An example method may include obtaining network information of a network and determining a second path from a first node of multiple nodes to a second node of the multiple nodes. The network information may include a network topology that may include the multiple nodes and multiple links connecting the multiple nodes. The multiple links may include a first routing metric and a second routing metric. The network information may also include multiple first paths from each node of the multiple nodes to all other nodes of the multiple nodes along the multiple links. The multiple first paths may be determined based on the first routing metric. The determining the second path may include selecting path segments for the second path along the multiple links based on the path segments being included in the multiple first paths based on the second routing metric of the multiple links included in the path segments.

Data transmitted between devices may including routing along various paths between the devices. Some paths may include one or more segments between system elements. The system elements that may be used to move data between devices may include routers and/or switches. For example, data may be transmitted from a first device to a second device through a series of routers with each router including instructions to forward the data to the next router until the data reaches the second device.
The subject matter claimed in the present disclosure is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where some embodiments described in the present disclosure may be practiced.


In a micro chemical apparatus, guide walls as physical barriers are provided at a region where fluid A and fluid B as unmixed raw materials and a product are discharged so that, when the fluid A and the fluid B as raw materials are charged, only the portion in which the fluid A and the fluid B are mixed and allowed to react with each other by molecular diffusion of the raw materials is discharged. As a result, only the product is in the range between the two guide walls, and the product can be selectively taken out of the outlet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a micro chemical apparatus which is used as a component to perform mixing or a reaction involving mixing in the equipment for producing materials and products using the mixing or a reaction involving mixing of fluids in the fields of chemical industry, pharmaceutical industry and the like, or for analyzing diffusion coefficients and reaction rate constants of target materials in the field of analytical instrument industry. More particularly, the present invention relates to a micro chemical apparatus in which a plurality of fluids are introduced into a channel to perform mixing or a reaction involving mixing (hereinafter referred to as a mixing/reaction channel) through each supply port; the fluids are allowed to flow in the mixing/reaction channel as thin-layer flows; and as a result, the fluids are mixed with each other or allowed to mix and react with each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
A micro chemical apparatus, which is characterized by a small apparatus size and a large surface area per unit volume, has advantages such as excellent heat transfer performance in material, safety and reduction of sample consumption. From these advantages, the micro chemical apparatus is useful for producing chemical products and for using it as a device for determining reaction rate constants and for chemical synthesis.
As shown in FIG. 13A, a conventional micro chemical apparatus 101 has a structure with a channel 102 surrounded by a side wall 103, comprising two entrances and one exit. Fluid A and fluid B as raw materials are charged into the micro chemical apparatus 101 from raw material inlet ports 105a and 105b. The fluid A and the fluid B as unmixed raw materials and a product are discharged from an outlet port 106. More specifically, the fluid A as a raw material is charged from the raw material inlet port 105a. The fluid B as a raw material is charged from the raw material inlet port 105b. The reference numeral 104 designates a supply wall.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-282682 discloses an example of a micro chemical apparatus provided with two entrances and two exits. A reaction channel is formed to have an inner diameter of 100 μm or less, which is within the range where a laminar flow condition can be maintained. However, it has not a structure in which the shape or the like of an outlet port can be changed.
National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2003-502144 discloses an example of a micro chemical apparatus for mixing or diffusing two fluids.
Wolfgang Ehrfeld, Volker Hessel Holger Lowe, "Microreactors—New Technology for Modern Chemistry—", WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH, March 2000, p. 64-65 describes a single mixer available from IMM (Institute of Microtechnology Mainz) GmbH, which is an example of a micro chemical apparatus for mixing or diffusing two fluids.


Telecommunications switching systems that require real-time computer control can be controlled using remotely located computers coupled to the switching systems via data links. By coupling several switching systems to one or more centrally located control computers, maintenance staffing can be reduced while increasing overall system reliability by providing back up control computers in multiple centralized locations. Centrally located control computers can be backed up with redundant computers at the central control site.

This invention relates to communication switching networks. This invention could also relate to other computer controlled networks or control systems such as process controls that might be used in a refinery, banking or other networks handling large amount of data or voice information.
Switching systems networks route thousands of calls, but generally require relatively little computational capability compared to the computational capabilities that are in now-commonly available microprocessors. One critical aspect of switching system reliability however is the control computer(s) that handles routing and switching of calls through the switching system. The typical control architecture in use today is a computer, co-located with the actual switching system. If the controlling computer fails, an entire switching system will be unable to process calls.
The recent advance of inexpensive, high-power microprocessors and the recent advent of high-speed data links now make it possible to locate high-powered computational capabilities at remote locations. Relatively inexpensive microprocessors can provide significant computer power. With the advent of fiber optic cable, for example, it is now possible to remotely provide substantial computer resources to remote locations.
A problem with prior art switching system architectures is the possibility of failure of a computer controlling a switching system. If such a computer does fail, either by natural disaster, an act of terrorism, hardware failure or software failure, neither the computer, nor any backup thereto, will be available to perform system-required computational tasks.
Another problem with prior art switching system control systems is the expense associated with maintenance. In communication networks comprised of numerous switching systems, continuous system availability requires that each system have a competent maintenance staff, which is unnecessary most of the time.
A method and an apparatus by which computers controlling a switching system can be centrally located, backed up, and where maintenance staff can also be centrally located would reduce the costs required to provide reliable computer resources for controlling switching systems. Maintenance staff could be reduced while improving system reliability. Instead of using costly, special purpose, highly reliable, fault-tolerant computers, less costly computers could be used without sacrificing network availability because control computer reliability can be achieved with several less expensive computers at several backup locations.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for a remote signaling and call processing in a telecommunications network


A high temperature rechargeable solid electrolyte electro-chemical cell is rovided including an alloy of lithium as the anode, a compound selected from the group consisting of MnO.sub.2, FeS.sub.2, CoS.sub.2, MoS.sub.2, MoS.sub.3, NiS.sub.2, LiCoO.sub.2, LiNiO.sub.2, V.sub.6 O.sub.13, Cr.sub.3 O.sub.8, V.sub.2 O.sub.5, V.sub.2 S.sub.5, and other transition metal halides, chalcogenides, selenides, tellurides, and oxides as the cathode, and a solid solution of Li.sub.4 GeO.sub.4 and Li.sub.3 VO.sub.4 as the solid electrolyte.

High temperature rechargeable molten salt cells are required for electric propulsion, load leveling and pulse power applications.
Heretofore, these batteries were being developed using highly conducting molten salt electrolytes. However, the use of molten electrolyte introduces problems of sealing the cells as well as corrosion of cell components at operating temperatures of about 300.degree. to 500.degree. C.

High temperature, rechargeable, solid electrolyte electrochemical cell

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


A method of manufacturing an MEMS device includes: forming a covering structure having an MEMS structure and a hollow portion, which is located on a periphery of the MEMS structure and is opened to an outside, on a substrate; and performing surface etching for the MEMS structure in a gas phase by supplying an etching gas to the periphery of the MEMS structure from the outside.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an MEMS device, and more particularly, to a manufacturing process for adjusting the structural size of an MEMS structure.
2. Related Art
MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) relate to one of the technologies for forming micro structures. For example, MEMS relate to technology for producing a delicate electromechanical system of a micron order or such products. Generally, semiconductor chips have a circuit structure that is a two-dimensional pattern by manufacturing an electronic circuit by stacking thin films such as a silicon film, an oxidation film, and a metal film on a silicon substrate. However, when the technology for manufacturing the semiconductor chip, that is, semiconductor manufacturing technology is used in the MEMS, a leaf spring, a mirror, a rotation shaft, and the like of micron sizes are formed by forming a thin film on a substrate and by partially separating the thin film from the substrate by performing an etching process. Accordingly, an MEMS structure has a three-dimensional structure and has a movable portion at least in a portion thereof.
As one of the fields for which the MEMS have attracted attention, there is a field of communication technology for configuring cellular phones or the like. In the cellular phones, many components such as a filter, an antenna switch, a transmitter and receiver switch, and the like other than an LSI are assembled. When utilization of multiple bands that use Bluetooth or wireless LAN is implemented, the number of inactive components such as an antenna shift switch and a band shift switch is increased. Thus, in order to implement miniaturization and power saving, it is a most effective countermeasure to decrease the number of components that are housed in one semiconductor chip. According to this countermeasure, there are additional advantages in that wiring is shortened, improvement of performance of MEMS components such as strength for noise and low loss can be acquired due to operation of the MEMS component performed in a mechanical manner. In addition, by using the semiconductor, integration of the MEMS components with typical existing constituent components such as integration of the MEMS components with an LSI by using semiconductors can be achieved. As an example of the above-described method of manufacturing the MEMS device, for example, there is technology disclosed in JPA-2008-114354.
As described above, the MEMS has various advantages. However, since the structure has a micro size, a deviation in the manufacturing process much affects the operating characteristics. In addition, in order to acquire high-performance operating characteristics that are uniform, various adjustment methods are necessary. For example, an MEMS resonator outputs signals having a predetermined frequency, and the frequency characteristics, for example, the operating frequency (resonance frequency), need to be within an allowed range that is regulated. As methods of adjusting the frequency characteristics, a method of increasing or decreasing the operating frequency by changing a driving voltage (DC bias voltage) (see S. Chowdhury, M. Ahmadi and W. C. Miller. "A Closed-Form Model for The Pull-in Voltage of Electrostatically Actuated Cantilever Beams", Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 2005, pp. 756-763, vol. 15), a method of changing the physical properties or the size of the material by heating a movable portion which vibrates by allowing a current to flow through it (see JP T-A-2007-535275), a method of depositing a material in a movable portion (see Daphne Joachim, Liwei Lin, "Characterization of Selective Polysilicon Deposition for MEMS Resonator Tuning" Journal of Micromechanical Systems, April 2003, pp. 193-200, vol. 12, No. 2, IEEE), and the like have been proposed.
However, according to the above-described method of changing the operating frequency by changing the driving voltage, the range in which the operating frequency can be changed is limited. Accordingly, there are cases where adjustment cannot be performed. In addition, there is a problem that adjustable devices are limited to devices in which the operational aspects of a vibrator or the like depend on a driving voltage.
In addition, according to the above-described method using heating due to a current, since the method depends on the constituent material of a structure, there are cases where sufficient adjustment cannot be performed. In addition, there is also a problem in that the operational aspects may be changed such as a change in the vibration mode due to a partial change of the movable portion or the like.
In addition, according to the above-described method of depositing a material in the movable portion, the operational aspects may be changed, similarly to the above-described method, like a change in the vibration mode or the like by attaching a material in a part of the movable portion.


Disposable diapers are manufactured in a high-speed process with an elastic waistband formed of a stretched length of foam having an elastic memory by longitudinally stretching the elastic waistband length by gripping without penetrating at least one of its ends and fixing the stretched elastic waistband to the diaper layer along the waistband area. The end of the waistband length is positively engaged in a groove on a roller surface with a continuous belt which moves across the grooved roller surface and pinches without penetrating the end of the elastic foam length.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for manufacturing disposable diapers with an elastic foam waistband.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been a large consumer demand for disposable diapers for many years. Typically, disposable diapers are fabricated with three layers: an outer, impervious barrier layer usually of a thin plastic; an inner, porous layer of a thin cellulose fiber; and an absorbent pad extending along a portion of the space between the inner and outer layers. Disposable diapers also have been manufactured with elastic banding along the portions of the periphery which encircle the baby's legs when the diaper is worn.
Recently, there have been investigations into the use of an elastic waistband along the portion of the periphery of the diaper which encircles the child's waist during use. In one arrangement, the elastic waistband is formed with a length of thin elastic foam which is stretched and then adhered between the inner and outer layers at the predetermined waistband locations. The manufacturing technique used to stretch the lengths of elastic waistband form employs plural pins which first penetrate the ends of each waistband foam length and then stretch the length across its longitudinal direction. However, the penetration of the waistband length with the stretching pins has several potential disadvantages. First, the penetration of the waistband length forms voids which sometimes tear during stretching Second, the stretching pins must necessarily be small, and if broken during the manufacturing operation may be hidden within the diaper until used. Third, the penetration process does not lend itself to the high speed manufacturing operations necessary for the efficient production of disposable diapers.

System and method for manufacturing disposable diapers having elastic waistband


The present invention relates to a detergent composition, detergent additive as well as a method of oxidizing a substrate which comprises contacting the substrate with a composition which includes an enzyme selected from the group consisting of laccase, catechl oxidase, monophenol monooxygenase, and bilirubin oxidase and an enhancing agent.

Laccases (E.C. 22.214.171.124) are enzymes that catalyse the oxidation of a substrate (an electron or hydrogen donor) with oxygen. Such enzymes are known from microbial, plant and animal origins, e.g. from fungi. They are typically copper proteins, i.e. they contain a copper atom or atoms as a prosthetic group.
Use of laccases has been suggested e.g. in bleaching of pulp for paper production, in treatment of waste water from pulp production, for improved bleaching in laundry detergents, for dye transfer inhibition during laundering, and for lignin modification, e.g. in particle board production.
The compound 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate), ABTS, supplied by Boehringer Mannheim, is a chromogenic substrate, and a common peroxidase and phenol oxidase assay agent. These enzymes catalyse the oxidation of ABTS by hydrogen peroxide and dioxygen, respectively, producing a greenish-blue colour, which process may be monitored photometrically.
ABTS has been found to form a stable radical cation when oxidized by a laccase enzyme (polyphenol oxidase, EC 184.108.40.206), and has been proposed to act as a redox mediator for oxidation of non-phenolic lignin model compounds Bourbonnais R., Paice M. G.; FEBS Lett (1990) 267 99-102!.
Studies on demthylation and delignification of kraft pulp by a laccase enzyme in the presence of ABTS showed that the extent of partial demethylation by laccase was increased in the presence of ABTS Bourbonnais, R. and Paice, M. G.; Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. (1992) 36 823-827!.
Certain oxidizable substrates e.g. metal ions and phenolic compounds such as 7-hydroxycoumarin (7 HCm), vanillin (VAN), and p-hydroxybenzenesulfonate (pHBS), have been described as accelerators or enhancers, able to enhance bleaching reactions (cf. e.g. WO 92/18683, WO 92/18687, and Kato M. and Shimizu S., Plant Cell Physiol. 1985 26 (7), pp. 1291-1301 (cf. Table 1 particular), or Saunders B. C. et al., Peroxidase, London, 1964, p. 141 ff).


An expansion dowel is formed of an axially elongated expansion member and an expansion element insertable into a bore through the expansion member. The expansion member has two axially extending first slots located diametrically opposite one another and open at one end of the member. Two axially extending second slots are located in the expansion member offset circumferentially by 90.degree. from the first slots. The second slots are closed at their opposite ends. The first and second slots partially overlap in the axial direction, so that the expansion member is radially expandable in the overlapping region of the slots, while the expansion element is prevented from moving off center during the expanding operation.

The present invention is directed to an expansion dowel made up of an expansion member radially widenable by an expansion element. The expansion member has a through bore and two axially extending first slots open at the leading end of the expansion member and two axially extending second slots closed at the opposite ends. The second slots are offset in the circumferential direction by 90.degree. relative to the first slots.
An expansion dowel is disclosed in DE-OS 3 917 498 and has two open and two closed axially extending slots located on both sides of a central bore. The closed ended slots are offset through 90.degree. with respect to the open ended slots and the slots are arranged one after the other. To anchor an expansion dowel of the above type, the expansion element is driven in the insertion direction into the central bore of the expansion member. Due to a smaller cross-section of the central bore in the region of the axially extending slots, a radially expansion of the expansion member takes place and, at the same time, there is a compaction of the material of the expansion member. When the expansion element is driven in, it tends to run off center in the region of the slots, so that the expansion element is located in the expansion member obliquely of the axial direction at the end of the driving operation. Accordingly, the slots in the known expansion member are arranged one after the other and offset 90.degree. relative to one another. This arrangement affords a centering of the expansion element in the expansion member.
Since the transition region between the slots cannot be widened radially, bracing of the expansion member within the central bore cannot be attained. Due to the high material compaction occurring when the expansion element is driven in, there is the danger that the leading end region of the expansion member, where the axially extending open ended slots are located, is torn off.


A method of making a triple level ROM device includes forming at least first, second and third metallic oxide semiconductor (MOS) structures. Each MOS structure has a source terminal and a drain terminal located within a substrate, a channel located between the source and drain terminals, and a gate terminal structure located above the channel. The source and drain terminals serve as bit lines and the gate terminal serves as a word line. A dielectric layer and a cap layer are formed in sequence above the first, second and third MOS structures, thereby forming first, second and third memory cell units from the first, second and third MOS structures, respectively. A first coding process is performed, which includes forming a photoresist layer above the gate terminal structure of at least the first memory cell unit. Portions of the cap layer having no photoresist coverage are removed to form a cap above the first memory cell unit. A second coding process is performed, which includes selectively implanting ions into the channel regions of the first and second memory cell units, whereby threshold voltages of the first and second memory cell units, respectively, are adjusted. The invention is also directed to a triple level ROM structure including a plurality of metallic oxide semiconductor memory cell units, which include source/drain regions, channel regions having impurity concentrations different from each other, gate terminal structures, and caps located over the gate terminal structures.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates, in general, to a method of manufacturing a triple level read only memory (ROM) device, and to a ROM device manufactured using the method.
2. Description of Related Art
ROM devices are widely used in digital equipment, such as micro-computers and microprocessor systems, for storing vital system information. The known methods of manufacturing ROM devices are complicated, time consuming and expensive to implement. Hence, customers typically submit a program code to the ROM factory and let the factory code the program into their ROM products.
Most ROM components, aside from differences in the code stored during the programming stage, have basically the same physical structure. Therefore, the ROM device can be manufactured up to a stage just prior to the performing of the actual programming, and stored as a partially finished product in a warehouse. When the customer places an order for a ROM requiring a certain program code, a photomask can be immediately manufactured, so that programming can be performed on short notice. Photomask programming of pre-manufactured ROM devices is widely used in the industry.
Typically, a channel transistor is used as the basic memory cell unit of the ROM device. During the programming stage, ions are selectively implanted into specified channels, thus adjusting the threshold voltage and achieving an ON/OFF control state of the memory unit, as stipulated by the coding process.
FIG. 1 is a top view of ROM memory cell units 100, 101, 102 and 103 in an integrated circuit. In FIG. 1, polysilicon bit lines (BL) extend across word lines (WL). A channel 10 is formed, for example, in the memory cell unit 100, in an area beneath the bit line and where the bit line crosses the word line. A bit "0" or "1" is stored in the binary level memory cell unit 100, depending on whether or not ions have been implanted into the channel 10.
Products having a binary level configuration, as described above, have a restricted memory capacity. As such, coding techniques using three or more levels have been suggested. At present, a multiple coding implantation method is used in the fabrication of multiple level ROM units to generate different threshold voltages on different memory cell units.
FIG. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between different threshold voltages V.sub.T, V.sub.T1 and V.sub.T2 versus the drain current, of a known ROM device having multiple level logic states. The threshold voltages are generated by the selective implantation of ions into the channels of the memory cell units. However, this known method requires that the number of coding implants be increased to produce the multiple level ROM device. As such, production time is increased, thus decreasing the competitiveness of a product made using this method.

Method of manufacturing a triple level ROM


A memory controller includes a controller input/output circuit configured to output a first command to read first data, and output a second command to read an error corrected portion of the first data. A memory device includes: an error detector, a data storage circuit and an error correction circuit. The error detector is configured to detect a number of error bits in data read from a memory cell in response to a first command. The data storage circuit is configured to store the read data if the detected number of error bits is greater than or equal to a first threshold value. The error correction circuit is configured to correct the stored data.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to semiconductor memory devices and methods of operating the same, for example, semiconductor memory devices including error correction circuits and methods of operating semiconductor memory devices.
2. Description of Conventional Art
Capacity and speed are increasing for semiconductor memory devices that are widely used in high performance electronic systems. A dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which is an example of a semiconductor memory device, is a memory that determines data by using charges stored in a capacitor.
While process scaling continues, a bit error rate (BER) of semiconductor memory devices may increase. Thus, resources such as repair cells may have to be increased to provide data reliability in response to the increase in the BER. However, if the resources increase, chip size overhead may increase, and ensuring stable operation of the semiconductor memory device at a relatively high BER may be more difficult.

Semiconductor memory devices including error correction circuits and methods of operating the semiconductor memory devices


Herein disclosed is a method of coating an automobile body with a chipping-resisting paint, which comprises the steps of: applying and drying that portion of a top-painted automobile body, which is susceptible to the stone chipping, with a chipping-resisting paint containing, as a chief material, 10 to 20 parts of urethane lacquer and, as a solvent, 60 to 75 parts of isopropyl alcohol, 7 to 12 parts of toluene and 7 to 10 parts of ethyl acetate, to have a dry film thickness of at least 30 .mu.m; stripping the applied and dried coating film of the chipping-resisting paint after lapse of a predetermined period; and applying and drying the stripped portion again with the chipping-resisting paint. These steps are repeated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chipping-resisting paint coating method capable of preventing an automobile from having its paint film chipped or damaged by the gravel spread over the road (as will be called the "stone chipping"), to maintain the satisfactory appearance and quality of the automobile body at all times.
2. Prior Art
If an automobile runs in winter on an unpaved road of a briny land, its body is frequently dented at its hood leading end, its tire housing or its periphery by the pebbles popped up by the wheels. The dented portion will be corroded, if left untreated, as a result of the chipping. Thus, the painted surface of the car body has to be protected against the so-called "chipping damage", and a variety of means have been proposed in the prior art. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 171681, for example, there is described a coating method of coating the top paint of the car body at its stone chipping susceptible portion with an urethane clear paint which contains specified amounts of polyester resin, melamine resin and cellulose acetate butyrate resin. According to the disclosure of this coating method, the urethane clear paint is baked and set to protect the top and lower paint layers of and set to protect the top and lower paint layers of the car body with the set coating film to provide a satisfactory appearance.
In the prior art exemplified above, however, the top coat has its dents left, if it is subjected to the chipping damage as the time elapses, on the set coating film of the urethane clear paint even if the top paint film is protected by the set coating film and if the damage should not reach the top paint. Thus, the method of the prior art has a defect that the appearance is deteriorated. Still the worse, the urethane clear coating film, which was once baked and set, is characteristically difficult to strip or remove from the top paint film so that it cannot be cleared of the residing dents. Thus, another difficulty is that the coating film cannot restore, if once damaged, its original appearance.

Method of coating automobile body with chipping-resisting paint


This invention is directed to providing a high-performance ceramic support being capable of realizing early activation of a catalyst due to direct loading while maintaining the excellent properties of the substrate ceramic, and being less susceptible to heat deterioration, by specifying the kind and combination of optimal replacing elements and the replacing amount and the like. A ceramic support comprising a substrate ceramic containing Mg, Al, Si and O as constituent elements are solid-dissolved therein Ti and W as the second component. The proportion of cordierite crystal having solid-dissolved therein W and Ti is 25 mol % or more, whereby a high-performance directly supporting ceramic support is realized.

A ceramic support widely used for a catalyst is made of cordierite (2MgO.2Al2O3.5SiO2) having low thermal expansion and high thermal shock resistance. This ceramic support is generally used as a catalyst body by shaping cordierite into a honeycomb form and, after coating the surface with γ-alumina, loading a noble metal catalyst thereon. The coated layer is formed because the specific surface area of cordierite is small and a necessary amount of catalytic component cannot be supported on the cordierite as it is.
In this way, conventional ceramic supports are used under the condition that γ-alumina having a large specific surface area is coated thereon. However, the coating of the support surface with γ-alumina disadvantageously incurs an increase in the heat capacity due to an increase of the weight. Particularly, in recent years, studies have been made to decrease the heat capacity by making the cell wall of the honeycomb support thinner so as to attain early activation of the catalyst, but this effect is considerably reduced by the formation of the coated layer. Furthermore, the coated layer gives rise to problems such as the thermal expansion coefficient becomes large or the pressure loss increases due to a reduction in the cell opening area.
Accordingly, various studies are being made regarding a ceramic support where a catalytic component can be loaded without forming a coated layer. For example, the specific surface area of cordierite itself can be increased by a method of subjecting the cordierite to an acid treatment and then to a heat treatment, but this method is disadvantageous and impracticable because the crystal lattice of cordierite is destroyed by the acid treatment or the like and the strength is decreased.
On the other hand, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-346383 proposed a ceramic support where at least one of the elements constituting the substrate ceramic is replaced with an element other than the constituent elements and thereby a catalytic component can be made to be supported directly on the substrate ceramic. In this ceramic support, a catalytic component can be directly supported by chemical bonding and a coated layer for increasing the specific surface area is not necessary. Moreover, because there is no problem of reduction in the strength accompanying an acid treatment or the like, this ceramic support is promising as a support for use in a catalyst, for automobiles, which is required to have durability.
In the ceramic support of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-346383, an element having a d or an f orbital in its electron orbital can be used as the element for replacing the constituent element of the substrate ceramic. It is considered that the energy level of the element having a d or an f orbital is close to that of a catalytic component and therefore, donation of an electron readily occurs to facilitate the chemical bonding.
However, as a result of studies by the present inventors, the catalytic performance after a heat-endurance test is revealed to greatly vary depending on the kind and combination of replacing elements. Also, the introduction of a replacing element sometimes causes increase in the thermal expansion coefficient and it is keenly demanded to realize early activation while maintaining the properties of the cordierite.
The present invention has been made under these circumstances. An object of the present invention is to obtain a ceramic support where a catalytic component is directly supported by the replacement of element, and to obtain a high-performance ceramic support capable of realizing early activation of a catalyst due to direct loading while maintaining the excellent properties of the substrate ceramic, and being less susceptible to heat deterioration, by specifying the kind and combination of optimal replacing elements, the replacing amount and the like.


Disclosed herein is a passage detection apparatus capable of detecting a passage of an object in a specific space. The passage detection apparatus includes a transmitting device, a receiving device, and a shielding member. The transmitting device is provided with a vibration generating source. The receiving device is arranged at the position corresponding to the transmitting device across the specific space. The shielding member has a through-hole, and is arranged so as to be interposed between the transmitting device and the receiving device. The vibration transmitted from the transmitting device reaches the receiving device via the through-hole and a passage route of the object. On the other hand, the reception of the vibration, reflected in the specific space, by the receiving device is suppressed by the shielding member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a passage detection apparatus of an object that can detect a passage of an object in a specific space.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, various methods of manufacturing a so-called DNA chip (a DNA micro array) are well known. The DNA chip is generally constructed by arraying and fixing micro spots of several thousand to ten thousand or more kinds of different DNA pieces on a substrate, such as microscope slide glass, with high density.
As examples of the DNA chip manufacturing methods, there have been proposed methods of manufacturing a DNA chip using a micropipette for ejecting drops having micro volume (for example, see the following Patent References 1 and 2). The micropipette includes an injection port for injecting a sample solution from the outside, a cavity for allowing the sample solution injected from the injection port to be filled therein, an ejection port communicating with the cavity, and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element constructed to change the interior volume of the cavity such that the sample solution can be ejected from the ejection port.
According to the above-described DNA chip manufacturing methods, the interior volume of the cavity is changed by the driving operation of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element. As the interior volume of the cavity is changed, the sample solution moves from the cavity to the ejection port in the form of a streamline flow. That is, a predetermined amount of the sample solution is delivered from the cavity to the ejection port. As the predetermined amount of the sample solution is ejected from the ejection port, micro drops of the sample solution are generated. The micro drops of the sample solution ejected from the micropipette are attached to the substrate, and the micro drops are arrayed and fixed on the substrate as micro spots. In this way, the DNA chip is manufactured.
An apparatus constructed to eject a micro object (hereinafter, simply referred to as a "micro object ejection apparatus"), such as the micropipette used in the DNA chip manufacturing method as described above, may be utilized in various technical fields.
[Patent Reference 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-124789
[Patent Reference 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-186881
The micro object ejection apparatus of this type has been required to more correctly detect the passage of the object having more micro size. This can be achieved by enhancing an S/N ratio in the detection of a passage of an object.


A vehicle seat of the invention includes: a rectangular-shaped seat back frame (5) having a pair of side frames (6); a plurality of seat springs (34A, 34B) disposed between the side frames; a single plate-shaped flexible cushion plate (31) attached to the seat springs; a seat cushion (9) provided on the front side of the cushion plate; link mechanisms (15, 35) provided near the side frames; and a headrest (4) coupled to the link mechanisms (15). Both ends of the seat spring (34B) are coupled to the link mechanisms. When the seat spring (34B) is moved rearward, the headrest is moved forward. Both sides of each of the remaining seat springs (34A) are mounted to the side frames.

The conventional active headrest mechanism has a collision load detector provided in a seat back and a coupling mechanism for operatively coupling the detector and the headrest (Patent Documents 1 and 2).
When a rear-end collision occurs and a seated person is moved rearward with respect to the seat back, the detector receives a collision load from the vehicle seat occupant and is moved rearward, and the rearward movement of the detector acts on the headrest through the coupling mechanism to move the headrest forward.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-211410
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-138814

Active headrest mechanism for vehicle seat


A bending waveguide is provided including a core having an input end and an output end, wherein the output end has a near field enhanced aperture structure, and a metal cladding enclosing the core. The core is bent in a curve and a radius of curvature of the curve is a resonance radius at which an intensity of transmitted light with respect to a wavelength of incident light is a maximum. Thus, the direction of the incident light can be changed by a predetermined angle while maintaining the field enhancement characteristic of the conventional near field enhanced aperture without an additional optical element.

1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to a bending waveguide, a method of fabricating the bending waveguide, a light delivery module employing the bending waveguide, and a heat assisted magnetic recording head employing the bending waveguide, and more particularly, to a bending waveguide which can embody an enhanced near field light and be fabricated as an integrated type, a method of fabricating the bending waveguide, a light delivery module employing the bending waveguide, and a heat assisted magnetic recording head employing the bending waveguide.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of magnetic recording heads, a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) method has been studied to achieve high density magnetic recording. In the HAMR method, recording is performed by heating a local portion of a recording medium to around the Curie temperature to temporarily reduce a coercive force at a corresponding position. By using the HAMR method, the magnitude of a magnetic field needed for recording can be reduced compared to a conventional magnetic recording method. Since an area where data is recorded is a portion heated to around the Curie temperature, a recording density is determined, not by the size of a pole generating a magnetic field between gaps, but by the width of the heated portion. For example, when a heating means is a laser diode, the data recording density is determined by the size of a spot of a laser beam emitted by the laser diode.
Accordingly, the HAMR head requires a light delivery module to emit a laser beam onto a recording medium. The light delivery module delivers light to a position close to a main pole and provides a high light intensity while decreasing the size of a light spot formed on the recording medium. The light delivery module includes a light source, a waveguide, and an aperture and is integrated in a small space close to the main pole. However, in order not to greatly change the structure of the related art magnetic head, the position where the light delivery module is arranged is limited. For example, it is easy to arrange the waveguide that delivers light from the light source to the aperture perpendicular to the main pole. In this case, the direction of the waveguide is inclined by 90° from a direction of the aperture arranged close to the end portion of the main pole. Thus, an optical element capable of changing the direction by 90° between the waveguide and the aperture is needed. A mirror can be used as the optical element, but it is practically difficult to integrate an optical element that is bulky above the conventional magnetic head manufactured into a thin film.
Further, the light delivery module is preferably manufactured through a batch process as in a conventional magnetic head manufacturing process. For example, a light delivery module that can be manufactured in a low temperature process below 175° C. and a waveguide and an aperture can be manufactured by a planar process.
The aperture delivers the transmitted light through the waveguide to a recording layer of the recording medium. To achieve a high recording density, while having an appropriate near field spot size, the light delivered to the recording layer must have a high intensity sufficient to heat the recording layer to around the Curie temperature. In general, the minimum spot size is determined by the size of the aperture. As the size of the aperture decreases, a greater improvement in the recording density can be expected. However, when the size of the aperture is smaller than a wavelength of incident light, power throughput of the aperture is greatly reduced. That is, when the aperture is made small, a high spatial resolution is realized but the application of the aperture is limited because the power throughput is too small. To overcome a low transmission efficiency problem, a variety of near field light enhanced apertures have been studied and introduced. However, it is difficult to manufacture a near field light enhanced aperture which can be easily installed in an apparatus having a limited installation space such as the HAMR head.

Bending waveguide, method of fabricating the bending waveguide, light delivery module employing the bending waveguide, and heat assisted magnetic recording head employing the bending waveguide


The methods and apparatus disclosed herein concern a process that may be referred to as a “soft anneal.” A soft anneal provides various benefits. Fundamentally, it reduces the internal stress in one or more silicon layers of a work piece. Typically, though not necessarily, the internal stress is a compressive stress. A particularly beneficial application of a soft anneal is in reduction of internal stress in a stack containing two or more layers of silicon. Often, the internal stress of a layer or group of layers in a stack is manifest as wafer bow. The soft anneal process can be used to reduce compressive bow in stacks containing silicon. The soft anneal process may be performed without causing the silicon in the stack to become activated.

Various thin film layers for semiconductor devices may be deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and/or plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) processes. Some memory devices, such as NAND flash memory, are arranged in two-dimensional arrays. Because such memory devices are limited to a planar arrangement, die size and memory density parameters may constrain the total memory capacity of the device. In turn, moving to larger die sizes to expand memory capacity may comparatively increase the cost of the memory device, which may delay adoption of larger capacity memory devices. Certain approaches for arranging memory gates into three-dimensional (3D) arrays have been proposed. Some of these approaches incorporate transistors formed by patterning stacks of alternating film composition. FIG. 1 schematically shows an example film stack 100 including alternating layers of first film 102 and second film 104 on a substrate 106. These 3D arrays are sometimes utilized to form vertically integrated memory (VIM) structures.
Oftentimes, the unit layers used to form a VIM structure on a substrate have an as-deposited internal stress. In many cases the as-deposited internal stress is compressive. When many layers are positioned on top of one another, this internal stress may build up, thereby causing the coated substrate to bow instead of being flat. This bowing is undesirable because it can make subsequent processing more difficult. When the bow of a substrate exceeds a certain level, the substrate may be unusable.


Provided is a method of inserting a polynucleotide sequence into a genome of a cell. The method comprises: generating a double-strand break at a target site of the genome; and introducing into the cell a virus. The virus comprises a nucleic acid comprising the polynucleotide sequence to be inserted or the complementary sequence thereof. The nucleic acid does not comprise a homologous arm or comprises very short (5˜25 bp) homologous arms corresponding to the target site. Also provided herein is a composition for inserting a polynucleotide sequence into a genome of a cell. The composition comprises a site-specific nuclease capable of generating a DNA double-strand break at a target site of the genome and a virus comprising a nucleic acid comprising the polynucleotide sequence or the complementary sequence thereof.

The development of gene editing technology using engineered site-specific nuclease (e.g., CRISPR, ZFN, TALEN) opens the doors for targeted gene modification in higher organisms including human and holds great potential for gene therapy. Such gene editing technology typically depends on the nuclease to create a DNA double-strand break (DSB) and the cellular DNA repair mechanism to generate targeted mutations or gene-insertions, i.e. knock-in. Precise site-specific gene insertion usually happens through the homology directed repair (HDR) pathway, which has a low rate of recombination even in the existence of a DSB. Moreover, HDR requires a donor template to include sequences that are homologous to the flanking sequences of the DSB (homologous arms).
Viruses have been extensively used to deliver exogenous nucleic acid and therefore can be used to deliver nucleic acid reagents for gene editing. However, all viruses have limited packaging capacity in terms of the nucleic acid size. As HDR-based gene editing needs a donor template containing homologues arms, the size of the insertion fragment is limited. For example, adeno-associated virus (AAV), one of the commonly used viruses for gene delivery, only has a genome of ˜4.7 kb in length, making insertion of long sequence impractical.
Therefore, there is a continuing need for developing new gene-editing technology using viruses.


A device, comprising a flow controller. The flow controller includes a body having walls that define a channel within the body, and a passive flow control valve. The passive control valve has a moveable member that includes a thermal shape memory material, the moveable member configured to change an aperture size in the channel in response to a reversible temperature-induced shape transformation of the thermal shape memory material.

This section introduces aspects that may help facilitate a better understanding of the inventions. Accordingly, the statements of this section are to be read in this light and are not to be understood as admissions about what is prior art or what is not prior art.
The power densities of contemporary electronic and photonic components are ever-increasing while the available area over which the heat can be dissipated is reducing. Chip level thermal problems typically have the effect of decreasing reliability and increasing power consumption for operation, and, as a result, thermal issues have become a significant roadblock in the development of such circuits.
With the need for increased power dissipation at the device level, conventional forced air convection may no longer be sufficient in some cases, thus pushing alternative heat transfer techniques to the forefront. Liquid cooling within the chip or package using micro-channels is seen as a promising alternative, because the thermal energy is removed directly from where it is generated within the chip or package.
Flow rate control within the micro-channel allows variable amounts of energy to be removed by the fluid, which, in turn, provides a means of thermal control. Such thermal control is particularly important to certain circuits where thermal control, rather than simply bulk cooling, is desirable.

Temperature control device with a passive thermal feedback control valve


A new and distinct cultivar of Salvia plant named ‘Sunsarusamo’ characterized by its upright and relatively compact plant habit, freely basal branching habit, dense and bushy plant form, freely flowering habit, salmon colored flowers, and tolerance to high and lower temperatures.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Salvia plant, botanically known as Salvia jamensis, and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Sunsarusamo.'
The new Salvia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventors in Higashiomi-shi, Shiga, Japan. The new cultivar 'Sunsarusamo' is compact with bushy growth habit and numerous flowers with attractive coloration.
The new Salvia originated from a self-pollination made by the inventors in April, 1998 of a proprietary Salvia selection identified as code number '97S34-2,' not patented. The new Salvia was discovered and selected by the inventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Higashiomi-shi, Shiga, Japan.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings and divisions taken at Higashiomi-shi, Shiga, Japan, since September, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Salvia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A vehicle seat assembly is provided. The assembly includes a seat back member and a haptic alert assembly. The haptic alert assembly includes a first actuator incorporated into the seat back member. The first actuator is configured to generate at least a first portion of a haptic alert.

Collision avoidance systems warn drivers of potential collision threats that may be in the line-of-sight of the driver (e.g., detected by on-board vehicle sensors) or out of the line-of-sight of the driver (e.g., determined from wireless vehicle-to-vehicle communications and/or vehicle-to-infrastructure communications). Collision avoidance systems may generate visual and/or auditory alerts to warn a vehicle driver of the potential collision threats. However, vehicle designers continue to develop more effective mechanisms for alerting the driver to a condition that needs attention, particularly haptic alert assemblies.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide methods and systems for alerting a driver of the vehicle using a haptic device, particularly improved methods and systems that generate more effective haptic alerts. Other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Vehicle seat back haptic alert systems and methods


A water closet sealing adapter for sealing a water closet to a drainage pipe which prevents leakage of gas or liquids. A gasket having a hole in the center is attached to the top of the adapter. The adapter has grooves near the bottom and in conjunction with a lip seal provides a sealing adjustment feature. The lip seal is installed in the appropriate groove and then installed into the drainage pipe. The outlet to the water closet is inserted through the inside of the gasket. The water closet is then lowered and seated in place and secured. The adapter prevents leakage of gas or liquid from the joint between the water closet and drainage pipe and allows for some movement of the joint.

The field of the invention is generally that of plumbing fixtures for water closet installations, and more specifically, to an improved water closet sealing adapter.
Water closets are traditionally connected to either 3 inch or 4 inch drainage piping--cast iron, in any one of these weights or grades, service weight, no-hub or extra heavy, plastic pipe--PVC or ABS. PVC is available in two grades (schedules) that are accepted for drainage use within a building. Schedule 40 commonly known as DWV, and another weight that is officially termed 3.25 O.D. PVC and is commonly referred to as schedule 30 or thin wall pipe. The schedule 30 pipe is available in the 3 inch size only. Copper and galvanized steel pipe are also used in drainage systems. There are different dimension tolerances for each of the three grades of cast iron and for the plastic pipes that affect the inside diameter of the pipes.
Floor outlet water closets are traditionally mounted or connected in the following manner. A "closet flange" is attached to the drainage piping. Cast iron closet flanges are used with cast iron and galvanized steel drainage pipe and are attached by packing with oakum and poring hot lead in the annular space. Where the lead is cooled, it is caulked (expanded) using caulking irons and a hammer. There are also closet flanges that attach by mechanical means.
Plastic closet flanges are attached with solvent cements to the plastic pipe. Copper closet flanges are soft soldered to the copper drainage pipe. Once the closet flange is set, the joint between the outlet horn of the water closet and the closet flange is made with either a wax ring or plumbers putty. Very little putty is used for this purpose today but, prior to the introduction of the preformed wax ring it was used exclusively.
The discharge horn outlet of the water closet varies in outside dimensions from one manufacturer to another. The only dimension requirement for ASME standard A112.19.2U is that the outside diameter of the outlet cannot exceed 3.75 inches.
Another dimensional factor stipulated in ASME A112.19.2U is the depth of the recess measured from the part of the fixture that contacts the floor and the underside surface of the water closet. This recess is required to be not less than 0.5 inches and no more than 0.75 inches.
This combination of varying pipe sizes, various inside diameter and outside diameter dimensions of the pipe in a given size, the various outside dimensions of the water closet discharge horn outlet, and the varying depth of the water closet recess does create a difficult connection problem that up to now has been addressed only by the use of putty or wax rings to effect a seal between the water closet and drainage pipe.
Code authorities and the plumbing trade acknowledge the weakness of this connection and recognize it as the weakest connection in the plumbing system. Leakage from this joint can come in two forms. First, the leaking joint will allow sewer gas to enter the building and can lead to illness and the spread of disease. Second, if a stoppage occurs in the drainage system, the joint can leak that not only allows sewage into the building but because it is hidden in the water closet recess, it can breed germs and rot the floor under the water closet.
The purpose of this invention is to provide a method of joining between the water closet and the drainage pipe that meets or exceeds the pressure test requirements of the entire plumbing drainage system within a building.
There are approximately 11 million water closets produced in the United States every year. In addition there are at least 11 million more water closets that are removed and reset in alteration and repairs. In all there are approximately 20 to 25 million water closets now being installed every year with a potential of leaking sewer gas or sewage into the living spaces of a building.


A universal decoder consisting of modules that may be exchanged with a module of a like type which provides automatic frequency changes and remote system control of the decoder by a host computer. The decoder minimizes signal invasion by providing a data signal frequency change device between a broadcast station and subscriber terminals. Converters modules are classified into fixed function and variable function modules. The fixed function module is a singularly-bodied unit assembled onto a PCB while the variable functions are modularized based on their functions. The connecting circuitry and the data communication protocol between fixed functions and the variable functions is standardized thereby improving the lifetime of the converter. Hacking is solved by allowing the scramble system to be changed. Compatibility problems are eliminated since the modules are made in accordance with internationally uniform or standardized specifications. An improved data communication method between station and the subscriber converter/decoder is provided by using a cable/non-cable combination method and multi-channel, variable frequency method. A polling method of communication method allows pay per view, viewer survey, home shopping, etc. and other two way communication roles and functions.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a universal television decoder, and more particularly, to a universal decoder consisting of modules which provide automatic frequency changes and system control of the transmitter and receiver of the decoder by the host computer.
2. Description of Related Art
CATV and satellite systems have been in use for quite some time. However, until now, the television decoders have not been standardized or interchangeably designed.
All the major manufacturers of decoders produce and sell decoders designed specifically for use with their own scramble system. These decoders are equipped with descramblers that can only function in a specific environment. Thus, with different firms producing different coders with different standards, the question of compatibility arises and the need to establish an international standard for decoders becomes evident.
In addition, the development and progress of computers and electronics technologies has brought about more sophisticated scramble systems. Nevertheless, this has given rise to security problems as a result of providing those with ulterior motives more and better tools. Up to now, if there is signal invasion and/or interference from outside to the data communication line between the cable station's host computer and a subscriber set-top unit during normal two-way cable TV operations, the data communication becomes paralyzed because data cannot be transmitted or received.
Specifically, if there are continuous reciprocal interferences and cable station cannot find the signal invasion point, then cable station must collect the set-top unit from every subscriber and physically change the existing data communication frequency from the unit to an uninterfered new frequency. Thus, in the event of security breaches, CATV operators are forced to change not only the scramble system, but all the decoder boxes as well. This creates many problems for the operation of two-way cable TV data communications. Furthermore, this adds on tremendous extra replacement costs that the CATV operator cannot avoid.
Another problem exists with communication between the CATV operator and each subscriber's decoder. Two-way data communication technology is one of the core technologies needed to operate a two-way cable TV system between the CATV operator and the subscriber's decoder. But each decoder manufacturer produces products built specifically for use within their own data communication system. Thus, the question of compatibility arises again. Existing converters do not provide a solution to the signal interference or signal ingress problem during two-way communication between the station and the subscriber converter. Furthermore, due to the technical circumstances, broadcast stations have always used telephone lines for upstream communication. However, because of the telephone modem's disadvantages, it was never possible for perfect two-way communication.
In addition, since existing converter communication methods between the station and the subscriber relied on cable, the converter's communication frequencies were set. Moreover, since each station used different frequencies, there was no compatibility among the converters. In addition, the repair cost is high and the lifetime of the converter is short because the existing converters are made as a single-bodied unit rather than combined modules.
Furthermore, current converter/decoders do not provide international compatibility. For example, video standards differ from country to country, region to region, as does the bilingual and stereo system, the electrical voltage, current cycle, and the frequency apportionment for CATV. It is no wonder that in this situation there isn't a decoder that is compatible with all these various standards around the world. Further, there is no compatibility among parts.
Still further, as new scramble systems are developed around the world, each decoder manufacturer stubbornly clings to their own scramble systems. This strategy does not allow cable operators much choice. Thus, cable operators are forced to choose from one of the few scramble systems decoder manufacturers offer.
For cable TV broadcasting network operation, the traditional two-way data communication system involves a station's host computer calling a subscriber set-top unit using a successive call method. For the subscriber set-top unit to report the data to the host computer, the successive call method took about 30 minutes per 100,000 subscribers. Therefore, the successive call method prohibits performing an instant viewer rating survey for 15 second, 20 second or 30 second short commercials.
Finally, the features that the various decoder manufacturers provide are similar: on-screen display, timer, favorite channel programming, self-diagnostics to name a few. But again there is no compatibility in software menu.
Therefore, it can be seen that there is a need for the development of an internationally compatible universal decoder.
It can be seen that there is a need to improve the lifetime of the converters to semi-permanent to reduce the operation cost of a broadcasting station.
It can therefore be seen that there is a need to improve the traditional two-way data communication system of the cable TV operation so that viewer rating for the short video materials can be precisely surveyed.
It can seen then that there is a need for a universal decoder that has enhanced security features.
It can also be seen that there is a need for a universal decoder which allows remote modifications of frequencies.
It can also be seen that there is a need for a universal decoder which provides greater scramble selection flexibility.


A vehicle wheel rolling bearing has a sealing device integrated with a magnetic encoder. A semi-float type bearing apparatus has said rolling bearing which can protect a magnetic encoder and improve the sensing ability of the detecting sensor. The rolling bearing has an inner member with a wheel hub having a wheel mounting flange and an inner ring formed with inner raceway surfaces. An outer member is formed with double row outer raceway surfaces opposite the inner raceway surfaces. Double row rolling elements are between the raceway surfaces. Sealing devices include an inboard sealing device with an annular seal fitted on the outer member. A pulsar ring is mounted on the inner member and has an encoder mounted on a cylindrical holding portion. The encoder is arranged opposite to the annular seal. The encoder includes magnetic poles formed by magnetic powder with alternating polarity along its circumferential direction. A detecting sensor passes through the cylindrical portion of the seal and opposes the encoder. A predetermined air gap is kept between the encoder and detecting sensor.

Vehicle wheel rolling bearings with a sealing device integrated with a magnetic encoder to detect wheel rotation speed are known.
For example as shown in FIG. 4, a vehicle wheel rolling bearing has first and second annular sealing plates 62 and 63 fitted, respectively, on an inner ring 60 and an outer ring 61. Each of these sealing plates 62 and 63 has a substantially "L"-shaped cross-section formed, respectively, by a cylindrical portion 62a and 63a and a radially extending portion 62b and 63b. The sealing plates 62 and 63 are arranged opposite to each other. The radially extending portion 62b of the first sealing plate 62 has an encoder 64 to detect the wheel rotation speed. The encoder is bonded to the portion 62b, via vulcanization, at the inboard side of the bearing. The encoder 64 is made of a rubber magnet where magnetic substance powder is mingled and N and S poles are alternately magnetized along the circumferential direction of the encoder.
The second sealing plate 63 has a sealing member 65 bonded via vulcanization. The sealing member 65 has an integrally formed side lip 65a that slidably contacts with the radially extending portion 62b of the first sealing plate 62b. Other integrally formed radial lips 65b and 65c slidably contact with the cylindrical portion 62a. A tip of the radially extending portion 62b of the first sealing plate 62 opposes the cylindrical portion 63a of the second sealing plate 63. A slight radial gap is formed between the two forming a labyrinth seal 66.
In such a vehicle wheel rolling bearing with the sealing device integrated with the magnetic encoder, dust or sand sometimes enter into a gap formed between the surfaces of the encoder 64 and a detecting sensor (not shown) arranged opposite to the encoder 64. Thus, the dust or sand may abrade or damage the surface of the encoder 64. This is because the encoder 64 is mounted on the inboard side of the first sealing plate 62 forming a slinger and is exposed to ambient circumstances. In order to overcome this problem, a vehicle wheel rolling bearing has been proposed as shown in FIG. 5.
In this rolling bearing, a pulse generating ring 71, comprising a holding plate 71a and an encoder 71b magnetized in multipoles, is fitted on a rotating inner ring 70. The encoder 71b is made, for example, of elastomer filled with magnetic pieces and bonded to the holding plate 71a, via vulcanization. A cover member 72, made of non-ferromagnetic material, is mounted on an outer ring 73 of the stationary side. The cover 72 has a sealing lip 74 bonded via vulcanization. This sealing lip 74 slidably contacts the pulse generating ring 71 and protects the encoder 71b from influences from ambient circumstances. A detecting sensor 75 directly contacts the cover member 72. Radio signals are transmitted through the cover member 72. Thus, it is possible to prevent the penetration of dust or sand into a gap formed between the surfaces of the encoder 71b and detecting sensor 75. Accordingly, abrasion or damage to the surface of the encoder 71b is prevented.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 160744/1998 illustrates such a vehicle wheel rolling bearing. However, since the pulse generating ring 71 is arranged so that it radially extends and the signal detection of the detecting sensor 75 is carried out through the cover member 72, it is difficult to ensure sufficient area of the pulse generating ring 71 because of the limitation of radial space of the bearing and thus detecting sensitivity is also reduced. In addition, although the cover member 72 can prevent penetration of dust or sand into the space of the encoder 71b, it increases the distance between the encoder 71b and the detecting sensor 75 further reducing detecting sensitivity.

Rolling bearing for a wheel of vehicle and a semi-float type bearing apparatus having it


A prosthetic bearing element comprises a backing which supports a bearing liner having a bearing surface. The backing is made from a "hard" polymeric material having a minimum hardness value of 55 N/mm.sup.2 and the bearing liner is made from a "soft" elastomeric polyurethane material having a hardness value of 3.0 to 9.0 N/mm.sup.2.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a prosthetic bearing element and to a process for making such an element. More particularly it relates to the use of a polyurethane bearing component which results in the formation of a fluid film bearing between the metal joint part and the bearing surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Improved wear of bearing surfaces such as polyethylene acetabular components in hips, tibial component in knees, and other prosthetic bearing inserts is a major goal for the success of artificial joints. Orthopaedic devices for joint construction and reconstruction can comprise polyethylene bearings on metal, ceramic on polyethylene, and metal on metal. Polyethylene bearings are often held in a metal shell, for example in hip prosthesis or a tibial tray in knee prosthetics. Conventionally bearing liners made from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene are fixed via a snap fit into the metal backing.
The possible use of elastomers in bearings to provide fluid film lubrication at low velocity, low viscosity lubricant has been published in laboratory studies which show that such "soft" bearings provide lower coefficient of friction compared with standard polyethylene versus metal bearings. Such a material is polyurethane. This fluid film bearing mimics the natural lubrication of the joint where synovial fluid lubricates the bone cartilage interface. Because of the fluid film lubrication, it is less likely that the two bearings touch during use and thus wear is lower.
It is however difficult to apply this concept to artificial joints for a number of reasons. One difficulty lies in selecting a suitable elastomer such as polyurethane which will not be degraded or rejected by the human body so care must be taken in selecting the polyurethane materials used. As mentioned above, polyethylene bearings are usually held by physical means in, for example, a metal shell but it is not possible to use this approach with polyurethane because as its stiffness is so much lower than the metal it would be possible under load to be extruded from the metal shell or easily moved relative to the shell causing damage. Moreover, the lower stiffness of the bearing leads to greater differential interface stain between the shell and the liner.
Because of the above difficulties the applicants have tried several different approaches. Initially, for ease of use and conventional appearance, it was attempted to bond a polyurethane liner into a polyethylene backing, similar to pre-existing polyethylene components. This could then be held in a metal shell or cemented depending on the surgeon's preference.

Prosthetic bearing element and method of manufacture


A method of detecting extra-system signals in a multi-node RLAN (radio local area network) involves: at each of a plurality of nodes in the RLAN, processing at least one respective received signal to produce detection results and deciding whether an extra-system signal has or has not been detected based on detection results of at least two of the plurality of nodes. The extra-system signal is for example a signal from a RADAR system. The detection results are produced using pulse pattern matching for example. Furthermore, in some implementations a decision as to whether an extra-system signal has or has not been detected is based on a comparison of a detection signature for at least two of the nodes to see if there is a substantial match. In some implementations the decision is further based on information representative of a direction of arrival of respective received signals.

In a multi-node Radio Local Area Network (RLAN) communication system it is often necessary to detect the presence of other radio services that may be sharing the same radio band. The RLAN system may need to avoid use of the radio channels that the other radio services are using.
Such a situation occurs in practice for RLAN systems operating in 5 GHz bands (e.g. 5.250-5.350 GHz and 5.470-5.725 GHz) that are shared with primary radio determination services such as RADAR systems. In this case the RLAN system is required to monitor and detect the RADAR signals and to select alternate channels when RADAR signals are detected. Generally, the interfering signals are difficult for the RLAN devices to distinguish from other in-band noise. The RLAN system must be careful to distinguish between RADAR signals and other sources of interference before electing to change its operation to a new channel as frequent reselection of a new channel by the RLAN will cause degradation in its performance.
Existing RLAN equipment makes use of an RLAN receiver to detect potentially interfering signals when the device is not transmitting. These signals are then filtered by matching their pulse width and inter-pulse timing against the defined patterns for the RADAR signals. If a pattern match is found (i.e. matching the pulse duration, pulse count, and pulse timing interval), the RLAN device abandons the channel it is currently using and looks for another channel that is free of RADAR signals. The regulations require that each new channel be scanned for at least a minute to determine that it is not being used by RADAR systems. This means that there is at least an interruption of a minute before the RLAN device can resume service to its subtending mobile nodes (i.e. a customer's laptop PCs). In the most common deployments of individual RLAN access points this interruption, while undesirable, may not be too objectionable. For applications such as Web-browsing, the interruption may be unnoticeable if the customer is reading a page and not downloading new material. Even if there is downloading during the interruption, the delay may be masked by the server response delays.
The IEEE sub-committee 802.11h has extended the 801.11 RLAN radio standard protocol to include messages and actions to permit the above solution for single access point deployments and for control of subtending mobile nodes.
For configurations such as a multi-node mesh network in which the RLAN channels are being used to carry concentrated traffic across a network from multiple nodes, any interruption, especially one as long as a minute, is a major disruption that will affect service to multiple customers. In addition, because of the heavy use of the RLAN channels in the multi-node network, there is increased intra-system noise and hence an increased possibility that the RLAN devices will falsely detect a RADAR signature and change channels unnecessarily, with consequent degradation of service. Only a very minimum interruption can be tolerated if, for example, the RLAN system is being used for high quality services such as speech (e.g. Voice over IP (VoIP)) or video streaming.
In some systems, the channels that are vacated due to the detection of a RADAR signal cannot be re-occupied by the RLAN system for at least half an hour after the last RADAR signal on the channel is detected. Thus, false detection and unnecessary channel re-assignments will quickly exhaust the supply of available channels. There are about 12 channels in the 5.470-5.725 GHz band.

System, method and apparatus for reliable detection of extra system signals for a multi-node RLAN system