A circuit for generating a data strobe signal includes: a control signal generation unit configured to generate a strobe control signal defining an activation time period where a first data strobe signal and a second data strobe signal, which is an inverted signal of the first data strobe signal, are toggled; and a strobe signal output unit configured to output the first and second data strobe signals as a final strobe signal in the activation time period where the strobe control signal is activated.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor designing technology, and more particularly, to a semiconductor memory device for receiving a data strobe signal of a data transmitted thereto and performing a data write operation.
In general, semiconductor memory devices including Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (DDR SDRAM) use data strobe signals to accurately recognize input data. Data strobe signals are signals outputted along with a data from a chipset and toggling according to the data. Data and external clock signals are transferred from a chipset to the semiconductor memory device through different transmission lines and the difference in the transmission rates of the different transmission lines may cause a data recognition error. Therefore, a chipset transfers a data strobe signal to a semiconductor memory device through a transmission line similar to a transmission line through which a data is transmitted. The semiconductor memory device can accurately recognize the data by using the data strobe signal transferred through the similar transmission line. Herein, the data strobe signal should be secured with setup time and hold time, and it includes a pair of a first data strobe signal and a second data strobe signal. The second data strobe signal is a signal obtained by inverting the first data strobe signal.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a typical system structure. Referring to FIG. 1, the system includes a chipset 110 and a semiconductor memory device 130.
The chipset 110 outputs a data DAT, a first data strobe signal DQS, a second data strobe signal /DQS, which is an inverted signal of the first data strobe signal DQS, a first external clock signal CLK, and a second external clock signal /CLK, which is an inverted signal of the first external clock signal CLK, to the semiconductor memory device 130. Herein, the data DAT, the first and second data strobe signals DQS and /DQS, and the first and second external clock signals CLK and /CLK are outputted through corresponding transmitters 112A, 112B and 112C, respectively.
The semiconductor memory device 130 includes a plurality of receivers, which are first to third receivers 132A, 13213 and 132C in the drawing, for receiving output signals of the transmitters 112A, 112B and 112C of the chipset 110, respectively. Herein, the output signals of the transmitters 112A, 112B and 112C are terminated and transferred with a voltage level swinging within a small range based on a termination level. The transferred signals have a voltage range corresponding to power source voltage at outputs of the first to third receivers 132A, 132B and 132C. This signal transfer operation is performed through first and second resistors R1 and R2 connected to output terminals of the transmitters 112A, 112B and 112C and third and fourth resistors R3 and R4 connected to the input terminals of the first to third receivers 132A, 132B and 132C. Herein, the first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2 have the same resistance value and the third resistor R3 and the fourth resistor R4 have the same resistance value in order for the first to fourth resistors R1, R2, R3 and R4 to perform the termination operation.
Meanwhile, a first receiver 132A receives a signal corresponding to the data DAT and transfers an output signal to a first synchronizer 150 through a first delayer 134A. A second receiver 132B receives a signal corresponding to the first and second data strobe signals DQS and /DQS and outputs a signal. The output signal of the second receiver 132B is controlled by a ring-back controller 134B and transferred to the first synchronizer 150. Herein, the first delayer 134A compensates the output signal of the second receiver 132B for a delay time corresponding to a delay time of the ring-back controller 134B.
The ring-back controller 134B removes a glitch phenomenon of a falling data strobe signal DQS_F generated due to noise added to the first and second data strobe signals DQS and /DQS. The glitch phenomenon of a falling data strobe signal DQS_F and detailed circuit and operation of the ring-back controller 134B will be described again hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7.
The first synchronizer 150 synchronizes an output signal of the first delayer 134A with an output signal of the ring-back controller 134B. The first synchronizer 150 is in charge of synchronizing the data DAT with the first and second data strobe signals DQS and /DQS. An output signal of the first synchronizer 150 is transferred to a second synchronizer 170, and a third receiver receives a signal corresponding to the first and second external clock signals CLK and /CLK and outputs a signal. The output signal of the third receiver 132C is transferred to the second synchronizer 170 through a second delayer 134C. Herein, the second delayer 134C includes a delay circuit for securing tDQSS defined based on a specification and a delay circuit for compensating for the time when a clock signal is delayed for synchronization operation in the ring-back controller 134B.
Meanwhile, the second synchronizer 170 synchronizes the data that is synchronized with the first and second data strobe signals DQS and /DQS with clock signals outputted from the second delayer 134C and outputs internal data INN_DAT. In other words, the second synchronizer 170 synchronizes the data synchronized with the first and second data strobe signals DQS and /DQS with the first and second external clock signals CLK and /CLK.
FIG. 2 is a waveform diagram describing operation waveforms of signals outputted from the chipset 110 shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 2, the chipset 110 simultaneously outputs the first data strobe signal DQS and the data DAT to the semiconductor memory device 130 during a write operation. Herein, the first data strobe signal DQS and the data DAT maintain the initial termination level. The data DAT are outputted in a sequence of R0, F0, R1, F1, R2, F2, R3 and F3 to correspond to the first and second data strobe signals DQS and /DQS, respectively. The first data strobe signal DQS and the data DAT maintain the termination level except for a pre-amble section and a section where the data DAT are transferred.
FIG. 3 illustrates the first receiver 132A and the second receiver 132B of FIG. 1 in detail. Referring to FIG. 3, the first receiver 132A receives a data DAT and a reference voltage VREF, performs buffering on them, and outputs a signal iDAT of a logic level corresponding to the buffering result. Herein, the data DAT is inputted to a positive (+) terminal of the first receiver 132A while the reference voltage VREF is inputted to a negative (−) terminal.
Subsequently, the second receiver 132B generates a rising data strobe signal DQSR_R and a falling data strobe signal DQS_F in response to the first and second data strobe signals DQS and /DQS. The second receiver 132B includes a receiver 310 for a rising signal and a receiver 330 for a falling signal. The receiver 310 for a rising signal receives the first data strobe signal DQS through a positive (+) terminal and the second data strobe signal /DQS through a negative (−) terminal and performs buffering on them to thereby generate a rising data strobe signal DQSR_R. The receiver 330 for a falling signal receives the second data strobe signal /DQS through a positive (+) terminal and the first data strobe signal DQS through a negative (−) terminal and performs buffering on them to thereby generate a falling data strobe signal DQSR_F.
FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram describing input and output signals of the receiver 310 for a rising signal and the receiver 330 for a falling signal. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the first data strobe signal DQS and the second data strobe signal /DQS are inputted with an opposite phase to each other. Herein, the receiver 310 for a rising signal generates a rising data strobe signal DQSRR corresponding to the first data strobe signal DQS, while the receiver 330 for a falling signal generates a falling data strobe signal DQS_F corresponding to the second data strobe signal /DQS.
Meanwhile, the waveforms of FIG. 4 show an ideal case where noise does not occur in the first and second data strobe signals DQS and /DQS.
FIG. 5 is a waveform diagram illustrating a case where a glitch phenomenon occurs in the first and second data strobe signals DQS and /DQS of FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 5, a noise component, such as power noise, may be added to the first and second data strobe signals DQS and /DQS to thereby generate ring-back noise marked as {circle around (1)} in the drawing. In this case, the rising data strobe signal DQS_R and the falling data strobe signal DQS_F cause the glitch phenomenon marked as {circle around (2)}. The glitch phenomenon induces a malfunction of the semiconductor memory device 130. Therefore, the ring-back controller 134B is provided to remove the glitch phenomenon.
FIG. 6 illustrates the ring-back controller 134B of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 6, the ring-back controller 134B includes a command decoding unit 610, a repeating unit 630, a shifting unit 650, a delay unit 670, and an output unit 690. The command decoding unit 610 decodes an external command signal CMD and generates a write pulse signal WT_P. The repeating unit 630 amplifies a first external clock signal CLK. The shifting unit 650 shifts the write pulse signal WT_P in response to a clock signal outputted from the repeating unit 630. The delay unit 670 delays a falling data strobe signal DQS_F and outputs a delayed falling data strobe signal D_DQS_F. The output unit 690 generates a final falling data strobe signal FIN_DQS_F in response to a strobe control signal DIS_DQS outputted from the shifting unit 650 and the output signal D_DQS_F of the delay unit 670.
Herein, the shifting unit 650 includes a plurality of flip-flop and the last flip-flop of the shifting unit 650 outputs a signal inputted from the previous flip-flop as the strobe control signal DIS_DQS in response to the output signal D_DQS_F of the delay unit 670.
FIG. 7 is a waveform diagram illustrating major signals of the ring-back controller 134B shown in FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 7, a ring-back effect occurs in first and second data strobe signals DQS and /DQS as shown in {circle around (1)}, and the glitch phenomenon occurs in a falling data strobe signal DQS_F as shown in FIG. 5. The glitch phenomenon also occurs in a delayed falling data strobe signal D_DQS_F outputted from the delay unit 670 of FIG. 6 as shown in {circle around (2)}.
Meanwhile, when a write command is applied through an external command signal CMD, a write pulse signal WT_P is activated. Generally, the pulse width of the write pulse signal WT_P corresponds to a cycle of the first external clock signal CLK. The write pulse signal WT_P is shifted in the shifting unit 650 and outputted as a signal DIS_P in response to the first external clock signal CLK. Herein, a signal outputted from the last flip-flop of the shifting unit 650 is synchronized with the delayed falling data strobe signal D_DQS_F. In other words, the write pulse signal WT_P is synchronized with the external clock signal CLK, shifted, finally synchronized with the delayed falling data strobe signal D_DQS_F, and outputted as a strobe control signal DIS_DQS. Finally, the delayed falling data strobe signal D_DQS_F is logically combined with the strobe control signal DIS_DQS to become the final falling data strobe signal FIN_DQS_F. The final falling data strobe signal FIN_DQS_F becomes free of the glitch phenomenon by the strobe control signal DIS_DQS.
Herein, a glitch removing operation is not performed onto a rising data strobe signal DQS_R because there is a margin as much as almost a cycle between a rising edge of a rising data strobe signal DQS_R and a rising edge of a clock signal inputted to the second synchronizer 170. In case of a semiconductor memory device having a low operation frequency, it does not have to remove the glitch phenomenon occurring in the rising data strobe signal DQS_R. However, in the circumstances that the operation frequency of a memory device increases, which is the current trend, the glitch phenomenon of the rising data strobe signal DQS_R may also induce a malfunction as well.
Although not illustrated in the drawing, the glitch phenomenon may occur before a pre-amble section. The glitch phenomenon causes a malfunction of receiving a data before a desired time point on the part of the semiconductor memory device 130.
Meanwhile, the output signal DIS_P obtained after shifted in response to the first external clock signal CLK is synchronized with the delayed falling data strobe signal D_DQS_F. To make the synchronization operation performed smoothly, the delay time of the output signal DIS_P obtained after shifted should be the same as the delay time of the delayed falling data strobe signal D_DQS_F. To make the delay times the same, a delay circuit is added. The additional delay circuit should be additionally designed in the second delayer 134C as well to secure tDQSS, and this works as a factor for increasing a chip area of a semiconductor memory device.
However, although the delay circuits are added, it is substantially difficult to make the delay times of the output signal DIS_P obtained after shifted and the delayed falling data strobe signal D_DQS_F the same. Also, since the positions of the delay circuits are different, the delay amount of each delay circuit may differ according to a process, voltage, temperature and the like and this makes it hard not only to perform a synchronization operation between the output signal DIS_P obtained after shifted and the delayed falling data strobe signal D_DQS_F but also secure the tDQSS. After all, when the synchronization is not performed at a desired time point, there is a problem in that the glitch phenomenon caused by the ring-back effect of the first and second data strobe signals DQS and /DQS, and when the tDQSS is not secured, the semiconductor memory device performs a malfunction in that it does not recognize a desired data properly.

Circuit for generating data strobe signal and method


An electrical connector assembly includes a circuit board having vias each extending at least partially through the circuit board along parallel via axes and an electrical connector configured to be mounted on the circuit board. The electrical connector includes a plurality of variable depth signal terminals configured to extend different depths into respective vias of the circuit board. The signal terminals each have a terminal axis, and the signal terminals are arranged in pairs carrying differential pair signals. The signal terminals of each pair extend to the same depth in the respective vias of the circuit board. The terminal axes of the signal terminals of each pair are offset with respect to the corresponding via axes along a majority of the signal terminals within the vias.

The subject matter described and/or illustrated herein relates generally to electrical connector systems and, more particularly, to electrical connectors that are mounted on circuit boards.
To meet digital multi-media demands, higher data throughput is often desired for current digital communications equipment. Electrical connectors that interconnect circuit boards must therefore handle ever increasing signal speeds at ever increasing signal densities. One application environment that uses such electrical connectors is in high speed, differential electrical connectors, such as those common in the telecommunications or computing environments. In a traditional approach, two circuit boards are interconnected with one another in a backplane and a daughter board configuration. However, at the footprints of the circuit boards where the electrical connectors connect thereto it may be difficult to improve density while maintaining electrical performance and/or reasonable manufacturing cost. For example, in known circuit boards, vias within the circuit boards are plated, creating plated through holes (PTHs) that are electrically connected to corresponding traces in the circuit board. Contacts extending from the electrical connectors are connected to the PTHs, and thus the traces, using eye-of-the-needle contacts. However, the PTHs create electrical problems, such as low impedance and high cross-talk through the circuit board. One method of improving such footprints is to counterbore a portion(s) of the PTHs to remove the plating to an area just in the vicinity of the corresponding trace in the circuit board. However, the same problems still remain in the short length of the non-bored PTHs that remain for interfacing the contacts with the traces. Such region, though short, still has low impedance, which becomes increasingly problematic at higher transmission speeds.
To achieve higher system densities and speed, further improvement of circuit board footprints and connections to the circuit boards must be made over known approaches. There is a need for an electrical connector that enables improvement of the density and/or electrical performance of circuit board footprints to achieve higher system densities and/or higher system speeds.


A method for measuring the delay between N pulses having a duration less than 100 picoseconds comprises the steps: collimated emission of the pulses having the same repetition frequency, emission of a reference pulse having the same repetition frequency capable of producing interference fringes with each of the pulses, for each of the pulses, detection, by a detector, of the coherent sum of this pulse with the reference pulse, this sum producing the interference fringes, the fringes originating from each of the pulses being distinguishable from one another. The reference pulse is emitted with an adjustable delay, and the method further comprises: for each delay, simultaneous measurement for the pulses of N contrasts of the interference fringes, for each of the pulses, a delay value between this pulse and the reference pulse is determined by the delay corresponding to the maximum contrast.

Such a recombination of laser sources in pulse regime requires, compared to the continuous regime, the additional demand for the pulses to have to be not only in phase, but also synchronized. In other words, to interact, the pulses must be superposed spatially and temporally. That therefore demands knowledge of the propagation times of the pulses in each of the propagation channels of the system.
The fiber systems of coherently recombined amplifier networks (CAN systems, CAN being the acronym for "Coherent Amplifier Network"), typically comprising a multitude of fiber sections, for which it is difficult to control the length with an accuracy of less than 1 cm. The optical lengths of the different channels of the system therefore typically vary by a few cms, in other words an equivalent delay of a few tens to a few hundreds of picoseconds. These delays also vary dynamically, mainly with the heating up of the system, but also with the surrounding mechanical fluctuations. Now, to add 2 laser pulses coherently, these pulses must first of all have a maximum temporal overlap: they must be synchronized. Next, to have a maximum of intensity, the pulses must in phase or co-phased.
There are many phase measurement and co-phasing techniques described for example in the publication: "kHz closed loop interferometric technique for coherent fiber beam combining" by M. Antier et al, JSTQE 20(5). With respect to the issue of the synchronization of the pulses, the method used these days consists in manually adjusting the optical delay of each propagation channel by maximizing the nonlinear interaction signal between the pulses taken 2 by 2 in a device of FROG type as presented in the publication "using phase retrieval to measure the intensity and phase of ultrashort pulses: frequency-resolved optical gating" by R. Trebino et al, J. Opt. Soc. Am A 10. According to this device, one of the pulses passes through a variable delay line, and the propagation paths of the 2 pulses meet in a nonlinear crystal. The delay line is adjusted to maximize the signal generated by nonlinear interaction between the pulses. The value of the delay line then gives the delay between the pulses. This method makes it possible to effectively realign the relative delays of each pulse relative to the others, very reliably and accurately (to within a femtosecond), but it can not be implemented collectively for a large number of pulses, even a number greater than only a few tens.
The technical issue that is sought to be resolved is therefore how to measure these delays with a large number of channels, with implementation that is robust, reliable and inexpensive, this measurement being able to be implemented in a dynamic feedback loop. This measurement of the delays must moreover be compatible with the optical phase measurement and control architectures necessary to the phase-locking of the optical channels of the source.
The proposed invention consists in exploiting, in an original manner, collective architectures for measuring optical phase by inference with an external reference. The mapping of delays between the propagation channels of the system is then obtained by placing a variable delay line on the reference channel, then by scanning this delay while analyzing the interference figure produced on the detector. The presence of fringes with strong contrast indicates the synchronization of a pulse with the reference. In the case of spatial inference fringes, the spatial position on the detector makes it possible to identify the channel concerned, and in the case of temporal interference fringes, the frequency of the fringes makes it possible to identify the channel. The complete scanning of the delay over the reference ultimately gives the complete mapping of the system and makes it possible to synchronize all of the pulses by correcting the delay on each channel, by the measured value.

Method for measuring relative delays between optical propagation channels in pulsed operation


A pressure regulated water supply system having an accumulator arranged between an input line supplied by a pump and an output line leading to the consumers. A diaphragm between the input line and the accumulator controls a pressure switch which turns the feed pump on and off. The diaphragm is provided with an opening of a size, relative to the delivery flow of water to the pump, such that a pressure difference occurs across it. A check valve is arranged on the side of the diaphragm facing the accumulator above the passage opening and the diaphragm itself forms the seat for the check valve. The mouth of a duct located above the surface of the diaphragm connects to the pressure switch. The distance between the mouth and the surface of the diaphragm is chosen so that, if the diaphragm is deflected due to a pressure difference, it rests against the mouth and closes it.

(a) Field of The Invention
This invention relates to a pressure regulated water supply system having an accumulator arranged between an input line and an output line leading to a consumer installation, wherein a diaphragm that can be actuated by a pressure difference is provided between the mouth of the input line and the accumulator, and the diaphragm operates a pressure switch which controls a feed pump connected to the input line.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
A water supply system of this type is described in German Auslegeschrift No. 1,459,543, and has a diaphragm arranged in a separate housing which divides the housing into two chambers. The two chambers are connected via connecting lines to a supply line leading to the accumulator and to the consumer installation. The constriction so provided in the supply line brings about a pressure difference which acts on the diaphragm via the two connecting lines and actuates the former. A valve cone is connected to the diaphragm which cooperates with a valve seat formed at the line leading to the pressure switch. To make this water supply system operable, a check valve is required which prevents the water from flowing back under pressure generated by the accumulator after the feed pump is switched off.
It is an object of the invention to combine, in a water supply system of the type just described, several functions in one and to simplify the mechanical design.


A method for managing the security of applications with a security module associated to an equipment connected to a network managed by a control server of an operator. The applications use resources as data or functions stored in the security module locally connected to the equipment. The method may include steps of receiving, analyzing and verifying, by the control server, identification data from the equipment and the security module, generating a cryptogram from the result of the verification of the identification data, transmitting the cryptogram to the security module of the equipment, and selectively activating or selectively deactivating by the security module at least one resource as data or functions of the security module by executing instructions included in the cryptogram and conditioning the functioning of an application according to criteria established by a supplier of the application or the operator or a user of the equipment.

The security module of a mobile or portable telephone is known under the denomination "SIM card" (Subscriber Identity Module) that constitutes the central security element of these telephones. The telephone operator introduces, during manufacturing and/or during the personalization stage, a number called IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identification) that serves to identify in a secure and unique way each subscriber desiring to connect to a mobile network. Each mobile telephone, called mobile equipment hereinafter, is physically identified by a number stored in a non-volatile memory of the mobile equipment. This number, called IMEI, (International Mobile Equipment Identifier) contains an identification of the type of mobile equipment and a serial number serving to identify in a unique way a given mobile equipment on a network of the GSM type (Global System for Mobile Communications), GPRS (General Packet Radio System) or UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System). Furthermore, mobile equipment is characterized by a software version SVN (Software Version Number) indicating the updating state of the base software installed on the mobile equipment. The combination of the identification of the type and of the serial number of the mobile equipment with the software version (SVN) gives a new identification, called IMEISV (International Mobile Equipment Identifier and Software Version Number). The same identification concept also applies to the WLAN (Wireless LAN) or to bidirectional cable TV. The physical identifier can be a MAC address (Media Access Control) that corresponds to the unique address that identifies the configuration of the material of a user on a network IP (Internet Protocol) and the software version can be transmitted by upper layer protocols based on IP.
The ETSI regulations ("European Telecommunications Standards Institute"), define a mobile station (MS, mobile station) composed of an item of mobile equipment (ME, mobile equipment) and a subscription module (SIM, subscriber identity module). This subscriber module is usually removable, that is to say that it can be either withdrawn or transferred from one item of mobile equipment to another.
During the activation of a mobile equipment, more particularly during its connection to the network of an operator, data comprising the identification data is exchanged between the mobile equipment and the management center of the operator that authorizes or prohibits its use.
The document EP0757502 describes a method of locking a user identification module when the physical identifier of the mobile equipment IMEI is on a black list. When the mobile equipment connects to the mobile network, it transmits the identifier IMEI to a management center. The latter makes a comparison to verify the identifier received with the contents of a database where the operator registers the identifiers of stolen or defective mobile equipments. If an identifier received is present in this database, the management center transmits a message containing a locking command to the mobile equipment in question. This command, after verification of its authenticity, is transmitted to the identification module that carries out a locking procedure preventing any further connection of the mobile equipment to the network.
The document U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,757 describes an activation method of a mobile handset with a subscriber module based on the use of a key pertaining to the handset producing a code corresponding to an identifier of the subscriber module. The handset includes a single tamper-proof key. At the time of its activation, the operator's management center transmits a message to the handset serving to calculate a key specific to the operator by using the unique key of the handset. This new key is used in combination with an identifier of the network or of the subscriber module to generate a control word that is confronted with a code stored in the subscriber module. If the control word agrees with the subscriber module code, the handset is activated.
The methods described in these two documents exclusively concern aspects requiring the physical identification of the mobile equipment based, for example, on the identifier IMEI. When these methods are implemented, their effects concentrate only on the locking/unlocking of the subscriber module and/or of the mobile equipment in order to prevent any connection of the mobile equipment to the network.
Presently, mobile equipment offers to the user, in addition to its usual function of establishing telephone conversations by means of an access to a mobile network, the use of numerous other supplementary value added services such as the consultation of various information, remote banking transactions, electronic commerce, access to multimedia contents, etc. These improved services require an increasingly higher level of security in order to protect users against possible frauds caused by third parties seeking to exploit security failures that may appear on the mobile equipments.
Therefore, verification on at least two levels becomes necessary: on one hand at the level of the mobile equipment itself and on the other hand at the level of software applications that allow the functioning of the different services proposed by the operator or by third parties. The aim is to guarantee that the subscriber module operates only with mobile equipment of the type and software version duly authorized or homologated by the operator and/or by the application suppliers. Functioning of the subscriber module is understood to mean the capacity to allow the use of services requested by a user by carrying out a certain number of software applications previously installed in a memory of the mobile equipment and which use the subscriber module as protection mean.
These applications carried out in the mobile equipment use resources available in the subscriber module. Resources are understood to mean different functions and data necessary for the correct functioning of an application. Certain resources can be common to several applications, in particular the functions related to security. The subscriber module can thus block or alter the functioning of certain applications for which the security conditions established by the operator and/or application supplier are not respected in the mobile equipment in question or the rights of the user of the mobile equipment are insufficient.
The aforementioned documents do not cover the software aspects related to a group of mobile equipments such as, for example, information related to software applications installed, a software version number or even a reference to a type or to a model of mobile equipment, etc. Therefore, it concerns the use of a targeted management method of resources of the subscriber module in order to selectively activate/deactivate the applications or application functions using these resources. However, it is not desirable for these operations to prevent the mobile equipment from accessing the network by completely locking the subscriber module.

Method for managing the security of applications with a security module


A secure key scanning functionality drives the row lines and column lines of a key switch array with randomized pulses of different polarities, and drives signals in one direction from a row line through a pressed key and to a column line as well as in an opposite direction from the column line through the pressed key and to the row line. To make unauthorized detecting of key presses more difficult, row lines and column lines are driven with pulses that appear as actual key press conditions when in fact the pulses are dummy pulses and no corresponding key has been pressed. In one novel aspect, dummy pulses are generated so that the line being driven with the dummy pulses has the same sustained and consistent waveform as the intersecting row and column lines that have identical waveforms due to the actual key press.

Financial transactions are often made using secure electronic devices such as Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) and Point Of Sale (POS) terminals. In one type of transaction, the user provides a magnetic card to the secure device and a magnetic card reader of the secure device reads information from the card. The user then uses a keypad on the secure device to enter a Personal Identification Number (PIN) or other security information. If the PIN number or other security information entered is correct for the information read from the magnetic card, then the user is allowed to engage in a financial transaction.
In one type of security attack, a thief does not interfere with the financial transaction the user is making, but rather monitors the transaction and learns the user's PIN number and its associated magnetic card information. The thief can then use this information later to steal money from the user.
In one kind of attack, a thief places a small inconspicuous auxiliary card reading device in line with the real magnetic card reader of the security device. As the user swipes a magnetic card through the magnetic card reader of the security device, the card also passes through the auxiliary reader. The thief also foils anti-tamper circuitry of the security device and gains access to the backside of the keypad within the security device. There the thieves couple wires to the row and column wires of the row line/column line matrix. These wires are made to extend to an auxiliary monitoring device that the thief places inside the security device. As keys on the keypad are pressed, the auxiliary device senses the changing signals on the row and column lines of the row line/column line matrix and decodes these signals to determine which keys the user pressed. In this way the auxiliary monitoring device determines the user's PIN number. Also wires from the auxiliary card reading device are coupled to this auxiliary device so that the auxiliary monitoring device also stores information read from the user's magnetic card. The secure device with the auxiliary monitoring device is placed back in the field for unsuspecting users to use. As the unsuspecting users use the secure device, the auxiliary device within the secure device learns and records their PIN numbers and magnetic card information. At some later time the thief returns or otherwise reads the stolen PIN and magnetic card information from the auxiliary monitoring device. The thief then uses the PIN and magnetic card information to steal money from the users.
FIG. 1 (Prior Art) is a simplified diagram of a keypad of a secure device. In this example, the keypad 1 has three horizontally extending row lines designated R0-R2, three vertically extending column lines designated C0-C2, and three pullup resistors 2-4. At each intersection where a row line crosses a column line a key switch is provided. Key switch 5, for example, is located at the intersection of row line R1 and column line C1. If the key switch is pressed, then the switch makes an electrical connection between row line R1 and column line C1. The other key switches work in a similar fashion.
FIG. 2 (Prior Art) illustrates how the secure device scans the keypad to determine when a key is pressed and which key is pressed. A key scanning circuit drives low pulses out on the row lines, one by one, in sequence. When a row line is driven with a low pulse, the key scanning circuit monitors the column lines. If a column line exhibits a low pulse, then it is determined that the switch at the intersection of the currently driven row line and the column line is being pressed. FIG. 2 illustrates an example in which a low pulse is driven out on row line R0 at time T1, in which a low pulse is driven out on row line R1 at time T3, and in which a low pulse is driven out on row line R2 at time T5. When row line R1 is driven low, the column line C1 is detected to be low. It is therefore determined that the switch 5 at the intersection of row line R1 and column line C1 is pressed.
In the example of the thief described above, the thief places auxiliary monitoring device 6 in the secure device (for example, in the ATM) and hooks the auxiliary monitoring device via tap wires 7 to the row and column lines as illustrated. The auxiliary monitoring device then monitors the voltages on the row and column lines and determines which keys are pressed in the same way, and along with, the legitimate key scanning circuitry of the secure device. Methods and structures are sought to prevent this type of attack or to make carrying out this type of attack more difficult and/or expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,173 discloses a keyboard apparatus that scans column lines and monitors row lines. The apparatus sometimes drives one or more row lines during a key scan read operation, thereby simulating one or more key presses. These simulated key presses make it more difficult for a thief who might be monitoring the row lines and column lines as in FIG. 1 to differentiate genuine key presses from simulated key presses. In addition, the apparatus randomizes the column line scan order so that when a column is being scanned is not so apparent. Moreover, the apparatus randomizes the driving of row lines with simulated key presses during row line reading thereby further complicating an unauthorized key press decoding. The key scanning circuit of U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,173, however, has shortcomings. An alternative and/or improved key scanning circuit and technique is desired.


An improved oscillatory device for a collapsible playpen includes for oscillatory devices respectively engaged the receiving space of four lower corner members of a collapsible playpen. The improved oscillatory devices each has a hollow interior base seat, a pedal member, an elastic resistance member and a suspending member sequentially disposed into the base seat and rotatably secured by axial pins respectively, an inverse U-shaped suspending rod and a compressed spring suspending the oscillatory device into the lower corner member. Thereby tread an extension of the base seat and simultaneously lift up the playpen to lead the suspending member moving upward. The playpen is able to oscillated steadfastly.

The present invention relates to playpen and more particularly to an improved oscillatory device in the lower corner members of a collapsible playpen.
A playpen is indispensable for a family to raise a baby, especially a collapsible playpen which is readily to make a compact volume to collect and keep is welcomed public. A typical collapsible playpen 10 (as shown in FIG. 1) is combined with four upper corner members 11, four lower corner members 12, four posts 13 respectively secured to the upper and lower corner members 11 and 12, four upper transverse rods or rails 14 respectively pivoted to the upper corner members 11 and four lower transverse rods 15 respectively pivoted to the lower corner members 12. Each of the transverse rods 14 and 15 has a collapsible adapter 16 and 17 at a center. So that the playpen is collapsible. However, the lower corner members are stable this type of collapsible playpen is not oscillatory.
The present invention has a main object to provide an improved oscillatory device for a collapsible playpen by which the collapsible playpen is readily oscillated or fixed not to oscillate.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved oscillatory device for a collapsible playpen which is operated by foot of the user who needs not to squate or to bow his body.
Further object of the present invention is to provide an improved oscillatory device for a collapsible playpen in which a safety device is provided to present the playpen to drop down even that the baby inadvertently touches the pedal.
Accordingly, the improved oscillatory device for a collapsible playpen comprises generally a collapsible playpen having four modified lower corner members each of which has a receiving space for receiving an improved oscillatory device. The improved oscillatory devices each has a hollow interior base, a pedal member, a resistance member and a suspending member disposed inside the base which a controlled by the pedal member to decide whether or not the improved oscillatory device is oscillated.
The present invention will become more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description thereof when read in conjunction with the attached drawings.

Oscillatory device for a collapsible playpen


The present invention relates to a shortening system for use as dough fat or filling fat. The shortening system contains unhydrogenated or non-hydrogenated vegetable oil, such as a highly unsaturated, non-hydrogenated or unhydrogenated vegetable oil, e.g., soybean oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, ricebran oil, or cottonseed oil and a minimum or minor amount (e.g., by weight about 3-10%, advantageously about 3-7%, more advantageously about 3-6% or about 3-5% or less than about 6% or less than about 8%) of an emulsifier composition The emulsifier composition comprises a monoglyceride and/or diglyceride, an alpha tending emulsifier and an ionic emulsifier. Methods for making and using such a shortening system and products from the use of such a shortening system are also disclosed.

Fatty acids are composed of a carboxyl group and a hydrocarbon chain. Individual fatty acids are distinguished from one another by the nature of the hydrocarbon chain. This chain can vary in length from 4 to 24 carbon atoms and can be saturated, monounsaturated (one double bond, MUFA) or polyunsaturated (two or more double bonds, PUFA). The most common fatty acids in edible oils and fats are those containing 18 carbons. These include: stearic acid (a saturated fatty acid), oleic acid (a monounsaturated fatty acid), and linoleic and linolenic acids (polyunsaturated fatty acids containing two and three double bonds, respectively). The configuration of octadecanoic fatty acids is as follows:
FormulaCommon NameAbbreviationStearic18:0 Oleic18:1 n-9 cis Linoleic18:2 n-6 cis Linolenic18:3 n-3 cis Elaidic18:1 n-9 trans
Fatty acid abbreviations are made according to the number of carbon atoms in the molecule and the number of cis ethylenic double bonds. The general assumption is that all multiple double bonds are methylene-interrupted. The chemical nomenclature requires that carbon atoms be counted from the carboxyl end of the fatty acid. However, for biological activity carbon atoms are numbered from the terminal methyl group to the first carbon of the ethylenic bond. Such a classification is designated by the symbol                 ω-x,
 ω-x, or n-x, nx, where x denotes the position of the double bond closest to the terminal methyl group. For example, linoleic acid with two double bonds, where one is located on the sixth carbon atom counted from the methyl group, will be abbreviated as C18:2n-6.
In the case of unsaturated fatty acids, the carbon chain is bent into a fixed position at the double bond, resulting in several possible geometric isomers. When the portions of the chain are bent towards each other they are called cis; and when bent away from each other, trans. The natural configuration of fatty acids is cis, as shown for oleic acid. The corresponding trans configuration, elaidic acid, results in a straight chain.
Currently in the U.S., partially hydrogenated fats are employed in the production of many chemically leavened and yeast-raised bakery products (e.g., cakes, crackers, cookies, cereal bars, etc.). The partial hydrogenation of domestic oils originating from soybean, cottonseed, corn, sunflower, and/or canola allow the chemical reduction of the unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids which provide greater oxidative stability.
Hydrogenation is a physical modification of these liquid oils, imparting thereto a solid fat content and an increased melting point, as saturated fatty acids are solid at room temperature whereas unsaturated fatty acids are liquid at room temperature As a result, the oils which are naturally liquid can be transformed into a semi-solid fat with a particular melting profile. To provide maximum eating pleasure with this form of the fats, the hydrogenation process of these fats is highly controlled and allowed to proceed only partially, that is, to allow only some of the unsaturated fatty acids and/or bonds thereof to be reduced to the saturated form. These types of fats and fatty acids are called "partially hydrogenated fats" or "partially hydrogenated oils" or "partially hydrogenated fatty acids".
In addition to the reduction of the unsaturated fatty acids to the saturated form, in partial hydrogenation, a side reaction occurs in which the natural form of the unsaturated bond (referred to as a cis isomer) will twist in the plane, to form what is referred to as a trans isomer of the bond of the of the unsaturated fatty acid.
Generally, cis isomers are those naturally occurring in food fats and oils. Although very small amounts of trans isomers occur in fats from ruminants or can result from the deodorization step in refining of vegetable fats and oils, most trans isomers result from the partial hydrogenation of fats and oils. Also, it is possible for the unsaturated bond to move laterally along the fatty acid chain and this is referred to as a positional isomer. These isomers are formed at the high temperatures (e.g., 180°-240° C.) common during the hydrogenation reaction and when the Nickel catalyst typically employed during the hydrogenation reaction unsuccessfully introduces a hydrogen atom to both sides of the unsaturated bond. These isomers are rather stable and will then remain unless the hydrogenation reaction is continued until there is a complete reduction of the unsaturated fatty acids. Therefore, partially hydrogenated fat will always contain some proportion of these positional and geometrical isomers; and, those isomers, especially those that do not naturally occur in fats, can present problems.
For instance, typically, shortenings employed in bakery products may contain 15-35% trans isomers. The use of these isomers has become more scrutinized by nutritional science in the last several years. There have been clinical studies reporting observed negative health effects correlated to the presence of trans fatty acids formed during the partial hydrogenation of oils, e.g., a positive correlation with coronary heart diseases an increase in the ratio of plasma low density lipoproteins (LDL) to high density lipoproteins (HDL) and thus a possible increase in the risk of coronary heart disease (see, e.g., Elias, B. A., Food Ingredients Europe: Conference proceedings, London, October 1994 (Publisher: Process Press Europe, Maarssen); Willet, W. C. et al., Lancet 341 (8845); 581-585 (1993); Khosla, P. et al., J. Am. Col. of Nutrition, August 1996, 15(4):325-339 (American College of Nutrition, NY, N.Y.)).
However, not all trans fatty acids are necessarily "bad"; and, other, including more recent, studies have shown that trans fatty acids may not have such a correlation with coronary heart disease and/or may be akin to saturated fatty acids, fats or oils. Cf. Clarke et al., "Dietary lipids and blood cholesterol: quantitative meta-analysis of metabolic ward studies" BMJ 1997; 314:112 (11 January) (Forty solid food experiments provided information on dietary intake of trans monounsaturated fats, mainly trans C18:1; elaidate: trans fatty acids account for only 2% of calories in the British diet, so replacing half isocalorically by carbohydrates would be expected to reduce blood total cholesterol by only 0.05 (0.01) mmol/l; however, intake of monounsaturated fat had no significant effect on total or low density lipoprotein cholesterol despite raising high density lipoprotein cholesterol by about as much as polyunsaturates; "combined effect of changing the type, but not the amount, of dietary fat by replacement of 10% of dietary calories from saturates by monounsaturates (5%) and by polyunsaturates (5%), together with consuming 200 mg less dietary cholesterol, would be a reduction in blood cholesterol of about 0.8 mmol/l, with the reduction chiefly in low density lipoprotein cholesterol"); Khosla et al. "Replacing Dietary Palmitic Acid with Elaidic Acid (t-C18:1Δ9) Depresses HDL and Increases CETP Activity in Cebus Monkeys," The Journal of Nutrition Vol. 127 No. 3 March 1997, pp. 531S-536S (palmitic acid- and elaidic acid-rich diets produced identical effects on LDL metabolism in normocholesterolemic cebus monkeys fed diets with low levels of cholesterol); McMillan et al. "Elaidinized olive oil and cholesterol atherosclerosis," B. I. Arch. Pathol. 76:106-12 (1963) (in rabbits trans fatty acids have been shown to raise cholesterol levels but do not increase the severity of atherosclerosis); van de Vijver et al. "Trans unsaturated fatty acids in plasma phospholipids and coronary heart disease: a case-control study," Atherosclerosis 1996 Sep. 27; 126(1):155-61 (no significant correlations were found between percentages of trans fatty acids in plasma phospholipids and plasma LDL or HDL cholesterol levels; findings do not support an association between trans fatty acid intake and risk for coronary heart disease); van de Vijver et al. "Association between trans fatty acid intake and cardiovascular risk factors in Europe: the TRANSFAIR study," Eur J Clin Nutr 2000 Feburary; 54(2):126-35 (while high intakes of trans fatty acids (TFA) have been asserted by others to exert an undesirable effect on serum lipid profiles, no associations were found between total TFA intake and LDL, HDL or LDL/HDL ratio after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors; additional adjustment for other fatty acid clusters resulted in a significant inverse trend between total TFA intake and total cholesterol (Ptrend<0.03)—the most abundantly occurring TFA isomer, C18:1t, contributed substantially to this inverse association; and, at the current European intake levels of trans fatty acids they are not associated with an unfavorable serum lipid profile).
Furthermore, it is important to note that the majority of trans isomers formed during partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils and fats are in different positions along the fatty-acid backbone (primarily elaidic) than those that occur naturally in animal fats (vaccenic) and that fats from ruminants reportedly account for 20% to 25% of TFA (trans fatty acid) intake. Thus, trans fats from animal and vegetable sources may present different associations with risk factors for heart disease. Indeed, since the trans form of fats may provide many of the same properties as saturates, it has been commonly referred to as the stealth fat.
Accordingly, as there seems to be reports weighing in on both sides of the "trans fat issue", and the source of the trans fat—animal vs. vegetable—may impact upon risk factors, there may there may be a problem in the art in the use of large or significant amounts of partially hydrogenated fats and oils in food products; and, the American Heart Association recommends using naturally occurring unhydrogenated oil when possible.
Moreover, the problems presented by partially hydrogenated fats or oils cannot be addressed by merely employing naturally saturated fats or oils; and, the use of naturally saturated fats and oils present problems.
For instance, as many nutritionists caution against replacing TFAs in the diet with saturates, especially palmitic acid, it is now not recommended to substitute trans fats and oils with saturated fats and oils; and, the substitution may result in little biological significance (see literature cited supra). Indeed, saturated fatty acids may cause greater health issues than TFAs as saturated fatty acids (i.e. palmitic acid) may raise total cholesterol mostly due to an increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from saturated fatty acids.
Another possible replacement for partially hydrogenated fats or oils is interesterified fats that may be engineered from fully refined liquid oils and fully hydrogenated fats. These engineered interesterified fats are from a process wherein the fatty acids on the triglycerides of two fats are randomized via a chemical catalyst or enzyme, resulting in a triglyceride composition that can provide a suitable melting profile. Ideally, the selection of oils for this process may include a non-hydrogenated oil and either a tropical fat (such as coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and/or palm oil or fractions thereof), which is naturally high in saturates, or a fully hydrogenated fat, which is fully saturated and without TFAs. The ratio of the oils and fats may be selected to mimic properties of partially hydrogenated fats. In addition, these engineered fats can be processed to conserve TFAs. However, an unfortunate shortcoming of engineered fats may be the potential increase in saturated fat depending on its application. In addition, a food manufacturer or processor would be required to declare the fully hydrogenated or tropical fat on its product label, which may be unfavorable to a consumer as these fats are associated with the formation of TFAs and/or with high saturates content.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids are considered a highly essential component of a healthy diet according to the U.S. Food and Nutritional Board's Recommended Dietary Allowances (tenth ed. 1989) (e.g., amount of dietary linoleic acid for humans should be a minimum of 2% of dietary calories and preferably 3%; and, the requirement for linolenic acid has been estimated to be 0.54% of calories)
While it would be desirable to replace partially hydrogenated fats simply with natural vegetable oils since natural vegetable oils have a relatively high ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids, attempts to do this so far have also proven to be quite unsatisfactory in regard to either the processing or organoleptic (e.g., taste, texture, eating) aspects of the food product. For example, there may be insufficient oil retainment in the dough or batter resulting in separation of oil. Or, the liquid oil may render the dough or the like sticky or long in texture preventing the required sheeting, cutting, molding, or extrusion during processing. Further, oils may depart from the food product too quickly in the mouth, imparting an off-taste and off-feel to the product as it is being consumed.
Another related problem in the preparation of food products is "bloom"; a phenomenon wherein certain fats or oils permeate to the surface of a food product, such as a cookie, and leave a scoring on the surface of the food product. This "bloom" renders the food product not visually appealing and ergo not consumable. It would be desirable to provide a shortening system which does not suffer from "bloom."
In the production of food surfactants or emulsifiers, a triglyceride may be reacted with glycerol and to form a mixture of mono- and diglycerides. Thus, the products from this reaction is typically subjected to a treatment to isolate a monoglycerides product from a diglycerides and triglycerides product; the diglycerides and triglycerides product is considered a by-product of the reaction of a triglyceride with a glycerol to obtain monoglycerides for surfactants or emulsifiers. The diglycerides and triglycerides product is sometimes discarded, or recycled back to a reactor wherein the reacting with glycerol is occurring so as to enhance the production of monoglycerides (see, e.g., Lauridsen, "Food Surfactants, Their Structure And Polymorphism" Technical Paper TP 2-1e Danisco Ingredients, Braband Denmark, and references cited therein).
Systems functioning as or containing fats or oils have been proposed (see, e.g., CN 1078353, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,458,910, 5,612,080, 5,306,514, 5,306,515, 5,306,516, 5,254,356, 5,061,506, 5,215,779, 5,064,670, 5,407,695, 4,865,866, 4,596,714, 4,137,338, 4,226,894, 4,234,606, 4,335,157, 3,914,452, 3,623,888, DE 291240A). In addition, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,908,655 and EP1057887A1, and documents cited therein including, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,132,437, 2,442,534, 3,943,259, 4,018,806, 4,055,679, 4,154,749, 4,263,216, 4,366,181, 4,386,111, 4,425,371, 4,501,764, 4,510,167, 4,567,056, 4,596,714, 4,656,045, 4,732,767, 4,889,740, 4,961,951, 5,110,509, 5,211,981, 5,316,927, 5,434,280, 5,439,700, 5,458,910, 5,470,598, 5,589,216, 5,612,080, 5,718,938, and 5,756,143; and, Feuge et al., Modification of Vegetable Oils VI: The Practical Preparation of Mono and Diglycerides, Oil and Soap, 23 (259-264), 1946; Handbook of Food Additives, 2nd Edition, vol. 1, Chapter 9, Surface Active Agents, pp. 397-429; Bailey's Industrial Oil and Fat Products, 4th Edition, vol. 2, Chapter 4, pp. 130-147; and Krog, "Interactions of Surface-Active Lipids with Water, Protein and Starch Components in Food Systems," Technical Paper TP 3-1e , Danisco Ingredients, Braband, Denmark.
However, these systems have not sufficiently addressed the problems in the art; and, these systems have not been reported to provide the synergistic, and surprisingly superior properties for processability, including improvement in organoleptic properties of foodstuff, of the present invention. Further, these systems may not sufficiently address new or additional issues that have arisen in the art.
More in particular, partially hydrogenated (PH) fats are used in bakery and bakery related food used as shortenings, such as dough fat or filling fat. These fats may provide specific functional characteristics to a food product, such as aeration properties, emulsification properties, lubrication, organoleptic properties, structural stability, and increased shelf life.
For example, PH fats may serve to lubricate the dough or the like to provide good organoleptic properties. That is, PH fats are utilized to help shorten the texture of a food product to enhance the palatability of the baked item. Further, PH fat serves to lubricate dough or the like to provide necessary shortness during processing resulting in an even distribution of fermentation gasses so that the food products exhibits less deformities and imperfections.
Also, PH fats aid in the development or in the stability of the food product structure during production or in the finished good for a variety of baked goods, including cakes, extruded and sheeted baked goods, molded, or machine deposited (wire cut) cookies.
These functional characteristics may be limited by the type of shortening (i.e. solid fat index, the presence of emulsifiers), the level of shortening, and the manner in which it is added, for example, how well the fat is dispersed or applied.
In addition, emulsifiers have been utilized in bakery related items such as cookies, cakes, and other chemically leavened fine bakery items for quite some time. For example, mono- and diglycerides and lecithin have utilized in bakery shortenings to facilitate creaming and to increase the shortening effect, i.e. to spread fat to a further degree. Also, such emulsifiers have been utilized in partially hydrogenated bakery fats to enhance lubrication. As a further example, emulsifiers, such as mono- and diglycerides, propylene glycol esters of fatty acids, lactic acid esters, polysorbates, and sorbitan esters, have been utilized to strengthen cake batter during preparation for aiding in aeration. By strengthening the batter, the final cake will have a finer cell structure resulting in better organoleptic properties and better overall appearance.
New labeling requirements ("nutritional panel issues") for trans fats have been proposed and as a result manufacturers will attempt to conserve or reduce the level of trans by replacing the current partially hydrogenated fats with options such as: (1) Blend of fully refined oils with fully hydrogenated fats; (2) Interesterification of fully refined oils with fully hydrogenated oil and/or tropical fats or tropical fat fractions; and (3) Blends of domestic oils with tropical fats and or tropical fat fractions.
Disadvantages for these options would include possible functional problems or marketing issues.
For example, in options (1) or (2), the declaration of hydrogenated fats would be a marketing problem due to the association of trans fatty acids with hydrogenation. In addition, from a functional point of view, option (1) would provide high melting solids which may result in waxiness and/or dryness in the mouth, leading to poor flavor release. Further, for options (2) and (3), the declaration of a fully hydrogenated oil and/or tropical fats would be a marketing problem due to the association of saturated fats and tropic fats.
Thus, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,908,655 and EP1057887A1 provide a shortening system. The shortening system comprises an admixture of at least one non-hydrogenated vegetable oil and at least one isolated stearine fraction obtainable from glycerolysis/interesterification of a fat or oil, wherein the isolated stearine fraction has an enhanced concentration of diglycerides.
In these documents, the monoglyceride of the shortening system is one which is normally solid at room temperature, or one which is a stearine fraction, or one that is with a diglyceride and is a stearine fraction or normally solid at room temperature, e.g, monoglycerides and diglycerides derived from fats and oils such as palm stearine that are high in saturated fatty acids. The marketing issue of the association of saturated fats and tropic fats is not addressed in these documents.
It would be advantageous and an advance in the art to provide a shortening system, such as dough fat or filling fat, that addresses issues in the art and is useful for the production and stabilization of bakery related products, such as cookies, crackers, and assorted baked goods which are sheeted, extruded, and/or laminated.


A processing apparatus capable of making it easy to set a selection condition under which desired packets are acquired. When a desired print job log is selected from a displayed print job history or when a desired transmission job log is selected from a displayed transmission job history, a file creation unit automatically creates, based on address information in the selected print job log or in the selected transmission job log, a filtering condition expression for acquiring desired packets and sets the created expression to a filtering unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for handling a communication failure in a processing apparatus that has a network communication function and is configured to perform information processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been known a technique to acquire, when a failure has occurred in network communication equipment, packets flowing through a network communication path and investigate the cause of the failure. General investigation technique is to connect equipment dedicated for packet acquisition to a line concentrator (e.g., a hub) and acquire packets flowing through a LAN (local area network) by using the acquisition equipment.
With this technique, contents of packet data transmitted from and received by the network communication equipment under investigation are analyzed based on acquired packets, and a location where data not complying with specified requirements has been received or a location where a delay has occurred in responding to packet reception is identified. To confirm whether the identified location is the cause (source) of the failure, investigation is performed by, e.g., transmitting the same packet to the network communication equipment to see if the failure is reproduced or by analyzing a source code used in communication by the network communication equipment.
To ensure a storage region for the packet acquisition equipment or reduce the labor of the packet analysis for the investigation, there is a packet filtering function. With this function, only packets matching a particular condition are acquired, whereby the number of packets to be acquired can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce a memory region for recording the acquired packets and reduce a hard disk region for long term storage.
It is also possible to reduce man-hour required for the analysis.
In most cases, filtering rules are specified by network protocol elements. For example, only a particular protocol, e.g., IP (Internet protocol) or ARP (address resolution protocol), is filtered so as to acquire packets only according to the particular protocol. More detailed filtering can be performed for every protocol. For example, for the IP protocol, detailed filtering can be made by setting conditions such as particular transmission destination address, particular transmission destination port number, particular transmission source address, and particular transmission source port number.
Recently, network communication equipment having a packet acquiring function has been in widespread use. With this function, packets can be acquired without using equipment specialized for packet acquisition. It is therefore possible to acquire packets even in a network to which a switching hub is connected. In addition, it has recently been possible to perform filtering specialized for the intended purpose or functionality of network communication equipment. Unlike the filtering specified by network protocol elements, the filtering specialized for the function of network communication equipment is able to further improve the efficiency of failure analysis.
For example, a network printer disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-362386 is capable of storing packet data in units of received print jobs and capable of performing failure analysis in units of print jobs. As a result, during printing of print jobs received via a network, only a print job where a failure has occurred can be extracted to analyze the failure, whereby the efficiency of analysis can be improved.
As a conventional packet filtering method, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-51588 proposes a filtering method where IP packets unnecessary for a network terminal are automatically recognized and discarded.
However, in order to input and set a packet filtering condition for execution of the conventional technique to an image forming apparatus, it takes much labor and time for key manipulation to input the filtering condition since keys provided on an operation unit of the image forming apparatus are extremely fewer in number than keys provided on, e.g., an operation unit of a personal computer.
More specifically, since the filtering condition to be input for, e.g., the IP protocol includes particular transmission destination address, particular transmission destination port number, particular transmission source address, particular transmission source port number, etc., it takes much time and labor to input the filtering condition via the operation unit of the image forming apparatus.
In a case where the filtering condition is manually input to the image forming apparatus, there is a fear that the filtering condition is erroneously set by an input mistake, resulting in inability to acquire intended packets.
In a case where the filtering condition is set to the image forming apparatus by uploading a file in which the filtering condition is written from, e.g., a personal computer to the image forming apparatus, preparatory work such as creating the upload file, registering the upload file into the personal computer, and connecting the personal computer to a network must be made, resulting in much expense in time and effort.

Processing apparatus, control method thereof, and storage medium


A meal rack is constructed in order to double the usable oven space in a microwave oven. The meal rack has a grid frame with open space allowing for the dissipation of moisture. The legs used to elevate the meal rack frame are easily engaged and disengaged.

The use of microwave ovens for cooking is increasing due to the speed in which various foods can be cooked and due to the minimum amount of energy expended in cooking. However, utensils used in conjunction with a microwave oven have special requirements and problems. The meal rack of the present invention meets and solves a number of these special requirements and problems.
A first requirement is that the utensil be made of material which does not reflect or absorb microwave energy. If the utensil does reflect or absorb microwave energy the product being cooked will not be cooked efficiently.
A problem confronting persons cooking with microwave ovens is the uneven distribution of microwave energy throughout the oven itself. In most microwave ovens, the highest level of energy is experienced in the middle of the microwave oven while less energy is experienced at the microwave oven floor. The meal rack disclosed allows the user to take advantage of this disparity of energy. Thus, those foods requiring the most cooking are placed on the meal rack while those foods requiring less or more gentle cooking are placed on the floor of the microwave.
The most obvious advantage of the meal rack is the added cooking capacity the meal rack gives to the microwave oven. Thus, the usable space in which foods or dishes may be placed is doubled. Additionally, as outlined above, the meal rack not only doubles the capacity of the oven but gives the user various options as to cooking intensity for various foods. For this reason, a food needing a greater amount of microwave energy may be cooked at the same time as a food needing less energy.
A further problem of cooking with microwave ovens is preventing moisture to collect on the bottom of a pan or on the floor of the microwave oven. The present invention solves this problem by establishing a grid for support but allowing large areas of open space for the dissipation of moisture from products such as pizza that may be placed upon the meal rack.

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A bottom dump trailer having a trailer body for accepting and hauling load material having a front and rear walls, opposing and parallel side walls and a floor formed by front and rear doors is disclosed. The sides of the front and rear doors are slidably mounted on the side walls of the trailer body so that the doors can slide between the front and rear of the trailer body. In order to dump the load material, a hydraulic cylinder connected between the trailer frame and the rear door slides the rear door from the rear to the front of the trailer body, dumping the load material from the rear of the trailer body. The second hook end of a latch member pivotally attached to the front door hooks to a pin attached to the rear door thereby attaching the front door to the rear door so that the doors may slide in unison between the front and rear of the trailer body. The hydraulic cylinder slides the rear door and the attached front door to the rear of the trailer body, dumping the load material from the front of the trailer body. In order to close the front and rear doors, the hydraulic cylinder slides the rear door and the attached front door to the front of the trailer body where an air cylinder extends a piston rod which engages and rotates the first hook end of the latch member to hook a pin attached to the trailer frame while disengaging the second hook end from the rear door pin thereby preventing the front door from sliding with the rear door. The hydraulic cylinder then slides the rear door to the rear of the trailer body, closing the rear door.

Bottom dump trailers have been utilized to haul and transport ash or other load materials. However, the design of typical bottom dump trailer doors has presented certain obstacles to ash haulage. In conventional bottom dump trailers, the bottom dump doors pivot outwardly to unload the ash. Unfortunately, this type of bottom dump trailer leaves substantial quantities of ash in the trailer body that requires additional time and equipment to unload. Furthermore, conventional bottom dump trailer doors are not designed to accommodate the varying material consistencies characteristic of ash hauling.
In order to overcome this problem, bottom dump ash trailers have utilized doors which extend along the bottom width of the trailer and open the full width of the trailer by sliding along the longitudinal axis of the bottom dump trailer. Typically, the bottom dump ash trailer will have rear and front doors which transport and unload the load material from the rear and front portions of the trailer body, respectively. During dumping, the front and rear doors slide along the longitudinal axis of the bottom dump trailer in order to open and unload the load material. Heretofore, dumping of the ash or other load material using these sliding doors has proven to be relatively difficult, inefficient and cumbersome to operate, requiring numerous operational steps to lock and unlock each individual door and to slide each door open to dump the load material. In addition, each step in the dumping procedure required several components to operate which have proven expensive and time consuming to install and maintain.


In accordance with an embodiment, a circuit includes: a replica input transistor, a first replica cascode transistor, an active current source, and an active cascode biasing circuit. The active current source is configured to set a current flowing through the first replica cascode transistor and the replica input transistor to a predetermined value by adjusting a voltage of a control node of the replica input transistor; and an active cascode biasing circuit including a first output coupled to the control node of the first replica cascode transistor, and the active cascode biasing circuit configured to set a drain voltage of the replica input transistor to a predetermined voltage by adjusting a voltage of the control node of the first replica cascode transistor.

Electronic devices used with wireless communication systems, such as cellular phones, GPS receivers, and Wi-Fi enabled notebook and tablet computers, generally contain signal processing systems that have interfaces to the analog world. Such interfaces may include wire line and wireless receivers that receive transmitted power and convert the received power to an analog or digital signal that may be demodulated using analog or digital signal processing techniques. A typical wireless receiver architecture includes a low noise amplifier (LNA) that amplifies very small signals that may be received by an antenna and passes an amplified signal to later amplification and/or signal processing stages. By providing gain at the LNA, subsequent gain processing stages are made insensitive to noise, thereby enabling a lower system noise figure.
An LNA circuit generally contains at least one transistor and an input matching network. The purpose of the input matching network, which may be made of one or more passive devices such as inductors and capacitors, is to provide an impedance match and/or a noise match to a previous stage, such as an antenna, a filter, an RF switch, or other circuit. LNA implementations may also include an output matching network, a bias network, and other circuit structures.
In some wireless application scenarios where a wireless receiver is situated very close to a transmitter, for example, in the case of a Wi-Fi enabled device that operates in close proximity to a wireless router, the RF front-end of the wireless device may be exposed to very high signal levels. Thus, in order to maintain adequate linearity, the LNA may be configured to have variable gain or may be bypassed altogether in high signal environments. The additional complexity of providing a variable gain function to a LNA, however, poses additional challenges with respect to maintaining good noise and distortion performance over various gain settings.

System and method for biasing an RF circuit


The invention discloses a circuit protection device with self fault detection function. The ground fault protection unit comprises a ground fault detection circuit, an AC power supply path and an electromagnetic drive circuit. The self fault detection unit comprises an automatic detection circuit and a control circuit. The control circuit starts periodically a self fault detection process, controls the automatic detection circuit to generate a ground fault current GFC to the ground fault protection unit, and detects the fault status signal from the electromagnetic drive circuit. Based on the fault status signal, operation situations of the ground fault protection unit can be determined. If a fault occurs, an emergency interruption signal is generated, and that activates the electromagnetic drive circuit to make the ground fault protection unit trip in emergency, and cut off the AC power supply on load and socket terminals, and thus the emergency protection function is achieved. The ground fault protection unit utilizes an electromagnetic drive circuit which comprises two silicon controlled rectifiers, so that the reliability of the circuit protection device can be improved.

The leakage current protection device, or the ground fault circuit interrupter, is used to detect the ground fault current in electrical systems, instruments, devices, equipment and power supply systems, when the ground fault current exceeds a specified limit, the circuit protection device will automatically shut down the power supply and so as to protect human being and properties. In actual application, the leakage current protection device or the ground fault circuit interrupter may partly or wholly malfunction, and their protection functions thereby malfunction, and safety risk may occur without the knowledge of the users.
To solve the problems above, some leakage current protection devices are designed according to standard such as IEC 61008-1, IEC 61009-1, GB 6829.1 and have a test button, but their users have to depress the test button periodically to test whether the circuit protection function is working properly. For one aspect, it increases users' workload, and for another, during the periodic test, the power supply must be cut off, and that causes inconvenience to users. Thirdly, if the users do not periodically test the circuit, or the circuit protection device malfunctions between two periodic tests (such as one month), the users may not timely discover that the circuit protection device loses protection ability and safety risk may similarly occur.
To solve the problems mentioned above, some ground fault circuit interrupters designed according to UL 943 standard are available with self fault detection functions to detect and diagnose the operation condition of the ground fault circuit interrupter, and generate alarming signals when the ground fault circuit interruption function fails. Some ground fault circuit interrupters are provided with self fault detecting, alarming and protection interruption functions, but their structure are complex, so it results in manufacturing difficulties and high cost, and thus the reliability of the circuit protection function of the device is reduced, and safety risk may occur.

Circuit protection device with self fault detection function

JIAXING SHOUXIN ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


One embodiment of the invention a spinal fixation system includes an elongated spinal element (11) configured to extend adjacent the spine, and a plurality of fixation elements (15) each engagable to the spine and to the elongated spinal element (11). The embodiment further includes an extension member (28) having a head portion (30) defining a variable angle surface and an elongated portion (29) extending from the head portion, and a clamping member (31) for clamping the extension member (28) to the elongated spinal element (11). The clamping member (31) defines a mating surface configured for mating engagement with the variable angle surface of the extension member (28) to permit orientation of the elongated portion (29) of the extension member (28) at a plurality of angles relative to the elongated spinal element (11).

The present invention broadly concerns devices and systems for use in the fixation of the spine and correction of spinal disorders. In one aspect, the invention concerns a spinal implant system utilizing elongated fixation elements, such as spinal rods, contoured for connection at various locations along the length of the spinal column. More specifically, the invention concerns a device for connecting the spinal rod to various vertebrae or the pelvis, while permitting variation in several degrees of freedom.
Several techniques and systems have been developed for use in stabilizing spinal curves and facilitating spinal fusion to correct spinal injuries and deformities. Frequently, an elongated spinal member, such as a bendable rod, is longitudinally disposed adjacent the vertebral column. The rod is fixed to various vertebrae along the length of the column by a number of fixation elements such as hooks or bone screws of various configurations. One example is the construct depicted in FIG. 1 which uses Danek Medical Inc.'s TSRH.RTM. spinal system. The fixation system 10 includes two elongated rods 11 disposed adjacent the spine on opposite sides of the spinous process. A variety of bone engaging fasteners 15 are engaged to the rods 11 by way of eyebolt assemblies 16. These eyebolt assemblies are known components of the TSRH.RTM. system and are particularly known for the "three-point shear clamp" effect achieved by the eyebolt assemblies to clamp the bone engaging fasteners 15 to the spinal rods 11.
It is often desirable to anchor the inferior end of the construct to either the sacrum or the pelvis to increase the stability of the construct. The rods of the system shown in FIG. 1 extends from the thoracic vertebrae to the sacrum and pelvis. In some prior art systems, this anchoring required bending the inferior end of the spinal rod which unfortunately has serious disadvantages. Bending the rod complicates the surgery, causes mechanical problems, and requires a more complicated spinal rod to be implanted. The Galveston fixation technique addressed this problem by providing a bend in the spinal rod. The construct shown in FIG. 1 uses an improvement of the Galveston technique in which a short rod segment 12 having a Galveston bend 14 is axially attached to the spinal rod 11.
As shown in FIG. 1, the system 10 is anchored to the iliac wings I by a pair of Galveston rod segments 12 each linked to the inferior end 11a of the respective spinal rod 11. The Galveston rod segments 12 each include an iliac extension 13 which is engaged within holes bores through the iliac wings. The Galveston rod segments 12 are engaged to the spinal rods 11 by way of a pair of offset plates 20 and eyebolt assemblies 21. The offset plate 20 axially links each Galveston rod segment 12 to the respective spinal rod 11. A transverse plate 17, preferably the Crosslink.RTM. plate provided by Danek Medical, is engaged between the two Galveston rod segments 12 by way of separate eyebolt assemblies 18. The addition of the Crosslink.RTM. transverse plate 17 adds greater strength and rigidity to the construct and prevents pullout of the iliac extensions 13 from the iliac wings I. This technique allows the substitution of a much shorter rod segment 12 already carrying the Galveston bend, thereby permitting ready engagement between the iliac wings and the spinal rods 11.
Although the use of the offset plates 20 has greatly simplified fixation in anchoring to the iliac bone from the prior Galveston technique, there still is room for improvement. In particular, rod bending is still required to create the iliac extensions 13. It is a known principal of mechanical engineering that bends in the rods yield stress concentrations and can also produce assymetric loading of the fixation construct. Moreover, the tools used to bend the rods can create notches in the rods which may compromise the overall strength of the construct.
It is therefore desirable to engage the bones of the sacrum or ilium without bending spinal rods. Custom fit capabilities such as angular and translational adjustability are also desirable. It is further desirable to provide such devices which can be readily connected to existing spinal fixation systems.


A pneumatic tire having improved high-speed running performances is manufactured by conducting vulcanization of a green tire with a mold provided at a position corresponding to a given position between neighborhood of shoulder portion and neighborhood of bead portion with at least one protrusion which protrudes inside the mold and continuously extends in the circumferential direction of the mold and consists of a first arc segment having a center of curvature located outside from the inner surface of the mold and second arc segments each having a center of curvature located inside from the inner surface of the mold and smoothly connecting to the first arc segment at upper and lower ends in the radial direction of the mold.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to pneumatic radial tires. More particularly it relates to a method of producing pneumatic radial tires which can advantageously improve high-speed running performances of the tire and a bladder used therefor.
2. Disclosure of the Related Art
A pneumatic radial tire comprises a carcass comprised of at least one cord ply of radial arrangement and a belt superimposed about a crown portion of the carcass and comprised of plural cord layers. This construction has many advantages in that the motion of tread rubber constituting the tread portion of the tire is reduced by a so-called "hoop" effect of the belt as compared with that of bias tires. Also, the durability, wear resistance and steering stability are excellent and the rolling resistance is low and the like. Therefore, these radial tires are favorably mounted onto many vehicles and used with recent enlargement of development of expressway networks.
On the other hand, the reinforcement is added to tread portion and bead portion of the pneumatic radial tire to cope with the high-speed running accompanied with recent improvement of vehicle performances, but it is strongly demanded to more improve the high-speed running performances of the tire in accordance with improvement of vehicle performances.
Therefore, there are proposed various techniques such as a change of end count and cord angle in the cords constituting the carcass or the belt, addition of a new reinforcing member and the like for controlling strain or heat generation at portions easily causing troubles or enhancing the rigidity of the tire casing.
In these proposed techniques, the rigidity of the tire casing as a whole is increased to create portions having undesirably increased rigidity, which is unfavorable in the running performances of tire and the ride comfortability. Also, there are caused inconveniences such as rise of cost, increase of weight and the like accompanied with the increase of the reinforcing members.


According to an embodiment, a second calculator calculates a three-dimensional position of a measurement position and error in the three-dimensional position using a first image, the measurement position, a second image, and a correspondence position. A selection unit determines whether there is an image pair, in which error in the three-dimensional position becomes smaller than the error calculated by the second calculator, from among image pairs of the plurality of images, when there is an image pair, selects the image pair, and when there is no image pair, decides on the three-dimensional position. Each time an image pair is selected, the second calculator calculates a new three-dimensional position of the measurement position and error using new first and second images each included in the image pair, and first and second projection positions where the three-dimensional positions are projected onto the new first and second images, respectively.

A technique, called stereo measurement, in which the three-dimensional position of an object is measured from the correspondence relation between a plurality of images captured by a plurality of cameras with different viewpoints has been heretofore known.
For example, the three-dimensional position is measured as the following manner. A pair of images is selected from a plurality of images, and the three-dimensional position is measured from the positional relation between the positions of measurement points on selected images and the positions of cameras captured the selected images. However, measurement accuracy differs depending on the position of the camera, the focal length of the lens, the size of the imaging element, resolution, and the position of the measurement point on the image. For this reason, in order to increase the measurement accuracy of the three-dimensional position, it is necessary to select an optimum pair of images in the relation with the measurement points.
However, according to the conventional technique, since optimum images are selected in the relation with a specific image from among a plurality of images, it is not possible to select an image pair not including the specific image. For this reason, it is not possible to select an optimum image pair in the relation with the measurement point, causing deterioration in the measurement accuracy of the three-dimensional position.

Measurement device, measurement method, and computer program product