The present invention relates to monomeric, oligomeric and polymeric bisesters of alkyl- or alkenyldicarboxylic acid derivatives and polyalcohols, and their use as solubilizers, emulsifiers and/or detergents. In particular, the bisesters are advantageously used in cosmetic compositions, detergents and cleaners, pharmaceutical compositions, foodstuffs and crop protection compositions. The invention furthermore relates to a process for preparing these bisesters.

In the surfactant and emulsifiers sector, in recent years nonionic surface-active substances which are readily biodegradable, have a low toxicity and thus possess good environmental compatibility have increasingly come to the fore.
An important group of nonionic compounds of this type are esters of fatty acids and polyalcohols, such as sucrose esters, sorbitan esters and glycerol and polyglycerol fatty acid esters. In these compounds a polyalcohol group is esterified with a hydrophobic fatty acid radical.
Most products of the classes of compound mentioned are too nonpolar to be employed in aqueous formulations as a surfactant. The more hydrophilic products of this compound type prove in some properties such as foaming and wetting power and the interfacial and surface tension to be still in need of improvement.
JP 051 25 014 discloses monoesters of alkenylcarboxylic anhydrides with hydrophilic compounds, such as polyglycerol, and their use as surfactants.
WO 94/00508 discloses surfactants in which a polyethylene glycol chain is bonded to an alk(en)ylsuccinic acid radical. The polyethylene glycol bisesters described have at least 13 carbon atoms.
DE 42 38 032 discloses bisesters of alk(en)ylsuccinic acid derivatives with polyethylene glycols and their use as skin conditioners.
EP 01 07 199 and BE 898 441 disclose polyoxyalkylenemonoesters of alk(en)ylsuccinic acid derivatives and various intended uses of these compounds.
A disadvantage in these products is in particular the lack of hard water stability and the excessively high interfacial tensions and thus the excessively low solubilizing and emulsifying action.
The use of bisesters of alkyl- or alkenylmalonic acid derivatives, -succinic acid derivatives and -glutaric acid derivatives and polyalcohols which, on the one hand, have a hydrophobic radical and on the other hand at least two polyalcohol components, as solubilizers, emulsifiers or detergents, in particular in detergents, cleaners or personal hygiene compositions, pharmaceutical compositions, foodstuffs or crop protection compositions, has not been described until now.
J 6 00 18 584 discloses alkenylsuccinic acid bisglycerol esters for use as corrosion inhibitors in oil-soluble medium.
In SU 457 754 and in DL 163 348, alkenylsuccinic acid polyglycerol bisesters are employed in electrolytes for silver-plating or for tin baths.
J 5 70 65 793, SU 432 172, U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,435 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,958 disclose applications of alkenylsuccinic acid polyglycerol monoesters or bisesters in lubricating oils and cooling lubricants.
DDR 40 624 discloses a process for preparing dicarboxylic acid polyglycerol bisesters and mentions the wetting agent properties of these compounds.
The present invention is based on the object of providing compounds which can be used as detergents, solubilizers and emulsifiers and which do not have the disadvantages described above. The compounds according to the invention should be able to display their advantageous actions, in particular in aqueous or in aqueous/ethanolic systems in which poorly soluble or insoluble substances are to be solubilized or emulsified or from which substances are to be removed with the aid of the detergent activity of the compounds according to the invention.
In particular, the compounds according to the invention should be utilizable in detergents and cleaners and also in cosmetic compositions. The compounds should furthermore be physiologically or phytophysiologically inert in order to be able to employ them in crop protection compositions, pharmaceutical compositions or in dietetic and nondietetic foodstuffs. An advantage in the two last-mentioned application areas would additionally be a low intrinsic odor and a neutral intrinsic taste.

Alk(en)yldicarboxylic acid bisesters, their use, and processes for their preparation


A suspension system includes a lower arm having an I-shaped cross section. A coil spring seat portion is formed on the lower arm for supporting a coil spring. A center of stiffness of the lower arm is so located with respect to a centerline of load applied to the lower arm that the lower arm bends upward when a compressive force is applied thereto.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a suspension system of a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, motor vehicles, such as minivans and wagons, generally employ in their rear suspension systems a structure in which coil springs are disposed separately from shock absorbers, or dampers, and mounted directly on lower suspension arms having an I-shaped cross section as shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-293120 to provide as large an in-vehicle space as possible, rather than a structure in which each coil spring surrounds a damper in a coaxial configuration. In this kind of motor vehicles, great emphasis is placed on their performance to give a comfortable ride. To ensure increased riding comfort, it has been necessary to make the length of the coil springs as large as possible.
In the aforementioned structure in which the coil springs are mounted directly on the lower arms, the height of a floor of the vehicle increases if the length of the coil springs is increased and, therefore, it has been essential to give particular consideration to vehicle design to provide a large in-vehicle space. To achieve this design objective, the aforementioned Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-293120 proposes an independent suspension type rear suspension system employing a specially designed structure including coil springs placed between a vehicle body and left and right lower arms having an I-shaped cross section in which an upward opening dish-shaped (or recessed) coil spring seat portion is formed in each of the lower arms at about the middle of the length thereof for supporting the coil springs. Provided with the recessed coil spring seat portion in each of the lower arms, this lower arm structure is intended to locate lower ends of the coil springs as low as possible so that the length of the coil springs can be increased. This approach is now widely taken for granted in the aforementioned kind of motor vehicles.
Even if the length of the coil springs is increased by forming the recessed coil spring seat portions in the lower arms for supporting the coil springs as mentioned above, however, it is actually impossible to achieve a desired level of ride quality. Taking this into consideration, the inventors of the present invention have come to a finding which is explained below. If side forces act on the lower arms under conditions where the motor vehicle is in a cornering maneuver, there arises a compressive force exerted on each of the lower arms. The inventors have found that this compressive force produces a large amount of stress applied to the lower arms, causing the lower arms to bend downward, due to the presence of the recessed coil spring seat portions accommodating the lower ends of the coil springs of which length have been increased for improving the riding comfort.
More specifically, the center of stiffness of each lower arm is significantly lowered due to the presence of the recessed coil spring seat portion and is greatly offset downward from a centerline of load applied by the compressive force caused by the side force acting on each lower arm and, therefore, a great downward bending force is exerted on each lower arm.
In addition to this downward bending force, a reaction force exerted downward by the coil spring due to rolling motion of the vehicle acts on one of the lower arms during cornering, so that the lower arm is subjected to a considerably large downward bending force when the side forces are present. Conventionally, the lower arms have been made so large-sized that the lower arms would not deform due to the bending force exerted thereupon. In addition, the conventional lower arms would become so heavy to provide desired stiffness that the coil springs must have a high modulus of elasticity to suppress vibrations and oscillation of the heavy lower arms. For this reason, it has not been possible to achieve the desired level of ride quality with the conventional lower arm structure even though the length of the coil springs is increased to realize enhanced riding comfort.


A compound for a rare-earth bonded magnet includes a rare-earth alloy powder and a binder. The rare-earth alloy powder includes at least about 2 mass % of Ti-containing nanocomposite magnet powder particles with a composition represented by (Fe1-mTm)100-x-y-zQxRyMz, where T is Co and/or Ni; Q is B with or without C; R is at least one rare-earth element substantially excluding La and Ce; M is at least one metal element selected from Ti, Zr and Hf and always includes Ti; and 10<x≦20 at %; 6≦y<10 at %; 0.1≦z≦12 at %; and 0≦m≦0.5. The particles include at least two ferromagnetic crystalline phases, in which hard magnetic phases have an average crystal grain size of about 10 nm to about 200 nm, soft magnetic phases have an average crystal grain size of about 1 nm to about 100 nm; and the average crystal grain size of the soft magnetic phases is smaller than that of the hard magnetic phases.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a compound for a rare-earth bonded magnet and a rare-earth bonded magnet using such a compound.
2. Description of the Related Art
A bonded magnet is currently used in various types of electric equipment including motors, actuators, loudspeakers, meters and focus convergence rings. A bonded magnet is a magnet obtained by mixing together an alloy powder for a magnet (i.e., a magnet powder) and a binder (such as a resin or a low-melting metal) and then compacting and setting the mixture.
In the prior art, an Fe—R—B based magnet powder available from Magnequench International Inc. (which will be referred to herein as "MQI Inc."), or a so-called "MQ powder", is used extensively as a magnet powder for a bonded magnet. The MQ powder normally has a composition which is represented by the general formula: Fe100-a-bBaRb (where Fe is iron, B is boron, and R is at least one rare-earth element selected from the group consisting of Pr, Nd, Dy and Tb). In this general formula, a and b satisfy the inequalities 1 at %≦a≦6 at % and 10 at %≦b≦25 at %, respectively. The MQ powder is a rare-earth alloy powder with a high R mole fraction b.
A conventional alloy powder for a bonded magnet such as the MQ powder is obtained by rapidly cooling and solidifying a molten material alloy (i.e., "molten alloy"). As such a melt quenching process, a single roller method (typically, a melt spinning process) is often used. The single roller method is a method of cooling and solidifying a molten alloy by bringing the alloy into contact with a rotating chill roller. In this method, the resultant rapidly solidified alloy has the shape of a thin strip (or ribbon), which is elongated in the surface velocity direction of the chill roller. The thin-strip rapidly solidified alloy obtained in this manner is thermally treated and then pulverized to a mean particle size of 300 μm or less (or typically about 150 μm) to be a rare-earth alloy powder for a permanent magnet. In the following description, the rare-earth alloy powder obtained by such a melt quenching process will be simply referred to herein as a "conventional rapidly solidified magnet powder", which will not include the nanocomposite magnet powder to be described later.
By mixing the conventional rapidly solidified magnet powder with a resin (which will include herein rubber or elastomer), a compound for a bonded magnet (which will be simply referred to herein as a "compound") is prepared. An additive such as a lubricant or a coupling agent is sometimes mixed with this compound.
Thereafter, by compacting this compound into a desired shape by a compression, extrusion or injection molding process, for example, a bonded magnet is obtained as a compact for a permanent magnet (which will be sometimes referred to herein as a "permanent magnet body"). Also, the bonded magnet to be obtained by the compression or extrusion process includes the binder at a relatively low percentage, and may be further subjected to a surface treatment to protect the magnet powder from corrosion.
Meanwhile, an iron-based rare-earth alloy (e.g., Fe—R—B based, in particular) nanocomposite magnet (which is sometimes called an "exchange spring magnet") powder has recently been used more and more often as a magnet powder for a bonded magnet because such a magnet powder is relatively cost effective. The Fe—R—B based nanocomposite magnet is an iron-based alloy permanent magnet in which nanometer-scale crystals of iron-based borides (e.g., Fe3B, Fe23B6 and other soft magnetic phases) and those of an R2Fe14B phase as a hard magnetic phase are distributed uniformly within the same metal structure and are magnetically coupled together via exchange interactions (see Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-244107, for example).
The nanocomposite magnet includes soft magnetic phases and yet exhibits excellent magnetic properties due to the magnetic coupling (i.e., the exchange interactions) between the soft and hard magnetic phases. Also, since there are those soft magnetic phases including no rare-earth elements R such as Nd, the total percentage of the rare-earth elements R can be relatively low (a typical R mole fraction is 4.5 at %). This is advantageous for the purposes of reducing the manufacturing cost of magnets and supplying the magnets constantly. Furthermore, since R, which is active to oxygen, is included at a low percentage, the magnet also excels in anticorrosiveness. The nanocomposite magnet may also be made by a melt quenching process. Then, the nanocomposite magnet is pulverized by a predetermined method to obtain a nanocomposite magnet powder.
However, the conventional compound for a rare-earth bonded magnet, made of the alloy powder (or magnet powder) described above, has the following drawbacks.
Firstly, to obtain a uniform microcrystalline structure, which contributes to expressing excellent magnetic properties, for the conventional rapidly solidified magnet powder (e.g., the MQ powder), the molten alloy needs to be rapidly cooled and solidified at a relatively high rate. For example, when the conventional rapidly solidified magnet powder is made by a single roller method, the roller should have a surface velocity of 20 m/s or more to obtain a rapidly solidified alloy (typically in a thin strip shape) with a thickness of 50 μm or less (typically, 20 μm to 40 μm).
However, when the rapidly solidified alloy obtained in this manner is pulverized, the resultant powder will mostly consist of particles with aspect ratios of less than 0.3. If a compound for a rare-earth bonded magnet (which will be simply referred to herein as a "compound") is obtained by mixing the powder of such a shape and a binder together, the compound will exhibit poor flowability during an injection molding process, for example. Thus, such a compound may need to be compacted at a higher temperature and/or at a higher pressure, the types and applications of resins to be used may be limited, or the content of the magnet powder may be limited to ensure sufficient flowability. Also, it has been difficult to obtain a bonded magnet having a complex shape or a bonded magnet to fill a small gap (e.g., with a width of 2 mm) as in an IPM (interior permanent magnet) type motor including a magnet embedded rotor as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 11-206075. As used herein, the "aspect ratio" means the ratio of the minor-axis size of a particle relative to the major-axis size thereof.
Furthermore, in a compound including the conventional rapidly solidified magnet powder (e.g., the MQ powder), the magnet powder is easily oxidized in air, the properties of the magnet powder itself deteriorate due to the heat during an injection molding process, and the resultant bonded magnet may exhibit insufficient magnetic properties. The present inventors discovered via experiments that such oxidation was particularly noticeable when the conventional rapidly solidified magnet powder included particles with particle sizes of 53 μm or less.
Accordingly, when a bonded magnet is made of a compound including the conventional rapidly solidified magnet powder, the compacting temperature is limited to minimize the oxidation to be caused by the heat during the molding process. As a result, the compactibility, including the flowability, must be sacrificed.
Furthermore, as for a compound to be subjected to an injection molding process or an extrusion process, the compound being prepared is exposed to the heat that is applied to melt a thermoplastic resin as a binder. Thus, during the manufacturing process, the magnet powder in the compound may be oxidized and the resultant magnetic properties may deteriorate.
Furthermore, when the injection-molded body is cut off from the runner portion, the magnet powder will be exposed on the resin surface on the cross section of the molded body. Also, the magnet powder itself may be exposed on the cross section. When the magnet powder is exposed in some areas in this manner, corrosion easily advances from those areas. This problem is particularly noticeable when the wettability between the resin and the magnet powder is poor. Also, it depends not only on a particular material combination but also on how the process step of mixing the resin and magnet powder material is carried out. Specifically, the conventional rapidly solidified magnet powder has a small aspect ratio, and is hard to mix uniformly in the compound preparing process step. Thus, in the resultant compound, the wettability between the resin and the magnet powder may be poor enough to expose the magnet powder particles here and there. Furthermore, since the magnet powder has a large aspect ratio, the magnet powder is crushed by shear force applied in the mixing process step to newly expose other cross sections easily. As a result, the magnet powder in the resultant compound is easily oxidizable.
On the other hand, the conventional Fe—R—B based nanocomposite magnet powder includes the rare-earth elements at a relatively low mole fraction and typically includes 30 vol % or less of hard magnetic phases. Thus, the magnetic properties (e.g., coercivity HcJ) thereof are inferior to those of the conventional rapidly solidified magnet powder (such as the MQ powder). Accordingly, it is difficult to make a bonded magnet with sufficient magnetic properties from a compound including only the nanocomposite magnet powder as its magnet powder. For example, a bonded magnet for use in a motor for a hard disk drive (HDD) could not be made from such a nanocomposite magnet powder. For that reason, the conventional nanocomposite magnet powder described above needs to be mixed with the conventional rapidly solidified magnet powder. Consequently, it has been difficult so far to obtain a bonded magnet with excellent magnetic properties while totally eliminating the problems of the compound including the conventional rapidly solidified magnet powder.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Compound for rare-earth bonded magnet and bonded magnet using the compound


A nozzle design and method for designing such a nozzle being adapted for three phase slurry flow from the choke into the flash tank during pressure let-down in autoclave mining operations that uses a selection of the expansion ratio in the choke to select a nozzle dispersion angle to select a spread of the flow over the slurry pool in the flash tank, to generally maximize the use of the pool for energy dissipation without causing undo wear and tear on the tank walls.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a nozzle for the control of the pattern of a flashing multi-phase flow at the outlet of a pressure let-down valve. More specifically, this invention relates to a nozzle with a choke that provides an optimal flow pattern at exit, by controlling the nozzle dispersion angle to match the elements in the receiving tank.
2. Description of Related Art
A variety of nozzles for use in pressure let-down valves have been proposed. Generally, these prior nozzles do not control the nozzle dispersion angle.
Although the following references may not necessarily qualify as "prior art", the reader is referred to the following U.S. patent documents for general background material. Each of these patent documents is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material contained therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,488 describes an in-situ mining method and apparatus for recovering copper and/or nickel from deep-seated deposits.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,484 describes a liquid spraying device capable of producing minuscule particles of liquid in a uniform pattern.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,022 describes an apparatus for generating an aerosol powder from a melt that includes an atomization die having an orifice.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,339 describes a method for generating an aerosol powder from a melt.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,745 describes an apparatus and method that is disclosed for cultivating soil and turf by utilization of pressurized liquid injected into the soil and turf.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,889 describes a method of production of the formation fluid that is used in wells with a low formation pressure and consists in that in the well from a flow of the formation fluid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,176 describes a hazardous waste incinerator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,985 describes a burner assembly that has a combination chamber in which combustion takes place in an elongate centrally disposed combustion tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,705 describes a plasma furnace and method of operating where the flow of waste gas is directed downwardly by means of a refractory guide chute.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,947 describes a steam plasma reactor that incorporates an induction steam plasma torch.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,107 describes a method for dewatering a molten synthetic resin using a two-phase liquid mixture of a thermoplastic synthetic resin melt and an aqueous phase.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,222 describes an arrangement for the controlled production of an essentially linearly array of hydrocarbon feed injection jets that reduces required clearances and elevation.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,983,906 and 5,994,678 describe systems, methods and apparatus for depositing titanium films.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,255 describes a wear-resistant flash tank pressure let down nozzle for use in passing an ore slurry into an ore slurry flash tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,143,253 describes an arrangement for the controlled production of an essentially linear array of hydrocarbon feed injection jets.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,485 B1 describes an apparatus and process for the vaporization of liquid precursors and deposition of film on suitable substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,221,435 B1 describes a process for use of subcritical compressed fluids to reduce viscosity and to enhance atomization.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,250 B1 describes a wear-resistant flash tank pressure let down nozzle for use in passing an ore slurry into an ore slurry flash tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,573 B2 describes a new flash tube device adapted specifically for use with hot erosive flow streams.

Controlled dispersion multi-phase nozzle and method of making the same


A system is disclosed that is configured to secure a connection between a component and at least one wire, such as an antenna, within a computer. The system includes a retainer configured to move between a first position and a second position. The retainer in the first position is configured to secure a connection between at least one connector of the component and the at least one wire within the computer. The retainer in the second position is configured to permit release of the connection between the at least one connector of the component and the at least one wire within the computer, such as by providing access to the connection.

The fastening force required to fasten a wire, such as for an antenna of a wireless communication interface or for wireless communications, to a component within a computer is generally low. While this low amount of fastening force is convenient for connecting the wire, it can be inconvenient because the corresponding force to disconnect the wire is generally low. Thus, wires can become disconnected from the desired component within the computer as a result of minor forces.
For example, FIG. 1 is a perspective view depicting a component 10 being connected to two wires 12 within a computer (not shown) through a conventional connection. The two wires 12 releasably connect to respective connectors 14 of the component 10. The connections can be an interference fits. Depending on the strength of the interference fits, a minor force may cause one both of the wires 12 to disconnect from the connectors 14. This can cause the component 10 to stop functioning, which can reduce the uptime of a computer associated with the component 10.
Accordingly, there is a need for securing connections between wires and components within computers. Aspects of the present disclosure solve this and other problems.


A charging device for charging an electronic device can include a main body having a recess. First and second electrical cables can be disposed in the recess when in retracted positions, and the first and second electrical cables can extend outside of the main body when in extended positions. The charging device can have a cover that is movable between a closed position, which can cover the recess, and an open position, which can expose the recess to enable the electrical cables to move between the retracted and extended positions. The charging device can include a battery. Electrical power can be received via the second electrical cable for charging the battery. Electrical power can be output from the battery via the first electrical cable to charge an electronic device.

1. Field of the Disclosure
Some embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for charging batteries of mobile electronic devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
There current exist a number of charging devices for charging mobile electronic devices. Nevertheless, there remains a need for improved charging devices.


A mobile receiver apparatus is provided where its antenna directivity is controllably determined for improving the response to a desired signal as it moves and its surrounding geographical features and thus its environment for signal reception are varied. The mobile receiver apparatus comprises a directivity variable antenna, an antenna controller connected with the directivity variable antenna for conducting a control action to align the directivity with a desired direction, and an optimum directivity calculator connected with the antenna controller for calculating from the current position of a mobile and its surrounding geographical features an optimum pattern of the directivity.

A technology is known for electronically changing the directivity of an antenna or namely an adaptive array antenna. A common adaptive array antenna is arranged having an array of antenna elements connected to their respective variable amplifiers and variable phase shifters, in which the output signals of the antenna elements can be combined together to develop a composite signal. The antenna directivity can be modified by electronically controlling the action of the variable devices.
Also known is a GPS system for measuring the current position from electric wave signals from two or more satellites. Using the current position of a movable vehicle determined by the GPS system and the position of a broadcasting tower which emits broadcast signals, the positional relationship between the vehicle and the broadcasting tower is calculated and used for aligning the directivity of an adaptive array antenna with the broadcasting tower. As a result, the reception of a desired broadcast signal can be improved while the effect of multi-path interference remaining minimized.
One of the prior art technologies is disclosed as a citation of the present invention in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. (Heisei)11-17433.
The prior art technology is designed for controllably aligning the directivity of an adaptive array antenna with its target broadcasting tower through examining the measurement of a GPS system. However, the prior art technology is feasible only when the environment of broadcast signal reception is as favorable as no interruptions, such as mountains or buildings, between the movable vehicle and the broadcasting tower. Therefore, if any interruption exists between the vehicle and the broadcasting tower, the intensity of a received broadcast signal may not be optimum along the direction extending from the vehicle to the broadcasting tower. Moreover, the prior art technology fails to improve the response to a desired broadcast signal through utilizing reflections of the broadcast signal. Accordingly, the response to a desired broadcast signal will be improved with less certainty.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, in a pattern forming method for a semiconductor device, a first opening is formed in an underlying layer disposed over a substrate. The first opening is expanded in a first axis by directional etching to form a first groove in the underlying layer. A resist pattern is formed over the underlying layer. The resist pattern includes a second opening only partially overlapping the first groove. The underlying layer is patterned by using the resist pattern as an etching mask to form a second groove.

At semiconductor technology nodes of 7 nm or smaller, line-and-space (L/S) patterning requires pitch resolution in optical lithography smaller than about 32 nm. In general, even if extreme ultra violet (EUV) lithography is employed, the resolution limitation by EUV single-exposure technology (SPT) is about 28 nm to about 34 nm. To obtain smaller pitch patterns, a double-patterning technology (DPT) with twice repeating lithography exposure processes will be needed for patterning of a L/S pitch smaller than about 32 nm. However, the cost of EUV with the DPT approach would be too expensive for a mass-production application.

Method of manufacturing semiconductor devices

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.


The invention discloses a calling method for endpoint across zones in IP network system. The method implements, simply and conveniently, endpoint addressing and calling across GK zones. The method includes: pre-registering an E.164 alias for each endpoint to a gatekeeper managing the endpoint in IP network system, wherein the E.164 alias comprises a gatekeeper zone prefix uniquely indicating the gatekeeper in the IP network system and a unique number indicating the endpoint in its own gatekeeper; a calling endpoint calling a called endpoint with the E.164 alias of the called endpoint.

The H.323 protocol was mainly used in multimedia conference system, and now is popularly used in telephony over IP. An H.323 system offers multimedia communication service for a packet network. The packet network includes local area networks (LAN), enterprise networks and metropolitan-area networks etc., which does not provide guaranteed Quality of Service. The H.323 system is consisted of terminals, gateways, Multipoint Control Units (MCU) and Gatekeepers (GK) etc. An H.323 endpoint is consisted of a terminal, Gateway, or MCU. The H.323 endpoint makes a register at its own GK and serviced by the GK.
In the H.323 systems, one of the main services provided by the GK is address resolution, which includes translating an endpoint alias into IP address of the endpoint. The endpoint alias includes E.164 telephone number, H.323ID, URL and EMAIL etc., and these aliases are registered to the GK through the Registration Request (RRQ) signaling of the H.225 Registration, Admission and Status (RAS) protocol from the endpoint. In an H.323 system there may be many GK zones. Every GK zone includes one or several GK and a collection of endpoints, and each endpoint makes the register at its own GK respectively.
In present standard protocol, each endpoint alias in a GK zone must be unique, but endpoint aliases at different GK zones do not have this limitation. Thus, it is possible that different endpoints at different GK zones may have same alias. This will have calling and addressing difficulties for an endpoint across GK zones.
FIG. 1 shows an H.323 system networking with two GK zones: Zone 1 managed by GK1 and Zone 2 managed by GK2, and there are repetitive endpoint aliases between these two zones. At Zone 1, there are three endpoints with aliases 123456, 123123 and 123789, respectively. At Zone 2, there are also three endpoints with the same aliases: 123456, 123123 and 123789, respectively. In this case, the IP addresses of endpoints in the same zone can be obtained each other by address resolution service of the GK where the endpoint is located, but among endpoints in different zone, there is no way to translate the IP addresses of endpoints with same aliases.
For example, suppose endpoint 123456 of Zone 1 originates a call to endpoint 123123 of Zone 2, GK1 only can translate the called endpoint 123123 into an IP address in Zone 1 and return the IP address to the calling endpoint 123456, but can not translate IP address of the called endpoint alias 123123 in Zone 2 and return to the calling endpoint alias 123456.
Advantage of the above configuring method for an endpoint alias is that there is no limitation for naming every endpoint alias in each GK zone. Nevertheless, since there is no identical configuring method for aliases among H.323 systems, a GK only can translate IP addresses of endpoints in domestic zone but other zones. This cause is that no a technique to guarantee a unique alias of every endpoint in a whole network.
At present, along with development of video communication on IP network and increase of endpoint in IP network system, it gets more and more outstanding for the unique IP alias of endpoint.

Calling method for node across zones in IP network system


N,N-di(aryl) cyclic urea derivatives, such as the compounds of the following formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is --C(NH)NH.sub.2, --C(NH)N(H)OR.sup.11, --C(NH)N(H)C(O)R.sup.9, or --C(NH)N(H)C(O)OR.sup.11 ;. R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are independently hydrogen, halo, lower alkyl, lower haloalkyl, aryl, --OR.sup.11, --C(O)OR.sup.11, --C(O)N(R.sup.11)R.sup.12, --N(R.sup.11)R.sup.12, --N(H)C(O)R.sup.11, or --N(H)S(O).sub.2 R.sup.11 ; PA1 R.sup.4 is halo, lower haloalkyl, imidazolyl, --C(NH)NH.sub.2, --C(NH)NHOR.sup.11, --C(NH)N(H)C(O)R.sup.9, --C(NH)N(H)C(O)OR.sup.11, --OR.sup.11, --C(O)R.sup.13, --(CH.sub.2).sub.n C(O)OR.sup.11 (where n is 0 to 6), --C(O)N(R.sup.11)R.sup.12, or --N(R.sup.11)R.sup.12 ; PA1 R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 are independently hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower haloalkyl, 4-pyridinyl, --C(O)OR.sup.11, --C(O)N(R.sup.11)R.sup.12, or aryl (optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxy, lower alkyl, lower haloalkyl, lower alkoxy and --N(R.sup.11)R.sup.12); PA1 R.sup.11 and R.sup.12 are independently hydrogen, lower alkyl, aryl or lower aralkyl; or PA1 R.sup.13 is pyrrolidinyl, 4-morpholinyl, piperazinyl, N-methylpiperazinyl, or piperidinyl; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, are disclosed herein as being inhibitors of factor Xa and thereby being useful as anticoagulants.

Factor Xa is a member of the trypsin-like serine protease class of enzymes. A one-to-one binding of factors Xa and Va with calcium ions and phospholipid forms the prothrombinase complex which converts prothrombin to factor IIa (thrombin). Thrombin, in turn, converts fibrinogen to fibrin which polymerizes to form insoluble fibrin.
In the coagulation cascade, the prothrombinase complex is the convergent point of the intrinsic (surface activated ) and extrinsic (vessel injury-tissue factor) pathways (Biochemistry (1991), Vol. 30, p. 10363; and Cell (1988), Vol. 53, pp. 505-518). The model of the coagulation cascade has been refined further with the discovery of the mode of action of tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) (Seminars in Hematology (1992), Vol. 29, pp. 159-161). TFPI is a circulating multi-domain serine protease inhibitor with three Kunitz-like domains which competes with factor Va for free factor Xa. Once formed, the binary complex of factor Xa and TFPI becomes a potent inhibitor of the factor VIIa and tissue factor complex.
Factor Xa can be activated by two distinct complexes, by tissue factor-factor VIIa complex on the "Xa burst" pathway and by the factor IXa-VIIA complex (TENase) of the "sustained Xa" pathway in the coagulation cascade. After vessel injury, the "Xa burst" pathway is activated via tissue factor (TF). Up regulation of the coagulation cascade occurs via increased factor Xa production via the "sustained Xa" pathway. Down regulation of the coagulation cascade occurs with the formation of the factor Xa-TFPI complex, which not only removes factor Xa but also inhibits further factor formation via the "Xa burst" pathway. Consequently, there is a natural regulation of the coagulation cascade by factor Xa.
Published data with the proteins antistasin and tick anti-coagulant peptide (TAP) demonstrate that factor Xa inhibitors are efficacious anti-coagulants (Thrombosis and Haemostasis (1992), Vol. 67, pp. 371-376; and Science (1990), Vol. 248, pp. 593-596).
The active site of factor Xa can be blocked by either a mechanism-based or a tight binding inhibitor (a tight binding inhibitor differs from a mechanism-based inhibitor by the lack of a covalent link between the enzyme and the inhibitor). Two types of mechanism-based inhibitors are known, reversible and irreversible, which are distinguished by ease of hydrolysis of the enzyme-inhibitor link (Thrombosis Res (1992), Vol. 67, pp. 221-231; and Trends Pharmacol. Sci. (1987), Vol. 8, pp. 303-307). A series of guanidino compounds are examples of tight-binding inhibitors (Thrombosis Res. (1980), Vol. 19, pp. 339-349). Arylsulfonyl-arginine-piperidinecarboxylic acid derivatives have also been shown to be tight-binding inhibitors of thrombin (Biochem. (1984), Vol. 23, pp. 85-90), as well as a series of arylamidine-containing compounds, including 3-amidinophenylaryl derivatives (Thrombosis Res. (1983), Vol. 29, pp. 635-642) and bis(amidino)benzyl cycloketones (Thrombosis Res. (1980), Vol. 17, pp. 545-548). Therapeutic utility of these compounds, however, is limited by their poor selectivity for factor Xa.

N,N-di(aryl) cyclic urea derivatives as anti-coagulants


An improved charging pump circuit includes first, second, third and fourth switches connected together in series across an associated power supply, a first capacitor connected between the first and second switches and the ground, and a second capacitor connected between the third and fourth switches and the ground. One of the first and second switches responds to a first drive signal for turning into a conductive condition while holding the other switch in a non-conductive condition. Likewise, one of the third and fourth switches responds to a second drive signal for turning into the conductive condition while holding the other switch in a non-conductive condition. The time spent for charging or discharging the load capacitor can be substantially reduced by using the first and second capacitors whose capacitances are much smaller than the capacitance of a load capacitor, and accordingly jitter can be reduced in a PPL circuit in which the charging pump circuit is included.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a charging pump circuit and a phase-locked loop circuit using the charging pump circuit, and more particularly to a charging pump circuit which is so constructed that the phase-locked loop circuit using the same may be affected by little or no jitter.
2. Prior Art
A phase-locked loop circuit (hereinafter acronym "PLL" will be used) is well known. Referring to FIG. 5, it comprises a phase comparator 63, a charging pump circuit 64 connected to the phase comparator 63, a loop filter 65 connected to the charging pump circuit 64, a voltage controlled oscillator (hereinafter acronym "VCO" will be used) 61 connected to the loop filter 65, and a frequency divider 62 whose input and output terminals are connected to the VCO 61 and to the phase comparator 63 respectively, thus making up a loop circuit. The phase comparator 63 is responsive to an exterior signal IN and a division of the oscillating signal from the VCO 61 for making a phase-comparison between them and providing a phase-leading signal U at its first output terminal and a phase-lagging signal D at its second output terminal. The charging pump circuit 64 is responsive to the signal U or D from the phase comparator 63 for providing a signal representing the phase difference when detected, and the loop filter 65 is responsive to the signal from the charging pump circuit for providing a control signal for the VCO 61. More specifically, in operation the oscillating signal from the VCO 61 is divided by the frequency divider 62 so that the frequency of the oscillating signal thus divided may be equal to the frequency of the exterior signal IN, and then the frequency-divided signal is supplied to the phase comparator 63, where a phase-comparison is made between the exterior signal IN and the frequency-divided signal.
In case that the exterior signal IN (standard) leads ahead of the oscillating signal in phase, the phase-comparator 63 provides a phase-leading signal U at its first output terminal. On the contrary, in case that the exterior signal IN (standard) lags behind the oscillating signal in phase, and then, the phase-comparator provides a phase-lagging signal D at its second output terminal.
The charging pump circuit 64 is driven by the phase-leading signal U and phase-lagging signal D from the phase-comparator 63 and produces a signal representing the phase difference and supplies it to the loop filter 65, where high-frequency components including noise signals are eliminated to provide a control voltage for the VCO 61. The PLL circuit will be locked when the oscillating output signal OUT is brought in phase-synchronism with the exterior signal IN.
Referring to FIG. 6A, one example of charging pump circuit 64 comprises a PMOS transistor 21 having an inverter 23 connected to its gate electrode and an NMOS transistor 22 connected in series to the PMOS transistor 21. Application of a phase-leading signal U to the PMOS transistor 21 via the inverter 28 will cause the transistor 21 to be turned on or off, whereas application of a phase-lagging signal D to the NMOS transistor 22 will cause the transistor 22 to be turned on or off.
FIG. 6B shows signal waveforms appearing at different points of the charging pump circuit 64. Usually a capacitive load is connected to the output terminal Y of the charging pump circuit 64. Application of a phase-leading signal U (HIGH) to the PMOS transistor 21 will cause an electric current i to flow through the transistor 21 now turned on, thereby charging the capacitive load with electricity. Accordingly the voltage rises at the output terminal Y. On the contrary, application of a phase-lagging signal D (HIGH) to the NMOS transistor 22 will allow an electric current i to flow through the transistor 22 now turned on to discharge the capacitive load. Accordingly the voltage descends at the output terminal Y.
FIG. 6B shows how the charging or discharging current i varies, and how the voltage at the output terminal Y varies. As seen from the drawing, the length of time taken for potential leveling and the change in output voltage increases with the duration of the phase-leading or phase-lagging pulse signal U or D. This is a major cause of the increase of jitter, which causes a side effect on a PLL circuit using such charging pump circuit.

Charging pump circuit and a phase-locked loop circuit using the same


A selectively removable gravitational and vacuum sludge filtration apparatus and method that provides for retrofit into a container and separation of the sludge solids from the sludge liquids therein. A pair of spaced vertically oriented filter assemblies each define a filtrate cavity therein and are connected by separator plates. The filter assemblies permit the flow of sludge liquids into the filtrate cavity, but not sludge solids. A separator divides each filtrate cavity into two cavity sections, a first filtrate cavity and a second filtrate cavity. Filtrate drains into first and second filtrate cavities by either vacuum or gravitational drainage, depending on the level of sludge within the container. Vacuum drainage occur in first or second filtrate cavity if either cavity is situated below the level of the sludge within the container. A first and second filtrate evacuation means provide for the evacuation of filtrate from the first and second filtrate cavities by the use of a vacuum pump. A set of fasteners hold the filter assemblies in the container and bias the filter assemblies against the container bottom. The fasteners may be released to provide for removal of the sludge filtration system from the container. Functionally applying this sludge filtration system provides a method of retrofitting a container with a sludge filtration system and removing filtrate from a sludge in the container.

1. Field of Invention.
This invention relates to a filtering apparatus and method. More specifically, it is directed to a filtration apparatus, which uses both gravitational drainage and vacuum drainage, that is constructed for selective retrofitting into a container. The filtration apparatus extracts liquid from a sludge or slurry inside the container and separates the resulting liquids and solids for separate disposal or recovery.
Sludge includes any solid-liquid sludge and slurry such as sewage and industrial waste. The sludge may contain any ratio of liquids to solids. In fact, the sludge often has substantially more solid material than liquid material. Separation of the sludge into its liquid and solid components, also known as "dewatering," is desirable for recovery or disposal of one or both of the components.
One typical manner of dewatering sludge involves placing the sludge into a container that has filters therein. The liquid in the sludge passes through the filters and from the container. However, the filters do not permit the solids to pass therethrough. Therefore, the solids remain in the container and are removed after the dewatering operation is complete.
Generally, the fluid is drawn through the filter in one of two ways, vacuum drainage or gravitational drainage. Vacuum drainage requires the use of a pump in flow communication with the filtrate cavity of the filter. In order for the pump to develop a vacuum, the filtrate cavity must remain below the liquid surface level at all times.
Vacuum drainage often results in filter blockage. In this type of system, activation of the pump draws the sludge liquid as well as the sludge solids toward the filters. However, during the initial stages of dewatering when the liquid concentration is highest, the smaller sludge solid particles more readily flow toward the filter and tend to block the filter element. Blockage of the filter element hinders dewatering speed and efficiency.
Gravitational drainage does not require a vacuum and, therefore, does not require maintenance of the filtrate cavity below the sludge liquid surface. Consequently, the filters in such a system can extend the entire height of the container and, thereby, provide greater drainage surface area. Also, because gravitational drainage is slower than vacuum drainage, the sludge solid particles settle on the filter surface in a more uniform manner and provide an additional filtering layer. Thus, the filters do not experience blockage. However, as mentioned, gravitational drainage is relatively slow.
A filtration device which effectively and efficiently utilizes both vacuum and gravitational drainage gives a user more versatility in dewatering the sludge. In addition, the added assistance of vacuum drainage can speed up the dewatering process, extract more moisture from the sludge, and, in some cases, dewater a sludge that would not otherwise be considered feasible to dewater.
Moreover, a number of containers do not contain the filters needed for filtering the sludge because they are designed for more general purposes. Consequently, sludge dewatering generally requires special containers fitted with the needed filters. This need for specially designed dewatering containers causes waste of container resources.
2. Related Art
Filtering systems have long been known to the prior art. Illustrative of such systems are U.S. Pat. No. 301,460, U.S. Pat. No. 988,391, U.S. Pat. No. 3,446,357, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,955.
This Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,654 ('654 Patent) discloses a Sludge Filtration System and Method which utilizes both gravitational drainage and vacuum drainage. However, the invention disclosed in the '654 Patent comprises a special container already pre-fitted with filters. Thus, the filters, container, and system of the '654 Patent may not be readily retrofitted for use in other general purpose containers.
Though the above mentioned filtering systems may be helpful for their stated purposes, they do not address the problem of retrofitting a general purpose container with filters to dewater sludge thereby providing faster and more efficient sludge dewatering and filtration by use of both gravitational and vacuum drainage.

Selectively removable gravitational and vacuum sludge filtration apparatus and method


A refining apparatus for scrap silicon using an electron beam which is suitable for recycling of scrap silicon which is formed during the manufacture of silicon products such as silicon wafers includes a vacuum chamber, a crucible installed within the vacuum chamber, a hearth which is installed next to the crucible within the vacuum chamber and which receives granular scrap silicon and which melts granular silicon by irradiation with an electron beam and which supplies molten silicon to the crucible, and a raw material supply apparatus which is installed within the vacuum chamber and which stores a prescribed amount of granular scrap silicon and supplies the stored granular scrap silicon via a chute.

This invention relates to a refining apparatus for scrap silicon which can refine scrap silicon rapidly and in large quantities using an electron beam and which can obtain high-purity silicon for use in solar cells, semiconductors, and similar products.
In order to increase the rate of utilization of silicon raw materials, it is desired to reutilize scrap which is produced during the manufacture of silicon wafers from silicon ingots (referred to below as "scrap silicon"). However, scrap silicon contains impurities, so it is necessary to increase its purity before it can be reused.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Hei 10-245216 discloses that the yield of silicon can be increased by recovering scrap silicon which is produced during the manufacture of silicon for solar cells and returning the recovered scrap silicon to a refining step.
However, that publication merely discloses a technique for improving the yield of silicon in the manufacture of solar cells, and it does not disclose a refining apparatus for carrying out refining suitable for recycling of scrap silicon.

Refining apparatus for scrap silicon using an electron beam


A method is provided for detecting a bacterial pathogen in a sample. One step of the method includes obtaining a sample and then subjecting the sample to nested PCR. The nested PCR is conducted in the presence of at least two outer oligonucleotide primers complementary to a target nucleotide sequence of the bacterial pathogen so that a first amplified product is produced. The target nucleotide sequence includes at least a portion of a 16S-23S ribosomal RNA sequence. The first amplified product is subjected to the nested PCR in the presence of at least two inner oligonucleotide primers complementary to the nucleotide sequence of the first amplified product so that a second amplified product is obtained. Detection of the second amplified product indicates the presence of the bacterial pathogen in the sample.

Preterm birth (PTB) is a significant public health problem and accounts for approximately 11% of all deliveries in the United States. It is the leading cause of prenatal death, and the surviving infants may encounter long-term health problems throughout their lives. The majority of this morbidity and mortality involves a small subset of infants born before 30 to 32 weeks of gestation. Although advancement in medical technology has steadily improved the survival rate of the preterm infants, the PTB rate has not improved during the past 4 decades, showing instead a slight upward trend. Thus, identification of new risk factors for PTB could have significant social and economic impact.
Periodontal disease is one of the newly identified risk factors for PTB. Epidemiologic and intervention studies have indicated a link between these two conditions. However, contradictory reports also exists. The questions of whether periodontal disease is a risk factor for PTB and what is the mechanism underlying the potential link remain. Animal studies have provided evidence supporting the potential link and have suggested two possible mechanisms. One mechanism suggest that periodontal disease could lead to systemic dissemination of inflammatory mediators and/or periodontal pathogens causing adverse pregnancy outcomes. The other mechanism suggests that oral bacteria may translocate specifically into the pregnant uterus and induce adverse pregnancy outcomes due to localized infection.
One of the known causes of PTB is intrauterine infection. The infection rate is inversely related to the gestational age. The paradigm has been that intrauterine infections most commonly originate from the lower genital tract and that the microorganisms invade the pregnant uterus through an ascending mechanism. A less common route of infection is hematogenous transmission, where the infectious organism may originate from other parts of the body. As one of the major microbial habitats in the human body, hosting as many as 700 different species, the oral cavity is a potential microbial reservoir for infection. Indeed, organisms with an oral origin such as Fusobacterium nucleatum and Capnocytophaga spp., have been associated with intrauterine infections, with F. nucleatum being one of the most frequently cultivated from or detected in the infected uterus. However, direct evidence detecting and matching the microorganisms in intrauterine infections with those in the oral cavities of the pregnant women is lacking.

Method for detecting a bacterial pathogen


A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant cultivar is disclosed, characterized by flowers having white ray florets with a slightly creamy center. The plant naturally blooms in the last two weeks of August. The plants are freely branching, and have a round and mounding growth habit.

The new cultivar is a product of hybridization of an undistributed female parent Chrysanthemum plant variety '95 136 74' (unpatented) and a male parent Chrysanthemum plant variety 'GEDI ONE TER' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,885). The new cultivar was discovered and selected by Dirk Pieters in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium, in September, 1999.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by tissue culture and terminal cuttings was performed in Oxnard, Calif., and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type on successive generations.

Chrysanthemum plant named ‘GEDI THREE GEN’


Methods, systems, and computer program products for bridging mobile phone networks with other telephone networks. A telephone network comprises multiple individually addressable telephone lines connected to telephones and to a gateway, which in turn is connected to one or more mobile phones and potentially to one or more landlines. When the gateway receives an inbound call from one of the mobile phones, or an outbound call from one or the telephones, the gateway applies routing rules to determine how to route the call. Routing may depend on a variety of factors, such as time of day, cost, the mobile phone receiving an inbound call. To help identify the mobile phone as the source of an inbound call, a distinctive ring may be selected. To account for differences in the mobile phone network and the telephone network, the gateway translates signals between the two networks.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mobile phone networks. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods, systems, and computer program products for bridging mobile phone networks with other telephone networks.
2. Background and Related Art
Cellular phones are becoming increasing popular. Initially, size, cost, and geographic coverage limited most cellular phone use to a business context. Early cellular phones frequently were referred to as "bricks," due to their bulk and inconvenience. Professionals and technicians with on-call responsibilities were the typical cellular phone user. In many circumstances, numeric and text pagers provided an economical and convenient alternative to early cellular phones.
Today's cellular phones are compact enough to fit in a user's pocket, have purchase and monthly service costs similar to traditional telephones, and offer local, regional, and national coverage. Often, a single household will have multiple cellular phones. With the increasing popularity of cellular phones, some are beginning to realize that a separate home or office phone may not be necessary. Over the next five years, it is estimated that up to 30% of landlines in homes will be disconnected and users will depend solely on cellular phone service.
As consumers begin to make the transition from home or office landlines to exclusive (or principle) cellular use, they are likely to encounter some loss of convenience. For example, a cellular phone can only be located in a single place at once. In particular, user's often charge their cellular phone in the evening so they will be ready for use the next day. Accordingly, users generally do not or cannot carry their cellular phone around with them while at home in the evening. Of course, even if a user elects to carry the cellular phone around while awake, the phone may be inadvertently left in one room when the user moves to another room, making it difficult to locate the cellular phone when it rings. Where multiple users share a cellular phone, these difficulties are likely to be more pronounced.
In addition to the foregoing problems, other customer satisfaction issues are likely to arise as well, including the perceived health concerns about cellular phone radiation. This health concern may be particularly manifested where users are faced with extended exposure. Naturally, limited battery life for talk and standby time also will present barriers to increased cellular phone use. Furthermore, the benefit of automated addressing for emergency 911 response usually is tied to a landline. On the other hand, eliminating the cost of a landline and the convenience of a single telephone number are attractive objectives.
In an effort to address some of the shortcomings associated with increased cellular telephone usage, some have proposed products that are essentially a cellular phone charger with a telephone jack. By attaching a cordless or other telephone to the jack in the charger, a traditional telephone may be used for placing and receiving calls through the cellular phone. While providing some benefits, these simple products lack many features that consumers will find useful. For example, consumers may want to route incoming calls to particular telephones within a house or office. This feature may be of particular value where multiple cellular telephones are available for use.
Similarly, consumers also may wish to automatically route outgoing calls to any of multiple cellular telephones or to either a cellular phone or a landlines depending on the circumstances surrounding the outgoing calls. As a further convenience, consumers may desire call routing for incoming and outgoing calls to vary over the course of a day. Support for a variety of telephone types may help address certain needs in business or relatively sophisticated home installations. Furthermore, rudimentary charger products fail to expose the rich call feature sets available in most cellular networks. Due at least in part to the simplicity of these products, they offer no facility for receiving configuration information, such as from a personal computer. Accordingly, methods, systems, and computer program products are desired for bridging mobile phone networks with other telephone networks.


To improve both the yield and the reliability of manufactured integrated circuits incorporating redundancy circuits, unused redundancy circuits are additionally used to bracket a defective circuit or circuits identified through production testing by replacing adjacent circuits which have tested satisfactorily and which would otherwise not be replaced, but which are considered to be prone to subsequent failure.

Defects in integrated circuits resulting from the manufacturing process can compromise both the yield and the reliability of the manufactured circuits. Many reliability defects can be detected by conducting tests at different stages of the manufacturing process. Discard of the defective article, however, then limits the overall yield which can be achieved.
Moreover, some defects cannot be reliably detected at the wafer or module test stages of the manufacturing process or, later, during temperature and voltage burn-in. These undetected defects may subsequently cause a failure of the manufactured integrated circuit either following installation or in the field. As a result, such failures in reliability will most likely be encountered by an end-user or customer.
Yet other problems arise from the extent (size) of a given defect. The larger, more severe manifestations of a defect are more likely to immediately affect a circuit element (or more than one circuit element), making it more likely that the circuit element or a group of circuit elements will fail during production (which can be detected through testing). In the presence of a less severe manifestation of the same type of defect, however, a failure of the circuit element (or group of circuit elements) may not occur until later, following the manufacturing process. This can occur in shipped product, leading to a failure in the field.
In an effort to improve the yield of the manufacturing process, steps have been taken to provide manufactured integrated circuits with "redundancy circuits" which can be used to replace failing portions of the integrated circuit which are detected during the manufacturing process. For example, upon detecting that a memory cell has failed a performance test during a given stage of the manufacturing process, steps can be taken to replace the defective cell with a redundant cell present on the integrated circuit. This allows the integrated circuit to be used, avoiding the need to reject or discard the otherwise operational circuit. Although this measure has been found to improve the yield of the manufacturing process, it has not been found to materially reduce the incidence of subsequent failures of the integrated circuit following its incorporation in a product, or later, in the field.
In recognition of this problem, steps have been taken in an effort to reduce the potential for latent defects resulting from the manufacturing process to cause a subsequent failure of the integrated circuit through the use of redundancy circuits. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,510 (Smith et al.), steps are taken to replace memory cells which only marginally pass their reliability testing, deeming them to be defective based upon an assumption that such cells are more likely to fail at a later time. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,479 (McRoberts et al.), steps are taken to replace an entire row of memory upon detecting a defective cell in the row. Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,692 (Haraguchi et al.), steps are taken to replace two adjacent rows upon the detection of a defective row.
In each case, however, the redundancy circuits are used for the purpose of replacing cells which have in some way been determined to be defective. Although this approach tends to improve reliability, it does not assist in correcting defects which cannot be detected during manufacture of the integrated circuit.
Therefore the primary object of the present invention is to improve the yield and the reliability of integrated circuits incorporating redundancy circuits, particularly including semiconductor memory circuits. Another object of the present invention is to improve the yield and the reliability of integrated circuits incorporating redundancy circuits in a process which is well suited to the manufacture of such circuits.

Use of redundant circuits to improve the reliability of an integrated circuit

International Business Machines Corporation


A snow thrower having a reverse shut-off mechanism configured to deactivate voltage supplied from a power source to a motor that rotates an auger assembly. The reverse shut-off mechanism deactivates the voltage supplied in response to the snow thrower being moved or rolled in a reverse direction. Upon movement of the snow thrower in a forwards direction to clear snow or other debris, the shut-off mechanism reactivates voltage supplied from the power source to the motor that rotates the auger assembly. This allows the snow thrower to conserve power and/or fuel when the snow thrower is not being used to clear snow or other debris.

In general, during the winter months certain geographic areas experience colder temperatures and snowfall. During and after periods of snowfall, driveways, sidewalks, decks, and other areas may be coated or covered with varying amounts of snow and ice. Currently there are a number of snow throwers that can be used to remove snow and ice from surfaces. However, most snow throwers have a gasoline powered motor, which requires certain maintenance and procedures to be performed if the snow thrower is to be stored for long periods of time. For example, oil may need to be changed and/or drained, and any gasoline remaining in the gas tank of the snow thrower may need to be removed or stabilized prior to storage.

Snow thrower including reverse shut-off mechanism


A novel industrial process for producing an anthelmintic depsipeptide derivative represented by structural formula (I), which is excellent in the yield etc. ##STR1##

The following objective compound (I) is an anthelmintic compound known to have high parasiticidal activity and be suitable for human and animal use, and for its production there is known a process using the following route of total synthesis (WO 93/19053). The prior art route is: ##STR2##
However, this process is not altogether suitable for industrial-scale production, for each of the intermediates in the route from compound (B) to objective compound (I) has the basic group morpholino which restricts handling and prevents recrystallization for purification, with the consequence that resort must be had to column chromatography or the like for purification.
Having been developed to overcome the above disadvantages, this invention provides a novel industrial process for producing the objective compound (I) in good yield by way of synthesis via novel intermediates.

Depsipeptide derivative, process for production thereof, and novel intermediate therefor


A hanger includes a body member including two hanging ends, a pivoted portion between the hanging ends and two slide rails provided between the pivoted portion and hanging ends respectively. A fastener unit is coupled to the pivoted portion for positioning the body member in a horizontal direction. Two slide members are respectively slideably disposed on the slide rails, with each slide member including a first receiving groove inserted by the related slide rail and a second receiving groove. Two hook members are pivotally coupled to the slide members respectively, with a longitudinal direction of each hook member being perpendicular to the ground.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hanger including a body member and slide member slideably mounted on the body member and hanging articles such as bicycles or kayaks for display.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional hanger device as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 includes a hanger 100, two slots 101 formed on two ends of the hanger 100 and two hooks 102 slideably disposed in the slots 101 respectively via two fasteners 103. Each hook 102 has a through-hole, and each fastener 103 is adapted to insert through the through-hole of the related hook 102 and to be engaged with the related slot 101. The fasteners 103 are adapted to tighten/loosen the hooks 102 with respect to the hanger 100 and allow fixing/sliding of the hooks 102 with respect to the slots 101. A clamping device 104 is disposed on the hanger 100 between the two ends of the hanger 100 and attaches the hanger 100 to a hanger stand (not shown).
However, the structure strength of the hanger 100 could be weakened via the slots 101 which are formed on the hanger 100, and the hooks 102 are limited to slide along the related slot 101 only. The large size of each slot 101, the more weakened structure of the hanger 100. Moreover, each hook 102 is attached to the hanger 100 via the fastener 103 so that the hooks 102 can not slide along the related slot 101 in a smooth manner.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.


An apparatus and method for controlling a semiconductor fabrication process. The method comprises sampling a byproduct of a semiconductor fabrication process, isolating the sample from the process, exciting the sample to produce radiation and analyzing the radiation. A small evacuated analysis chamber is added to a process chamber to sample byproducts of a reaction taking place in the main chamber. Energy supplied by an excitation source excites the byproducts in the analysis chamber to produce radiation. Preferably the byproducts are ionized by a RF energy to produce a discharge in the analysis chamber. Radiation from the discharge, in the form of IR, UV or visible light, is analyzed by a conventional optical techniques such as OES. The method and apparatus enable optical endpoint detection for normally non-ionized gaseous interactions.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to semiconductor wafer processing and, more particularly, the invention relates to optical emission spectroscopy for endpoint detection.
2. Description of the Background Art
Semiconductor processing systems employ numerous methods for monitoring the progression of processes that take place within a process chamber. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) has been used in the prior art for monitoring and analyzing the characteristics of a plasma within the process chamber during ionizing (i.e., plasma) processes such as dry etch. An OES system analyzes light emitted by the plasma to determine the chemical composition of the plasma. The plasma generally contains byproducts of the process taking place within the chamber. Some of these byproducts are excited by the plasma and emit radiation in the form of infrared (IR), visible or ultraviolet (UV) light. Analysis of the light emitted by the excited byproducts reveals information about the process taking place within the chamber.
A typical OES apparatus uses, for example, a monochromator that is coupled to a transparent viewing window of the reaction chamber. Light generated by the plasma is carried by an optical fiber to the monochromator, and the monochromator selects a particular wavelength for analysis using a diffraction grating. The particular wavelength is disbursed from the grating at a specific angle to a photomultiplier detector or some other form of light detector. The photomultiplier detector (PMD) or other form of photon detector produces an electrical voltage representing the magnitude of energy at the particular wavelength selected by the monochromator. This voltage is typically analyzed by a computer system to detect the end point of the plasma enhanced etch process. Such OES systems have many uses in analyzing, characterizing and otherwise monitoring a plasma within a reaction chamber of a semiconductor processing system. Such OES systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,367 issued Feb. 22, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,414 issued May 3, 1994; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,277 issued Aug. 22, 1989.
OES has also been used for determining the endpoint of processes such as photoresist stripping. In photoresist stripping, a layer of photoresist on a partially completed semiconductor circuit is removed by chemical reaction with reactive species from a plasma. The chemical reaction produces byproducts that enter the plasma. The byproducts are excited by interaction with the plasma and produce radiation. An OES system monitors the radiation for changes that indicate the endpoint of photoresist stripping. This technique is valuable in processes where the stripping chemistries emit a useable spectra for OES based process monitoring. Such chemistries exist, for example, in a microwave downstream reactor.
Unfortunately, several new chemistries used in photoresist strip processes "quench" the useable spectra as the strip process progresses and thus make it impossible to analyze the process by OES. Additionally, some wafer processing steps do not use plasma; i.e., they are non-ionizing processes. These non-ionizing processes cannot be monitored by OES.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for a method and apparatus for monitoring semiconductor processes that use chemistries that quench useable spectra. Furthermore, a need exists for a method and apparatus suitable for monitoring non-ionizing processes using OES techniques.

Apparatus and method for endpoint detection in non-ionizing gaseous reactor environments


A composite material made of a high-strength aluminum alloy. The composite material is particularly used for the production of brazed heat exchangers for vehicles. The composite material includes a core layer, a corrosion protective layer covering the top surface of this core layer and a brazing material layer applied to the corrosion protective layer, all with specifically selected alloying constituents.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a composite material made of a high-strength aluminium alloy, and more particularly to a composite material used for the production of brazed heat exchangers used in vehicles.
2. Related Technology
Development of high-strength aluminium alloys is forced by the demand of the vehicle industry to manufacture lighter and thinner-walled materials.
While aluminium alloys or components made of aluminium alloys naturally have a good corrosion resistance, their mechanical strength is low. Adding alloying constituents such as magnesium (Mg) enhances, on the one hand, the mechanical strength of the alloy, but the corrosion resistance after brazing is problematic. Particularly aluminium alloys with magnesium contents of more than 0.3% and potassium aluminiumfluoride, e.g. NOCOLOK, is used as brazing material, considerable problems arise during brazing. Aluminium alloys with such a high magnesium content have a low corrosion protective potential due to the diffusion of some alloying constituents which have an electrochemical potential different from the matrix of the aluminium alloy.
When aluminium alloys are used for brazed structures such as heat exchangers, the brazing material has a cathodic effect on the aluminium alloy used as base material so that electrochemical corrosion is facilitated. Moreover, there is a risk for brazing materials containing silicon that the silicon intergranularly diffuses into the aluminium alloy, which results in grain boundary corrosion.
On principle, the corrosion risk of components made of an aluminium alloy depends on the alloying constituents, the production process, the site of use and the environmental conditions governing there.
From the state-of-the-art, different methods are used to increase the corrosion stability of aluminium alloys.
The addition of zinc can modify the brazing material so that it has an anodic effect. In this case the corrosion current flows from the more active coating material to the aluminium alloy. In time, the modified brazing material, however, acts as a sacrificial anode so that the aluminium alloy may corrode. On the other hand, a cathodically acting aluminium alloy is obtained when another element is added to the aluminium alloy as an alloying constituent. Moreover, the aluminium alloy used as base material can be improved in this way, in order to prevent the intergranular, or intercrystalline, respectively, diffusion of silicon.
DE 28 18 564 A1 discloses a method for corrosion protection of aluminium tubes for heat exchangers and correspondingly produced heat exchangers. A heat exchanger which is at least partly made of aluminium or an aluminium alloy is coated with a protective alloy. The protective alloy is, according to the patent filing data, an aluminium alloy containing up to 12% silicon.
US 2002/0142185 A1 discloses a 4-layer aluminium alloy for use in radiators. Two intermediate layers are provided which are used to enhance the brazing behaviour of the core layer. From these intermediate layers silicon can diffuse into the core layer in order to improve the strength of the core layer. It is a disadvantage of this invention that the core layer has low corrosion stability.
In DE 31 27 980 C2 a composite material for tubes of brazed heat exchangers and the use of this composite material are described. The composite material is a plated aluminium core alloy with the plating material consisting of pure aluminium, an aluminium-manganese alloy or an aluminium-silicon alloy with a copper content of 0.2% maximum. It is characteristic of this invention that the core alloy consists of 0.2 to 2% copper and aluminium and impurities as balance. In addition, the core alloy can contain 0.01 to 0.5% zirconium, 0.05 to 0.5% manganese and 0.05 to 0.5% chromium.
It is the object of this invention to provide a composite material, particularly for tubes of heat exchangers, which has a low mass, long life, high strength and high corrosion resistance.

Composite material made of high-strength aluminum alloy


An air conditioning system including a blower, an evaporator, an airflow chamber, and a thermal expansion valve assembly. The airflow chamber extends between the blower and the evaporator to direct airflow generated by the blower to the evaporator. The thermal expansion valve assembly includes a valve and a sensor bulb. The valve is on an input side of the evaporator. The sensor bulb is arranged on an output side of the evaporator external to the airflow chamber, and in an airflow path of ambient air.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure, which is not necessarily prior art.
Air conditioning systems of extended length vehicles often include an auxiliary evaporator assembly at a rear thereof. Flow of refrigerant through an evaporator of the auxiliary, or rear, evaporator assembly is often controlled by a thermal expansion valve (TEV) assembly, which includes a valve at an input side of the evaporator and a sensor bulb at an output side of the evaporator. The valve meters flow of the refrigerant to the evaporator based on the temperature of the refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator, as sensed by the sensor bulb. For example, if the refrigerant sensed by the sensor bulb is above a predetermined temperature, then the valve will remain open to permit additional refrigerant to pass through the rear evaporator, thereby further cooling the evaporator. If the refrigerant is below a predetermined temperature, then the valve will close to prevent the evaporator from becoming over cooled.
Proximate to the evaporator is a rear blower. The blower generates airflow that is directed across the evaporator and into the rear of the passenger cabin. The airflow is cooled as it passes across the evaporator. In some instances, when the rear blower is turned on and cool air is desired, the rear evaporator assembly will initially blow warm air because the valve is closed, thereby restricting flow of refrigerant to the evaporator. The warm airflow continues until the valve is opened, which can take an undesirably long period of time. Initially blowing warm air into the passenger cabin when cool air is desired makes passengers uncomfortable.
The inventor determined that failure of the valve to timely open can be caused by failure of the valve to completely close when only the vehicle's front evaporator assembly is in use; and the rear evaporator assembly is not in use such that the rear blower is not activated. For example, if the valve remains open, refrigerant will flow through the evaporator and to the sensor bulb, thereby cooling the sensor bulb. If the sensor bulb is cooled below the predetermined temperature, the sensor bulb will signal the valve to close. Because the sensor bulb has been cooled below the predetermined temperature, the valve will not open until the sensor bulb warms to a temperature greater than the predetermined temperature. And because the sensor bulb is not exposed to ambient temperature, but is rather concealed in a case of the rear evaporator assembly, or a wall or floor of the vehicle, it often takes an undesirably long period of time for the sensor bulb to warm and the valve to open. In the meantime, rear passengers have to endure warm airflow until the valve opens.


There are disclosed novel polypeptides referred to as Pellino polypeptides, as well as fragments thereof, including immunogenic peptides. DNAs encoding such polypeptides as well as methods of using such DNAs and polypeptides are also disclosed.

The Interleukin-1 (IL-1) pathway is a cellular signaling pathway is that plays a crucial role in the mammalian inflammatory response. Several different receptors and ligands are involved in this pathway, including the ligands IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), and two IL-1 receptors referred to as IL-1 receptor Type I (IL-1RI) and IL-1 receptor Type II (IL-1RII); a soluble form of the latter also exists. Of these, it appears that IL-1RI is the signaling receptor, whereas IL-1RII does not transduce signal to a cell, but instead may be involved in regulating an IL-1-mediated response (Colotta et al., Immunol. Today 15:562; 1994). Signaling via the IL-1 pathway is complex, requiring a number of accessory molecules in addition to IL-1RI, including a receptor-associated kinase (IRAK). A serine/threonine kinase with homology to IRAK, referred to as Pelle, is found in Drosophila (for review, see Belvin and Armstrong, Annu. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol. 12:393; 1996). Another Drosophila protein, Pellino, has been reported to interact with Pelle (Grosshans et al., Mech. Dev. 81:127; 1999).
Dorsal-ventral polarization in Drosophila embryos depends upon the establishment of a gradient of nuclear localization of the Rel-like transcription factor Dorsal. The transcriptional program mediated by Dorsal results from a signaling cascade triggered by binding of an extracellular ligand Spaetzle to its receptor Toll. Intermediates of this signaling cascade include the adaptor protein Tube, the serine/threonine kinase Pelle, and Cactus, a cytosolic binding partner of Dorsal. Signals transmitted by Toll result in the degradation of Cactus, and thereby permit the nuclear importation of Dorsal. The similarity between the cytosolic domains of Toll and the mammalian interleukin-1 receptor IL1-R1 was first noted by Gay and Keith (Gay, N., and Keith, F., 1991, Nature 351: 355-356), and the number of proteins which contain the homologous regions, called the Toll/IL-1R (TIR) domain has subsequently been extended to include a larger family of receptors and intracellular signaling molecules from a variety of organisms. Those with leucine-rich repeats in their extracellular domains are broadly involved in inmate immune responses and include at least ten mammalian toll-like receptors (TLRs) which initiate inflammatory responses to microbial pathogens such as peptidoglycan, bacterial lipopeptides, bacterial lipopolysaccharides, zymosan, CpG DNA, flagellin, lipoteichoic acids, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus proteins; and plant proteins such as the N resistance gene product which mediate disease resistance. Furthermore, it is now clear that an important function of Toll signaling in adult Drosophila is in controlling responses to fungal infections.
Downstream components of the Toll signaling pathway have also been evolutionarily conserved in mammalian TLR and interleukin-1 receptor signaling pathways which culminate in nuclear translocation of the transcription factor Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-kB). Protein kinases of the IRAK family, close homologues of Pelle (such as IRAK and IRAK4), are recruited to the activated IL-1R or TLR receptor complexes through the adaptor protein MyD88 and undergo autophosphorylation reactions. Although MyD88 is not a strict analog of Tube, both proteins contain a so-called death domain, and Tube likely serves to mediate signal transmission between Toll and Pelle, to which it binds. IRAK subsequently interacts with another adaptor molecule TRAF6, which is homologous to the recently described D-TRAF. Signals downstream of TRAF6 appear to be divergent, and not all of them are fully understood, but one consequence, in mammalian cells, is the activation of the IkB kinase (IKK) complex which directly phosphorylates the inhibitory Cactus homolog IkB at two N-terminal serine residues causing its ubiquitination and degradation. Released from a cytoplasmic association with IkB, NF-kB migrates into the nucleus. Recently, a candidate for an additional intermediate in Tube-Pelle interactions was found by yeast two-hybrid screening with Pelle as a bait sequence. This protein, called Pellino, was shown to interact with catalytically-competent Pelle, but not with a mutant form of Pelle that lacked kinase activity. Although a function for Pellino was not addressed in this study, it was suggested that it could either stabilize the activated form of Pelle, or mediate an interaction with downstream Pelle substrates.
IL-1 and other pro-inflammatory cytokines have been implicated in a variety of diseases and conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple myeloma, osteoporosis, endotoxemia and sepsis, osteoarthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and allergy. Inhibition of the signaling of IL-1 using soluble forms of IL-1Rs, and the IL-1ra, have been shown to be useful in treating or ameliorating disease characterized by excess levels of IL-1 (Rosenwasser, J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 102:344; 1998). Other parts of the IL-1 signaling pathway and other pro-inflammatory MAP kinase-activated pathways have also been the target of attempts to identify additional molecules that can be used therapeutically to intervene in conditions related to IL-1 and pro-inflammatory cytokines generally. Thus, there is a need in the art to identify novel molecules involved in the IL-1 and MAP kinase-activated pro-inflammatory signaling pathways, both as tools with which to investigate cell signaling and for use in identifying inhibitors of pro-inflammatory signaling. Of particular interest are novel polypeptides that are involved in stimulation of multiple pro-inflammatory signaling pathways, as inhibition of such polypeptides would more effectively inhibit inflammatory effects than inhibition of a pathway-specific polypeptide.


A banknote validator includes a banknote processing channel, a series of sensors located along the channel for scanning a banknote as it moves past the sensors, a central processing unit for controlling the operation of the validator and receiving and processing the signals from the sensors. A removable memory storage arrangement is insertable in a receiving location of the validator. The removable memory storage arrangement, when received in the receiving location, forms an electrical communication path with the central processing unit and provides to the central processing unit the logic for operating the validator. Preferably, the removable memory storage arrangement is a serial flash module having its own electronic address used by the validator to confirm the encoded software being downloaded to the validator has not been tampered with. As a further preferred security feature the validator is designed such that it will only operate when a removable flash module is received in the validator.

The present invention relates to validators and in particular, relates to validators having a removable flash memory module.
A host of different types of validators receive and process banknotes to determine the authenticity thereof. The banknotes are moved past sensors which evaluate different properties of the banknotes and the sensed properties of the banknotes are compared relative to a predetermined standard maintained in memory of a central processing unit of the validator. Based on this comparison a prediction as to the authenticity of the banknote is made.
The cost of a validator typically increases as the number of properties being sensed increases and the degree of precision increases. A compromise is normally made between the degree of accuracy a validator must meet and the percentage of bills being rejected on average. As the degree of accuracy increases, the variation between the properties of the sensed bill and the standard decreases. This typically results in some authentic bills being rejected by the validator. For example, an authentic bill may be somewhat worn and the validator may reject it.
A further factor is the introduction of new banknotes by different governments. To a certain extent this practice is to reduce and deter fraudulent activities. Unfortunately this renders existing validators obsolete or only suitable for processing some banknotes. Under these circumstances, it is desirable to replace the software used by the central processing unit in determining whether bills are authentic.
To alter the software used by a central processing unit of a validator, a skilled technician downloads new software to the central processing unit typically from a portable computer. This process is both expensive and time consuming. It would be desirable to provide a more practical approach for updating validators while still providing a high level of security against fraudulent activities.