external Internet network") is connected to an Internet network I inside of the building (referred to hereinafter as an "internal Internet network") via networking equipment such as a gateway N1 and a hub N2. The internal Internet network I includes a computing device B having such a public Internet protocol (IP) address as to be accessible by the external Internet network. The computing device B is adapted to assign respective private IP addresses to a plurality of home appliances A1, A2 and A3, and to transfer control information from the external Internet network to the home appliances A1, A2, and A3. To this end, the computing device B may include, for example, a server. A plurality of built-in home appliance communication modules C1, C2, and C3 are provided in the home appliances A1, A2, and A3, respectively, to convert the format of information, transmitted and received between corresponding home appliances A1, A2, and A3, and the external Internet network on the basis of the private IP addresses assigned by the computing device B, into standard formats of the corresponding home appliances and a standard format of the external Internet network, respectively. A plurality of hubs H1, H2, H3, and H4 are provided to interconnect the computing device B and the built-in home appliance communication modules C1, C2, and C3.
However, the interconnection of the computing device B and home appliance built-in communication modules C1, C2, and C3 using the plurality of hubs H1, H2, H3, and H4 is subject to limitations by Ethernet standards and hub structures. Because of such limitations, the number of communication modules connectable via the hubs is five at maximum and the distance between adjacent communication modules is 100 meters at maximum.

System and method for controlling home appliances


A novel dual mode, downdraft gas range provides a sealed top and sealed gas burners that can be operated effectively in a power burner mode with a downdraft exhaust and otherwise in an atmospheric mode. In the range, a separate and independently operating air/gas supply chamber for each sealed burner is supplied with a controllable flow of gas, and, in the power burner mode, with a controlled forced flow of primary combustion air from a combustion air blower and pressure-adjustable air plenum that supply all air/gas chambers, and each air/gas supply chamber is provided with a gated opening, which is operated to provide an unobstructed flow of primary combustion air from atmosphere in non-power burner operation. The mixture of air and primary combustion air flows from the air/gas supply chamber through a sealed conduit formed to be free of obstructions and abrupt changes in direction with a flow diffuser provided adjacent the gas burner. In the power burner mode, the air/gas mixture is combusted without being affected by the downdraft exhaust.

Gas ranges typically use atmospheric burners. Such atmospheric burners perform well when a plentiful supply of secondary air surrounds the burner. Typically, secondary air is supplied in such ranges through one or more aeration openings in the burner pan surrounding the burner body. In addition, secondary air is often supplied through a central opening in the burner. Such openings, however, create problems in the use of gas ranges because they permit spills, boilovers and the like to run from the top of the gas range into its interior, creating an undesirable cleaning problem.
Furthermore, combustion of any fuel, including natural gas and the other fuels that are used in household gas ranges, generally results in undesirable byproducts, such as carbon monoxide (CO) and oxides of nitrogen (NO.sub.x). These pollutants are not direct products of perfect combustion but generally result from incomplete combustion and the presence of secondary air. Efforts to protect the environment have resulted in legislation and standards to limit permissible levels of such pollutants in both the United States and Europe, and it is expected that such legislation will become more widespread and that the resulting standards will become more stringent. It is clearly desirable to avoid the generation and distribution of such pollutants during the operation of gas ranges in the household of a user, and various apparatus have been proposed to reduce the generation and distribution of pollutants in the operation of gas burners.
As indicated above, it is desirable that the range top be sealed to preclude liquids and materials from entering the interior of the range. Some sealed, smooth-top gas ranges have included blowers or fans to produce both a flow of combustion air to, and an exhaust of combustion products from, burners that are located under a sealed glass or ceramic top of the range. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,870,829; 3,404,350; 3,870,457; 3,968,785; and 4,020,821. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,821 to Reid, Jr. et al., discloses a gas burning range with a sealed, smooth glass or ceramic top lying over a plurality of infrared burners. In the gas range of Reid, Jr. et al., a primary gas/air mixture is provided for each burner from a combined gas and air shutter valve to a burner tip for combustion. A blower creates a negative pressure in each burner and throughout the flow path for the fuel gas, draws a flow of additional air for combustion into the gas flow path, and creates an exhaust for the combustion products leaving the burners. Such sealed top ranges generally rely on infrared heating of cooking utensils through the sealed top and are thus not as thermally efficient or as fast as open flame ranges.
Sealed top gas ranges with open flame burners have been obtained by, for example, sealing the burner head to the top range surface or burner pan. The use of such "sealed burners" in gas range construction eliminates the openings through which secondary air reaches the burners, and the air needed for combustion must enter the combustion zone in a path which is below the existing products of combustion, and the performance of the range burners is vulnerable to a number of adverse effects. Among the problems presented by such open flame, sealed burner constructions are the recirculation of products of combustion, the tendency of the gas flames to "reach" for combustion air which distorts the flame pattern and detracts from even heat distribution, the destruction of flame patterns as a result of adjacent walls that interfere or divert the secondary air supply, and flame distortion created by the simultaneous operation of adjacent burners that compete for secondary air as their flames tend to be drawn toward the natural thermal updraft of the adjacent burners. Attempts to solve such problems have included high grate tops and other barriers seeking to prevent such burner interaction.
Gas ranges with downdraft exhaust systems are known, as shown, for example, by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,413,610; 4,413,611; 4,409,954; 4,457,293; and 4,750,450.
The problems attendant sealed burners are compounded in gas ranges with downdraft exhausts. The purpose of the downdraft exhaust is, of course, to remove products of combustion and cooking vapors from the gas range during its operation by creating a flow of exhaust air across the top of the range adjacent the burners. The air flow from such a forced exhaust pulls the flames in the direction of the exhaust, interfering with the proper combustion and heat distribution at the burners. The air flow created by the downdraft exhaust means also pulls the secondary air away from the burner flames, and the disturbed flame cones impinge on relatively cold grate fingers to cause incomplete combustion. In some designs, heat from the burners of a downdraft gas range has been so unevenly distributed that it is not possible to evenly cook such food stuffs as pancakes, eggs and sausages in a large skillet. In addition, a low simmer flame cannot be satisfactorily stabilized and ignition of the flame becomes unreliable.
Prior efforts to combine open flame sealed burners with a downdraft exhaust have also used shields extending several inches above the burner to help protect the burner flame from the exhaust flow. Other attempts have elevated the entrance to the downdraft exhaust plenum several inches above the cooktop in an effort to minimize the adverse effect of the exhaust at the cooktop surface. In still further efforts, the downdraft exhaust has been reduced in power, or the entrance to the downdraft plenum has been remotely located from the burners, or has been reduced in intake area, in attempts to minimize the adverse effect of the exhaust. Each of these methods, however, detracts from the effectiveness of the downdraft exhaust and reduces its ability to capture and remove cooking vapors, odors, heat and other products of combustion and cooking.
The use of powered gas burners in gas cooking ranges has been disclosed in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,298 to Teague, Jr. et al. discloses a sealed, smooth-top gas range with a plurality of powered infrared burners. In the gas range of Teague, Jr. et al., a blower supplies air to and pressurizes a manifold extending along the front of the range. The manifold has openings formed in its bottom, one for each of the plurality of burners. A slide valve for each burner includes air control orifices cooperating with a manifold opening for each burner to permit a variable and controllable flow of combustion air from the manifold through a venturi mixer to its associated burner. Gas flow to the venturi mixer and burner is controlled by a diaphragm-operated gas flow regulator, which is operated by the air pressure in the valve manifold to control the gas/air mixture to each burner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,328 to Shukla et al. seeks to avoid emission of air pollutants, such as carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen, into the kitchen. The Shukla et al. patent discloses a gas range with a ceramic tile forming a plurality of openings provided, preferably, with a forced air-gas mixture and adapted to provide an open standing flame close to its upper surface so that the ceramic tile burner will provide high radiant heat as a result of the gas flame. In Shukla et al.'s invention, a jet plate is positioned between the infrared burner and the supporting surface for the cooking utensil. The jet plate is stated to be of considerable importance in the achievement of high thermal efficiencies. Shukla et al.'s jet plate includes a plurality of perforations or jet holes to form high velocity gas jets from the combustion products of the infrared burner, and the gas jets are directed to impinge against and convectively heat the lower surface of the cooking utensil and then pass into the atmosphere of the kitchen above the cooktop.
While Shukla et al. discloses that his ceramic tile may operate as an atmospheric burner, in Shukla et al.'s preferred embodiment, a blower is positioned in the central portion of the range to pressurize an air plenum, which is linked to a plurality of mixing valve assemblies to control the flow of the forced air-gas mixture to the plurality of burners. Each mixing valve assembly provides a selected stoichiometry for its associated burner by mechanically coupling a rotatable air orifice plate to a gas valve shaft so that by rotation of the gas valve shaft to control gas flow, air flow is simultaneously controlled by the alignment of one or more of several discrete openings in the air orifice plate with a fixed opening in an air flow tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,377 to Nunes et al. discloses a gas-air mixing valve for use with residential and commercial cooking ranges. The Nunes et al. valve is designed for use preferably in a gas range having a plurality of gas burners. The Nunes et al. valve is attached to an air plenum which is pressurized by an air blower. The Nunes et al. valve is adapted to be mounted over a hole formed in the air plenum and to provide two valve openings communicating with the interior of the air plenum, one of the valve openings forming an inlet to an air-gas mixing chamber within the valve, and the other valve opening communicating with atmosphere. The two valve openings to the pressurized air plenum formed by the Nunes et al. valve are covered by a rotating orifice plate. The rotating orifice plate includes an opening cooperating with the opening between the air plenum and the air-gas mixing chamber, and an opening cooperating with the opening to atmosphere so that as the size of the entrance to the air-gas mixing chamber is increased by rotation of the orifice plate, the size of the opening between the air plenum and atmosphere is correspondingly decreased to maintain a constant air flow in the plenum for the operation of each of the gas burners. As the orifice plate is rotated, the gas valve is also operated to maintain a selected forced air-gas mixture to each cooking burner.
Other arrangements of gas ranges with power burners, and air/gas control valves for gas ranges with power burners are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,162,237; 3,169,871; 3,371,699; 3,592,180; 4,622,946; and 4,794,907. Notwithstanding these various developments, the use of powered surface burners is rare in household gas ranges. Variations in the characteristics and burning properties of gas from utility to utility and locale to locale have made it difficult to achieve reliable and repeatable combustion characteristics with powered surface burners in a household range.
Other patents disclosing sealed burners include British Patent Nos. 1,443,553; and 1,543,618; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,518,346; 4,565,523; 4,570,610; 4,690,636; 4,757,801; 4,773,383; 4,971,024; and 5,046,477.
Notwithstanding the efforts of others, no one, prior to this invention, has provided a dual mode gas range with the combined advantages and abilities of a sealed top construction, downdraft exhaust and open flame gas burners that are operable with a powered gas/air mixture with a downdraft exhaust, and otherwise as an atmospheric range.


There is provided a pole step assembly with a removable step for hollow poles and the like. The step assembly includes a mounting subassembly with a mounting stud and a mounting plate with inter-engaging flat surfaces that limit relative rotational movement of the mounting stud and mounting plate about the axis of the subassembly. A clamp is provided to limit radial movement of the subassembly relative to the pole. The mounting stud of the subassembly also may include a handle portion that captivates the components of the subassembly and facilitates ease of installation of the subassembly. The handle also may break away and be removed after installation of the subassembly. The step is mounted to the subassembly and may include flat surfaces that inter-engage with further flat surfaces on the mounting plate to limit rotation of the step about its longitudinal axis.

The present invention relates generally to steps for climbing hollow poles, such as utility poles, and similar structures and, more particularly, to a pole step assembly with a mounting subassembly that can be attached to such structures and a removable step that can be readily attached and detached from the mounting subassembly.
Elongated poles are commonly used to maintain items above and over the ground for numerous reasons, including safety and ground space conservation purposes. The utility industry, for example, uses many poles to support cables and other components of the utility""s system. These poles are often hollow and made of steel and/or fiberglass. These poles are typically fitted with steps that extend radially from the pole in a cantilever fashion to enable utility personnel to climb the pole to perform maintenance operations on the equipment. The specific structures of these pole steps vary.
In a number of instances, there is also a desire for an effective but easily removable step. This is especially the case for the lower portion of poles to prevent unauthorized climbing of the poles. There exists pole step assemblies with detachable steps. A known shortcoming with these assemblies is the lack of adequate protection against unwanted rotation of the step about its longitudinal axis created by a user""s foot rubbing across the step or hitting the step from underneath.
The related application, Ser. No. 09/757,296, U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,822 B1 provides a pole step assembly that secures the step against unintentional rotational movement and facilitates efficient and effective installation to the pole by preventing the loss of necessary components. Although this pole step assembly is considered removable, there, however, is a need for additional features to further facilitate removability of the step.
Thus, there remains a need for a pole step assembly that secures the step against unintentional rotational movement and that facilitates efficient and effective installation to the pole by preventing the loss of necessary components. Furthermore, it would be advantageous if the assembly included a mounting subassembly and a removable step so that the step could be easily attached and detached from the pole while the mounting subassembly remained permanently affixed thereto.
The present invention pertains to a removable pole step assembly that includes a mounting subassembly and a removable step that can be readily attached and detached thereto. A step assembly in accordance with the present invention is capable of selectively securing a removable step to a hollow pole with a mounting aperture.
The assembly includes a mounting stud with a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is capable of engaging the hollow pole to support the mounting stud.
The second portion has an exterior flat portion that is capable of extending through the aperture in the hollow pole to position the first portion inside the hollow pole. A mounting plate is on the stud and has an interior surface with a flat portion to engage the exterior flat portion of the second portion of the mounting stud to limit relative movement between the mounting plate and the mounting stud. The mounting plate also has a major exterior surface and a minor exterior surface. The major exterior surface is stepped from the minor exterior surface such that the major exterior surface is capable of engaging the hollow pole and a gap forms between the minor surface and the hollow pole when the major surface engages the hollow pole. The major surface has at least a portion profiled so when it is engaged with the hollow pole it limits movement between the hollow pole and the mounting plate.
A clamp is on the mounting stud and is capable of selectively engaging the second portion of the mounting stud to secure the mounting plate and the first portion of the stud into engagement with the hollow pole to limit relative movement of the mounting plate and mounting stud with respect to the hollow pole. A removable step has a mounting portion and a foot support portion. The mounting portion defines a slot and is capable of a being received in the gap to engage at least a portion of the minor surface and surround at least a portion of the major surface to limit movement of the step relative to the hollow pole when the mounting plate is in engagement with the pole.
The mounting stud may further include a handle to facilitate installation of the mounting stud and mounting plate. The handle may also be removably attached to the mounting stud. Additionally, the handle may have an enlarged end portion to maintain the mounting plate and clamp on the mounting stud.
Further, the second portion of the mounting stud may define a recess and the handle may have a mounting end that is press fit into the recess to attach the handle. Even further, the handle may have a weaker portion that is capable of being severed to remove the handle when desired, and the enlarged end portion may be C-shaped.
The first portion and the second portion of the mounting stud may be disposed at a predetermined angle relative to one another. The predetermined angle may be generally 90 degrees so that the second portion is capable of extending in a direction that is generally parallel to the radius of the hollow pole.
The major surface of the mounting plate may have an arcuate profiled portion so when it is engaged with the hollow pole it limits movement between the hollow pole and the mounting plate.
The second portion of the pole step stud may have an externally threaded portion. The clamp may include a nut that meshes with the externally threaded portion of the second portion of the mounting stud. The clamp may further include a lock washer interposed between the nut and the mounting plate.
The mounting stud may be sized large enough to prevent the mounting plate and clamp from falling off the mounting stud at the first portion. The exterior flat portion of the second portion of the mounting stud may include at least two flats and the flat portion of the interior surface of the mounting plate may include at least two flats. The flats of the second portion and the interior surface then are capable of engaging each other to limit relative movement between the mounting plate and the mounting stud.
There is also provided a method of attaching a removable pole step assembly to a hollow pole. The method includes the step of providing a removable pole step assembly having a mounting subassembly with a removable handle. The mounting subassembly is attached to the hollow pole, and after such attachment the removable handle is detached. The final step is to attach a removable step to the mounting subassembly.

Step assembly with a removable step for hollow poles and the like


A method for automatically mitigating vulnerabilities in a source code of an application is provided in the present invention. The method includes the following steps. First, the source code is complied, and a path graph is built according to the compiled source code. The path graph includes a plurality of paths traversing from sources to sinks, and each of the paths includes a plurality of nodes. Then, at least one tainted path is identified by enabling a plurality of vulnerability rules. Each of the at least one tainted path corresponds to a vulnerability, and each of the at least one vulnerability corresponds to a sanitization method. Then, the at least one vulnerability is determined if it is mitigable. If the at least one vulnerability is mitigable, the at least one vulnerability is mitigated automatically. Furthermore, the method may be implemented as a system and a computer program product.

Businesses rely more and more on the cloud to keep their applications running and data accessible. However, a high percentage of websites have vulnerabilities that may lead to the theft of data such as credit card information and customer lists. Business needs application security solutions to avoid business interruptions and costly lawsuits. The software developers have historically focused on security vulnerabilities and other serious functionality issues in the software that may be exploited by hackers. Despite the efforts, the security vulnerabilities remain as serious threats in the application level.
Various methods have been developed to identify security vulnerabilities in applications, such as black-box testing and static code analysis. Static code analysis is used by the software developers to analyze software for problems and inconsistencies before actually compiling the source code and executing programs built from the code for the software, and such technique is aimed at locating and describing areas of security vulnerabilities in the source code. Most high-level optimizations performed by a modern compiler involve static analysis such as code path analysis, which is used to detect the propagation of an object and further validate the legality along a code execution path. Static code analysis is differentiated from dynamic analysis techniques by analyzing the source code for dependencies without relying on dynamic events in a more complete view of every possible execution path rather than some aspects of a necessarily limited observed behavior.
Several existing static code analysis tools are capable of scanning the source code by leveraging predefined security rules such that potential vulnerabilities are detected and reported to the software developers. The vulnerability report may be accompanied by generic remediation criteria, which proposes ways in which the software developers can amend the source code so as to mitigate the reported vulnerabilities. Nonetheless, the software developers still need to implement and validate the problematic source code manually, which may be labor-intensive in consideration of a large amount of existing applications. Due to lack of time or resources, many stakeholders are forced to deploy the applications even knowing they have potential security issues.

Method, system, and computer-readable medium for automatically mitigating vulnerabilities in source code


Described in an example embodiment herein is an apparatus that comprises a safe having first and second openings, a document accepting device located within the safe, a document destruction device located within the safe that is coupled with the document accepting device, and a destroyed document storage device located outside of the safe. The document accepting device is operable to receive a document via the first opening and to forward the document to the document destruction device. The document destruction device is operable to destroy the document; and convey the destroyed document via the second opening the destroyed document storage device.

Many types of devices are available to receive documents for storage. For example, automated banking machines may receive deposited negotiable instruments such as checks or money orders. The device receiving the deposited item may obtain an image of the negotiable instrument which can be subsequently sent to a remote computer for further processing.

Check shredder for an automated teller machine


Aspects of a method and system for RF signal generation utilizing a synchronous multi-modulus divider are provided. In this regard, a feedback signal of a PLL may be generated by clocking a counter with an RF signal output by the PLL and toggling the feedback signal each time a determined value of the counter is reached. Moreover, updates of each register in the counter and transitions of the feedback signal may be synchronous with the RF signal output by the PLL. The PLL may be part of a cellular transmitter and/or receiver which may communicate over an EDGE network. A counting sequence of the counter may be determined, at least in part, by an output of a ΔΣ modulator. In this regard, a first counting sequence may be utilized when an output of the ΔΣ modulator may be asserted and a second counting sequence may be utilized when the output of ΔΣ modulator may be de-asserted.

With the rapidly increasing dependence on electronic communications and the accompanying efforts to make these communications smaller, faster, and cheaper, the complexity of designing communications systems is also increasing. In this regard, in an effort to develop commercially successful products, electronics designers are continually trying to fit more functionality into smaller and smaller packages. For example, devices which utilize a variety of wireless technologies and/or operate on a plurality of frequencies may be highly desirable but their design may present certain challenges. In particular, it may be difficult to keep the size and cost of such devices low. In this regard, for a device which operates on a plurality of frequencies, generation of accurate and stable frequencies may be important for minimizing interference between signals.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

Method and system for RF signal generation utilizing a synchronous multi-modulus divider


An active circuit element substrate is provided with a matrix array of active circuit elements. Each of the active circuit elements includes 1) a switching element, 2) a capacitor, 3) an electrically-conductive portion connecting the switching element and the capacitor, 4) an insulating layer covering the switching element, the capacitor, and the electrically-conductive portion, and 5) a reflective electrode layer connected to the electrically-conductive portion and extending on the insulating layer. The insulating layer has a surface flat so as to agree with a mirror finished surface. The reflective electrode layer extends on the surface of the insulating layer. A transparent common electrode film extends on a surface of a transparent substrate. An optical modulation layer is located between the reflective electrode layers on the active circuit element substrate and the common electrode film on the transparent substrate. A voltage difference is generated between each of the reflective electrode layers and the common electrode film in response to a signal applied to a control terminal of the related switching element, and light incident to the transparent substrate is modulated by the optical modulation layer in response to the voltage difference and is reflected by the related reflective electrode layer. A light shielding layer covers regions between the reflective electrode layers except portions occupied by metal areas of the active circuit elements as viewed along a direction of incidence of the light. The light shielding layer extends in the insulating layer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a reflection-type display apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, projection-type display systems indicate pictures on large screens. Some of projection-type display systems use transmission liquid-crystal display panels or reflection liquid-crystal display panels.
In the case of a reflection liquid-crystal display panel, the reflectivity of the panel determines the coefficient of utilization of light. A higher reflectivity of the panel is desirable.

Reflection-type display apparatus having antireflection films


It is an object of the present invention to provide an ID chip in which gain of an antenna is increased and the mechanical strength of an integrated circuit can be enhanced without suppressing a circuit scale. A semiconductor device typified by an ID chip of the present invention includes an integrated circuit using a semiconductor element formed from a thin semiconductor film and an antenna connected to the integrated circuit. The antenna and the integrated circuit are formed on a substrate, and a conducting wire or a conductive film included in the antenna is divided into two layers and formed so as to sandwich the substrate provided with the integrated circuit.

A semiconductor device such as an ID chip that can transmit and receive data such as identifying information wirelessly has been coming into practical use in various areas, and the market of such a semiconductor device as a communication information terminal of a new mode is anticipated to grow further. An ID chip is also called a wireless tag, an RFID (Radio frequency identification) tag or an IC tag, and a type having an antenna and an integrated circuit formed by using a semiconductor substrate is coming into practical use at present.
There are two cases in forming an ID chip, where an integrated circuit and an antenna formed separately are connected later, and where an integrated circuit and an antenna are formed so as to range over one substrate.
As for the ID chip formed by connecting an integrated circuit and an antenna which are first formed separately, defects are easily caused at the connection portion of the integrated circuit and the antenna, and thus it is difficult to increase the process yield. Further, an ID chip is expected to be attached to a flexible material such as paper or plastic depending on its use. Accordingly, a stress is applied, in some cases, to a substrate where an integrated circuit is formed in using an ID chip, even though the integrated circuit is favorably connected to the antenna. Thus, there is a problem that defects are caused easily by the stress, which leads to low reliability.
On the other hand, in an ID chip in which an integrated circuit and an antenna are formed on a substrate, such a defect in a connection portion is not easily caused, different from one in which an integrated circuit and an antenna are formed separately. However, if the number of ID chips obtained from one substrate is to be secured, the area for forming an antenna is limited accordingly. Therefore, it is difficult to form a highly advantageous antenna due to the size limit of an antenna.
A semiconductor substrate used for forming an integrated circuit is generally poor in flexibility and mechanical strength, which is a drawback. However, the mechanical strength can be improved to some extent by reducing the area of the integrated circuit itself. However, the case is not favorable, since securing a circuit scale is difficult and the use of an ID chip is limited. Therefore, it is not favorable that the area of an integrated circuit is reduced when securing the circuit scale of the integrated circuit without careful thought.
The present invention has been made in view of the above described problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ID chip in which gain of an antenna is increased and the mechanical strength of an integrated circuit can be enhanced without suppressing a circuit scale. Further, the present invention relates to a packing material, a tag, a certificate, a bank note, securities and the like using the ID chip.

Semiconductor device comprising circuit between first and second conducting wires

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.