An adjustable, portable apparatus for assisting weight lifters to safely perform barbell press exercises to muscular failure and assist in a forced repetition is disclosed. The apparatus includes two spaced vertically telescoping stanchions with upper ends for allowing adjustment between a minimum length position and a maximum length position of the stanchions. The apparatus further includes a cantilevered member extending horizontally from each of the stanchion upper ends and a member horizontally interconnecting the cantilevered members which allows adjustment between a minimum width position and a maximum width position of the apparatus. A lifting system is operatively interconnected to the horizontal member and a barbell that allows selectable incremental vertical lifting and lowering distance during exercise. A control system including a safety switch for actuating the lifting system to vertically lift and lower the barbell is provided. A backup safety system is provided.

Barbell pressing exercises generally involve a weight lifter lying or sitting on a bench. A weighted barbell is supported above the weight lifter at arms length by vertical support posts connected to the bench. The weight lifter performs the exercise by removing the barbell from the support posts, then lowers it to the torso and presses it back to arms length. This lowering and pressing movement, lifting cycle, is repeated until the weight lifter is fatigued but can still press the barbell to arms length and place it back onto the support posts. At this point, the weight lifter has completed one set of the barbell pressing exercise.
However, this exercise can be hazardous if the weight lifter is over fatigued and cannot completely press the barbell a final time to place it back on the support posts. The weight lifter is then effectively trapped under the barbell and, without assistance, could be severely injured. Therefore, weight lifters usually require the use of a "spotter" that is, a second person to assist in lifting the barbell and returning it to the support posts after the weight lifter has become over-fatigued.
Typically, the spotter not only makes sure the weight is safely returned to the support posts but also assist in a "forced repetition" (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,403 for a description of "forced repetition exercises"). Briefly, with the assistance of the spotter the weight lifter will go through several more lifting cycles beyond the point of fatigue. In general, the spotter is used at all points during the cycle and often is needed at the initiation of the lifting cycle for forced repetitions. The weight lifter is able to start the lift and then finds that he/she cannot continue. Without the spotter the weight would fall back to the torso. The spotter then helps the weight lifter continue the lift from the "failure" point. The spotter can also assist in lowering the barbell to complete the cycle. The exact point in the cycle where the lifter will "fail" will differ with each exercise session.
In other words, a spotter will enable the weight lifter to perform a forced repetition by giving extra lifting assistance when the weight lifter is at the "sticking point" (failure). The sticking point is actually a range of motion of the lifting cycle that usually begins when the weight lifter is fatigued and the barbell is just above the weight lifter's torso and the arms are drawn fully back. In this position, the pectoral and tricep muscles are at a physical disadvantage and cannot be fully utilized to press a heavy barbell. The sticking point range of motion assistance continues until the weightlifter's arms are extended upward and his/her pectoral and tricep muscles can generate enough force to finish pressing the barbell unassisted. The ideal spotter will only give lift assistance through the sticking point range of motion. This range can vary incrementally anywhere from the weight lifter's torso to one inch or more from the torso or in the event of a muscle or tendon tear the entire distance to the support posts.
The weight lifter's sticking point range of motion where lifting assistance is required depends on many factors such as food intake and fatigue. For these reasons, the optimum incremental amount of spotter assistance for a forced repetition will vary from set to set and cannot be accurately predicted or predetermined. In addition to assisting with a forced repetition, a spotter is also required to prevent the barbell from falling freely back onto the weight lifter in the event of excessive fatigue.
Unfortunately, a spotter is not always available on a consistent basis. For this reason, the weight lifter often performs the exercise without a spotter and takes a chance on being able to complete the last repetition unassisted. This action can lead to injury. In effect then this limits the time and places in which bench press exercising can be safely undertaken.
Bench press equipment often includes a pair of vertical bars with notches to hold the barbell weight in-between exercise sessions. However, this type of apparatus does not provide any means for the removal of the barbell away from the weight lifter without the necessity of the user lifting the barbell onto the notches. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,407,403, 5,310,394, 5,273,506, 5,281,193, 5,217,421, 5,190,510, 5,141,480, 4,949,959, 4,998,721, 4,875,676, 4,815,746, 4,807,875, 4,799,673, 4,799,672, 4,709,922, 4,471,956, 4,256,301 and 4,253,622 provide apparatus and devices to provide safety assistance to the weight lifter and/or means for forced repetitions without a "spotter".
However, these devices are generally not adjustable, that is they are not designed to generally fit, or include as part of the apparatus, any flat style of bench and any size of barbell. There are also incline, decline and seated benches which are not accommodated by these devices. There are varying sizes of barbells and weight benches which are not accommodated by the above-listed devices. Typically, commercial gyms use an Olympic size barbell which requires standard width benches while home use barbells generally are shorter and utilize smaller width benches. However, today many home gyms also use the Olympic size barbells as well. In addition, non bench weight lifting, i.e., free standing barbell exercises such as squats or standing shoulder presses also have the same safety considerations. Further, the equipment is generally designed for gym use with the higher ceilings found in a gym rather than the home.
Further, several of these devices only provide "lift" assistance to rescue the weight lifter when pinned by the barbell and generally they lift the distance to the height necessary for storage of the barbells. For example, this type is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,253,662 and 4,471,956. These devices do not provide for the use of the device in forced repetitions as described herein above. These types of device do not allow for assisting in the lowering part of the cycle if needed and there is no control on how much vertical distance the barbell is lifted when activated. The distance is preset and as described herein above the range of motion (sticking point) cannot be predicted for a given set of exercises. Therefore a spotter device is needed that is adjustable during the exercise activity, that is the vertical distance can be selected as needed during exercise.
Devices are disclosed as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,959 that do provide a raising and lowering mechanism. However, in this device the amount of vertical distance that the barbell is lifted is also preset prior to the start of the exercise. There is no selectivity during the exercise as to how much lift is provided and again the vertical lift distance is preset.
It would be useful to have one portable apparatus that has the necessary safety features, that can be used for forced repetitions with selectivity as to vertical lift distance and that can also be adjusted to fit any style of bench or alternatively for free standing barbell exercises and also can be adjusted for room size and/or available floor space. This would enable an individual weight lifter to only change bench styles in order to change the type of weight lifting exercise undertaken, which would be a considerable cost saving. Further, gym owners would only have to have one type of apparatus and as demand for different styles of benches change, they would only have to change the bench, not the safety/forced repetition apparatus. Also, if the benches are permanently attached to the floor, the portable apparatus could be moved from bench to bench as desired. In addition, it would be less costly for gym owners to be able to use their current benches and not have to purchase safety equipment which includes a bench.
Additionally, it would be useful to have an apparatus that is compact and can be easily stored. In both the gym and the home there is generally limited space for equipment, both for use and for storage. In the gym, the owner needs to have as many benches set up as possible, thereby limiting the space between benches. This in turn limits the size of the apparatus that has the necessary safety features and that can be used for forced repetitions without a spotter. Similarly in the home there is generally limited space for such equipment. Further, often in the home the equipment must be stored and must therefore be easy to assemble/disassemble and store.


A optical waveguide comprising a core layer having a core portion; a first clad layer formed on one surface of the core layer; a second clad layer formed on another surface of the core layer; and a hollow section penetrating through the second clad layer and the core layer, and extending to a middle portion of the first clad layer, wherein a part of an inner wall surface at the hollow section is configured as an inclined plane which is inclined relative to and intersects with a plane including an interfacial plane between the core layer and the first clad layer, and a minimum radius of curvature at a connection between the inclined plane and other parts of the inner wall surface continuously extending from the inclined plane is 1 to 500 μm as measured at the plane including the interfacial plane.

In recent years, the use of an optical waveguide has been spreading as a means for guiding an optical signal from one point to another. The optical waveguide comprises a linear core portion and a clad portion surrounding the core portion. The core portion is formed of a material which is substantially transparent to light, and the clad portion is formed of a material having a lower refractive index than the core portion.
In the waveguide, the light introduced into the waveguide from one end of the core portion is transmitted to another end of the core portion while being reflected at the interface between the core portion and the clad portion. When the waveguide is used, a light emitting element such as a semiconductor laser is provided near the light incident side of the waveguide, and a light receiving element such as a photo diode is provided near the light emission side of the waveguide. The light emitted from the light emitting element enters and travels in the waveguide, and is received by the receiving element. Through such a waveguide, a communication is performed based on the intensity or blink pattern of the light.
Substituting the electric wiring of a signal processing board with the waveguide, for example, solves a problem peculiar to an electrical signal such as generation of a high-frequency noise or degradation of the electrical signal; therefore, such substitution with the waveguide is expected to further enhance the throughput of the signal processing board.
For substituting the electric wiring with the waveguide, a mutual exchange between electrical signal and optical signal is necessary. For this purpose, a waveguide module provided with the waveguide optically connecting the light emitting element and the light receiving element is being developed.
For example, Patent Document 1 describes an optical interface having a printed board, a light emitting element on the printed board, and an optical waveguide formed on the lower surface of the printed board. Further, the optical waveguide and the light emitting element are optically connected through the through hole formed on the printed board for transmitting the optical signal.
In the optical interface as described above, it is necessary to divert the path of light by a mirror formed in the waveguide for making the signal light emitted from the emission portion of the light emitting element enter the core portion of the waveguide.
The mirror as described above may be, for example, one configured to have an inclined plane traversing only the waveguide in the core portion thereof, or may be one configured to have an inclined plane as described in Patent Document 2, which is continuously formed from the core portion to the clad layer laminated thereon. Patent Document 2 discloses a technique in which an under clad layer, a core and an over clad layer are laminated together, followed by providing at one end of the resulting laminate an inclined plane which is inclined relative to the axial direction of the core, i.e. the longitudinal direction, with an inclination angle of 45°, where the inclined plane is utilized as a light reflecting surface of a waveguide.

Optical waveguide having hollow section and electronic device including optical waveguide


A fluid level sensor is disclosed having first and second vertically and horizontally nonoverlapping electrode plates for placing on a wall of a fluid container. Most preferably, the plates are also vertically spaced from each other. The capacitor plates are driven by a high frequency square wave. By forming nonoverlapping plates and driving them using a high frequency, the level of a fluid within the container, particularly viscous fluid, is more accurately detected. Control and detection circuitry is also disclosed to trigger an alarm if the fluid level drops below a critical level within the container.

The present invention relates generally to determining a level of a fluid in a container. More specifically, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for more accurately sensing when a relatively rapid egress of a viscous fluid, such as blood, reaches a level within the container. The invention is particularly useful in applications wherein a reduction in fluid level leaves a film of the fluid on an inner wall of the container.

Method and apparatus for detection of fluid level in a container


A low power Sleep Mode operation technique for dynamic random access (DRAM) devices and integrated circuit devices incorporating embedded DRAM. By counting clock (CLK) cycles in accordance with the technique disclosed, refresh time (tREF) does not vary with all possible process corners, voltages and temperatures (PVT) since the clock signal exhibits a steady frequency over PVT applied to the DRAM and an internal timer placed on chip will vary directly with these parameters. After entering Sleep Mode, the main internal clock signal is inhibited from propagating around the device chip and, at this time, much of the associated circuitry can be power-gated to conserve power, typically with signals that have a boosted level to provide a negative gate-to-source voltage (VGS) on the power-gating transistors.

The present invention relates, in general, to the field of integrated circuit (IC) devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a low power Sleep Mode operation technique for dynamic random access (DRAM) devices and integrated circuit devices incorporating embedded DRAM.
DRAM memory devices incorporate one or more arrays of memory cells, each generally consisting of a single transistor and associated capacitor. The transistor has one terminal coupled to an associated bit line and its gate coupled to a word line. Another terminal is generally coupled to circuit ground through the capacitor and by enabling the transistor via the word line, the charge on the capacitor may be placed on the associated bit line. Due to the dynamic nature of the charge stored in the capacitor, it must be periodically refreshed to replenish the leaked charge.
A "refresh" or "active" command can occur on any clock cycle in an integrated circuit memory, requiring internal (on-chip) detection of the cycle type being executed. This detection process slows down the row address path within the device. On-chip refresh circuitry has been incorporated in DRAM designs for several decades. When first introduced, a separate refresh pin was used to inform the DRAM to execute a refresh operation using internally generated addresses instead of a normal, externally supplied row address. Later, /CAS-before-/RAS (CAS=column address strobe, and RAS=row address strobe) commands were used to enable on-chip refresh cycles. When /CAS was "high" and /RAS went "low", a normal row selection was done using the external address supplied to the time when /RAS went "low". However, if /CAS was "low" when /RAS went "low", then a refresh operation was executed using an internally generated refresh address.
Conventional DRAMs currently support two different types of refresh operations: auto-refresh and self-refresh. Auto-refresh uses a specific command instruction: /CS (chip select), /RAS, and /CAS "low" with /WE (write enable) "high" that is sampled at the rising edge of the DRAM's input clock signal. The self-refresh command is similar to auto-refresh, but occurs concurrently with entering power-down mode. In self-refresh operation, the device periodically executes refresh cycles (which are self-timed) to maintain stored data integrity during power-down mode.
In the past, incorporating on-chip refresh techniques using the methods described above had little impact on device performance. However, as the operating frequency of DRAMs and SDRAMs has increased, the inclusion of on-chip refresh using conventional methods has had an impact on row access performance. With present methods, during any cycle that an active command can be executed, a refresh command could have been executed instead, provided the device had been previously idle (in precharge state.) For this reason, the on-chip circuitry must hold-off row selection while the appropriate address is selected, depending on whether the present instruction is an "active" or a "refresh" command. This process is complicated in most instances and a command address latch is used to hold either the externally supplied row address or the internally generated address from the refresh address counter depending on the command. As clock rate increases, the operational time penalty due to selecting which address to use before row selection can be enabled will become a larger percentage of the row select time.
Further, with conventional DRAM-based memory technology, open memory banks must be closed prior to the issuance of a "refresh" command. These banks are required to be closed by issuing individual "precharge" commands to open banks using a "precharge all" to close open banks or "auto-precharge" commands for "read" or "write" cycles to ensure that an opened bank has been closed (or precharged) prior to issuing a refresh command.
Despite these technological advances, conventional memory devices, and those incorporating embedded memory, do not accurately time when a refresh operation is required over all possible process corners, voltages and temperatures (PVT) and do not sufficiently lower transistor leakage power in all circuit blocks accordingly. Further, conventional techniques do not employ "active" power-gating techniques wherein various circuit blocks can be powered-up or powered-down as required during a refresh operation.

Low power sleep mode operation technique for dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices and integrated circuit devices incorporating embedded DRAM


The present disclosure relates to a system and a method. The system may include a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus configured to acquire MRI data with respect to a region of interest (ROI) and a therapeutic apparatus configured to apply therapeutic radiation to at least one portion of the ROI. The MRI apparatus may include a plurality of main magnetic coils arranged coaxially along an axis, a plurality of shielding magnetic coils arranged coaxially along the axis, and a cryostat in which the plurality of main magnetic coils and the plurality of shielding magnetic coils are arranged.

Radiation therapy on a tumor is currently affected by difficulties to track the variation (e.g., motion) of the tumor in different treatment sessions. Nowadays, various imaging techniques may be applied to provide real-time images of the tumor before or within each treatment session. For example, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus may be used in combination with a radiation therapy apparatus to provide MRI images of the tumor. The combination of the MRI apparatus and the radiation therapy apparatus, which forms a therapeutic apparatus, may encounter difficulties in arranging components of the MRI apparatus (e.g., a plurality of main magnetic coils, a plurality of shielding magnetic coils) and components of the radiation therapy apparatus (e.g., a linear accelerator) in a relatively compact space without causing interferences. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide a therapeutic apparatus that provides high therapeutic quality and also has a compact structure as well.

SHANGHAI UNITED IMAGING HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.


The present invention relates to an elastic coupling (1) between rail vehicle wagons, comprising:                an end support (2) or curved head (8) in turn comprising a screwed straight area (5), an intermediate deformation area (6) and an end coupling area (7), the end (8) of the coupling area (7) being curved,        an end support (3) or straight head (8′) in turn comprising a screwed straight area (5′), an intermediate deformation area (6′) and an end coupling area (7′), the end (8′) of the coupling area (7′) being straight, and        an enclosing case (4) covering the end coupling area (7) of the support (2) and the end coupling area (7′) of the support (3),such that the supports (2) and (3) are attached to one another by draw connection means and by elastic elements. The walls of the intermediate area 6 of the support 2 are curved inwards, and the walls of the intermediate area 6′ of the support 3 are curved outwards.

The function of elastic couplings used between wagons in trains employing Talgo technology is to transmit longitudinal loads. These couplings are formed by two supports made of cast steel, one screwed to each end of the adjacent wagons.
The end or head of one of the supports of the coupling is curved, and the end or head the other support is flat, which allows certain rotation between wagons. The heads of the supports are attached to one another by an intermediate pin (also referred to as draw bolt) as well as by elastic parts to assure the draw and correct operation under normal use conditions.
To assure compliance with structural passive safety requirements in the event of various collision scenarios, it is necessary to include a certain ability to absorb energy between two adjacent wagons. This absorption must assure that no structural deformation of vehicles occurs such that it may compromise the interior compartment intended for passengers.
Due to the location of the elastic coupling as a rigid element between two wagons, in many Talgo trains today this absorption of energy is done as a result of the failure of the connection elements between support and structure. There is included behind the support an absorption element for absorption by deformation, which absorbs energy while the support is gradually introduced into the vehicle structure.
This configuration has the drawback of requiring free space inside the wagon and an additional element for absorbing energy.

Elastic coupling between rail vehicle wagons


This invention relates to an improvement in an evacuating apparatus attached to an air cleaner such as of an internal combustion engine as in connection with a farm tractor or an industrial engine operating in a dust laden environment where the contaminants drawn into the air cleaner are evacuated by the apparatus herein. The improvement consists in having a more positive evacuation of air transported contaminants in particulate form and evacuated with said contaminants are airborne particles of moisture carried with said contaminants. Comprising the apparatus of the invention is a small sized motor driving an impeller having vanes sweeping through a trough in the direction of exhaust, there being no return passage to the air cleaner.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a dust evacuating apparatus particularly adapted to evacuate contaminants from an air cleaner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The known art discloses a commonly used exhaust control valve element for the discharge of contaminants from an air cleaner consisting of a flexible pair of lips which expand to open and discharge contaminants by gravity when there is sufficient accumulation. However said lips relying upon flexibility to open and discharge contaminants and to respond to the suction of the engine quickly, the valve element in failing to respond quickly permits the engine to draw a stream of air through the apparatus inwardly in a reverse flow through the outlet of the air cleaner and thus does not have the benefit of the air cleaner in passing into the engine.
It is an object of this invention to provide a powered contaminant evacuating apparatus in connection with an air cleaner which positively discharges contaminants and which prevents any reverse flow into the air cleaner.
It is another object herein to provide a relatively small sized apparatus attached to the outlet pipe of the air cleaner to positively evacuate all contaminants gathered therein.
It is a further object herein to provide an evacuating apparatus which has no reverse path for air flow between its discharge outlet and its intake of contaminants from the air cleaner.
It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a powered evacuating apparatus having a housing having a discharge channel therein and includes an impeller having a blade having portions disposed in said channel to sweep out and discharge all contaminants including the moisture borne by said contaminants and preventing any reverse flow through said channels.
In summarizing the salient features, the discharge vanes have been rearranged to provide a larger passage for contaminants passing into the discharge channel and having vane portions sweeping through said discharge channels positively discharging all particulate substance and all moisture borne therewith.
Further there is positive prevention of any reverse passage of air or contaminant particles back into the air cleaner.
These and other objects and advantages will be set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings bearing reference characters which refer to similar parts throughout the various views of the drawings.

Positive discharge contaminant evacuator


A memory cell has a thin film memory transistor and a thin film selective transistor. The thin film memory transistor has a charge trapping structure and a positive-negative-charge occurrence structure. The charge trapping structure includes a first thin film semiconductor layer, an insulating memory gate layer formed on the first thin film semiconductor layer, and a memory gate electrode. The positive-negative-charge occurrence structure includes an impurity high density layer with a portion facing the memory gate electrode. The thin film selective transistor is coupled to the thin film memory transistor in a serial form and has an only n-channel occurrence structure which includes a second thin film semiconductor layer, an insulating selective gate layer formed on the second thin film semiconductor layer and being thicker than the insulating memory gate layer, and a selective gate electrode formed on said insulating selective gate layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrically writable and erasable thin film memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
The EEP ROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) is generally known as an electrically writable and erasable memory transistor. Further, the EEP ROM is likewise known to come in an MNOS structure and a floating gate structure, both of which uses a tunnel effect. Structurally precise with the EEP ROM, over the surface of a silicon substrate, there are provided a tunnel oxide film, a charge trapping insulating film, and a gate electrode in respective layers. Functionally concrete with the EEP ROM, it is found that applying a high voltage between the gate electrode and the substrate brings forth the tunnel effect, whereby the electrons or the positive holes, collectively referred to as the charges, pass through the tunnel oxide film, and subsequently get trapped in a boundary between the tunnel oxide film and the charge trapping insulating film or another boundary between the silicon substrate and the tunnel oxide film. Trapping the charges in one of these boundaries makes the threshold voltage shift in a direction opposite to the direction in a case with the trapping the same type of the charges in another boundary. Shifting a polarity of the threshold voltage to negativity concurs with the emergence of an erased (post-erasure) state wherein a drain current occurs constantly. Meanwhile, shifting to the positive polarity of the threshold voltage signifies the presence of a written (post-write) state where no drain current obtains even an ON-voltage applied. Of particular note is a fact that the charges trapped in one of these boundaries are kept unchanged after removal of the ON-voltage. This demonstrates the physical characteristic of a non-volatile memory. However, as the conventional EEP ROM is manufactured from a silicon water, it is required to provide source regions and drain regions within a P-well, field insulating films to isolate memory transistors to each other, and so on. This causes the production process to become complex, to fail higher efficiency, and further renders an EEP ROM structure to be unfit for circuit integration.
To make up for these disadvantages, some attempts are currently under way with a view to realizing such a non-volatile memory, following the TFT technology. Though difference from the above-remarked EEP ROM over the drive procedure, a memory cell structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,217 which is considered serviceable for reference to achieve a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) memory cell. In the prior art disclosed in said U.S. Patent, the non-volatile memory device is of a TFT structure. However, with this memory device, it is of such a configuration devised for electrons only avalanche, namely of a single charge channel (N-channel) run arrangement. Therefore, there exists no feasibility to expand the width of hysteresis. In other words, no practicality is available to increase the difference between the respective threshold voltages in the post-write and post-erasure states. This coincides with not only unpracticality to grow the ratio between the respective drain currents in the written state and erased state but also low accuracy in charge potential level discrimination.


Embodiments herein include a composition that can include one or more saponins and one or more non-pathogenic bacterial strains. In an embodiment, a method of treating an animal to reduce the bactericidal effect of protozoa is included. The method can include administering a composition comprising saponins and administering a composition comprising at least 1×107 colony forming units (CFU) per gram of one or more bacterial strains. The saponins can reduce a bactericidal activity of protozoa within the animal on the one or more bacterial strains. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Protozoa in the rumen of an animal can exhibit bactericidal effects on the populations of beneficial bacteria also present therein. Protozoa in the rumen have been shown to affect ammonia production, methane production, and rumen pH. In some cases, the bactericidal effects exhibited by protozoa can lead to acidosis within the rumen. Acidosis can occur when the pH of the rumen falls below 5.5, leading to a decrease in digestion of feed, a loss of appetite, and a decrease in animal productivity. In severe cases, acidosis in the rumen can lead to metabolic acidosis and, if left untreated, to the death of an animal.

Saponin and bacterial compositions and methods


A method of evaluating the performance of a relief pitcher in the late innings of a baseball game factors through storage and processing of data as to when a pitcher inherits at least one player on base. The following steps of the method are disclosed: first, establishing the number of runs Ri scored by such inherited runners; second, establishing the number of batters B faced in such innings; third, establishing the number of outs; and, finally, evaluating the Relief Quotient “RQ” according to the formula:

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to baseball and, more particularly, to a statistical method for evaluating the performance of a relief pitcher.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Baseball thrives, and in large measure survives, by its ability to evaluate, differentiate and classify its product—namely, its players and teams. This is true for hitters, for pitchers, and, to a lesser extent, for position players in the field.
Who had the best season at the plate? Generally speaking, the batting average tells us.
Who had the most productive season? Perhaps it's the slugging percentage or the Runs Batted In (RBI) that tells us. Or is it the statistic that indicates which player crossed home plate the most times (Runs Scored)? Or perhaps the statistic that states who had the best on-base average, or the most walks, or the most hits.
Measuring pitching performance has also been one of the most common subjects of statistics, and can be found in newspapers from the 1800s. Which pitcher won how many games? The won/loss columns tell us. This is the most widely used measure of a pitcher's worth. Which pitcher struck out the most batters? Which pitcher yielded the fewest walks? Which pitcher allowed the fewest hits? Which pitcher allowed the fewest batters to cross home plate due to his mistakes (the Earned Run Average, or "ERA")? This is the second most widely used measure of a pitcher's worth, after the total amount of "wins." Which pitcher had the most "saves," so to speak, out of the bullpen? A "save" is credited to a relief (or "substitute") pitcher when the pitcher who starts the game is removed from the game while his team is in the lead; the relief pitcher holds the opposite team in check so that his team remains ahead and goes on to win the game. (It has been said that the "blown save" is baseball's most "deflating moment, and its most haunting," The New York Times, Mar. 31, 2002, Sect. 8a, p. 3.)
The following is a more specific definition of a "save" in pitching: A pitcher can earn a save by completing all three of the following terms:                (1) Finishes the game won by his team;        (2) Does not receive the win;        (3) Meets one of the following three items:                    (a) Enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches at least one inning;            (b) Enters the game with the tying run either on base, at bat or on deck; and/or            (c) Pitches effectively for at least three innings.
The number of "saves" has been used for years as a measure of the value of a relief pitcher. Baseball is not immune to society's rush into specialization. Just as a general practitioner M.D. recommends a patient to a specialist, and an attorney might specialize in maritime law, baseball is becoming more and more specialized as to how it uses its players. Very few "complete"—nine-(or more)-inning games—are pitched by the starting pitchers. A manager will use a "pitch count" to determine how far his ace (the starting pitcher) can go. There are middle-inning (fifth–seventh inning) relief pitchers, and there are "closers," who finish pitching the game.
Relief pitching has become an art and a specialty. However, the statistics related to relief pitching have not kept pace.
Assume the following situation. Several relief pitchers have come into a different number of games and have "inherited" a different number of base runners. However, all of these relief pitchers end the season with similar numbers of saves. Because the actual games each pitcher entered can be widely disparate, a fixed number of saves—say, 15—might not have the same value for each pitcher. It's possible that reliever no. 1 pitched in twice as many games as reliever no. 2. Clearly, in such a case, "15 saves" would not mean that they are of equal value. And what of the situations in which each of these pitchers allowed runs or scores and did not "save" the game ("blown saves")?
Most of the baseball statistics we know are readily computed and reflect simple performance parameters. The common and not-so-common items used to measure pitching performance in the major leagues today include "Adjusted Pitching Runs" ("APR" or "PR/A"). This is an advanced pitching statistic used to measure the number of runs that a pitcher prevents from being scored compared to the League's average pitcher in a neutral park in the same amount of innings. This is similar to the "ERA" ("Earned Run Average") and acts as a quantitative counterpart.
The abovementioned ERA is simply computed by the following formula:
  ERA  =      Rx9    I  where R=the number of earned runs and I=total no. of innings pitched.
The ERA is one of the oldest pitching statistics and is one of the most commonly used and understood statistics in the major leagues. Virtually every fan knows what it means, but many often forget the formula used to compute the pitcher's ERA.
The Earned Run Average Plus ("ERA+" or "RA") is computed by dividing the league ERA by the ERA of a pitcher. This statistic uses a league-normalized ERA in the calculation and is intended to measure how well the pitcher prevented runs from being scoring relative to pitchers in the rest of the league. It is similar to the Hitters' PRO statistic.
Another commonly used statistic is the "Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched" ("WHIP"), which is computed as follows:
  WHIP  =            H      +      W        I  where H=number of hits, W=number of walks, and I=total number of innings pitched. There is a popular statistic that is probably used and frequently discussed in certain leagues. It was developed to measure the approximate number of walks and hits a pitcher allows in each inning he pitches, and then to compare the value received to other pitchers to formulate a pitcher's index.
The winning percentage is another common statistic in baseball and is also quite easy to understand and easy to compute. The primary purpose of this statistic is to gauge the percentage of a pitcher's games that are won.
In some instances, certain statistics become very sophisticated and more difficult to compute. Thus, for example, "Game Score" is computed as follows:
  GAMESCORE  =      50    +          3            I        -          2                    (                  H          +          R          +          E                )              -    W    +    S    +          2              I        ′            where I=the number of innings pitched;    H=number of hits;    R=number of runs;    E=number of errors;    W=number of walks;    S=number of strikeouts; and    I′=the number of each full inning completed beyond the fourth inning.This advanced pitching statistic is used to measure how dominant a pitcher's performance is in each game he pitches. This statistic rewards dominance (strikes and lack of hits) while penalizing for walks.
As it clear from the above, the number of statistics that are followed by baseball enthusiasts is rather large. Some of these statistics are, of course, more important than others to either the fans or the ball clubs.
While some of the aforementioned pitching statistics reflect a pitcher's general performance, only some of the statistics reflect the additional pressures and expectations of pitchers during critical phases of the game, when the pitchers are under particular stress. As noted, the "Game Score" is a function of full innings completed beyond the fourth inning and, therefore, reflects the performance of the pitcher toward the second half of the game. Most of the pitching statistics do not, however, reflect other parameters that are inherently stressful to all pitchers and that all good relief pitchers must overcome, including the number of outs, the number of inherited runners and the specific bases where each inherited runner is located when the relief pitcher comes on. As suggested, the number of outs, the number of inherited runners and the specific bases on which they are located, as well as the specific inning in which the pitcher comes in can, separately and in combination, be particularly stressful to a pitcher. The ability of a pitcher to overcome such stressful conditions and provide a win has never been quantified. This problem has been recently discussed in "Top Relievers: Earning Saves by Putting Out Others' Fires" in The New York Times (Jun. 27, 2004) Section 8, page 10. Although this problem has been well defined, to date there has been no practical solution to it.

Method of evaluating the performance of a relief pitcher in the late innings of a baseball game

Abstract: RQ    =                  k                          (                                    Ri              +              E                        B                    )                    n        ,where k is first a predetermined constant selected to scale the RQ to a desired range of magnitudes, n is a second predetermined constant that may be positive or negative and E is a parameter that may be an integer or equal to 0.


A steam distributor includes multiple steam discharge chambers that are separated by laterally spaced apart partition panels that create corresponding profiling zones. The profiling zones are covered by a perforated screen plate through which steam passes onto a moving sheet that is traveling in the machine direction. One or more of the partition panels is not aligned in the machine direction so that one or more of the steam discharge chambers defines a non-rectangular profiling zone. The orientation of one or more of the baffles can be adjusted in order to control the response shape of the steam footprints on a moving sheet for zone moisture control. The panels can be articulated to allow dynamic adjustments of the profiling zones for cross direction response control.

The steam heating of a paper sheet is widely practiced in papermaking. The increase in sheet temperature that results provides increased drainage rates for the water thus reducing the amount of water to be evaporated in the drier section. Water drainage is improved by the application of steam principally because the heating of the sheet reduces the viscosity of the water, thus increasing the ability of the water to flow. Most of the heat transfer takes place when the steam condenses in the sheet. The condensation of the steam transforms the latent heat of the steam to sensible heat in the water contained by the sheet.
A particular advantage of steam heating of the paper sheet is that the amount of steam applied may be varied across the width of the sheet along the cross machine direction so that the cross machine moisture profile of the sheet may be modified. This is usually carried out to ensure that the moisture profile at the reel is uniform. Moisture measurement devices are well known in the papermaking art that can sense the moisture profile of a sheet of paper. If such an apparatus is scanned over the paper sheet, downstream of a steam distributor, then after measuring the water profile in the sheet, steam can be applied in varying amounts on a selective basis across the sheet, thus achieving the required uniform moisture profile at the reel.
It is known to divide a steam distributor into compartments with laterally spaced-apart baffle plates that are covered with a partially perforated cover. By regulating the supply of steam into each compartment, it was possible to a limited extent to control the moisture profile of the sheet. However, the vertically oriented baffle plates and the corresponding rectangular shaped compartments do not produce footprints on the paper sheet with the required response shape for narrower zone moisture control. Furthermore, with prior art designs, fiber and dirt tend to accumulate within the compartments and over time, the debris penetrates into the internal structures and interferes with steam flow.

Method to control response shape of footprint for zone moisture control on a steambox and maintain screen plate cleanliness


A system on chip includes: a functional circuit configured to perform a processing operation by receiving a supply voltage; a droop detection circuit configured to monitor the supply voltage and generate a detection signal indicating whether a droop of the supply voltage has occurred; a clock generation circuit configured to output a first clock signal having a first frequency; and a clock modulation circuit configured to receive the detection signal and the first clock signal, and provide a system clock signal to the functional circuit.

The inventive concepts relate to a clock generator, and more particularly, to a clock generator generating a system clock signal for reducing power consumed by a functional circuit and a system on chip including the clock generator.
A supply voltage of a high-performance functional circuit (or a semiconductor circuit) included in a system on chip (SoC) may use a method of setting a guard band to the supply voltage, so that the supply voltage is greater than a value needed in a normal state to accommodate for a droop phenomenon in which the supply voltage fluctuates (e.g., reduces) depending on an operating environment and a work performance level. The guard band refers to a value added to the value of the supply voltage in the normal state considering the droop phenomenon. However, because setting a high guard band may increase the power consumption of the system on chip, the competitiveness of a product may be deteriorated.

Clock generator for reducing power and system on chip including the same


The present invention relates to a GOA circuit for liquid crystal displaying and a display device. The GOA circuit includes a plurality of cascaded GOA units and the nth-stage GOA unit includes a pull-up part (100), a key pull-down part (200), a pull-down holding part (300), a pull-up control part (400), and a boost capacitor (Cb). In operation, a nth-stage clock signal (CK(n)) and first and second clock signals (LC1 and LC2) are inputted. The frequencies of the first clock signal (LC1) and the second clock signal (LC2) are lower than the nth clock signal (CK(n)). The first clock signal (LC1) charging a first circuit point (P) and the second clock signal (LC2) charging a second circuit point (K) are alternately carried out. The present invention also provides a corresponding display device. The GOA circuit of the present invention precisely controls the voltage of the gate Q(n) that affects charging of a horizontal scan line by means of the low frequency clock signal and the high frequency clock signal, so as to ensure a stable output of the GOA charging signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of liquid crystal displaying technology, and in particular to a GOA (Gate Driver on Array) circuit for liquid crystal displaying and a display device.
2. the Related Arts
Liquid crystal displays have many advantages, such as thin device body, power saving, and being free of radiation and are widely used. The existing liquid crystal displays on the market are mostly backlight type liquid crystal displays, which comprise a liquid crystal panel and a backlight module. The operation principle of the liquid crystal panel is to place liquid crystal molecules between two parallel glass substrates and applying a driving voltage to the two glass substrates to control the rotating direction of the liquid crystal molecules, in order to refract the light of the backlight module out to generate an image.
In an active liquid crystal display, each pixel has a thin film transistor (TFT) having a gate connected with a horizontal scan line, a drain connected with a vertical data line, and a source connected with a pixel electrode. Applying a sufficient voltage on the horizontal scan line can turn on all of the TFTs on this line, and at this time, the pixel electrodes of the horizontal scan line are connected with the vertical data line, thereby writing a display signal of the data line to the pixels to control the transmittance of different liquid crystal thereby achieving an effect of controlling color. The driving of the horizontal scan line of the conventional active liquid crystal display panel is provided by an external IC (Integrated Circuit). The external IC can control charging and discharging of each stage horizontal scan line in stage by stage manner. However, GOA technology, which refers to Gate Driver on Array technology, can utilize an existing manufacturing process of a liquid crystal display panel to form a driving circuit of the horizontal scan line on the substrate surrounding a display region, making it accomplish driving of the horizontal scan line to replace the external IC. The GOA technology can reduce the process of bonding the external IC, making it possible to improve the productivity and reducing the cost, and moreover, it can make the liquid crystal display panel more suitable for display products having a slim bezel or no bezel.
An existing GOA circuit generally comprises a plurality of cascaded GOA units and each GOA unit corresponds to a horizontal scan line. A general structure of the GOA unit comprises a pull-up part, a pull-up control part, a transfer part, a key pull-down part, a pull-down holding part, and a boost capacitor for boosting voltage. The pull-up part generally supplies an output of a clock signal as a gate signal; the pull-up control part is responsible for controlling the turn-on time of the pull-up part and is generally connected with a transfer signal or a gate signal transmitted from a previous stage GOA circuit; the key pull-down part is responsible for pulling the gate to a low voltage in a first time point, namely shutting off the gate signal; the pull-down holding part is responsible for holding the gate output signal and the gate signal (commonly referred to as a Q point) of the pull-up part in a turn-off status (namely negative voltage), there being generally two pull-down holding modules operating alternately; and the boost capacitor (C) is responsible for boosting Q point for a second time in order to facilitate outputting of G(N) of the pull-up part.
The purpose of the GOA circuit is to output the scan waveform, which is supplied from an integrated circuit through the circuit operation in order to turn on a pixel switch and thereby supplying a data signal to an ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) electrode. After the data signal has been input, the content of the data signal is held up until a next frame is turned on. During the operation of the circuit, since a scan circuit is set off in the remaining time of a frame after having been turned on, the turn-off (holding) time of the scan circuit is much longer than the scanning time, so that the requirement for the stability of the thin film transistor in the GOA circuit is very high. In order to ensure a stable output of the GOA circuit charging signal, it is extremely desired for a solution that the voltage of the gate Q(n) of the thin film transistor affecting charging of the horizontal scan line in the GOA circuit can be precisely controlled.

GOA circuit for liquid crystal displaying and display device

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd


A card edge connector includes a longitudinal insulative housing (1) with tower portions (12) extending upwards, a plurality of contacts (2) retained in the insulative housing with contacting portions for contacting with the memory module and an ejector (4) pivoting between an opening station and a locking station. The tower portion defines a blocking portion (125) and a sliding recess (126) located on outside of the blocking portion for providing an enough sliding space for the ejector (4).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card edge connector, and more particularly to a card edge connector with movable ejector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Card edge connector is usually assembled on a mother board and then engages with a daughter board for interconnecting between the two boards. U.S. Pat. No. 7,955,098 issued to Mckee et al. on Jun. 7, 2011, discloses a card edge connector having an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts retained in the insulative housing and a pair of ejectors moveably attached at the insulative housing. The insulative housing defines an inserting slot for receiving the daughter board and a pair of tower portions with receiving cavities for receiving the ejectors rotated therein between an opening station and a locking station. Each of the contacts includes a retaining portion retained in the sidewall, a contacting portion extending into the inserting slot from one end of the retaining portion for contacting with the daughter board and a soldering tail extending outwards to the insulative housing from another end of the retaining portion for connecting with and extending through the mother board. The ejector has a protruding portion engaging with a blocking portion provide by the tower portion for preventing the ejector from accidentally moving to the opening station. The tower portion includes a recess portion receiving the protruding portion therein for keeping the ejector located at the locking station.
However, because the ejector is repeatedly moved between the opening station and the locking station and engaging with inner side of the tower portion at a longer area, the protruding portion of the ejector is easily abrade and can not retain the ejector in the locking station steadily. So that the daughter board is easily pulled out and can not be locked.
Therefore, an improved card edge connector are desired to overcome the disadvantages of the related arts.

Card edge connector with movable ejector


To enable data in a WWW server on a network to be directly obtained without passing through an information processing apparatus and to reduce a load which is applied to the network when the data obtained from the WWW server is printed, a digital copier has a function, namely, a Web Pull Printing function for actively accessing to the WWW server, obtaining data of an HTML format in the WWW server, and printing by a self printer. A Web print request to the digital copier by the user is executed through a print utility which is operating on a client.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming method for printing data of a WWW server and also relates to its storing medium.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, in association with the realization of a network of information, there has been realized a system in which a WWW (World Wide Web) server which holds various information and a computer in which dedicated software (hereinafter, referred to as a browser) to access to the server by an HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) has been installed are connected by a network (internet, intranet) and the information on the WWW server can be referred from the computer. In this system, since the information on the WWW server can be stored into the computer by the browser, a print output of the information which has once been stored in the computer is instructed to a printer from the user, thereby enabling the information on the WWW server to be printed and outputted by the printer.
According to the foregoing conventional method, however, in order to obtain the information on the WWW server as print information, it is necessary for the user to designate the printing to information equipment having a printing function after waiting for him to once finish the storage of all of the information into the computer. Therefore, in the case where it takes time to obtain the information from the WWW server due to a cause of a traffic of the network or the like, the user has to wait until the information is stored into the computer. When the obtained data is printed, a process for converting the data to a format which can be printed by the information equipment having the printing function needs to be executed by the computer. Therefore, processes in the computer become heavy and become an obstacle in case of executing another program in parallel.
In the case where the information equipment having the printing function which is used is equipment connected onto the network, information transfers of two times of an information transfer from the WWW server to the computer and an information transfer from the computer to the information equipment occur, this results in a cause of an increase in traffic of the network. Particularly, in many cases, a size of data converted to the format that can be printed by the information equipment is large and, in case of transferring the information from the computer to the information equipment, the influence on the traffic is large.
In recent years, in association with the development of the computer network technique, various information can be freely obtained through various information media, information services, or the like. However, those information is updated everyday and in order to always obtain the latest information, the user needs to periodically perform a similar operation on the computer. For example, in case of periodically printing out in order to always get the latest information, the user accesses to a desired information resource on the WWW server from an application on the computer and obtain it every print-out and, after that, issues a print request to the printer by a printer driver.
However, the operations such that a desired information resource on the WWW server is accessed from the application on the computer and is obtained each time the print-out is performed and, after that, a print request is issued to the printer by the printer driver as mentioned above need fairly many works and are troublesome. Particularly, when a frequency of accessing to the information resource is high, such a problem is serious.

Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and storing medium


The invention is directed to a smoothing iron having a shoe and a soleplate, in which the shoe and the soleplate are joined to each other by an adhesive. The spacing between the shoe and the soleplate varies across the shoe. The space between the shoe and the soleplate is filled with the adhesive. No prior mechanical treatment or heating of the shoe and/or the soleplate is required.

This invention relates to a smoothing iron with a shoe and a soleplate that are connected with each other with an adhesive.
A smoothing iron of this type is known in which the iron's shoe is cast. Then a soleplate is fastened to the shoe. For fastening, applicant has knowledge of a variety of approaches. For example, the soleplate may be riveted to the shoe, such riveting being in particular possible in a steam discharge port of the soleplate. In addition, the possibility exists to weld bolts to the soleplate which pass through the shoe. These bolts may then be caulked to the shoe or alternatively, they may be provided with a thread in which case the connection between the shoe and the soleplate is established by means of a nut engaging the bolt. Equally, the shoe and the soleplate may also be welded together--as by means of a laser beam. Apart from these types of fastening, it is also known from GB-A-2 225 345 to secure a soleplate member and a cover plate together by means of an adhesive--for example, on silicone basis. These joining methods may also be applied in combination.
It is an object of the present invention to improve the attachment of a soleplate to a shoe of a smoothing iron.


A multipurpose vehicle includes an engine, a travel transmission device, a continuously variable transmission device, and a spacer housing capable of becoming attached to and detached from the engine, the continuously variable transmission device, and the travel transmission device. The spacer housing contains an engine output shaft, a transmission device input shaft of the continuously variable transmission device, a first connecting portion connecting the engine output shaft with the transmission device input shaft in an interlocking manner, a transmission device output shaft of the continuously variable transmission device, a transmission input shaft of the travel transmission device, and a second connecting portion connecting the transmission device output shaft with the transmission input shaft in an interlocking manner.

Some multipurpose vehicles include an engine, a travel transmission device provided on one side of the engine in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and a continuously variable transmission device provided on one side of the engine and the travel transmission device in a width direction of the vehicle body, the continuously variable transmission device being configured to vary an output of the engine non-stepwise and then transmit the output to the travel transmission device.
This type of multipurpose vehicle is disclosed in, for example, JP 2012-51506 A. JP 2012-51506 A discloses a multipurpose vehicle including a transmission case provided rearward of the engine and serving as the travel transmission device and a belt-type continuously variable transmission device as the continuously variable transmission device.
Some multipurpose vehicles of this type are configured such that the continuously variable transmission device includes a transmission device input shaft connected directly with an engine output shaft of the engine and a transmission device output shaft connected directly with a transmission input shaft of the travel transmission device. In this case, to use continuously variable transmission devices with different specifications such as different output values and/or transmission modes to produce multipurpose vehicles with different specifications, it is necessary to prepare continuously variable transmission devices each including a transmission device input shaft and a transmission device output shaft with an axial gap therebetween adjusted to be equal to the axial gap between the engine output shaft of the engine and the transmission input shaft of the travel transmission device. As a result, the preparation of continuously variable transmission devices requires a high cost.
This has led to a demand for a multipurpose vehicle that can be produced inexpensively even in the case of using continuously variable transmission devices with different specifications. The present disclosure thus proposes a multipurpose vehicle configured as below.


Co-curable epoxy-based composite materials coated with co-curable polyurethane-based coating materials to form co-curable and co-cured polyurethane coated epoxy-based composite materials, with the polyurethane-based coating materials comprising UV-stabilizer agents and cure control agents are disclosed, along with components and large structures comprising the co-cured materials.

The use of composite materials in the manufacture of various structures continues to increase. At least due to their strength versus weight ratio, composite materials offer advantages as replacement materials for denser materials such as, for example, metals, metal alloys, etc., for example, where the overall weight of a completed structure (or the weight of a component of a completed structure) is a consideration in the selection of materials used in the manufacture of such a completed structure (or in the manufacture of a component of a completed structure).
Composite materials are often layered into laminates that have a number of composite material layers, often called "prepregs". Prepregs are "pre-impregnated" composite fibers where a matrix material, such as an epoxy resin-containing material, is already present. The fibers often take the form of a weave and the matrix is used to bond them together and to other components during manufacture. The composite matrix material is typically partially cured to allow easy handling. Such composite matrix material may require cool or cold storage to prevent further partial curing, or complete curing, and such composite matrix material is referred to as B-Stage material. Consequently, B-Stage prepregs are stored in cooled areas, as ambient heat can accelerate complete polymerization. Prepregs also allow one to impregnate a bulk amount of fiber and then store the prepreg in a cooled area for an extended time until a later cure. Prepregs are typically formed on a flat workable surface. Stacks of prepreg plies are then formed and, if desired, can be shaped into a desired shape using shaping or forming tools, also called mandrels.
Composite materials are typically post-processed or "reworked" to further imbue the composite materials and/or the composite material surfaces, with desired properties, or to protect the composite material and/or the composite material surfaces. For example, primers and paint coatings that include a UV mitigation or a UV "blocking" agent can be applied to a composite material surface for the purpose of protecting a composite material surface from oxidation and/or discoloration that can be caused, for example, by exposing the composite material to ultraviolet (UV) radiation during the use of the composite material as a construction material in the manufacture of, for example, a larger structure.
Material layers that can be deposited as, for example, coatings may be added to a composite material surface for the purpose of changing the characteristics of a composite material. For example, primers or other coating layers can be added to a composite material to improve adhesion of subsequent coating layers such as, for example, paints, sealants, etc., to a composite material surface that may already have one or more other coatings applied The layering of coating materials onto composite material surfaces is labor intensive, time-consuming and can add substantial weight to large objects and large structures that include such composite materials having multiple coating layers.
In addition, one or more of the composite material coating layers can each require separate surfacing preparation steps and procedures prior to the subsequent deposition of one or more coating layers onto composite material surfaces. In some instances, a portion of one or more previously deposited coating must be removed, or otherwise reworked, before adding further coating layers. Such intermediate reworking of composite material surfaces during the treatment of composite material surfaces is also labor-intensive, time-consuming, and costly.

Elimination of surfacing film and primer from composite substrates


A computing device whose components are separately housed in a main enclosure and at least a secondary enclosure is provided herein. The motherboard, power supply, adaptor card, hard disk drive, etc., are housed in the main enclosure while the peripheral storage devices of the computing device such as optical disk drives and hard disk drives are placed in at least a secondary enclosure. An appropriate signal link is maintained between the main enclosure and the secondary enclosure so that the components in the main enclosure could access the peripheral storage device in the secondary enclosure. Additionally, the secondary enclosure could be connected to another device such as a second computer or a TV so as to share the peripheral storage device in the secondary enclosure.

(a) Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computing devices, and more particularly to a computing device housed in a master enclosure and at least a secondary enclosure.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
A general computing device such as a common desktop computer usually has its main components such as the motherboard, power supply, adaptor card, hard disk drive, and optical disk drive, housed in an enclosure, and has its input/output devices such as the monitor, keyboard, and mouse externally connected to the enclosure and the components inside the main enclosure. In recent years, the line drawn between a computer and a home appliance is getting blurred. For example, most computers now could play DVD disk and show the content of the DVD disk on the computer's monitor. And there are digital recording appliances that could save the recorded programs in an internal hard disk drive. It would therefore naturally occur to people that some form of resource sharing between a computer and an appliance, if possible, would definitely be quite convenient and economical. For example, a single DVD drive is connected to both a computer and a TV for playing the content of a DVD either on the computer's monitor or on the TV. Similarly, a digital recording appliance could save its recording on a computer's hard disk, instead of its own internal hard disk.
The redundant investment on same hardware components would get worse as there are more computers, each having its own dedicated resources such as the DVD player and the hard disk drive. However, the conventional way of housing a computer inherently prevents its sharing resources with other computers or appliances. The conventional single-enclosure housing is also very bulky to sit in the living room of a household and does not quite fit in the decoration of the living room.

Computing device having multiple enclosures


A global positioning system (GPS) receiver and method are provided for compensating for Doppler variation to accurately detect GPS signals in an environment in which intensities of the GPS signals received from GPS satellites are very low. A user acceleration measuring unit measures an acceleration vector of the terminal with respect to a center of the Earth. A user Doppler variation rate estimator estimates a user Doppler variation rate of each GPS satellite due to acceleration of the terminal by making use of the measured acceleration vector. A Doppler predictor predicts a Doppler frequency according to the estimated user Doppler variation rate. Code and carrier frequency signal generators compensate codes and carriers of GPS satellites to be correlated with signals received therefrom by making use of the predicted Doppler frequency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a global positioning system (GPS). More particularly, the present invention relates to a GPS receiver and method for compensating for Doppler variation to accurately detect GPS signals in an environment in which intensities of the GPS signals received from GPS satellites are very low.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of technology, personal portable communication is rapidly developing, and various supplementary services are being supported. Some countries have enacted laws stating that mobile terminals must be equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) device. It is a trend that various location-based services are providing to many mobile terminals. Many GPS satellites broadcast ephemeris and system time information while orbiting the Earth, such that GPS receivers can determine their positions. The GPS receivers can accurately determine their positions by computing the arrival times of GPS signals simultaneously transmitted from at least four satellites.
This procedure requires several minutes to determine a user's position. More specifically, a compact GPS receiver with a limited amount of battery power cannot perform the above-mentioned procedure for a prolonged period. Accordingly, some GPS receivers receive, from an assisted GPS (AGPS) server, basic Doppler information, that is, coarse code phase values and coarse Doppler values, necessary for a search. Multiple satellites must be able to simultaneously observe a GPS receiver, and the GPS receiver must receive high-quality signals from the satellites. Because many portable or mobile devices may not be equipped with high-quality antennas, and/or may be located within forested areas and buildings, it is difficult for the portable devices to receive high-quality signals.
A conventional GPS does not use a pilot channel in which no data bit is modulated, but can remove a data bit by making use of a predicted data bit provided from the AGPS server. An improved coarse acquisition (C/A) code of a L2 band can use unmodulated data. Because unmodulated signals can be coherently integrated for a long time, it is very important that reception sensitivity be improved through coherent integration of GPS signals with weak signal intensities. Application of an accurate Doppler frequency is essential in the time-consuming coherent integration. More specifically, because a frequency error generated from a local oscillator (LO) or a Doppler offset due to user motion lowers a correlation energy value in time-consuming coherent integration, it makes signal acquisition difficult.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional GPS receiver 100 for detecting a GPS signal. The GPS receiver 100 has a relatively compact structure such that it can be mounted to a mobile phone, remote communication device, or portable device.
Referring to FIG. 1, an antenna 102 receives a radio frequency (RF) signal from a GPS satellite, and a signal receiver 104 converts the received RF signal into an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The signal receiver 104 converts the IF signal into a digital signal and then outputs the digital signal to a mixer 108. The mixer 108 mixes a carrier frequency signal with the digital signal and then outputs a result of the mixing to a correlator 120.
A carrier numerically controlled oscillator (NCO) 114 and a code NCO 116 compensate for a carrier phase error and a code phase error according to relative position or speed variation, respectively. The GPS receiver 100 can further include an AGPS receiver (not illustrated) for receiving coarse Doppler information and other signal parameters from an AGPS server. The Doppler information and the parameters received from the AGPS server are provided to the carrier NCO 114, a code generator 118, and the code NCO 116.
The carrier NCO 114 generates a carrier frequency signal appropriate for a Doppler search using an oscillation signal provided from a temperature-compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO) 112, and then provides the carrier frequency signal to the mixer 108. The code NCO 116 associated with the GPS satellite generates a code frequency signal in which phase has been corrected at a carrier frequency. The code generator 118 generates a pseudo random noise (PRN) code of the GPS signal in response to the code frequency signal. The correlator 120 correlates a signal output from the mixer 108 with the PRN code to obtain a correlated sample. Correlated samples are accumulated for approximately 1 msec, and a result of the accumulation corresponds to a result of 1-msec coherent integration.
A Doppler frequency generated due to relative motion between the GPS satellite and the GPS receiver 100 influences peak values of the correlated samples. This influence is not completely removed by the carrier NCO 114. Accordingly, the GPS receiver 100 controls the carrier NCO 114 to perform a Doppler search. That is, the carrier NCO 114 outputs the carrier frequency signal while varying the carrier frequency by a predetermined frequency offset within a predetermined Doppler search range. The correlated samples based on carrier frequency signals are stored in a memory 122 such as a random access memory (RAM).
A coherent integrator 124 reads samples from the memory 122, accumulates the samples by the number of coherent integrations, and coherently integrates the accumulated samples. A signal detector 126 detects a correlated sample with peak energy greater than a predetermined detection threshold value from correlated samples output by the coherent integrator 124. A carrier frequency with the peak energy is regarded as a Doppler frequency.
In an indoor environment in which GPS signals with sufficiently strong intensities cannot be obtained from GPS satellites, a GPS receiver of a mobile terminal is notified of a search range of a code and a Doppler frequency to be searched for from an adjacent AGPS server to improve reception sensitivity, and effectively detects low-level signals by increasing a coherent integration time using the Doppler frequency search range.
However, there are limitations to increasing the coherent integration time to improve the reception sensitivity. First, there is a problem in that correlation effect is reduced by a polarity of a navigation data bit in a GPS signal when time-consuming coherent integration is performed because the GPS signal, which is different from a code division multiple access (CDMA) signal, does not have a pilot channel. Second, there is another problem in that a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is reduced when time-consuming coherent integration is performed in a state in which Doppler frequency variation is not compensated for.
To address the first problem, the AGPS server sends in advance predicted message bits to a terminal through a separate network. A position of a data bit boundary of a 20-msec cycle can be synchronized by making use of a system time of a CDMA network with an accuracy of approximately several micro seconds (μsec).
The second problem can be addressed by predicting Doppler variation. Doppler variation is caused by the following three factors:
I) GPS satellite motion and the rotation of the Earth vary a Doppler frequency of a GPS signal according to time. Conventionally, the Doppler frequency has a variation rate in the range of 0.5 to 1 Hz per second.
II) A signal used in the terminal is generated according to a user's local clock, and the instability of the local clock varies a GPS signal.
III) The last factor is user motion. According to the user motion, the Doppler frequency has a variation rate in the range of 1 to 10 Hz per second. It is impossible for the user motion to be predicted. The user motion may significantly affect the Doppler frequency for a coherent integration time of less than 1 second, and may basically limit reception sensitivity.

High sensitivity GPS receiver and method for compensating for Doppler variation


A cooking apparatus provides a frame for supporting a pot or cooking vessel. A basket is sized a shaped to fit the interior of the pot or cooking vessel. The pot is movable from a cooking position to intermediate draining position to a discharge position. In the discharge position, a pot lid is receptive of food articles that had been cooked. The lid is preferably pivotally attached to the frame and/or cooking vessel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cooking devices, more particularly cooking devices that are used to boil seafood items such as crabs, shrimp, crawfish, and the like. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved seafood boiler apparatus having a specially configured basket that is shaped to fit a pot interior, and wherein the basket can be pivoted relative to the pot or lifted from the pot using handles that extend laterally from the upper end portion of the basket, the pot having a lid that pivots to an unloading position wherein contents of the basket are discharged to the lid.
2. General Background of the Invention
Many seafood items are cooked by boiling them in a seasoned liquid. It has been known to boil crabs, shrimp and other crustacea by containing the crustacea in a perforated basket which fits inside a pot. One of the problems associated with boiling seafood is the safe removal of the seafood from the pot after cooking is completed. Prior art systems employ pots that must be lifted vertically. The steam from the cooking medium presents a hazard to the hands of a user when the user attempts to remove the basket and the contained crustacea from the cooking pot. Further, crustacea typically retain a good bit of liquid of the cooking medium which can drip upon the users or other areas outside the pot.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present invention provides a dry etching method for achieving a satisfactory anisotropic etching of, for example, a semiconductor wafer, particularly, a polysilicon layer formed on the wafer. In the present invention, a mixed gas comprising a first gas containing Br and a second gas containing a halogen element other than Br, e.g., a mixed gas consisting of a HBr gas and a HCl gas, is introduced into a vacuum chamber. The mixed gas is converted into plasma by applying a high frequency power to an upper electrode 5. The plasma region is irradiated, as desired, with an ultraviolet light. The semiconductor wafer is etched with the plasma. The etching is carried out under optimum conditions. For example, the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer, i.e., workpiece, is maintained at a level falling within a range of between 70.degree. C. and 120.degree. C. Also, the flow rate ratio of the mixed gas is suitably controlled.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dry etching method for applying an etching treatment to a silicon semiconductor wafer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A dry etching treatment is applied to a silicon semiconductor wafer in the manufacture of a semiconductor device. For example, the dry etching treatment is employed for the separation of a capacitor or an element and for forming a contact hole. It is necessary to satisfy various requirements in the etching treatment. For example, the etching should be carried out with a large etching selectivity relative to a resist film or an undercoat film. It is also necessary for the side wall of a groove to be etched smoothly to provide a wall surface substantially perpendicular to the wafer surface. In other words, a high etching anisotropy should be satisfied. Further, the etching should be carried out with a high etching rate. Still further, it is important to diminish the etching residue.
It was customary to use, for example, a CCl.sub.4 gas in the dry etching treatment. In this case, an electric field is applied to the CCl.sub.4 gas so as to form a plasma. A film is removed by Cl contained in the plasma. On the other hand, carbon contained the plasma serves to form a protective film together with the organic component contained in a resist film and silicon so as to ensure an etching anisotropy. Further, the gas flow rate and power for applying an electric field to the gaseous atmosphere are suitably controlled so as to obtain conditions for achieving a high etching rate and etching selectivity.
In the conventional method, however, both a side wall-protecting function and a film-removing function are produced within a gas of a single kind so as to obtain an etching anisotropy. In this case, it is difficult to find optimum conditions under which these two different functions are produced satisfactorily. For example, if it is intended to intensify the side wall-protecting function, polymer is partly deposited on an unexpected portion as a residue.
What should also be noted is that the intensity of each of these functions is also changed by other conditions such as the power value, i.e., energy of plasma, with the result that it is very difficult to find optimum conditions which simultaneously permit a high etching rate, a satisfactory etching anisotropy, and a high etching selectivity.
For example, a high etching rate can be obtained by increasing the energy of the plasma. In this case, however, a sputtering function is produced unduly strongly, making it impossible to ensure a suitable etching selectivity relative to the undercoat layer. Thus, over-etching is brought about. By the contrary, the etching selectivity can be improved by diminishing the energy of the plasma. In this case, however, the etching rate is lowered. Also, if an oxide region is included in the surface of the film to be etched, the film-removing function is weakened, with the result that the oxide region is left unremoved as a columnar residue.
A measure for overcoming the difficulty noted above is proposed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,209. It is taught that a mixed gas prepared by mixing HBr and a chlorine-containing gas, e.g., HCl, at a predetermined ratio is used at a predetermined flow rate for etching a silicon layer. However, this U.S. Patent does not teach at all the criticalities of the other etching conditions.

Dry etching polysilicon using a bromine-containing gas


The present invention discloses a method for a voice-enabled computing environment. The method includes a step of receiving a series of voice commands related to an abstraction, wherein the voice command specifies an abstraction type. The method further includes responding to the voice command to replay the commands, executing at least one programmatic action related to the abstraction, where the programmatic action is executed demonstrating characteristics specific to the abstraction type associated with the voice command. The present method applies, but is not limited to, the execution of collections of commands that may have diverging timing characteristics.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of voice technologies, and, more particularly, to distinguishing among different types of abstractions using voice commands.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many different types of automated sequences or groupings of computing instructions exist including scripts, macros, and collections. These grouped actions are often used as an abstraction for a specific pattern or sequence of steps. Whenever a defined abstraction is detected by a computing device, an associated sequence of steps or set of programmatic instructions is automatically executed. Actions associated with particular abstractions can be user defined, where the abstraction is often a trigger having a logical relationship to the sequence of user defined actions.
For example, a user can define an abstraction "wake-up" consisting of a series of steps where a computing system (1) sounds an alarm, (2) starts to brew a cup of coffee, (3) starts a shower, and (4) prints a daily calendar for the user. In this example, the abstraction, "wake-up" is automatically performed at a previously established time. The steps of the abstraction can be timed so that the shower starts two minutes after the alarm, so that the coffee is brewed while the user is in the shower to ensure the coffee is hot, and so forth. A time dependent abstraction, such as "wake-up," is referred to as a script for purposes of the present invention.
Another type of abstraction includes a macro defined herein as a sequence of ordered steps, where the beginning of one step is contingent upon the completion of an earlier step. For example, a macro for "clean-clothes" can include placing clothes in a washer, adding detergent, starting a washer, waiting for the washer to finish, placing wet clothes in a dryer, and starting the dryer. In a macro, each subsequent step requires a completion of a preliminary step.
Still another type of abstraction includes a collection, defined herein as a sequence of asynchronous steps. Order and timing of actions in a collection are not significant. For example, a collection for "mass-fax" can result in multiple documents being faxed to multiple recipients. The mass-fax collection of steps can be performed by a community fax server as a background process whenever resources are available. An order of sent faxes and a timing of the sendings for the collection is not significant and can be handled in accordance with other workload and/or in accordance with an externally defined prioritization scheme.
Differentiation among different types of abstractions is an issue not currently addressed by conventional voice response systems. That is, no known voice response system permits a user to differentiate among a script, a macro, and/or a collection of steps using voice commands. This is a significant oversight related to voice-enabled computing environments that has resulted in abstractions being under utilized in these environments.

Distinguishing among different types of abstractions consisting of plurality of commands specified by particular sequencing and or timing or no timing and sequencing using voice commands


Lithography method for etching very dense patterns on a substrate, based on a combination of several less dense partial patterns; a sacrificial layer is formed on a substrate and is etched according to a first partial pattern; spacers are formed on edges of elements of the sacrificial layer, the spacers defining a second partial pattern; then the sacrificial layer is removed leaving only the spacers remaining. A layer sensitive to an electron beam is subsequently deposited between the spacers to a thickness less than or equal to the height of the spacers, and this sensitive layer is exposed using an electron beam according to a third partial pattern such that there remains on the substrate a final pattern of regions lacking spacers and a sensitive layer, this pattern resulting from the combination of the second and third partial patterns and having higher density than each of the partial patterns.

Dense patterns are understood to mean patterns some elements of which are very narrow and separated by intervals that are very narrow. With photolithography, a sensitive layer is exposed, for example through a mask, for example to an ultraviolet beam, typically at a wavelength of 193 nanometers. The density of the patterns, in other words the resolution that can be achieved in the etching of the pattern, is linked to several parameters but it firstly depends on the wavelength used; the shorter it is the higher is the density. The density of the patterns can be increased by using extreme ultraviolet (notably at 13.5 nanometers); it can also be increased by using an exposure to an electron beam of very small diameter, but the process of etching is much slower because the writing of a pattern is carried out point by point and not through a global mask defining the patterns; furthermore, narrow electron beams can generate phenomena of dispersion and back-scattering of electrons to the detriment of the resolution.
In the field of memories, in order to increase the possible density of the lines needed in order to fabricate these memories, a known solution is to carry out the following steps:                formation of a sacrificial layer on a substrate,        etching of the sacrificial layer according to first strips,        formation of spacers along all the edges of the elements of the sacrificial layer thus etched;        removal of the sacrificial layer so as to leave only the spacers remaining forming the dense lines sought.
This method is sometimes called pitch-multiplication lithography because it results in a distance between lines smaller (practically two times smaller) than that allowed by a direct lithography.

COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES


A backlight module includes a plurality of point light source generators, a diffusing plate installed on the plurality of point light source generators for scattering the light generated by the plurality of point light source generators, and a diffusing sheet installed above the diffusing plate for diffusing the light emitted from the diffusing plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a backlight module, and more specifically, to a backlight module using a plurality of point light source generators as light sources.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Backlight modules are one of the most important parts of liquid crystal displays (LCD), which are widely used in digital cameras, personal digital assistants (PDAs), computer monitors, and flat panel televisions. Generally, a backlight module is installed under a display panel and provides a uniform light to the display panel utilizing a light source and a diffusing plate, and controls pixel electrodes on the display panel to display images. Backlight modules can be divided into a direct type with a light source means under a display panel, and an edge light type with a light source on the edge of the display panel.
Please refer to FIG. 1 showing the structure of a conventional direct type backlight module 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the backlight module 10 is installed under a display panel 12 and includes at least one light source generator 14, a diffusing sheet 16 installed between the light source generator 14 and the display panel 12, a diffusing plate 18 installed between the light source generator 14 and the diffusing sheet 16, and a reflecting plate 20 fixed on a housing 22 under the light source generator 14.
The light source generator 14 is for providing a light source to the display panel 12, the reflecting plate 20 is for reflecting the light generated by the light source generator 14 upward to increase efficiency of the light source generator and provide a brighter output. The diffusing plate 18 is for scattering the light generated by the light source generator 14 to the diffusing sheet 16, and the diffusing sheet 16 can further scatter the light passing through it to provide uniform light to the display panel 12. The housing 22 installed under the reflecting plate 20 and covering the reflecting plate 20 is for fixing the diffusing plate 18, the reflecting plate 20, and the light source generator 14. Generally, at least one prism sheet 24 is installed above the diffusing sheet 16 to further modify the differences of light intensity so that the light received by the display panel 12 has a more uniform light intensity distribution. The quantity and the arrangement of the prism sheet(s) 24 can be modified according to the requirements.
The light source generator 14 in the conventional backlight module 10 is composed of at least one cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL). In order to fulfill the requirements of high brightness, the light source generator 14 in the conventional backlight module 10 is installed in a narrow space. The narrow space often results in the heat generated during operation not being successfully dissipated. When the CCFL is operated for a long time, the light tubes may overheat. Additionally, when the temperature of the light tubes is over a normal range of 70° C.˜80° C., not only the brightness of the backlight module and the life of the light tubes decrease but the high temperature may cause low display quality (e.g. poor contrast) of the display panel 12. Additionally, electromagnetic interference occurs when the number of CCFL light tubes exceeds a typical level, limiting the usage of LCDs (e.g. unable to use in an aircraft).