Bi-directional vibratory conveyor apparatuses comprise an elongated horizontal conveying surface, a vibration inducing motor, and vertically-disposed legs under the horizontal conveying surface, the deflection of which via one or more deflector in conjunction with vibrations of the horizontal conveying surface by the vibration inducing motor induces directional travel of parts on the horizontal conveying surface based on the direction of deflection of the legs therebeneath. Methods of using the same are further provided.

Vibratory conveyors are generally known for moving material along a horizontally disposed conveying surface. Typically, such a system is useful for moving parts, products, particles, or other like material, from one location to another, such as in a factory, warehouse, or other industrial setting. In many cases, typical conveyor belts cannot be used to move these types of articles due to the size of the material. Oftentimes, smaller parts, products or particles may fall off or into the mechanism moving the conveyor belts, causing damage to the systems. Moreover, conveyor belts tend to easily wear over time, requiring replacement, and impacting time and costs to do so.
Vibratory conveying surfaces solve problems associated with moving parts, products, particles and/or other material that would otherwise be difficult to move over conveyor belt systems. A vibratory conveying surface typically comprises a horizontally-disposed surface, typically made from solid metal. Oftentimes, the surface is an elongated tray with sidewalls to prevent the parts, products, particles or other like material from falling off as it moves over the surface. A vibration is typically induced on the surface, and forces associated with the vibration typically move the material in one direction or the other.
Various mechanisms have been proposed and are used to induce directional movement of material along horizontal surfaces. In one example, the horizontal surface is supported by a plurality of springs, and a pair of vibration inducing motors is designed to impact the horizontal surface, inducing vibrations in one direction or another. Specifically, a first motor, typically having an eccentric weight for inducing the vibration on the surface, is mounted to a slat at approximately 45 degrees to the bed, angled rightwardly, and a second motor having an eccentric weight for inducing vibration on the surface is mounted to a slat at approximately 45 degrees to the bed, angled leftwardly. Activation of the first motor induces vibrations pitched rightwardly and activation of the second motor induces vibrations pitched leftwardly on the horizontal surface. By controlling the first and second motors, movement of material is induced in one direction or the other.
However, the use of two or even more motors to induce movement of material via vibration along a horizontal surface can be loud, use significant amounts of power, and require significant amounts of space to mount of the multiple motors. The use of multiple motors can lead to increased risk of failure and may be costly to replace.
Various proposals exist to solve some of the problems associated with vibratory conveyor systems. Specifically, to reduce motor size, energy requirements and associated costs, a single motor is proposed to induce vibratory movement of material along a horizontal surface. Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,796 describes the use of a single motor and a system of isolation springs. The motor, having an eccentric weight thereon, induces vibrations in one direction or another based on its rotation. Specifically, rotating the motor in one direction induces vibratory movement of material along a horizontal surface in a first direction, while reversing the motor induces vibratory movement of material along the horizontal surface in a second direction.
The various proposals for inducing vibration often do not adequately solve the problems associated therewith. Specifically, the use of a single motor may decrease energy costs, but may lessen control of the system, as the motor must be stopped then reversed to induce the desired movement of the material. In many cases, there is still the need for a large amount of space to house the motor or motors, along with the complicated spring systems necessary to induce the vibratory movement.
A need, therefore, exists for improved vibratory conveyor apparatuses. More specifically, a need exists for vibratory conveyor apparatuses that easily, efficiently, and cost-effectively induce movement of material in one direction or another along a bed or other horizontal surface. Moreover, a need exists for vibratory conveyor apparatuses that minimize space requirements, so that vibratory conveyor systems may be installed and deployed in desired locations without space constraints.
Oftentimes, the impact of the motors on the horizontal surface and the inducement of movement on material may decrease as the material moves away from the specific location of the motor and its connection to the horizontal surface. Specifically, movement of material may be greatly induced on the horizontal surface in a localized area adjacent to the point of contact of the motor on the surface. As the material moves away from the point of contact with the motor, the induced vibration on the horizontal surface is typically lessened. In some cases, material may fail to move at all as the material is displaced a certain distance from the motor. To compensate, larger and more powerful motors having increased rotation speeds may be introduced, negating cost savings and increasing space constraints.
A need, therefore, exists for vibratory conveyor apparatuses that effectively impact the entirety of the longitudinal horizontal surface. Specifically, a need exists for vibratory conveyor apparatuses that move material along the longitudinal path of the horizontal surface at the same speed, regardless of distance of the material from the motor.
In addition, heretofore prior vibratory conveyor apparatuses often require a large degree of fine-tuning to induce vibratory movement of material. Oftentimes, the vibratory movement on a bed may be impacted by the center of gravity of the system from the motor imparting vibratory forces thereto. Often, the center of gravity is set prior to the loading of the bed with material thereon. Loading material on the bed impacts the position of the center of gravity of the system, and therefore the motor must often be repositioned. The position of the motor must also be changed if the material on the bed changes.
A need, therefore exists, for vibratory conveyor apparatuses that are immune to changes caused by differences in material loading. Specifically, a need exists for vibratory conveyor apparatuses that can be set and operate the same no matter the material moving thereon.
Prior systems also attempt to control speed of material moving on the bed by increasing or decreasing the speed of the motor imparting vibratory forces to the bed, thereby requiring control of the motor. A need exists for vibratory conveyor apparatuses that are not reliant or solely reliant on the control of the speed of the vibratory motor to increase or decrease the speed of material moving on the bed. Specifically, a need exists for vibratory conveyor apparatuses that control speed by lengthening or shortening of one or more deflectors, maintaining constant speed of the vibratory motors thereon.

Bi-directional vibratory conveyor apparatuses and methods of using the same


An object of this invention is to provide a rolling bearing which is long enough in serve life even when it is applied with a lubricant mixed with foreign matters, simply by quenching or by carbonitriding it for a short period of time, and which can be formed at a relatively low manufacturing cost. A rolling bearing is formed as follows: The quantities of elements such as C, Si, Mn, Cr and Mo forming a bearing alloy steel, and the quantity of retained austenite are adjusted to be in predetermined ranges, and the steel is quenched and tempered or carbonitrided so that its hardness is in the following range: EQU -2.2.times.(.gamma..sub.R vol %)+810.ltoreq.Hv.ltoreq.-2.2.times.(.gamma..sub.R vol %)+930

This invention relates to bearing steels, automobiles, agricultural machines, construction machines, and iron steel machines, and more particularly to rolling bearings long in service live which are suitable for transmission gears, or engines.
It is well known in the art that, when a lubricant mixed with foreign matters such as metal chips, shavings, burrs and powder (hereinafter referred to as "a foreign-mater-mixed lubricant", when applicable) are applied to a rolling bearing, the bearing ring and rolling elements of the latter are damaged thereby. In order to eliminate this difficulty, the present applicant has proposed a method before by which the service life of a rolling bearing is lengthened even when a foreign-matter-mixed lubricant is applied to it (U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,094): That is, in the method, the content of C, the quantity of retained austenite, and the content of carbon nitride in the surface layer of the rolling bearing are set to suitable values, to lessen the concentration of stress to the edge of an indentation, thereby to prevent the formation of cracks. Furthermore, the applicant has proposed a most favorable relationship between the quantity of retained austenite and the hardness, and an optimum range of average diameters of carbides and carbon nitrides (U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,375), and a range of components most suitable for the relationships and the range (U.S. Ser. No. 07/915,503).
Those methods are based on the addition of carbon or nitrogen to the surface by carburizing or by carbonitriding. Therefore, the methods are disadvantageous in that it takes a relatively long period of time for heat treatment, which increases the processing cost as much, and the content of carbon or nitrogen is fluctuated. On the other hand, when it is tried to obtain an aimed quantity of retained austenite simply by subjecting an ordinary bearing steel to high-temperature quenching, then after heat treatment, the hardness is not sufficiently high, and accordingly it is impossible to lengthen the service life of the rolling bearing applied with a foreign-matter-mixed lubricant foreign matters.


The embodiments of the invention, as described below, introduce a new full configuration flag to distinguish full configurations of low complexity category UEs from other categories. The new full configuration flag will also be referred to herein as an “enhanced” full configuration flag. A network node, such as a source eNB, can see the enhanced full configuration flag from the RRC configuration message that is prepared by another network node, for example a target eNB. If the target eNB sends a RRC configuration that contains a legacy version of the full configuration flag for a low complexity category UE, the source eNB knows that the target eNB does not comprehend Rel-12 and the low complexity category. Accordingly the source eNB can refrain from performing the handover. In addition, the UE can infer from the flag version if the target eNB has comprehended the UE category and accordingly it knows whether the configuration is valid or not. The embodiments of the invention described herein have the advantage that un-necessary signaling caused by failed handovers and unsuccessful RRC connection re-establishments are avoided. Consequently, network resources are used in a more efficient manner and UE battery lifetime is prolonged.

Communication devices such as terminals are also known as e.g. User Equipments (UE), mobile terminals, wireless terminals and/or mobile stations. Terminals are enabled to communicate wirelessly in a cellular communications network or wireless communication system, sometimes also referred to as a cellular radio system or cellular network. The communication may be performed e.g. between two terminals, between a terminal and a regular telephone and/or between a terminal and a server via a Radio Access Network (RAN) and possibly one or more core networks, comprised within the cellular communications network.
Examples of wireless communication systems are Long Term Evolution (LTE), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and Global System for Mobile communications (GSM).
Terminals may further be referred to as mobile telephones, cellular telephones, laptops, or surf plates with wireless capability, just to mention some further examples. The terminals in the present context may be, for example, portable, pocket-storable, hand-held, computer-comprised, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices, machine to machine devices, enabled to communicate voice and/or data, via the RAN, with another entity, such as another terminal or a server.
The cellular communications network covers a geographical area which is divided into cell areas, wherein each cell area being served by an access node such as a base station, e.g. a Radio Base Station (RBS), which sometimes may be referred to as e.g. "eNB", "eNodeB", "NodeB", "B node", or BTS (Base Transceiver Station), depending on the technology and terminology used. The base stations may be of different classes such as e.g. macro eNodeB, home eNodeB or pico base station, based on transmission power and thereby also cell size. A cell is the geographical area where radio coverage is provided by the base station at a base station site. One base station, situated on the base station site, may serve one or several cells. Further, each base station may support one or several communication technologies. The base stations communicate over the air interface operating on radio frequencies with the terminals within range of the base stations. In the context of this disclosure, the expression Downlink (DL) is used for the transmission path from the base station to the mobile station. The expression Uplink (UL) is used for the transmission path in the opposite direction i.e. from the mobile station to the base station.
In 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE), base stations, which may be referred to as eNodeBs or even eNBs, may be directly connected to one or more core networks.
3GPP LTE radio access standard has been written in order to support high bitrates and low latency both for uplink and downlink traffic. Data transmission in LTE is controlled by the radio base station.
One function of 3GPP cellular radio technologies is the control of user mobility by using the Radio Resource Control (RRC) and X2AP protocols. The network controls the handover of UEs in RRC Connected mode from one cell to another, whereas a UE in Idle mode performs cell selection and reselection itself. Embodiments herein are illustrated with examples from the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (EUTRA) also known as LTE system.
When the UE is handed over from a source cell to a target cell, handover preparation is needed. Upon handover preparation the target radio base station or eNB is provided the current UE RRC configuration comprised in the handover preparation information message (the HandoverPreperationInformation message, for example as described in technical Specification TS36.331, version 12.1.0). This message is used to transfer the E-UTRA RRC information used by the target eNB during handover preparation, including UE capability information. The target eNB decides the RRC configuration after the handover and therefore a RRC configuration message is transparently sent to the UE via the source eNB as an octet string comprised in the handover command. Normally full configuration is required if the target eNB has a different Access Stratum (AS) version than the source eNB.
If the RRC configuration in the handover preparation message is incomplete or the source cell has configured the UE with a RRC protocol version that is not comprehended by the target eNB, the target eNB typically performs a full configuration (if possible), i.e. performs a reconfiguration from scratch. Otherwise the target eNB may modify or maintain the current RRC configuration.
3GPP has recently agreed within the scope of low-cost Machine Type Communication (MTC) work item to introduce a new UE category termed as a "low complexity category" (which may also be referred to as category 0, or category 11). A draft Change Request (CR) for the introduction of the low complexity category is available in R2-140964 as presented during the RAN2#85 meeting from 10.02.2014 to 14.02.2014, in Prague, Czech Republic. A problem arises, since this new category is less capable than legacy UE categories, for example, legacy category 1. Furthermore, the legacy categories (including categories 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 that were first introduced with Release 8 of the RRC protocol), such as category 1, are mandatory to signal even though the low complexity category UE does not have any such category, and thus full configuration will always be required from the legacy eNB because it has a different AS version than the source eNB. In other words, since a legacy UE-Category field is mandatory required to be present in the UE-EUTRA-Capability container, omitting such a mandatory field results in a decoding error, and therefore to avoid this all UEs shall indicate one category in the mandatory field even if they do not support any such category.
Accordingly, upon handover preparation, a legacy target eNB that does not comprehend the new low complexity category may erroneously assume that the UE may be successfully configured with the indicated legacy category, for example a legacy category such as category 1. Consequently, the handover fails and the UE experiences a radio link failure. Subsequently, the UE tries to trigger RRC Connection Re-establishment which also fails. Finally the UE transitions to Idle mode where it searches for suitable cells.
This has the disadvantage of causing unnecessary signaling due to the failed handovers and the unsuccessful RRC connection re-establishment requests, which results in the inefficient use of bandwidth.

Method and apparatus for handover procedures in a communication network


A device to assist in the hand pulling of ropes comprises a handle portion and a rope cleating portion attached to the handle portion and having a wedge section to grasp a rope inserted therein.

1. Field of the Invention
Broadly the invention relates to rope pulling devices. More specifically, it concerns devices that a person may hold in a hand to grasp a rope to assist in rapid, forceful pulling of the rope.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous devices exist to help pull ropes, cables or other lines. These vary from simple, hand-held items to more complicated equipment such as winches and windlass machines. This invention concerns improvements in the simple, hand-held type of rope puller.
It is frequently necessary to rapidly pull a length of rope through a sheave or the like to move a weight or other item attached to the other end of the rope. Usually the task requires that strong tension be applied to the rope and also that the rope move rapidly. A primative way for increasing tension in the hand pulling of a rope is to wrap the rope around a hand, pull the rope a short distance, unwrap the rope to move the hand forward on the rope, rewrap and repull and repeat this until the required length of rope has been pulled. The wrapping and unwrapping slows down the operation and can bruise the puller's hand. This invention concerns rope pullers that permit maximum tension to be applied to the rope while increasing the speed with which the rope is pulled.
The rope pullers of the invention include a wedge section that grasps a rope inserted therein. It is known in the art to use wedge members to grasp or cleat ropes, e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,785.


An indoor unit includes: a casing including a top plate and lateral plates; a motor mounted to a central part on an inner surface side of the top plate; a turbofan fixed to a rotary shaft of the motor and configured to rotate through drive of the motor; a drain pan received in the casing and mounted to the lateral plates of the casing; and a bellmouth mounted to the drain pan and configured to rectify a fluid flowing into the casing. The drain pan includes a positioning fitting having: a casing-fixing threaded hole for allowing the drain pan to be fixed to the casing with a screw; and a bellmouth-fixing threaded hole for allowing the bellmouth to be fixed to the drain pan with a screw.

In air-conditioning apparatus and similar apparatus, an indoor unit installed on an indoor side includes a blower configured to blow air by rotating a fan (impeller). Specifically, in an indoor unit of a ceiling concealed type, air flows into the indoor unit through an air inlet at a center on a lower surface side (indoor side), and flows out through air outlets on lateral sides of the lower surface side via the fan, an indoor heat exchanger, and other components. In this case, the indoor unit includes a bellmouth so that the inflow air through the air inlet is rectified and delivered to the fan. The bellmouth is formed, for example, into an annular shape (cylindrical shape) in conformity with the fan to be rotated. Further, the indoor unit of the ceiling concealed type includes a drain pan that is installed below the indoor heat exchanger so as to receive drain water generated as a result of condensation by the heat exchanger. The bellmouth is mounted to the drain pan through fixation with screws, and the drain pan is mounted to lateral plates of a casing (outer shell) of the indoor unit through fixation with screws. Meanwhile, the fan is fixed to a rotary shaft of a motor, and the motor is mounted to a top plate of the casing of the indoor unit (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).

Indoor unit and air-conditioning apparatus


It is an object to provide a process for manufacturing galvannealed steel sheets having high anti-powdering property as required when they are press formed, and stabilized frictional properties in a coil. Steel sheets are plated in a bath having a low aluminum content, while they have, when entering the bath, a low temperature as defined in relation to the aluminum content of the bath, so that an alloying reaction may be prevented. Then, the sheets are heated for alloying in a high-frequency induction heating furnace so that the sheets leaving the furnace may have a temperature of from over 495.degree. C. to 520.degree. C. to yield galvannealed consisting mainly of a .delta..sub.1 phase. An iron or iron-alloy top coating having an appropriate iron content can be applied onto the plated steel surface to improve its paintability.

There has recently been an increasing demand for galvannealed steel sheets as the rust-proof steel sheets for automobiles, since they exhibit high corrosion resistance and weldability when painted. The latest tendency has been toward sheets having a heavier c/w to ensure high corrosion resistance.
These galvanized steel sheets are required to have excellent press-formability and exhibit excellent anti-powdering property when press formed. These requirements have lately been becoming more stringent, and the increasing coating weight has been creating a big problem in the maintenance of, above all, excellent anti-powdering property.
There is known a process which comprises heating galvanized steel sheets rapidly to cause the alloying of a part of coating, and batch annealing them to improve their anti-powdering property. This process is effective in achieving an improved anti-powdering property, but has the drawback of being expensive.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 1-279738 discloses a process for achieving an improved anti-powdering property in line. According to its disclosure, steel sheets are plated in a bath containing 0.04 to 0.12% A1, are heated to a temperature of at least 470.degree. C. rapidly within two seconds to undergo alloying, and are cooled to a temperature not exceeding 420.degree. C. rapidly within two seconds, whereby galvannealed steel sheets consisting mainly of a .delta..sub.1 phase are manufactured.
Due to the relatively high temperature which the process employs for the alloying treatment, however, it is very likely that alloying may proceed so rapidly that the growth of a thick .GAMMA. phase may result in a low anti-powdering property. Although Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 1-279738 proposes rapid cooling within two seconds from the temperature range in which alloying is effected, to the temperature range not exceeding 420.degree. C. to prevent excessive alloying, a proper alloying pattern varies with the coating weight and the line speed, and the use of the process, therefore, calls for the provision of a multiplicity of sources of heating and cooling mediums along a line and thereby brings about an increase in the cost of equipment.
Moreover, a direct gas-fired alloying furnace which is usually employed is likely to have a temperature variation along the width and length of a steel strip, and such temperature variation makes difficult the strict control of the coating structure as hereinabove stated and results in the formation of a coating having excessively alloyed portions or containing a residual .zeta. phase. The resulting plated steel sheet lacks uniformity in the amount of its .delta..sub.1 phase and therefore in its anti-powdering property. The amount of the .zeta. phase has so close a bearing on the frictional properties that those portions of the plated steel sheet which contain the residual .zeta. phase have a higher frictional coefficient and are, therefore, lower in press formability.

Process for manufacturing galvannealed steel sheets having high press-formability and anti-powdering property


The invention relates to genetic elements capable of improving the levels of expression of operably-linked transcription units. In particular, said genetic elements are derived from the 5′ untranslated regions of ribosomal protein genes and may comprise a CpG island. Also provided are vectors and host cells comprising said genetic elements and methods of use to obtain high levels of recombinant gene expression.

The present invention relates to polynucleotides comprising elements conferring improved expression on operably-linked transcription units. These elements are naturally associated with the promoter regions of ribosomal protein genes and, in recombinant DNA constructs, confer high and reproducible levels of gene expression. The present invention also relates to vectors comprising such polynucleotide sequences, host cells comprising such vectors and use of such polynucleotides, vectors or host cells in therapy, for production of recombinant proteins in cell culture and other biotechnological applications.
The current model of chromatin structure in higher eukaryotes postulates that genes are organised in "domains" (Dillon, N. & Grosveld, F. Chromatin domains as potential units of eukaryotic gene function. Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 4, 260-264 (1994); Higgs, D. R. Do LCRs open chromatin domains? Cell 95, 299-302 (1998)) Chromatin domains are envisaged to exist in either a condensed, "closed", transcriptionally silent state, or in a de-condensed, "open" and transcriptionally competent configuration. The establishment of an open chromatin structure characterised by increased DNasel sensitivity, DNA hypomethylation and histone hyperacetylation, is considered a pre-requisite to the commencement of gene expression.
The open and closed nature of chromatin regions is reflected in the behaviour of transgenes that are randomly integrated into the host cell genome. Identical constructs give different patterns of tissue-specific and development stage-specific expression when integrated at different locations in the mouse genome (Palmiter, R. D. & Brinster, R. L. Ann. Ref. Genet. 20, 465-499 (1986); Allen, N. D. et al. Nature 333, 852-855 (1988); Bonnerbt, C., Grimber, G., Briand, P. & Nicolas, J. F. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:6331-6335 (1990)).
The chromatin domain model of gene organisation suggests that genetic control elements that are able to establish and maintain a transcriptionally competent open chromatin structure should be associated with active regions of the genome.
Locus Control Regions (LCRs) are a class of transcriptional regulatory elements with long-range chromatin remodelling capability. LCRs are functionally defined in transgenic mice by their ability to confer site-of-integration independent, transgene copy number-dependent, physiological levels of expression on a gene linked in cis, especially single copy transgenes Fraser, P. & Grosveld, F. Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 10, 361-365 (1998); Li, Q., Harju, S. & Peterson, K. R. Trends Genet. 15: 403-408 (1999). Crucially, such expression is tissue-specific. LCRs are able to obstruct the spread of heterochromatin, prevent PEV (Kioussis, D. & Festenstein, R. Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 7, 614-619 (1997)) and consist of a series of DNase I hypersensitive (HS) sites which can be located either 5′ or 3′ of the genes that they regulate (Li, Q., Harju, S. & Peterson, K. R. Trends Genet. 15:403-408 (1999)).
The generation of cultured mammalian cell lines producing high levels of a therapeutic protein product is a major developing industry. Chromatin position effects make it a difficult, time consuming and expensive process. The most commonly used approach to the production of such mammalian "cell factories" relies on gene amplification induced by a combination of a drug resistance gene (e.g., DHFR, glutamine synthetase (Kaufman R J. Methods Enzymol 185, 537-566 (1990)). and the maintenance of stringent selective pressure. The use of vectors containing LCRs from highly expressed gene domains, using cells derived from the appropriate tissue, greatly simplifies the procedure, giving a large proportion of clonal cell lines showing stable high levels of expression (Needham M, Gooding C, Hudson K, Antoniou M, Grosveld F and Hollis M. Nucleic Acids Res 20, 997-1003 (1992); Needham M, Egerton M, Millest A, Evans S, Popplewell M, Cerillo G, McPheat J, Monk A, Jack A, Johnstone D and Hollis M. Protein Expr Purif 6,124-131 (1995).
However, the tissue-specificity of LCRs, although useful in some circumstances, is also a major limitation for many applications, for instance where no LCR is known for the tissue in which expression is required, or where expression in many, or all, tissues is required.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,606 and co-pending patent application WO 00/0539, incorporated by reference herein, describe elements that are responsible, in their natural chromosomal context, for establishing an open chromatin structure across a locus that consists exclusively of ubiquitously expressed, housekeeping genes. These elements are not derived from an LCR and comprise extended methylation-free CpG islands.
In mammalian DNA, the dinucleotide CpG is recognised by a DNA methyltransferase enzyme that methylates cytosine to 5-methylcytosine. However, 5-methylcytosine is unstable and is converted to thymine. As a result, CpG dinucleotides occur far less frequently than one would expect by chance. Some sections of genomic DNA nevertheless do have a frequency of CpG that is closer to that expected, and these sequences are known as "CpG islands". As used herein a "CpG island" is defined as a sequence of DNA, of at least 200 bp, that has a GC content of at least 50% and an observed/expected CpG content ratio of at least 0.6 (i.e. a CpG dinucleotide content of at least 60% of that which would be expected by chance) (Gardiner-Green M and Frommer M. J Mol Biol 196, 261-282 (1987); Rice P, Longden I and Bleasby A Trends Genet 16, 276-277 (2000).
Methylation-free CpG islands are well-known in the art (Bird et al (1985) Cell 40: 91-99, Tazi and Bird (1990) Cell 60: 909-920) and may be defined as CpG islands where a substantial proportion of the cytosine residues are not methylated and which usually extend over the 5′ ends of two closely spaced (0.1-3 kb) divergently transcribed genes. These regions of DNA are reported to remain hypomethylated in all tissues throughout development (Wise and Pravtcheva (1999) Genomics 60: 258-271). They are often associated with the 5′ ends of ubiquitously expressed genes, as well as an estimated 40% of genes showing a tissue-restricted expression profile (Antequera, F. & Bird, A. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 1195-11999 (1993); Cross, S. H. & Bird, A. P. Curr. Opin, Genet. Dev. 5, 309-314 (1995) and are known to be localised regions of active chromatin (Tazi, J. & Bird, A. Cell 60, 909-920 (1990).
An 'extended' methylation-free CpG island is a methylation-free CpG island that extends across a region encompassing more than one transcriptional start site and/or extends for more than 300 bp and preferably more than 500 bp. The borders of the extended methylation-free CpG island are functionally defined through the use of PCR over the region in combination with restriction endonuclease enzymes whose ability to digest (cut) DNA at their recognition sequence is sensitive to the methylation status of any CpG residues that are present. One such enzyme is HpaII, which recognises and digests at the site CCGG, which is commonly found within CpG islands, but only if the central CG residues are not methylated. Therefore, PCR conducted with HpaII-digested DNA and over a region harbouring HpaII sites, does not give an amplification product due to HpaII digestion if the DNA is unmethylated. The PCR will only give an amplified product if the DNA is methylated. Therefore, beyond the methylation-free region HpaII will not digest the DNA a PCR amplified product will be observed thereby defining the boundaries of the "extended methylation-free CpG island".
It has been shown (WO 00/05393) that regions spanning methylation-free CpG islands encompassing dual, divergently transcribed promoters from the human TATA binding protein (TBP)/proteosome component-B1 (PSMBI) and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 (hnRNPA2)/heterochromatin protein 1 Hsγ (HP1Hsγ) gene loci give reproducible, physiological levels of gene expression and that they are able to prevent a variegated expression pattern and silencing that normally occurs with transgene integration within centromeric heterochromatin.
It is known that methylation-free CpG islands associated with actively transcribing promoters possess the ability to remodel chromatin and are thus thought to be a prime determinant in establishing and maintaining an open domain at housekeeping gene loci (WO 00/05393) and that such elements confer an increased proportion of productive gene delivery events with improvements in the level and stability of transgene expression.
Ribosomes are large RNA and protein complexes responsible for the translation of mRNA into polypeptides. Each ribosome is comprised of 4 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) molecules and large number of ribosomal proteins (currently thought to be 79 in mammalian cells). Ribosomal proteins have functions including facilitation of rRNA folding, protection from cellular ribonucleases, and coordinating protein synthesis. Some ribosomal proteins have additional extraribosomal functions (Wool, 1996, TIBS 21: 164-165). Given the structural and functional similarities of ribosomes across species, it is unsurprising that the amino acid sequence conservation of ribosomal proteins is high, and among mammals the sequences of most ribosomal proteins are almost identical (Wool et al, 1995, Biochem Cell Biol 73: 933-947.
Two ribosomal proteins appear atypical in that they are expressed in the form of propeptides (carboxy-extension proteins) fused to ubiquitin. Ubiquitin is a highly conserved 76-residue polypeptide involved in a variety of cellular functions, including the regulation of intracellular protein breakdown, cell cycle regulation and stress response (Hershko & Ciechanover, 1992, Annu Rev Biochem 61: 761-807; Coux et al, 1996, Annu Rev Biochem 65: 801-847).
Ubiquitin is encoded by two distinct classes of gene. One is a poly-ubiquitin gene encoding a linear polymer of ubiquitin repeats. The other comprises genes encoding natural fusion proteins in which a single ubiquitin molecule is linked to the ribosomal protein rps27A or rpL40 (Finley et al, 1989, Nature 338: 394-401; Chan et al, 1995, Biochem Biophys Res Commun 215: 682-690; Redman & Burris, 1996, Biochem J 315: 315-321).
The common structural features of ribosomal protein promoters are discussed by Perry (2005, BMC Evolutionary Biology 5:15). The promoters may be classified according to the nature of the TATA box motifs, number and type of transcription factor binding sites and location of AUG start codons. However, such classification does not appear to predict promoter strength and evidence suggests that several such promoters tested have equivalent transcriptional activity as measured by expression of a linked reporter gene (Hariharan et al, 1989, Genes Dev 3: 1789-800).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,598 discloses the hamster-ubiquitin/S27a promoter its use to drive high level production of recombinant proteins. However, there is no suggestion of its use to enhance the expression of a gene primarily transcribed from a further promoter (i.e one other than hamster-ubiquitin/S27a promoter).
US application US 2004/0148647 discloses a reporter assay using an expression vector comprising a hamster ubiquitin /S27A promoter functionally linked to a gene for a product of interest and a fluorescent protein reporter. Again, the application only discloses constructs in which transcription of gene of interest is from the hamster-ubiquitin/ S27a promoter itself.
It remains an objective in the field of recombinant gene expression to obtain higher and more reliable levels of expression, particularly for in vivo and ex vivo therapeutic applications and for in vitro recombinant protein production.


A probe card (8,18) for testing unencapsulated semiconductor devices (7,17) wherein the probe card (8,18) is made from a semiconductor material (10). A plurality of pyramidally shaped conductive protrusions or probe tips (11,41) project from the surface of the probe card (8,18) to mate with electrode pads on an unencapsulated semiconductor device (7,17) to be tested. The probe tips (11,41) are formed using standard etch techniques, hence they can be configured to contact electrode pads that reside on the unencapsulated semiconductor device in either a peripheral or area array. Further, the probe card (8,18) is capable of testing integrated circuits in either wafer or die form.

This invention relates, in general, to fixtures for testing unencapsulated integrated circuits and, more specifically, to an interface probe card manufactured from semiconductor materials.
The manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuits entails a multitude of procedures including: design, process, packaging, and test. What is more, testing has been divided into functional, parametric and burn-in methodologies. In each of these regimes the devices may be tested in wafer, die or packaged form. And, although packaging is a comparatively expensive step, semiconductor manufacturers have packaged the devices prior to testing; hence, prior to ensuring proper device operation. Now, however, the high cost of packaging semiconductor devices, coupled with the increased complexity of the semiconductor device structures, requires that devices be tested in wafer or die form in order to decrease the probability of packaging nonoperational units. Further, with the advent of multichip modules, wafer or die level testing is required since the semiconductor device is only one of several components mounted on a multichip carrier.
A fixed probe board for testing semiconductor wafer chips was disclosed by Hasegawa in U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,640. The probe board comprises a multiplicity of probe needles mounted to a support base. The configuration of the probe needles matches an array of electrode pads spread around the periphery of the integrated circuit to be tested. Although this invention has provided a means for testing unencapsulated integrated circuits it had several drawbacks. First Hasegawa's fixed probe board is impractical for parallel testing more than four integrated circuits in die or wafer form. Second, semiconductor manufacturers have started to design integrated circuits with the array of electrode pads spread across the surface area (referred to as an area array) of the integrated circuit rather than around the periphery; this technique can not be used for large numbers of electrode pads configured in an area array. Third, the difference between the coefficients of thermal expansion of the probe board and the device under test may result in a high impedance contact between the probe needles and the electrode pads on the semiconductor device. In fact, the probe needles and device electrode pads may separate completely, forming an electrical "open." Finally, the probe needles are fragile and require frequent re-alignment.
B. Leslie and F. Matta, in their paper "Membrane Probe Card Technology," presented at the 1988 International Test Conference, addressed the limitations of conventional probe cards. Moreover, these researchers have described a probe card wherein the probe needles were replaced with contact bumps formed on a flexible dielectric membrane. Further, a microstrip transmission line, formed on one side of the membrane, connects test circuitry with the device under test. Since the conductor traces and the contact bump positions are obtained using photolithographic techniques, integrated circuits with electrode pads in either a peripheral or area array can be tested. Moreover, the relative positions of contact bumps and traces are defined by the photolithographic steps thereby, eliminating the need for any "re-alignment." In addition, the flexibility of the membrane allows contact with nonplanar surfaces as well as decreases damage to electrode pads on the device under test. Still, this technique did not eliminate the thermal mismatch inherent in using a probe card made from a different material than the device being tested. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to have a readily manufacturable interface probe card capable of reliably contacting electrode pads in either a peripheral or array configuration, and which has thermal properties similar to the device under test.

Probe card for testing unencapsulated semiconductor devices


A thermally conducting and electrically insulating overmold encapsulates and supports an actuator coil in a disc drive assembly. The overmold is made from a base resin mixed with a ceramic filler compound such as boron nitride, alumina, aluminum nitride, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, silicon carbide, beryllium oxide, chromium oxide or some combination thereof. The base resin is preferably polypheneline sulfide. Glass filler and/or a coupling agent are also preferably added. The overmold reduces off track read/write head position errors due to popping caused by thermal expansion and contraction of the actuator coil.

The claimed invention relates generally to disc drive data storage devices and more particularly to a novel overmold used to support a coil of an acutator used to move an array of read/write heads adjacent a corresponding number of disc recording surfaces.
Data storage devices of the type known as xe2x80x9cWinchesterxe2x80x9d disc drives are well known in the industry. These disc drives magnetically record digital data on circular, concentric data tracks on the surfaces of one or more rigid discs. The discs are typically mounted for rotation on the hub of a spindle motor. In disc drives of the current generation, the discs are rotated at speeds of up to 10,000 revolutions per minute.
Data are recorded to and retrieved from the discs by an array of vertically aligned read/write head assemblies, or heads, which are controllably positioned by an actuator assembly. Each head typically includes electromagnetic transducer read and write elements which are carried on an air bearing slider. The slider acts in a cooperative hydrodynamic relationship with a thin layer of air dragged along by the spinning discs to fly each head in a closely spaced relationship to the disc surface. In order to maintain the proper flying relationship between the heads and the discs, the heads are attached to and supported by head suspensions or flexures.
Historically, the actuator assembly used to position the heads has assumed many forms. Most disc drives of the current generation incorporate an actuator of the type referred to as a rotary voice coil actuator. A typical rotary voice coil actuator includes a pivot shaft fixed to a disc drive housing base deck at a location adjacent an outer edge of the discs. The pivot shaft is mounted such that its central axis is normal to the plane of rotation of the discs. An actuator bearing housing is mounted to the pivot shaft by an arrangement of precision ball bearing assemblies. The actuator bearing housing supports a coil that is immersed in a magnetic field of permanent magnets. The permanent magnets are mounted to the disc drive housing base deck.
The actuator assembly also includes a centrally located E-block. On the side of the actuator bearing housing opposite the coil are a plurality of vertically aligned, radially extending actuator arms. The actuator arms and the coil are connected to the E-block. The flexures are mounted to the actuator arms. When current is applied to the coil, the coil produces a magnetic field that interacts with the magnetic field of the permanent magnets to pivot the actuator bearing housing about the pivot shaft, thereby moving the heads across the disc surfaces.
A closed loop servo system such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,907 issued Nov. 16, 1993 to Duffy et al., assigned to the assignee of the present invention, is typically used to maintain the head position with respect to the data tracks. Such a servo system obtains head position information from servo data fields written to the tracks during disc drive manufacturing to maintain a selected head over an associated track during a track following mode of operation.
A seek mode of operation, which comprises the initial acceleration of a head away from an initial track and the subsequent deceleration of the head toward a destination track, is also controlled by the servo system. Such seek operations are typically velocity controlled, in that the velocity of the head is repetitively measured and compared to a velocity profile, with the current applied to the coil being generally proportional to the difference between the actual and profile velocities as the head is moved toward the destination track.
A continuing trend in the industry is to provide disc drives with ever increasing data storage and transfer capabilities. This trend has led to efforts to minimize the time required to perform a seek operation. A typical seek operation includes an initial overhead time during which the disc drive services its internal operations, a seek time during which the head is moved to and settled on the destination track, and a latency time during which the drive waits until a particular sector on the destination track reaches the head as the disc rotates relative to the heads.
Seek times have been minimized through the application of large amounts of current to the coil during acceleration and deceleration phases of a seek operation. However, as the current is increased, the electrical energy dissipated as heat by the coil also increases so that the temperature of the coil increases. As the coil temperature increases, the resistance of the coil increases and the magnitude of the control current is limited, which also adversely affects the seek time. Additionally, elevated coil temperatures can cause degradation of adhesive and insulating materials used in the construction of a voice coil motor (VCM).
Actuator overmolds have been used in disc drives of the existing art to support the coil and to dampen vibration. An actuator overmold is typically composed of liquid crystal polymer (LCP), thermoplastic, or thermoset plastic resin formed over portions of the actuator assembly. The actuator body, coil and other components are typically assembled, placed inside a mold having a mold cavity, and a thermoplastic is injected in the mold cavity.
A problem has arisen during a seek operation with some models because the heat generated by the coil causes the coil to become hot and expand. The heat generated by the coil heats the overmold which also expands, but at a different rate than the rate at which the coils expands. Following the seek operation, the coil and the overmold contract, also at different rates. As a result of the differential rates of expansion and contraction, stresses have developed between the coil and the overmold. These stresses are relieved suddenly by a xe2x80x9cpoppingxe2x80x9d which causes a sudden force to be internally generated within the actuator. This force can cause the heads to move xe2x80x9coff trackxe2x80x9d and thereby caused data read and write errors.
The stresses caused by the differential rate of expansion are further exacerbated by the fact that glass/mineral filled polymer resins in an amorphous state exhibit a sudden increase in their coefficient of thermal expansion when their temperature reaches a glass transition temperature. The glass transition temperature marks the incipiency of relative motion between polymer chains causing them to store internal strain energy if the polymer is constrained in some manner. This change in the coefficient of thermal expansion is reversible unless the entire polymer becomes crystalline. Upon cooling of the overmold material, the stored energy becomes available when the temperature becomes lower than the glass transition temperature and results in popping.
Thus, there is a need for an improved actuator design that overcomes these and other limitations of the prior art.
In accordance with preferred embodiments, a thermally conducting and electrically insulating overmold is provided to encapsulate and support an actuator coil of a disc drive actuator assembly. The overmold is made from a base resin mixed with a ceramic filler compound of boron nitride, alumina, aluminum nitride, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, silicon carbide, beryllium oxide, chromium oxide or some combination thereof. In some preferred embodiments, the base resin is a thermoplastic such as a liquid crystal polymer, polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyamide, polyphthalamide, polypheneline sulfide, polycarbonates, polyetheretheketones and polyphenyline oxide. In some embodiments, the overmold material includes a coupling agent and/or glass fiber.
The overmold material is preferably selected to be electrically insulative and thermally conductive, and to have a rate of thermal expansion that substantially matches that of the actuator coil to reduce head position errors due to popping (sudden force induced by the thermal expansion and contraction of the actuator coil).
These and various other features as well as advantages which characterize the claimed invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reviewing the associated drawings.

Thermally conductive overmold for a disc drive actuator assembly


It is an object of the present invention to provide an on-off type fluorescent compound (a fluorescence-producing molecule system) used in gene analyses, which is highly stable (namely, being active for a long period of time) and highly sensitive, and which enables amplification of a trace amount of gene signal and observation thereof. The present invention provides a nonfluorescent molecule having a fluorescent substance skeleton such as fluorescein skeleton and having a group represented by —O—C(Y1)(Y2)-N3 wherein each of Y1 and Y2 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an aryl group containing 6 to 10 carbon atoms, or a cyano group, in the molecule.

As a method for detecting a nucleic acid molecule having a specific target nucleic acid sequence, a hybridization method using a probe having a nucleotide sequence complementary to the target nucleic acid sequence has been widely used. In the hybridization method, a probe having a nucleotide sequence complementary to the target nucleic acid sequence is prepared, and only a sample having a nucleotide sequence complementary to the nucleotide sequence of the probe hybridizes thereto with high selectivity. As a means for detecting a hybrid formed as a result of the hybridization, a method of labeling a probe nucleic acid with a radioisotope, a method of labeling a probe nucleic acid with a fluorescent substance, a method using a chemiluminescent reagent, and the like are used. Fluorescent substances which can be used in the labeling of a nucleic acid include fluorescein, tetramethylrhodamine, Cy3, Cy5, and the like. A fluorescent nucleic acid probe labeled with such fluorescent substance has a high background fluorescence signal. Thus, it has been difficult to carry out highly sensitive measurement using such probe.


A pipe connector comprises mainly a main body, a threaded cap, and a rubber washer. It is further provided therein with a circular bowlike curved flange and means to prevent leak. In the process of joining the connector with a pipe, the connection head is made to engage securely with pipe by means of tightening the threaded cap to engage the main body so as to press the circular bowlike flange to engage securely the pipe in a leakproof manner and in such a way that it prevents the connection head from disengaging the pipe under high pressure.

The present invention relates to a Quick Pipe Connector more particularly to an improved Quick Pipe Connector that can be screwed into a pipe rapidly.
It is a common occurrence in a construction project that a situation may develop to require the plumber to rearrange the pipes or the direction of flow. To serve such purposes, various connector of prior art are currently available in the market. Among the most commonly used connection heads of prior art are three-way connection head, L-shaped connection head, etc. Such connection heads of prior art are in general provided with packing, ferrule, and threaded cap. In addition, there are also expansion connectors and metal quick connectors. All of such prior art connectors of prior art share the following shortcomings:
1. The plumbers need a greater working space and special work tool such as pipe-expanding tool, connecting tool and/or welding tool to work with such prior art connector.
2. The ferrule has to be pressed to attain the form required to provide a tight seal, resulting in additional labor that is needed.
3. It is difficult to join the connector with a pipe in a leakproof manner. The use of metal washer is difficult to connect pipes in a leakproof manner.
4. The joined connector is vulnerable to disengagement under high pressure. The plastic washer often fails to sustain high pressure.
5. After being connected and/or welded, the joined connectors can not be used repeatedly.


The present invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding a primary auxin response protein degradation signal linked to a heterologous eukaryotic polynucleotide sequence encoding a target polypeptide. Also provided are transgenic plants comprising an expression cassette comprising a polynucleotides of the invention. The invention further provides methods of targeting a recombinantly expressed target polypeptide in a plant for degradation.

The cultivation of plants has been a major focus of human activity for millennia. The development of techniques for introducing new genes into plants has now added a new dimension to this activity. Genetic engineering permits the introduction into plants of a desirable traits, such as pest or disease resistance, improved taste, improved storage characteristics, or improved ripening characteristics. Efforts are even underway to engineer plants which can act as factories to produce bulk chemicals, human therapeutics, and other commercially valuable products.
While techniques to introduce heterologous genes into plants and to obtain their expression are well known, they do not as yet permit as much control over expression as might be desired. Typically, to ensure the introduced gene is expressed, it is put under the control of a strong promoter. This may be acceptable or even desirable if the goal is merely the accumulation of high levels of the gene product. In some cases, however, the gene product may be toxic to the plant at high levels. In other instances, it may be desirable that the gene only be expressed at certain times during the plant's development, and not linger. It would therefore be desirable to have additional ways to modulate levels of gene product expression in plants.
A number of peptide regions of some short-lived proteins of organisms other than plants have been shown to operate as transferable, dominant degradation signals. Mitotic cycling contain a conserved nine amino acid sequence called the "destruction box" which is necessary for their cell cycle specific degradation (Glazer et al., 1991). A 54 amino acid peptide from sea urchin cyclic B containing the destruction box is sufficient for targeting a reporter protein for cell cycle-specific proteolysis (Glotzer et al., 1991). Two different peptide regions which were sufficient for targeting .beta.-galactosidase for rapid degradation were identified in the yeast transcriptional repressor, MAT.alpha.2 (Hochstrasser and Varshavsky, 1990). One consists of the N-terminal 67 amino acid residues and targets proteins containing it for degradation via the ubiquitin pathway (Chen et al., 1993). The N-terminal transmembrane domain of mammalian 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMG-R) and of one of the yeast homologs (HMG-R-2) is necessary for its feedback regulated degradation and sufficient for targeting a reporter protein for feedback regulated degradation (Chun et al., 1990; Hampton and Rine, 1994). In response to serum deprivation, the motif KFERQ (SEQ ID NO:6) and similar peptides operate as degradation signals by targeting proteins for import into mammalian lysosomes (Dice, 1990). However, in the case of the yeast transcription factor GCN4, no small region was found to be sufficient for targeting a fusion protein for degradation suggesting that there may be a tertiary structural component to the degradation signal(s) contained within GCN4 (Kornitzer et al., 1994).
In plants a number of gene families referred here to as primary auxin response genes are known to be expressed early in plant tissues in response to the plant hormone auxin. The primary response genes are activated without a requirement for de novo protein synthesis and can be divided into 5 families based on amino acid identity and auxin induction kinetics: Aux/IAA, SAR--small auxin-unregulated, GH3-like, amino cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase (ACS), and glutathione-S-transferase (GH2/4-like) (see, Abel et al., Bases 18:647-654 (1996) and Abel et al. Plant Physiol. 111:9-17 (1996) for reviews of these plant gene families).
None of these protein sequences is known to work with respect to sequences expressed in plants. Thus, the identification of transferable peptide signals that specifically target proteins in plant cells for degradation would be desirable. The present invention provides these and other advantages.

Sequences from auxin-induced gene products targeting fusion proteins for degradation

The Regents of the University of California


A memory system having a memory element chip (DRAM) and a memory controller chips having a plurality of drivers and receivers and latches for transferred data. For writes clocks, write data and write for CRC (cyclic redundancy checks) is transferred to the DRAM from the memory controller and latched for error checking. The reads are clocked and the read data is received and transferred to a read data latch with also receives a clocked read strobe for verification of data integrity from DRAM. Each chip has a bi-functional pin that acts as a shared CRC pin during write and acts as a shared strobe pin during READ. Data transfers with the CRC signal and DQS signal are transferred across two paths CRC0/DQS and CRC1/DQS1. One could also transfer the CRC signal across one path with only the CRC0/DQS signal. Read operations have no CRC, and have no need for CRC because transfer errors during read can be detected by memory error correction coding (ECC). Write data provides source synchronous I/O data to said memory element chip needed for modem high speed memory communications.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to memory interface communication, and particularly to transfers of cyclic redundancy codes and strobes which allow a user better direct control of a DIMM and its function.
2. Description of Background
Before our invention a conventional memory interface between a memory control and a DIMM used bi-directional strobes. However, error control coding such as use of cyclic redundancy checks (CRC) has become desirable due to the increasing data-rate transfers and consequent bit error rates (BER).

Synchronous memory having shared CRC and strobe pin

International Business Machines Corporation


Acidic halides, especially chlorides, are removed from liquid hydrocarbons such as catalytic reformate by contact with solid caustic such as a bed of NaOH pellets covered with a thin film of brine. Hydration of reformate improves removal when large amounts of chlorides are present in reformate. Halides in liquid hydrocarbon are recovered as a brine phase, which can be only slightly alkaline. Hydration of reformate can be controlled based on pH of brine removed from the bed.

Catalytic reforming, using Pt based reforming catalyst, is one of the most important refinery processes in the world. Most refineries have a catalytic reformer, which converts naphtha fractions into high octane reformate.
Reformers come in many types and sizes--from 2000 BPD fixed bed units to moving or swing bed units processing more than 50,000 BPD. Reformers are available with fixed bed reactors, swing bed reactors, or moving bed reactors. Many new units are moving bed reactors, available from UOP, Inc, Des Plaines, Ill.
Reformers generally use mono-metallic catalysts (Pt on a support such as alumina) or bi-metallic catalyst (Pt-Re on a support). Other combinations of Pt and other metals are known. All reforming catalyst are believed to contain a halide, almost invariably chlorine. The presence of chlorine is beneficial for the reforming process, and may be essential for successful regeneration of Pt catalyst, as the Cl helps keep the Pt dispersed as small crystals on the catalyst.
While all reformers are believed to have some chloride compounds in the reformate, the problem is most serious when a continuous reformer is used, and especially so when the catalyst is near the end of its useful life.
Some refiners add chlorine compounds continuously to their units to maintain a high chloride level on the catalyst. In continuous or moving bed reformers the catalyst is chlorided after coke burn but before return to the top of the reforming reactor. More chlorine is added now, as opposed to 10 or 20 years ago, both as a prophylactic measure to allow the units to be pushed harder, and the belief that catalyst regeneration is more successful with more Cl on catalyst.
Cl in the reformate causes problems in downstream units. The main chlorine compounds in reformate are believed to be HCl, NH4Cl and FeCl3. Some refiners may use other halides, such as Fl or I, but Cl is the halide of choice, so hereafter chlorine and its reaction or degradation products will be referred to rather than halogens in general.
Chlorine compounds in reformate cause several problems. Some regions have a pH specification on gasoline, which can not be met if large amounts of HCl are present in the reformate. Chlorides can seriously affect downstream processing units, such as a Sulfolane aromatics extraction unit, if the reformate is so treated.
Chlorides can cause very immediate problems in the reformer. If the reformer is relatively dry, as most are, the chlorides form salts which plug up the reformer fractionators. If water is added to wash the salts out then HCl is formed, which causes serious corrosion problems. As an example, one of our refineries had a problem with chloride salt buildup in product fractionators. Every three months or so the fractionator efficiency declined so that it was necessary to water wash the column. About 1 wt % water was added to the tower to wash out salts. This cleaned the column, but would also form some HCl, which can attack some steels, especially with water present.
The problem has gotten worse in the last decade, going from nuisance to a major problem. The conventional methods of handling chlorine in reformate will be briefly reviewed. These are grouped arbitrarily below and reviewed in detail hereafter.
1. Water washing,
2. Solid adsorbent treating of reformate,
3. Chemical treatments.

Three phase removal of halides from liquid hydrocarbons


A clear base ventilation system for an internal combustion engine includes an air-oil separator. Blowby gas from the engine crankcase is drawn into the inlet of the separator in a swirling cyclonic motion so as to force any oil entrained in the blowby gas to impinge on the walls of the inlet and drain back into the crankcase. Blowby gas is then drawn into a baffle which further removes any entrained oil in the blowby gas as the gas flows therethrough. An outlet chamber exists at the end of the baffle and has a volume of space substantially greater than the volume of space in the baffle such that blowby gas flowing out of the baffle reduces in speed, thereby allowing any further entrained oil to separate from the blowby gas. Substantially oil-free gas is then introduced to the air induction system of the engine.

When the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine is ignited, a portion of the burnt gas during the power stroke leaks between the piston and the cylinder wall into the crankcase. The need to remove this gas, commonly referred to as blowby gas, from the engine crankcase is well known. Otherwise, the blowby gas would deteriorate the quality of the lubricating oil in the crankcase and also tend to increase crankcase pressure, thereby inducing oil leakage from the crankcase. Generally, the blowby gas is vented out of the crankcase and returned to the combustion chamber through the crankcase ventilation system. However, any excess oil entrained in the blowby gas must be removed prior to introducing the blowby gas to the combustion chamber.
Typically, air-oil separators are used to remove the entrained oil. The inventors of the present invention have recognized certain drawbacks with prior art separators, however. Some prior art separators utilize a blower to impart fluid motion on the blowby gas so that the blowby gas can pass through the air-oil separator. Other prior art separators rely solely on the lubricating oil in the blowby gas impinging on the walls of a baffle. However, in these separators, an inadequate amount of entrained oil is removed.

Air-oil separator for a crankcase ventilation system in an internal combustion engine


A tube cutter designed for cutting a pipe where access is limited to the interior of the tube only. A rotatable cutter head mounted at the end of an elongated drive shaft carries a plurality of cuffing wheels. The tube cutter is inserted into a tube to be cut from one end thereof using the elongated drive shaft to position the cutter head in the tube. When the cutter head is inserted into the predetermined location, a feed drive is energized which rotates a scroll head to cause the cutting wheels to move in a radial direction to advance and engage the interior surface of the tube in a concentric manner undergoing cutting. When the tube has been severed, the feed drive rotation is reversed to retract the cutting wheels into the rotatable head, so as to enable removal of the rotary tube cutter from the tube.

This invention relates to a device useful in cutting tubes or pipes in locations that make it impossible to cut the pipe from the outside. At times, it is necessary to remove tubes from boilers, reactors, etc. where the only available access to the tube is at one end of the boiler reactor, etc. and this access is limited to the interior of the tube diameter.
Prior art devices have included various types of cutting devices which at times have had performance limitations which caused problems in obtaining the desired result.
The cutting device must be insertable into the interior of the tube from the end thereof, and must be able to reach the desired cutting location which may be a substantial distance from the end of the boiler or reactor from which the cutter has been inserted.
The cutter will preferably not produce any shavings or other particles of a nature that might be produced by grinding, filing or otherwise abrading the pipe undergoing cutting.
Similarly, the device must not permanently distort the tube undergoing cutting or produce any deflections of a permanent nature in the tube which would impair its future use.
The cutting device must be easy to insert into the tube, and be actuable from the end of the reactor or boiler to produce an acceptable separation of the tube, and the cutting device must be capable of being retracted from the tube when the cutting operation is complete.
Prior art devices have included devices which carry a single or a pair of oppositely disposed cutter wheels mounted in a rotating head of a cutting device.
Such a cutting device is driven by a hollow shaft to produce rotation of the head, and a second co-axial shaft is provided within the hollow shaft which is connected to ramping surfaces associated with the cutter wheels so that translation of the co-axial shaft causes the ramping surfaces to move the cutter wheels into engagement with the pipe and perform the desired operation. This device tends to distort the tube undergoing the cutting operation so that the metallurgical properties of the tube may have been altered in the region where the cutting operation has taken place.
A good example of a prior art inside pipe and tube cutter may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,814,105 to Smith. This patent describes a pipe cutting device having two oppositely disposed cutting wheels, which are adjustable in a radial direction to produce a rotary cut inside a pipe. The device is intended to be used for producing cuts in pipes at a location near the end of the pipe.
Because the device is intended to cut cast iron soil pipes, the axes of the cutting device need not be stabilized in the pipe at the lower end, thus, the cutter wheels may cause the axis of the device to nutate, and if the device is employed for severing ductile pipe, the distoration of the pipe during the severing operation may not be acceptable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,629 to Schott shows a very complex device useful in severing boiler tubes from the inside of the tube. The device is centered in the tube by a pair of eccentric guide rolls and a single hydraulically actuated cutter wheel is advanced to cut the tube during rotation of the tool.
The distortion produced by this device cannot be overemphasized, and the complexity of the device is sufficient to make the device uneconomical to manufacture. The limit of travel allowed for the cutting wheel confines the use of this device to a small range of pipes or tubes.


The present invention provides a semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; at least a pad electrode provided over the semiconductor substrate; a passivation film provided over the semiconductor substrate; an insulative resin stress buffer layer provided over the at least pad electrode and the passivation film, the insulative resin stress buffer layer having at least an opening positioned over at least a part of the at least pad electrode; and at least a land portion provided over the insulative resin stress buffer layer and also electrically connected to the at least pad electrode, and a top surface of the at least land portion being electrically connected to at least a bump which is positioned over the at least land portion, wherein the at least land portion and the passivation film are isolated from each other by the insulative resin stress buffer layer.

The present invention relates to a flip-chip semiconductor device and a method of forming the same, and more particularly to a repairable flip-chip semiconductor device which allows that a non-defective flip-chip-mounted semiconductor device is once removed from a defective multilayer circuit board for repairing the non-defective flip-chip-mounted semiconductor device to a new non-defective multilayer circuit board for realizing a possible low manufacturing cost and a method of forming the same.
The conventional flip-chip semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor chip, wherein an array of external electrodes is provided either on a peripheral region of the semiconductor chip or an active region of the semiconductor chip, and further bumps are formed on the external electrodes. The bumps may, for example, comprise either solder bumps, Au bumps and Snxe2x80x94Ag alloy bumps. The semiconductor device is flip-chip-bonded on a multilayer circuit board having electrode pads having the same patterns as the bumps of the semiconductor device. If the bumps comprise the solder bumps, then an infrared ray re-flow process using a flux is usually used for flip-chip-mounting the semiconductor device onto the multilayer circuit board. After the semiconductor device has been flip-chip-mounted onto the multilayer circuit board, then there is raised a serious problem with a temperature cyclic characteristic in the mounting reliability due to mismatch in linear expansion coefficient between the semiconductor device and the multilayer circuit board.
In order to improve the temperature cyclic characteristic, it had been proposed to make an expansion coefficient of the multilayer circuit board close to an expansion coefficient of the semiconductor device. Namely, it had been proposed to minimize the mismatch in linear expansion coefficient between the semiconductor device and the multilayer circuit board for improvement of the mounting reliability. For this purpose, ceramic based materials are used for the multilayer circuit board. Since, those ceramic based materials are, however, expensive, the applications of the conventional flip-chip semiconductor devices have been limited to super computers and large scale computers.
In recent years, inexpensive and large linear expansion coefficient organic materials have been used for the multilayer circuit board in place of the above expensive ceramic based materials, wherein an inter-space between the semiconductor device and the organic material multilayer circuit board is filled with an under-fill resin. The provision of the under-fill resin into the inter-space between the semiconductor device and the organic material multilayer circuit board results in relaxation or dispersion of a shearing stress applied to the bumps between the semiconductor device and the organic material multilayer circuit board, thereby improving the mounting reliability. The provision of the under-fill resin into the inter-space between the semiconductor device and the organic material multilayer circuit board allows the use of the inexpensive organic material multilayer circuit board. The use of the under-fill resin may raise the following problems. If any voids are present in the under-fill resin or if the under-fill resin has inferior adhesiveness with the interface of the semiconductor device or with the interface of the organic material multilayer circuit board. In a porosity re-flow process of the product, peeling may appear on the under-fill resin interfaces to the semiconductor device and to the organic material multilayer circuit board, whereby the yield is dropped. Indiscriminately, it can not be said that the provision of the under-fill resin into the inter-space between the semiconductor device and the organic material multilayer circuit board realizes the low manufacturing cost.
The flip-chip semiconductor chip is expensive. If the above temperature cyclic characteristics have been improved, then no problem may be raised. If, however, any defective appear on the other part than the semiconductor chip after the semiconductor chip has been mounted on the multilayer circuit board, then it is necessary to repair the non-defective semiconductor chip to a new non-defective multilayer circuit board instead of the defective multilayer circuit board. Once the under-fill resin is provided between the inter-space between the semiconductor chip and the multilayer circuit board, it is difficult to repair the non-defective semiconductor chip to a new non-defective multilayer circuit board. In this case, not only the defective semiconductor device but also the non-defective multilayer circuit board could not be used.
By contrast, if the ceramic-based material is used for the multilayer circuit board wherein the linear expansion coefficient of the ceramic-based material is optimized, then it is unnecessary to provide the under-fill resin into the inter-space between the semiconductor device and the multilayer circuit board. It is relatively easy to repair the non-defective semiconductor chip to a new non-defective multilayer circuit board. FIGS. 1A through 1C are schematic side views illustrative of sequential repair processes for removing the non-defective semiconductor chip from the defective multilayer circuit board. With reference to FIG. 1A, a non-defective semiconductor chip 101 with solder bumps 102 are flip-chip-mounted on a defective multilayer circuit board 110. With reference to FIG. 1B, an adsorbing and heating tool 120 is made into contact with an opposite surface of the non-defective semiconductor chip 101 to the surface having the solder bumps 102 and facing to the defective multilayer circuit board 110. The adsorbing and heating tool 120 has heaters 121 for heating the non-defective semiconductor chip 101 with the solder bumps 102. The adsorbing and heating tool 120 is capable of vacuum adsorption with the non-defective semiconductor chip 101 and also the heaters 121 generate heats to be transmitted through the non-defective semiconductor chip 101 to the solder bumps 102, whereby bonding portions of the solder bumps 102 to electrode pads of the defective multilayer circuit board 110 are melt. In this state, the adsorbing and heating tool 120 performing the vacuum adsorption with the non-defective semiconductor chip 101 is moved upwardly to remove the non-defective semiconductor chip 101 from the defective multilayer circuit board 110. With reference to FIG. 1C, the non-defective semiconductor chip 101 is peeled from the defective multilayer circuit board 110 for subsequent repairing the non-defective semiconductor chip 101 to a new non-defective multilayer circuit board.
The non-defective semiconductor chip 101 is peeled from the defective multilayer circuit board 110 by the mechanical force due to the vacuum adsorption after the solder bumps 102 have sufficiently be heated by the heat conduction from the heaters 121 through the non-defective semiconductor chip 101. The mechanical force may provide a certain mechanical damage to the solder bumps 102 on the non-defective semiconductor chip 101 and also provide a damage to barrier metal junction portions between the solder bumps 102 and the non-defective semiconductor chip 101. Further, the mechanical force may provide a certain mechanical damage to a passivation film of a polyimide based organic material or silicon oxide which protects the active regions of the non-defective semiconductor chip 101 as well as provide a damage to the non-defective semiconductor chip 101, whereby the non-defective semiconductor chip 101 becomes defective.
In Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 10-135270, it is disclosed to solve the above problem. After a passivation film is formed on a surface of a semiconductor region on which solder bumps are intended to be formed, an insulation film is further formed on the passivation film. External electrodes are formed on the insulating films over the passivation film. The solder bumps are then formed on the external electrodes. A further protective layer of an insulating resin is formed which covers the entire regions except for the solder bumps. The insulating layer interposed between the solder bumps and the external electrodes and the semiconductor chip relaxes the mechanical force to be applied to the semiconductor chip for peeling the semiconductor chip from the multilayer circuit board. Namely, the interposed insulating layer relaxes the mechanical stress to the semiconductor chip, thereby reducing the damages to the passivation film and the semiconductor chip. This conventional technique is also disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 11-121518.
As described above, the insulating resin protective layer for protecting the external electrodes is formed over the interposed insulating layer which relaxes the mechanical stress to the semiconductor chip. The interposed insulating layer is made of a material having a flexibility for relaxing the mechanical stress to the semiconductor chip, wherein it is possible that the material having the flexibility suitable for the interposed insulating layer is different in thermal expansion coefficient from the insulating resin protective layer formed over the interposed insulating layer. The insulating resin protective layer is formed by a coating method to obtain a high adhesion with the interposed insulating layer. A temperature history causes a thermal stress to an interface between the insulating resin protective layer and the interposed insulating layer. This thermal stress causes bending of the semiconductor chip or the semiconductor wafer and also causes cracks in the insulating resin protective layer. After the insulating resin protective layer has been formed by the coating method, it is necessary to selectively etch the insulating resin protective layer to form openings in the insulating resin protective layer for subsequent formations of solder bumps in the openings. This makes the manufacturing processes, whereby the manufacturing cost is increased. Whereas it is preferable that vertical cross sectioned shapes of the openings are tapered to correspond to the spherical shape of the solder bumps, it is, actually however, that the selective etching process forms cylindrically shaped openings, wherein the vertical cross sectioned shapes of the openings are rectangle.
In the above circumstances, it had been required to develop a novel flip-chip semiconductor device and method of forming the same free from the above problem.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel flip-chip semiconductor device free from the above problems.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel repairable flip-chip semiconductor device which allows that a non-defective flip-chip-mounted semiconductor device is once removed from a defective multilayer circuit board for repairing the non-defective flip-chip-mounted semiconductor device to a new non-defective multilayer circuit board for realizing a possible low manufacturing cost.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a novel method of forming a novel flip-chip semiconductor device free from the above problems.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a novel method of forming a novel repairable flip-chip semiconductor device which allows that a non-defective flip-chip-mounted semiconductor device is once removed from a defective multilayer circuit board for repairing the non-defective flip-chip-mounted semiconductor device to a new non-defective multilayer circuit board for realizing a possible low manufacturing cost.
The present invention provides a semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; at least a pad electrode provided over the semiconductor substrate; a passivation film provided over the semiconductor substrate; an insulative resin stress buffer layer provided over the at least pad electrode and the passivation film, the insulative resin stress buffer layer having at least an opening positioned over at least a part of the at least pad electrode; and at least a land portion provided over the insulative resin stress buffer layer and also electrically connected to the at least pad electrode, and a top surface of the at least land portion being electrically connected to at least a bump which is positioned over the at least land portion, wherein the at least land portion and the passivation film are isolated from each other by the insulative resin stress buffer layer.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following descriptions.

Flip-chip semiconductor device and method of forming the same


An internal combustion engine has a cylinder, a cylinder head mounted to the cylinder, a piston disposed in the cylinder, and a fuel injection valve. A combustion chamber is defined by the piston, the cylinder head and the cylinder. The fuel injection valve has a plurality of injection holes that injects fuel directly inside the cylinder from a side of the combustion chamber. The injection holes inject fuel in a spray shape with an overall shape, which is formed by a plurality of sprays being injected from the injection holes. The overall shape expands toward the cylinder head and forms one part of a conical shape that is dented near the piston. Central axes of some of the injection holes are oriented toward a boundary portion near the exhaust valve formed at a crown surface of the piston and an inner wall of the cylinder when fuel is injected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine.
2. Background Information
There is known a direct-injection spark-ignited internal combustion engine wherein a fuel injection valve has a plurality of nozzle holes at the tip portion thereof and is arranged to inject fuel directly inside the combustion chamber of a cylinder. The tip end portion of the fuel injection valve faces the inside of the combustion chamber from between the two adjacent intake ports formed at the edge of the roof of the cylinder head. During the intake stroke, when the crank angle is 140 degrees after top dead center, the downward spray collides with the cavity closer to the intake side than the exhaust side from the lower injection nozzle hole which among the plurality of nozzle holes jets fuel the furthest downward (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-228579).
However, there was the possibility that the large amount of fuel that would stick to the piston would therefore increase the amount of particulate matter (PM) in the exhaust gas.
The problem, which the present invention aims to address, is providing an internal combustion engine capable of reducing the amount of particulate matter included in the exhaust gas.
The present invention addresses the problem by orienting the central axis of the spray injected from the fuel injection valve towards the boundary portion opposite the fuel injection valve at the piston position formed by the crown surface of the piston and the inner wall of the cylinder when fuel is injected.


In an example embodiment, A shelter comprises a primary canopy and a frame assembly. The frame assembly includes a plurality of leg members and an upper frame. Each leg member attaches to the upper frame at a respective corner bracket of the upper frame. The primary canopy is attached to the upper frame, which includes at least one roof member extending from each corner bracket. At least one roof member includes a telescoping inner shaft so as to be selectively extendable therefrom. A support member also extends above at least a portion of the at least one roof member to support the primary canopy. A secondary canopy is attached to the telescoping inner shaft for selective deployment therewith.

Portable shelters and tents are used for numerous activities including camping, sporting events, picnics, beach-going, fairs. Often, such structures are used for their provision of simple shade from the sun and protection from other weather elements. Some conventional shelters must be assembled before and disassembled after each use. However, many conventional shelters are of the "instant" type, in which the frame is comprised of interconnected members, hubs, brackets and hinges so that deployment is relatively quick and easy. The canopy portion of the "instant" shelter can be attached to the frame prior to deployment or can be attached after the shelter is erected.
Although "instant" type shelters are easy to deploy, they typically have a set size when fully deployed. Users therefore have no way to customize their shade area to accommodate events of varying sizes. Several prior art shelters utilize simple shade walls that can swing up or down to offer additional shaded area, while others have the ability only to tilt/angle the shelter itself. There is therefore still a need for adjustable shade coverage from standard and/or "instant" type shelters.


Appropriate communication operation is performed by employing space division multiple access in which wireless resources on a space axis are shared by a plurality of users.

Wireless communication is used as a technique of avoiding loads of wiring works in conventional wired communication and realizing mobile communication. For example, examples of a general standard of a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) include the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11. The IEEE802.111/g has been broadly used.
In many wireless LAN systems including the IEEE802.11, an access control procedure based on carrier sense such as CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance) or the like is employed so that communication stations avoid collision of carriers at a time of random channel access. Specifically, a communication station which corresponds to generation of a transmission request monitors a medium state only for a predetermined frame interval DIFS (Distributed Inter Frame Space). When a transmission signal is not detected in the predetermined frame interval DIFS, random back-off is performed. Furthermore, when a transmission signal is not further detected while the random back-off is performed, the communication station obtains an exclusive-channel use/transmission right (TXOP: Transmission Opportunity) of an exclusive channel and is allowed to transmit a frame. Furthermore, examples of a methodology for addressing hidden terminal problem in a wireless communication include "virtual carrier sense". Specifically, the communication station assumes, when information on a duration (sustained period) for reservation of a medium is written in a reception frame to be received by another communication state, that the medium has been used in a period of time corresponding to the duration information, that is, performs carrier sense and sets a transmission stop period (NAV: Network Allocation Vector). By this, exclusive use of a channel in the TXOP is ensured.
The IEEE802.11a/g standard supports a modulation method which attains a communication speed of 54 Mbps at maximum (in a physical layer data rate) and which utilizes orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) in a frequency band of 2.4 GHz or a frequency band of 5 GHz. Furthermore, a further high bit rate is realized in the IEEE802.11n standard which is an expansion standard of the IEEE802.11a/g standard by employing an MIMO (multi-Input Multi-Output) communication method. Here, in the MIMO communication method, a transmitter and a receiver have a plurality of antenna elements and a spatial multiplexing stream is realized (which is a known method). Although high throughput (HT) of 100 Mbps or more is attained by the IEEE802.11n standard, there is a demand for further speeding-up since an amount of information on transmission content is increased.
For example, by increasing the number of streams subjected to spatial multiplexing along with the increased number of antennas of an MIMO communication apparatus, throughput in one-to-one communication may be improved while backward compatibility is maintained. However, in the future, in addition to a throughput for each user in communication, throughputs for all users should be improved.
An IEEE802.11ac working group aims plot of a wireless LAN standard of a data transmission speed of 1 Gbps or more using a frequency band equal to or smaller than 6 GHz. To attain this plot, a space division multiple access method, such as multiuser MIMO (MU-MIMO) or SDMA (Space Division Multiple Access), in which wireless resources on a space axis is shared by a plurality of users becomes a possible candidate.
At present, the space division multiple access is discussed as one of fundamental technologies of a next-generation cellular phone system based on TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) such as PHS (Personal Handyphone System and LTE (Long Term Evolution).
Furthermore, a communication system obtained by combining two techniques, that is, carrier sense based on the conventional IEEE802.11 standard and space division multiple access using an adaptive array antenna with each other using an RTS packet, a CTS packet, and an ACK packet which have packet formats which maintain backward compatibility with the conventional IEEE802.11 standard has been proposed (refer to Patent Literature 1, for example).
However, in a wireless LAN field, although one-to-many communication described above has been attracting attention, such communication has been rarely applied. This may be because it is difficult to efficiently multiplex a plurality of users in packet communication.
Particularly, under an infrastructure mode in which a plurality of terminals (MT) are associated with a single access point (AP) and are connected to a network as members of a BSS (Basic Service Set), when the terminals simultaneously perform uplink (UL) access to the access point, a difference of delay times among the terminals causes a problem. This delay time difference is mainly caused by transmission delays of the terminals associated with relative positions of the terminals relative to the access point and errors unique to the terminals such as clock accuracy. For example, in a specification of the IEEE802.11, an error of ±900 nanoseconds is tolerated as accuracy of a frame interval of transmission/reception. The delay time differences among the terminals which are larger than a Guard interval length used in OFDM cause interference among users when the terminals simultaneously transmit frames to the access point. Therefore, an effect of improvement of throughput caused by the space division multiple access is not expected.
To address the problem of the delay time differences among the terminals, a wireless transmission/reception system in which an access point employs a technique of removing interference and an equalization technique has been proposed (refer to Patent Literature 2, for example). However, implement of this technique in communication equipment causes increase of circuit cost which is an adverse effect when the access point is to be designed and fabricated at low cost.
Furthermore, as another method for addressing the problem of the delay time differences among the terminals, control of transmission times of the terminals is taken as an example. Although the delay time differences among the terminals may be controlled in a wireless LAN system in which TDD (Time Division Duplex) frames are clearly divided into an uplink and a downlink and in a communication system based on a reserved TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) in which a base station takes initiative and a slot is ensured (refer to Patent Literatures 2 and 3, for example), the correction of the delay time differences is not applicable to a wireless LAN system based on the CSMA.

Communication apparatus, communication method, computer program, and communication system

Abstract: Frame exchange is performed between an access point and terminals whereby the access point estimates delay times of the terminals and notifies the terminals of information on the delay times and the terminals perform uplink frame transmission to the access point taking a difference among the delay times into consideration. Interference among users may be reduced in the access point and throughput of a system which performs the space division multiple access is improved.


A sling label comprises a single layer label portion having an upper surface and a lower surface, a cut in the label portion forming a sling, and adhesive on the lower surface of the label portion. The adhesive is inactivated on the lower surface of the label corresponding to the position of the sling. Further, a method for making a sling label comprises placing a single layer label portion over a backing layer so that the label portion adheres to the backing layer by means of the adhesive, and inactivating a portion of the adhesive on the lower surface of the label portion. A diecut is made in the label portion where the adhesive on the lower surface of the label portion has been inactivated, and the label portion is re-fastened to the backing layer.

This invention relates to a sling label, and a method for making such a label. The sling label is one which is often typically used in the pharmaceutical industry, but is not limited thereto.
Labels are extensively used on or with pharmaceuticals and related products. The labels, which may be printed on the packaging or inserted in the packaging of a pharmaceutical container, will typically provide basic safety information relating to the contents of the container, and may also provide additional and detailed information on the pharmaceutical contained in the container, especially in the area of pharmaceutical products where specific information on properties, side effects and characteristics of the products are necessary. Further, labels may be otherwise specialized in their construction and components, and may, for example, have peel off sections and tabs, booklets, as well as slings, hangers and the like for a wide variety of uses. These additional components make the label, particularly one used in the pharmaceutical industry, a vital and important element to further the safety, handling and use of the product.