A system and method for policy-based registration of client devices is provided. Policy-based registration may use registration keys to register devices on a network. For example, registration keys may include policy assignments, folder assignments, group assignments, or other assignments for registering, identifying, and managing the device on the network. Devices can register one or more times (e.g., using one or more registration keys), resulting in the device being added to any number of folders and groups. Further, the policies may be used to control a registration process or to enforce registration rules. As such, administrators can construct folders or groups of devices with a set of keys, providing a consistent mechanism to easily register and manage a device.

Workstation registration can be used to manage a plurality of client devices coupled to a network (e.g., servers, workstations, etc.). Device registration may provide information regarding a particular device, a user of the device, or other information. To enable registration on the network, importation services may import information regarding a server or a workstation to register a device. Importing device information typically only occurs once, where the importation service initially creates a representation of a device to identify the device in a network system. For example, the representations could include device objects, database records, or any other suitable data structure or abstraction for representing workstations, servers, or other devices. Further, the device representations could be used various network systems, including a network tree implementation (e.g., a tree data structure or other abstraction) composed of the device objects, a database containing the records, or any other suitable system for managing and representing devices connected over the network. Upon creating an appropriate representation of a device, the importation service would then populate the management abstraction (e.g., database, network tree, etc.) using default values, and subsequently update device properties with current registration information.
Unlike device importation, device registration typically occurs when a manager program starts up, a user logs-in to a device management system, or a user logs-out of the device management system. Device registration typically includes a client device registering information about the device, a system administrator registering the device by importing the device information, and notifying the device that the registration has been processed. The device may then verify the registration and record a name assigned to the device. These types of existing systems typically require multiple steps and intervention by a plurality of users, increasing communications over the network and potentially creating bottlenecks, among other problems.
Other problems with existing registration systems relate to assigning rights for performing tasks. For example, task rights may be assigned to a server container, but such implementations may grant permissions based on broad classes or representations of devices. Thus, some devices may be granted undesired authorizations to perform particular tasks due to limitations of systems used to represent and manage devices. Furthermore, when a network organization includes a large number of devices and/or users (e.g., various user types, workstation types, etc.), existing systems often fail to provide adequate measures for easily managing task rights, deploying software updates, or otherwise managing similar classes of devices and/or users.
Existing systems suffer from these and other problems.

System and method for policy-based registration of client devices


N-substituted 3,3-dinitroazetidine, represented by the following Chemical Formula I, as an energetic plasticizer, and a method for preparing the same through a coupling reaction in which the energetic material 3,3-dinitroazetidine or an acid salt thereof serves as a nucleophile for the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound as a substrate are provided.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to N-substituted 3,3-dinitroazetidine as a high-performance, energetic plasticizer, and a method for preparing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Plastic-bonded explosives have been developed to improve both the performance and insensitivity of explosives. Generally, a plastic-bonded explosive consists of a granular explosive, responsible for explosive power, such as RDX (Research Department Explosive), and a binder system. The binder system is used in an amount of about 2˜20% by weight based on the total weight of the plastic-bonded explosive, and functions to provide dimensional stability and insensitivity for the granular explosive. Lacking a nitro group, which plays an essential role in explosive performance, however, the binder system degrades the overall performance of the explosive.
To maximize the performance of plastic-bonded explosives, extensive research has been directed toward the introduction of a nitro group into a plasticizer. A nitro group-introduced plasticizer is called an energetic binder or plasticizer. The high energetic plasticizers bis(2,2-dinitropropoxy)methane (Chemical Formula 1) and N,N′-methylenebis(N-methylnitramide) (Chemical Formula 2) make a great contribution to the performance of plastic-bonded explosives, but are highly sensitive. Further, formal/acetal-based plasticizers (F/A plasticizers), which use two different plasticizers, as shown in Chemical Formula 3, may be prone to dissociation of the components during long-term storage.

Energetic N-substituted 3, 3-dinitroazetidine plasticizer and preparation method thereof

Abstract: wherein R1 and R2 are each independently alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, arylalkyl, substituted arylalkyl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, heteroarylalkyl, substituted heteroarylalkyl, hydroxy, nitro, or a halogen atom, wherein the substituent of the substituted radicals is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, thioalkyl, amino, nitro, hydroxy, a halogen atom, and a combination thereof.


The executions of computer viruses are analyzed to develop register signatures for the viruses. The register signatures specify the sets of outputs the viruses produce when executed with a given set of inputs. A virus detection system (VDS) (400) holds a database (430) of the register signatures. The VDS (400) selects (710) a file that might contain a computer virus and identifies potential entry points in the file. The VDS (400) uses a virtual machine (422) having an initial state to emulate (714) a relatively small number of instructions at each entry point. While emulating each potential entry point, the VDS builds (716) a register table that tracks the state of a subset of the virtual registers (428). Once the VDS (400) reaches an emulation breakpoint, it analyzes the register table in view of the register signatures to determine whether the file contains a virus.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains in general to detecting computer viruses and in particular to detecting metamorphic computer viruses.
2. Background Art
Modern computer systems are under constant threat of attack from computer viruses and other malicious code. Viruses often spread through the traditional route: a computer user inserts a disk or other medium infected with a virus into a computer system. The virus infects the computer system when data on the disk are accessed.
Viruses also spread through new routes. A greater number of computer systems are connected to the Internet and other communications networks than ever before. These networks allow a networked computer to access a wide range of programs and data, but also provide a multitude of new avenues by which a computer virus can infect the computer. For example, a virus can be downloaded to a computer as an executable program, as an email attachment, as malicious code on a web page, etc. Accordingly, it is common practice to install anti-virus software on computer systems in order to detect the presence of viruses.
Simple computer viruses work by copying exact duplicates of themselves to each executable program file they infect. When an infected program is executed, the simple virus gains control of the computer system and attempts to infect other files. If the virus locates a target executable file for infection, it copies itself byte-for-byte to the target executable file. Because this type of virus replicates an identical copy of itself each time it infects a new file, the anti-virus software can detect the virus quite easily by scanning the file for a specific string of bytes (i.e. a "signature") characteristic of the virus.
The designers of computer viruses are constantly evolving new techniques for eluding the anti-virus software. Encrypted viruses are examples of one such technique. Encrypted viruses include a decryption routine (also known as a "decryption loop") and an encrypted viral body. When a file infected with an encrypted virus executes, the decryption routine gains control of the computer and decrypts the encrypted viral body. The decryption routine then transfers control to the decrypted viral body, which is capable of spreading the virus. The virus spreads by copying the identical decryption routine and the encrypted viral body to the target executable file. Although the viral body is encrypted and thus hidden from view, anti-virus software can detect these viruses by searching for a signature in the unchanging decryption routine.
A polymorphic encrypted virus ("polymorphic virus") includes a decryption routine and an encrypted viral body. The viral body includes a static portion and a machine-code generator often referred to as a "mutation engine." The operation of a polymorphic virus is similar to the operation of an encrypted virus, except that the polymorphic virus generates a new decryption routine each time it infects a file. Many polymorphic viruses use decryption routines that are functionally the same for all infected files, but have different sequences of instructions.
These multifarious mutations allow each decryption routine to have a different signature. Therefore, anti-virus software cannot detect polymorphic viruses by simply searching for a signature from a decryption routine. Instead, the software loads a possibly-infected program into a software-based CPU emulator acting as a simulated virtual computer. The program is allowed to execute freely within this virtual computer. If the program does in fact contain a polymorphic virus, the decryption routine is allowed to decrypt the viral body. The anti-virus software detects the virus by searching through the virtual memory of the virtual computer for a signature from the decrypted viral body.
Virus creators have produced "metamorphic" viruses in order to defeat the signature scanning-based detection techniques described above. Metamorphic viruses are not necessarily encrypted, but vary the instructions in the viral body with each infection. Common techniques utilized by metamorphic viruses include inserting jump instructions after every instruction in the viral body, using varying sets of equivalent instructions to perform certain functions, inserting no-operation instructions at random places in the code, etc. One sophisticated metamorphic virus actually disassembles a target host file, inserts the virus code amongst the disassembled host code, and then reassembles the host file.
Accordingly, anti-virus software often cannot detect metamorphic viruses because there are no static signatures for which to search. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a technique that can reliably detect the presence of metamorphic viruses.


A document camera is used to show image of an object on a display. In the document camera, a first image data of the object obtained by a video-capturing device is derived into a second image data and a third image data by an image processor in response to a zoom operation, wherein the second image data results in a zoomed image of the object and the third image data results in a scaled image of the object. In response to the zoom operation, there is also a mark frame data generated by a position information controller, which results in a mark frame. The zoomed image, scaled image and mark frame are then synthesized into a combined image by an image synthesizer, and the mark frame superimposes the scaled image to indicate a result of the zoom operation.

Multimedia processing technology is very widely applied to electronic products in the market, such as PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), cellular phones, digital cameras, high-definition digital TVs and document cameras. For implementing the multimedia processing technology, DSP (Digital Signal Processor) is commonly used in these electronic products.
The DSP is advantageous of processing a large number of input digital signals at one time, and quickly executing operations to reach the Real-Time performance. The special DSP hardware and command designs facilitate the accomplishment of complicated control and various additional functions required by respective electronic products. Unlike the traditional microprocessor, the DSP has improved command execution speed, performance and Real-Time performance, so the DSP plays an important role on multimedia processing technology.
Taking a document camera as an example, it is popularly used in a regular meeting or an academic conference to show some literal or graphical data in order to facilitate the presentation or discussion of a document, chart or academic thesis. Compared with the traditional transparency projectors, the document cameras not only exhibit better image quality and versatile functions but also easier in preparing material to be shown. For example, the documents or charts do not have to be printed on the transparent projection slices as they used to do with the traditional transparency projector. Furthermore, a document camera is generally more compact is size than a traditional transparency projector and thus is inconvenient for carrying and storing.
A document camera is typically incorporated therein the architecture of a scanner or a video camera for performing digital image scanning, image capturing, and image outputting functions. So, a document camera may be equipped with a video-capturing module generally used in a digital still camera, digital video camera or cellular phone to execute the image pickup function. An image sensor, which is implemented with a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor sensor (CMOS sensor) or a Charge Couple Device (CCD), is used in the video-capturing module to pick up the image of an object positioned in front of the video-capturing module, and an image display is used with the document camera for showing the image of the object captured by the image sensor. For example, the image display can be a monitor of a TV set, a display of a computer system or a projection screen showing images via the protection of a digital projector. In this way, the document or chart can be displayed in a live video manner. Also, the utilization of a document camera vivifies the presentation due to its functional varieties. Therefore, a document camera is expected to replace the traditional transparency projector in near future.
Please refer to the example shown in FIG. 1(a). A document camera 10 is coupled to a digital projector 20 and a projection screen 21 is arranged a proper distance from the digital projector 20. The image of the object 1 captured by a video-capturing module 11 is processed by the document camera 10 and then outputted to the digital projector 20 to be shown on the projection screen 21. By placing the object in of the focusable range of the video-capturing module 11, the document camera 10 will be able to process the image of object 1 and show it as a live video on the projection screen 21 via the digital projector 20. In addition to showing images via the digital projector 20 and the projection screen 21, the images captured by the document camera 10 can also be shown on an image display directly coupled to the document camera 10, such as a monitor of a TV set or a display of a computer system. For most document cameras, there is a focus adjusting device (not shown) arranged in the video-capturing module 11 for manually zooming in or zooming out the object 1 to focus on a specific area that the user is interested in.
Please refer to FIG. 1 (b). It shows a functional block diagram of the document camera 10. Conventionally, the document camera 10 includes a video-capturing module 101, a digital signal processor (DSP) 102 and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 103. The video-capturing module 101 includes an image-sensor 1011 and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 1012. In the image sensor 1011, the received light intensity from an object is converted into corresponding amount of charges through photoelectrical conversion and then outputted as an analog signal. The analog signal is then converted into a digital image data by the ADC 1012 and transmitted to the DSP 102 for further processing, e.g. zoom-in or zoom-out operations of the digital image data. Afterwards, the DAC 103 converts the processed digital image data into an analog image data and outputs it to an image display 104 for display.
Although zoom-in and zoom-out operations have been feasible in conventional document cameras, only a specific area of the object is shown the image display after the zoom-in or zoom-out operation. However, it is usually hard to figure out the position of the shown specific area relative to the full size image after a zoom-in operation. Particularly, the higher the zoom-in ratio is, the less recognizable the image becomes. Under this circumstance, the user generally needs to zoom in and out the image several times to locate the specific area in order to well perform a pan operation subsequently. It is apparently a time-wasting and inconvenient task for the user.

Document camera having zoom-indication function


An electromagnetic switching device for operationally switching currents in the load range and having an instantaneous release, connected in series, for protection against welding of the contacts (6) in the overload range is created, and has a high reliability and low overall volume. The electromagnet (2) of the switching device (1) is arranged in the middle relative to the contact bridge carrier (8) and coupled directly to the latter in the middle. The instantaneous release (3) acts via a rocker (15) on the movable contact (6) and is actuated only in the case of overcurrents, use being made of the fact that only the directly coupled drive system of the switching device is employed in the nominal current range.

An electromagnetic switching device of the generic type is described in German Patent No. 37 13 412 A1. The contact bridge carrier is actuated here using a toggle by a contactor magnet arranged laterally offset with respect to the contact bridge carrier. The electromagnetic contactor drive and the instantaneous release are arranged parallel to one another on both sides of the longitudinal central axis of the contact bridge carrier. The contact springs which effect the contact pressure are supported against the housing base. A high short-circuit breaking capacity is achieved by providing extinction chambers of appropriately generous dimensions which are situated in the lower part of the housing, which is provided for mounting. However, this design entails a relatively large overall volume. The contactor magnet is fastened with its movable part to a yoke which is guided displaceably and from which a plunger projects in the direction of actuation of the contactor magnet against an operating rocker via which the contact bridge carrier can be actuated. Coupling the contactor magnet to the contact bridge carrier is therefore relatively complicated. The elements for transmitting force which are required for this purpose are exposed frequently to stresses in accordance with the switching rate, and can increase the risk of failure of the switch.
The electric switch described in German Patent No. 41 04 533 C2 is likewise of the generic type. The latter essentially comprises an arc housing and an operating or actuating mechanism housing coupled to the latter, in which the electromagnet and the instantaneous release are arranged parallel to one another. The instantaneous release is arranged in the middle relative to the contact bridge carrier, i.e. the longitudinal centre line of its striker pin for actuating the contact system is aligned with that of the contact bridge carrier. The electromagnet essentially comprises a fixed iron core, a movable iron core and a coil. Fastened to the movable iron core is a transmission component which, upon movement of the movable iron core, i.e. upon the application of current to the coil, presses on a beam which can pivot about a fixed axis of rotation and thereby releases the contact bridge carrier and effects the contact closure. Thus, the actuation of the contact bridge carrier by the electromagnet is not performed directly, but via various linkages or intermediate elements. Furthermore, the parallel arrangement of the release and of the electromagnet with respect to one another produces a relatively large overall volume.


In a process for manufacturing gratings for polarization-selective reflectors a linear grating is constructed via a known depositing machine in the form of a wire which is continuously deposited side-by-side on a reflector shape. The shell is subsequently constructed such that the previously constructed grating is partially embedded in the shell. The grounding of the grating takes place outside the reflector by connecting (soldering/clamping) the projecting ends of the grating wire to a grounding wire or grounding band.

This application claims the priority of German patent document 197 13 735.0, filed Apr. 3, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing gratings for polarization-selective reflectors (PSR) which can be used particularly as parabolic antennas suitable for space operations. As a rule, such a reflector consists of two reflecting shells which are arranged behind one another. The shell which is in front (viewed in the direction of the incidence of the electromagnetic waves) reflects only signals of one polarization and transmits signals of the opposite polarization. This is achieved by applying a linear grating to the front shell. In special cases, the reflector will consist only of a shell carrying a grating.
Optimal transmissions and reflections are achieved by a special construction. Here, a linear grating, which is applied to the surface of a high-frequency-transparent shell, permits an optimal reflection. The optimal transmission is achieved by a special design with respect to material and dimensioning for the dielectric shell. In the case of this construction, the structure function and the high-frequency function are largely coupled.
Swiss Patent Document CH 634 691 describes a radar reflector which consists of a plastic shaped body in a cell construction having electromagnetically reflecting grating webs mounted on an exterior side. An electromagnetically absorbing material is charged into the cells of the plastic shaped body. In this manner, the absorbing material (required for achieving polarizing properties) is protected at reasonable cost from harsh weather patterns. In this case, the linear grating is produced by mounted parallel grating bars.
From the Article by P. Edenhofer, M. Galka, J. Habersack, which appeared in nzt-Archive, 6th Edition, 1984, Volume 10, Page 249, and on, a polarization-separating dipole grating is known for offset reflector antennas used in communication and remote sensing satellites. With dipole gratings, a broad-band copolar reflection can be achieved while the cross-polarization distance is increased simultaneously. In this case, the grating is produced by the clamping-on of parallel wire gratings or by the vapor-depositing of parallel strip gratings.
The German Patent Document DE-OS 21 39 076 describes short-wave antennas which use linearly polarized short waves, in order to obtain a selective reflection and radiation on certain surfaces. For this purpose, a number of conductive gratings are provided in front of a reflector whose admittances and mutual distances and whose distances with respect to the reflector are dimensioned such that (at any of several operating frequencies), the concerned admittances for components of a linearly polarized wave, disposed perpendicularly on one another, have a relatively inverse size and an opposite preceding sign. The production of the grating takes place by gluing-on the parallel wires.
The previous techniques of producing gratings have the disadvantage of being highly priced. This is due to the high-expenditure manufacturing technique and a risk caused by passive intermodulation as a function of the manufacturing technique (for example, laser cutting technique or mechanical machining plus photo etching technique).
A polarization-selective antenna should be classified in a category of satellite payload antennas.
Rising efficiency requirements and high cost-related pressure, require the use of new technologies in communication satellites. The principle of asymmetrically fed parabolic antennas, also called offset reflector antennas, is particularly significant because of its favorable constructive properties (that is, a lack of shading caused by the supply system and its holding device). By means of this type of antenna, radiation diagrams with low minor lobes can be achieved in simply or complexly bordered areas. This is accomplished by using multiple supply systems in combination with parabolic reflectors or, by using individual supply systems in combination with reflectors which have an especially shaped surface deviating from the parabola.
In the case of a linear polarization, the principle of the initially described polarization-selective reflector (PSR) is used for achieving high cross-polarization purity. The (front) shell reflects signals of a linear polarization and transmits signals of the orthogonal polarization direction.
In this case, the reflector materials, which are used for polarization-selective parabolic antennas suitable for space operations, are becoming increasingly important because of constantly increasing frequency and precision requirements.
This is particularly true in the case of a joint transmitting and receiving operation using one antenna. Here, in addition to requiring a high reflectivity for the desired polarization and a low reflectivity for the orthogonal polarization, the polarization-selective reflector also requires a grating technology which is free of passive intermodulation (PIM). The two first requirements determine the material and the geometry of the grating and the dielectric carrier. The meeting of the third requirement is significantly connected to the manufacturing process of the grating.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, low-cost and high-precision process for the manufacturing of the grating of the (front) shell of a polarization-selective reflector. The grating produced according to the new process is free of passive intermodulation (PIM).
Based on a known process of depositing fiber bundles, this object is achieved by constructing the grating via a depositing machine (known per se) in the form of wires/fibers. These wires/fibers are deposited side-by-side on a reflector shape and the shell is subsequently built up thereon such that the grating constructed beforehand is partially embedded in the shell. Silver wires of a diameter of, for example, 50 .mu.m can be advantageously used as fibers for the grating.
The wires are therefore deposited in a numerically controlled manner on the reflector shape, which is provided with a special adhesive layer (removable afterwards). The reflector shape is subject to no special limitations; that is, it may be parabolic or have a special shape.
On the thus deposited wire grating, whose dimensions are selected to be adapted to the high frequencies (typical dimensions: wire diameter.ltoreq.0.05 mm; d (distance from wire to wire)=0.5 to 1.5 mm), the reflector shell is constructed in a conventional manner. An example of this conventional construction is a multilayer kevlar prepreg layer system for the front covering (a honeycomb core), and a rear covering which is identical with the front covering. The whole sandwich, including the grating, is glued together on the shape at a predetermined temperature. In this case, the grating is partially embedded in the resin system of the front covering.
In the current process, the depositing geometry of the grating is not disturbed and it therefore has virtually the same precision which is achieved by means of a numerically controlled machine. This is true almost irrespective of the surface shape of the reflector. In addition, if the selection of the depositing parameters (prestress/depositing rate) is correct, the wires are deposited without any interruption. This results in freedom from passive intermodulation. The two additional, consequently affected parameters (current-carrying contacts between different metals and current-carrying contacts through semiconducting layers on metal surfaces) are basically avoided because of the type of grating. Here, only a silver wire material is used. Contacts between wires do not occur within the grating.
Another favorable aspect of this manufacturing technique of the grating is the design of the grounding. In order to avoid critical electrostatic charging, conductive structures must be grounded. In the case of the new manufacturing technique for gratings, several alternatives are available for this purpose.
First, the grating consists of a quasi endless wire which is deposited in a meandering manner and grounded at both ends.
Second, the grating consists of several partial wires whose ends are led out beyond the edge and are connected in low-field zones with a grounding wire by clamping or soldering. In both cases, the grounding connection is situated outside the active reflector zone.
As the result of the described manufacturing technique for the grating, (i.e., the use of a depositing machine known per se, in the case of which the individual wire strand of the grating is deposited in a numerically controlled manner), a very simple, precise construction of the grating of a polarization-selective reflector can be achieved at a reasonable cost. This is accomplished with a high degree of precision and freedom from PIM.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Process for manufacturing polarization-selective reflectors


A gas turbine engine blade has a relatively large fillet to improve the characteristics of the air flow thereover. The fillet has a thin wall which, together with an impingement rib, defines a fillet cavity therebetween, and cooling air is provided to flow through impingement holes in the impingement rib and impinge on the rear surface of the fillet. The impingement holes are elongated in cross sectional shape with their elongations being orient in a direction generally transverse to a radial direction.

This invention relates generally to turbine blades, and more particularly, to turbine blades with a large fillet and associated cooling features.
Present turbine blade design configurations include little or no leading edge fillets at the transition between the blade and the associated platform. As a result, several gas path vortices are developed in this region so as to cause hot gases to be trapped in certain areas of the airfoil, thereby resulting in severe distress to those regions.
One way to alleviate the problem is to introduce large fillets that have a substantial radius such that the gas path vortices are substantially eliminated. A large fillet on the other hand, will tend to add metal and therefore mass to the blade. Such an increase in thermal mass in a fluid area would have negative effects in terms of centrifugal loading and thermal stress fatigue and creep. It is therefore desirable to not only substantially increase the fillet radius but also to reduce the mass that is associated with a larger fillet, and to also provide proper cooling for this area.

Impingement cooling of large fillet of an airfoil


A muffler having a baffle with angled plates includes a one piece baffle, a container and two end caps. The one piece baffle has at least three different configurations. The baffle preferably has two, three or four plates, namely “V”, “Z” or “W” shapes. Each one piece baffle configuration includes openings to allow exhaust flow therethrough. Each one piece baffle configuration is retained in the container. The container is terminated with end caps on each end thereof. At least one inlet tube and at least one outlet tube are attached to a perimeter of the container. In a second embodiment, the container and baffle are formed from a single piece of material. In a third and fourth embodiment, the inlet and outlet tubes are inserted through plates of the baffle. In a fifth embodiment, balanced tubes and chambers are added. In a sixth embodiment, a corrugated baffle is used.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mufflers and more specially to a muffler having a baffle with angled plates that reduces assembly complexity.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
The prior art provides numerous designs of engine mufflers. Some of these prior art mufflers include U.S. Pat. No. 3,100,140 to Ashley et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,655 to Woods and U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,889 to Wyatt. The Ashley et al. patent discloses a catalytic automotive exhaust converter. The converter is fabricated from a single casing, two end caps, an inlet pipe and an exhaust pipe. The casing includes a plurality of corrugations, which would require expensive tooling to produce. The Woods patent discloses a muffler for a marine engine. The muffler includes two baffle components, a can, two end caps, an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe. The Wyatt patent includes a formed piece of metal and two end caps. First and second serpentine half tubes are formed in the formed piece of metal.
Accordingly, there is a clearly felt need in the art for a muffler having a baffle with angled plates, which provides reduced assembly complexity and quieter performance.

Muffler having a baffle with angled plates


The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet in recirculation. The apparatus comprises a feed tray on which a plurality of sheets are set, a discharge tray on which the plurality of sheets are discharged, a feed mechanism for feeding the plurality of sheets set on the feed tray one by one, a recirculation conveying mechanism for conveying the sheet fed by the feed mechanism to discharge it on the discharge tray and return it to the feed tray, and a plurality of stoppers. The stoppers are disposed at different positions along the sheet conveying direction correspondingly to the sheet size. Each of the plurality of stoppers is moveable between an operation position and a withdrawal position and restricts the front end of the sheet discharged on the discharge tray to align the sheet in the operation position.

The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus having a sheet tray integrally formed with a feed tray and a discharge tray, on which sheet tray the discharge sheets are aligned. More specifically, the present invention relates to a discharged sheet stopper for restricting the front end of the discharged sheet.
Conventionally, the recirculation type sheet conveying apparatus having a sheet tray integrally formed with a feed tray and a discharge tray, on which sheet tray the discharge sheets are moved from discharge position to a feed port to refeed the sheets, has been provided. In this recirculation type sheet conveying apparatus, it is necessary to align the discharge sheets so that the discharge sheets can be surely refed. As a method for aligning the discharged sheet, there has been proposed a method for matching the rear end of the discharge sheets by hitting down the rear end of the discharged sheet to pull it to the rear end side.
However, in the rear end alignment of the discharge sheets as described above, there is a disadvantage that the discharge portion of the apparatus becomes larger due to the aligning mechanism, which enlarges the whole apparatus in the lateral direction and damages the rear end of the sheet.


A vehicle with a road surface condition detector includes: a vehicle body configured to have one or more passengers; front and rear wheels configured to move the vehicle body; and a road surface condition detector configured to detect road surface conditions in front of the front and rear wheels, wherein the road surface condition detector includes front-wheel road surface condition detectors configured to detect road surface conditions in front of the front wheels and rear-wheel road surface condition detectors configured to detect road surface conditions in front of the rear wheels, and the rear-wheel road surface condition detectors detect areas located outer in a vehicle width direction than ends of detection areas detected by the front-wheel road surface condition detectors.

A conventional vehicle detects road surface conditions to secure comfortable riding of passengers. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-205196 A (hereinafter, referred to Patent Document 1) discloses a vehicle 10 provided with a projector 12 at front thereof, in vicinity to a headlight, and a camera 18 at a front bumper. The projector 12 and the camera 18 are used to estimate road surface conditions in front of the vehicle 10.

Vehicle with road surface condition detector


A rubber stopper for a waterproof connector includes: a first elastic member including a first contact face, and first wire fitting grooves each having an arc cross-section; and a second elastic member including a second contact face and second wire fitting grooves each having an arc cross-section. When the first contact face contacts the second contact face, circular cross-section is formed by the arc cross-sections of the first and second wire fitting grooves to fit wires into the first and second wire fitting grooves. Arc length of the arc cross-section of the first wire fitting groove is different from arc length of the arc cross-section of the second wire fitting groove so that a center of the circular cross-section is disposed away from the first and second contact faces in a direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the first and the second contact faces.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a rubber stopper for a waterproof connector for the purpose of waterproofing electric wires which are equipped with terminal clamps at their ends, from an inlet side where the electric wires are inserted into the connector, and the waterproof connector employing this rubber stopper.
2. Background Art
Various electrical appliances are mounted on a vehicle body of an automobile. For the purpose of supplying electric power for actuating these electrical appliances, and sending control signals, there is arranged a wire harness including a number of electric wires bundled. A connector for connecting the electric wires to the electrical appliances is provided at an end of the wire harness. This connector generally includes terminal clamps formed of metal having favorable electrical conductivity, an insulating connector housing for containing a plurality of the terminal clamps connected to core wires of the electric wires, and so on. Moreover, the connector has a cylindrical shape or a box-like shape.
Recently, in view of diversification of customers' needs and in order to improve global environment, variety of the above described electrical appliances to be mounted has more and more increased, and accordingly, high reliability, lightweight, versatility, and compactness of the electrical appliances has been more keenly required. Particularly, there is a tendency to concentrate an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) in an engine room. In case where the ECU is concentrated in the engine room, it is a serious problem to secure heat resistance of various constituent elements of the electrical appliances, such as an IC, and to reliably secure waterproofing performance against rainwater, car wash, etc.
As a waterproof connector for securing the waterproofing performance of the above described problem, a waterproof connector employing a pair of rubber stoppers in a two split mold which are provided with arc-shaped fitting grooves for fitting the electric wires has been heretofore proposed. The waterproof connector of this type employing the rubber stoppers in the two split mold is disclosed in the following patent documents, for example.
[Patent Document 1] JP-A-10-284168
[Patent Document 2] JP-A-2000-323229
[Patent Document 3] JP-A-2006-302850
In the aforesaid Patent Document 1, there is proposed a waterproof connector including a connector body which contains a plurality of terminal clamps connected to electric wires and arranged in parallel, and a rubber plug which is fitted to a recessed part provided on a connection side of the electric wires. The rubber plug is provided with wire fitting grooves for respectively fitting half peripheral parts of the electric wires, on respective contact faces of a pair of split mold bodies which are formed in the two split mold. It is further disclosed that rubber plug pressing grooves are provided at an intermediate position between the two adjacent wire fitting grooves on the outer peripheral surface of the rubber plug, and pressing ribs adapted to be engaged with these rubber plug pressing grooves are provided on an inner face of the recessed part of the connector body. It is further described, in Patent Document 1, that when the rubber plug consisting of a pair of the split mold bodies having the electric wires inserted into the wire fitting grooves is fitted into the recessed part of the connector body, the pressing ribs are engaged with the rubber plug pressing grooves to further compress the rubber plug, whereby waterproofing performance of contact parts between the electric wires and the split mold bodies of the rubber plug is improved.
In the aforesaid Patent Document 2, there is proposed a rubber plug in a two split mold formed with electric wire insertion holes having a semicircular sectional shape into which electric wires equipped with terminal clamps are inserted. It is disclosed that this rubber plug in the two split mold is divided at a plane traversing the electric wire insertion holes, and coupled by a hinge so as to be opened and closed. For assembling this rubber plug, as a first step, the terminal clamps connected to the electric wires are inserted into cavities in a housing. Then, the electric wires are clamped by the electric wire insertion holes of the rubber plug in the two split mold, and thereafter, the rubber plug in a closed state is fitted into a common inlet of the housing.
In the aforesaid Patent Document 3, there is proposed a waterproof packing in a two split mold which is coupled by a hinge at one side and provided with electric wire insertion holes having a semicircular sectional shape on inner faces of the waterproof packing which form contact faces, wherein a thermoplastic adhesive is further adhered to the contact faces, the electric wire insertion holes and an outer peripheral faces of the waterproof packing. In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 3, the waterproof packing in the two split mold having the electric wires equipped with the terminal clamps inserted into the wire insertion holes is inserted into an outer housing of a waterproof connector, and heat is added to the thermoplastic adhesive from outside, whereby the thermoplastic adhesive which is adhered to the wire insertion holes is melted thereby to bond and fix outer peripheral faces of the electric wires to inner peripheral faces of the wire insertion holes.
At the same time, the thermoplastic adhesive adhered to the outer peripheral face of the waterproof packing is also melted thereby to bond and fix the outer peripheral face of the waterproof packing to an inner peripheral face of a packing container in the outer housing, whereby waterproofing performance between the electric wires and a mounting side of the connector housing is enhanced.
The rubber plug (or the waterproof packing) in the two split mold as is disclosed in the aforesaid Patent Documents 1 to 3 is equally divided in two, and so, the wire insertion holes for clamping the electric wires which are formed on the contact faces have a semicircular shape in cross section. This will be described referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B. Wire insertion holes 23a . . . 23b . . . which are formed between contact faces 22a, 22b of a pair of upper and lower rubber plugs (rubber stoppers) 21a, 21b have a semicircular or a substantially semicircular shape. Therefore, when the contact faces of a pair of the upper and lower rubber plugs 21a, 21b contact each other, after electric wires 24 having a circular sectional shape have been inserted into spaces in a cylindrical shape which are formed by the opposed wire insertion holes 23a and 23b, there has been such possibility that positional deviations 25 may occur on the contact faces 22a, 22b between the adjacent wire insertion holes 23a or 23b, as shown in FIG. 6B.
The reason why the positional deviations 25 occur on the contact faces 22a, 22b of the conventional rubber stoppers 21a, 21b in the two split mold is as follows. Operation for inserting the electric wires 24 into the wire insertion holes 23a . . . , 23b . . . which are formed on the contact faces 22a, 22b of the rubber stoppers 21a, 21b in the two split mold is conducted in the following manner.
As a first step, the electric wires 24 are inserted into the wire insertion holes 23b . . . of the rubber stopper 21b at a lower side, as shown in FIG. 6A, and thereafter, the rubber stopper 21a at an upper side is mated to the rubber stopper 21b at the lower side. Because the wire insertion holes 23a formed in the upper rubber stopper 21a have a semicircular or a substantially semicircular shape, an area where the semicircular-shaped parts come into contact with surfaces of the electric wires 24 is increased, when conducting this operation for mating the upper rubber stopper 21a to the lower rubber stopper 21b, after the electric wires 24 have been inserted into the wire insertion holes 23b of the lower rubber stopper 21b. Therefore, there has been such a risk that the positional deviations 25 may occur due to contact resistance between the wire insertion holes 23a and the surface of the electric wires 24. When such positional deviations 25 as shown in FIG. 6B have occurred, gaps are formed between the contact faces 22a, 22b of the rubber stoppers 21a, 21b in the two split mold, and waterproofing performance will be deteriorated.

Rubber stopper for waterproof connector and waterproof connector


An embossed multi-ply fibrous structure product having enhanced quilted appearance comprising: two or more plies of fibrous structure wherein at least one of the piles has a plurality of embossments thereon having a total embossment area of from about 6% to about 16%; the embossments forming a latticework defining a plurality of unembossed cells; wherein each cell has a surface area of from about 0.5 square inches to about 6 square inches, the cells being unadhered to the adjacent ply and the embossments having a height from about 350 μm to about 1,500 μm. Further embodiment comprise a product having a Percent Compressibility from about 1.5% to about 4.5%.

Cellulosic fibrous structures are a staple of everyday life. Cellulosic fibrous structures are used as consumer products for paper towels, toilet tissue, facial tissue, napkins, and the like. The large demand for such paper products has created a demand for improved versions of the products and the methods of their manufacture.
Some consumer prefer embossed cellulosic fibrous structure products that have a softer, more three-dimensional, quilted appearance. Consumers also desire products having the appearance of relatively high caliper with aesthetically pleasing decorative patterns exhibiting a high quality cloth-like appearance. Such attributes, however, must be provided without sacrificing the other desired functional qualities of the product such as softness, absorbency, drape (flexibility/limpness) and bond strength between the plies.
Multiple ply cellulosic fibrous structures are known in the art of consumer products. Such products are cellulosic fibrous structures having more than one, typically two, plies superimposed in face-to-face relationship to form a laminate. It is known in the art to emboss sheets comprising multiple plies of tissue for aesthetic purposes and to maintain the plies in face-to-face relation during use. In addition, embossing can increase the surface area of the plies thereby enhancing their bulk and water holding capacity.
The prior art teaches that embossing may improve appearance and generally improves (i.e.; increases) the functional attributes of absorbency, compressibility, and bulk of the paper product while it may negatively impact the drape (i.e.; increasing the bending stiffness) of the paper. The prior art also teaches that lamination may improve appearance and may generally improve bulk while negatively impacting drape.
Nonetheless, striking a balance between embossing/laminating used to create an aesthetically pleasing product without sacrificing the functional attributes of the product has always been difficult.
Hence, the present invention unexpectedly provides an aesthetically pleasing tissue/towel product with high quality cloth-like appearance as well as an enhanced quilted appearance while maintaining absorbency, softness, drape, and bond strength between the plies. The present invention provides a multiply fibrous structure product for optimizing this relationship.

Embossed multi-ply fibrous structure product


So-called push technology enables reception of new contents automatically, i.e. without user initiation. In order to enable a connecting party to send data when a receiving application is not even running, and thus cannot receive the data, middleware simulating the application to a connecting party, and an active connection to the application by utilizing buffers is provided. More precisely, the middleware is arranged to buffer incoming data on behalf of the application, if the application is not receiving the data, and to allow the application to receive the buffered data when the application is again willing to receive the data.

The evolvement of communication technology and user terminals has enabled versatile communication possibilities. The number of procedures to be carried out by a wireless terminal device, such as a mobile station or a personal digital assistant (PDA), has increased considerably as a result of advances in mobile communication technology. For example, a mobile station is no longer used for calls exclusively, but the mobile station enables information to be processed and presented in a more and more versatile manner.
Different software applications for versatile communications have also evolved alongside. The introduction of hardware and software independent wireless Java programming language, and especially J2ME (Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition) technology, which is suitable for the range of extremely tiny commodities such as smart cards or a pager all the way up to the appliances as powerful as a computer, has accelerated the usage of web services via different applications called MIDlets. The MIDlets are applications designed to run on wireless Java-enabled devices, and they can access objects across the Internet via URL (Uniform Resource Locator) addresses as easily as on a local file system. Usually, the MIDlets conform to Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP) specification that specifies the architecture and the associated application programming interfaces (API) required for enabling an open third-party application development environment for mobile information devices. The MIDP, combined with a connected limited device configuration (CLDC), is the Java runtime environment for today's compact mobile information devices.
The MIDP 1.0 specified only one way to start a MIDlet: manual activation by the user. This lack of choices limited the range of services that a MIDlet could provide; in particular, there was no way to receive new contents automatically. To overcome this, the MIDP 2.0 specification introduced two new mechanisms to launch a MIDlet: in response to an incoming connection or at a scheduled time, i.e. without user initiation. These mechanisms make whole new classes of services possible by enabling receiving and acting on data asynchronously. The new mechanisms utilize an application management system AMS, in Java environment also called JAM, which is responsible for each application's life-cycle (installation, activation, execution, and removal), and especially a component called Push Registry in the AMS. When a MIDlet is active (running), the MIDlet itself is responsible for all communication events, such as setting up and monitoring inbound connections. When a MIDlet is not active, it can request the AMS to monitor inbound connections on behalf of the MIDlet and when an inbound connection occurs, the AMS activates the MIDlet to handle the inbound connection.
In MIDP, inbound connections may be message-based, such as short messages, stream-based, such as a TCP socket, or packet-based, such as a datagram. The message-based inbound connections may buffer a pushed message. However, when an inbound connection is not message-based the MIDlet must open the connection promptly because a connecting party may start sending data immediately after the connection has been set up. One of the problems associated with the above arrangement is that it may take some time before the MIDlet is actually auto-launched and able to start to communicate with the connecting party, only after which data can be received. The delay may be quite significant, especially if a user approval is needed to auto-launch the MIDlet. Situations may then exist in which the connecting party starts to send data although the receiving MIDlet is not yet running, and thus cannot receive the data.


A push type camera device in a mobile terminal can be pushed to protrude out of the mobile terminal for photographing or be hidden in the mobile terminal. The push type camera device includes a slide assembly, a fixing bracket, a resilient assembly, and a camera assembly. The fixing bracket is fixed and located in the mobile terminal. The slide assembly is slidably mounted on the fixing bracket. The resilient assembly connects the slide assembly and the fixing bracket, and is configured for fixing or supporting the slide assembly. The camera assembly is arranged on the slide assembly. The camera assembly can be pushed to protrude out of or back into the mobile terminal by sliding the slide assembly relative to the fixing bracket. A mobile terminal having the push type camera device is also provided.

A mobile terminal generally has a front camera and a rear camera, the front camera is located on a front display area of the mobile terminal and the positions of such cameras in the two types are fixed, so that the integrity of the front display area of the mobile terminal is destroyed, which limits the expansion of the screen of the mobile terminal.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

Push type camera device and mobile terminal having the same

Fu Tai Hua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.


Let Me Roll Sic Bo is a dice game blended Sic Bo with traditional craps game. It is using three regular dice (cubes). Each die has six sides and different number of spots on it (from one to six). Each player will take a turn to shoot the dice follow the clockwise. Players can wager on nine main designed betting areas to win different odds.

According to Timmons, Sir. William P., U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,848, dice game is using electronic table. He claimed that "An electronic dice game comprising: an electronic device comprising one or more mechanical devices."
"The electronic dice game comprising a computer software program comprising code for playing the electronic device, said code being capable of
(i) providing a display to a player, wherein at least a portion of the display comprises multiple bet placement locations;
(ii) enabling player interface with one or more of mechanical devices on the electronic device;
(iii) enabling a player to place a bet on one or more of the multiple bet placement locations shown on the display prior to a dice rolling step by selecting one or more of the multiple bet placement locations via one or more of the mechanical devices on the electronic device;(iv) enabling a player to electronically roll dice;(v) computing a payout for a winning roll; and(vi) providing winnings to a player for a winning roll.""the electronic dice game comprises 3 electronically displayed dice and code that enables execution of special rules, wherein the special rules comprise: (1) If player A bets on a pair, no player bets on 3-of-a-kind, and 3-of-a-kind is rolled, player A wins the pair bet; and (2) If player A bets on a pair, and player B bets on 3-of-a-kind, and 3-of-a-kind is rolled, player B wins on the 3-of-a-kind bet, and player A wins the pair bet.""so that a player can place multiple bets on multiple bet placement locations corresponding to multiple possible winning roll combinations shown on the game display prior to an electronic dice rolling step by selecting one or more of the multiple bet placement locations using the one or more mechanical devices on the electronic device; wherein the dice game has pay-out odds of up to "6000 to 1" or greater for a single roll of the dice, and wherein each roll of the dice has a potential winner; and wherein for the 3 dice game, the multiple bet placement locations comprise separate betting areas for (D individual numbers ranging from 4 to 17, (ii) any pair, (iii) any straight formed by the 3 dice (iv) any 3 of a kind, and (v) each specific 3 of a kind;"
One of the factors for determining the payout odds of a given roll is the probability of a given roll using a set number of dice, said three dice. The table below provides the probability of rolling a given number or combination of numbers using three dice.
Probability of given roll using three diceNumber65% Returns70% Returns85% Returnsof Roll216 rollsto playerto playerto player3 1/216139.75150.5182.754 3/21646.1549.760.355 6/21622.7524.529.75610/21613.3914.4217.51715/2168.719.3811.39821/2166.046.57.89925/2164.975.356.491027/2164.554.95.951127/2164.554.95.951225/2164.975.356.491321/2166.646.57.891415/2168.719.3811.391510/21613.3914.4217.5116 6/21622.7724.529.7517 3/21646.1549.760.3518 1/216139.75150.5182.75Pair96/2160.810.881.06Straight24/2126.96.36.199 of a kind 6/21622.7524.529.75Specific 3 1/216139.75150.5182.75of a kind 7 to 1088/2160.951.021.2411 to 1488/2160.951.021.24
The above probability of rolling a given number or combination of numbers using three dice is using on the Sic Bo dice game for a long period of time in the casino. However, players did not even get a chance to roll or shake the dice.
traditional Sic Bo dice game requires dealer to shake the dice in a bowl on a sic bo table that is wired with a computer to display the winning numbers and combinations and total number resulting from a roll of three dice. Players have no control on the outcome of win or lose.
Sic Bo dice game provides only one roll bets. Dealer shakes the three dice in a bowl, enter the pip number on the top of three dice into a computer device under the sic bo table, the winning numbers and combinations then light up, dealer collecting the losing wagers and paying the winning wager, the game is over. Players have no intention to stay a long time on the game.
The craps dice game used two standard dice. Each die has six faces with different dots from one to six. Player rolls the dice to establish the point and has to roll the same point to win the game. The varieties of betting areas provide more choice to the players for investing their wager.
The exciting part of craps game is to throw the dice. One of the players makes a monetary bet on either PASS line or DON'T PASS line or both to qualify shooting the dice. If shooter wagers on PASS line, he/she has to roll a total 7 or 11 to win the first throw, which is call "come out roll". If the shooter rolls a total 2, 3, or 12, he/she loses the wager on PASS line.
There are three phases, such as come out roll, intermediate roll, and decision roll in craps game. There are eight main betting areas, such as, pass and don't pass, field, place, hard ways, horn, any 7, any craps and 11 and come and don't come.


A system may comprise a voltage upconverter, a universal serial bus (USB) connector to receive an input voltage from a USB port on a computing device, and a microfluidic diagnostic chip communication link to electrically couple the voltage upconverter to a microfluidic diagnostic chip wherein the voltage upconverter is to convert the input voltage to be received by the USB connector to an output voltage sufficient to drive a pump on the microfluidic diagnostic chip. A diagnostic system may comprise a microfluidic diagnostic chip comprising a pump and a voltage upconverter to receive an input voltage from a universal serial bus (USB) port of a computing device and to convert the input voltage into an output voltage that powers activation of the pump.

Microfluidic devices comprise a number of microfluidic channels through which a fluid may be moved. In some examples, these devices implement pumps to drive the fluid through a channel or to eject the fluid out of an orifice.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


The present invention includes embodiments of an apparatus and method for selecting a line from two or more lines on a communication device. The communication device comprises a display module, an input module, a line selection module, and a communication module for making a call over a network to a target recipient. The method comprises the steps of storing line selection information; monitoring the input module for initiation of a call to the target recipient; upon detecting the initiation of the call, selecting a line from the at least two lines in the line selection module, the selected line is dependent on said line selection information; and making the call to the target recipient on the selected line.

Communications devices with the ability to consolidate multiple functions into a single device are becoming increasingly popular. For example, such a communications device may be used as a telephone and for email. In addition, it is common for an individual to use such a communications device for many aspects of their lives such as work and personal use.
A user may wish to use a different phone line when making calls to different parties. For example, when calling a work colleague, a user may wish to use a line dedicated for work use so that, when the work colleague receives the call on their communications device, the user's work phone number is identified. Likewise, when calling a friend, the user may wish to use a line for personal use so that, when the friend receives the call on their communications device, the user's personal phone number is identified. The use of multiple lines may also be useful for tracking long distance bills and other billing matters.
Systems for selecting alternate lines exist and are commonly known as "Alternate Line Service" (ALS). In one known system, when a user wishes to make a call on an alternate line, they must open a menu and manually select the alternate line. Due to the added operating steps and time it would take to configure the call, it is not convenient to use an alternate line. In addition, the user may accidentally make a call on the wrong line by forgetting to select an alternate line or by selecting the wrong line.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for new and improved mechanisms for selecting a line in a communication device.
In the drawings, like elements are indicated by like references.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for line selection in a communication


An echo contrast agent for use in echocardiography is disclosed which can be introduced into the body through peripheral venous injection to opacify left ventricle. The echo agent to be injected into the body contains a plurality of gas-in-liquid microbubbles which are smaller than red blood cells and can therefore traverse the pulmonary circulation to reach the left ventricle in substantial quantity to effectuate opacification thereof. The echo contrast agent disclosed in this invention contains: (a) an aqueous solution containing 0.40-0.60 grams of albumin and 4.0-10.0 grams of glucose per 10 ml solution mixed with (b) glycerin. The ratio between (b) and (a) should be no less than 0.050. A method for preparing this echo contrast agent was also disclosed.

This invention relates to an improved echo contrast agent for ultrasound echocardiography. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved echo contrast agent for use in ultrasonic echocardiography that can be introduced into the body through peripheral venous injection to opacify the left ventricle.
The use of echo contrast agent in ultrasound echo cardiography was introduced by Dr. Gramiak and his coworkers at the University of Rochester. Their initial work was published in an article entitled "Ultrasound cardiography: contrast studies in anatomy and function," Radiology, 92:929 (1969). When an ultrasonic beam strikes a surface or traverses a tissue interface, part of the energy is absorbed, part of the energy is reflected, and another part of the beam passes through the material. The returning pulses, caused by reflected waves, are displayed on an oscilloscope and recorded. In their studies, Dr. Gramiak et al. found that the intracardiac injection of indocyanine green dye produced a cloud of echoes on the echocardiogram. They attributed this contrast effect to the microbubbles that were suspended in the indocyanine green solution prior to injection. Since then indocyanine green dye has become standard contrast agent in ultrasound echocardiography.
Other contrast agents, such as saline, 5% dextrose in water, carbon dioxide gas, hydrogen peroxide, and even the patient's blood, have been used by many echocardiographers. Other contrast agents are discussed in a book entitled "Contrast Echocardiography" edited by R. S. Meltzer and J. Roelandt. Its content is incorporated by reference. In clinic studies, the contrast agent must be introduced via a cardiac catheter injection into the ascending aorta or the coronary arteries. Such a practice requires a highly skillful person to implement. It also suffers the risk of being injected into the body, and the need of a cardiac catheter placement. For clinic purposes, it is desirable to have an echo contrast agent that can be introduced into the body through peripheral venous injection. Such an echo contrast agent must also be able to traverse the pulmonary circulation and enhance the myocardial image during echocardiography.
In order to traverse the pulmonary circulation, the contrast agent must be able to generate microbubbles that are very small in volume and stable and will not partially or totally obstruct capillary blood flow. The microbubbles so generated must be able to traverse the pulmonary circulation without significant loss so that they can arrive at the left ventricle in substantial concentration to enhance the opacification thereof during echocardiography.
As mentioned hereinbefore, although there are quite a few echo contrast agents that are available for echocardiography, most of them cannot be introduced into the body via peripheral venous injection and are not capable of traversing the pulmonary circulation. Three echo contrast agents reported in the literature that can traverse the pulmonary circulation are described below:
(1) Albunex: This is an albumin-containing powder. Its exact composition has not been made public. It has been evaluated by researchers at several medical research centers; however, it is relatively expensive and is not yet commercially available. See J. of American College of Cardiology, Vol. 16, No. 2, 1990, pp. 316-324.
(2) SHU-508: This is a monosaccharide contrast agent, made by Schering Berlex Lab. The composition of this experimental agent has not been published. See J. of American College of Cardiology, Vol. 13, No. 7, 1989, pp. 1622-8.
(3) Gelifundal and intralipid solution: This agent has been used only at medical research center; it requires a dosage of at least 28 ml to be effective. See American Heart Journal, 1988, pp. 399-407.

Method to opacify left ventricle in echocardiography


A device is provided for clearing a swath within the earth. The device has a frame for mounting the device onto an industrial vehicle. A rotating track is disposed on the frame. At least one reinforcing panel is mounted adjacent an end of the track that protects the end of the track from binding and damage due to obstacles disposed on the swath being cleared. A bottom plate is disposed directly beneath the track, and a ton protecting shield is disposed above the track. When the vehicle moves forward, the bottom plate and the track operate to move a layer of earth from in front of the vehicle to a side of the vehicle.

The present invention relates to a novel earth moving device. More particularly, the invention is directed to an earth moving device which can be attached to the front end of an endless track vehicle and which can be used for moving earth, and obstacles on and within the earth, to the side of the vehicle.
In today's military environment, it is often necessary to quickly establish a path suitable for travel by people or vehicles. In establishing such a path, it will often be necessary to remove both landmines and surface obstacles such as concrete or Jersey barriers. A number of different machines have been designed to address this objective. All of these machines have failed to fully satisfy the above objectives.
One particular device which has been developed is a mine-clearing rake. The mine clearing rake is mounted on the front of a tank or other endless track vehicle. The rake engages the ground in front of the tank and pushes the ground, including any mines within the ground, to the front of the tank, thus leaving a path behind the tank.
Another device for clearing such a path also involves attaching a device to the front of a tank. This second device is a V-shaped blade with the center of the V in the center of the vehicle. The V-shaped blade also has ground engaging teeth on its lower end. The device is thus used to engage the ground and to push the earth in front of the vehicle to either side of the vehicle.
A major disadvantage with each of these devices is that the earth can accumulate in front of the device and thus will not properly be pushed to the side of the vehicle. As material accumulates in front of the device, a larger and larger propelling force is required to sustain forward movement of the vehicle. Therefore, because the earth tends to accumulate in front of the vehicle, larger propelling vehicles are required. The use of larger propelling vehicles is both more expensive and less efficient. Further, while the above devices are used to clear a path where landmines are found within the earth, these two devices are not well suited for clearing a path when larger obstacles are disposed upon the earth, such as concrete barriers.
Yet another device that has been proposed for clearing such a path is the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,905. This device is mounted on the front end of an endless track vehicle. The device has a lower blade which engages the earth. The earth then encounters a laterally disposed rotating track that moves the earth to the side of the track. This device does not have the disadvantage of earth accumulating in front of the vehicle because the track continuously moves the earth to the side of the vehicle. However, this device also has several disadvantages. First, the ends of the rotating track are exposed. When the ends of the track are exposed, the track can be more easily damaged. This is especially true when concrete barriers are encountered. Further, when the ends of the track are exposed the likelihood that foreign matter will become wedged between the track and the support frame increases, thus decreasing the reliability of the device. Second, the lower blade on the bottom of the device is not well suited for severing a layer of earth beneath the level containing any landmines. Third, when this device is used, the propelling vehicle tends to stray from a straight path. Thus, when this device is used, the operator of the vehicle must constantly monitor and correct the path of the vehicle to attempt to form a straight path.
Therefore, a device is needed which will clear a path within the earth. Further, a device is needed which will clear such a path when the earth contains landmines and when obstacles, such as concrete barriers, are disposed on top of the earth.
A device is also needed that will clear a path within the earth by continuously and positively moving the earth to the side of the vehicle, thus allowing the propelling vehicle to operate without the engaged earth accumulating in front of the vehicle.
Still further, a device is needed that will clear a path within the earth and that will encourage the propelling vehicle to travel in a straight path.


An apparatus, system and method is provided for bridging (i) a certificate registration apparatus that communicates with a certificate deployment target based on a specific certificate deployment protocol and (ii) a target deployment device that is not configured to conform to the specific certificate deployment protocol, within a public key infrastructure (PKI).

In the current information age, information technology (IT) tools play a significant role in our daily activities. With the proliferation of electronic devices (e.g., desktop computers, notebook computers, tablets, PDAs, smut phones, etc.) in the world, it has been increasingly difficult to keep track of individual devices connected to a network. Such situation is further exacerbated in organizations where a large number of electronic devices are interconnected through the same network to facilitate sharing of data and other information, much of which may be confidential and even possibly proprietary. In order to make the network infrastructure more secure, device management becomes rather complex.
For example, many networks employ a public key infrastructure (PKI) such that in order for a device to be permitted to connect to the network, the device must be authenticated, such as via a public key certification process. More specifically, the PKI is a system for creating, storing and distributing digital certificates which are used to verify that a particular key belongs to a certain user, device or entity. That is, the PKI includes a certificate authority (CA) to create digital certificates which map public keys to users, devices or entities, securely store these certificates in a central repository, and revoke them if necessary.
In order to facilitate and standardize deployment of such certificates in a scalable manner, several protocols have been proposed. However, in order to keep certificates less burnable (i.e. the objective that each certificate is associated with one, and only one, device), many deployment protocols require one-by-one security configuration transaction/deployment. One such protocol is the Simple Certificate Enrollment Policy (SCEP) protocol. It takes much time to construct secure infrastructure for large scale network environment, for initial deployment as well as refreshing security settings for periodic updates or renewals.
An example of a system employing the SCEP protocol is shown in FIG. 1. In such system shown in FIG. 1, a SCEP server 101 and a device 103 are interconnected by network 104. The SCEP server 101 operates as a registration authority to register certificates and associated information for devices (e.g., terminal, printers, other devices, etc.) authorized to be connected in the network environment 104. For example, upon initial registration/certification of a device, the SCEP server 101 communicates, when necessary, with a certificate authority (CA) 102 through firewall 109 for purposes of key pair update, certificate update or renewal, etc. The SCEP server 101 operates in conformance with the SCEP protocol, and as such, each of the devices communicating with the SCEP server 101 must also conform with the SCEP protocol. When a device communicating with the SCEP server 101 conforms with the SCEP protocol, the certification process can be largely automated.
For example, in order to obtain a certificate, a certificate signing request (CSR) in a format specified by the Public-Key Cryptography Standards (PKCS) must be generated and transmitted to the CA. More specifically, the PKCS standard for generating a CSR is PKCS#10. The message under the PKCS#10 requires information which identifies the user, such as version of the PKCS#10 standard supported, the public key previously generated, and various attributes. Such attributes include a distinguished name (DN), organization name, department name (organizational unit), physical address, country, email address, etc. By generating the CSR with the required information, the user has created a certificate. However, such certificate must also be digitally signed by the CA. The communication to sign the certificate must conform to the PKCS#7 standard which assumes that the communicating entities already posses the certificate and requires both entities to use the issuer names (i.e. DN) and issuer assigned certificate serial numbers to identify the certificate in order to verify the signature and decrypt the message. The PKCS#7 standard specifies the syntax of certificates and other encrypted information (i.e. the method by which data is encrypted and digitally signed, as well as the algorithms involved). The certificate is encrypted pursuant to PKCS#7 and may further be encrypted by using the private key previously generated. By performing these encryptions, the certificate has been "signed" to indicate that the user was the one who created the certificate.
However, such approach cannot be employed if the device to be connected does not conform to the SCEP protocol, or the certificate deployment protocol employed for the network environment.

System, apparatus, application and method for bridging certificate deployment


An image taken via lens system (100) and CCD (101) is converted at A/D (102) into digital signals that are then stored in buffer (103). An output of buffer (103) is connected to output block (106) via noise reduction processing block (104), edge enhancement processing block (107) and signal processing block (105) in order. Noise reduction processing block (104) separated an image signal read out of buffer (103) into multiple frequency components. Transform processing is applied to the respective separated components that are then synthesized for noise reductions.

With image processors, processing for noise reductions, etc. is implemented for the purpose of preventing image deteriorations. As set forth typically in JP(A)2000-69291, smoothing filter size is changed on the basis of the noise characteristics of an image input medium to apply smoothing processing to an image, wherein image deteriorations are prevented and fast operation is achievable.
However, problems with the prior art technique set forth in the aforesaid JP(A)2000-69291 are:
(1) the characteristics of smoothing processing are changed depending on the noise characteristics of the image input medium; the frequency characteristics for transform processing cannot be changed in association with a change in the frequency characteristics of an output medium or post-processor, and (2) smoothing filter size is changed on the basis of the noise characteristics to apply smoothing processing to the image. Therefore, the prior art cannot be compatible with a plurality of filters.
The present invention has been made with such problems with the prior art in mind, and has for its object the provision of an image processor that can provide a solution to the aforesaid problems (1) and (2) so that it can be compatible with a change in the frequency characteristics of a post-processor, and offer a sensible tradeoff between proper noise reductions and holding the details of an image.


An automatic transmission includes six forward speeds and a reverse speed and includes first and second clutches, first, second, and third brakes, and first, second, and third planetary gear sets. An oil pressure control system of the transmission includes a first clutch and second brake controller allowing the first clutch to receive a fastening pressure in fourth, fifth, and sixth speeds, allowing the second brake to receive a fastening pressure in first speed and reverse, and allowing an operation state of the first clutch to be sustained upon operation of the first clutch; a second clutch controller allowing the second clutch to receive a fastening pressure in third and fifth speeds and reverse; a first brake controller allowing the first brake to receive a fastening pressure in second and sixth speeds; and a third brake controller allowing the third brake to receive a fastening pressure in first through fourth speeds.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an oil pressure control system of a six speed automatic transmission which has six forward speeds, a low range, and a reverse speed, and includes three planetary gear sets, two clutches, three brakes, and one one-way clutch.
2. Description of the Background Art
In general, an automatic transmission changes power generated in an engine by using oil pressure to obtain a proper rotation force depending on driving conditions. A typical automatic transmission includes a torque converter, a power train connected to the torque converter, and an oil pressure control system controlling the power train with an oil pressure.
The power train of the automatic transmission includes a planetary gear set which receives power of an engine, changes the power to a proper rotation force, and outputs the force; and a fastening element such as a clutch or a brake which fixes each of rotation elements of the planetary gear set or prevents rotation thereof, or which rotates by power of an engine.
Automatic transmissions typically have either four or five speeds. However, recently, in order to increase gas mileage and performance, six speed automatic transmissions have been developed.

Oil pressure control system of automatic transmission


An element for aiding in the cementation of a fixed dental prosthesis that results in equal pressure being applied to the prosthesis comprising a block having a first end (M) and a second end (d). The first end (M) is thicker than the second end (d), and when the first end is mesially placed and the second end is distally placed between two dental arcades, equal pressure is applied to the prosthesis. The block may be frustropyramidal, frustroconical, or helical in shape.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the field of dentistry. More particularly, the invention pertains to cementation of fixed dental prosthesis.
2. Description of Related Art
Teeth are permanently lost in a variety of ways, the most common being dental decay, periodontal (gum) disease, accidental trauma, and injury. The teeth that are lost need to be replaced so that the neighboring teeth are not affected. The treatment for the permanent loss of one or more teeth is a bridge. A bridge spans the space or dental arch where one or more teeth have been lost. The treatment consists of preparation of the area, fitting of the bridge, and cementation of the bridge.
During the cementation step of permanently fixing the bridge, the dentist uses cylindrical shaped cotton blocks to help keep the bridge fixed in one place while it is being permanently cemented into place. The cylindrical shaped cotton balls are manufactured specifically for absorbing saliva, not for aiding in cementation.
When a patient bites down on the cylindrical shaped blocks, the bottom row (arcade) of teeth and the upper row (arcade) of teeth connect at a rear point, opening up in an angle that causes the pressure to be greater in the distal or rear part of the mouth then in the mesial or front part of the mouth. This imbalance of pressure causes the bridge that is being cemented into place to tilt.
Therefore, an aid was needed for the cementation of a prosthesis that does not causes an unequal distribution of pressure between the distal and mesial portions of the mouth.

Element for aiding in the cementation of fixed dental prosthesis


An apparatus and method for reducing the number of programming states (threshold voltage levels) required to be traversed when programming a multistate memory cell with a given set of data. The invention first determines the average programming state (corresponding to an average threshold voltage level) for the set of data which is to be programmed into the memory cells. This is accomplished by counting the number of programming states which must be traversed in programming the cells with the data. If the majority of the data requires programming the memory cell(s) to the upper two programming states (in the case of a two bit per cell or four state system), then the data is inverted and stored in the memory in the inverted form. This reduces the amount of programming time, the number of programming states traversed, and the power consumed in programming the memory cell(s) with the data field. In the case of data which is encoded using a scheme other than a direct sequential ordering of the threshold voltage levels, the encoded data is converted into an alternate form prior to counting the states. A flag indicating the translation operation (inversion of states, reassignment of states to different levels, etc.) used to assign the existing threshold voltage levels to those that will be programmed into the memory cells is also stored. The flag can be used to indicate the transformation process needed to convert the stored data back to its original form.

In conventional single-bit per cell memory devices, the memory cell assumes one of two information storage states, either an "on" state or an "off" state. The binary condition of "on" or "off" defines one bit of information. As a result, a memory device capable of storing n-bits of data requires (n) separate memory cells.
Increasing the number of bits which can be stored using single-bit per cell memory devices depends upon increasing the number of memory cells on a one-for-one basis with the number of bits of data to be stored. Methods for increasing the number of memory bits stored in a memory device composed of single-bit capacity cells have relied upon techniques such as manufacturing larger die which contain more memory cells, or using improved photolithography techniques to build smaller memory cells. Reducing the size of a memory cell allows more cells to be placed on a given area of a single die.
An alternative to single-bit per cell designs is the storage of multiple-bits of data in a single memory cell. One type of memory in which this approach has been followed is an electrically erasable and programmable device known as a flash memory cell. In flash cells, programming is carried out by applying appropriate voltages to the source, drain, and control gate of the device for an appropriate time period. This causes electrons to tunnel or be injected from a channel region to a floating gate. The amount of charge residing on the floating gate determines the voltage required on the control gate in order to cause the device to conduct current between the source and drain regions. This voltage is termed the threshold voltage, V.sub.th, of the cell. Conduction represents an "on" or erased state of the device and corresponds to a logic value of one. An "off" or programmed state is one in which current is not conducted between the source and drain regions and corresponds to a logic value of zero. By setting the threshold voltage of the cell to an appropriate value, the cell can be made to either conduct or not conduct current for a given set of applied voltages. Thus, by determining whether a cell conducts current at a given set of applied voltages, the state of the cell (programmed or erased) can be found.
A multi-bit or multistate flash memory cell is produced by creating multiple, distinct threshold voltage levels within the device. Each distinct threshold voltage corresponds to a set of data bits. This allows multiple bits of binary data to be stored within the same memory cell. When reading the state of the memory cell, each cell has a binary decoded value corresponding to a value dependant upon the conduction of the cell at its present threshold voltage level. The threshold voltage level for which the cell compares to a sense amplifier having a preselected input value indicates the bit set representing the data programmed into the cell. Proper data storage requires that the multiple threshold voltage levels of a multistate memory cell be separated from each other by a sufficient amount so that a level of a cell can be programmed or erased in an unambiguous manner. The relationship between the data programmed into the memory cell and the threshold voltage levels of the cell depends upon the data encoding scheme adopted for the cells.
In programming a multistate memory cell, the objective is to apply a programming voltage over a proper time period to store enough charge in the floating gate to move the threshold voltage to a desired level. This level represents a state of the cell corresponding to an encoding of the data which is to be programmed into the cell. However, dividing of the threshold voltage range for a two state (one bit) cell into multiple threshold voltage levels reduces the margin (threshold voltage difference) between levels. This necessitates tighter system design tolerances and reduced programming operation noise margins so that adjacent levels can be differentiated and programming errors reduced. However, the tightening of the programming and read operation threshold voltage windows has led to slower programming procedures and introduced another potential source of memory system errors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,940, entitled "Flash EEPROM Memory Systems Having Multistate Storage Cells", issued Aug. 27, 1991, describes a method of programming a multistate memory cell in which an iterative read-compare-program cycle is executed. During the cycle, the data intended to be programmed into a memory cell is input to a comparator, along with the outputs from a set of sense amplifiers (each having a different reference voltage) connected to the cell. The output of the sense amplifiers indicates the threshold voltage level to which the cell is programmed. If the programmed threshold voltage level corresponds to the encoded representation of the intended data, then the cell is in the correct state.
If the intended data doesn't correspond to the programmed threshold voltage level, then a programming control circuit is activated. A single, short duration programming pulse is then applied to the cell, followed by another read operation using the sense amplifiers. This cycle is repeated until the data comparison operation indicates a correct threshold voltage level, or until the maximum number of programming pulses has been applied.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,362, entitled "Electrically Alterable Non-volatile Memory with N-bits per Memory Cell", issued Feb. 28, 1995, describes a similar method of programming a multistate memory cell. An iterative cycle of determining the threshold voltage level of a cell, using the threshold voltage level to determine the data contained in the cell, comparing the data programmed into the cell to data intended to be programmed, and then generating a programming pulse to alter the cell's threshold voltage level is performed. This cycle is repeated using the same period and amplitude for the programming pulse during each cycle, until the sense amplifiers indicate that the cell has been properly programmed.
Although both of the described methods for programming a multistate memory cell are capable of performing the desired function, they do so in an inefficient manner. This is because they implement the programming operation for every data field by causing the threshold voltage level to incrementally increase from a base value (the erased state level) until it reaches a desired value. This process can result in an increase in the number of programming states which must be traversed, programming time, and power consumption compared to a system which is capable of programming the memory cells in a manner which reduces the number of higher programming states used to program a given field of data.
What is desired is an apparatus and method for programming a multistate memory cell which reduces the number of higher programming states used to program a given field of data compared to presently used programming methods.

Apparatus and method for reducing programming cycles for multistate memory system


A system for introducing a fine bore catheter into a vein includes a cannula unit comprising an elongate tubular sheath, defining a distal end and a proximal end, and a hub enclosing the proximal end of the sheath. The cannula unit is adapted to receive an introducing needle for introducing the distal end of the sheath of the cannula into a vein. The system also includes a catheter unit, having a distal end and a proximal end, a body portion located at the proximal end of the catheter unit, and a catheter tube extending from the body portion to the distal end of the catheter unit. The hub of the cannula unit defines guide means adapted to receive and guide the distal end of the catheter tube into the proximal end of the cannula sheath so that the catheter tube can be guided into and then fed along the sheath, and the hub of the cannula is adapted to receive and enclose at least a portion of the body of the catheter in a locking arrangement which substantially prevents the catheter body moving relative to the hub of the cannula unit.

As used in this specification and in the appended claims, the term fine bore catheter tube means a catheter tube having an outside diameter of less than 2.0 mm and an internal bore of less than 1.5 mm. Similarly fine bore catheter means a catheter having a fine bore catheter tube.
Fine-bore silicone catheters allow long term phlebitis (inflammation) free infusion of intravenous nutrition into peripheral veins such as leg and arm veins. They also create less trauma to a patent's body tissue than a larger bore catheter and have a wider range of applications than a larger bore catheter. Such a fine-bore catheter can be as effective as a larger bore catheter centrally placed in a main vein in the torso or chest of a patient such as infraclavicular sub clavian or jugular vein. Placing a larger catheter in a main vein has inherent risks: in particular sepsis and thrombosis can occur. Dedicated specialised support teams are required to monitor patients subjected to central venous cannulation yet the risks persist. However, because of the problems associated with introducing fine bore catheters into peripheral veins, central venous cannulation, despite the potentially life threatening risks, remains the current method of choice for administration of intravenous nutrition.
The current method of placing catheters in peripheral veins requires taxing hand to eye coordination and uses risky "catheter through needle" techniques with which it is possible to cut the catheter tube on the needle being used to introduce the catheter in a peripheral vein and thus requires specially trained personnel. Hence central venous cannulation despite the potential life threatening risks remains the current method of choice for administration of intravenous nutrition.
The present invention seeks to provide an improved system for the insertion of very fine catheters into veins, particularly peripheral veins

Catheter with body locking into cannula hub